In his post listing Around The NFL's top 99 free-agents, Gregg Rosenthal wrote that inside linebacker Derrick Johnson"would look strange"Â wearing anything other than a Chiefs uniform.
General manager John Dorsey agrees, promising at the NFL Scouting Combine that Kansas City was working hard to re-sign the club's longest-tenured player.
"We are going to move this thing forward," Dorsey said, per The Kansas City Star. "Anytime you become the all-time leading tackler for the Chiefs ... we're not going to let good football players go in this thing."
Ranking No. 24 on our list, Johnson is coming off an impressive bounce-back campaign that saw him pile up four sacks and two interceptions over 16 games after missing 15 games in 2014 with a ruptured Achilles. Only Carolina's Luke Kuechly and Jerrell Freeman of the Colts graded higher at the inside linebacker position, per Pro Football Focus.
"He doesn't get the recognition most of the other guys do," said outside linebacker Tamba Hali. "But as far as this city goes? All-time great."
Johnson, 33, was especially effective against the run, giving the Chiefs a solid interior presence for a defense that catapulted Kansas City to 11 straight wins and a playoff berth during their underrated romp through the AFC last season.
Older inside linebackers have proven to be effective, but the Chiefs also have a rash of free agents to think about in Eric Berry, Jaye Howard, Sean Smith and Hali. Johnson, though, already appears to be locked onto Dorsey's to-do list.
