Keep ****ing doubting Rishaw Johnson.

[Direckshun]

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2014/3...-johnson-guard

Kansas City Chiefs G Rishaw Johnson impressed late last season
By Joel Thorman
on Mar 19 2014, 8:44a

Regular readers may have noticed that we recently posted an item on Chiefs safety Sanders Commings and whether he could end up being the answer at free safety. Right here we have another post wondering if an in-house player is the answer at a position of need.

The position is guard and the player is Rishaw Johnson.

As a refresher, Johnson was an SEC recruit at Ole Miss in 2008. He was there until 2010 when he was kicked off the team. He then went to California (PA). He joined the Seahawks in his first season in the NFL then came to Kansas City his second year. The league lists him at 6'3 and 313 pounds. Last year's starting guards are listed at 340 pounds (Geoff Scwhartz), 306 pounds (Jon Asamoah) and 305 pounds (Jon Asamoah).

Matt Conner included Johnson in our in-house players series earlier this year but I came across a couple more of items on Johnson that warrants another look-see.

Last week, I saw this from Lance Zierlein, sports talk radio host in Houston and football writer:

Lance Zierlein @LanceZierlein

@bkissel7 @Schottey Chiefs believe Rishaw is ready to take over. They LOVED how he played vs. SD at end of the year.

Johnson was among the Chiefs backups that played in Week 17 against the Chargers while the starters rested but a backup throughout the season. That caught my interest for obvious reasons being free agency week and all. If the Chiefs believe they possibly / maybe / could have a potential starting guard on the roster, they probably wouldn't go out and spend big money on a guard in free agency, right?

Terez A. Paylor @TerezPaylor

This is true. Did well vs SD RT @ArrowheadPride: Seems like a long shot but Chiefs do have an in-house option at OG http://sbn.to/1jxEmMw

But wait! There's more!

Schwartz, who is now with the Giants in New York, went on The Drive with Danny Parkins on 610 Sports on Tuesday. Danny asked him what the Chiefs have in the guys who were behind him on the Chiefs line last season.

"Rishaw played really well in the Chargers game," Schwartz said. "He's a guy that has a lot of talent and he really developed as the year went on. He's strong and explosive off the ball. Sometimes it takes guys a couple of years to get comfortable where they're playing in a game. He did a great job against the Chargers."

Another mention of the Chargers game ... interesting. This led me to asking Chiefs GM John Dorsey on our call yesterday how important that Week 17 game was for the coaching staff and front office, getting the youngsters a shot to play.

"Anytime you can get another opportunity to evaluate the players that don't get to contribute on a week-in, week-out basis, that's very helpful," Dorsey said. "What it does is it helps the coaching staff get a degree of comfort that those guys in the personnel department as they build this thing. That's what the communication between the coaches and the personnel staff does. It's always an advantage to get those guys to play and those guys showed very well on Week 17 of the NFL schedule."

Unfortunately, Dorsey wasn't giving us an in-depth scouting report on Johnson but he did say this: "He's going to come in here and he's going to compete. He's showed that he can play the game of football, and I'm just excited to see how much stride he has made here this year."

It's a long way to the season opener with more free agency and the 2014 NFL Draft to acquire more talent as well as evaluation opportunities such as OTAs and training camp to evaluate existing talent. Rishaw Johnson is one of those existing talents that is one to keep an eye on.

It's almost like the Sanders Commings situation. You have hopes that this guy can come in and take over the job next year. But he's probably too young and inexperienced to hand the job to him. Competition and veteran insurance (Jeff Linkenbach?) is needed.

My gut has been telling me for a while that the Chiefs first round pick will be an offensive lineman. That would obviously shake things up.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Dick Bull

Yes last year was one of the few years we've seen him maximize FA to give us a shot, but think about how it was done. Nothing spectacular. Avery and Smith were the only recognizable names (granted you could include Fasano in that as well) but nobody who would automatically be granted a team changer.

We signed a ton of short term contracts to players who are good but not great.

If the goal is to put "butts in seats" than he's doing it all wrong. Signing big named FA is the way to go about it. Seriously who's going to sell more tickets? Brett Favre or Sean Smith?

