Protection.

There. I’ve condensed the whole season to one word. One thought. One critical concept and if the Chiefs can not protect, their season is over before it starts.

Protection.

There’s some good news involved here: the Chiefs “should” be in the top third of the league in that department.

How does that figure? Consider the potential starters… and the depth… especially now that the Chiefs brass have recanted with, “We’re so sorry, Uncle Albert.”

Before we delve into the positive news about the Chiefs offensive line let’s take a look at other aspects of the Chiefs team units to determine if there is indeed anything to worry about more than the offensive line.

The first position that comes to mind is the middle linebacker position. Now, the Chiefs have brought in the underwhelming Akeem Jordan from Philadelphia. Next, the Chiefs drafted Alabama strong man Nico Johnson who I would label more as a project than a finished product. If there is another position on the team that needs to be worried about it’s the ILB right? I don’t think so.

A strength of the Chiefs’ defense should be its pass protection including pressuring the quarterback. Most will agree. For most teams the Chiefs meet, they should be able to play a pass-oriented offense and take the pass away on defense. Not that the Chiefs will be able to shut most teams’ passing attacks down, but teams should have less success passing against the Chiefs than they did in the past year, forcing them to go to their running game earlier because they won’t be playing from ahead like they did last year in the Chiefs’ turnover-plagued season.

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LM: Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Chiefs selecting Nico Johnson with the  99^th pick in the draft is… all the good players they passed up to take him instead.

The first one that comes to mind is Safety Shamarko Thomas taken 12 picks later by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Pittsburgh they are hailing Thomas as the next Troy P. He was a three year starter and actually started more games in his junior and a senior seasons (23) than Nico Johnson started in his four years at Alabama (20). Thomas had two interceptions as a senior with 3 forced fumbles and 85 tackles (that’s 6.5 tackles per game if you’re keeping score). His 4.38 40 and ball hawking skills should make any fan think twice.

Other prospects the Chiefs passed on to take Nico Johnson include: Khaseem Greene, Jordan Poyer, DT Jesse Williams (Alabama), Barrett Jones (Alabama), C Brain Schwenke, or Oday Oboushi.

Quinton Patton is a 4.4 40 wideout who was taken 29 picks later by the San Francisco 49ers and was rated the 58^th best prospect in this draft by NFLDraftScout and CBS Sports. When fans ask me where I get off making “my” evaluations more important than the Chiefs leadership I say I don’t have to… I can use highly successful teams as good examples. I think the 49ers and the Steelers qualify.

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Growing up as a kid in the 60s, outside of L.A., I had many an opportunity as a teenager to go to the In & Out Hamburger stand. In & Out, it was the supreme being of hamburgers and now Andy Reid and John Dorsey might as well change the name of the K.C. franchise to the In & Out Chiefs.

Has there ever been a busier time in Kansas City Chiefs history than the past 4 months and 4 days… since Andy Reid was hired as the Head Coach?

If you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan then you’ve got an opinion about the moves they’ve made. Some you may like, others, not so much. One way or the other, fans need to see that these Chiefs are making one thing clear: change is gonna come <– If you like Otis Redding and you really want to go old school, right-click on the link and get that wax track spinnin’, slip into your comfy bath robe and grab a cask of your favorite libation then sit back to really absorb the rest of this “piece.” Of course, you might want to re-think that if you’re still at work.

~ ~ ~

If you’re a Chiefs fan… and it’s likely that you are if you’re reading this column… and you’ve also had the opportunity to visit one of our great country’s Southwestern states where they serve In & Out burgers… then you probably don’t mind Kansas City being called the In & Out Chiefs. However, there’s a good reason for it. Look at all the Chiefs who’ve been ushered out and who they’ve also brought in during this period of time:

 OUT:

Kevin Boss, Steve Breaston, Glenn Dorsey, Eric Winston, Ryan Lilja (retired but also rumored to return), Javier Arenas, Matt Cassel, Andy Studebaker, Patrick DiMarco, Steve Maneri, Corey Greenwood, David Mims (stolen from practice squad by Ravens), Alex Tanney, Ropati Pitoitua, Brady Quinn, and Peyton Hillis.

IN:

Alex Smith, Eric Fisher, Anthony Fasano, Geoff Schwartz, Mike DeVito, Donnie Avery, Sean Smith, Dunta Robinson,  Akeem Jordan, Chase Daniels, Travis Kelce, Knile Davis, Nico Johnson, Sanders Commings, Eric Kush, Braden Wilson, Mike Catapano, Husain Abdullah, Marcus Dixon, Mardy Gilyard, Chad Kilgore, Ryan D’Imperio. You should also include all the UFAs: Tyler Bray, Darin Drakeford, Otha Foster, Frankie Hammond, Demetrius Harris, A.J. Hawkins, Colin Kelly, Rob Lohr, and Brad Madison.

The lists above may not spell out the magnitude of the metamorphosis… but, it may be better understood though graphics, like the three below.

I’m going to miss little Stevie “Poet-Laurette” Breaston. It’s going to be tough around here without Glenn Dorsey underachieving — who are we going to kick around? Mr. Winston’s sage wisdom’s will be missed as well. Here’s hoping some team finally gives that gypsy a home.

.Javier, you will be missed when we play the Broncos. Good luck in the desert. Matt, please wipe that look off your face — yea, the one that says, “I never really knew what I was doing here.” To you, Andy Studebaker… thank you… it’s always good to have a cheery teammate warming the bench. Mr. Maneri, you go boy!… and if your new position with dah Bears doesn’t work out, maybe you can get a part as a plunderer in Johnny Depp’s next pirate movie. You got the chops my man.

Please note: these players do not include the following UFAs, that have been added IN: Josh Martin, Brad McDougald, Rico Richardson and Ridge Wilson. The lists  above are not exhaustive of all the changes made this off season but, clearly show a prodigious pattern of planned permutation.

While some of the player moves were not  the doing of Reid and Dorsey it is striking when you go down the list of all the players who have been on the way out, especially when you look at them as: starter, starter, starter, starter, back-up, starter, starter, back-up, back-up, back-up, back-up, back-up, starter, starter and starter. Nine player who were starters for some part of the season and now they’re gone.

That’s a lot of… transmutation… in a very short period of time.

Nathan Bramwell wrote a piece called “Looking at the Chiefs in Free Agency So Far”  on March 16th and said,

For Dorsey to go out and get all these guys, you have to believe he either thinks the roster was in need of a jump start or the team is close to competing for a playoff spot now.

Many Kansas City Chiefs  fans and bloggers could be heard early in the off season saying the Chiefs were not as bad as their 2-14 record would indicate. However, no other team in the NFL has had the rate of changeover the Chiefs have had so, the alterations could be argued to be needed changes. There’s a bit of truth in both views.

From time to time, as a writer, when I’m working on a blog, something happens that strikes me and in this case it was about the difference between the  players coming in and the players going out. That difference in the newbies could be the… intensity of their demeanor. When rosters are reseated, you of course hope the new guys coming in are more talented but, it’s also a good sign if there is change in attitude too. The players being brought in appear to be, at least to some degree, more sharply focused… or this may be better typified by saying… no more Mr. Nice Guys at One Arrowhead Way.

Doesn’t that give you a warm, fuzzy feeling deep down underneath the chest pocket of your fire-engine red Chiefs pajamas?

So, the In-N-Out off season is in full bloom.  Of course the above lists don’t include a tabulation of the coaches and administrators who have made the transition.

The change has not been restricted to the player’s roster alone. The Chiefs also signed a scout recently: Brett Veach, who handled scouting for the Southeastern region of the country, making pilgrimage from Philadelphia’s freedom city to our glorious mid-west fountain town of hope and light.

More Importantly, a new Director of Scouting has been added: Chicago Bears director of pro scouting Chris Ballard has left the team to take a job with the Chiefs and will oversee their pro and college scouting departments while reporting directly to John Dorsey.

It’s been an In & Out off season and could be seen as a pigskin-administrator-spectators-performance-artistis’ dream come true. Well, that just me. However, if you like change… you’re probably in-love with this off season. If not… you might want to keep up with the Royals til September.

Now… I just wish they had an In & Out Burger in Kansas City… but, I guess we’ll have to settle for the Chiefs version… which means… Arrowhead tailgating, which is of course, unsurpassable.

Go Chiefs!

What do you think of your “new” Chiefs Addicts? Ready for more IN-N-OUT? Or have you had enough?

They say you can’t properly evaluate a draft class until three or four year have passed. However, we may be able to hold the current regime to their own standard.

What standard?  TO MAKE THE CHIEFS BETTER.

By considering this aristocratic goal and evaluating the Chiefs efficacy in the 2013 NFL draft, there’s an eerie Scott Pioli-type-feeling that ascends.

I recall being connected to the TV and the PC as if I was connected to an I-V… four short off seasons ago on draft day and hoping for the best. Devoid of a second round pick… expectations for the “other” handful of Chiefs’ selections was, to say the very least, intensifying.

Unlike four years ago, the first pick in this draft was seen as a huge success. Score one for Reid and Dorsey (with a backwards assist from Scott Pioli for leading the Chiefs to the worst record in the league thereby granting this regime the first overall pick).

The rest of the draft feels like a deja-vu-vian recapitulation all over again all over again. The problem with touting this point of view is that it doesn’t tell the whole story.

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It happened five years ago. The Chiefs traded up into the first round and selected DT Glenn Dorsey at #5 and then took LT Branden Albert 10 picks later at #15.

Now, you can almost taste the double… and it could happen again tomorrow.

In last year’s NFL draft, 50% of the picks were “maneuvered for” in the first round. So, there’s no reason this year to expect a first round that is anything less than “shaken,” not stirred.

The Chiefs could end up with pick number 42… or 54… from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for LT Branden Albert. Some have suggested that the Dolphins will wait until the big three LTs, Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson, are off the board just to make sure one of them doesn’t fall to them first… when they pick at #12… then they’ll pull the trigger on the trade for Albert. The question is, will the Chiefs end up with pick #42 or #54?

Using the Draft Value Exchange Chart… if it’s pick 54, then the Chiefs could “package” pick 63 (276 points), their own first pick of the 3rd round, plus pick 54 (360 points) and they could reasonably expect to move up into the back end of the first round.

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“Get outta town by sundown.” He got the message loud and clear. Then he stared across the table and growled, “I ain’t goin’ nowhere til somebody pays up!”

Yep, it’s an old story and he might as well have been sitting in a dusty, turn of the century, saloon in Dodge City.

The big question now is: what’s next for the Chiefs and Branden Albert?

No one wants Albert’s current franchise player contract, especially the Miami Dolphins who have already made Albert “an offer he could refuse.” But there are other players at this table. The Arizona Cardinals.

Some, who are standing on the outside looking in, have stated that Albert needs to lower his asking price, that he’s not worthy of what he believes should be his going rate. The presence of the Cardinals may change all of that.

That’s all fine and good but, until either the dam breaks, or Albert pulls his finger out of the dyke, the onus is on the Chiefs to do something else with their cap situation to make room for the players they’re about to draft into the fold.

 So, what are those options?

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With the draft a mere week and a day away and the lion’s share of the Chiefs picks coming on day’s two and three, it may be a good time to look at some late round revelations.

If you’re not a kindergartener and your attention span is longer than 15 seconds then you’ve most likely noticed this regime is doing a better job scouting prospects than, well, those previous certain unmentionables.

What that means is we will be learning more about Andy Reid and John Dorsey from who, or whom, they select in the later rounds than who they choose early in the race, and that debate appears to be going on forever.

Reid and Dorsey should be able to do better than Kendrick Lewis and Ryan Succop… the four year sum total of Scott Pioli’s late round pot stickers (players who were good enough to stick on the roster and make a contribution).

 What the Chiefs need now are players who can do more than “contribute.”

 The Chiefs also need some late round pot stickers like Andy Reid was able to draft in the past five years:

• Kurt Coleman- starting Safety, 7th round, 244th pick, Philadelphia Eagles, 2010
• Jamar Chaney- starting SOLB, 7th round, 220th pick, Philadelphia Eagles, 2010
• Stanley Havili- starting FB (2012), 7th round, 240th pick, Philadelphia Eagles, 2011
• King Dunlap- OT, 7th round, 230th pick, Philadelphia Eagles, 2008- now with San Diego
• Andy Studebaker- LB, 6th round, 203th pick, Philadelphia Eagles, 2008, cut by Kansas City
• Joe Mays- LB, 6th round, 200th pick, Philadelphia Eagles, 2008, now with Denver
• Quintin Demps- S, 6th round, 184th pick, Philadelphia Eagles, 2008, now with Houston
• Mike McGlynn- G, 4th round, 109th pick, Philadelphia Eagles, 2008, now with Indianapolis

The Chiefs also need some late round pot stickers like John Dorsey was able to draft in the past five years too:

• Mike Daniels, DE, 4th round, 132nd pick, Green Bay, 2012
• Jerron McMillian, S, 4th round, 133nd pick, Green Bay, 2012
• Davon House, CB, 4th round, 131st pick, Green Bay, 2011
• Ryan Taylor, TE, 7th round, 218th pick, Green Bay, 2011
• Marshall Newhouse, starting LT, 5th round, 169th pick, Green Bay, 2010
• Morgan Burnett, starting SS, 3rd round, 71st pick, Green Bay, 2010
• Frank Zombo, LB, UDFA, Green Bay, 2010 (uh oh, if the Chiefs recently signed Zombo, who at one time went to Central Michigan, could another CMU grad be far behind?)
• T.J. Lang, starting OG, 4th round, 109th pick, Green Bay, 2009
• Brad Jones, starting ILB, 7th round, 218th pick, Green Bay, 2009

Of course there are many other players who have made a significant contributions to both Philly and the Packers, players who were drafted in the later rounds but, that’s going back ten years.

That’s precisely the point. Both Andy Reid and John Dorsey each have a decade of experience selecting quality players up and down the draft board.

So, “who” might be available in the late rounds of the 2013 NFL draft? Let’s see if we can divine the future fortunes of a few of those late round hopefuls.

Firstly, here’s the Kansas City Chiefs full, round-by-round, draft order:

Round 1 ~ Pick 1

Round 3 ~ Pick 63

Round 3 ~ Pick 96

Round 4 ~ Pick 99

Round 5 ~ Pick 134

Round 6 ~ Pick 170

Round 6 ~ Pick 204

Round 7 ~ Pick 207

While both Reid and Dorsey have held fast to the idea that they’re going to select the best player available in a draft… there is parity at the top of the draft and anyone’s guess is as good as anyone else’s… when it comes to predicting who they’ll take.

In the later rounds, there’s no reason to think they won’t stick to the BPA formula. So, let’s take a look at some prospects that may be on Reid and Dorsey’s radar beginning with the late third round pick.

Round 3 ~ Pick 96

TE Gavin Escobar, San Diego State, 6-6, 254

Escobar is coming out after a solid junior year and comes in at 4.78 in the 40. He rated best in his group at the combine in 3-cone drill, and the 20 and 60 yard shuttles. Escobar is shorter in the legs and longer in the torso which gives him some shiftiness. He has good hands and rates as the 5th best TE coming out according to nfldraftscout.

At his size and strength, Escobar would be taken to serve as a pass catching tight end. He only put up 12 reps at 225 pounds and will have to develop his upper body strength if he’s going to make an impact as an every down player.

Here’s Gavin Escobar’s 2012 Highlights,

Round 4 ~ Pick 99

DT Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern, 6-1, 335

Although Williams was used all over the defensive line, much like Dontari Poe at Memphis, his size makes him best suited to play nose guard in the NFL. Williams career at Missouri Southern was outstanding,

Williams picked up his third straight AFCA All-America Team honor by finishing third in the nation in forced fumbles with five, and recorded 8.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. Williams is (only) the third player to earn three straight AFCA Division II All-America honors.

 Williams 38 reps at 225 puts him in rare company although Poe had 44. Williams is stronger in the upper body than the lower body and he is able to push OL into the opposing backfield causing disruptions yet he’s not noted for his ability against the run. Rob Rang of CBS Sports compares Williams to Antonio Garay of the San Diego Chargers and also says his wide body, if developed further, could end up being excellent against the run.

Here’s some tape of Williams at the Senior Bowl practices. He wears #66 and what’s noticeable is his penetration on every play.

Round 5 ~ Pick 134

SS Josh Evans, Florida, 6-1, 207. Josh Evans runs a 4.5 40 but, when you watch him on the field you would think he’s faster. That’s  because he’s a smart player and anticipates well. He’d be an excellent complement to Eric Berry, who he reminds me of. Last year he had 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 3 interceptions.

Here’s a highlight reel worth watching. Sometimes, for some reason, Evans wears #9 and other times he’s wearing #24. Have a peak:

Round 6 ~ Pick 170

OG/OT Oday Aboushi, Virginia, 6-6, 310. Aboushi is just the kind of  offensive lineman Andy Reid enjoys developing. Big, strong and agile. Gil Brandt says of Aboushi, “He’s strong, but probably will need to be moved inside to play guard in the NFL.” He’s played both left and right tackle so Aboushi is already experienced playing multiple positions. Walter Football calls Aboushi “extremely athletic.” Walter’s goes on to say,

Aboushi’s quickness and burst also allow him to be a dangerous run-blocker on the second level of defenses. He fires out of his stance and uses his agility to get in position to hit blocks beyond the line of scrimmage.

When Aboushi goes up against undersized defensive linemen or linebackers, he sustains his blocks well. The defenders struggle to get off Aboushi once he gets into their pads and he finishes his blocks well. Aboushi will punish defensive linemen or other defenders who go to the ground with some violent blocks to finish them off.

Here’s a good sample of Oday Aboushi’s skills in action against UNC:

Round 6 ~ Pick 204

OG/OT Rick Wagner, 6-6, 316. Six months ago Nolan Nawrocki gave this analysis (beginning at the 1:45 mark) of Rick Wagner, projecting him to the first round. Of course I don’t agree with many things Nawrocki espouses but, I do have a love affair with Wisconsin linemen and Wagner could now be a steal in the sixth round. Bleacher Report says, “Ricky Wagner is the type of prospect that could make quite a few NFL draft analysts look silly. He could end up being really good.” Who knows why he’s fallen this far in the past six months?

Round 7 ~ Pick 207

K Dustin Hopkins, Florida State, 6-2, 193. Hopkins has been an outstanding kicker for FSU. nfdraftscout says of hopkins,

Senior Dustin Hopkins, who became the ACC’s all-time single-season leading scorer… was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation’s top kicker. Hopkins has been exceptional this year, converting 24 of 28 field-goal attempts and also consistently giving FSU’s defense good field position with his kickoffs.

Hopkins ended the FSU Pro Day workout by nailing a 50 yard field goal. I wouldn’t mind the Chiefs spending another 7th round pick to give Ryan “Pedestrian” Succop some real competition.

Dustin Hopkins is a big strong kid with a big strong leg. Have a look see:

What do you say Addicts? Is there anyone here that looks interesting to you?

Like any good organization, the Chiefs operate with a team vision. Some organizations write their vision statements down. Some don’t and operate with a vision that changes as times change.

That would be the Chiefs.

When you change from one set of general managers/coaches to another, the vision for your organization is going to change dramatically. When a GM signs one significant player after another — and releases significant players too — everyone gets a clearer picture of the vision for the team.

As the draft approaches — with significant questions unanswered — many are wondering what the next step of the current regime will be.

The answer may lie in looking to the… yet possible visions.

John Dorsey and Andy Reid appear to be on the same page. What does that really mean? It sounds like they share a similar vision.

In a program called the “Dream Manifesto” Thomas Herold says,

A vision is a strong force in anyone’s life, but a vision is essential in business…. When you create a successful vision, you begin to feel passionate about it…. When a vision is spread through a company, it pushes both the leaders and employees toward the same goals together rather than separately. Visions can successfully turn a corporate hierarchy into a harmonious and well-organized group.

Anyone who has been following the Chiefs for the past four years knows that the Chiefs had no “shared” vision. There was only Scott Pioli’s way and everyone else was a bystander. Including Todd Haley.

But, that was the past, and I digress.

Now, apparently several player prospects are still in the running to become the K.C. Chiefs number one pick. By taking into account how each of these prospects will affect the scheme and team, we can determine their dreamy outer limits, or their acute limitations.

Let’s begin with a rising star on the draft board, Eric Fisher.

