Chiefs Sign Zach Thomas
By signing former Pro Bowler Zach Thomas, Scott Pioli has taken another step towards changing the losing culture Herm Edwards’ Chiefs unintentionally adopted. Thomas will be a locker room leader, as well as a day-one starter at inside linebacker.
Does this mean the Chiefs aren’t interested in drafting Aaron Curry? Right now we likely have Derrick Johnson and Mike Vrabel starting outside, Monty Beisel and Zach Thomas starting inside, and Demorrio Williams and Rocky Boiman providing depth. In light of this addition, I would definitely say pass rusher and wide receiver are bigger needs than inside linebacker. And in a 3-4, that’s what I see Curry playing.
Regardless, Thomas fills a hole. If we do draft Curry, the Wake Forest product will either replace Beisel or move Vrabel inside. This definitely gives us more flexibility on draft day.
Also, Thomas will be an instant fan favorite in Kansas City.The jerseys are practically flying off the rack already. We needed another name player who could excite the fan base, even if he is 36.
It’s a savvy move. After all, what’s the worst-case scenario? A one-year stop gap who helps change the mindset of this franchise. Even if he struggles on the field, his contributions off the field will be plentiful.
Addicts, sound off on the addition of Zach Thomas…
“Great, lets go ahead and get Derrick Brooks. Then the only thing left to do is triple our training staff! Welcome Zach to Arrow Folks Home, I mean Arrowhead.”
Posted on another thread so I copied. I am all for the idea of changing the mindset of our team and the added leadership, BUT…. When will we get some new young talent to mold. I know the draft is in two weeks, but I would be happier if were making some trades for picks!
April 11th, 2009 at 11:23 pmI don’t think this rules out drafting Curry. Vrabel and Thomas are both pushing the end of their careers. I know the Patriots thrive on a veteran, all-star linebacker corps, but take note of last year’s draft of Jerod Mayo. That guy is gonna be good, and it can’t hurt that he has been learning behind the likes of Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Adalius Thomas, and Junior Seau.
I have a feeling that the linebackers will be rotating a lot, partially based on the age of a couple of them. Just imagine, if you will, if we had kept Donnie Edwards and signed Derrick Brooks. Them, along with Mike Vrabel, Zach Thomas, Demorrio Williams, Derrick Johnson and Aaron Curry, could be one of the most dominant linebacking forces.. EVER. Perhaps, just a pipedream, but I’m allowed to have those
.
My point is, Zach Thomas and Mike Vrabel are mainly stopgaps — it’s no secret. But, considering the Patriots style, they will be very useful members of our team. Groom Aaron Curry behind them, and you can almost see a dominant future for our Chiefs.. assuming the head honchos keep making smart decisions like this.
April 11th, 2009 at 11:51 pmI love this decision. It gives stability to a corp that has long been missing a veteran force in the middle. I think Thomas has two years in him, too.
April 11th, 2009 at 11:55 pmwhy do people freak out about the age of the guys we are getting? we now have 2 vetern starters on defense out of 11. i think if anything we need more vetern starter help.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:03 amI agree that signing Thomas doesn’t rule out drafting Curry. If he is the highest rated player on your board, you don’t pass on him just because you have a 36 year old Thomas on his last legs.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:08 amIt doesn’t rule out curry but it also gives us a chance to be more flexable with the upcoming draft. Now the chiefs are not showing their hand anymore.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:37 amyet another good move. now if we can trade the #3 for 2 first or a 1st 2nd and third we will be in great shape.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:41 amI dont we sing back Rocky Boiman yet? But Zach Thomas is a plus Welcome To Kansas City.
April 12th, 2009 at 2:49 amI’m not sure how you can think Aaron Curry as an inside linebacker??? You don’t take a 6′ 2″ 254lbs OLB who runs a legit 4.5 40 and stick him inside where he can’t utilize his speed. Makes no sense. Curry is an immediate upgrade over Johnson who I imagine will stay inside. Vrabel Curry on the outside, Thomas and Johnson on the inside. Johnson doesn’t make plays on the outside, he’s proven that for 4 years, he played a couple inside last year and didn’t make plays either, so it really doesn’t matter where he plays.
