DJ fans grab your lube!!

[Mr. Laz]

It's Only June But Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson Runs With The First Team (http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/6/1/1496334/its-only-june-but-chiefs-lb)

http://cdn0.sbnation.com/profile_images/240996/headshot_tiny.jpg by Joel Thorman (http://www.sbnation.com/users/Joel%20Thorman) on Jun 1, 2010 12:13 PM PDT (http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/6/1/1496334/its-only-june-but-chiefs-lb) in 2010 Kansas City Chiefs Season (http://www.arrowheadpride.com/section/2010-campaign) http://cdn3.sbnation.com/images/icons/comment.v1599.png 25 comments
Yeah, it's only June but for most of us we've been waiting and wondering when this would come:
Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson ran with the first team today, according to Bob Gretz of BobGretz.com (http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-football/ota-7-report.html).
Again, it’s the first day of June so take this with a grain of salt, but Derrick Johnson and Jovan Belcher (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/78011/Jovan_Belcher) were working with the first team defense during the practice. Haley had high praise for Johnson after the session. "Derrick is one of the guys here who is really working to be the best he can be," said Haley. "If he can play big-time football for us that would be good for the Kansas City Chiefs (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/KAN).
Belcher was an undrafted free agent and, according to Haley, busted his tail to get on the field last year, mostly as a special teamer. DJ meanwhile tells reporters he's also been working hard to get back onto the field. As he's said before, he feels he needs to be on the field.
Demorrio Williams (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1194/Demorrio_Williams) and Corey Mays (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1687/Corey_Mays) -- the starters at inside linebacker for much of last season -- were running with the second team.

[L.A. Chieffan]

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G29d6RDSK1c&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G29d6RDSK1c&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[KCUnited]

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/article-2/Insider-Blog-OTA-Report/3e91c183-2065-4ad6-9a13-d61dcf75b057

How did he respond?

Johnson picked QB Matt Cassel on a very athletic play in coverage on the third snap of seven-on-seven work. The break on the football mirrored the flashes of athleticism that Johnson has displayed when he’s been at his best.

[CoMoChief]

DJ needs to start.....plain and simple.

[HemiEd]

DJ needs to start.....plain and simple.

I agree, but he needs to play up to his potential, all the time.

[The Franchise]

Contract year

[salame]

DJ and Williams would be a good duo
I like Belcher though

[Hammock Parties]

We have a shitty linebacker who only picks off shitty quarterbacks and a shitty quarterback who throws picks to shitty linebackers.

[Hootie]

Contract year

Good.

and then if he has contract year type play we can give him another contract year in the form of a franchise tag...

God I love the NFL and the ability to control your superstars...

[TheGuardian]

DJ needs to start.....plain and simple.

No he needs to play well enough on a consistent basis to start. He's never shown he can do that.

[CoMoChief]

No he needs to play well enough on a consistent basis to start. He's never shown he can do that.

A bad DJ is better than the crap we have backing him up.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!

GO DJ !!!!!!!!

[Pasta Little Brioni]

DJ needed the tough love last year and it is good news if he can finally step up, but I'm more intrigued by Belcher over Mays. I think he has potential. Now they need Stude to step up and snag a starting OLB job.

[kaplin42]

A bad DJ is better than the crap we have backing him up.

Not really. A bad DJ is just as horrible as any other player we got out there. When he wants to be, sucks it up pretty bad.

[RustShack]

Not really. A bad DJ is just as horrible as any other player we got out there. When he wants to be, sucks it up pretty bad.

But at least he can be good at times, unlike the other crap we have.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

But at least he can be good at times, unlike the other crap we have.

He did lead the league in tackles for loss one year. He shows flashes, but has never put it all together. Motivation and a chance at a fat contract after the season could do wonders.

[BossChief]

Hali
DJ
Belcher
Studabaker

Those should be our best set of linebackers.

