Friday Morning Cup O’Chiefs
The Chiefs best draft choice over the five-year period of 1998-2002Â retired on Thursday.
John Tait has submitted his retirement paperwork to the league office and will not return to the Chicago Bears for the 2009 season.
That’s a big loss for the Bears, where Tait has been a reliable, if not sensational blocker for the last five years. Tait has not commented publicly, but he’s told teammates that nagging ankle injuries have made continuing to play too painful. There’s always the chance he could change his mind, but he’s made his decision and walked away from a base salary of $4.8 million for the 2009 season.
Thus ends a 10-year career that began when Tait was the Chiefs first-round selection in the 1999 NFL Draft. Starting in 1998 with Victor Riley and running through 2002 in Ryan Sims, there’s no question Tait was the best first-round choice made by the Chiefs. The other first rounder was Sylvester Morris.
But it wasn’t just the first round. In those five drafts, the Chiefs selected 35 players. Eric Warfield from ‘98, Greg Wesley and Dante Hall from ‘00 and Scott Fujita in ‘02 all played a lot of games for the Chiefs. But none played as well as Tait did during his five years with the team, and then his half-decade in the Windy City.
Tait’s arrival in Kansas City and his departure to Chicago became big stories because of contract negotiations with the Chiefs that were emotional and complicated.
When he was drafted, Tait’s agent Ethan Locke got into a shouting match with Carl Peterson, an event that he made sure the Kansas City media knew all about.
Then, when that initial five-year contract ran out, the Chiefs used the transition tag on Tait, which required a tender offer of $6,012,000. Tait was able to go out and solicit offers, but the Chiefs had the right to match whatever offer sheet received and signed by Tait.
He first visited with Miami, but then found a team in Chicago that was ready to play the game. They agreed to a six-year deal that was worth approximately $34 million. But the deal was structured so the first-year number under the salary cap was $11,585,000 in salary and bonuses.
That was too big a swallow for the Chiefs, who were limited in those days in available salary cap as they were paying big offensive contracts to the likes of Trent Green, Priest Holmes, Tony Gonzalez and Will Shields.
“We believe that cap number is too excessive for the services of one player,” Peterson said at the time.
That broke up a Chiefs offensive line that played together for two years and may have been the best overall unit of the decade. With Willie Roaf and Tait at tackle, Shields and Brian Waters at guard and Casey Wiegmann at center, the Chiefs offense was a record-setting machine. They averaged over 370 yards and nearly 30 points per game.
Tait was replaced at right tackle in 2004 by John Welbourn, in a talent for talent swap that gave the Chiefs less at the position.
Tait bounced back and forth between right and left tackle throughout his career. He was never a threat to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl, but he was a solid player who got the job done. In 80 games with the Bears, he missed seven. In those games where he didn’t play, Chicago averaged one more sack per game than it did when he played.
THE FOLKS WHO SIGNED AND WERE RELEASED ON THURSDAY IN THE NFL
BROWNS – released OT Kevin Shaffer
DOLPHINS – signed CB Eric Green (Arizona).
JETS – signed DT Howard Green (Seattle).
RAMS – released TE Anthony Becht.
STEELERS – re-signed LB Andre Frazier.
TEXANS - re-signed S Nick Ferguson.
COURTROOM AND COP SHOP VISITORS
HAYNESWORTH CHARGED — Down in Williamson County Tennessee, a grand jury has indicted DT Albert Haynesworth on a pair of traffic misdemeanors stemming from a December traffic incident. Haynesworth was charged with reckless driving and having an expired registration. He was released on bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on March 30. The maximum charge on the reckless driving is six months in jail and a $500 fine.
MCKINNIE GETS DIVERSION – Minnesota LT Bryant McKinnie accepted a pre-trial diversion program from the state of Florida stemming from his arrest in a fight at a Miami night club last year. McKinnie must attend counseling sessions, perform 25 hours of community service and not get arrested again. McKinnie pleaded not guilty to four charges, including felony battery. The diversion program means he will avoid a trial, which was scheduled to start Monday.
SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY …
Born on March 13, 1937 in Waco, Texas was linebacker Sherrill Headrick. Nicknamed “Psycho” by his teammates, Headrick was one of the real characters of the American Football League. He played nine of the AFL’s 10 seasons, eight of those with the Texans-Chiefs. Headrick finished up with a year in Cincinnati. He finished his career playing in 117 games with 15 interceptions. He was selected to play in five AFL All-Star games. Headrick died last September at the age of 71.
Born on March 13, 1973 in Chicago was tackle Trezelle Jenkins. The Chiefs first round draft choice in 1995 out of the University of Michigan, Jenkins played just nine games and started one during his three seasons with the Chiefs (1995-97). He’s gone down as one of the worst No. 1 picks in Chiefs draft history.
argue dante hall was better than Tait record for most total yards in KC electric, responsible for 4 victories alone in our 13-3 season. Tait can’t touch that
yeah but how many games would we have lost if he wasnt there in 2003. they wouldnt have scored as many TD and probably gave up more sacks that might have given us less wins in 2003. So Tait was still probably the better draft choice.
