Q&A with Carl Peterson

[seabronc]

 

Q&A with CARL PETERSON - 7/27

Jul 27, 2007, 2:30:30 PM

 

Training Camp

Highlights

 

 

Q: Where do you stand in negotiations with Larry Johnson?

 

CARL PETERSON: “I’m going to address this one time and one time only because I think that’s all it necessitates. I’ll give you both where we are with Larry Johnson and Dwayne Bowe, our number one draft choice. We have had conversation and will have continuing conversation with representatives of both players. The obvious is they’re not here in training camp.

 

“The one player is without a contract – Dwayne Bowe – so he doesn’t have to be here. The other player – Larry Johnson — does have a contract for 2007 and he is supposed to be here. I’m sure the question will be asked and it is affirmative. We are going to be fining Larry $14,223 or whatever the amount is (by NFL rules) for every day he’s not here.

 

“I am personally still optimistic that we will get something done with both these players. I would like to get something done quickly, obviously, but sometimes it takes time. I’ve been through this before with a lot of players. Right now specific to number one draft choices, there are still a lot of them out. The encouraging thing is there are number ones making deals now and we’ll continue to work at that with Dwayne’s agents.

 

“Specific to Larry, we would like to have him here but very candidly it’s not necessary that he’s here right now. We’ve got a lot of young running backs that I and the team want to look at. Then I think we all know that we’re going to have a little bit older running back getting in here tomorrow. Priest Holmes wants to play football and he should be on the field tomorrow morning. He will be in a physically-unable-to-perform status as about three or four of other players are. We want to bring him along slowly, make sure he doesn’t get hurt, and gauge where he is with his football conditioning.

 

“But in my personal conversations with him earlier in the week and with our doctors he has indicated he’s very excited about coming back and playing football.”

 

Q: Were you surprised that Priest wanted to come back and play? We haven’t heard hide or hair of him for the last couple of years.

 

PETERSON: “Well, I’ve had conversations with him. He doesn’t like to talk to the media which is his prerogative. Nothing will ever surprise me regarding Priest Holmes. He is a truly unique individual and I mean that after 25 years of professional football. He dances to his own tune. I think we know that. He prepares himself for football in his own way. He’s a very quiet person but very much of a team-oriented guy. His words to me specifically were, ‘Carl, I think I can help this football team both on the field and in the locker room and in the classroom to win a championship.’ Then he said: ‘For me, that’s my motivation to come back.’

 

“We have been in touch with Priest over the last couple of months. Surprised? Probably yes, other than he knew that he had to make a decision before we began training camp and he wanted to let me know.”

 

Q: Getting back to Larry, have these been tough negotiations. Are they standing pat on what they want? I know you don’t to like to talk contracts, but that’s what you hear from Larry’s camp.

 

PETERSON: “There has been ongoing conversation. I’d like to think we’re both after the same thing: to get a contract, a multi-year contract. We, like every team in the NFL, have parameters that we must stay within. Certainly at this particular point, frankly, we’re some distance apart in regard to their last proposal and our last proposal. But that’s what negotiations are about. We have not closed the door in any fashion.

 

Q: Do you feel that he should be here because he is under contract?

 

PETERSON: “Yes I do. That’s why there is a fine being levied on him. It won’t start until tomorrow at the first regular practice. I’d love to have him here but I respect his thoughts and opinions and we’ve had other veteran players out of camp for a while and did come back and had outstanding seasons. We’re going to keep working at it.”

 

Q: There’s speculation out there that one reason Priest is here is to gain leverage on Larry.

 

PETERSON: “That’s inaccurate. I did not know until last week that Priest wanted to play football in 2007. I had had some conversations with him but only to the point that, ‘Priest, we’re going to have to know one way or the other.’

 

“This is not a related matter even though I know that there are those that say it is. Priest, for the Kansas City, will hopefully be part of this football team in 2007 but it will be in a different role than he was before. We’re not going to ask him to be the workhorse, the guy that touched it over 70% of the snaps. We found out when he was with us before that when he didn’t touch it as much he was very effective and was able to stay healthy.”

 

Q: As far as Dwayne Bowe, how many guys in front of him in the draft have to get slotted and signed before he comes in, or could you possibly get him in sooner?

 

PETERSON: “That’s a question for his representation. I think one of the reasons it hasn’t been done yet is because they haven’t been satisfied with enough other first round draft choice signings. Candidly, we all know where the numbers should be. It’s certainly an increase from last year but we’re restricted by a rookie salary pool. We only have so many dollars to spend on our rookies and the agents have that number also. So, they know what we can and can not afford specific to our number one draft choice.”

 

Q: What do you think realistic expectations are for Priest Holmes?

 

PETERSON: “Knowing Priest, I would expect he would come and help this football team win. I’m high on Priest Holmes and always have been. Like I said, every time people start to count him out he comes back. I think that’s part of his motivation.

 

“I said it earlier that if he’s 75 or 80% of what he was before he’s still one hell of a football player and that and the way we would like to use him will, I think, be enough that he could be a big contributing factor to the team’s offense.”

 

Q: That $14,000 you’re able to fine Larry starts tomorrow. Is that every single day until he shows up?

 

PETERSON: “Yep, that adds up. But that’s the fine number the league gives us and the player’s association knows.”

 

Q: Do you think that if this goes on with Larry it will go on into the season?

 

PETERSON: “I can’t speculate. That will be up to Larry and his representation. I think everyone knows that you have to be in by the 11th game to get full credit for this year and then after that he could void his contract and of course we could put the franchise tag on him in 2008. So, there are options on both sides.”

 

Q: There are always rumor and innuendo about trading Larry including that the Packers are interested.