If the Chiefs keep Branden Albert and draft Eric Fisher then plug him in at RT, they’d have a formidable offensive line. With Albert and Fisher locking down the outside pass rush, Alex Smith should get more time in the pocket than previous Chiefs QBs have seen in years. By signing G/TGeoff Schwartz, who says he favors playing Guard, the weakest positions along the OL should be Center and one Guard spot. The return of Rodney Hudson and possibly Ryan Lilja could solidify the Center position leaving  the other Guard spot for Jon Asamoah with Jeff Allen and Lilja offering solid back-ups there. This places OT Donald Stephenson as the Tackle back-up and spot starter.

Can you see it? Can you visualize it? I can, and it looks pretty awesome to me. Whether it will come to be, or not, is another thing but, it all starts with the vision.

Drafting OT Eric Fisher, who is said to have more upside than Luke Joeckel, semi-completes the Chiefs  offensive front and gives them a strong presence there. Fisher may allow a few more rookie mistakes than Joeckel but, because of his continued progress should develop into a premiere OT in the league… eventually. He also gives the Chiefs the flexibility to trade Albert down the line so he can swing over to LT, if and when.

All these same things can be said about Luke Joeckel except, with Joeckel, there comes a greater expectation for him to take over as the team’s LT from the get go.

Andy Reid has come out and stated that he wants his players to play where they want to play. In that sense, Fisher appears to be a better fit for the vision going forward.

Better team chemistry.

Creating a new team vision blossoms from the excitement that grows while conceptualizing… and in the process concurrently perceiving how well a prospective player’s skills jell with existing players… and simultaneously weighing the cost factor of an alternative vision lost.

If you choose one vision… you lose another.

This isn’t always true of course but, is usually the consequence.

I know a talented pianist, who upon graduating, had to choose between studying the piano or following another dream, a career in dance. They chose dancing, then danced around the world and saw every part of that vision come to life. They could still play piano, but obviously not at the level they would have, if they’d followed that vision through.

It’s an either/or choice for the Chiefs. They can trade the first pick… and hopefully pick up more picks… but, even then they must follow one path or another.

A vision the Chiefs could follow, is to draft a defensive lineman like Sharrif Floyd. Floyd doesn’t project well to NT so, the Chiefs would likely be taking him to play Defensive End. Floyd at his best can cause havoc anywhere along the defensive line. However, Floyd has a total of 4.5 sacks for his college career so… if Chiefs fans are counting on him to provide the pass pressure that Glenn Dorsey didn’t, then their vision of having Floyd in red and gold needs to be adjusted. Dorsey’s frame, 6-2, 316 and Floyd’s frame, 6-3, 297, are not tremendously different and so bringing in Floyd in to give the DL a big shot in the arm may not be a dream that ever comes to fruition… much like the addition of Glenn Dorsey in 2008.

The vision of Star Lotulelei at DT tackle may not be tremendously different than bringing Floyd in at DE either. The Chiefs are looking for a push against the OL on passing downs and while Lotulelei is very good against the run, he had 7.0 sacks in three years. However, 5.0 of those sacks came in his Senior season and it’s clear from watching games he’s played in that he is a disruptive force. However, if you go back and watch game tape of Glenn Dorsey in his last year at L.S.U., Star looks like a mirror. Both looked like the most driven players on the field but, Star’s limitation, short arms, means he’s not able to bat balls down when they’re released by the QB, which off sets his ability to penetrate. Lotulelei has some leadership ability that is unquestioned but, is that enough to make the Chiefs… “disruptive defensive line vision”… a dream come true?

The answer is… the vision of creating more pressure on opposing QBs may have to come from another defensive position. A position like, linebacker.

Another vision currently floating about the Chiefs cosmos, is the one about LB Dion Jordan. Some will argue that this dream would be better fulfilled by drafting the equally freakish athlete, Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah. Ansah may be the answer for some team high in the first round but, Dion Jordan is drawing some buzz around town as a legitimate potential #1 overall prospect.

When coupled with the Chiefs triumvirate Pro Bowl cartel… Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and Justin Houston… the specter of fusing Jordan’s hyper-dynamics makes for some pretty sweet visions of sugary plum hits (check out the tatoo at 2:21), all dancing in the head. To catch a glimpse of the real “vision” that is Dion Jordan, please don’t miss this 3:09 minute “ESPN Sports Science” presentation.

Oracles Andy Reid and Bob Sutton (the Chiefs new DC) can utilize Jordan in mixing pressure packages to run an attacking style defensive with endless ideation. For Sutton, this scheme will be similar to what his previous head coach, Rex Ryan, preferred and making Jordan a feature is the most natural fit because he gives Sutton all the flexibility possibly needed to run, and  s t r e t c h, that scheme.

Dion Jordan can drop into coverage and, at 6-6, make sure TEs aren’t going to gouge the defense as they have in years past. Antonio Gates has barbequed the Chiefs, on their own home field turf, enough to last a lifetime.

Using Dion Jordan as an ILB , as some are suggesting, resets the standards for what an ILB may be judged by. At 6-6 and 240, Jordan brings an athletic body to that position.  The Chiefs Derrick Johnson is 6-3 and 242 so the one outstanding difference is Jordan’s height. However, Jordan also brings a muscular flexibility that allows him to bend around the corner when pursuing a QB that is rare. It’s difficult to imagine Jordan not excelling next to the Chiefs divine trio

While fantasies of future prospects waltzing into the Chiefs lineup dominate my draft day experience… the visions lost… do so as well.

If the Chiefs take OLB Dion Jordan the questions along the OL remain… potentially… nightmare material. I’m sure it’s not what Alex Smith envisioned when he spit in his palm and shook hands with Andy for the privilege of coming to Kansas City.

If the Chiefs take Eric Fisher or Luke Joeckel… the offensive line gets better but, the defense will likely still have a hole in the heart and the pass rush will suffer for it.

If the Chiefs draft a QB @ #1… though many fans may rejoice… the offensive line and the pass rush may remain an Achilles heel.

If the Chiefs can trade out of the number one slot and acquire another pick in the second round… as Lyle Graversen pointed out in his post called, “Can John Dorsey Make A Deal?”… the Chiefs will be in a prime position to take two players in the top 50, both of whom should be able to step in and contribute as starters on day one. Graversen says picks 15-50 is where the real value lies in this draft.

As I stated in a reply on my most recent post,

Unless Reid and Dorsey can either… 1) trade back out of the number one spot thereby picking up a 2nd round pick or… 2) trade Albert and pick up a 2nd round pick… then taking an ILB who can come in and start right away is probably not going to happen in the draft (assuming they don’t take Jordan at #1).

The primary choice here is trading back out of the first pick because the Albert trade basically demands they turn around and use their number one pick on an OT since they would have just traded their LT away.

You’d have to think R&D are doing what they can to get value in a trade for the #1 pick… but that… if it’s going to happen… probably won’t happen… until draft day. They’ll also wait until draft day to make sure no other team comes along and offers more than may have already been laid on the table.

Wouldn’t it be great to be a fly on the wall and know what the actual offers already are. R&D have said they have already gotten calls… so… you have to hope the offers were real and reasonable and open ended so they can still be acted upon when the drafting moment arrives.

The real coup for the Chiefs… would be making both trades… Albert and the #1 pick. Then they’d end up with a high 1st-rounder & two 2nd-rounders… probably three players who would come in and start on day one.

Now… that should change the whole vision for what the Kansas City Chiefs will become in 2013.

Okay Addicts… do you have a vision? Or a nightmare?

]]> http://arrowheadaddict.com/2013/04/10/the-chiefs-vision-and-the-2013-draft/feed/ 0 http://arrowheadaddict.com/2013/04/06/the-chiefs-and-the-wheel-of-fortunate-evaluations/ http://arrowheadaddict.com/2013/04/06/the-chiefs-and-the-wheel-of-fortunate-evaluations/#comments Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:00:32 +0000 Ladner Morse http://arrowheadaddict.com/?p=44164 Someone will be drafted first in the draft. This is the one constant we can all count on. One way or another, one lucky… and fortunate… prospect will go #1 overall, making oodles of dough and going down in the history books to boot. And… it will be because of some very fortunate evaluations. Of [...]

The Chiefs And The Wheel Of Fortunate Evaluations - Arrowhead Addict - Arrowhead Addict - A Kansas City Chiefs Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more

Someone will be drafted first in the draft. This is the one constant we can all count on. One way or another, one lucky… and fortunate… prospect will go #1 overall, making oodles of dough and going down in the history books to boot.

And… it will be because of some very fortunate evaluations. Of course those evaluations are based on the performances and talents of these prospects… at least we hope that’s the case.

It’s been reported that the Chiefs first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft has been narrowed down to three possible players: OT Luke Joeckel, OT Eric Fisher and OLB Dion Jordan. However, it could just as easily be Luke Joeckel, Dion Jordan and Geno Smith. Just follow the bouncing ball of logic… if you will:

Let’s say there once were four finalists- Luke, Eric, Geno and Dion… and then Dorsey and Reid decided it’s time to narrow it down to three. Then, it follows that they had to have the conversation about… “which OT is better?”  Once that’s determined then one of them is eliminated… and that leaves three. After all, why would you keep two players who play the same position in your top three?

Since we can assume Dorsey and Reid have had the conversation about who is a better OT… I’m projecting that the three prospects includes Geno Smith.

Especially if they’d like to get more offers for the first pick in the draft then Geno is the bait. There are still too many teams who don’t have a good QB and Geno can be a good one. Perhaps not great, but good.

So, I can not see that at any time in the next three weeks that anyone from the Chiefs organization will let it slip that Geno is out of consideration.

However, that being said, it looks like QB Geno Smith is out of the running for the Chiefs to take him for several reasons, not the least of which is an unfortunate evaluation by Nolan Nawrocki. So, it might be a good idea to take a look at a wider range of evaluations of the top prospects to avoid any mis-steps in the final rankings process.

What is clear now is that these three or four top prospects are in the lofty positions they are in because they have avoided the unfortunate branding that spreads like wildfire at this time of year.

Here are some examples of the negative labeling that’s hurt a number of specific prospects who have all, at one time or another, heard their name mentioned as a possible top pick in this draft:

DL Star Lotulelei- short arms and medical questions.

DL Sharrif Floyd- stamina questions, stops after contact, past ACL

DE Ezekiel Ansah- struggles to break free once engaged, plays with pads too high, only in football since 2010

OG Chance Warmack- he plays guard, he’s too short

CB Dee Milliner- too aggressive and overplays, lacks elite speed, weak back-peddle, one year experience as a starter

DE Bjoern Werner- consistency questions, history of minor injuries, lacks typical height

OT Lane Johnson- tremendous upside but has a bust factor

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In this draft there are no perfect prospects. Has there ever been?

However, it may be the unfortunate evaluations that scouts make on a prospect that keeps them from breaking into the top three or four for consideration — out of which the number one player could be taken in this draft.

Let’s begin with the odds on favorite so far: Luke Joeckel.

 

When researching strengths and weaknesses of Luke Joeckel there are a lack of weaknesses and consequently a lack of negative things being said about him in the press. He may not be the strongest OT in this draft but, his top notch technique and squeaky clean image win him big points in the long run.

Take a look at the quote in red taken from CBS Sports and it may strike you… if this is all that’s wrong with his game, he may be even better than first thought.

It’s not so much everything he’s done but, in his case, all the negatives that aren’t there.

So, who can compete with Mr. Joeckel? Eric Fisher has done nothing but fly to the top of the draft board during this off season. Could he be the Chiefs first pick? Sure. Why not. If they’re taking a OT, I’d certainly hope he’s in the running.

Fisher is that prospect with more strength and upside. His frame could also take the extra pounds Reid will likely ask his OTs to bear, considering his pound and ground system.

However, when you begin to read through the list of possible deficiencies in Fisher’s technique, then Joeckel looks better and better.

Take into consideration the premium talent that Joeckel has gone against and dominated, and that’s why Fisher finishes second on my list.

If the Chiefs can deal with their OT issues outside of the draft then perhaps they go with the best OLB Dion Jordan, a phenomenal athlete.

If you’ve had the opportunity to watch Jordan play you’ll most likely come away impressed. At the minimum you’ll be impressed by his athleticism. However, his presence on the field is felt on nearly every play when his defense takes to the turf.

Could the Chiefs use another dynamic player who knows how to get to the QB and make plays? If your answer is not an emphatic yes, you may not be aware that besides their QB woes last season, the Chiefs couldn’t put enough pressure on opposing QBs, which was happening on an all too consistent basis.

Do you think Reid and Dorsey noticed this deficiency when they were reviewing film of last season? Close your eyes and you can almost hear their conversation:

ANDY: Hey John, we are going to need a QB next year.

JOHN: Yea, I noticed that too.

JOHN: You know I really like our defense but, we’re still not able to put enough pressure on the QB. We’re going to have to get another pass rusher from somewhere this off season.

ANDY: I couldn’t agree more.

If you ever noticed, the one player who never shows up available in free agency, aside from a franchise QB, is a franchise pass rusher.

I will not be shocked at all if the Chiefs go with Dion Jordan. His story is really compelling too. He was once a burn victim and he vowed he would not let that define him. He wanted to be: a football player.

Plus, he has an NBA power forward’s body at 6-6, 248. Jordan’s skills could be considered magical because he’s able to drop into coverage and make opposing tight ends disappear. The point is, he’s excellent in coverage where many OLBs are not.

Jordan has also spent time playing both TE as well as DE. Da kidz got mad skilz.

Once you consider his physical gifts and sustained level of performance you’d have to give him a great chance to be the first player to shake Roger Goodell’s hand on draft day.

When you look over Dion Jordan’s weaknesses, in red, you almost wonder if whoever wrote the critique for CBS Sports was serious?

Taking all things into consideration, I’d be thrilled if a player as dynamic as Dion Jordan was the Chiefs first pick.

Lastly, consider the case of Geno Smith.

Since I’ve been following Geno Smith’s career closer than the other prospects, it’s become very interesting to me that comments are being generated about him which come off biased, to say the least. I don’t want to start a forum on whether or not Geno Smith is the victim of racism, but I’ll say I have read some inappropriate comments to say the least.

As I researched Geno Smith’s strengths and weaknesses I could find plenty of each. There seems to be a wide chasm of opinions regarding the West Virginia QB and although I stopped being surprised about that quite awhile ago, there’s something about this wide gap of opinions that intrigues me.

There have not often been college QBs who have ever put up the numbers he has put up and yet as soon as you say something like that there are a long list of bloggers ready to say that college stats mean nothing.

You can see by the disparity of comments on Geno’s wheel of evaluations that Nolan Nawrocki (who has never met Geno) typifies Geno Smith one way and then John Gruden and Geno’s former QB coach Jake Spavital typify him completely the opposite way.

Obviously, if you’re using Nolan Nawrocki’s evaluation to determine Geno Smith’s success, you’re making a huge error in judgement. Many fans may recall ex-NFL QB Warren Moon accusing Nawrocki of racial bias for comments he made just three years ago. Nawrocki appears to be at it again.

Who is Nolan Nawrocki? He’s not a scout. He’s an analyst. Nawrocki is ProFootballFocus version of Mel Kiper. Can you imagine Kiper making these comments? ESPN would have him out the door faster than you can say “Rush Limbaugh.”

In the end, the Chiefs question will be, “What are they going to do about Geno Smith?” My prediction at this point is that they will continue to associate themselves closely enough with him in order to maintain the possibility of a trade for the first pick in the draft.

Beyond that, while I’d like the Chiefs to consider Geno Smith for the first pick, I think it’s either going to be Luke Joeckel or Dion Jordan.

Why? Because the Chiefs wheel of fortunate evaluations says so.

How about it Addicts? Have we nailed the final four, three, or two… or is there someone else who could go… el numero uno?

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If you’re a Chiefs fan… you have concerns. These days most of us are concerning ourselves with who the Chiefs will be taking in the upcoming draft. But, if you’re at all like me (I know what you’re thinking… omg NO), you have other concerns as well.

Is it just me, or…

does anyone else wonder if Chiefs ex-GM Scott Pioli actually ever picked up that piece of trash in the stairwell… you know, the one he scolded his staff about to teach them a lesson? Or, did he assign someone to go pick it up instead? Or maybe hire a trash picker-upper-er? I’m hoping that it’s still there, in the exact same spot and that someday the Hunts will be giving tours, so fans can view the infamous… “piece of trash.” No… I’m not talking about Pioli. When I said he will be bust at Arrowhead, I didn’t mean they’ll make him a statue.

Is it just me, or…

is anyone else wondering if the Chiefs have enough coaches yet? After all, someone is going to have to teach the the players the new rules about open-field tackling and not leading with their helmets. Perhaps Leon Sandcastle will be available to do that… after the reality sets in… that no one is actually going to draft the 45 year old wanna-be-younger Deion Sanders look-alike. It could work too… since the real Deion Sanders never touched anyone in the open field.

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A positive epidemic. It’s what Clark Hunt was hoping for. Chiefs ticket sales are up significantly. Why? Overall fan morale is climbing the charts.

In his book called, “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference,” Malcolm Gladwell says,

“The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire… the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.”

Sounds… and feels… a lot like what is transpiring at your local Arrowhead homestead.

When does a team turn… good? When can a fan say, wow, we just got better and now… we are a good team. A winning team.

Fans must be thinking this already… or off season ticket sales wouldn’t be sailing as they are (up 112%).

For the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs it could be the signing of Alex Smith. Could it have been signing two corners in free agency? Bringing in TE Anthony Fasano to pair with Tony Moeaki? Was it when Clark Hunt ushered Romeo Crennel out and Andy Reid in?

Who knows  for sure? However, it’s clear that fans have come to the point where they… believe.

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Now that the big “secret” is out that the Chiefs are bringing in Geno Smith for an “official” visit and evaluation, it’s time to take a look at a few comparables. Like, how does Geno’s West Virginia career stack up against Donovan McNabb’s Syracuse career and or Aaron Rodgers time in a Cal uni?

In Andy Reid’s first year as the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach he drafted QB Donovan McNabb with the 2nd pick in 1999. In 2005, while with the Green Bay Packers, the K.C. Chiefs new GM John Dorsey helped draft reigning NFL QB king Aaron Rodgers with the 25th pick.

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When you go 2-14, the numbers have to change. Making AFC West Division calculations at this point may be a bit of a long shot, given that even the draft is still a month away, but the numbers are looking good for the Kansas City Chiefs right now.

The Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers have gone through some significant changes this off season, but the 2012 division champ Denver Broncos have only added to their already lethal offense. So, let’s preview just what it might take for the Chiefs to change the math, compete for the division crown, and possibly make the playoffs for the first time since since 2010.

The Oakland Raiders

At 4-12, the Raiders could hardly be called a better team than the Chiefs, though their overall record indicates otherwise. Two victories over the Chiefs plus a win over Jacksonville and a big home victory over the Steelers sealed their win total.

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The future? It’s here. It’s now.

There’s no indication that the Kansas City Chiefs new handlers are building to succeed for the future, instead, they expect to win pronto. Every step John Dorsey and Andy Reid have taken from the time of their hire, has been aimed towards the idea of winning and winning now.

They are already winning the off season.

While the team started out this off season with many questions on many sides of the ball, the main questions now appear to only be related to the Chiefs offensive line. Sure, a middle linebacker is a must and depth is needed at other positions but, the focus clearly appears to have narrowed down to the offensive line.

Even on the offensive line front: the stars are aligning.

The Chiefs have taken care of… their Pro Bowl punter… their top 5 WR… and shored up their defensive secondary. As far as the first pick in the draft goes, there’s been a debate about who needs the help more, the defensive or offensive line but, the choice which appears to be emerging is, an offensive tackle.

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A lot can happen between now and draft day. Of course, I thought the exact same thing back in January. Well, we just couldn’t know then, what we think we know now. Kansas City GM John Michael Dorsey and coach Andrew Walter Reid have certainly been altering the landscape at Chiefs Way and Red Coat Drive, enough so that no one is sure what’s coming next.

As much as I’ve enjoyed seeing them etch their names in the new cement around Arrowhead during the first week of Free Agency, I’m a bit weary worn while watching the “professional” speculators do their speculating about who, or whom, the Chiefs may or may not be taking with the FIRST pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Not that I’m not interested, I am, but, there are other picks to speculate about as well. So, let’s take a look at the Chiefs 63rd pick in the draft, which, for now, appears to be the very next pick coming to them, following el numero uno.

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It’s deja vu all over again on Groundhog’s Day while staring in Harry Potter’s mirror of Erised.

OMG… or LOL… or is there new abbreviated text word for “HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE?”

Let’s take care of first things first. Amos and Andy… uh… I’m talking about another comedy routine…John and Andy… better hope Geno Smith is a bust because if Geno ends up in a Raiders uni flinging the ball all over Arrowhead in a route of the Chiefs, the Save-Our-Chiefs cry may resurface sooner than anyone suspects.