April 12th, 2009 at 6:18 amThe addition of some of these vets like Vrabel, Goff, and Thomas allows us to draft some players who have good potential but who may need some time to develop. Last year we were spoiled by getting 5 starters and a few key contributors out of our picks and rookie FA. Historically, most players drafted after the 2nd rd, need at least a year to develop and learn the schemes. Thomas probably has one decent season left in him, while Vrabel and Goff might have two. But that’s just enough time to develop some replacements.
April 12th, 2009 at 6:27 amYou know what gets my blood boiling is the fact that all these people think they are smarter than Pioli. We won 2 games last year with our “YOUTH”. We had the least amount of sacks in NFL history, and people start complaining when we bring in two former pro-bowlers who are immediate first day starters and can teach our team. I have followed Zach all my life. He went to a high school rival of ours in high school (Demon Pride Never Dies!), he followed me to Texas Tech (where he was a beast), and now he finishing out his career with us. These guys could go to a good team and ride the bench to try to get a ring, buth they are coming here for deeper reasons. Guys just a news flash. We are not going to win the Super Bowl next year. I would imagine we finish .500. This is about filling holes, and MY GOD we got a lot of em. Way to go Pioli! I would bet my mortgage that we get Crabtree first now, or we trade down to get a lower first round (where that WR from Mizzou may be or replace our washed up, woman beating RB). The second pick would then allow us to get a quality Offensive linemen to finish off our quickly improving o-line.
April 12th, 2009 at 8:20 amI gotta admit, I’m absolutely blown away by this move. I’m not sure why, but I just didn’t see this coming at all. I like it though. What’s it going to hurt? He probably isn’t costing much at all, and he’ll be quality veteran leadership. It’s not like we have a whole lot better or that there is a lot better out there.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:04 pmi think he was the best free agent left that will fill that starting MLB role. i think this is officially the move that once and for all destroys the Curry draft scenrio. people tend to forget that we still have Tamba Hali who will fill that OLB role for the 3-4, so there is no more room for Aaron Curry
April 12th, 2009 at 12:19 pmI like this signing. Thomas and Vrabel may be older but they know what it takes to win. I also would like to see Boiman come back but we are not even listing him on the roster anymore. Don’t underestimate the contribution that Gatewood will bring. He was good in the SEC and he will now be playing a position that most draft pundits said he would be successful in – OLB.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:25 pmI’m not for or against taking Curry. I could see why we would though. He has the possibility of being the Chiefs version of the Pat’s Mayo. He would get to learn under the vets and maybe be the bizarro Derrick Johnson. Thats the other thing what has this kid done to prove that he is a starter? He has shown glimpses on plays and a solid half here or there but he is inconsistent and has not developed. Compared to the cast he’s been surrounded by he’s pretty much the skinniest kid at fat camp. Maybe our 3-4 will look like this Curry, Thomas, Beisel, Vrabel with DJ and Williams coming off the bench. I actually like the way that sounds. Quality starters and ridiculous depth. I would really like to see them toy with the notion of converting Pollard into a LB and use D. Morgan more.
Either way I think it will be one of the top linemen, Curry, Everette Brown. Not positive but dont they have that guy listed as a Terrell Suggs type. Able to be OLB or a DE?
April 12th, 2009 at 1:14 pmWe still need LBs, folks. Vrabel and Thomas have what, two or three (at best) years left? Saying that we’ve got these two guys, there’s no room for more LBs is like saying hey, we’ve got Huard and he’s playing well, why draft a good QB?
And… crap, we did that.
Love to see a trade down, and the bizarre Sanchez Love Fest is giving me hope that it might happen. Draft is jammed with late 1st/2nd round LB talent.
April 12th, 2009 at 1:18 pmDon’t know what’s so bizarre about liking Sanchez. Kid is likely going to be a helluva player.
And I’m not the only one who thinks that Curry might play inside and projects better to a 4-3. Mike Mayock agrees with me.
April 12th, 2009 at 1:40 pmYou can pick up solid LB’s in rounds two and three all the time in drafts so I think Curry is becoming less of an option. But Raji is becoming more and more of an option right now and I can see it happening. It would be a little bit up a stretch but it’s classic Pioli/Patriots.
