Dean: LJ the Starter and Coaching Notes.

[booger]

Johnson assured of starting nod

Edwards tells LJ he will be featured back in Chiefs offense

By RIck Dean
The Capital-Journal
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tuesday was Good News Day for Chiefs running back Larry Johnson.

It began with Johnson's first meeting with new Chiefs coach Herman Edwards, who informed his Pro Bowl running back that he would be the featured back next year regardless of the availability of Priest Holmes.

"He told me I would be the guy going into training camp and that I should start the season prepared to start," said Johnson, who rushed for 1,750 despite starting only nine games after Holmes went out with head and spinal injuries.

"He said, I want to tell you this now that when we get going, you'll have to be the guy on this team who is the leader and gets things done," Johnson added during his Wednesday appearance on ESPN's "Cold Pizza" show.

The Chiefs are still awaiting word from Holmes, the cornerstone of the their offense for 4 1/2 of his five years with the club, about whether he intends to play next year. Holmes is awaiting the results from his latest round of neurological tests before deciding whether he will play next year -- as a backup to Johnson -- at the age of 33.

Johnson also learned Tuesday that prosecutors in Kansas City were dropping assault charges filed against him after a Sept. 10 incident in a Plaza bar.

Johnson was charged after a former girlfriend said she was shoved by Johnson after she confronted him in the presence of another woman. Johnson's attorney, Kevin Regan, said the women later recanted her story to police. Prosecutors tried to pursue the case, but ultimately asked for two continuances before finally dropping charges.

Johnson already was involved in a two-year diversion program following a 2003 incident in which he was accused of slapping a woman and threatening her with a gun in his Johnson County home. A conviction in Kansas City might have led to his being found in violation of the diversion agreement.

CHIEFS NOTES -- More signs continue to point to the elevation of Mike Solari from offensive line coach to Chiefs offensive coordinator.

Unless, that is, he ends up as offensive coordinator at Oakland under Al Saunders, who apparently remains the top candidate for the Raiders vacant head coaching position.

Edwards on Wednesday was expected to interview John Matsko, the offensive line coach for the past seven years in St. Louis, for a similar position in Kansas City. That would suggest that Solari, the Chiefs line coach since 1997, is either moving up or out. Sources at Arrowhead are confident that Solari, who was an offensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh in 1986, a year after he ended a three-year stint at Kansas, will remain in Kansas City.

http://cjonline.com/stories/011906/chi_johnson.shtml

[Rausch]

I really want Solari as OC...

[booger]

Father Time visits ChiefsEdwards interviews Jets assistant coach, clock manager Curl

By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star

Herm Edwards may be turning to Father Time to help the Chiefs.
Edwards brought Dick Curl, one of his New York Jets assistants, to Arrowhead Stadium for an interview Wednesday. Curl was known in New York as Father Time because his job in part was to help Edwards with time management on game days.

Curl didn’t help Edwards much, at least with clock management. The Jets were still among the worst at the art in Curl’s two seasons with Edwards, and both were widely criticized in New York.
“As soon as I make a (clock management) mistake, they’ll say, ‘Here he goes again,’ ” Edwards said at his introductory news conference last week. “Every coach in this league has made some errors. Have I made some errors? Yeah.

“There’s always going to be a situation where you decide to do something and people say, ‘Why did you throw it instead of run it?’ or ‘Why did you run instead of throw?’ or ‘Why did you let the clock go down?’ That’s OK. That’s part of the deal.”

It was unclear exactly what Edwards might have in mind for Curl. Edwards was unavailable to explain. Curl, a former scout with the Chiefs, coached tight ends and running backs during his time with the Jets.
Chiefs running backs coach James Saxon was in his office and working Wednesday, a sign Edwards would welcome him back. The Chiefs are without a tight ends coach after letting go of Jason Verduzco.

Former Chiefs secondary coach Peter Giunta was chosen Wednesday as defensive backs coach for the Giants

[Rausch]

Format that abortion or don't post it...

[Mecca]

I just got a headache trying to read that.....

[tk13]

ROFL

[booger]

looks fine to me :shrug:

[Mecca]

If my last name was Curl, I sure as hell wouldn't let anyone call me Dick.

[Hammock Parties]

Points will be awarded to Herm Edwards momentarily.

[Mecca]

I wonder if anyone will post about how Holmes should be given a chance to start.........I'm sure there's atleast 1 person who thinks that.

[Hammock Parties]

I wonder if anyone will post about how Holmes should be given a chance to start.........I'm sure there's atleast 1 person who thinks that.

Stevieray, perhaps.

[jspchief]

I hope Holmes' injury forces him to retire.

Not because of any malice towards him. But I don't see it working out well if he doesn't retire. If he stays, it's going to have to be for less money, which I don't think he'll do. I'd much rather see him ride off into the sunset than get shoved out the door.

[penguinz]

Points will be awarded to Herm Edwards momentarily.
Get a life.