Now, on to Alex Smith in red and gold. How regrettable is it that an organization that appeared to be on the verge of turning a corner from decades of an ugly first round QB bias, has taken an old, well worn path to bringing in the next Joe Montana: trading with the San Francisco 49ers for a back-up to supposedly be their new franchise knight in shining armor.

Was Clark Hunt in pre-school when the Chiefs brought in Steve Bono or Elvis Grbac from the 49ers so, he just doesn’t recall the Arrowhead pain and suffering? Also, as much as I loved Joe Montana he only played 25 regular season games in his two last seasons, both with the Chiefs. However, they paid dearly to bring him in for less than two whole years of service. In 1993, the Chiefs handed away their 18th overall, first round, pick to San Francisco for their 1994 3rd round pick plus the 9ers threw in Safety David Whitmore. The Chiefs got 16 undistinguished games from Whitmore in two season and then selected WR Lake Dawson (4 years and 103 total receptions) in the 3rd.

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Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The dust is still settling regarding the monumental trade between the Chiefs and the 49ers involving Alex Smith. The impact and fallout from this trade won’t truly be felt until well after the free agency period and the NFL draft. This trade has changed the entire scope of the NFL off-season. But that’s not what this column is about. I want to talk about “What’s Next?”  for our Chiefs’ offense.

In researching this week’s article, I broke down the Chiefs’ roster player by player. I went to several different sources and found their contract lengths and how much we owe them this year. In doing that research I found some rather gaping holes in our team that certainly need to be addressed this off-season. If you thought quarterback was our only need, you’re sorely mistaken. I’d like to break down our offense first.

Beginning with the QB position, the Chiefs currently hold four signal callers under contract (or will as soon as the Alex Smith trade is finalized on March 12^th.) Those four are Matt Cassel, Alex Smith, Ricky Stanzi and Alex Tanney. The fifth quarterback on the roster, Brady Quinn, was only with the team on a one year contract, and thus becomes a free agent with everyone else in just fewer than two weeks. It is almost a certainty that with the Smith trade, Cassel will have his pink slip taped to his locker. (Is that still how they fire players?) But don’t fret, Cassel supporters: reports indicate he may land on his feet in Arizona as part of the Kolb/Skelton love triangle. Still another rumor has surfaced indicating the Chiefs may be shopping their former starter to the New York Football Jets for a fifth rounder. If Dorsey could pull this off, he would have gotten more production out of Cassel than the last two years combinded. Either way, the Chiefs’ leadership would be silly to leave Cassel on the roster as they would owe him $7.5 million if his jersey still says “Chiefs” on April 1^st. Regardless, the other two passers remaining aren’t a good combination as a number two and three. Thus, in addition to going out and securing Alex Smith, Reid and Dorsey may be forced to bring in another name to compete with the wonder twins (Stanzi and Tanney) for a backup role. I don’t think Quinn’s up to the job. Perhaps one of our two third round picks will be spent on a quarterback to come and fill this role. I hope I didn’t just strike a nerve.

Moving down the depth chart, our next stop is the wide receiver position. Obviously the biggest question mark here is Dwayne Bowe. We all remember the pins and needles we were on last season after Pioli handed him the franchise tag and Bowe sat out of training camp. While I was impressed with the football shape Bowe was in when he did arrive back in the BBQ City, I wasn’t impressed with how he played in a new offensive system after only having the playbook for a few days. As we come ever closer to the franchise tag deadline, I see that same predicament in our future. However, this isn’t Pioli and Crennel. Perhaps Dorsey and Reid don’t see a future for number 82 on the “new Chiefs” and decide neither to resign nor tag him. I think this is an unlikely scenario, as all indications are that the Chiefs are heavily entrenched in contract talks with Bowe’s agent. The holding point seems to be guaranteed money (isn’t it always?) as the Chiefs are offering 5 years with $24M guaranteed and Bowe’s agent wants 4 years with $30M guaranteed. I have to believe that Bowe and the Chiefs will come to a common ground, but his release is possible all the same.

A bigger question than all of this, though, is who lines up on the opposite side of the field from the D-Bowe Show? We haven’t really had a legitimate receiver combo in this town in a very long time. I was hoping that J.B. (Jon Baldwin) would step up and fill that role last year. While we can’t blame it all on him with the merry-go-round quarterback system Crazy Crennel adopted, he still didn’t perform when he needed to. We heard about all of these “circus stunt catches” he made in training camp and then when it counted we got nothing. I would love to see a veteran free agent like a Greg Jennings or Mike Wallace come in and take up that WR2 spot.

The next position I would like to examine is tight end. Last year, I was excited with the signing of Kevin Boss. With Tony Moeaki coming back from knee surgery and his fate uncertain, I was happy to see us sign a big, pass catching tight end. Then Kevin got smacked in the head really hard, he was cut from the team and it’s really uncertain if the guy will or even should ever play again because of the amount of concussions he’s had. I feel for Kevin, but that’s left a gaping hole in our offense. The leadership really needs to take a look at this because as of now, the Chiefs only have Tony and Kevin Brock under contract. I don’t expect Andy Reid’s offense to mimick the four tight end sets that have made Bill Bellicheck famous, but I would like to see a bit of depth added to the pass catching tackles. I would love to see us pry Dustin Keller away from the Jets or even Thomas Crabtree from the Packers during the free agency period. In my dreams, Tony G (who is also a free agent) would come back for one more season in the Sea of Red, but I think I’m just dreaming there.

The last position group I’d like to address on offense is our warriors in the trenches. (Please don’t tell Eric Winston I referred to him as a warrior. He might think I expect him to be a gladiator and fight a lion with a spear.) All jokes aside, I think Winston did a commendable job holding down the right side of the line last year. Of all the free agent moves that Scotty made in his last year at the helm, I think Winston was the most solid. In addition to Winston, we’ve got some great young talent there as well in Asmoah, Stephenson, Hudson and Allen. Actually, looking back, Pioli did pretty well drafting offensive linemen. It was the D-Linemen where he needed a seeing eye dog, but that’s a whole other post. I digress. For me, the biggest question mark here is Brandon Albert.

If you can’t read the writing on the wall, Albert is perhaps on his way out of Arrowhead. I don’t buy any of this smoke that Dorsey has been floating about “you put your best five linemen on the field.”  Anybody that thinks Albert is going to resign only to be moved to right guard is smoking the good stuff. He has flat out said that he is a left tackle and that’s what he’ll play. If he’s not playing for us, it will be for somebody else. The biggest issue I have with the guy is his back. I think B.A. has played very well for us and only allowing one sack last season with a pair of quarterbacks that refused to get rid of the ball is extremely commendable. But back problems for linemen spell disaster, and I’d have a hard time applauding a deal that kept Albert in KC long term if it meant we had to deal with his nagging injury.  As unpopular of a decision as it is, I would almost rather they draft this Joeckel kid with the first pick and let Albert walk. I know Brandon is proven and the rookie hasn’t played a down of pro ball yet, but to me it just makes the most sense.

Finally, I’d like to give a quick mention to running backs. Obviously, we have one of the most talented backs in the league in our beloved number 25, Jamaal Charles. The stable of young runners behind him did pretty well last year, I thought. Peyton Hillis’ contract is up and I say let him walk. I had high hopes for a thunder and lightning combo last season and it fizzled into a minor rain storm. If the leadership wants to run a two-back system, they could possibly find a power back in the later rounds of the draft, but with Draughn, Gray and Eachus I think we’re sitting ok on that front.

So that’s it, Addicts. That’s my take on the state of our offense as it stands right now. Am I off the mark or am I in the ball park? What say you?

Take the following picks I’ve made, highlight them, copy them and paste them into your comments window… then you can replace the prospects with your own choices… even if it’s just one or two.  However, you have to justify your selection in that round and say why it was better. To do that, just link a video or a review of that player or heck… just give us a sentence with your analysis: that works too.

Copy/Paste the following to play The Re-Mockable Mock Game

Round 1: QB Geno Smith West Virginia
Round 2: ILB Manti Te’o, 6-2, 255
Round 3a: C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin, 6-4, 338
Round 3b: CB, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Connecticut, 6-1, 192
Round 4: QB, E.J. Manuel, Florida State, 6-4, 237
Round 5: RB, Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State, 6-2, 227
Round 6: TE, Nick Kasa, Colorado, 6-6, 271
Round 7: DE, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Notre Dame, 6-4, 300

First, read my 7 round selections, breakdown and reasoning:

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Like any other fan in the Addict, I dream dreams for the Chiefs… of Montana in red and gold, of Marcus Allen diving over the pile for a Chiefs TD, and of Priest Holmes following his HOF blockers into the end zone… ooooops… that wasn’t a dream at all… just a pleasant flashback. Things haven’t always been this bad in Kansas City. We used to actually have some incredible talent on the roster.

Anyway… now I’m dreaming of a heavenly off season… dumping Pioli and Crennel… hiring Reid and Dorsey… mastering free agency and drafting the hell out of the draft.

To do that… as the song says… A Change is Gonna Come. Let’s see if you could live with these changes:

Would you… could you… trade away our first round picks this season and next season if it meant the Chiefs could secure the likes of Joe Flacco? On Thursday during an interview with Metro Sports Andy Reid said that first round choices are a 50-50 hit-miss proposition. So, it makes mathematical sense to give away two number one picks to get a proven Super Bowl winner at the most important position on the field. I’d do that trade in a minute. Pro Football Talk (PFT) is reporting that some teams have been thinking of making this bid before the postseason even took place. Now that the postseason has played out, in grand fashion for Mr Flacco I might add, it would be a steal to get this Joe in the fold… for the remainder of his career. Mr Hunt, if you ever have considered a time that you might want to be opening your pocket book wide… now’s that moment.

Would you… could you… cut Kevin Boss and Steve Breaston? Not to worry — consider that job done for you. A bigger question may have to do with who else you would be… or could be… willing to cut yourself? It’s now clear that the reigning rulers of Chiefstopia are adamantly at it when it comes to tailoring the team and altering the atmosphere in the Arrowhead dressing cubbies.

From Clark Hunt’s two week turn-around of Crennel & Pioli to Reid & Dorsey… to Reid’s nimble & methodical hiring of a fresh and minty staff… to the Shaun Smith prescribed off season routine… to the signing of a mini-van load of practice players… to Dorsey’s admonitions that’s there’s not a lot to like in this year’s QB draft class… to bringing in the absent-hinded Safety Husain Abdullah… and now the releasing of Boss and Breaston — things are beginning to shift to a magnitude that screams: don’t blink or you’ll miss it! Now, you can begin to get a sense for just how dramatic the make-over will be by the time next season starts.

The question is: who else would you either cut if you could and be glad to do the honors yourself… or who do you predict get’s cut next? My prediction is… Glenn Dorsey is not far behind Boss and Breaston and gets no name-sake grace from the new Chiefs GM.

Would you… could you… widen the football field another 35 feet? Proponents say this will cut down on injuries. Andrew Hawkins, owner of the Cincinnati Bengals thinks adding width to the playing field would save a lot of injuries. Hawkins says,

“It would prevent a lot of the severe collisions. Guys are getting faster every year. We know that. But with the NFL spacing being more confined than the CFL, there are a lot more big hits. There are a lot more tight windows. It would prevent not all, but a larger portion, of big hits.”

NFL great QB Warren Moon says doing that, would open up a lot of huge spaces in the defense and make it much easier for the offenses to score. Which, Moon calls “an unfair advantage.”

I tend to agree with Warren Moon and while I could see ten feet being added to each side of the  field — 12 yards total would change the dynamics of the game thus alter offensive and defensive statistics. That would ultimately usher in a heterogeneous era, an era that shouldn’t be compared to the great game of football as we’ve known it up to this point in time.

Would you… could you… allow both Glenn Dorsey, the Chiefs 5th pick in the 2008 draft, and Tyson Jackson, the Chiefs 3rd pick in the 2009 draft… would you… could you… allow them to walk away from the team? ProFootballFocus has suggested that the reason that Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and now Justin Houston have all made the Pro Bowl is because of the play of Dorsey and Jackson. If GD & TJ eat up blockers in front of them then Hali, DJ and Houston can get to where they want to go without having to go through a brick wall to get there. The demands of a 34 defense for DEs is dramatically different than they are for a 43 DE. Yes, we’d all like to see a lot more push from our DE duo when it comes time to rush the passer, but they have done an above average job of stuffing the run. The Chiefs real run stuffing challenge comes up the middle — not Dorsey and Jackson’s territory. While I’m making a case for both of them to be retained…. I’m really saying that even though all of this may be true… I’m ready to allow them to walk. Why? Because the amount it would cost to resign them would make signing Dwayne Bowe and Branden Albert prohibitive. The question then is: who is more valuable to the team — Bowe and Albert — or Dorsey and Jackson. Based on their performances over several years… priority wise… it’s Bowe first and Albert second. Bye-bye Glenn and Tyson.

Would you… could you… project the Chiefs to battle for the division crown in 2013 based solely alone on the fact that the they have the 5th weakest strength of schedule in the league?  Even with all the positive moves going on in Chiefslandia this offseason you’d probably be off your rocker to predict anything like that quite yet. Why? Because all three other teams in the AFC West have even weaker schedules next season. Take a look.

Would you… could you… admit that only one of the following players are going to be the Chiefs opening day starting QB in 2013: Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Tyler Wilson, Mike, Glennon, Alex Smith, NIck Foles, Brandon Weeden, Michael Vick, Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn, Ricky Stanzi, or Alex Tanney?

I believe that about covers it. If you think the Chiefs could possibly end up with someone who is not mentioned here… please speak up now or forever hold your piece. I think it’s important to narrow our choices down so that we can know what to expect next year.

Oh… I heard JaMarcus Russell is available. I understand he has a big arm… and tongue!

Would you… could you… draft Manti’ Te’o with the second pick of the second round? Te’o, a once ballyhooed top ten ranked pick, has fallen off the deep end, in more than one way, and now finds himself in a free fall. So, how much has his hinky-slimy-hijinks changed your opinion of him as a football player? No, I don’t want to hear another comment about his — invisible entourage — but, I am interested in how much he could help the Chiefs. The question is, would he help… or would his presence eventually turn the Chiefs locker room into a unreality-TV-internet-phenomenon? Which also means he won’t be very helpful on the field.

I say take him if he’s there at pick #34.

Would you… could you… predict that after three season from now, the best QB’s in the league will be Aaron Rodgers and Colin Kaepernick? AR and CK should become the torch bearers. In what is likely to be the beginning of the post Brady Manning era (figuring Manning plays at least one more season and Brady three) you look around the league at the best QBs and ask: who else could it be? I wonder if Robert Griffin III will be healthy enough to scale the heights and remain there. I wonder if Joe Flacco has already reached his pinnacle and there’s only one direction left for him to go and it’s not up. I wonder if Drew Brees will be able to sustain his tasmanian production or if there’ll be a big drop off by then. I wonder if Matt Stafford will ever get to work with a whole team that is worthy of his talent. I wonder if Andrew Luck’s 27th in the league QBR will ever ascend to the NFL heavens. I wonder if Sam Bradford will ever get to throw to a better than average receiver (or just how long he can survive with Barry Richardson protecting his non-blind side). I wonder if Russell WIlson will have a sophomore slump or continue to amaze. I wonder if Matty Ice will melt in Atlanta without his baby binky, Tony Gonzales.

Yes, l ask myself similar questions about Kaepernick and Rodgers but, every time I watch them they both woo me and wow me so much that it’s hard to believe, three years from now, that both of them won’t be in the middle of sculpting their way to Canton.

In the meantime… I wonder, will the Chiefs have a QB worth mentioning?

32 picks per round, right? The first 64 picks make up the first two rounds, right? In the 2013 draft, that’s not exactly true.

In round two of the 2013 NFL Draft, two teams have lost their picks: the Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints. The Saints lose their round 2 pick for their involvement in Bountygate. The Browns used their second-round pick for 2013 on WR Josh Gordon, who they took in the supplemental draft.

Vwah-lah… 64 picks in the first two rounds becomes 62.  So, when the Chiefs pick first in round 3, they are essentially drafting at the back of round two… mathematically speaking.

So, the Chiefs will have the 63rd pick in this draft.

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Recently Kiper stated that the best QBs in the 2013 draft, “are not good enough to take with the first pick and so the Chiefs would be best served by trading back in the draft.”

However, look at the teams picking 2-10 and ask yourself.. .is a there a high likelihood that any of these teams will jump at a chance to draft the best QB in this draft? I have to say yes… to almost every single team.

Here they are:

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One way to do that is to look at some popular mock drafts and determine, based upon those mocks, who would be left over and available for the Chiefs near the beginning of the second round.The outcome most interesting to me right now comes from the mocks that project Geno Smith at number 1. Some of those mocks include: Rob Rang at CBS Sports, Dan Kadar at SBNation,  Walter at Walter Football, Charlie at Walter Football, Paul Banks at the Sports Bank,  Steve Shoup at FanSpeak, Kevin Hanson at EatDrinkSleep Football, Eric Galko at Optimum Scouting, Nate Bouda at NFL Trade Rumors, Jay O’Brien at The NFL Report, and Dane Brugler at NFL Draft Scout.

Matthew Hodges at NFL Draft Monster has a three round mock you might really enjoy and so does Peter Smith at Pigskin Heaven. On Friday, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com projected Geno Smith first in his mock draft too.

15 out of 20 of the most recent mocks I found show Geno Smith going first. So, we’ll project the Chiefs second round selection based on Mr. Smith going to Hollywood… err… I mean Kansas City.

Over at NFL.com, Bucky Brooks has a first round mock projecting Geno Smith first to the Chiefs and if you check off all the players he’s projecting to be gone by the end of the first round, below you’ll find a list of the best 20 players who would be left over for the Chiefs to choose from if Brooks’ mock comes true. You can use any site you want to do your check listing but, I chose CBS Sports. The prospects left behind from Brooks mock are also listed by using the top 100 list at DraftTek.com as a checklist. DraftTeks list can be found following the CBS list below.

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Some will say it’s all about strengthening the weakest links and others: adding the highest quality players indiscriminate of what positions those players play.

What has been missing from this conversation, and equation, is perhaps a less conventional view that, if, the Chiefs were in any of the games they lost last year… it would have “changed the game” and reshaped the way we are evaluating each player now as well as every position of need.

At first sight, it might sound like an absurd theory masquerading as … if the Chiefs had won more games last year then, their players would have looked better. However, this is not the case.

No, this piece is all about proactive decision making. Making decisions that have the highest percentages of… changing the game… decisions that can positively impact everyone on the team, and organization to the greatest degree.

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Before we all succumb to the deluge that has already begun in New Orleans, the site of the NFL’s annual penultimate event, let’s take a look at some issues we in Chiefs nation care a little more about. Like, who the Chiefs will be selecting in the draft.

“Super” Player Personnel Acquisitions
Analyzing the Chiefs needs is one way to determine who the Chiefs should select. Taking the so-called “best-player-available” while ignoring team needs is another way to determine who the Chiefs should select too.

The Chiefs seems to be set at the kicking positions so we can bypass that conversation… for the most part. Some have suggested that Ryan Succop at least needs some competition.

On Defense the Chiefs were 12th against the pass last year and 27th against the run. So, one response to that might be to make sure you draft a run stuffing DT and an ILB who is a thumper but, I have yet to find the ILB thumper in this draft.

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End The Drought, Draft Geno Smith Now! PART III of III*

To read PART I go here. PART II, here.

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Comparisons and Statistics

At the end of November 2012, Aaron Palinckx of examiner.com wrote an article called, Geno Smith Could Be Next Year’s Robert Griffin III of Fantasy Football in which he said,

Geno Smith has posted staggering statistics this college football season and has established himself as the number one QB in college football.

“Staggering statistics.” Think about all that Geno Smith has accomplished. Read, or watch, Lyle Graversen’s post Video: Geno Smith Is Worthy Of The #1 Pick. Lyle’s video grabs, written evidence and links are well researched and well worth re-reading. I certainly have.

When you compare Geno Smith to all other options inside and outside the draft (free agency) it appears that he’s the best and first and only option — for those who are “informed” about Kansas City’s range of choices. This is not to say the Chiefs won’t trade down to take a player more suited to the value they believe that player has. However, if that happens, Geno Smith won’t be there. Then, they’re back to square one… 30 years ago. Some fans believe the Chiefs will take a QB later in the draft but, it seems less and less likely the more you compare the available QB prospects.

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End The Drought, Draft Geno Smith Now! PART II

To read Part I, go here.

