Chiefs Sign WR Amani Toomer

Ideally, you're NOT having to draft for dire need in the 1st, but I think Pioli struck the proper balance.

I'm with you, for the most part, DD. You can't say it's a bad signing, but if it's a good signing, what does it say about the guys already in camp?

Up-side, I hope that they have all the talent they need, already, that the inconsistencies they're seeing in the young players will dwindle over time, and Toomer will push them to be better. But after years of following the Chiefs, in particular, and the NFL, in general, the only thing the up-side analysis does is make you feel better and sleep better in August (and give you heartburn for 11 months).

People on AP and elsewhere diss me sometimes for saying WR, DL, and OT are about the only 3 areas I'd ever want to spend a 1st-round pick on, because top-shelf talent is so rare and weakness equates with defeat. You can "team 'n' scheme" with GOOD players at 'most every other position (and I include QB in this, which REALLY gets me disrespect!). Blah blah blah. The point is, I ain't seein' WRs that WOW me and that's what you need, DBowe's drop-fraught flashes notwithstanding.

When I say "need," I mean "to be a legit contender." This move for Toomer turns the question "Can Haley work miracles with the WRs?" into "Can Haley work miracles with the WRs???" I just went from .500-or-better-if-lucky to 5 wins with this one smart signing.

As to your "reach" comment on Jackson, I think that it was technically a reach, but pretty much what Pioli had to do. The only trade-up into the top 5 was for #5 pick Sanchez, wasn't it? Pioli wasn't flashy, but the main thing is to get the ship pointed in the right direction, so he went for virtually no downside in a key area of need, and drafted Magee to give even MORE assurance that forward progress is made.

I'd rather they could've traded farther down in the 1st or even out of it entirely. Barring that, I'm glad they did what they did, now that I'm over Eugene Monroe.

This is not a bad signing. Would I like to have seen Matt Jones or Reggie Williams? Yes, but Pioli wants character guys and Toomer is one.

He can catch, which is something we cannot seem to do right now. He is pure QB insurance.

Toomer (and Engram) will not outrun anyone this year, but he (They) will make the tough catch.

Dwayne Bowe #1
Mark Bradley #2
Bobby Engram#3
Amani Toomer #4

Not too bad.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

DD:

I am with you. I don't hate the signing, but I am wondering if we are getting close to the line of shutting out opportunities for young players to learn and grow.

I would add Beisel to that list, sure he hasnt put up huge numbers, but hes coming off a super bowl, and is known around the league as one of the better special teams players.

Not sure how anyone can see this as a negative.

Its another ONE YEAR DEAL, for a vet that has won a super bowl, and can teach some of the young guys, while filling in as a number 4, and a 2 if bradley goes down.

I like it, its a low risk, nice reward situation.

Is he really worse after catching 48 balls last year than Webb or Darling?

Hell, let's slap Mike Goff onto that list. Why not?

Double D:

Selective interpretation of my comment, I see.

You missed the part where I said that he's a talented receiver and that this signing can't hurt. I'll reiterate that this move can only help the team, so there is little point in "disliking" it.

Personally, I love the fact that we've been signing big name veterans all offseason.

Mike Vrabel
Zach Thomas
Bobby Engram
Mike Brown
Amani Toomer

You can almost include Matt Cassel, though I won't because he's unproven even though he's been in the league a few years and wasn't a big name until this past season

The bottom line is, there guys are all Chiefs now. These same guys whose names you used to hear on ESPN all the time.. they're Chiefs this year. What's not to like?

I think it's a great move for a struggling receiving core. With Toomer, Engram, Bradley, and Bowe, we finally have some semblance of a threat. To all you who say Toomer was a bad signing because he's old and didn't play well last year should look at the stats when he actually had a #1 -- Toomer has almost never been a true #1 receiver. When one of the best wide outs in the league shoots himself in leg the rest of the team is naturally going to suffer. He's definitely an upgrade over Webb and the gang.

Like it or not, the good part about this is that we play the giants this year or did yall forget! And I'm pretty sure after spending 10 years with N.Y he has some pretty good insight on the o-ffensive and deffensive schemes we are sure to see this year. and haley and pioli are sure to get every bit of info out of him that they can for us to use. Oh yeah he also played the rest of the nfc east for ten years also . Just a thought

bbq,

We haven't met our quota for aging players who "should be a good locker room presence" and "could help our younger [players] along" yet?

I'm just thinkin' . . .

IISaint,

I'd take a flyer on Jones in a heartbeat.

I like it. He's a talented receiver and seems like an all-around good guy.

Even if he doesn't make a huge impact on the field, he should be a good locker room presence and could help our younger receivers along.

Why hate on this move? I mean, it can't hurt. If it helps, great. If not, oh well.

@DD
Couldn't agree with you more. I think taking a flyer on Matt Jones would be more beneficial than Toomer or Engram... Especially better than taking both of those guys.

All this says (shouts) to me is that Haley is not at all impressed with the cadre of receivers he's been given to work with. There's a good reason why Toomer was still looking for a job in August. God help us.

I'll also add at this point that using the #3 overall pick to reach for a guy like Tyson Jackson may come back to haunt Pioli in more ways than any of us have yet to realize.

He cant be anyworse than what we have now! Maybe he will play better in this system. All of our rookie suck anyway, might as well have some vets in there.

I like it. Even if all they do is help our young guys along it's worth the lil cost of signing these vets. I have always liked Toomer and I think with a change of scenery he could step up again. Sometimes thats all a guy needs is a change. He has always been a class act and that is what we need to press upon these young guys, who to play, how to win, and how to act.

The only thing I can think of is that the other vets need some pressure put on them and Cassel has to have some weapons.

Toomer was good when he wasn't the number one and had Plax on the other side. If he could take some pressure off D-Bo then I am for it, if not then we just got really old at WR, lol

HATE it. Amani has had a great career, but he showed serious signs of being done last year. After Plax had his problems, instead of stepping up, Amani disappeared. The Giants, who need a WR desperately wanted nothing to do with bringing him back. It was bad enough they signed the 36 year old Engram, but now signing the 35 year old Toomer also is just too much. Hopefully, 1 or both won't make the squad.