Post by lazarus on Aug 10, 2005 17:22:37 GMT -5
Last update: August 9, 2005 at 10:32 PM
Chiefs can't hide feelings about No. 1 pick Johnson
Mark Craig
August 10, 2005 CRAIG0810
RIVER FALLS, WIS. -- The Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs couldn't be further apart in the expectations they have for their first-round draft picks this season.
The Vikings are in the slow lane, doing 52 miles per hour, turn signal perpetually flashing, shushing any hint of hoopla surrounding receiver Troy Williamson and defensive end Erasmus James.
Then there's the Chiefs' thingy Vermeil, the oldest coach in the league, whooping it up like a teenager in the fast lane, foot to the floor when he talks about outside linebacker Derrick Johnson, the 15th overall pick from Texas.
"I think he's going to be a starter, and I think he'll play well, and I think he'll end up being a candidate for the rookie of the year on defense," Vermeil said. "Other than that, I don't have any expectations for him."
As if Williamson, the seventh overall pick, won't be compared to enough players -- Randy Moss and Mike Williams to name two -- you can add Johnson to the list. After all, the Vikings' most glaring weakness, at least on paper, is at linebacker. Outside linebacker.
Johnson is expected to start Friday when the Chiefs and Vikings unveil their revamped defenses in a preseason opener at the Metrodome. The Vikings, who ranked 28th in defense last season, have five new defensive starters, while the Chiefs, who ranked 31st, will have at least four.
Despite missing five days of practices before signing, Johnson became a starter at left outside linebacker on his third day of training camp. And from the looks of things in River Falls, he's already the best defensive player on the field.
"We could have waited to put him in as a starter, but, really, who are you kidding?" Vermeil said. "He's the most talented linebacker I've ever been on the field with."
The Vikings, on the other hand, consider Williamson their fifth receiver and a potential No. 1 kickoff returner. James, the 18th overall pick, drew early comparisons from coach Mike Tice to former Viking Chris Doleman, but James' 11-day holdout caused Tice to back off on plans to use him in the first nickel defense and have him compete with Darrion Scott for the starting right end position.
Part of the reason the Vikings are downplaying Williamson is obvious. In doing so, the hope is there will be fewer comparisons to Moss or Williams, the more polished receiver from Southern Cal who was drafted by the Detroit Lions three spots after Williamson.
But it also doesn't take Vince Lombardi to see that Williamson is still a bit of a project, especially as the seventh overall pick.
Johnson is another story.
"I'm ready to play right now," Johnson said. "They don't need to go slow with me."
Johnson won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top collegiate defensive player in 2004. He also won the Butkus Award as the top linebacker.
"And he also might be the fastest player on our entire team," Vermeil said. "That's hard to fathom at 6-3, 248 pounds."
The knock on Johnson coming out of college -- one that might have caused him to slip past the Vikings and Lions -- was he didn't challenge blockers well. But as the left outside linebacker in the Chiefs' 4-3 defense, Johnson often stands up tight ends at the line of scrimmage as well as he blankets them in pass routes.
"He has shown no physical limitations," Vermeil said. "He might even end up at middle linebacker for us."
Ask Chiefs starting center Casey Wiegmann how well Johnson confronts blockers. The 6-2, 285-pounder was pushed to the ground trying to block Johnson during a recent practice.
Running back Priest Holmes said speed is Johnson's best attribute.
"He's playing maybe a step ahead of everyone else," Holmes said. "I think he's at a different level right now."
Left defensive end Eric Hicks said Johnson is one of the more athletic players he has seen.
"He blitzed off the edge one time on a screen, but was still able to leap up, grab the ball out of the air and cup it like a basketball player," Hicks said. "I've never seen that before."
The Vikings were interested in Johnson but didn't rank him highly enough on their draft board to take him seventh overall.
"I had a meeting with Coach Tice at the combine," Johnson said. "He told me they needed a linebacker, but at the same time, they needed a receiver with Moss leaving.
"That's fine. I'm in a good situation here because we have a very established offense and a new-look defense."
The Chiefs' offense ranked No. 1 in total yards (418.4 per game) and second in points (30.2) last season. After standing pat on defense before last season, the Chiefs focused on that side of the ball this offseason.
"Going into the draft, we felt there was a chance Derrick would be there at 15," Vermeil said. "Fortunately for us, he was."