In PART I of “End The Drought, Draft Geno Smith Now!” we covered the Drought  Sequence, the Fan-dalism outlining the fans vs. John Dorsey and Andy Reid’s roles, the Coach’s Reproach and the Pioneers who have gone before to see that a QB is taken in the first round.

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Three Important Factors

There are three important factors driving the movement to end the drought and draft Mr. Smith now:

1. END THE DROUGHT- The drought must end ASAP. Not next year. Not in the second round of the draft this year, or any other round for that matter. Not in free agency where we already know what the choices will be and there is no franchise player there to be had. I’m sure that Reid and Dorsey can’t fully grasp how tired and wasted Chiefs fans are of one coach or GM after another waltzing into KC and trying to be tricky: making the reshaping of the roster all about themselves, by attempting to take lesser clay and molding it into their own da Vinci masterpiece. There is not a 6th rounder like Tom Brady just waiting around every corner of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th rounds of the draft. Do the right thing by taking the best QB in this draft, immediately.

2. NO PREMIERE PROSPECT- After personally researching the top ten NFL draft prospects for the 2013 draft, no one is head and shoulders above anyone else. Period. No question in my mind. I’m convinced that there’s not one of them who stands out over all of the others. Not one. All of them have… chinks in the armour.

To begin with, consider what an evaluator must do: they have to come up with a way to say that this OLB prospect is better than that LT prospect (or could you ever really compare a long snapper to a CB?). Can you see the dilemma? You really can’t do it. One position, in many cases can’t be compared to another. Still, one principle every evaluator agrees upon is: the QB position is the most important position on the field.

Still, let’s look at a few top prospects.

Take LT Luke Joeckel from Texas A&M. His run blocking lags behind his pass blocking. His pass blocking is pretty good, but remember he was blocking for a Heisman Trophy winner, the elusive and quick release artist: Johnny Football (Manziel). So, if the Chiefs take a “good” LT but still don’t have an elusive and quick-release QB of their own, do you think Joeckel will still look as good? Ask Jamaal Charles if he wants an average rookie LT blocking for him in the running game next year. Plus, do you really want to take Joeckel when Branden Albert ranks 5th in the league in Pass Blocking Efficiency? Joeckel may never reach that level of proficiency and how do you say no to an excellent LT who still wants to be part of this team? If the Chiefs draft Joeckel first it will only be because of financial considerations because that move will not make the Chiefs a better team. That’s the primary reason you have to doubt that Hunt, Reid & Dorsey (HRD) would make Joeckel their choice.

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End The Drought, Draft Geno Smith Now!  PART I

PART II will post Thursday at noon eastern 11 central, PART III, Friday, 10 eastern 9 central.

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As time goes by, one thing has become perfectly apparent: there is not a clear cut number one pick in the 2013 NFL draft. However, this too, is also clear: the Kansas City Chiefs have not drafted a first round quarterback since they took Todd Blackledge with the 7th pick in the 1983 NFL draft. So, what’s the answer?

End the drought, draft Geno Smith now.

Sound irrational? Not really. Not at all.

In the Kansas City Chiefs space-time continuum there are several truths that have taken hold of the organization and one of those is: the Chiefs are one of the scant few (2) teams, who have not selected a QB of any kind (franchise or otherwise) in the first round of the draft for more than three decades.

The Drought Sequence

The chart below shows all of the QBs taken in the first round by their respective teams with the year they were taken posted in red.

68 QBs have been taken in the first round since the beginning of the 1983 NFL draft. The only team with a longer first round QB drought than the Chiefs? The New Orleans Saints. The Saints haven’t taken a QB in the round one since they choose Dave Wilson with the last pick in the first round of the 1981 draft (back when the supplemental draft came at the end of round one). However, I don’t believe the Saints are interested in a QB any time soon.

The modern day Chiefs haven’t employed a 1st round franchise caliber QB since Joe cool fashioned a Chiefs uni for 25 regular season games in the early 90’s. Yes, Trent Green was good but, not a franchise keeper who was around long enough to impact the organization for a decade or more like many top flight QBs.

This is also the reason that everyone, and I mean everyone, who talks Chiefs lore, mentions Len Dawson and only Len Dawson, when it comes to home grown QB cooking in Kansas City since the birth of the franchise in 1960 (I hope I’m not bursting any bubbles here but, the Chiefs didn’t draft Lenny, that would be the Steelers). So very many franchises have a long lineage of QBs to bring to the parade. The Chiefs have Len Dawson and a leftover bag of nuts.

The Fandalsim

This is not about Andy Reid. This is about Kansas City and the identity of our beloved mid-western values which we associate so closely with the team. Especially the mid-west value: not losing a sense of what is genuinely important. I hope Mr. Reid understands that the Hunt family owned tradition, which also bears the monogram of this fair city’s name, is dearly and genuinely important to us.

This is not about John Dorsey. It’s about about the history of this franchise and the immediate future of the team. The only way to resolve this conflict between the ghosts of GMs past and the ghosts of GMs future, is for the GM of the present to take the Best QB Available (BQBA). That would be Geno Smith.

Many fans are happy about the Andy Reid hire. However, if he can’t produce a new and formidable QB forthwith… he might as well be named Herman Edwards or Todd Haley.

John Dorsey might be in this for the long haul, the marathon, as he put it at his first Monday presser, but, unless Chiefs fans see a potential franchise QB in place, by August 1st, 2013, then the team might as well call in another 2-14 record for next season too because the KC Chiefs faithful have already seen, and heard, it all before. Consequently, the disappointment and discontent will carry over from previous years and previous GMs into next year and onto this GM. I hope John Dorsey gets that.

K.C. fans are not only enervated (the opposite of energized) by the national sports media’s endless droning on and on about this organization’s not taking a QB in the first round for three eternal decades but, the hyped up hopeless hoopla of having one abysmal QB after another trotted out onto the Arrowhead turf for yet another immortal drubbing. This paradigm (model, pattern) has worn perilously thin for a growing number of Chiefs fans who are considering giving up on the team. For the first time in my years of following and covering the Chiefs, I am hearing fans say, “I’m out… if they keep this up.”

The Coach’s Reproach

Past coaches and GMs were plenty aware of this too… and please notice, none of them are still around. On Thursday, January 17th, ex-Chiefs coach Herman Edwards had the following conversation in a WHB 810 interview,

“Edwards: I love Matt Ryan, I really do. We were maybe one pick away from (making) him a Chief… but, anyway, it’s another story. Interviewer: That was a coin toss year (08) wasn’t it? Edwards: (chuckles) Yea, yea, yea, boy.  Don’t even go there.”

It almost sounds as if Edwards thinks he’d still be coaching in KC… if that had happened.

Dick Vermeil was so aware of the Chiefs first-round-franchise-QB-abstinence that he traded away 1st, 2nd and 5th round picks in 2001 to get 31 year old QB Trent Green (I would like to take this moment for a public service announcement: Geno Smith is 22). Now, Green was a very good QB. His 5 ½ year career with the Chiefs was solid but… was it worth all the picks used to get him? He didn’t lead the Chiefs to even one playoff win. Chiefs fans haven’t seen a playoff win now for nearly 20 years.

Andy Reid and John Dorsey may like… even love… Kansas City and the legacy of this franchise. However, one must question whether or not they can ever fully comprehend the pain and suffering that devoted Chiefs admirers have endured for lo, these many years. For Chiefs-partial patrons every autumn Sunday has become a nightmarish Groundhog Day all over again replete with the evils of no first round QB and… and if not for the hope that a king would come in the first round on draft day… all would appear to be lost. Losing + losing ≠ winning.

We can only hope new leadership doesn’t expect fans to pledge their Chiefs allegiance without a King for the Kingdom. We are not pawns to be deployed upon the season ticket holder game board of life (however, here’s your Season Ticket Holder Signing Bonus). Don’t you hope that during this off season that the Chiefs will do something that has a bit more grandeur with the roster than offering micro-monetary incentives to increase fan attendance at Arrowhead?

The greatest incentive of all, of course, would be to end this drought by drafting top rated Geno Smith. It begs the question: why wouldn’t the Chiefs want to make the most influential decision they could make in the past thirty years when they have the opportunity to do just that? You would hope Dorsey and Reid would grasp the historical significance to this organization. If not, their stay here may be shorter than Mr. Pioli’s.

The Pioneers

In 2004, many analysts had Robert Gallery going before Eli Manning in the pre-draft days. There was tons of speculation about who the number one pick would be in 2005 when Alex Smith went first and Aaron Rodgers fell to #24. Everyone was shocked, including moi, when Super-Mario went ahead of Reggie-snake-in-the-Bush. Neither Cam Newton nor Sam Bradford was a lock to go number one at this same stage in the game so let’s not get our panties in a bunch just because of a few misguided analysts who haven’t seen the light about Geno yet.

Keep in mind that Andrew Luck was not the consensus best QB in last year’s draft. There were plenty of RGIII dissenters, including yours truly. Yes, Andrew and Robert were the obvious standouts among the 2012 class prospects and that’s the appropriate reason they should have gone where they went: 1 and 2.

In PART II tomorrow, you’ll find the 3 important factors in this movement to get GS drafted #1 by the Chiefs including an evaluation of Luke Joeckel, Jarvis Jones, and Star Lotulelei with the reason why Geno is a better choice than any of those prospects. See you then.

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In the past few years there have been a goodly number of Tidey boys taken high in the NFL draft and when they arrive at the big boy’s barbeque, they usually bring their own fireworks.

After Alabama’s BSC win over the University of Texas following the 2009 football season, LB Rolando McClain was selected 8th overall by the Oakland Raiders. However, things really didn’t begin to heat up for Saban’s slew of slayers, who would be selected in early draft rounds, until the following year.

That next BCS championship was won by, Cam Newton led, Auburn. Following the conclusion of the 2010 season DT Marcell Dareus (#3), WR Julio Jones (#6), OT James Carpenter (#25) and Mark Ingram (#28) were all taken in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft.

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One long month ago I went on record as saying that the Chiefs would be best served by selecting ILB Manti’ Te’o from Notre Dame number one overall. Since then the Chiefs have hired QB Merlin Andy Reid and… the college national championship game has played out and… I can now see I was wrong. If I was a politician… you wouldn’t want to vote for me.

On Monday when Andy Reid addressed the Kansas City media he made it clear, as clear as any coach is going to get 3 ½ months before the draft, that he’s interested in taking the best player available in the draft. So, it’s up to Geno Smith to show in his off season work that he’s not only a beast but, the best.

Or maybe we should just change our perspective.

A change in perspective can also come through comparing college prospects. Considering the elevated play of the three QBeasts from last year’s draft, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and RGIII, maybe we don’t have the most accurate perspective… yet.

Many have forgotten that in Peyton Manning’s last game, the 1997 Orange Bowl he threw for a measly 131 yards and lead his team to a loss to eventual National Champion Nebraska, 42-17. Also, Nebraska led 28-3 in the fourth quarter so most all of the points for Tennessee came in trash time.

Why bring that up? Because we sometimes get a game or two or three out of perspective with what a player’s actual and natural potential is. In Geno Smith’s case, he had an average (for him) last game of his college career: the Pinstripe Bowl. The Pinstripe Bowl was played in New York on a 20 degree day with snow gusting. Although that didn’t bother Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib and the Orangemen’s methodical  game plan, it was murder for West Virginia’s speedy skill positions players who were obviously minimized by those conditions.

Russell Wilson lost both of his last two bowl games, the Rose bowl, averaging 227 passing yards per game including an interception. Nothing to write home about or make scouts stand up and take notice.

Andrew Luck lost his last college game to the Oklahoma State Cowboys even though Stanford won the time of possession 41+ to 19+. Luck also threw an interception in that one.

In Robert Griffin III’s last season his team, the Baylor Bears, finished 6-3 in conference play. At least his team won their bowl game… over the “highly touted” 7-6 Washington Huskies. 6-3 in conference play wasn’t the best stat on his resume.

Trying to determine whether or not a QB will be a beast in the NFL is not always going to work based upon the last few games they played or the record of the team they played for.

Also, if you’re going to hold a high winning standard up for QBs then you should also do that for other position players like Manti’ Te’o. We’ll have to see if his less than stellar performance in the national championship game against Alabama is going to drop his draft status. In that game, he looked like a boy playing a man’s game.

Since the Chiefs snatched up Andy Reid to be the skipper of their clipper, another question arises: does the performance of an NFL QB depend more upon the stud QB coming out of college or the coach who’s coaching the stud QB? Was Joe Montana the Joe Montana that we know now more because of his skill level or was it Bill Walsh and the system he had in place?

Savvy coaching makes as much a difference as the player does in determining the success of a quarterback. It’s a bit of both but, in many cases, it can be as much as 65% coach (and his system) and 35% QB and his capabilities. Then again, with a player like Aaron Rodgers, it has a lot more to do with “the player.”

In 2012, and in recent years, quarterbacks are coming into the NFL with more “game readiness” than ever before. Look at the trends in quarterbacks coming into the league in the past five seasons:

Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, Brandon Weeden, Colin Kaepernick, Nick Foles, Kirk Cousins, Matt Stafford, Sam Bradford, Joe Flacco, Josh Freeman, Matt Ryan, and now RGIII, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson have all come in and either started their first or second season or have made a positive contribution. Mark Sanchez and Blaine Gabbert were left off this list for poor progress.

Fifteen quarterbacks, and that’s nearly half the starters in the NFL.

Clearly, the process of gradually developing a rookie QB from two to four years before starting is an old-school notion and it’s an outdated concept that’s not in operation in this pass-first-and-ask-questions-later NFL.

Can Geno Smith be as successful as Russell Wilson, RGIII or Andrew Luck in his first season? When the Chiefs new coach starts talking about whether or not he would take Geno Smith first in the draft — if you can “Reid” the between the lines — the answer is the same to both questions.

The performances of these three  QBs from last years draft may have skewed our thinking about how well a QB “has to” perform in their rookie season and you may be more comfortable comparing Geno Smith to the top three QBs in the previous draft, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick. If there was a re-draft all three would likely go in the top ten or even the top five. Each fits the description of franchise QB and I believe Geno Smith can perform at their level.

If the Chiefs draft Geno Smith in April, then there is no reason to not expect that the Chiefs will be in the playoffs next January.

Lofty expectations? I don’t think so. Look at what Geno Smith’s upside is, which is very high. Does he also have some bust potential? Yes but, with the supporting cast of players that Reid should be able to put in place this off season, it would lead you to believe that Geno Smith’s “bust-ability”… if he’s wearing a Reid-red uniform… goes way, way down.

Consider all of the Pro Bowl players, and PB level players, Smith will have surrounding him (btw… Justin Houston deserved to be in the Pro Bowl more than Tamba Hali and Brandon Flowers should start getting some PB consideration while Bowe has been there before and will — should he resign — be Smith’s  main hammer).

Evaluations of Geno Smith vary with the weather. Using a scouting priority checklist which includes: Arm Strength, Football IQ, Accuracy, Mobility, Leadership, Toughness, Resume, Maturity, Pedigree, and Hand Size, let’s do some comparisons.

Before getting into that, Alen Dumonjic of The Bleacher Report rated the 32 Strongest Arms in the league last summer and Matt Cassel ranked number 32. So, almost any QB the Chiefs draft is going to be an upgrade in the “most important” category when evaluating a QB.

Arm Strength
If Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and Joe Flacco (he’s rated number one by Ron Jaworski) are the standard in today’s NFL then Geno Smith will soon rank right up there perhaps just behind the best. Smith can get the ball down the field to the speediest of receivers and has lots of zip on his passes as well as a phenomenal touch. His deep ball reminds me of Matthew Stafford’s.

Football IQ
No one is like Peyton Manning. Or Tom Brady. They hold their own Mensa meetings for QBs every Sunday but, Geno Smith is intuitive, reads defenses very well and makes good decisions in and out of the pocket. He reminds me of RGIII in college and makes decisions quickly like Griffin as well.

Accuracy
Although accuracy is not rated as the most important category in this system, it is to me and Geno Smith is very accurate. He even has excellent touch on his long balls and Jon Baldwin should be salivating like a salamander to work with him. That’s because Smith will likely make Baldwin’s career. If Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are 10 out of 10 then Smith should come in at least with a solid 8. I’ve seen him hit his receivers right in stride so many times, I found myself wishing the Chiefs QBs could learn that from him: no more “Death-to-Dexter” passes. All  the Chiefs inside receivers should flourish with Gsmith’s throwing to them. His deep ball accuracy is worth mentioning… again.

Mobility
I saw Smith fall down in the end zone on a play in the Pinstripe Bowl and I thought he looked like a completely different QB than earlier in the season. Although he’s not the athlete and runner that RGIII is, he’ll be one of the more mobile QB’s in the league. If RGIII is a 10 then Geno gets a 7.5. Side Note: I don’t believe it’s that good an idea to be rated a “10” in this category anymore. QBs like Vick and RGIII find themselves hurt and on the sidelines too too much because they “think” they can do it all with their legs if they want too. Aaron Rodgers is an 8 in this category and that is probably the perfect score to have. To be escapable without being egotistical.

Leadership
Matt Cassel may show up for summer workouts and gets everyone else to show up too, but, he obviously couldn’t perform otherwise. Geno Smith can be fiery on the sidelines. I saw that fire during his Pinstripe Bowl loss. Some have criticized his outburst but, it seemed totally appropriate to me. I have also seen him interviewed and his personality and approach to communicating is infectious and he’s a personable guy, smart and creative, who will be great to work with. The penultimate leader in today’s NFL is Tom Brady. If Tom Brady is a “10” then Smith comes in at an “8”… with upside. Of course, nothing makes a player look more like a leader than winning.

Toughness
Ben Roethlisberger is one of the toughest rascals around today. It’s also part of the Steeler persona. At 6-3 and 220 Geno Smith is not a fragile toothpick. While I don’t think anyone takes a licking and keeps on ticking like Big Ben, his challenge is a bit like QBs who are mobile: they think they can take on all comers and try to do that too much… then they end up hurt and warming the bench. Geno Smith is big and durable and has some ability to move in the pocket so if Ben is a 10 then Geno is a 7.5 with upside.

Resume
There are actually not many QBs in the league who came out of college with the pedigree and experience that Geno Smith has had.
Player’s name / Cmp / Att / Cmp% / Yrds / TDs / INTs / Rating
Geno  SMITH / 985 / 1,461 / 67.4% / 11,658 / 98 / 21 / 153.7.

Maturity
Geno Smith is no John Kennedy but then again, who is?  Smith’s mother said Geno was in a gifted and talented program in school growing up. He’s always been older than his years. Here’s a video of Smith talking about learning and focus.

Pedigree
Good family. Good school. Good conference. Solid-solid-solid, but nobody’s perfect.

Hand Size
Smith holds the ball just fine. Drew Brees is said to have a small hand size but, he does fine holding onto the ball to. Smith had no fumbles until the Pinstripe Bowl.

To see 8 good video-shorts of his play making ability try “The Case For Geno Smith.” If you haven’t had time to watch Smith play at all this season, this article provide a wonderful series of 5 second mini-flicks highlighting Smith’s finer skills. So, this might be a good place to start.

Is there any one specific statistic that would be the “best” determiner of whether or not a QB is a beast? Passer rating? TDs to Ints? “Wins” belong to the team and coaches, the whole organization. It’s not just championships because Dan Marino was a beast even though he never won the big one. Passing percentage stands out to me. Call it the QBeast Quotient.

Look at it from the opposite point of view. If a QB has a low passing percentage rate, isn’t that the death knell for a QB? Isn’t that what we really pay our QB to do? Of course we also hope some of those end up in the end zone. Of course.

Coaches can often be heard comparing prospects to players who already have a history in the NFL, or other prospects. Alex Brown of OptimumScouting.com wrote a piece called, “Comparing Geno Smith and Robert Griffin III” and says,

In differentiating these two prospects, it’s clear that Geno Smith is following Robert Griffin III’s footsteps in becoming the next hot prospect and potential top 5 overall draft choice. Their production, physical build, arm talent, accuracy, and explosive supporting casts are remarkably similar, but the intriguing aspect of this comparison, is how much further developed Geno Smith appears to be.
With Baylor’s offense, the inverted-veer and zone read game set up a much more potent deep passing game, as they averaged 241 yards rushing through the first 3 games of the 2011 season –that stands in direct contrast to West Virginia’s inconsistent rushing attack that produced 331 yards in week 1 versus Marshall and a meager 25 yards in week 3 versus Maryland.

