Mellinger: Gonzalez's run with Chiefs could be over...

[DaWolf]

Gonzalez's run with Chiefs could be over

By Sam Mellinger

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - His stuff packed away, his locker nearly clean and his goodbyes mostly said, Tony Gonzalez put on a black coat and gray stocking cap and walked out of Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday morning.

The locker room he left behind was a mix of smiles and jokes and hugs. The sting of Saturday's dismal 23-8 playoff loss in Indianapolis seemed mostly behind the Chiefs , or at least pushed beneath the surface for now.

Gonzalez will start his superstar travel schedule shortly. He'll chill in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. But at the moment, a shade past 10:30 in the morning, Gonzalez sounded like a man who sees the end approaching.

"It's been 10 years now, for me, leaving here disappointed," he said. "I'll never get used to it, and I never want to. But after 10 years, you start to say to yourself, `This is something that's got to change.'

"That's what they pay us for, to win games, to go to the Super Bowl. If we can't get it done, something's got to change. I'm looking forward to change this offseason."

There's been so much change already in the last year, from Dick Vermeil's tears to Herm Edwards' sermons, from a score-`em-if-you-got-`em offense to a conservative approach that would make Fox News blush.

Trent Green suffered a nasty grade-3 concussion and seemed to grow a littler grayer on top. Larry Johnson broke Jamal Anderson's single-season carries record, a mark no running back should ever want.

Through it all, Gonzalez caught 73 passes for 900 yards and five touchdowns, good for another Pro Bowl season_his eighth in 10 NFL seasons .

They've all been with the Chiefs, and that may be coming to an end. He's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent_though the Chiefs may give him the franchise tag and retain him_and could be open to playing somewhere else.

"That's a definite possibility," he said.

A probability?

"It's a possibility," he said. "Honestly, I don't know at this point. I couldn't tell you any which way, am I coming back or going out there as a free agent. I hope they don't franchise me, and that means free-agency. If that comes, I'm gonna go out there and look around."

Across the way, Green, the franchise quarterback and one of the guys sure to come back, is sitting in front of his locker, waiting for a full day of rehab. There is no rest for the weary, and Green plans on spending much of the offseason building his body back to where it was before his injury.

What the team looks like when he returns is a whole different issue.

"Oh, there will be (change)," he said. "It's not a matter if I want it. There will be. Every year, there's about 10 to 15 new players, and this year there may be more than that, if you just base it on what coach Edwards has said, and who's going to be a free agent."

Johnson bolted from Arrowhead before the locker room was open to reporters, a Yankees hat covering the Roc-A-Fella logo cut into his hair. Johnson and the Chiefs have begun talks on a new contract, giving the team at least some stability as it enters this offseason.

Besides the unknown with several key players, the constant in the locker room was another season of disappointment. In a lot of ways, the team did better than some expected, overcoming the retirement of tackle Willie Roaf and the absence of running back Priest Holmes and the injury to Green and the new coaching philosophy to slide into the playoffs.

In other ways, it's going to take some time to get over the beating in Indianapolis.

"That's all you got now, is time," guard Brian Waters said. "It's not like you have to prepare for next week or anything like that. You just have to get back to your family and friends and all those people, and those are the people who are going to love you regardless."

Waters talked about how the experience in Indianapolis could only help the team, how each player now had a better idea of what it takes to win a playoff game.

He vowed to use the offseason to improve himself and said he expected each of his teammates to do the same.

The problem is he can't exactly be sure who his teammates will be anymore. One of the guys in limbo, Gonzalez, wasn't even planning on watching Sunday's playoff games.

"Little too soon for me," he said.

You could only wonder if it's now a little too late for the Chiefs.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16406382.htm

[el borracho]

"Gonzalez will start his superstar travel schedule shortly. He'll chill in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl."

[RealSNR]

Does anyone blame the guy?

My only regret is not getting any compensation for him if he DOES leave

[HMc]

non exclusive franchise tag, let's get two first rounders for him. which no one will pay.

[Easy 6]

You can all write it down for possible future verbal beatings, but i say Tony & Larry will start the 07 season as KCCHIEFS.

Etch it into an ornate gold platter & then put it in the time-capsule.

Its a LOCK.

[RealSNR]

We're looking at a facelift on the Oline, possibly a new QB, and a new FB. We're losing our greatest pass-catching asset, and will probably replace him with Wilson, who is decent, but no Tony Gonzalez.

This better some hell of a new offensive scheme next year or we're screwed

[Easy 6]

We're looking at a facelift on the Oline, possibly a new QB, and a new FB. We're losing our greatest pass-catching asset, and will probably replace him with Wilson, who is decent, but no Tony Gonzalez.

This better some hell of a new offensive scheme next year or we're screwed

BIGFOOT is 6'1, he will never be a legit TE in the NFL. His position has been found.