Mark Craig is at mcraig@startribune.com.
Chiefs can't hide feelings about No. 1 pick Johnson
Mark Craig
August 10, 2005 CRAIG0810
RIVER FALLS, WIS. -- The Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs couldn't be further apart in the expectations they have for their first-round draft picks this season.
The Vikings are in the slow lane, doing 52 miles per hour, turn signal perpetually flashing, shushing any hint of hoopla surrounding receiver Troy Williamson and defensive end Erasmus James.
Then there's the Chiefs' thingy Vermeil, the oldest coach in the league, whooping it up like a teenager in the fast lane, foot to the floor when he talks about outside linebacker Derrick Johnson, the 15th overall pick from Texas.
"I think he's going to be a starter, and I think he'll play well, and I think he'll end up being a candidate for the rookie of the year on defense," Vermeil said. "Other than that, I don't have any expectations for him."
As if Williamson, the seventh overall pick, won't be compared to enough players -- Randy Moss and Mike Williams to name two -- you can add Johnson to the list. After all, the Vikings' most glaring weakness, at least on paper, is at linebacker. Outside linebacker.
Johnson is expected to start Friday when the Chiefs and Vikings unveil their revamped defenses in a preseason opener at the Metrodome. The Vikings, who ranked 28th in defense last season, have five new defensive starters, while the Chiefs, who ranked 31st, will have at least four.
Despite missing five days of practices before signing, Johnson became a starter at left outside linebacker on his third day of training camp. And from the looks of things in River Falls, he's already the best defensive player on the field.
"We could have waited to put him in as a starter, but, really, who are you kidding?" Vermeil said. "He's the most talented linebacker I've ever been on the field with."
The Vikings, on the other hand, consider Williamson their fifth receiver and a potential No. 1 kickoff returner. James, the 18th overall pick, drew early comparisons from coach Mike Tice to former Viking Chris Doleman, but James' 11-day holdout caused Tice to back off on plans to use him in the first nickel defense and have him compete with Darrion Scott for the starting right end position.
Part of the reason the Vikings are downplaying Williamson is obvious. In doing so, the hope is there will be fewer comparisons to Moss or Williams, the more polished receiver from Southern Cal who was drafted by the Detroit Lions three spots after Williamson.
But it also doesn't take Vince Lombardi to see that Williamson is still a bit of a project, especially as the seventh overall pick.
Johnson is another story.
"I'm ready to play right now," Johnson said. "They don't need to go slow with me."
Johnson won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top collegiate defensive player in 2004. He also won the Butkus Award as the top linebacker.
"And he also might be the fastest player on our entire team," Vermeil said. "That's hard to fathom at 6-3, 248 pounds."
The knock on Johnson coming out of college -- one that might have caused him to slip past the Vikings and Lions -- was he didn't challenge blockers well. But as the left outside linebacker in the Chiefs' 4-3 defense, Johnson often stands up tight ends at the line of scrimmage as well as he blankets them in pass routes.
"He has shown no physical limitations," Vermeil said. "He might even end up at middle linebacker for us."
Ask Chiefs starting center Casey Wiegmann how well Johnson confronts blockers. The 6-2, 285-pounder was pushed to the ground trying to block Johnson during a recent practice.
Running back Priest Holmes said speed is Johnson's best attribute.
"He's playing maybe a step ahead of everyone else," Holmes said. "I think he's at a different level right now."
Left defensive end Eric Hicks said Johnson is one of the more athletic players he has seen.
"He blitzed off the edge one time on a screen, but was still able to leap up, grab the ball out of the air and cup it like a basketball player," Hicks said. "I've never seen that before."
The Vikings were interested in Johnson but didn't rank him highly enough on their draft board to take him seventh overall.
"I had a meeting with Coach Tice at the combine," Johnson said. "He told me they needed a linebacker, but at the same time, they needed a receiver with Moss leaving.
"That's fine. I'm in a good situation here because we have a very established offense and a new-look defense."
The Chiefs' offense ranked No. 1 in total yards (418.4 per game) and second in points (30.2) last season. After standing pat on defense before last season, the Chiefs focused on that side of the ball this offseason.
"Going into the draft, we felt there was a chance Derrick would be there at 15," Vermeil said. "Fortunately for us, he was."
Mark Craig is at mcraig@startribune.com.