So why do I throw those numbers at you? Well, to tell the true story behind Robert Griffin III’s 12-yards per pass attempt average and Geno Smith’s 9 yards per pass attempt average. While West Virginia has an explosive offense, it must be noted how special Baylor’s offense was in 2011. In terms of production through the first 3 games of the year, Robert Griffin III wins with his extraordinarily efficient and explosive early season performance. In sum, Smith is deadly in the short-to-intermediate passing game, while Robert Griffin III torched secondaries in 2011 with deep, down the field throws.”

Arrowhead Addict follower Scott Cochran posted the following comparisons after my blog “Clark Hunt Firing On All Cylinders” and wrote:

Geno Smith vs peers, last year’s rookies and HOF college QB career stats that matter

Player’s name / Cmp / Att / Cmp% / Yrds / TDs / INTs / Rating
Geno  SMITH – 985 / 1461 / 67.4% / 11,658 / 98 / 21 / 153.7.
Mi GLENNON – 611 / 1016 / 60.1% / 7,028 / 62 / 28 / 132.9.
Ma BARKLEY – 1001 / 1562 / 64.1% / 12,327 /116 / 48 / 148.7.
Ro GRIFFIN III – 800 / 1192 / 67.1% / 10,366 / 78 / 17 / 158.9.
Andrew LUCK – 713 / 1064 / 67.0% / 9,430 / 82 / 22 / 162.8.
Rus. WILSON – 907 / 1489 / 60.9% / 11,720 /109 / 30 / 147.2.
Tyler WILSON – 593 / 948 / 62.6 % / 7,765 / 52 / 26 / 144.0.

Some HOF QBs and some headed to the HOF
Player’s name / Cmp / Att / Cmp% / Yrds / TDs / INTs / Rating
Pe MANNING – 863 / 1381 / 62.5% / 11,201 / 89 / 33 / 147.1.
TOM BRADY – 443 / 711 / 62.3% / 5,351 / 35 / 19 / 136.4.
Aa RODGER – 424 / 665 / 63.8% / 5,469 / 43 / 13 / 150.3.
Steve YOUNG – 592 / 908 / 65.2% / 7,633 / 56 / 33 / 148.9.
John / ELWAY – 774 / 1246 / 62.1% / 9,344 / 77 / 39 / 139.3.
Philip RIVERS- 1087 /1711 / 63.5% / 13,484 / 95 / 34 / 144.1.

Cochran goes on to say that many are blind to the fact that Geno Smith’s completion percentage is higher than anyone’s on either list. The top three are highlighted.

A more important comparison, which Chiefs fans should be interested in, is the one between Donovan McNabb and Geno Smith. It’s hard to imagine Andy Reid not seeing some Donovan McNabb in Geno Smith. Two mobile QBs with strong, accurate arms.

Player’s name / Cmp / Att / Cmp% / Yrds / TDs / INTs / Rating
Geno  SMITH – 985 / 1,461 / 67.4% / 11,658 / 98 / 21 / 153.7.
Dono McNabb – 562 // 968 // 58.1 // 8,581 // 78 // 27 // 153.

If Andy Reid would draft Donovan McNabb second overall, I see no reason why he wouldn’t draft Geno Smith first. I remember the day Donovan McNabb was drafted and a group of Philly fans booed the choice. However, things worked out alright for McNabb and the Eagles for the next ten years. When this April 25th rolls around, if Geno Smith is the pick, I think most Chiefs fans will be cheering loudly, and I’ll be among them.

After taking a longer look, a comparative look, at Geno Smith, I believe he is a QBeast and just as good a QB prospect as any who have come out in the past few years. And… he’s also the best player available.

So, what say you? Is Geno Smith a QBeast or not? I say he is.

By parting ways with Scott Pioli the Hunt family has effectively liberated the organization from the the most unpopular  general manager in Chiefs history. Pioli’s cloak-and-dagger know-it-all approach to public relations helped to alienate a fan based that saw the irony of such an approach: he didn’t know it all and was an unavailable failure.

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Yesterday, Arrowhead Addict’s own Patrick Allen confirmed that Philadelphia Eagles ex-head coach Andy Reid will most likely be headed to Arizona. Allen goes on to say that Reid is one on a short list of “big fish” coaches available on the market right now.

We’ve seen this pattern before. The most famous snub of all came last spring from Peyton Every-Ball-He-Touches-Turns-To-Gold Manning.

Now that Romeo Crennel is moving out of town and out of the head coaches office, I’m already anticipating the Chiefs missing out on one high profile coach after another.

So, when did this all begin? Is there really a global perception that KC is no-wheres-ville? Or is it just that size (of the city) does matter after all? Since when does a city have to be big, to be sexy?

Yesterday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com rated the Chiefs last out of all current possible locations for coaches to land. Rapoport ranked Chicago, San Diego, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Cleveland — all better locations for coaches to take over.

“(Lovie) Smith was on the unemployment line Monday, along with six other NFL coaches. A respected leader, Smith was let go with one year on his contract, leaving players crushed by his departure. Smith also left the best roster for anyone to inherit, as well as a spot with one of the NFL’s power franchises in a major city with strong ownership. Oh, and he left a quarterback for the new coach to utilize.”

Major city? Un-check.

Strong ownership? Un-check.

Quarterback? Un-check.

You know… I can agreed with him about the quarterback… and I understand the weak ownership suggestion even though he likely doesn’t understand the way the Hunt family deals with organizational issues (and I probably don’t really understand that myself)… but, when he starts downgrading the city of Kansas City — our home town– that irks me to say the least.

On the other hand, most of us are aware of multiple times in the past ten years that major free agents have passed the Chiefs by, without even a courtesy visit. Which, raises the question… is Kansas City one of the NFL’s ugly stepchildren? Is this an unwanted location to play, coach or serve as GM?

Arrowhead has traditionally been viewed as one of the most difficult places for opposing players to visit and the only other location that comes to mind, that is as loud, is in Seattle. So, you’d think players would want to play here.

Which raises more questions because the Seahawks have done fairly well at drawing free agents to their, rather remote, locale. However, success is a magnet and the Chiefs haven’t had much of that in recent years. So, is this “ugly stepchild” perception solely related to the lack of winning?

That’s a bit of a catch-22 isn’t it: you can’t start drawing notable free agents until you are winning and you can start winning until you draw some notable free agents. Anyway, that’ the general idea.

Earlier this year when Peyton Manning sidestepped, even a visit, to KC, the Chiefs had supposedly put together one of the best rosters in the NFL. However, in Peyton’s case this may not have ever been a possibility because of the Scott Pioli-Tom Brady connection and Manning may have thought he was consorting with the enemy by coming here.

So, what do you think Addicts? Does Kansas City have a perception problem for coaches, free agents or GMs? Or, are we about to witness a deluge of coaches attempting to knock Clark Hunt’s door down?

Then Hunt states, “No final determination has been made on the future of General Manager Scott Pioli.”

Huh?

While I’m miffed about that development I’m all the more puzzled about why Scott Pioli still has his job and wondering: what’s a guy gotta do to get fired around here?

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Like any other fan on the Addict, I dream dreams for the Chiefs of pick-sixes, Hail Marys that have a chance and better  than eight-win seasons (I’m being more realistic now instead of mentioning, you know, the Super Bowl) … among other dreams that I don’t want to get into here.

Yes, I have spent a lot of time in the land of “what if?” Like, I used to think about… what if the Chiefs were respected around the league… and in their own home town.

Now, my what-iffing is all about the Chiefs’ future. So, let’s play…

Would You? Could You?

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The Kansas City Chiefs are a HORRIBLE football team. They have some true talent on their roster, their defense is pretty good, but as a team they are far and away the worst group I have ever watched. They say that good teams find a way to win and bad teams find a way to lose. If that’s true then the 2012 Kansas City Chiefs are the badest of the bad, because they manage to find new ways to lose each and every week. Just when we think we’ve seen every possible way for them to embarrass themselves they go out and waste a solid defensive performance and an amazing 352 yard rushing performance led by Jamaal Charles who rushed for 226 yards. Brady Quinn was horrific and the coaching staff was a complete embarrassment.

That is why this loss will be a long term win. With New England just barely hanging on to beat Jacksonville, the Chiefs needed to lose in order to keep the number one overall draft pick. They did, and now the only way for KC to lose it would be to upset the 12-3 Denver Broncos, on the road, when they are playing for home field advantage in the playoffs. In other words, the Chiefs are almost a lock for the number overall pick and with it the franchise quarterback that they so desperately need. The pathetic performance by the coaching staff (a Peyton Hillis draw on 3rd and 8 inside your own 20, down a TD, late in the game, really?) further solidifies the eminent firing of head coach Romeo Crennel and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and hopefully the start of a whole new regime in KC.

Performances like the one against the Colts give this KC fan hope that a new GM that can find the right QB and right coach could get KC back in the playoff hunt sooner rather then later. With a solid rushing attack and overall defense the Chiefs simply need to get a passing game and a coaching staff to put the pieces all together.

Now finding a great coach and QB isn’t easy. There’s a reason that every team doesn’t have them. That is why getting the first overall pick is so crucial. The Chiefs MUST get the best QB available in the NFL draft. I don’t care where Mel Kiper or Todd McShay think that QB is “valued” the Chiefs MUST make sure the best QB in this draft is wearing a Chiefs uniform next season. I personally think that Geno Smith is the man for the job, but a lot can change during the lead up to the draft.

I’ve watched a lot of Geno Smith footage lately. The thing that was striking to me as I watched the KC game today was the difference in ball placement. Watching Geno he almost never makes throws like Quinn did on all three of his interceptions (yes, I know he officially only had two, but he should have had three, that PI call was bogus). When Smith misses, he misses in the right places, if that makes sense. Also, while Quinn can physically throw a ball deep, it’s just a heave in a general direction. There is no accuracy, touch, or timing. Smith has fantastic touch on his deep ball and it would add a whole new dimension to the KC offense. If you aren’t personally 100% sold on Smith yet, read this piece on why KC should take Smith, the author illustrates some great points and further sold me on Geno in KC.

I believe that with a good offensive coaching staff and some upgrades to the WR corps that Geno Smith could be a big success in KC. While on the topic of WRs, I liked what I saw from Devon Wylie at WR today. The first catch he made early in the game he made a great crisp cut and created separation from his DB. It’s something that we see done against KC every week, but rarely see our own WRs do. He also made a nice jumping catch later in the game. My dream scenario would be Dexter McCluster and Wylie lining up as the 3rd and 4th WRs in a Chip Kelly offense with Geno Smith as the QB and a re-signed D-Bowe and the Chiefs 2nd round draft pick (DeAndre Hopkins of Clemson?) at the starting spots. I’ve already done a piece on my Pro-Geno/Chip beliefs, that you can read HERE.

Last week I stated that the time for change in KC was running out. The idea being that if Clark Hunt is going to fire AND hire a new GM before we move on our coaching staff we had better get moving or all the top coaching candidates will be gone before our new GM even takes office. I still believe that 100% and would be thrilled if Pioli’s firing was announced today.

Former KC radio host Nick Wright tweeted last week that both Pioli and Crennel have already been told that they will not be coming back. Many national NFL reporters refuted this claim. However, despite Wright’s over the top personality he did prove to have some solid sources in the Chiefs organization. It wouldn’t surprise me if this was true and the Chiefs are of course denying it. I hope Wright is correct and that the decision has already been made and Clark Hunt is already lining up Pioli’s replacement as we speak. The rumor mill has Bill Polian as the leader in the clubhouse to land the GM spot. I personally have some real hesitations about that move, but it would still be a clear upgrade over Pioli.

Regardless, the Chiefs MUST find the right coaching staff to support their new franchise QB. Let’s hope that a week from today when the Chiefs season is officially over that these changes start happening right away. Hopefully a week from today the Chiefs will officially have the number one draft pick and Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel will be on their way out the door. Then today’s loss really will be a long term win for the Kansas City Chiefs.

As usual, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After all, there was a ringer on the locked front door at Sandy Hook and each daytime guest was buzzed into the building following a video inspection. 20 year old Adam Lanza just shot his way through the doors.

Now the cries go out from all over the country and world. Parents hug their kids tighter than ever and wonder what if.

I sent a text on Friday to my own grown daughter who has young children of her own, “I Love you so very much and always will.” She responded, “I never imagined I would think how lucky my parents are that I have made it through my childhood.”

One friend suggested that this is the end of the world. It certainly is the end of the world as we have known it to be.

So, what does that even mean?

I grew up 30 miles outside of Los Angeles. My parents used to leave the windows of our car rolled down and the doors unlocked at night with the car parked out on the street right in front of our house. There were times when we’d wake up in the morning and our own front door was left wide open by the last person who went to bed. No big deal.

Then, at some point something changed. This change took place over time of course but for sure, life changed.

It was 1961 and I was maybe 8 years old when we returned from a vacation to find our house had been robbed. The memory I had of that event for years was that my parents just kept saying the “vandals” had been there. The “vandals” had been there. Well, as it so happens we had visited people my parents knew, earlier in life, the previous summer, who I remember their last name as being the “Vandals.” So, I assumed they were saying this family had stopped by to see us but, I always wondered how they knew the Vandals had been there — did they leave a note or something.

A couple of years later when the robbery came up in conversation my parents spelled it out a little more clearly but, even then I didn’t think much of it. I mean, I never once thought any of us were in any kind of danger whatsoever.

Now 60 and being a novice singer-songwriter over the years I’ve made the comment to friends regularly that I thought we’d grown up in the best era for music — the folk-rock era. Now, it’s clear to me that it was also an innocent era. However, as Don Henley suggested in his 1980s song, this is the “End of the Innocence.”

In 1978, Harold Kushner wrote a book called “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” I read this book in the early 80s in response to a divorce I’d gone through. Personally, the book was meaningful, because it helped me direct my energies toward matters that were helpful, instead of creating more hurt, where there already was a plethora. Today I count my ex-wife as a close friend.

Kushner, a rabbi who had suffered through the nonsensical death of a his own son by progeria (premature aging) and his resulting state of mind — endlessly asking why, why, why. Kushner points out through his experience that asking “why” in the long term produced certain unsavory answers. He also points out that his book was not named, “WHY Bad Things Happen to Good People”, but instead, “WHEN Bad Things Happen to Good People” directing those who are suffering to examine and focus upon how they will respond to the situation. Kushner suggests that HOW we respond produced favorable results, more than asking WHY.

WHY can leave us trapped in an endless black hole while looking at HOW we respond can ultimately point us in positive directions.

In the case of Jovan Belcher I’ve learned that we will never understand “why” this had to happen. James Brown, host for the FOX NFL Sunday pointed out that sometimes men are raised with certain attitudes toward women and until they grow up and get into a relationship their deep seated feelings about how they think a woman “must” act, don’t surface.

While I find Brown’s suggestion an over simplification there will never be a way to climb inside of Belcher’s mind on that fateful Saturday morning.

The following weekend in Dallas, the Cowboys NT Josh Brent got behind the wheel of a car with his blood alcohol level twice the legal limit and his ensuing accident resulted in the senseless death of Cowboys teammate Jerry Brown Jr.. After decades of public campaigning by organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) you’d think adults and drinking and driving would have ceased by now. Also, just when I didn’t think my opinion of Jerry Jones could sink any lower he allowed Josh Brent, currently out of jail on bond, from alleged manslaughter charges, to roam the Cowboys sideline during the game. What were you thinking Jerry?

Like Kushner has suggested, all this questioning leads down the same path called “why?” While it can be productive at times to do that, the bottom line is now — what are we each going to do next?

While I have come to accept that the innocent age I grew up in has gone by the way of the Dodo bird, I hold every hope that we can preserve an innocence for our youth and especially our very young children.

Loss is difficult and the pain from the kind of loss in Newtown, Connecticut is devastating and can be followed by years of depression. Depression is essentially, “a loss of sense of self” according to Dr. John Bradshaw. When a parent loses a child it changes everything about family, identity and personal destiny.  For me, an outsider looking in, after 35 years of teaching and spending my life as a child advocate, it is this loss of innocence, for children everywhere, that hurts as much as anything else.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

During my teaching career I’ve witnessed, first hand, the gradual and even methodical shrinking of the age of innocence for our youth.

I remember my parents not allowing my sister to wear jeans to school, only dresses. I’m not suggesting we go back to rules so out dated but, with our young children we should provide a period of time when they can maintain a sense of wonder and amazement, feeling safe and secure and consequently vulnerable, not having to feel self conscious instead of ego driven like older teens can get.

It is senseless for us to let go of such ideals for our children.

No. One senseless act does not deserve another.

Let’s not become jaded by the horrific acts of a few, even though those acts have affected us all.

Am I wanting us all to live in a Disneyland state of mind. Not really but, a little more innocence wouldn’t hurt a lot of us.

So, when we say innocence, what are we really talking about. Innocence is a down home recipe of sincerity, virtue, harmlessness, integrity, simple goodwill towards our fellow humans and the desire to protect. Even most all species in the animal kingdom will protect their young.

Protecting our “innocence” has become a difficult task in this day and age of:

• “I’m Bad” and I’m glorified for it,
• I can act out my violent fantasies through games like “Call of Duty: Black Ops” or thug it up in “Grand Theft Auto,”
• I could get all the attention in the world if I’m willing to act like a complete fool and sign my life away to a reality show like “Jersey Shore” or how about a show called “Buckwild” based in Virginia which is being protested by Virginia Senator Joe Manchin who is requesting that MTV reconsider airing the production because it is actually encouraging antisocial and illegal behavior. I guess many people these days would do anything for money.

Of course, that’s not something I would do. However, it’s not so much about what a person “would” do… as it is what they “should” do.

I recall an essential educational text for my graduate degree in reading instruction was presented as a long list of… a “teachers should” this or that… and every chapter was research based on “shoulds.”

Our civilized society hangs together on an agreeable set of shoulds. Without these shoulds it all falls apart.

Is that what’s going on now? Is it all falling apart? I don’t believe so but, there are influences now that have changed the game of believing in and perceiving life as goodness and innocence.

Here’s Morgan Freeman’s take about why the event at Sandy Hook took place:

“You want to know why? This may sound cynical, but here’s why.

 It’s because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he’ll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN’s article says that if the body count “holds up”, this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer’s face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer’s identity? None that I’ve seen yet. Because they don’t sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you’ve just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man’s name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news.”

I share in most of Mr. Freeman’s admittedly cynical message. However, the school I instruct at has been participating in a program called Rachel’s Challenge which encourages and challenges kids to be kind to each other and was named for Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine shootings.  If not for that program, I believe Freeman would be right about me as well.*

*Editors Note: The above text was not written by Morgan Freeman. Since the writing of this article, Mr. Freeman’s representatives have released a statement that Mr. Freeman had nothing to do with the above text. The text went viral and Mr. Freeman’s representatives are trying to figure out where it came from. We’ve left the text in this article because the words were important to the author, regardless of who write them.

He certainly is right about the way we digest our news.

So, what should we do about dealing with each senseless incident like this? Like Harold Kushner, we should look at what we do to positively respond to situations like that.

• A group of children in Pakistan lit candles and prayed for the Americans lost.
• Students in Frisco Texas spontaneously gathered on Friday evening to sing and pray.
• The president responded with tears and pledges.
• Thousands gathered at churches in California to pray for the survivors and Newton community.
• Newton neighbors made wooden Angels for each lost child and teacher, others donated Christmas trees that lined the road to the school, and yet others began baking and cooking for grieving families while other gave white teddy bears to the surviving children.
• NFL teams everywhere stopped for  moment of silence and the Patriots wore a black ribbon symbol on their helmets to honor the lost.

The list goes on and on. If this is what Kushner meant by choosing to respond instead of merely asking why — then so much more good is surfacing than the negative. What else can we do?

We can also choose to remember the heroes. Heroes like Victoria Soto (in the center of the picture above).

Media-ite.com reports,

“Victoria Soto, a 27-year-old teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School, has emerged as hero in the wake of the tragedy that took place Friday morning.

According to reports, Soto told her first-grade students to hide in closets and cabinets (7 were able to hide and 6 were not) as soon as she heard the gunfire. When the shooter approached her classroom, she told him her class had gone to the gym.”

Having killed Soto and the six visible children, the gunman moved on.

So, I don’t know the answer to this next question but, I will pose it anyway: what would Victoria want us to do now? Give up on innocence? No, because there’s too, too much good going on in our everyday lives to think the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

And… we’ve so much to be thankful for.

Try this experiment: during the day today, look for ten things you are personally thankful for and when you get home tonight, sometime before you go to bed, write them down. Now, I know this sounds strange but, as you’re writing about these things you are truly thankful for, just try and feel depressed at the same time. You can’t, can you? That’s because — and you will find — it’s not possible. Thankfulness is one of the powerful forces and resources in our lives and we can tap it — if we so choose.