[RealSNR]

BIGFOOT is 6'1, he will never be a legit TE in the NFL. His position has been found.So he's an elite receiving FB? What exactly is he? At times, I thought he looked like Mikhael Ricks back when he was a WR.

[RedThat]

"It's been 10 years now, for me, leaving here disappointed," he said. "I'll never get used to it, and I never want to. But after 10 years, you start to say to yourself, `This is something that's got to change.'

"That's what they pay us for, to win games, to go to the Super Bowl. If we can't get it done, something's got to change. I'm looking forward to change this offseason."

Thata boy Tony. You get your message across. I feel for you man. But nothing is going to change. It's the same FO we've had here for years, same guys running the show. And you just proved it that they can't build a SB winner. If they keep the same guys here for years, how can we expect it to change now? And thats why the Chiefs will still be stuck at mediocrity.


Gonzalez is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent_though the Chiefs may give him the franchise tag and retain him_and could be open to playing somewhere else.

"That's a definite possibility," he said.

A probability?

"It's a possibility," he said. "Honestly, I don't know at this point. I couldn't tell you any which way, am I coming back or going out there as a free agent. I hope they don't franchise me, and that means free-agency. If that comes, I'm gonna go out there and look around."

If your smart Tony get out of KC as soon as you can. If you want to win a SB, it won't happen in KC. Smart thing to do is test the market and play with an organization that has the best chance at winning the Lombardi trophy. Or demand a trade? Get your message across even further!

[BigRock]

Gonzalez's run with Chiefs could be over
Good lord. In the same newspaper this column was printed in, they quoted Carl saying there's no way Tony would leave and that he'd franchise him if it was the only option.

(I don't mean today's edition of the paper, the Carl quote was a week or so back.)

[007]

non exclusive franchise tag, let's get two first rounders for him. which no one will pay.
Hell, we won't even get one first rounder for an aging TE.

[007]

Thata boy Tony. You get your message across. I feel for you man. But nothing is going to change. It's the same FO we've had here for years, same guys running the show. And you just proved it that they can't build a SB winner. If they keep the same guys here for years, how can we expect it to change now? And thats why the Chiefs will still be stuck at mediocrity.




If your smart Tony get out of KC as soon as you can. If you want to win a SB, it won't happen in KC. Smart thing to do is test the market and play with an organization that has the best chance at winning the Lombardi trophy. Or demand a trade? Get your message across even further!
New England would be a good choice for him if he is willing to take a paycut to get a ring.

[RedThat]

New England would be a good choice for him if he is willing to take a paycut to get a ring.

Id love to see him go there. And I would root for him too.

I just feel for the guy, great player on a mickey mouse organization. He's had to suffer here. He deserves to be with a great organization.

*Can you imagine Brady and Gonzalez? That would be a sick combination.

[Boyceofsummer]

Id love to see him go there. And I would root for him too.

I just feel for the guy, great player on a mickey mouse organization. He's had to suffer here. He deserves to be with a great organization.

*Can you imagine Brady and Gonzalez? That would be a sick combination.

Even Elvis new who you throw at. Why he wasn't involved more while TRINT was the starter is baffling.

[the Talking Can]

if I was an offensive player I'd do everything I could to get away from Herm.....

[Reerun_KC]

Bravo Gonzo, I hope you go to Denver!

that way you can come back and rub it in our faces every year...

[HemiEd]

It is the annual "Tony might leave" speculation. Like losing, it gets old. Tony was not without fault on Saturday.

[Fairplay]

Bravo Gonzo, I hope you go to Denver!

that way you can come back and rub it in our faces every year...




Go any where but Denver Gonzo.

Goodbye, and goodluck.

[Reerun_KC]

Go any where but Denver Gonzo.

Goodbye, and goodluck.
I was kidding, but it might be fitting.. Ala Niel Smith...


would that just be the shit, He goes to Denver wins 2 superbowls....

[Chiefnj]

If the Chiefs tag Tony I hope it is for purposes of signing and trading him somewhere else. Forcing players to play for a team that they don't want to be part of isn't a good idea.

[morphius]

He can hope that he is a FA all he wants, but he isn't gonna be one and he knows it. Carl has said it more then once, Tony is not going anywhere.

[Chiefnj]

He can hope that he is a FA all he wants, but he isn't gonna be one and he knows it. Carl has said it more then once, Tony is not going anywhere.

Then he'll collect his 11 million for the year. Not show up to any voluntary workouts and strain his hammy a bunch during camp and preseason.

[Reerun_KC]

Then he'll collect his 11 million for the year. Not show up to any voluntary workouts and strain his hammy a bunch during camp and preseason.


Hey let him, The fans and City has been good to Tony G... Carl is the one ****ing everyone over here with shitty hires like Herm....


