Sunday Afternoon Scuttlebutt

First off, I’m pretty shocked by the outcome of yesterday’s games. The Panthers were heavy, heavy favorites playing a team that traditionally gets spanked when it heads out East. Meanwhile, the Titans totally blew that game against the Ravens. Well, the refs contributed as well with that awful delay of game non-call on the game-winning drive. For more on the Cards’ and Ravens’ big wins, head over to our sister sites Raising Zona and The Ebony Bird.

Some rapid-fire reflections from yesterday…

Linebackers Bart Scott and Karlos Dansby both looked great yesterday, and both are free agents when the season concludes.

Terrell Suggs, also a free agent, played well before spraining his shoulder.

The Cardinals displayed what a quick, able front seven can do for a young, talented secondary.

If you ask me, it’s time for Jake Delhomme and John Fox to find new NFL homes.

That Ravens-Titans game was bugly — beautifully ugly. I still can’t get over that helmet-removing tackle by Ray-Ray. What a hit!

We were reminded yesterday that rushing platoons — McGahee and McClain; Johnson and White; Stewart and Williams; and Hightower and James — are the wave of the future.

Then there is Larry Fitzgerald. He gets his own post later on. Kinda…

The other thing I want to talk about is Mark Dominik. Jared Allen’s agent Ken Harris raved about Dominik in today’s Kansas City Star:

I’ve been in two separate negotiations with Dominik. One worked out and the other didn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever found anyone more professional. I don’t think I’ve found anyone better who my player could look across the table, into his eyes and know that he was dealing with someone who was tough as nails but fair in the end.

If you ask me, I think Dominik is a serious contender for the Chiefs’ GM job. He’s not getting a lot of hype from the fans, but you always hear his name mentioned as a possibility by those in the know. We are hearing that Scott Pioli and the Chiefs are getting further along in their negotiations, but keep an eye on Dominik. Again, I like the idea of going really young both with our coach and GM. These guys ascended up the ranks so quickly for a reason — they are hungry, energetic, smart, savvy and possess an uncanny maturity for their age. With a new, young owner, I think a young braintrust could not only make us a relevant football destination that is extremely attractive to free agents (the fans and the new Arrowhead also help), but also keep us a forward-thinking franchise that stays a step ahead of the rest of the league when it comes to the Xs and Os — the strategic trends of the league. Pioli and Eric DeCosta also fit this mold.

For more on Dominik, check out Arrowhead Pride’s Getting to Know a GM post on him. Good stuff.

Oh, the A.A. Chat Room that we rolled out and featured yesterday is a permanent addition to the Addict. You can find it by clicking on the 24/7 Chat tab at the top of the site. Zach, Merlin, myself and the rest of the staff will be checking in periodically over there.

Speaking of Merlin, big congrats to him as he has been named the Chiefs draft correspondent over at Draft Tek. Merlin will still be contributing here as always, and, personally, I believe this lends him more credibility and also provides him with more info when it comes to the Chiefs and the NFL Draft. Congrats, Merlin!

While we’re doing congrats, big ups to contributor Chris Kolb, who’s K.C. Chiefs Fanatic just got picked up by MVN.

I’ll be back later on…