Tony Gonzalez deserves better

Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez is 32 years old and like most NFL players on the wrong side of 30, he realizes that he's only got a few years left. He wanted what Randy Moss did, what lot of players want, a chance to win a ring. Unfortunately for Tony, he's stuck in Kansas City for at least the rest of this season because Chiefs GM Carl Peterson, King Carl to many in the media, refused the trades being offered for Gonzalez.

Peterson is known as GM who will drive more than a hard bargain for a guy, he let Trent Green twist in the wind because he wanted a 4th from the Dolphins instead of the 6th they offered eventually getting a 5th. He could have released Green but then Peterson would have looked like he was caving in to a player, a player the Chiefs no longer wanted. He did the same with Gonzalez, let his ego, instead of his football smarts, determine what was best for the Chiefs.

So what was Peterson asking for Gonzalez, a 2nd and 5th, the same picks the Saints gave up to the Giants for Jeremy Shockey.

Gonzalez thought that price was too high for a 32 year-old TE and he was right. Closer to the deadline teams were offering a 3rd but Peterson was determined to get at least a 2nd for Gonzalez. Was this best for the Chiefs? Gonzalez may help them win one or two more games this season, but an extra draft pick or two would more than help a terrible roster rebuild. In the end, Peterson proved what most already lnwo about him, when it comes to dealing with King Carl, it's all about King Carl.

Gonzalez had little good to say about Peterson in his interview with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. What Gonzalez had to say about being a Chief the rest of the season and his opinion about Peterson.

"I'm shocked," he said in an exclusive interview with FOXSports.com. "It didn't make sense not to do this deal. It's winding down for me and this team is rebuilding. If they said from the get-go, 'No, we're not going to trade you,' that would've been better than how this whole thing unfolded. But that's not what happened.
"Last night I talked to Carl (Peterson, Chiefs President and GM) and I point-blank asked him what it would take to get it done. I wanted to know if it could happen with a fourth (-round pick). He started talking about a second and a fifth like the Shockey deal. Nobody is going to trade a second for a 32-year-old tight end. All along Carl said he would do something that works for both parties. Then he talked about how he traded a third for Willie Roaf, and he made it pretty clear to me that's what was going to get it done. That was certainly fair.
"I know teams offered a third and in the end, Carl made the asking price a second. I'm very disappointed that he didn't go through with it after he told me he was going to try to make it happen. I've been around this league a long time, it's a business. There's nothing I can do about it. I was pissed off about it, but I'll get over it. I won't let it affect my play and my preparation."

So where does he go from here? Gonzalez insists he'll do whatever it takes to make the Chiefs a better team. But first he says he will clear the air with many of his teammates.
"I'm going to go in tomorrow and get up in front of the team, no coaches, just my teammates and let them know exactly where I was coming from," he said. "Like I said, they keep talking about the future here and trading me would've helped build for the future. I love Kansas City and will always be a Chief, always! But my road is coming to an end, and I didn't want it to end on a team that is rebuilding.

"When I signed my deal a few years ago, it was to end my career here. But I also felt we had real potential, I didn't see us ending up with a rebuilding effort. But once they cleaned house, and when they traded Jared (Allen), it was clearly to rebuild. They have a bright future here. Some of the players they've drafted are going to be great. They are on the right road, but by the time they travel it, I'll probably be done. That's why I asked for this, and I was certainly led to believe they understood this and would help accommodate it."
Gonzalez, after hanging up with Peterson last night, was pretty sure he'd soon pick up a new zip code. As the day progressed, several teams involved began increasing their offers. A few came up to a fourth while a pair came up to a third. The Chiefs, however, will remain steadfast with a second rounder.
"If I was 28-years-old, we wouldn't even be having this conversation," said the league's all-time receiving leader for tight ends. "We've been talking about it for three weeks now, so we've had plenty of time to get it done. In the end, they had their agenda, and I don't know if they were serious about trading me or whether they were just trying to appease me.
"But you know what? I can't cry about it. If anything, this has motivated me even more. I'm a Chief, will be happy to be a Chief and will bust my butt for the Chiefs. I was never not happy being a Chief. I just wanted the chance to spend my last couple of years winning a title, not rebuilding. But I'm here to help rebuild, I'll work with all our young guys and get after it like I always have."