I would love to see Tony stick it to Carl and Herm that way. Those 2 deserve any ****ing they get!

[Extra Point]

I would trade to draft Jamarcus Russell of LSU and let Tony Gonzales play elsewhere. Tony G would look good in blue, for Indy or New England.

We are two seasons away from being where we need to be, so far as line help goes. I would let Trent Green retire upon front office request, start Huard, bring on Russell, let Brody Croyell ride the pine, and let go of Casey Printers.

Tony G is a great TE, but if he wants to go, we would be stupid to keep a guy who isn't confident in the team.

[Iowanian]

May a plague of Typhoon Diarhead hit you for even thinking that out loud.

Bravo Gonzo, I hope you go to Denver!

that way you can come back and rub it in our faces every year...

[Fairplay]

I was kidding, but it might be fitting.. Ala Niel Smith...


would that just be the shit, He goes to Denver wins 2 superbowls....



I know you were joking. Thats who i thought of automatically was Niel Smith leaving.
I always liked him, but had to look the other way when he had his Donks uniform on.

[C-Mac]

I would trade to draft Jamarcus Russell of LSU and let Tony Gonzales play elsewhere. Tony G would look good in blue, for Indy or New England.

We are two seasons away from being where we need to be, so far as line help goes. I would let Trent Green retire upon front office request, start Huard, bring on Russell, let Brody Croyell ride the pine, and let go of Casey Printers.

Tony G is a great TE, but if he wants to go, we would be stupid to keep a guy who isn't confident in the team.

What makes you think that Jamarcus Russell would be any better than Brodie Croyle at handing off to Larry Johnson?
:shrug:

[louie aguiar]

Also from that article:

"Johnson and the Chiefs have begun talks on a new contract, giving the team at least some stability as it enters this offseason."

I think that's a contract that KC might live to regret. LJ has a bad attitude and has yet to show that he's a complete back. He's terrible in pass protection, and isn't a great receiver. He's been great running the ball but after getting the ball 400+ times this year, I think he could take a step back next year. He'll be 28 next year and NFL history tells us that running backs don't produce much past their 30th birthday. I hope I'm wrong but I don't like the idea of giving LJ a huge extension. I'd trade him for picks and start the rebuilding process.

That's my 2 cents.

[BIG_DADDY]

Bottom line, If I was TG and Herm was being retained I would want to leave. As much as that sucks I can't blame him for feeling that way.

[Extra Point]

What makes you think that Jamarcus Russell would be any better than Brodie Croyle at handing off to Larry Johnson?
:shrug:

6-6 and 270 is a bit more rugged with an O-Line that you're rebuilding, when you can't hand off on 3rd and long.

[txhawk]

Tony G will be a Saint next season. They have the cap room, and trust me his addition would give the saints an even deadlier offense. He wants to go to a Super Bowl. Why would u go to an AFC team when the NFC is so pathetic. The Saints would dominate the NFC next season with him.

[Easy 6]

So he's an elite receiving FB? What exactly is he? At times, I thought he looked like Mikhael Ricks back when he was a WR.

You got it, he's a receiving FB as good or better than any in the NFL & i would grade him as a B in blocking with room to grow. Ricks was like 6'6 or 6'7.

As far as Russell, why does everyone want to forget that Croyle would have went much higher in the draft were it not for some injuries, that by the time 07 camp rolls around will be healed. Healed, with a year in the system & 10-15pds. in the weight room & this guy might very well be able to play.

Every BIG-SHOT thought Montana was too small framed & skinny to amount to anything too.

Lets give the guy a shot before we set our sights elsewhere eh???

[Extra Point]

Tony G will be a Saint next season. They have the cap room, and trust me his addition would give the saints an even deadlier offense. He wants to go to a Super Bowl. Why would u go to an AFC team when the NFC is so pathetic. The Saints would dominate the NFC next season with him.

We have a grand prize winner!

[Mile High Mania]

Maybe Carl will pull a trade with the Falcons and bring in Vick... he likes to run and isn't a great passing QB, sounds like something that fits nicely with Herm's new vision. It's not like there would be a wasting of WR talent anymore than what Herm did this season.

[Bowser]

Maybe Carl will pull a trade with the Falcons and bring in Vick... he likes to run and isn't a great passing QB, sounds like something that fits nicely with Herm's new vision. It's not like there would be a wasting of WR talent anymore than what Herm did this season.

I will set fire to every piece of Chiefs clothing I have if that happens.

Gonzalez will get franchised, without doubt. And if we were to trade LJ, it best be to a team like the Packers.

[Mile High Mania]

Heh... does it sound like anything Carl would seriously consider?

