DJ still expects to be ready for camp

[The Franchise]

Chiefs ILB Derrick Johnson (Achilles') still expects to be ready for training camp.

The 34-year-old ruptured his left Achilles' in December. Johnson optimistically said he will be ready for camp in April, and he is not backing down a month later. "I'm on track, just like last time," Johnson said. "I never want to put a date on when I'm going to be 100 percent. But will I be at camp? I can say that, yeah." Even if he is "ready," Johnson will likely take it easy early in camp, but there does not appear to be any concern about his Week 1 status.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Was this the same achilles as before or was this the other one? I don't recall.

If he comes back at 90 percent he'll still be a top-ten ILB. I hope he stays healthy because we'll need him to help carry Andy Reid off the field after the Super Bowl.

No he won't.

He probably wasn't a top 10 ILB last season. 90% of that means he's not a starting caliber player anymore.

DJ got a lot of latitude due to the goodwill he's built up in KC (deservedly so) but his play fell off markedly last season. He was simply not the athlete he used to be and I'd be shocked if he's ready to play by week 6 and even more surprised if he's all that effective when he does come back.

That achilles simply won't bounce back to its former elasticity. He's not going to have full range of motion in is feet/ankles and his explosion will be compromised. I don't have high hopes for our boy...

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

No he won't.

He probably wasn't a top 10 ILB last season. 90% of that means he's not a starting caliber player anymore.

DJ got a lot of latitude due to the goodwill he's built up in KC (deservedly so) but his play fell off markedly last season. He was simply not the athlete he used to be and I'd be shocked if he's ready to play by week 6 and even more surprised if he's all that effective when he does come back.

That achilles simply won't bounce back to its former elasticity. He's not going to have full range of motion in is feet/ankles and his explosion will be compromised. I don't have high hopes for our boy...

Johnson optimistically said he will be ready for camp in April, and he is not backing down a month later. "I'm on track, just like last time," Johnson said. "I never want to put a date on when I'm going to be 100 percent. But will I be at camp? I can say that, yeah."

DJ completely disagrees with you.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

Johnson optimistically said he will be ready for camp in April, and he is not backing down a month later. "I'm on track, just like last time," Johnson said. "I never want to put a date on when I'm going to be 100 percent. But will I be at camp? I can say that, yeah."

DJ completely disagrees with you.

Yeah, because aging athletes never have unrealistic expectations of their own abilities.

You can't really be serious here. These guys have never really known failure and selection bias favors healthy players playing late into their careers. By and large, the guys that even make the league are guys that managed to stay damn healthy longer than most.

They aren't doctors, they aren't even trainers. The least reliable narrator in that room is ALWAYS the injured player. They always believe they're going to bounce back 100% (at least publicly). Bouncing back and being productive is all they've ever known so of course that's what they're going to expect to happen yet again. Sadly, they have to get beat over the head with their athletic mortality before they come to understand otherwise.

Derrick Johnson is a soon to be 35 year old LBer who has a ton of games on the odometer and was slowing down significantly BEFORE he suffered one of the worst injuries an older athlete can suffer. Seriously, you're completely insane if you're just going to take his standard old 'proud warrior' proclamations at face value.

[RunKC]

If he's slowing down then he's a better version of Mauga, which is not to bad for this team.

I think ILB is the one position Dorsey will need to spend $$ on. It's easily his worst position and he's missed on a lot of guys there in the draft.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by RunKC

If he's slowing down then he's a better version of Mauga, which is not to bad for this team.

I think ILB is the one position Dorsey will need to spend $$ on. It's easily his worst position and he's missed on a lot of guys there in the draft.

Which is why I think he finally hits with Eligwe. He's too good at this too keep swinging and missing there.

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yeah, because aging athletes never have unrealistic expectations of their own abilities.

You can't really be serious here. These guys have never really known failure and selection bias favors healthy players playing late into their careers. By and large, the guys that even make the league are guys that managed to stay damn healthy longer than most.

They aren't doctors, they aren't even trainers. The least reliable narrator in that room is ALWAYS the injured player. They always believe they're going to bounce back 100% (at least publicly). Bouncing back and being productive is all they've ever known so of course that's what they're going to expect to happen yet again. Sadly, they have to get beat over the head with their athletic mortality before they come to understand otherwise.

Derrick Johnson is a soon to be 35 year old LBer who has a ton of games on the odometer and was slowing down significantly BEFORE he suffered one of the worst injuries an older athlete can suffer. Seriously, you're completely insane if you're just going to take his standard old 'proud warrior' proclamations at face value.

Jeez you act like he was some scrub before he got hurt and now DJ should just retire or even amputate Both legs.

And Yes- I do take what DJ says at face value. He once said he would make sure the Boys and Girls club in my neighborhood had new equipment for the kids. He personally made it happen and was there to spend the whole day installing it with us. His word is Gold in my opinion.

It is HIS body, HIS career and HE says he will be at camp- not once, but twice now. I will take HIS word over a posters on CP every time.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RunKC

If he's slowing down then he's a better version of Mauga, which is not to bad for this team.

I think ILB is the one position Dorsey will need to spend $$ on. It's easily his worst position and he's missed on a lot of guys there in the draft.

If he's slowing down, he's a smarter, slower version of Mauga.

