LJ standing on the sidelinesEveryone knows the LJ story, so no need to repeat it here. I was happy (if not surprised) to see that Johnson was permanently removed from the team. I will be even happier if some other team (sucker) picks him up and eats his salary. Unfortunately, I can’t imagine that happening. Odds are he’ll land somewhere in free agency with a drastically lower pay base, but I think the Chiefs will have to eat the balance – disclaimer (I’m not a salary guy). I have written three times about Larry Johnson on this blog and none of it positive.
The first time was when I was trying to throw water on Carl Peterson – hoping he would melt away. King Carl needs to go: Reason #1. The issue was something I had written about (pre blog) immediately after LJ ran for 1700 yards his second season in a row. It was the perfect time to trade him and anyone who studied running backs and their wear would have agreed. The Chiefs were at the point when they were going to have to start transitioning. It was the perfect time to start the process. As it turns out, it was the single biggest mistake CP ever made IMO and likely contributed to his exit.
The second blog post I had about him was entitled Larry Johnson: A Divorce Made in Heaven. My point was that he had overstayed his welcome and it was time for him to go. The big problem was trying to get something for him. He had already slowed enough that, along with his bad attitude, he wasn’t worth much on the open market.
My third post was just before the season began - Chiefs: LJ on borrowed time. I analyzed what his production was likely to be for the next several seasons using many other running backs as a guide. Certainly, his production in 2009 is in keeping with what I expected.
As you can see, I have never written anything good about Johnson on this blog. Of course, there hasn’t been anything good to write about in the last 12+ months. I’ve known he was used up even if the brass did not. And, who wants to deal with him on a personal basis anyway?
Johnson had his moment in the sun as many running backs do. They come and they go in this league. As a rule, they don’t last all that long. They aren’t like linemen or quarterbacks or place kickers. They get used up. Of course, there are exceptions, but LJ was not one of them. There are always new running backs that are just a little fresher, a little more explosive, a little bit hungrier.
I doubt that LJ will ever be a consistent starting RB back again in the NFL. If he isn’t a starter, then he’s largely irrelevant. If he’s largely irrelevant on the field, then he’s a liability overall. That’s why Kansas City got rid of him and why most teams in the league won’t touch him. Of course, it only takes one and he’s bound to find someone willing to give him another shot.
I don’t wish him the best of luck or the worst of luck. As of this morning, he’s (football) dead to me. Good riddance. It’s time to look at our other options and figure out how they can make the offense more explosive and less plodding.