[Jethopper]

the heavy metal nickle has an atomic number of 28

[OnTheWarpath15]

I agree, but he needs to play up to his potential, all the time.

Even at 50%, he's better than anyone else at the position.

Shy of a a debilitating injury, there is NO reason for him not to start.

[googlegoogle]

Love what Halley did last season.

It lit a BP sized fire under his ass hopefully.

[TheGuardian]

A bad DJ is better than the crap we have backing him up.

Actually it's not. When DJ is having an off game he's a complete liability on the field in every way.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

"Derrick is one of the guys here who is really working to be the best he can be," said Haley. "If he can play big-time football for us that would be good for the Kansas City Chiefs (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/KAN).



Really Todd? Would that be a good thing? Would it?

:facepalm:

[BossChief]

I wonder what kind of influence Eric Berry has had on DJ.

[salame]

I wonder what kind of influence Eric Berry has had on DJ.

seriously?

[-King-]

I wonder what kind of influence Eric Berry has had on DJ.

Que?
Posted via Mobile Device

[BossChief]

Why is that a head scratcher?

The guy is already making the calls on defense (according to him in interviews) and he played in this defense his first two years in college, so Im sure he is helping DJ with the mental part of the game and will do so all year.

When you add a elite talent to a team, he effects the level everyone else prepares at as well as the level they play at, practice at, etc.

[salame]

Why is that a head scratcher?

The guy is already making the calls on defense (according to him in interviews) and he played in this defense his first two years in college, so Im sure he is helping DJ with the mental part of the game and will do so all year.

When you add a elite talent to a team, he effects the level everyone else prepares at as well as the level they play at, practice at, etc.

IDK something tells me the veteran players on this team aren't waiting at his locker for words of wisdom and advice. He's not Ed Reed yet no matter how much we all want him to be.

[Brock]

There's probably a lot of STFU, rookie.

[BossChief]

IDK something tells me the veteran players on this team aren't waiting at his locker for words of wisdom and advice. He's not Ed Reed yet no matter how much we all want him to be.

Great players make everyone on the team better. I dont think there is a football person in America that thinks Berry is anything short of a great player.

[soopamanluva]

AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!

GO DJ !!!!!!!!

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MNS-Ho5tWo0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MNS-Ho5tWo0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[Ralphy Boy]

DJ needed the tough love last year and it is good news if he can finally step up, but I'm more intrigued by Belcher over Mays. I think he has potential. Now they need Stude to step up and snag a starting OLB job.

This. My initial thought was "if only they had done the same with Pollard", though I think Pollard must have been a locker room distraction for them to have gotten rid of him.

[milkman]

Great players make everyone on the team better. I dont think there is a football person in America that thinks Berry is anything short of a great player.

I think at this point, before he's ever played a down in the NFL, he's just trying to blend in and show it on the field.

If DJ actually shows up and plays it's because Haley didn't cater to his ass.

[beach tribe]

Haley is a genius. Took that loafing softy, and turned him into a future supah stah!.

[BossChief]

I think a lot of factors are gonna help DJ play better this year, Berry being one of them and Haley being the biggest factor. Ive been saying that since last year, me and BRC even had a good exchange of pms after the Denver game about it.

I also think he makes another perceived step once we add a true nose tackle in front of him (assuming he is still there when that happens.) hopefully, that happens soon.

[beach tribe]

I think a lot of factors are gonna help DJ play better this year, Berry being one of them and Haley being the biggest factor. Ive been saying that since last year, me and BRC even had a good exchange of pms after the Denver game about it.

I also think he makes another perceived step once we add a true nose tackle in front of him (assuming he is still there when that happens.) hopefully, that happens soon.

I've been saying that Haley was the best thing that ever happened to DJ, since the first day he found himself running with the third string.

[MahiMike]

All part of the most awesome Pioli plan; piss off a stud in a throwaway year and make him so mad he becomes the monster you knew he could be.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

There's probably a lot of STFU, rookie.

This.