One of the great games in my life that I’m thankful for is football. Grown men playing a game on a big grassy field every Sunday afternoon is an ideal I’ve been chasing my whole life. Is there any innocence involved there? You bet, and it’s an innocence I adore.

The world does not belong to those who hurt, abuse and mame. Ours is the brightest future of all futures of any society and country that has ever inhabited this planet. Embrace it. We are it.

I don’t want to turn this piece into a referendum on gun control. That being said, I did hear someone say, “I can’t think of one good reason why anyone needs  to own assault weapons.”

No matter what happens in that regard, what I’m more concerned about is our power to choose how we respond. Just as Victor Frankl who outlined in his famous book, “Man’s Search for Meaning” following his release from four different WWII death camps, including Auschwitz, that although humans are destined to suffer, they are at liberty to determine how they deal with it, make meaning of it and then move forward with a renewed sense of purpose.

There was once an old lady planting flowers in her garden by the front sidewalk. As she kneeled and dug the earth for another bulb, she was confronted by some boys with guns who said to her, “Go in the house and get all your money and we won’t kill you.” The old lady kept whistling and planting bulbs. This infuriated the boys and so they yelled at her a second time then a third, “Go in the house and get all your money and we won’t kill you.” Finally, the old lady stopped, lifted her head and said to the boys, “I love flowers… and planting them, so if you’re going to shoot me you go right ahead and do that because I’m busy!” The boys ran away.

We each need the gumption and resolve of this old lady. Remember who you are. Remember what you love. Don’t let anyone move you from your place of happiness.

That old lady didn’t step aside and neither did Victoria Soto.

The sacrificial love of a young teacher like Victoria Soto gives me hope, makes my heart swell and in the face of pain and loss can restore the human psyche to wellness and even provide a bit of solitude.

And, born of this solitude is the belief in innocence, like the innocent individuals that Victoria Soto stood to protect and gave her life for.

Senselessness will come and go.

We should resolve to preserve childhood innocence — as well as our own innocence — if for no other reason than to honor one as courageous as Victoria Soto. But, especially to renew our date with the American dream… the continued pursuit of life, love and happiness.

The more we bantered about the issue of who to take at #1 next year, the more I realized the framework and context for my position has not been entirely unearthed.

One unregurgitatable axiom of the past four years is the all too chummy chant: the Patriot Way… the Patriot Way… the Patriot Way.

However, I came to the realization a long time ago, and have written several pieces on the topic (The Patriot Waste, The Patriot Waste II, The Chiefs Arrested Development) that New England is not who the Chiefs should be attempting to emulate.

That would be the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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I’ve seen Te’o play and he really is amazing but, the championship game should help make him a household name right before he goes on the market. So, if you’re wondering what kind of bust I was referring to in the title, that would be a hall of fame bust and I’m picking him to win the Heisman so a bust — or statue — may be coming sooner than you think.

I know it won’t be popular with many fans but, if the Chiefs are drafting somewhere between 1 and 8, which it still looks like they will be, then I’d prefer they moved up or down and all around if necessary to make sure they get perhaps the best defensive prospect to come out since… Todd Blackledge… see what I did there?

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The truth of the matter is, a good many Chiefs fans could actually do a better job than Scott Pioli has for the past four years. It’s easy to say that when the team is 1-10 with too many other statistical maladies to calculate for fear of catching the sickness that keeps one from going to Chiefs games (are you listening Clark?).

Perhaps you’ve begun to put the team together in your own head already anyway.

I was watching a bit of the Green Bay-NYG game the other night and when the announcers began to talk up Randall Cobb of the Packers I said to myself, “I recall wanting the Chiefs to draft Cobb when he came out in 2011.”

We do this all the time mentally: we say, “I would have taken _________ (so-and-so) instead of _________ (the player the Chiefs did take).”

Now, that’s completely different than saying, “The Chiefs could have gotten _________ (so-and-so) instead of  _________ (the player the Chiefs did take).”

The first is actually admitting prior thought, that you once wanted the Chiefs to take a particular player and the second is just Monday morning quarterbacking (second guessing at it’s worst).

So, here’s how you play “If I Was The Chiefs GM.”

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The Kansas City Chiefs are so bad that… I can only laugh at them. So, unless you’re ready to grin or groan, you may want to pass on this post.

The Kansas City Chiefs are so bad that… Walter Football predicted the Chiefs would pound the Falcons in week one: 27-13.

The Kansas City Chiefs are so bad that… the number one excuse of fans who didn’t go to the game on Sunday was — jury duty.

The Kansas City Chiefs are so bad that… coach Crennel now believes that “the answer” is to replace the “Play Good Football” sign in the locker room with, “Play Gooder Football.”

The Kansas City Chiefs are so bad that… they are first in the league at picking up candy wrappers in the club house. So, there!

The Kansas City Chiefs are so bad that… not even Chuck Norris can help them fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

The Kansas City Chiefs are so bad that… Clark Hunt is considering the creation of a game area for kids, a flyover by the air force, some sexy cheerleaders, a Sports lab for family fun and even giving some tours of Arrowhead — all to give fans a reason to want to come to the stadium.

Oh, those things are already in place? Never mind.

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Black it out and blow it up! That’s what I say.

Now, please don’t send the CIA to check up on whether or not I’m a threat to the country because when I say “blow it up” I’m talking about the Kansas City Chiefs front office, staff and a good deal of the roster.

By saying black it out, I am coming out in support of the “Paint It Black” movement afoot which is asking Chiefs fans to wear only black clothing this coming Sunday at Arrowhead to send a clear and present message to owner Clark Hunt.

And what is that message? If a black Sabbath doesn’t make that clear, then the group Black Sabbath does: “Day of judgement. God is calling.”

Time to stand before your maker: The Chiefs fans of Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

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Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

This coming football weekend the Chiefs will face the Steelers on Monday Night Football, and given the shape the Chiefs have been in, I expect it to be brutal. That being said, I don’t particularly care for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But I do live in Pennsylvania and they are the “home” team, so I have to put up with their fans quite a bit. One of those (unfortunate) fans happens to be my wife. Not only is she a diehard Steelers fans, but every single one of my in-laws are: whoopee!!!

Normally when Kansas City goes head-to-head with Pittsburgh, my wife and I are glued to the TV, volleying taunts and insults back and forth, while I do the same with my brother-in-law through texts.

I am so gonna get slammed this year.

So much so that if the Chiefs are only able to win one more game for the rest of the season, I hope and pray that it’s this one. Of course, the Chiefs organization isn’t making an upset outcome look any likelier. It would’ve been nice to see Gibbs promoted earlier in the season. Would’ve been nicer, still, to see them keep their second-best CB on the team at least long enough to help hamper the pass-heavy Steelers offense.

History is a little bit on my side though. Since meeting my wife, the Chiefs and Steelers have only played twice before. One was last year where, though the Chiefs defense kept the score low enough, Palko* was just incompetent enough to allow the Steelers to win. This, obviously, isn’t in my favor. However, in 2009, a season in which the Chiefs wound up going 4-12, a season much the same as this one, one of the Chiefs’ four wins came against the Steelers in an OT victory so sweet that I can still taste it. As Succop lined up for the game-winning field goal, my wife attempted to flee the room. I say “attempted” because I was quick to bearhug her from behind and force her to watch her beloved (wretched) Steelers lose to a craptastic Kansas City team that was only 2-7 going into that game. It was, in a word, glorious.

*Or as my brother-in-law and I henceforth referred to him as: Brucie.

Palko knew he shouldn’t've eaten that popcorn

That was November 22^nd. We’re a little bit earlier this year. At this time in 2009 the Chiefs were 1-7 (sound familiar?). Hopefully the football gods will smile upon our Chiefs this coming Monday and give us (and especially me*) something to be happy about.

*Yes, I am being that self-centered.

To make things more interesting, my wife and I have the running bet that whenever our teams play one another the victor gets the bed all to themselves for that night, and the loser is relegated to the couch. Quite a suiting bet considering that by the end of the game we’ve spat so much crap at one another, and the victor is so heavily gloating and boastful, that we don’t want to be in the same room with another, let alone the same bed. The next day when the sore wounds have healed some, we determine the game’s MVP, also known as “Reason for Divorce” (what? I said when the wounds heal some).

What do you think, Addicts? Will a bad Chiefs team be able to beat the Steelers just as they did in 2009? Will my back be killing me on Tuesday? Do you have an odd/unique running bet you’d like to share in the comments? I’m all ears.

Until next time: (For the love of all that is holy) Go Chiefs!!!

While pondering these and other caveman conundrums, I’ve come to realize that it hasn’t been adequate to ask, how did the Chiefs get to where they’re at, without also asking how other teams have moved up the evolutionary ladder and passed them by.

At the end of 2011, the 7-9 Chiefs were better, at least as far as their record goes, than the Colts, Redskins, Vikings, Browns, Bucs, Rams, Jags, Dolphins, Panthers and Bills. Now, at the midway point of the 2012 season, and near the end of the Mayan calendar I might add, only the Jacksonville Jaguars remain. Actually, the Jags have won as many games as the Chiefs have (1) so, the real answer to that question is — no team is “worse” than the Chiefs in the NFL. Not as far as records go.

On Tuesday, ProFootballTalk (PFT) released their most recent NFL Power Rankings and the Chiefs finished dead (you know, dead, as in extinct) last. Both CBS Sports and ESPN concur, the Chiefs are the 32nd best team in the league and if somehow you didn’t know, it’s only a 32 team league.

Darwinism and “The Origin of the Species” has supplied us with terms that have become a part of our everyday lexicon… terms like evolution and adaptation.

The 2012 KC Chiefs have supplied us with the distinction.

Like every team, the Chiefs have evolved, but, in the Chiefs case, they’ve done it in a negative way. That’s referred to as devolution: to gradually roll downward.  

What is more appropriate to point to is that the Chiefs  have not adapted.

The question then, is not: why are the Chiefs a bad team? The question is why have the Chiefs been devolving instead of adapting.

Adaptation vs. Change.

When Clark Hunt decided to change general managers four years ago, was he really thinking about a change or adapting? Apparently he just believed it was time for a change. Change, in and of itself, is not always for the better. In the wild, animals adapt to survive. They don’t just change. You can understand, on some level, why Hunt would choose Scott Pioli. He offered to stabilize the organization based upon the Patriots structure of success.

So, is there really a problem with that? Absolutely yes.

What Scott Pioli was offering was the “same-ole-same-ole” of the New England “system.” What’s wrong with that you may ask?

There has never been anything in the New England way of doing things, from year to year, that has stayed the same (except Belichick and Brady).

Examine some given notions about the Patriots Way and how those notions have been “modified”:

A. A successful organization requires the Right-53 → Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco all remodeled that definition.
B. Experienced players on defense wins Championships → that used to be the case but, last year’s mutation of the Pats produced a defense that was 31st in the league in total defense but, nearly still won the Super Bowl.
C. If everybody does their job, we’ll be successful → this may be the biggest Patriots Way myth of all, because unless Tom Brady is there to do his job it appears that New England won’t even be in the running (see 2008, when Matt Cassel took over for the injured Brady).
D. There’s no “I” in “Team” → see A. above. The Pats have been perfectly willing to morph with “I” players. It doesn’t always work but, they do it anyway. In the case of Corey Dillon, it helped bring another ring to bean-town.

Last year, in an article by Andy Benoit for the New York Times, he cited that the Patriot Way comes down to “out-scheming and out-executing the enemy” on the football field.

Benoit goes on to spell out how this is possible for New England,

“Because (Tom) Brady is Mensa quality when it comes to dissecting a defense at the line of scrimmage, and because he has arguably the best pocket mechanics in  football, the Patriots are able to first create a system and then find the players to run it… Most offenses build their passing attack on timing and stretching the field. The Patriots – especially in this post-Randy Moss era – are the opposite. The patterns their receivers run are often determined by what the defense shows. It’s up to the receiver to correctly assess the coverage – often on the fly – and execute accordingly. Because of this, the Patriots don’t look for size and speed at wide receiver; they look for intelligence and precise route running.”

It’s incongruous for Scott Pioli, or even his most ardent of fans, to believe that bringing Matt Cassel with him from New England could even come close to approximating the same outcomes on the field of play, much less achieve anything close to their record, as the B&B led Patriots. The Chiefs record of 22-34, covering the past three and a half years, would support that.

Scott Pioli tried to steal the blueprint, when it’s clear that blueprint couldn’t replicated.

It’s like taking a novice cook and asking them to duplicate Emeril Lagasse’s Red Wine and Port Braised Short Ribs. However, Brady and Belichick like to alter their recipes on an ongoing basis so there’s actually no such thing as copying them.

It takes a certain, je ne sais quoi… or you could say, pan ache! I would never in a million years use these words to describe Scott Pioli. If anything, he’s more like a Bill Parcels wannabe or closer yet, automaton… or more like a fry cook at Winstead’s (honest, the last thing I want to do is to give Winstead’s a bad name).

If you’re thinking that the Chiefs could use a little “Stepford Wives” colony of the Patriots success just remember, there is no cloning Belichick or Brady. That would be like trying to make an identical clone of a wave in the ocean.

What Scott Pioli lacks — are his own original ideas.

Thomas Edison once said, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” That’s the frustrating thing about Pioli, he lacks the one-percent solution. Copying your classmate’s homework won’t land you on the dean’s list, no matter how much work you put into the copying process.

Scott Pioli simply doesn’t have “it” in him.

So, what is “it?”

Answer: the ability to consistently adapt, innovate, diversify, restyle approaches, shift gears, fluctuate, transform or even incorporate novelty (Todd Haley liked to occasionally use the novel approach and it often inspired his troops). BTW… Todd Haley seems to be doing well these days.

Now, Scott Pioli is a great “organizer.” However, you may not want a celebrated “clutter consultant” running your multimillion dollar organization that bears the name of a major metropolitan area.

What has now become problematic for Pioli is that he’s chosen a head coach who brings an equal measure of the heart-numbing monotony to the table as Pioli himself.

While Head Coach Romeo Crennel has in the past been able to implement defensive schemes that bewitch and befuddle, either his methods have become over-exposed or his dual role as HC/DC hasn’t allowed him to be as effective at doing either one. Apologies to Gary Gibbs but, does anyone really believe that naming him DC in the middle of the season is going to change the Chiefs woeful defensive fortunes?

About his decision coach Crennel said he doesn’t want his players “perception” to be that he is a defensive coach only. However, why couldn’t he see that perceptive sooner?

The combination of Todd Haley and Scott Pioli, while quietly vitriolic, was productively dynamic and in a state of metamorphosis. The team was filled with players whose growth could be measured and termed: emergent, maturing, or revitalized.

The combination of Romeo Crennel and Mr. Pioli appears to have produced a log-jam of lethargy plus one rising star in Justin Houston but, little else. The Chiefs are not only losing but, losing big. No, make that losing gi-normously.

Chiefs opponents 231, the Chiefs 127.

You know what’s next, right?

Extinction.

You know what I’m talking about… when a species loses it’s ability to adapt and consequently, dies out.

One would hope that Clark Hunt will step in soon and really re-adapt, before Pioli and Crennel kill this thing. On Monday Romeo Crennel fired half of himself. Now, if we can get someone to finish the other half and add a pinch of Pioli… we’ll really be cooking.

Happy thoughts. Go Chiefs!

Every season has a life of its own. Last season was more like death than life, and what’s scarier is that this season is worse than that.

Let’s take another look at how this Chiefs season has turned into such a hollow weenie. Frankly speaking, where’s the beef frank? So, we pay homage (or vomit) to another Chiefs’ very spooky season.

The Nightmare Scenario
Nancy (Matt Cassel) is having frightening nightmares about a scary character (pick an opponent, any opponent) who wears a glove with sharp finger knives (no, not Edward Scissor-hands). She finds out that all of her friends (unfortunate teammates) are having similar dreams. Then, her friends begin to die (honestly, they don’t want to play with you any more) and Nancy realizes that she has to stay awake to survive (fans are still waiting for the “right-53″ to wake up). Finding out who the dream-time killer is (spoiler alert- it’s Scott Pioli) and his connection with the children of Elm Street (One Arrowhead Drive), the girl plots to draw him out into the light-of-day (however, the sly devil only appears once a year on groundhog day, which is the real nightmare lived over and over and over again).

The Horror Sequence
Matt Cassel, the head case… Matt Cassel, the head injury… Brady Quinn, the head case… Brady Quinn, the head injury… Matt Cassel…………..

(more…)

Hi, my name is Lyle Graversen. I am a Kansas City Chiefs fan.

Up until this season, I was a “homer.”

Not just a little homer, a great big ole homer.

When I first started writing blog posts about the Chiefs on another blog, I literally adopted the Kool-Aid Man as my avatar because people were constantly calling me a Kool-Aid Drinker because of how positive I was about the team. I have, on more than one occasion, publicly stated that I choose to focus on the positive because if I follow the Chiefs as a means of entertainment, it doesn’t make sense to me to focus on the negative and be upset all the time. Yes, all sports fans will have moments of disappointment, but overall following your favorite team should be fun. So in the words of Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t worry, be happy,” right?

Well KC fans, this admitted homer has found his breaking point. As I sat in section 316 of Arrowhead Stadium yesterday, watching a BAD football team dominate my favorite team, my fan status officially shifted from “homer” to “disgruntled.” The Kansas City Chiefs are a HORRIBLE football team and there is no positive spin that any rational human being can put on them.

The Oakland Raiders are NOT a good football team. The Raiders were 2-of-12 on third downs in that game and still dominated the Chiefs. We were so inept on offense that even though we were only down two scores at one point with a full quarter to go, people were leaving because they knew there was no way on God’s green earth that the Chiefs were going to get two touchdowns in one quarter. By the end of the game my beloved Arrowhead Stadium, once one of the most feared stadiums in all of sports, looked like this:

Chiefs fans are nowhere to be seen and the area once known as the “Sea of Red” turned into a Midwest version of the “Black Hole.” It’s gut-wrenching. The folks at saveourchiefs.com are planning a “blackout” for the Chiefs home game against the Bengals. We now have a pretty good idea of what that will look like. Let’s hope Clark Hunt is smart enough to know that the black shirts for that game are part of a protest and not just that the Raiders fans had so much fun at Arrowhead that they decided to come back!

What is clear to me now (and keep in mind, this is coming from a blogger that has written multiple posts on how I support Scott Pioli and Matt Cassel) is that the Chiefs are a total disaster.

They have the worst QB situation in the NFL. Matt Cassel or Brady Quinn? It doesn’t matter. They are both completely unable to manage even a moderately competent NFL offense. They both have shown an amazing ability to turn the ball over at a record-setting level.

The roster in general is not ANYWHERE NEAR as good as we thought it was before the season. Even with horrible QB play and horrible coaching (I’ll get to that in a moment), a talented NFL roster would at least compete. They would at least hold a lead for a few seconds of regulation through seven games. They would make a stand. They would show some heart and pride in their play. None of that is happening. This team is BAD from a talent standpoint.

This is the worst coached team in the NFL, and possibly in the history of the Chiefs franchise. I’ve only been following the Chiefs since the 80s, but I’ve seen some bad coaches in that time (Gunther Cunningham and Herm Edwards), but Romeo and his staff are making them look like Vince Lombardi. Let’s for a moment look past the fact that Romeo has, on multiple occasions, admitted to the press that he didn’t know why the team played bad. Let’s ignore the fact that when asked why the Chiefs’ best offensive player (Jamaal Charles) only carried the ball five times, he responded “Now that I’m not exactly sure either.” Let’s pretend that for some reason Romeo actually does know why, but has decided its a good idea to play dumb in the press (If so, he is doing a REALLY good job).

Even if that was true, the Chiefs are still the worst coached team in the NFL. You know why? Because after two weeks to prepare to play a bad football team at home they came out unmotivated and unprepared. The Raiders were the more aggressive and more physical team from the get go. The offense looked like they had no clue of what to do against the Raiders defense. Often times when teams come off the bye, their first offensive drive is a prearranged, scripted drive designed to attack the weaknesses that they’ve seen in the opponent’s defense. So KC came out for their first offensive drive, with energy high after an opening drive Carson Palmer interception for Oakland, and did what? Went three-and-out.

They had all that time to prepare and couldn’t design a play to even get a first down. Then they come out after halftime where one would think that the coaches would have them refocused and motivated to turn it around, and supposedly the coaches should have made adjustments to the game plan based on what had happened in the first half, and what do the Chiefs do? They fumble the snap on the first offensive play and turn the ball over.

