John Dorsey Insists Chiefs Aren’t Smoke Screening
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Nobody seems to want to believe that the Kansas City Chiefs don’t know what they are going to do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest the Chiefs are leaning towards taking a tackle. Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher are both considered top talents at the position. There are rumors swirling that the Chiefs are trying to trade LT Branden Albert. The team already cut last year’s starting RT, Eric Winston. KC entered the offseason with needs at the QB position but has since sent two high draft picks to the 49ers for Alex Smith. That move has most people balking at the idea that the Chiefs might select West Virginia QB Geno Smith.
So when the Chiefs brought in Geno Smith for a private visit, there were plenty of snickers being heard throughout the Chiefs blogosphere. “Smoke Screen” became the phrase of the moment. Nobody was buying that the Chiefs were bringing in Smith for any other reason but to drum up interest in the No. 1 pick for a possible trade.
The question seems to be not whether or not the Chiefs will take a tackle, but which one.
Recently, Chiefs GM John Dorsey mentioned that the Chiefs had narrowed the pool of players they are considering to four. Dorsey also added that the final decision would be made four days before the draft. Even that statement was met with skepticism.
All the apprehension about trusting what the Chiefs say this time of year is perfectly valid. They call this time of year “lying season” in the NFL, after all.
Still, when asked about whether or not he is trying to mislead teams, John Dorsey insisted that he wasn’t.
From Albert Breer of NFL.com:
"The best way to do that, of course, is to generate a market for the pick by manufacturing the impression that the Chiefs, in fact, like everyone.And as I floated that well-worn idea to Dorsey, his back straightened and he stopped me.“It’s not creating a belief, it’s the truth,” Dorsey sharply responded. “We’ve said all along it’s a process, and that process will not be finalized, that board will not be set, until four days before the draft. That’s the way that whole process works itself out. There are different phases that you go through. I mean, right now, I just walked downstairs and we’re in a different phase right now. We’re going back as a group and assessing all the different positions.”"
Dorsey told Breer that the Chiefs have been slowly eliminating contenders for the pick and that he meets with Andy Reid three times a day to discuss it.
Of course, if you believe that everything the Chiefs are saying could be a lie then even Dorsey’s insistence that he isn’t trying to mislead anybody could be, well, misleading.
What do you think, Addicts? Is Dorsey playing the long game or does he genuinely mean most of what he is saying?