 

PETERSON: “First of all, I have no intention whatsoever of trading Larry Johnson. Like before there was a lot of speculation on that; I have had no teams – zero – call me with an interest in trading for Larry.

 

“I think the obvious is that any team that would have an interest in him realizes that the compensation they would have to give to the Kansas City Chiefs in draft choices plus the contract that his agent is currently asking for makes it quite prohibitive for anybody to step up to all of that. But I have had no team call me and I have no interest in giving permission to Larry’s representative to shop him because I want him here. He’s a valuable, talented, outstanding football player that I think has my complete support and has done the things we wanted him to do.”

 

Q: What about Jared Allen? Have you guys had talks with him? He made it perfectly clear that after the season he wanted to become a free agent and didn’t want to be a Kansas City Chief. Has that changed?

 

PETERSON: “You’ll have to ask Jared that. We had to wait to find out what the ultimate punishment was going to be from the commissioner and the National Football League for his two DUI’s (driving under the influence of alcohol) That has been resolved to a two-game suspension down from a four-game. We’re pleased about that and I know that Jared and his representation are.

 

“But regarding a multi-year contract and his four-game suspension I have said before that he is a player of risk. I want to see how he performs on and off the field this year and I think the NFL wants to see that also. But I would never exclude the possibility of him getting a multi-year contract and going on.”

 

Q: Is training camp something you look forward to this year even with these problems going on?

 

PETERSON: “It’s the best time of the year and that’s why I address these problems one time and we won’t address them again. I mean that sincerely. I respect the players and their agents and what they feel they’re compelled to do. But if they’re not here we’re only going to talk to them one time because we’ve got 86 other players who are here and are working very hard to be a Kansas City Chief.”

 

Q: You excited about the QB competition?

 

PETERSON: “I am. I’m very interested to see what happens there. I like all our quarterbacks. I think it’s an interesting scenario because we have a veteran quarterback – a 10-year veteran – who has had very few starts in the National Football League. But he’s played behind some pretty talented players in Dan Marino, Tom Brady and Trent Green. Yet, when he’s been asked to start and play he has one hell of a winning record and a touchdown-to-interception ratio. I think he’s a very talented quarterback. He showed us that last year. We would not have gotten into the playoffs with Damon Huard.

 

“The other side of it is we stepped up and drafted Brodie Croyle and it’s time for him to step up and show us what he can do, stay healthy through training camp and I expect the competition will pick up as we go through training camp.”

 

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[seabronc]

more confirmation of his unwillingness to compromise...

I haven't heard a GM this blunt about contract negotiations in a long time. Not even a bone thrown LJ's way... plenty of praise for Priest, although even Peterson's comments make it obvious they don't think of Priest as anything more than a situational player

[Savage Beatings]

I think the Court of Public Opinion sides with Larry Johnson on this one. Will be interesting to see how it shakes out. But in the end they're going to have to pay the man.

[Hat Trick]

What I take from all of that is:

 

1. Priest Holmes was forced to make a decision, no more free money. As I suspected.

2. LJ will not be traded and will get paid.

3. LJ wont be holding out into the season, I can't remember a player for the Chiefs under Peterson that did hold out into the season (might have happened, although I'm pretty positive it hasn't), thus they will come to an agreement.

 

LJ should be drafted right where you value him, this negotiation shouldn't deter you to move him down the list.

Edited July 27, 2007 by Hat Trick

[kingfish247]

“I think the obvious is that any team that would have an interest in him realizes that the compensation they would have to give to the Kansas City Chiefs in draft choices plus the contract that his agent is currently asking for makes it quite prohibitive for anybody to step up to all of that. But I have had no team call me and I have no interest in giving permission to Larry’s representative to shop him because I want him here. He’s a valuable, talented, outstanding football player that I think has my complete support and has done the things we wanted him to do.”

What a Megan Fox.

 

If we can't have you, nobody can.

 

Especially the part about... he's been real great and "I think has my complete support..."

Edited July 27, 2007 by kingfish247

[Hat Trick]

What a Megan Fox.

 

If we can't have you, nobody can.

 

You've got to know King Carl, most of us have been calling him this for years and have wanted him out for a long long time.

[kingfish247]

You've got to know King Carl, most of us have been calling him this for years and have wanted him out for a long long time.

I don't want to know King Carl.

 

Although it would be funny to shadow him in everyday life...

 

"Honey, I think I love you."

"Look, your my son and you've done everything I wanted you to do including straight As. I think I will support you as you set out for college."

"No guys have contacted me about taking my daughter to the prom. I think it's obvious that any guy who might be interested will have a hard time coming up with the compensation and demands... dinner, limo, curfew etc. Besides she doesn't have my permission to go to the prom anyways."

"I think I really liked our caterer for the draft room. I think we should pay him. I think."

Edited July 27, 2007 by kingfish247

[skylive5]

I think the Court of Public Opinion sides with Larry Johnson on this one. Will be interesting to see how it shakes out. But in the end they're going to have to pay the man.

 

 

I find it interesting that the "Court of Public Opinion" always sides with the guy that signs a contract and then doesn't honor it. He is signed for 2007.... he should have his high and mighty rearend in TC.... play out the season.... and then do all his complaining, crying, and holding out when they franchise him for 2008.

[The Wolf]

PETERSON: “First of all, I have no intention whatsoever of trading Larry Johnson. Like before there was a lot of speculation on that; I have had no teams – zero – call me with an interest in trading for Larry.

 

Riiiiiiight...not one team has stepped forward. More spin to let LJ and his representation know that his only option to play this season is to stay with the Chiefs under his current deal.