This team is making a living off stupid, bone-headed, momentum-killing mistakes. Make a defensive stop before halftime? Oops, muffed a punt. Old Seabass actually misses a FG? Don’t worry, the Chiefs jumped offside so he can try again! Actually have a WR run a decent route AND the QB saw him downfield AND got the ball to him? OHHHHHHHH, bounces right off his hands.

Seriously, no well-coached team plays like that. Not for this long. The Chiefs have played 420 minutes of regulation football and have NEVER HAD A LEAD! Think about that.

I wish I could still be a homer.

I wish I could write something for you fellow Chiefs fans that could lift your spirits and give you some hope for the rest of the season.

I’ve got nothing.

The Kansas City Chiefs have stomped the homer right out of me.

I still love this team. I will still root for them to win every week.

I just see no hope until large scale changes are made. Scott Pioli must be fired. Romeo Crennel and his staff must be fired. The Chiefs must draft a REAL franchise QB.

Maybe I do have one positive thing to leave you with!

The Chiefs are on pace to draft any QB they want in this year’s draft. I guess there’s that.

As always, thanks for reading and (heavy sigh) GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That kind of algorithmic permutation in the midst of a season can cause an unforgiving rift in the space-time continuum — or at least a major shift in the stars — and suddenly throw Mercury into retrograde! Or, some crap like that. So, if you’re at all a numerology freak or just like to dabble with numbers, let’s take a moment for some light-headed jousting (the Chiefs’ cosmos has been way too heavy of late) on the relationship, or lack thereof, between 7 and 9.

There are perfect numbers in life. In football there’s 6, 1, 7, 3, and 2. For example, 6 for a TD and 1 for an extra point and viola, you’ve got a Matt Cassel. As the Chiefs cross over from one QB to another, numerically speaking, there’s good reason to be giddy. The number 9 is three fields goals (God help us if  that’s where we’re headed)’ 2 is the difference between 7 and 9 and there can only be 1 starting QB. Using all the perfect football number spices on this BQ QB rotisserie has to be a good sign, right?

Plus, I can’t tell you how happy I am that the Chiefs brass have come to the decision to not have a QB competition because of the resulting controversy that always follows such dalliances.

$5,250,000 – the 7 digit number the Chiefs will be continuing to pay Matt Cassel while he is burning a hole on the bench.

$900,000 – that 9, plus all those zeros is the number of dollars that Eric Winston will be making, for the team whose fans he called out, while #9 Brady Quinn, Matt Cassel’s replacement, steps in. Eric, please, tape the pie hole. The fans of Kansas City, and its citizens at large, deserve much better than your quipping and snippy over-typification. Yes, this is the “Show-Me State but, please wait at least a year before showing us yours.

7 is the total number of seasons that Matt Cassel has played in the league (prior to 2012). 7 is enough, not 8.

9 is the total number of games Brady Quinn has started since the beginning of 2009.

“Seven-year-itch” = the tendency to become unfaithful to your starting QB after his 7th year in the league. Still, I’d like to encourage fans to remember they are setting an example for our youth. It can be ugly, at times, to see what we have actually taught our kids. BTW, this really is a picture of a Chiefs fan doing what you really think he’s doing.

On July, 9th (7/9) of 1997 (look at all those sevens and nines, must be karma), Mike Tyson was banned for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear off. I know what you’re thinking, like, deja-vu. I hope that helps to bring this whole post into focus.

“Cloud-9,” if BQ wins this Sunday, there’ll be a boatload of fans in the heartland drinking his “Love Potion # 9.”

Is there one TV character who brings the Chiefs grand transition into a unified all encompassing graphic culmination? That would be “7 of 9” of “Star Trek: Voyager” fame. Boy, if this number transition, going from Cassel’s #7 to Brady’s #9, packs the “uniform” wallop that Jeri Ryan brought to the Trek uni… Chiefs Nation will learn to do some “schwing-dancing”… live long and prosper!

7 was the total number of interceptions Brady Quinn threw during the one season he was a starter in Cleveland (2009).

9.5 is the number of giveaways Matt Cassel has averaged each year of his career — which might not sound that bad but, since he only threw 22 passes during three years in N.E. before he took over for Tom Brady in 2008, not so good.

The Greek word for seven (eJptav hepta) is used a total of nine times in the Bible book of Matthew. Sure changes the meaning of going Greek. If going biblical doesn’t impress you perhaps learning, right here for the first time ever, that crop circles were actually made by 7 aliens who just so happened to prefer, circles!

In the numerology system the # 9 is supposed to represent — completion, compassion, romance, selflessness, wisdom, idealism, spiritual healing, and, blending. Of course the all-seeing Bob Dylan wrote of this decades ago when he sang, “You’ll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn.” Love That Bob! Still, decades later I’m wondering how you “not see nothing?”

7 is the number of years, in college and the pros, that Matt Cassel has not been a starter.

9 is the number of letters in the words, Notre Dame, the college that Brady Quinn attended.

A Tribute to the Number Seven, by Sesame Street. Somewhere in heaven, a committee meeting is convening to decide who will get to announce to Gov. Romney, when his big date at the pearly gates comes, that he’ll have to turn his Holy Underwear in for good. Personally, I hope Big Bird gets to notify him, now that he’s dead.

9 is the number of times, I’m pretty sure, that President Obama fell asleep during the first debate.

This commercial message was approved by those who don’t approve of either Mitt or Barack. Now back to Matt and Brady.

“Seven Pounds” the movie. Scenario: An aerospace engineer (Matt Cassel) with a fateful secret (but he can’t remember what it is right now) embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption (locating the truck that hit him, Haloti Ngata) by forever changing the lives of seven strangers (it’s his teammates, though he’s lost the ability to count, he’s pretty sure they are strangers because he never threw to them consistently enough to recall their names anyway).

7/9 is also mathematically expressed as .0777777777777. Enough of the 7s already. That’s what Crennel said in his presser, isn’t it? That’s also as good a reason we’re ever likely to hear for the change at QB at this particular time, which honestly, has been years in coming.

“9” the movie. Scenario: a rag doll (Brady Quinn) that awakens in a post-apocalyptic future (the 2012 season) holds the key to humanity’s salvation (the Chiefs season).

While 7 is considered by many to be a lucky number, 9 is the number of divinity (3 represents the godhead), times divinity (which is divinity times divinity or 3 for a field goal times 3 for each field goal).

On the divisional front, John Elway will likely hold down the title of the best #7 ever, but, Brady Quinn won’t have too very far to go to one day surpass the Raiders current #9 Carson Palmer.

The all-time best #9? I’d go with Drew Brees and Sonny Jurgensen filling in nicely in his absence. No matter how good the Chiefs’ current 7 or 9 ever become, the sum of their parts (7+9) will never surpass my personal all-time favorite #16, QB, Joe Montana. Joe was worth a million Quinns and Cassels.

In the end, it’s seems appropriate that the #9 ultimately takes over after the Week 7 bye.

I guess that makes this a  – #7 bye bye bye #7. Ah, full circle, completion and a palindrome to boot.

My parting shot, is a surefire meaningful misquote, of one of the all-time best number songs ever:

In the year 7979,

If Hunts are still alive,

If the KC Chiefs survive,

They may find…

A QB.

For now,

9 is fine.

I’d like to start this piece by making two statements. First, I believe Scott Pioli deserves to be fired. Second, I don’t believe Scott Pioli will be fired this season. Without going into a big debate about why I believe these two things, I’ll just say this: Pioli should be fired because the overall product he has put on the field four years into his tenure as GM of the Kansas City Chiefs is not good enough. However, I think because of his relationship with Clark Hunt and how much money he saved Clark over the past four years, he will be given a chance to finish out his contract and will go into the 2013 season as the Chiefs GM once again. I’m not happy about this, but if I had to guess, that’s my prediction. If I’m wrong, and Pioli is fired before the season is over, I will be a\one happy fan/blogger.

But that is not what I want to debate today.

IF I am correct that Pioli will be back for another season as the KC general manager, how worried should Chiefs fans be about Pioli calling the shots this offseason? The absolute #1 objective for this offseason is to find a franchise QB, so what should KC fans think about Pioli being the guy to make that decision?

Obviously, since 99 percent of us want the guy run out of town, the answer is probably that we want Pioli to have no part of that decision. I agree, I do. However, let’s set aside the Pioli torches and pitchforks and the “every decision that Pioli has ever made SUCKS!!” mentality and see if, when it comes to drafting QBs, Pioli has earned that reputation.

Now, again let me say that I’m not trying to be a Pioli apologist. The Chiefs QB situation is indefensible. I think it’s impossible to argue that Pioli has done enough at that position during his time in KC. Would it have helped if he had brought in some better QBs via free agency? Sure, but I don’t think that’s what most of us that want Pioli gone are really wanting. We don’t want another FA stop gap, we want the Chiefs to draft and develop their own franchise QB. So I’m not going to waste any time looking at what free agents Pioli could have brought in to challenge Matt Cassel. I will focus on the Draft.

During the four seasons that Pioli has been drafting for the Kansas City Chiefs, 14 current starting QBs have been selected in the Draft. That’s about 44 percent of teams in the NFL that have found a starting QB via the Draft since Pioli came to KC. When you hear that number by itself, it seems ridiculous that Pioli couldn’t have selected one of those players or the Chiefs. However, in his interview with sports radio 810 last week, Pioli implied that the Chiefs haven’t been in great position to draft a first round QB. Does he have a point? It sure seems like the Chiefs have had enough early first-round picks to make it happen. However, when I went back and looked, nine of those 14 current starting QBs that have been selected since Pioli came to KC were taken before KC had their first pick. Those players are:

2009: Matthew Stafford
2010: Sam Bradford
2011: Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder
2012: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill

Now, I think it’s reasonable to take Stafford, Bradford, Newton, Luck, and RG3 off the table and say that KC had little to no shot at landing any of those QBs regardless of what Pioli may have wanted. The only one of those that would have even been up for discussion was the RG3 pick and with Washington forking over three #1 picks and a second to move up just a couple spots, it’s hard to imagine what KC would have had to give up to beat them out while moving up nine spots. So the question is, should Pioli have moved up to take Locker, Gabbert, Ponder, or Tannehill?

Looking at the situation in 2011, KC was coming off a 10-6 division championship where Cassel made the Pro Bowl with 27 TDs and only 7 INTs. Yes, he was horrible against the Ravens in the playoffs and many fans had their doubts about him long term, but with their other holes, was anyone clamoring for Pioli to move up and take Locker, Gabbert, or Ponder? If so, I don’t remember that.

In hindsight, would KC have been better off if they had? Sure, but I don’t know that Pioli should be ripped for not moving up to take one of those guys considering where they were at, what they would have had to give up, and what kind of season the team and Matt Cassel were coming off. So that leaves us with Ryan Tannehill. The overwhelming majority of KC fans seemed nervous about the Chiefs taking Tannehill at #11 if he was still there. Tannehill was a prospect that scouts said had NFL “tools” but didn’t win a lot of games or put up huge numbers while at Texas A&M.

The Chiefs did have Tannehill in for a private workout, so Pioli did at least look into it. Tannehill has looked like a good pick thus far, so it appears that the Chiefs may have been well-served to move up and get him. Maybe they looked into it, maybe not. Who knows what the Dolphins (or one of the teams in front of them) would have been asking for. I think there is more room to criticize Pioli on this one than the 2011 draft, but if not trading multiple picks to move up for Ryan Tannehill is Pioli’s biggest mistake in terms of moving UP for a QB, I don’t know if that is all that bad.

So now let’s look at the QBs that KC could have drafted since Pioli took over as GM. Here is a list of Pioli picks over the past four years and the QBs that they could have had with those picks in the first three rounds. The QBs in BOLD are current NFL starters.

2009:
#3 – Tyson Jackson – Mark Sanchez (#5), Josh Freeman (#17)
#34 – (Traded for Cassel) – Pat White (#44)
#67 – Alex Magee – Stephen McGee (#101)

2010:
#5 – Eric Berry – Tim Tebow (#25)
#36 – Dexter McCluster – Jimmy Clausen (#48)
#68 – Jon Asamoah – Colt McCoy (#85)

2011:
#21/26 – Jonathon Baldwin – Andy Dalton (#35), Colin Kaepernick (#36)
#70 – Justin Houston – Ryan Mallet (#74)

2012:
#11 – Dontari Poe – Brandon Weeden (#22)
#44 – Jeff Allen – Brock Osweiler (#57)
#74 – Donald Stephenson – Russell Wilson (#75), Nick Foles (#88), Kirk Cousins (#102)

So let’s look at these one year at a time. In Pioli’s first year in KC he traded our second round pick for Matt Cassel (and Mike Vrabel) who was coming off a pretty solid season filling in for Tom Brady. In hindsight, would Josh Freeman have been a better pick than Tyson Jackson? Yes, but Freeman was seen as a bit of a risk at #17 that season, let alone at #3. The only QB even considered in the top 10 after Stafford was Sanchez and he has struggled as much as Cassel has. I don’t think Pioli deserves a bad rap for not drafting our QB in his first year here. You can criticize him for signing Cassel to his long term deal, but I think the draft (QB wise) was justifiable.

Next up is the 2010 draft. Does anybody want Tim Tebow, Jimmy Clausen, or Colt McCoy to be the future of the QB position in KC? I don’t, so I don’t think we can hold it against Pioli for not drafting our franchise QB in the 2010 draft.

The 2011 draft is interesting to debate. In hindsight, Andy Dalton looks like he would have been a MUCH better pick for the Chiefs than Jon Baldwin. I don’t think anybody can argue that KC is better off for having Baldwin over Dalton. However, as I mentioned before, the Chiefs were coming off a division win and Cassel going to the Pro Bowl. Plus, the WR position was so bad that the Chiefs started Kevin Curtis who they had just signed off the street at WR in the playoffs. As much as we as fans can now look back at this draft pick and go “What was he thinking?” it’s hard to argue that Pioli was wrong to take a WR given the previous season. You can make an argument for Dalton, but much like the Tannehill discussion above, I’m not sure that it shows Pioli to be incompetent when it comes to drafting QBs because of this choice. Kaepernick and Mallet may prove to be great QBs, but its hard to judge that until they start multiple regular season games in the NFL. I’m pretty happy with the Justin Houston pick anyway.

That leaves us with the 2012 draft. This one (in my opinion) contains Pioli’s biggest mistake. I’m not upset that the Chiefs didn’t take Weeden. His age made taking him at #11 too big of a risk (in my opinion). I’m still not sold on him as a long-term franchise QB. He may end up being a solid starting QB, but I’m not upset that Pioli didn’t reach for him at #11 (or trade back, etc). Osweiler is still an unknown. He’s supposedly very raw and I don’t think any scouts thought he was ready to walk in and start as a rookie. So again, I’m not upset that we didn’t take him in the second round.

However, the third-round selection of backup tackle Donald Stephenson instead of either Russell Wilson, Nick Foles or Kirk Cousins looks like a huge mistake by Pioli. Foles and Cousins are both unknowns both showed some real upside in training camp and preseason action.

Russell Wilson has walked in as a 5’11″ rookie and already looks better than Matt Cassel in his fifth season as a NFL starter. Pioli could have picked Wilson in the third, signed another OT in free agency, and been MUCH better off than the team is now. Plus, drafting Wilson in the third would have allowed Cassel to still enter camp as the starter, there wouldn’t have been expectations to play a third-rounder right out of the gate, plus if Wilson never materialized, no big deal, it was just a third-rounder. It was a no-lose situation and Pioli blew it. I think if you look at his KC draft history, that was his biggest miss when it comes to drafting QBs.

So if I’m ranking Pioli’s biggest QB draft mistakes in KC, I would go:

1. Not drafting a QB in the third round this year instead of a backup OT.

2. Not trading up for Ryan Tannehill.

3. Not being able to admit that Cassel’s Pro Bowl was probably a fluke and drafting Andy Dalton instead of filling the hole at WR with Jon Baldwin.

Other than that, I don’t know that you can complain about much else in terms of Pioli and drafting QBs. I suppose you could add passing on Brandon Weeden, not reaching for Josh Freeman, or not trading every draft pick for the rest of time for RG3, but that seems like reaching for the sake of bashing someone we all want gone. Are those three mistakes listed above enough to make you objectively say that Pioli could not draft a franchise QB? It’s not like he has let Pro Bowler after Pro Bowler slip through his fingers. On the other hand, if he’s so good at evaluating talent, why didn’t he recognize sooner that Cassel wasn’t good enough? I think that is actually the biggest strike against him, as opposed to anything specific he has done or not done in the draft when it comes to QBs.

There will be no doubt about it this time around. The Chiefs will go into the 2013 offseason needing to find their new QB. Even if Scott Pioli is still around, he won’t be able to put it off anymore. There will be no sticking with Matt Cassel this time. So if the Chiefs stay on their current course and end up with a top 5 pick, Scott Pioli will be in uncharted waters. He’ll be in the market for a new QB while sitting in position to draft one of the elite prospects. If that happens, does his track record leave you with no confidence for him to choose correctly? Has the overall failure of Pioli to build a consistent winner unfairly branded him as unable to find a good QB in the draft or is that reputation deserved?

For once, I’m not sure what I think.

I still think Pioli should be fired.

I still think Hunt will probably keep him around for at least one more year.

I’m just not sure what Pioli will do with a high draft pick and QB at the top of his wish list. As much as I don’t want Pioli to be around to answer this question, if I’m honest with myself, I don’t feel as bad about Pioli’s track record of drafting QBs now that I’ve looked at the actual picks and the situation he was in at the time. I’m not excusing the state of this franchise overall, it’s pitiful. I’m sure some will choose to label me a Pioli apologist just for suggesting this is up for discussion. I’m just trying to be objective. I’d love to hear what you all think about this in the comments. Has Pioli proven he can’t find a QB in the Draft or has he simply not been in a good position to land one? Sound off, Addicts!

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When the 1-4 Oakland Raiders host the 1-4 Jacksonville Jaguars, one of  those teams will most certainly end the day with a victory. If it’s the Raiders, then the Chiefs sink all the way to the bottom of the AFC West division all by themselves.

If Jacksonville wins, then there’s one less team lurking at the bottom of the league tied with the Chiefs.

The number of one-win teams tied with the Chiefs for the bottom feeder award could change dramatically this weekend. Obviously, one of the teams playing in Oakland this weekend is going to lose, but all of the other one-win teams could easily win, leaving the Chiefs tied for the worst record in the league.

(more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs continued to break our hearts this past Sunday, getting trounced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rumors have surfaced about Pioli’s (and even Crennel’s) future with the team. Though this article was pre-planned by a couple weeks, it’s actually as good a time as any to look ahead to the 2013 offseason to see how the Chiefs’ cards fall as it concerns the roster and salary cap.

To kickoff, let’s start out by listing which players’ contracts are expiring at the end of this season.

A few names that I’m sure have popped out are Albert, Bowe & Dorsey, as they’ve been the most talked-about players whose contracts will be expiring (such talk dating back to at least April), with a lot of that talk being related to how high of a contract these players may demand. Two other names that pop out to me (though whose contracts should be exponentially cheaper) are Colquitt and Gafford. Not only should a punter’s and long-snapper’s value to a team not be underestimated, but they’re among the only players who have been consistently performing up to standard all season.

A lot of how we view what player personnel changes should be made relies on a general idea of how much a player would likely demand and how much money is likely available for the team to use on these players. It’s the latter portion of this speculation that I (and my Spotrac-obsessed hind parts) primarily hope to shed light on this week.

At last announcement, the Chiefs had approx. $14.5 million remaining in cap availability; though I’ve indicated in past that some of this money many be promised to players in the form of NLTBE incentives (and thereby wouldn’t show up until next season after the player has earned said incentive, we’ll assume for the sake of this exercise that either such NLTBEs were not set or, if they were set, weren’t met. So the Chiefs should have at least $14.5 million in cap space available next season by rollover alone, but how else is the team looking?

Running the numbers on next season’s non-FAs (read: guys that’ll still be on roster), I’ve discovered that the team currently is set to be allocating approximately $117 million towards cap hitting player expenses. It is likely that next year’s league defined cap will be in the same range as this year’s set cap which is $120.6 million. So, before factoring in rollover money, the Chiefs are only set to have about $3.6 million freed up to spend on FAs (regardless of whether they’re the Chiefs’ own or from other teams). That’s not counting the estimated $7 million dollars that will be required to spend on next season’s draft class. So, without the rollover, the Chiefs are in the hole $3.4 million.