Well, I wasn't impressed with how they handled it last year. But I get why they did it. Same reason the Browns are doing it this year. I agree, it's not about putting butts in seats. Tough words to use. More about restoring pride and confidence in the team. After the fan revolt and with Reid searching to find himself again, it is hard to fault Hunt for wanting to build an immediate winner. And no, I don't see why taking that step obligates you to all of a sudden go on a free agent frenzy, especially with the kind of lousy 2014 free agent class we had.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Spin it however you want...
You are suggesting the Chiefs should have either torn the team apart and committed to a painful rebuild the year after a massive fan revolt. Or option B, because we invested in Alex Smith, we should be throwing money as if Smith is a guy who can carry a team to the Super Bowl on his back. I'm not a fan of either of those choices (and no, I'm not a blind Dorsey apologist. I've consistently been critical of his big offseason moves last year).

Also, it's hard to claim Hunt doesn't want to win big after he went over Peterson's head to give Herm license to commit to a rebuild, and then hired Pioli and told him he had time and patience to let him build the team his way.

I am suggesting that the Chiefs should spend money in free agency to fill the 2 most glaring holes.
Not asking to make huge investments.

You don't trade 2 2nd round picks for a QB to regain respectability.
You trade late picks for that QB.

What the Chiefs are telling us is that winning in the regular season in their priority.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

We will likely get comp picks for Albert, Schwartz, and maybe both McCluster and Asamoah. We will likely get comped for losing a ton of free agents (mostly big contract free agents). At this rate, we might get 4 comp picks and some as high as the 3rd round.

Signing Jairus Byrd hurts our ability to win comp picks. Extending Smith, Houston, and Berry does not.

you hear that?

That's the sound of the careers of Charles,DJ,Hali,Bowe ticking down to a end.

next year when we get all those comp picks we better think about using them to replace our best players because they are about done.

congrats on 'maintaining'

[Bazooka Poe]

Good read. I was impressed with Rigshaw and Kush in the Chargers game. I think having Berry around will push Johnson to succeed and make him comfortable. Those guys went to high school together.

[Dave Lane]

Jon Asamoah played two positions on the offensive line no wonder we sucked. He played it at two different weights that's amazing how he could do that. It's only a pound so maybe it was the beginning of the game and the end of the game.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by milkman

I am suggesting that the Chiefs should spend money in free agency to fill the 2 most glaring holes.
Not asking to make huge investments.

You don't trade 2 2nd round picks for a QB to regain respectability.
You trade late picks for that QB.
What the Chiefs are telling us is that winning in the regular season in their priority.

I thought Alex Smith had already regained his respect the previous two season.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by philfree

I thought Alex Smith had already regained his respect the previous two season.

I seriously hope this post was intended as a joke.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

you hear that?

That's the sound of the careers of Charles,DJ,Hali,Bowe ticking down to a end.

next year when we get all those comp picks we better think about using them to replace our best players because they are about done.

congrats on 'maintaining'

The Chiefs will have up to 17 picks the next 2 years. A shitload of cap space as Hali and Flowers' contracts sunset, and Bowe's contract becomes cuttable. If they can't replace 4 playmakers over 2 - 3 years with that to work with, then we have the wrong front office.

[Messier]

Originally Posted by milkman

I seriously hope this post was intended as a joke.

Wow. So we're already back to regretting the Smith trade? That didn't take long.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by milkman

I seriously hope this post was intended as a joke.

Not at all. His game improved and when he was injured he had the highest QB rating in the league.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Messier

Wow. So we're already back to regretting the Smith trade? That didn't take long.

That is what you got out of my post?

Are you and Phil related?

[milkman]

Holy crap, what a couple of morons?

[Messier]

Originally Posted by milkman

That is what you got out of my post?

Are you and Phil related?

If it wasn't, sorry. There's been an influx of stupid lately because a slow FA.

[Messier]

Originally Posted by milkman

Holy crap, what a couple of morons?

Oh shut up, you grump.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by milkman

Holy crap, what a couple of morons?

His career was turning around but whatever.