[Bob Dole]

Is Bob Dole the only one that's bothered that our coaching decisions seem to hinge on what a division rival does or doesn't do?

Bob Dole isn't buying that for a minute, if for no other reason than the size of Carl's ego. There's something going on that we don't know.

[King_Chief_Fan]

Matsko is a pathetic O line coach.
Steve Jackson couldn't move the ball due to poor blocking.
Bulger got creamed and sidelined for most of the year.

[jspchief]

Is Bob Dole the only one that's bothered that our coaching decisions seem to hinge on what a division rival does or doesn't do?

Bob Dole isn't buying that for a minute, if for no other reason than the size of Carl's ego. There's something going on that we don't know.I thought the same thing. Why wait around for Saunders to take Solari with him? If he's the guy, lock him up.

The only explanation I can come up with is that the Chiefs have told Saunders that he has the OC job if he doesn't find other employment. If they give the position to Solari, that would be telling Saunders he's out. Maybe they're just trying to leave the option to retain Saunders open.

[King_Chief_Fan]

I thought the same thing. Why wait around for Saunders to take Solari with him? If he's the guy, lock him up.

The only explanation I can come up with is that the Chiefs have told Saunders that he has the OC job if he doesn't find other employment. If they give the position to Solari, that would be telling Saunders he's out. Maybe they're just trying to leave the option to retain Saunders open.

exactly

[Bob Dole]

I thought the same thing. Why wait around for Saunders to take Solari with him? If he's the guy, lock him up.

The only explanation I can come up with is that the Chiefs have told Saunders that he has the OC job if he doesn't find other employment. If they give the position to Solari, that would be telling Saunders he's out. Maybe they're just trying to leave the option to retain Saunders open.

That's a pretty piss-poor strategy, because it puts the organization at someone else's mercy. Carl is a lot of things, but he's not typically that stupid.

If they want Al to stay, then they ought to do as JoPo suggested and show Al the money. If they showed Al the money and he still wants to shop, then they should proceed as if Al is already gone.

[Cormac]

I hope Holmes' injury forces him to retire.

Not because of any malice towards him. But I don't see it working out well if he doesn't retire. If he stays, it's going to have to be for less money, which I don't think he'll do. I'd much rather see him ride off into the sunset than get shoved out the door.

The problem is, if Holmes retires, the Chiefs are bound to go after some of his signing bonus. It would turn into a Barry Sanders scenario. By all accounts his injury is not career threatening, so the Chiefs would be eligible for a hefty refund. Either way, it's going to be ugly with Priest for the next year, IMO.

[MOhillbilly]

These moves Edwards is looking at scare the hell out of me. Please please please dont bring that guy from st.loser in.
And clock manager? WTF is that?:shake:

[Warrior5]

If they want Al to stay, then they ought to do as JoPo suggested and show Al the money. If they showed Al the money and he still wants to shop, then they should proceed as if Al is already gone.


Ganz genau. Harumph. Ditto. 'Zactly. Bingo. What he said. Tammam.


BTW, I agree with Bob Dole.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

If Priest retires where will we be if LJ gets hurt. You guys better pray he doesn't retire and accepts his backup role.

[MOhillbilly]

If Priest retires where will we be if LJ gets hurt. You guys better pray he doesn't retire and accepts his backup role.

Back up runningbacks are a dime a dozen.

[htismaqe]

If Priest retires where will we be if LJ gets hurt. You guys better pray he doesn't retire and accepts his backup role.

Yeah, every team needs a backup running back taking up $5M of their cap space...

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Back up runningbacks are a dime a dozen.

And LJ was our backup this year! Do you think we'll have a winning record with Dee Brown as our backup when god forbid LJ gets hurt in week one and goes on IR !:shake:

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Yeah, every team needs a backup running back taking up $5M of their cap space...

I would rather have him at 5Mil than not at all, although he really should restructure due to the fact that ,1) he will be a backup and #2) He has proven he cant take the pounding of a full season.

[htismaqe]

I would rather have him at 5Mil than not at all, although he really should restructure due to the fact that ,1) he will be a backup and #2) He has proven he cant take the pounding of a full season.

I would not have him at all as pay him what he's due. He's not worth it, and there's 50+ other players out there that are wanting to play in a Super Bowl.

Priest wants his money. This is gonna get ugly. For everybody's sake, I hope he retires.

[philfree]

I wonder how much of Holmes unachieved bonuses/incentives we can add to our 2006 cap? I also wonder how much of his currenty cap figure is made up of bonuses/incentives that Holmes will not achieve if he's not the starter toting the rock in 2006? We may get a little relief but I'm sure not enough to keep Holmes unless he re-does is contract. I also wonder if there was any clauses in his most recent contract that had to do with injuries keeping him off the field? Didn't he sign his contract the same year he came back from the hip injury? I can't believe Carl wouldn't have had some type of protection written into Holmes' contract with his injury record.

PhilFree:arrow: