I have never felt so much trepidation heading into a season. Usually, for as long as I can remember, I have always had a sense of optimism as the Chiefs head into the season. That sense of optimism stemmed from the fact that our team and more importantly previous coaches handled things differently from new Coach Haley and GM Scott Pioli. Dick Vermeil and Herm Edwards, would never intimate that things weren’t going well. They refused to see the weaknesses in their team, and headed into the season with blind optimism.
For example, Vermeil headed into another season with Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson when he had done such a piss poor job with the defense in previous years. Carl Petersen was the one who had to force the move. As usual Vermeil shed a tear when the news came that Robinson had to go. Vermeil always had a difficult time cutting loose players and coaches who performed badly. (Do you think we will ever see Todd Haley cry?)
Same was true with Herm. He was a players’ coach, who “buddied” up to his players. I think it was an ego thing with him. He loved his own “street free agent” story, and was always rooting for the underdog, even on his own team. (I can hear him now….”and that’s a good thing”). He played those rookies, because I think he wanted to show the world that he could find talent where none was to be found. Never a negative word came out of the mouth of those two.
Well, now that Haley is in town that has all changed. Hardly a positive word comes from his mouth. He is letting all the fans know via words or actions that this team stinks. He pushes players, and is not afraid to cut them. You either play well or within the system or you are gone, no matter who you are. Everything is black and white to him. He is not afraid to make a move, even if it is near the brink of the season. Vermeil and Edwards would never have done such a thing. That is the way it should be, right? I mean winning and losing is black and white, correct?
We are a team with very little talent, and Todd Haley has made us all aware of that. Those players who we think are talented really aren’t: Derrick Johnson, Jarrad Page, Tyler Thigpen, Brodie Croyle, Mark Bradley, Brad Cottam, Tyler Thigpen, Rudy Niswanger, Mike Cox, Demorrio Williams, John McGraw, Tamba Hali, etc. Are these guys really game changers? They are/were starters around here because that is all we had. They won us 6 games in two years! (This is also why Derrick Johnson sits on the third string team right now; he is just too inconsistent).
The cutting of Bernard Pollard is further evidence that yesteryears starters aren’t that great. We all assumed Pollard was good just because he was starting. When you look back on his play, other than a couple of blocked field goals and punts on special teams, can you name any game changing moment (sans the Brady incident)? To further prove this point, Pollard has received no interest from anyone, including Seattle and Indy who signed other older safeties, when they could have had him for cheap.
In any event, Haley is not blowing smoke up anyone’s ass. He is making significant roster changes at a time when most coaches would head into the season with what they have. He knows the team stinks, and he is going to do whatever he can to purge this team of its underachieving players and losing ways. As such, my usual yearly optimism is gone, and I am heading into the season with lowered expectations. Laugh if you will. It’s sad but true. However, I have a feeling that the season will be more enjoyable than the last as a result.
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The Chiefs had several glaring needs going into the offseason, in the following order of priority:
1. A quality RT.
2. An outside pass rush
3. Additional talent and veteran leadership at LB.
4. Improvement/depth at interior OL.
5. More talent and better coaching for special teams
6. WR deep threat
7. A franchise QB
8. KR/PR
Regardless whether one agrees with how I’ve prioritization these, even the most casual of observers knew these were the main problem areas for this team. For whatever reason, Pioli/Haley determined that immediately converting the defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme was the top priority and in so doing, so far has failed to address the most glaring needs on offense – namely, better protection and somebody who can go deep. Instead of using a high 2nd round pick to draft a RT, Pioli traded away that pick for a franchise QB that he is not protecting and very weak receiving talent for him to work with. One week before the start of the regular season, we see we still have no one ready to play RT that anyone would dare call a starting tackle for any other pro team.
Instead of ramrodding the 3-4 defense through this season, I still believe it would have made far greater sense to using the #3 overall pick on either a rushing DE, a DT-type LB, or fast, talented WR.
Also, why was there no attention to drafting a KR/PR? There’s almost always at least a few fast WRs in the draft with experience in the return game.
And so now we head into the regular season with an OL that is arguably as bad if not worse than what we started out with last year, our franchise QB already dinged, all kinds of question marks about our receivers, about our running game, about our return game, about our defense (including even the secondary!), about our coaching . . .
Is this really change? If it is, it is the kind of change we wanted to see? This is progress?
Jeremy your last sentence “However, I have a feeling that the season will be more enjoyable than the last as a result.” is profound because its up to the individual to choose if he wants it to be or not. I see quite a bit to be hopeful for in the next two or three seasons, one big one is a young, quality gb so I’ve made my choice. Crazy bootleg plays that score touchdowns are down right embarrasing if you have a crappy coach, a crappy gm, and no hope for the future. If you have quality leadership and many of the basics in place, watching your defensive end catch a pass and run for a touchdown can be one hell of a rootin tootin good time.
Did you intentionally list Tyler Thigpen twice in the group of players that fans think are talented but really aren’t? If so, good job. If not, your subconscious is telling you something.
DD:
I am so glad you mentioned a franchise QB. Although others have annointed Cassel as such, he has not earned that label. Your list is good and I would add right guard and center to it.
Merlin,
Annointed or not, Cassel is the de facto designated franchise QB. Whether he lives up to the hype has yet to be seen. Hell, just surviving this season should be viewed a major accomplishment.
RG and C were the primary thoughts underlying my priority #4, along with eventual replacement / depth for the current LG.
JoJo Gibbs
I like your version of the Tyler Thigpen snafuu better. lol.
Randy you are the biggest optimist on this site, and I am the second, IMO.
I just want to be able to watch the season and have a good time like you do every year.
I am really going to avoid cussing, screaming, and yelling at the TV. That is why I am lowering my expectatons.
Jeremy your right I’m pretty optimistic when it comes to our Chiefs but when they are bad I mean warlords aren’t robbing NATO food supplies its football man! Still nobody wants to hear how good the hot dogs were after Herm blows a sure win. But when I look at some of my posts toward the end of last season even I was losing my patient with One Arrowhead Drive.
Here’s the way I see it. Dick and Herm didn’t win any Superbowls with the KC Chiefs. They didn’t even win a playoff game with the Chiefs. Todd hasn’t yet either, but he’s not sugar coating the fact that we need some help at certain positions. I’ve been in the military for the last 13 1/2 years of my life and I kind of equate Todd to a drill sergeant. He’s coming into a unit where the leadership is soft. Was there a press conference that Dick didn’t cry at? Herm recruited panty waisted little girls to his team. I’m with Haley and his “my way or the highway” attitude. As he said in the press conference after he released Chan from his responsibilities, he is ultimately responsible for the rise and fall of this team. He’s doing what he thinks is best and really, that’s what he gets paid for.
Totally agree with you SFChiefFan,,, my thoughts exactly,,,, give him time to fix the machine