Show LJ the money

Kansas City Chiefs GM Carl Peterson refuted reports earlier in the week that Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson and the Chiefs' front office have narrowed their contract negotiations gap.

Based on Kansas City's anemic offensive performance last Saturday night in a 16-12 preseason-opening loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Chiefs need to rework the disgruntled holdout's contract, get him back on the field and put him in the elite contractual company with San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson where he belongs.

After all, if it hadn't been for Johnson and his Chiefs' single-season-record 1,789 yards in a franchise-record 416 carries, along with 17 rushing touchdowns, the Chiefs wouldn't have made it into the AFC playoffs in the first place.

No two running backs in the National Football League do more for their team offensively than LT and LJ.

And, without LJ in the backfield against the Browns, the Chiefs were vanilla.

Plain.

No flavor.

Michael Bennett, a capable backup for Johnson last season, was one of the few bright spots against Cleveland, rushing for 24 yards on just three carries in limited duty.

After all, it is the preseason.

Not rookie Colby Smith, let alone Bennett, can match the durability of the workhorse Johnson.

Formerly a Pro Bowl back and 1,000-yard rusher for the Minnesota Vikings in 2002, Bennett was injured part of last season and is regarded as one of the fastest players on the Chiefs' roster.

Yet Johnson is the flavor, flavor.

If the Chiefs don't get Johnson in uniform by the end of the preseason, the regular season could be a stinker.

This brings the Priest Holmes saga to the forefront.

Holmes, before returning to the Chiefs to head for River Falls, Wis., for training camp, suffered a neck injury during an October 2005 game.

He hadn't practiced or played since that game against the Chargers. He was injured on a spine-jarring hit by linebacker Shawne Merriman.

The skinny out of Kansas City is that Holmes, who has been working out on his own, is trying to get ready to play in the preseason finale on Thursday, Aug. 30, at St. Louis.

It might have been a ploy by Peterson to bring Holmes into camp to hasten the return of Johnson.

But I don't think that's the whole story.

Holmes was near the top of his game two seasons ago when he went down with his injury. His signature run was the sweep around end, with pulling guard Willie Roaf leading the way.

But Roaf is now two years retired from the game and fellow Pro Bowl lineman Will Shields retired after last season.

Providing he returns to the field, Holmes won't have his All-Pro blockers to run behind. And, it is feared that he will have developed some rust. He will turn 34 in October.

Yet maybe the time off has given Holmes' body an opportunity to heal.

I don't think Holmes' return is all about money, even though he is under contract with the Chiefs until 2009.

The bottom line is that I think deep down, Holmes, the 2001 NFL rushing leader, believes he still has something left.

If he didn't, then why is he trying to make a comeback?