When Herschel Walker was asked if he got tired carrying the ball 30 times a game, he said, "The ball ain't that heavy." When Larry Johnson was asked a similar question, he responded, "I don't get hit. I give hits."
Two great runners, two great competitors.
Some Chiefs fans are hoping that's not where the similarities end.
The Vikings were loaded at the time—and according to many experts only a star running back like Herschel Walker away from the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Minnesota, the Vikes went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs to the vaunted San Francisco 49ers...while the Cowboys would turn their new draft picks—used on the likes of Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, and Darren Woodson—into the beginning of a dynasty.
So what does all that have to do with Larry Johnson and the Kansas City Chiefs?
First of all, no, Chiefs GM Carl Peterson isn't about to field any five-player, eight-draft-pick offers for Johnson. A deal like that, which still remains the largest player trade in NFL history, is a once-in-a-lifetime coup.
However, if the Chiefs can cajole even a quarter of that compensation (likely suitors would include Green Bay, Buffalo, Cleveland, and both New York teams), they've got to entertain the notion of a trade.
What would a quarter of that compensation look like? It could come in the form of first- and third-round picks. It's hard to say whether that would be enough—trading for draft choices always amounts to something of a gamble. But as laden with gems as this draft class appears to be, there's no time like the present for such a gutsy move.
Then again, things in Kansas City aren't nearly as desperate as they were for the Cowboys in the late 80s. This isn't a call for management to openly shop Johnson—it's merely a reminder that every player is for sale...and that there may be some team out there waiting to make the next big mistake to launch the next big dynasty.
The Chiefs have already moved return specialist Dante Hall to the Rams in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Trent Green should be headed to Miami by tomorrow, which will net Peterson two additional selections. If a deal for Johnson gets done by Saturday, the Chiefs could be looking at as many as eleven picks in the draft—including six on the first day.
It's no Herschel Walker deal, but it's one that even Jerry Jones would have to admire.
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