I don’t know why you would draft an OT at this point as you are essentially getting a right guard from a top 5 first round pick. Since Albert was playing well at LT you wouldn’t be upgrading much at all if any… so essentially you would be picking a right guard with the third pick when Albert would move back to his natural college position. That doesn’t make very much sense at the end of the day.
Could Pioli actually pick up Crabtree? What a surprise that would be. Probably won’t happen but it would be fun to have such a skilled athletic receiver on the team. I can’t remember when we ever had a receiver as talented as Crabtree.
I just don’t know what they’re going to do now after picking up Thomas… Could they still pick up Curry?, sure but less likely after Thomas. The draft this year is going to be fun to watch fo shizzle
Thats what I’m thinking in pea sized brain when it comes to Football…
April 12th, 2009 at 2:29 pmAdam, for a “show me” guy, you’re pretty fired up about a QB with one year as a starter from a program that hasn’t produced a viable NFL QB since Carson Palmer. Cite the ‘experts’ all you like but they’re the same experts you’re trashing for rating Curry so highly.
Er, I mean, “since Matt Cassel.” Curses!
April 12th, 2009 at 3:08 pmI wouldnt mind getting Raji either but we have already invested top5 money in a DT. If we do pick Raji what do we do with Dorsey. Does he even have trade value at this point. I could see keeping him if we are staying with the 4-3 but it seems more likely that we will be making the move to a 3-4 hybrid so…..
It would be nice to have the similar situation the Vikes have with two stud DT’s.
April 12th, 2009 at 4:41 pmMy Sanchez feeling has nothing to do with the experts. It has to do with my gut. The kid has swagger and is a natural-born leader. He has all the tools. I think he could be special. He showed up big on the big stage last year at the Rose Bowl (and at his pro day), when Stafford choked in his bowl game. But, yes, he still does have to show us. And part of the thing is that I just value a QB so much more than a non-pass-rushing LB. But that’s just me.
April 12th, 2009 at 4:55 pmJason Smith/Eugene Monroe, Bj Raji, Michael Crabtree
thats the list of players who have a chance at being picked at #3
April 12th, 2009 at 6:55 pmAdam – I am not a big Stafford fan but he played okay in his last game and was the MVP.
April 12th, 2009 at 8:56 pmMe either. But his QB rating was 158 in that game, a win. You might be thinking of Bradford, who lost his?
April 12th, 2009 at 9:06 pmI was thinking of Bradford, by the way, but other than that game I thought Sanchez was better down the stretch, which is impressive considering he had nowhere as many starts.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:24 amI hate that you would even think of using a number 3 pick that will only carry a clipboard when we already have 2 , 3 if you count Croyle, young QBs.
Signing Thomas is opening the door for Raji. In the 3-4 you better have beef in the middle and that is also at LB.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:29 amJust heard on 810 that Atlanta is interested in Tony,they are reporting that they would offer their 2nd rounder. I have been suggesting sending Tony and Hali for their 1st #24!! If we did that I could see Pioli taking Curry @ #3 and a WR @ #24.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:55 amInteresting. With how many years Tony has left, a 2nd rounder has some appeal. I’d throw in Hali to get the 1st, as I don’t think he reaaly fits with what we are doing.
April 13th, 2009 at 1:09 pmI would trade Tony and Hali for Alanta’s #24. Then trade down with Jacksonville (they get Sancez or Stafford) we get #8,#39,and #72. Send LJ and our #139 to Houston for their #46. Send #24 to Arizona for their #31 and #63
R1 #8 DT BJ Raji-Boston College
April 13th, 2009 at 3:04 pmR1 #31 LB Larry English-N. Illinois
R2 #39 C Eric Wood-Louisville
R2 #46 DE Jarron Gilbert-San Jose St.
R2 #63 SS Patrick Chung-Oregon
R3 #67 RB Shonn Green-Iowa
R3 #72 WR Louis Murphy-Florida
R4 #102 TE Shawn Nelson-S. Miss
R6 #175 OT Alex Boone-OSU
R7 #212 RB Arian Foster-Tennessee
R7 #256 LB Worrell Williams-Cal