So he may not be a better version, he'd just be a different, similarly effective version. And remember, Mauga was fine as the Ted but he kinda sucked at the Mike when DJ was lost for the year the last time.

There's not a lot of leeway here when it comes to his baseline athleticism. If it falls as far as most older players do when they suffer an achilles, he's going to struggle to maintain any real effectiveness in a significant role.

I hate it, but you're better off being realistic about someone's prognosis than just whistling past the graveyard.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

Jeez you act like he was some scrub before he got hurt and now DJ should just retire or even amputate Both legs.

And Yes- I do take what DJ says at face value. He once said he would make sure the Boys and Girls club in my neighborhood had new equipment for the kids. He personally made it happen and was there to spend the whole day installing it with us. His word is Gold in my opinion.

It is HIS body, HIS career and HE says he will be at camp- not once, but twice now. I will take HIS word over a posters on CP every time.

Ah. So he's a nice guy and because of that you're going to ignore history.

Got it. It's a personal thing and not based on reality or reason.

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Ah. So he's a nice guy and because of that you're going to ignore history.

Got it. It's a personal thing and not based on reality or reason.

I guess we will find out if DJ is Full of Shit as posted on here- when he shows up for training camp- just like he said he would.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

I guess we will find out if DJ is Full of Shit as posted on here- when he shows up for training camp- just like he said he would.

Who the hell cares about 'showing up to camp?'

I said 'ready to play' and 'be effective'.

Jamaal Charles showed up to camp last year. Fat lot of ****ing good that did us.

Christ, listen to you carp and wail like his mother because someone dares question how realistic an athlete is about his health because he gave you some park equipment. Please, try to sound like a bigger **** right now, I'm pretty sure you can't manage it.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by staylor26

Which is why I think he finally hits with Eligwe. He's too good at this too keep swinging and missing there.

It's possible but Ramik Wilson, DJ Alexander and Justin March are similar decision lens players and they haven't worked out.

We'all see.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by RunKC

It's possible but Ramik Wilson, DJ Alexander and Justin March are similar decision lens players and they haven't worked out.

We'all see.

March was an UDFA, Wilson doesn't fit the decision lens mold and is more of a TED, and Alexander, while athletic and fast, didn't have Eligwe's upside. He's turned out to be a hell of a special teamer though, and that's all I think they were ever really hoping for with him. Even our scout said they hope Eligwe will follow DJ.

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Who the hell cares about 'showing up to camp?'

I said 'ready to play' and 'be effective'.

Jamaal Charles showed up to camp last year. Fat lot of ****ing good that did us.

Christ, listen to you carp and wail like his mother because someone dares question how realistic an athlete is about his health because he gave you some park equipment. Please, try to sound like a bigger **** right now, I'm pretty sure you can't manage it.

Chiefs ILB Derrick Johnson (Achilles') still expects to be ready for training camp.

The 34-year-old ruptured his left Achilles' in December. Johnson optimistically said he will be ready for camp in April, and he is not backing down a month later. "I'm on track, just like last time," Johnson said. "I never want to put a date on when I'm going to be 100 percent. But will I be at camp? I can say that, yeah." Even if he is "ready," Johnson will likely take it easy early in camp, but there does not appear to be any concern about his Week 1 status.

Check the thread title. That is the Whole point of this thread- DJ says he will be at camp.

Immediately, it was posted he was full of shit. That is the WHOLE point of my response.

Now you want to take if a step further and act like he was a scrub before he got hurt and now should just retire. You can post all the odds you want wrapped up in your negativity- but the fact is - DJ HAS come back from this before. Will he be an ALL Pro again- time will tell- but my guess he will Still be the best we have and will be racking up tackles like he always did.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by staylor26

March was an UDFA, Wilson doesn't fit the decision lens mold and is more of a TED, and Alexander, while athletic and fast, didn't have Eligwe's upside. He's turned out to be a hell of a special teamer though, and that's all I think they were ever really hoping for with him. Even our scout said they hope Eligwe will follow DJ.

Why would you have said, in real time, that Alexander doesn't have Eligwe's upside? Just curious.

Because coming out of college, Alexander appeared to be ALL upside and a very similar kind of player/prospect to Eligwe.

I just think we're assigning credit for development elsewhere to our ILBs. This team does a great job with certain areas; DBs and DLs most notably. But Justin Houston pre-dated this regime and had made a Pro-Bowl before Andy and crew got here. Hali was Hali 10 years ago. Ford's development has been...rocky? The ILBs by and large haven't progressed worth a damn (and DJ was DJ already, just like Tamba).

We don't really have much in the way of success stories to point to at the LB position with this regime. Now I'm not saying we should close the book on the possibility or just say that they can't do the job. But thus far they really haven't and I think it's fair to stay open to the possibility that they're just not terribly strong in that area right now.

There are worse sins and it's not fatal. I just wish we'd have put a little more draft capital towards the position recently. I have some hope for Terrance Smith and love Eligwe's potential, but it requires some faith that may not be entirely earned.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

Now you want to take if a step further and act like he was a scrub before he got hurt and now should just retire.

Derrick Johnson was a shadow of his former self in 2016 and that was before he was injured.

Expecting him to return to his former glory after tearing each of his Achilles tendons, and at age 35 to boot, it completely unrealistic.

Father Time is undefeated.