[HemiEd]

Maybe Carl will pull a trade with the Falcons and bring in Vick... he likes to run and isn't a great passing QB, sounds like something that fits nicely with Herm's new vision. It's not like there would be a wasting of WR talent anymore than what Herm did this season.

They already have their Michael Vick starter set, his name is Casey Printers.

[Bowser]

Heh... does it sound like anything Carl would seriously consider?

You mean with Vick? Nah, not really. That would be a media whoring move, imo, and if he wanted that, we would have signed T.O. this past season. Now, Jerrah Jones or Dan Snyder, on the other hand.....

[Mile High Mania]

I imagine Petrino will say "Oh, I can coach Vick to greatness". If he's smart though, they'll also resign Schaub - I think that guy can be good based on what little we've seen of him.

[ct]

Gonzo and LJ will be Chiefs.

[BIG_DADDY]

Gonzo and LJ will be Chiefs.

You are probably right but I don't think TG is going to be happy about it.

[txhawk]

Like I said before, let Gonzo go and we can sign an Eric Johnson or Daniel Graham (both UFAs), we have dunn, let these guys catch the ball. For about half of what TG would cost. USe the extra cash on WR and OL help.

[FAX]

You know, before this year I would have hated to see TG go. After all, he's redefined the position of tight end in the NFL as a Chief.

Now, I'd like to see him go to a team with a legitimate shot at the SB. I think he deserves it.

Fly away little Gonzo. Fly.

FAX

[ROYC75]

Informed and misinformed ....... some of the responses here are just plan silly. Do any of you people complaining ever read allof the news ?

[FloridaMan88]

If I were the Chiefs I'd be following the situation in Philly closely. The further they advance in the playoffs with Garcia at QB the more willing they'd be to listen to trade offers for McNabb IMO.

If Gonzo doesn't want to be in KC anymore, packaging him in a trade for McNabb would be an interesting option

[Sure-Oz]

Mcnabb is going nowhere. Garcia is old as heck too, hes doing a good Huard.

[BigMeatballDave]

non exclusive franchise tag, let's get two first rounders for him. which no one will pay.I'd take a 1st and a 3rd.

[tommykat]

Bottom line, If I was TG and Herm was being retained I would want to leave. As much as that sucks I can't blame him for feeling that way.

OMG this makes me sick........My fear? a freaking raider~

What about Jared Allen? Heard talk today.....I hope neither of them leave! I could understand Gonzo somewhat, but NOT Jared "just yet"!!

[PastorMikH]

Bottom line, If I was TG and Herm was being retained I would want to leave. As much as that sucks I can't blame him for feeling that way.


Yep. Herm needs to shut his mouth right now about his plans for next season. I at LEAST after saturday had hope for next season. With what he's saying, right now I am beginning to have less hope for next season than I had for this season.

If I were a top player or prospect at any position, I would have serious reservations about wanting to play here with what Herm is saying right now.


Tony wants to win. From the sounds of it, he won't be able to here. I can't blame him.

[Easy 6]

Ya know, if TG just couldnt bare the thought of 07 with KC, Graham from the Pats would alleviate a lot of those worries, he's a proven player himself.

Ya hate to see a guy like TG leave, but if he HAS to, then Graham would be a very acceptible substitute.

I could live with that deal if it truly bolstered the future.

[Simplex3]

if I was an offensive player I'd do everything I could to get away from Herm.....
If I'm LJ I look at the number of times I carried the ball this year, then I look at what's happened to every other back that's done anything close to that, then I look at the fact that I only have one year left on this piss-ant contract, and I demand a trade or show up just long enough to qualify as having "played" my last year.

If I'm Tony I walk in and tell Carl I've made my money and that I won't be in a Chiefs uni next year, period.

[Extra Point]

If I'm Carl, I tell LJ that Michael Bennett is patient and willing to trade time with him. I'd draft Jamarcus Russell just to play TE, and he'd work out as well as Antonio Gates, whoever the hell he is.

[PastorMikH]

If I'm LJ I look at the number of times I carried the ball this year, then I look at what's happened to every other back that's done anything close to that, then I look at the fact that I only have one year left on this piss-ant contract, and I demand a trade or show up just long enough to qualify as having "played" my last year.

If I'm Tony I walk in and tell Carl I've made my money and that I won't be in a Chiefs uni next year, period.



Actually, it would be great if Tony got LJ to walk into Carl's office and both of them demand that Carl step in or they both will be gone - and both be willing to sit out next season if need be.


If I'm LJ right now, the writing on the wall is clear - I'll be carrying more next season than I did this season - and most of the time, I'll have 8-9 guys waiting on me at the LOS.

[Simplex3]

If I'm LJ right now, the writing on the wall is clear - I'll be carrying more next season than I did this season - and most of the time, I'll have 8-9 guys waiting on me at the LOS.
Yup. No point in wearing myself down for this POS team.