Tait you say? I say no. Fred Arbanas should have been drafter to play on the offensive line.
Have I yet mentioned how much I think Al Davis should be hired as Chiefs’ President?
Also I like, nee LOVE horses-and yes, in the way you are probably thinking.
I’ll have to hand it to King Carl, he knew right where our draft picks should fall as far as compensation and with few exceptions, that was right where they fell. No overpaid (in NFL standards) rookies. He, along with Denny Thumb, did a great job managing our cap.
With that being said, I think the John Tait & agent shouting match is probably one of his bigger public smudges that he’d like to go back and redo.
John always struck me as a “me first” player. As far as LTs go, I’m for leaving Albert in his position and finding the right combination of RT,RG,C whether it’s through the draft or free agency or waiver pick up.
I comment very rarely, but RedandGold is wrong here. All players are me first, as well they should be. This is a business, first and foremost. Tait was a good player, and the reason he went elsewhere was because of Carl. We could have had tait long term for a good price, but Peterson let him get to the transisition phase. And you are wrong on about how much he paid players, or what they deserved as well. He continually botched relations with players and agents. This isnt breaking news. Hate to check ya, but I had to today.
time check 0858
Remember it is ALL about the ……….TEAM…and
THE RIGHT 53 2009
AnonymousRintin
It is a little too early for you to drinking and trying to post. Please give up Todd Hailey will not put Fred Arbanas on the OL.
Blake
Absolutely, can not compare the two. Without Tait who is to say that we would have accomplished what they did. That is why it is called a TEAM.
Besides Dante was too unpredictable, and even thought it worked out ONCE, he ran backwards too much.
If you want to look at individual stats watch tennis, or golf. Otherwise it is a TEAM effort that gets the trophy. The game is not about 11 individuals training to get to the pro bowl. It is a bout 11 men working as a unit.
That unit is called a TEAM ……and ………..
THE RIGHT 53 2009
Hey Dan, you forgot to mention that Dante Hall was singlehandedly responsible for putting Brandsmart out of business. Anyone remember the promo where if you bought something on Saturday, and Dante took either half’s opening kickoff to the house on Sunday, your purchase was free. I think Dante made them pay out on that 3 times if I’m not mistaken.
The IT Guy
Do you think the major reason King Carl did not deal for Tait was to show him Carl was in charge. I think that he had already gone through a long ugly negotiation once and did not want to do it again. He made it personal.
It is all about the TEAM and ……………….
THE RIGHT 53 2009
Bob, Agreed about John Tait. He was an excellent pick.
He is, also, an example of a player that should have had a new contract well before the transistion/franchise tag could have been applied. The biggest, maybe only problem, of the nasty initial contract negotiation was that John Tait resolved not to sign again with the Chiefs. Seemed Carl had painted himself into a corner on that one.
But Carl had made a fine draft pick and Tait was a fine player.
IT guy,
I guess what I was leaning towards, and didn’t get across very well was that Tait’s situation was very much like Jarrad Allen. We got ahead of the game with Allen and made a trade that behooved the team before he got away, unlike Tait. IMO, Tait was out the door one way or another here in KC as soon as his contract was up. That probably had a lot to do with Peterson, and I won’t defend him on that. He did piss off players/ agents frequently.
But at the same time, you can’t tell me 1st round picks don’t make enough money. Even if they were a bust, the first contract they sign will have them living a more comfortable life than I will, financially.
You’re right in that Carl didn’t ALWAYS have us in good cap space, but on the other hand, we didn’t go through cap hell dropping top players to get under the cap either.
And now, time for another ‘My Take’, with your anonymous host…’anonymous.’
Sherrill “I’m not Tom Hedrick Headrick – remember him well…Tom too – Hedrick remains THE GREATEST Chiefs announcer in team history. He and partner Bill Grigsby have yet to be replaced by Kaycee.
Headrick: a proponent of cushioned aeroplane seat for inner posterior relief, a man not averse along with Walt Corey & Smokey Stover to putting “rocks” in their pockets to try and ‘bump’ up their weight with the Dallas Texans so as to impress Hank Stram & make the team (Headrick listed as much as 240, played 215-220 tops he told me.)
A character…a player…a legendary Chief.
…but he was no Fred Arbanas.
#69 Sherrill Headrick, best representative of that numeral in KC Chiefs history.
On the flip side, was that ‘other’ guy wore it who drank a lot: he was a modern player- good riddance.
to red and gold– do the names Donnie Edwards, Neil Smith, Nick Lowery, Albert Lewis ring any bells?
Also, #69, best representation of myself and about three monkeys at once.