Angus
Active Member
- Messages
- 5,097
- Reaction score
- 20
Crazy from the Heat — the Larry Johnson to Dallas Rumor
By Rafael Vela
You’ve head it. I’ve heard it. It’s fun. It provokes discussion, but what chance is there that Larry Johnson become a Cowboy, in exchange for Flozell Adams and Julius Jones, or some permutation thereof?
Practically none. Let’s see if we can diffuse some arguments:
1. Dallas would be trading two players who could walk next year in Adams and Jones. True, but let’s remember:
– Left tackles, even decent ones like Adams, are much harder to find than good running backs. Dallas is high on Pat McQuistan, with cause, but how many starts does he have? We all recall how the line fell part two years ago when Adams went down, right?
Why risk Tony Romo’s future — and that’s what you put at stake leaving LT in an unproven’s hands — trading Adams away? This is Tony’s show-me season and he needs the most support possible. Even if Dallas plans on letting Flozell walk after this year, he offers them certainty on the blind side. Is two to three good years of Johnson — at best — worth risking ten years of Romo?
It’s not even worth considering in my opinion.
2. Why would Dallas want Larry Johnson anyway? Yeah, he’s been a great back the past two years, but his stellar ‘05 was vastly different from his ‘06
‘05 — 336 carries, 1750 yards, 5.2 average;
‘06 — 416 carries, 1789 yards, 4.3 average;
In other words, Larry Johnson replicated his 2005 season last year. Then, Herman Edwards ordered him to carry on 80 more plays where his lineman fell down at the snap, leaving poor Larry to slam headfirst into NFL front lines. He’s so good he averaged half a yard per play. Four feet or so.
He’s not a shifty runner. He’s the next incarnation of Eddie George. And for those with short memories, Eddie could turn the corner when he joined the pros. Then, in 2000 he carried the ball 403 times. He was never the same again. Neither was Jamal Lewis after the Ravens put 695 carries on his odometer in consecutive years. He’s been injury prone and ordinary ever since. Baltimore swapped him out for Willis McGahee, just three seasons after he gained 2066 yards.
Johnson has 724 carries the past two seasons. He wants a contract with $24 million guaranteed — at least.
You pay contracts on calculated future production, not as a reward for past performance, especially for another team.
The Cowboys face negotiations for Romo and Terence Newman. They’re going to command huge salaries, but play at positions where there’s a good chance they’ll play the duration of their new deals at high levels.
What are the odds you’ll get more than two to three quality seasons from Johnson? Then you’re paying franchise money for a mediocre back. I’ve seen Earl Campbell, George Rogers, George and Lewis go down this path. When they’re done, they fade quickly.
Sorry you Johnson rooters, but the more I think about this deal, the more ridiculous it seems.
http://theboysblog.com/
By Rafael Vela
You’ve head it. I’ve heard it. It’s fun. It provokes discussion, but what chance is there that Larry Johnson become a Cowboy, in exchange for Flozell Adams and Julius Jones, or some permutation thereof?
Practically none. Let’s see if we can diffuse some arguments:
1. Dallas would be trading two players who could walk next year in Adams and Jones. True, but let’s remember:
– Left tackles, even decent ones like Adams, are much harder to find than good running backs. Dallas is high on Pat McQuistan, with cause, but how many starts does he have? We all recall how the line fell part two years ago when Adams went down, right?
Why risk Tony Romo’s future — and that’s what you put at stake leaving LT in an unproven’s hands — trading Adams away? This is Tony’s show-me season and he needs the most support possible. Even if Dallas plans on letting Flozell walk after this year, he offers them certainty on the blind side. Is two to three good years of Johnson — at best — worth risking ten years of Romo?
It’s not even worth considering in my opinion.
2. Why would Dallas want Larry Johnson anyway? Yeah, he’s been a great back the past two years, but his stellar ‘05 was vastly different from his ‘06
‘05 — 336 carries, 1750 yards, 5.2 average;
‘06 — 416 carries, 1789 yards, 4.3 average;
In other words, Larry Johnson replicated his 2005 season last year. Then, Herman Edwards ordered him to carry on 80 more plays where his lineman fell down at the snap, leaving poor Larry to slam headfirst into NFL front lines. He’s so good he averaged half a yard per play. Four feet or so.
He’s not a shifty runner. He’s the next incarnation of Eddie George. And for those with short memories, Eddie could turn the corner when he joined the pros. Then, in 2000 he carried the ball 403 times. He was never the same again. Neither was Jamal Lewis after the Ravens put 695 carries on his odometer in consecutive years. He’s been injury prone and ordinary ever since. Baltimore swapped him out for Willis McGahee, just three seasons after he gained 2066 yards.
Johnson has 724 carries the past two seasons. He wants a contract with $24 million guaranteed — at least.
You pay contracts on calculated future production, not as a reward for past performance, especially for another team.
The Cowboys face negotiations for Romo and Terence Newman. They’re going to command huge salaries, but play at positions where there’s a good chance they’ll play the duration of their new deals at high levels.
What are the odds you’ll get more than two to three quality seasons from Johnson? Then you’re paying franchise money for a mediocre back. I’ve seen Earl Campbell, George Rogers, George and Lewis go down this path. When they’re done, they fade quickly.
Sorry you Johnson rooters, but the more I think about this deal, the more ridiculous it seems.
http://theboysblog.com/