Looks pretty bad at first glance, but let’s tack on the rollover money: that would put the Chiefs $11.1 million under cap after the rookie class is taken into consideration. Okay, now that doesn’t look as bad, but there are at least three big names up for FA and $11.1 million cap availability looks to be able to sign only one.

There appears to be a way around this, but it’s one that Pioli may not like as it involves two of “his” players:

1) Tyson Jackson, through “help” of a contract escalator, is set to be making $14.72 million in base salary next season and has also caused additional cap hits through bonuses amounting to $2.525 million. According to NFL.com’s Brian McIntyre (formerly of Mac’s Football Blog), Tyson Jackson’s 2013 base salary is only guaranteed for $3.22 million. So it looks like a certain someone should probably be cut. In doing so, the Chiefs would free up $11.5 million dollars in cap space (as indicated in a previous article, bonus money has a way of becoming dead money, so we’re looking at $14.72 million minus the guaranteed $3.22 million the Chiefs would be required to pay Jackson out of cap hitting funds). Now we’re up to $22.6 million in available cap space in 2013.

2) Matt Cassel. Though I’ve been unable to locate how much, if any, of Matt Cassel’s base salary for 2013 & 2014 is guaranteed, we’ll assume for this exercise that none of it is, and the only Chiefs obligation would come from bonuses. Cassel is currently set to cause a $9.825 million cap hit in 2013. Were he cut (and again assuming that none of the base salary is guaranteed), the Chiefs would be looking to spend $4.2 million in dead money, freeing up about $5.625 million in 2013. This would bring the available cap space to $28.225 million dollars (assuming a Jackson cut… and, at his ludicrous 2013 salary, why shouldn’t we want to see Jackson cut?).

Now, I realize I just threw out a bunch of numbers in sentence-form, which, if you’re anything like me, makes it a little harder to follow and reference. So to make the presentation of this information a little bit easier, I’ve devised the following table

“EOS” refers to the summation of the expected cap hit Entering the OffSeason (includes both players on roster, including Jackson and Cassel, and the rookie pool of approx. $7 mil). Current rollover is what it sounds like: money that may be expected to be rolled over and help alleviate the cap room. The $11.5 million in the “Jackson” column is what could be expected to be loosened up in cap space were TJax to be cut; same with the $5.625 million in the “Cassel” column.

So the question arises: how should this potential cap money be spent? To help facilitate this line of thinking I’ve developed the following hypothetical situations.

NOTE: One thing to remember in doing these hypotheticals is that, of the 18 positions open due to contracts expiring, seven will be filled through draft (at least as of now, and whose cap hit has already been accounted for in the figures) and two (the lowest priced ones) won’t count towards the cap (cap is determined by the highest 51 contracts of the 53-man roster come the regular season), so nine spots will need to be filled through re-signing the Chiefs FAs, or signing FAs from other teams, or signing UDFAs after the draft. These nine spots will cause a minimum cap hit of $3.51 million [determined as the minimum (rookie) contract of $390,000 X 9 spots].

Hypothetical Situation #1

For whatever reason (brain damage, maybe?), it’s decided to not cut Jackson or Cassel. After taking into account player cap and rookie cap there is approx. $124 million in cap obligations. The $14.5 million in rollover money brings this down to $109.5 million. Assuming a league set cap of $120.6 million, you have $11.1 million left to re-sign players. Who gets re-signed? What positions get targeted in the draft?

Hypothetical Situation #2

You’re slightly less brain-damaged and decide to cut Cassel and leave Jackson be. After taking into account player cap and rookie cap there is approx. $124 million in cap obligations. The $14.5 million in rollover money brings this down to $109.5 million. Cutting Cassel frees up an additional $5.625 million in cap space. Assuming a league set cap of $120.6 million, you have $16.725 million left to re-sign players. Who gets re-signed? What positions get targeted in the draft?

Hypothetical Situation #3

You’ve decided to cut Jackson, but leave Cassel on board for back-up purposes (he’s an expensive back-up, but provides a veteran presence/experience at the position, so you think the harm to the cap outweighs allowing a rookie squad plus Stanzi to run solo). After taking into account player cap and rookie cap there is approx. $124 million in cap obligations. The $14.5 million in rollover money brings this down to $109.5 million. Cutting Jackson frees up $11.5 million in cap space. Assuming a league set cap of $120.6 million, you have $22.6 million left to re-sign players. Who gets re-signed? What positions get targeted in the draft?

Hypothetical Situation #4

You’ve made the decision to cut both Jackson and Cassel. After taking into account player cap and rookie cap there is approx. $124 million in cap obligations. The $14.5 million in rollover money brings this down to $109.5 million. Cutting Jackson frees up $11.5 million in cap space. Cutting Cassel frees up an additional $5.625 million in cap space. Assuming a league set cap of $120.6 million, you have $28.225 million left to re-sign players. Who gets re-signed? What positions get targeted in the draft?

Bonus: Hindsight Hypothetical

Not knowing how this season would play out up to this point, you decide to sign all the players in FA that Pioli decided to sign, but you’ve decided to tweak the offseason slightly by also re-signing Carr. The terms of the agreement are the same terms the Cowboys offered him. For the sake of this hypothetical we’re assuming matching these terms would be enough for him to re-sign with the Chiefs, childhood dreams be damned. This season, Carr’s contract hits the cap by $3.2 million; in 2013, it hits the cap by $16.3 million. The rollover money is now $11.3 million (the current $14.5 million minus the $3.2 million cap hit). In adding Carr onto the 2013 roster, and taking rookie cap into account, the new 2013 cap obligations amount to $140.3 million. After deducting the new rollover amount ($11.3 mil), you’re down to $129 million in cap obligations. The league defined cap is still $120.6 mil; you have to come into compliance. Cutting Cassel wouldn’t be enough to come into compliance ($129 mil minus $5.625 mil is still greater than $120.6 mil), so your hand is forced in cutting Jackson to free up that $11.5 mil. Without additionally cutting Cassel (yet), the cap obligations decrease to $118.5 leaving only $2.1 million in available cap (not even enough to re-sign Colquitt). Now by cutting Cassel the available cap can be increased to $7.725. Who gets re-signed? What positions get targeted in the draft?

____________

Of the four, still possible, hypotheticals, I’d personally subscribe to Hypothetical Situation #4. Cutting Jackson seems to me to be a no-brainer (no way is he worth $17.245 million, and I’d rather tie up $5.745 mil in dead money in 2013 for the sake of having the remaining $11.5 million available to help with re-signing players or potentially dabbling in FA with other teams’ players). Though, with Quinn entering FA, cutting Cassel leaves the team without a QB on roster with regular season experience, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing the Chiefs “double-tap” the QB position in the draft (ideally, Geno Smith in Round 1 and, if he or someone like him drops so far, someone like Collin Klein in Round 3 – keeping in mind that the loss of Carr will likely earn the Chiefs a compensatory Round 3 draft pick); it’d be a risk, what with both players having no NFL experience, but it’s a risk I’d like to see be taken. I know, it’s probably crazy to draft two QBs such as the ‘Skins did this past draft with RGIII and Kirk Cousins, and especially crazy given the team I’m suggesting do it (our beloved Chiefs) given the team’s history in this regard, but God help me, if Klein is available later, despite the Heisman hype, I’d love to see a QB with his fight and passion as the #2 keeping guys pumped on the sideline, and I’d trust someone like him to not do any worse than the Chiefs QBs this year were a situation to arise where he’d have to play. I’m sure it’s a pipe dream, but that’s part of what this exercise is about.

As for how I’d like to see the freed up $28.225 million spent: I’d prefer to see Bowe and Albert re-signed for certain. Given the average costs of WRs and LTs of similar quality, this could cost as little as $8 million in 2013 (akin to Carr’s deal with the ‘Boys where he accepted an incredibly low base salary in the 1^st year of the contract, given that he still received $10 million in signing bonus this season, and just allowed the team to prorate it over the course of five seasons at $2 million a season) or it could cost as high as $20 million (taking the average cap hits of comparable players’ contracts). I’ll assume the 2013 costs to be somewhere in between at $14.225 total for both players (2014’s projected cap hit based on active contracts is only $84.894378, so a deal structure closer to Carr’s wouldn’t be nearly as damaging that year).

So, in my scenario, I’m down to $14 million available. I’d definitely re-sign Colquitt and Gafford who, combined, would likely hit the cap by $3.5 million in 2013, leaving $10.5 million available.

Given that I’d be cutting one starting DE (Jackson) and letting the other walk in FA (Dorsey), I’d probably re-sign Pitoitua (whose re-signing I’m estimating to hit the 2013 cap by $1.5 million) and would gun for a DE in either Round 3 (compensatory Carr pick) or Round 4 in the draft.

Down to $9 million in cap space, I might also bring back Edgar Jones and Lilja (estimating a $2.7 million combined cap hit in 2013, $800,000 for Jones and $1.9 mil for Lilja). Jones has been a boost to ST this year and provides okay LB depth (and is one less position to be targeted in the draft) and Lilja would provide reliable back-up depth, if nothing more, and would help keep the OL more intact as they continue to gel together in this year’s new zone blocking system.

Two cap-hitting roster spots remain in this scenario and I’ll assume they’ll be filled by rookie UDFAs (for a cap hit of about $800,000) bringing the remaining money down to about $5.9 million, which I might let ride into 2014.

For the draft I’d target: QB, ILB (I’m letting both Belcher and Siler walk after all), DE & DB (in that order of importance).

As for my thoughts on the “Hindsight Hypothetical”: Carr really doesn’t look like he’d have been worth it. With only $7.725 mil remaining, which is really only about $4.225 mil after deducting the minimum $3.51 mil for nine open roster spots (which I mentioned in my “note” up there), a ton of useful players would need to be allowed to walk and maybe one of Bowe, Albert or Dorsey (at absolute best) could’ve been re-signed. At risk to be replaced through rookies (by drafting or signing as UDFA) would’ve been QB (Cassel would’ve had to been cut, which looks like an inevitability now, but had he returned to 2010 form would be deemed a problem, and Quinn probably couldn’t be re-signed even if you wanted to), both starting DEs and one of the back-up DEs, two out of three starting OL positions (Albert & Lilja), star WR (Bowe), starting ILB (Belcher) and his best back-up option (Siler), the punter, the long snapper, and two veteran S’s (Daniels and Elam; leaving only current rookie Tysyn Hartman and rookie IR player De’quan Menzie as backups). That would be cause for a massive rebuild (all those positions can’t be addressed in the draft, and not early enough in the draft to be hopeful about the players’ ability to replace the lost players with an equal or higher level) and would put the Chiefs in a much, much worse position than the team currently finds itself in. Not signing Winston, Boss or Routt would’ve cleared up about a maximum of $10 mil to be rolled over into next season, and cleared up active contract requirements in 2013 to the tune of about $18.2 mil for a total of $28.2 mil. These are much nicer figures for signing at least two of the big three in 2013, but doesn’t address the issue of what to do about RT this season (whichever choice being made decreasing the rollover amount), or the depth at TE this season (a “contingency plan” being a top concern considering Moeaki’s early injury in 2011), and the secondary depth would still be the same it is today (meaning it would still not be good enough). Maybe things could’ve worked out, but considering it would require leaving nearly $24.5 mil in available cap this year (for the intent purpose of rolling the money over to help during the 2013 season), the heat from fans and media for any underperformance while having greater cap space availability would be even hotter than it is now; not to mention the heat turning up if Moeaki fell to injury without preemptive back-up efforts being made, or BRich received an extension.

As for whether or not the Chiefs should make a play on Matt Flynn or another prospect to help turn around this season now: just keep in mind that the acquisition of such a player would decrease the available funds for rollover into 2013, and that if such player had a contract for more than just this 2012 season you’d have to increase the cap numbers for 2013, too . This would also affect the hypotheticals and how likely it’d be to re-sign who you deem to be key players next year*. Trading for a QB or picking up a QB from FA (McNabb?? Garrard??) might not be as harmful as re-signing Carr could’ve been. The re-signing of Carr would have not only decreased how much cap was left to rollover into 2013 by $3 mil, but also would have added the obligation of a $16.3 mil cap hit to next season which is what would’ve made it so potentially damaging. So, if you feel a QB now would be worth the cost, feel free to hypothesize in the Comments section, just be mindful that how money is spent in this season does have an effect on what personnel moves may be made next season.

*Assuming that all that changes hands are Flynn and draft picks. If someone like Bowe were traded for Flynn directly, or traded to MIA for picks, and picks traded to SEA for Flynn, then the loss of Bowe’s salary would make up for the addition of Flynn’s. In that case both Albert and Dorsey could be re-signed next year, if so chosen, what with Bowe out of the mix.

Let me hear your thoughts. Which hypothetical would you use? Who would you re-sign? What positions (and maybe even who, specifically) would you target in the draft? After seeing a more comprehensive look at the cap figures, do you think signing Carr would’ve been more trouble than it was worth? Are you still frustrated about this year’s available cap space, even after seeing situations in which it might be put to better use next year? Do you feel a different QB now would be worth the cost elsewhere?

Let me hear it all; I’m curious as to what options my fellow Addicts think would be possible in terms of player personnel moves intended to make the 2013 Chiefs a more competitive team. Despite being mostly realistic, I was admittedly a little pie-in-the-sky with my hopes of drafting both Geno and Klein; feel free to do similarly (but let’s try to not go too extreme into complete delusion, as euphoric as it might be, and keep it more in the realm of realism and where we think our Chiefs might be headed).

Sound off, Addicts!

If you hired someone to run your organization and asked them to improve the personnel but four years later it was the personnel left over from your previous hire who were clearly your best employees, what would you do? Rumors aside, we’re likely to find that out very soon.

In the real world of business, you would immediately cut your losses and get yourself a real personnel man.

In the football world, you wait and then wait some more, never really knowing if the waiting is doing any good.

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli has done an ambiguous job of drafting, signing, keeping or developing personnel.

Answer this question: the best player on the Chiefs roster is ________________.

I guess you’d get several different answers to that question but whoever you choose, that player most certainly will have been drafted by none other than the Chiefs’ previous general manager Carl Peterson (Chiefs GM from 1989-2008).

Even after four years you’d have to say that eight out of the top 11 players on the Chiefs roster were Carl Peterson hires, Peterson guys.

What’s disturbing is that GM Scott Pioli was brought in to help develop players who could step in when the starters faltered. Not only make the Chiefs good but deep with the “right-kind-of-guys.” However, on the Chiefs’ current roster there is not one player who is even close to be the best at his position in the league, except for Jamaal Charles and Pioli almost cut him in his first year here.

You could argue that Tamba Hali has been close to the best player in the league at his position but there are currently 17 players in the NFL with more sacks than Tamba.

Let’s not over-glorify someone who’s been a pretty good player for the Chiefs but also may just be someone who is filling a void where there has been much little else to cheer about.

Could you argue that Dwayne Bowe is a top 10 wide receiver? He’s currently not a top 10 player at his position. At this moment, there are 15 other receivers with more receiving yards than our “Mr. Show.” With a different QB, who knows?

The point is not to diminish either Hali or Bowe but to point out that under Scott Pioli’s direction neither of these players who could have become the best at their positions have done so. And that’s because the appropriate supports have not been forthcoming.

Now Jamaal Charles is a different case. He is the one and only player who Chiefs fans might call the best at his position. However, if the Chiefs keep ramming his 5’11’’, 199-pound body down the throats of opposing defenses, he won’t be an NFL star for very long.

Besides that, Jamaal Charles was drafted by the much maligned Carl Peterson. Don’t forget, in Scott Pioli and Todd Haley’s first season, Jamaal Charles was almost cut — because if you’ll recall it was LJ’s backfield back then and the Chiefs had no place for Mr. Speedy.

So, what about Scott Pioli’s ability to diagnose ability? Does it really exist? Only an injury to Larry Johnson gave Charles his shot, not some ability to magically divine who the gifted are, or are not.

Jamaal Charles’ health could be a flash point for what transpires between Pioli and the Chiefs. When Pioli arrives he devalues the previous regime’s talent pool for whatever reasons: ego, the desire to distinguish himself by drafting his own players, or a real inability to recognize ability. Whatever that might be, Charles’ success is a prime example of what Scott Pioli hasn’t been able to accomplish—building a roster full of excellent players. An excellent player and the Chiefs’ best player, which is what JC has become and if Charles is run into the ground, who’ll be held accountable for that? The man that didn’t value him in the first place?

When your job is all about player development, you make decisions that are in the best interest of your players, not run them into oblivion.

Below you’ll find a list and a mock ranking, not meant to be definitive, of all of the Chiefs’ current first-string players. The players in burgundy were brought in by Carl Peterson. The players in green were brought in by Scott Pioli. The players in gray were not initially brought into the league by the Chiefs. The rankings, loosely defined, are meant to show how good each Chiefs player is, on a scale from 1-10, with 10 being the highest, and 10 being best in the league. The rankings are based upon a player’s current level of performance.

This is not a debate about who’s the best player nor who is ranked where on the list of the Chiefs’ best players. However, it’s clear that even if you alter the rankings to suit your own liking, the players brought in by previous GM Carl Peterson far and away are better players than the other starters.

What’s missing from these charts are the list of players who Pioli drafted who have already failed. Alex Magee was a third round bust in 2009 who currently plays in the Arena Football league. Donald Washington, a fourth round selection that same year was notoriously athletic and remarkably bad. While Matt Cassel was brought into the league by another, yet unnamed organization, I’m counting him here as the Chiefs second round pick of 2009. I’ll allow my previous posts and comments to stand as a testament to Cassel’s lack of worth. Colin Brown had a lot of support in these here parts but, never became a player. Quinten Lawrence hung around for quite awhile but was ultimately a tweener who couldn’t do any one thing well enough to stay on the roster or make any kind of important game-day contributions. While Javarris Williams seemed to have some potential, you can’t really judge a GM based on seventh-round selections.

Oddly enough, Scott Pioli’s best pick in his first draft was the very last player taken in that seventh round: Kicker Ryan Succop. However, I don’t count Succop as a player who’s much more than just above average for an NFL kicker.

Dustin Colquitt, on the other hand, is one of the best punters in the league. He was also a Carl Peterson selection in 2005. Including Dustin Colquitt, eight of the top 11 players on the Chiefs roster came through King Carl, a moniker Jason Whitlock used, to annoy.

It’s difficult to fathom after four drafts and four offseasons of free agent signings, Carl is looking more a king and Pioli more a peon.

In the 2010 draft Pioli selected Eric Berry, Dexter McCluster, Javier Arenas, Jon Asamoah, Tony Moeaki, Kendrick Lewis, and Cameron Sheffield. While this draft was widely heralded as one of the best in the league at the time, unless something changes dramatically over the next few seasons it will likely only be Eric Berry from this group that makes a Pro Bowl or who has a chance to become one of the best at his position.

In 2011, Pioli drafted Jon Baldwin, Rodney Hudson, Justin Houston, Allen Bailey, Jalil Brown, Ricky Stanzi, Gabe Miller, Jerrell Powe and Shane Bannon. Justin Houston could be a Pro Bowler as early as this season. Hudson is on IR and Jon Baldwin is waiting to break out. Bannon is gone and Gabe Miller is now a TE for the Chicago Bears.

I don’t believe it would be apropos to comment on this year’s draft at this time. We’ll have to give it a year to see if there are those who can ever perform at a high level. However, no one is jumping out so far.

Players who “could be” on the Chiefs roster, who are still performing as starters for other team in the league include: Jared Allen, Tony Gonzales and Bernard Pollard. Allen was traded away before Pioli arrived but, the point is — each of those players came into the league through Carl Peterson.

The Scott Pioli lineage and legacy has not been what most Chiefs fans would have expected.

Not nearly.

A 1-5 record this season and a 22-32 overall record would indicate that general manager Scott Pioli is not manning the ship with the right 53 either.

It’s been a rough week for the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans. That is also probably the understatement of the week. Negative attitudes are at a high, and there are so many things at work that it’s difficult to sort things through and address things equally and/or fairly. But here’s my perspective on the varying issues, maybe you’ll agree, maybe you’ll disagree, but hopefully I can bring a few things to light which may have previously gone unconsidered. Some of what I say will be supported by facts, some by speculation in the absence of publicly available facts (such as Pioli’s “master plan”, assuming he has one), but the main intent is to present information or perspective that may not be currently represented (or is, at least, underrepresented). As some (if not most… if not all) of these views are likely to be unpopular or underrepresented, I’m prepared for a hailstorm of comments to the contrary. In the interests of perpetuating a well-reasoned, well-thought-out discourse, I kindly request such comments remain cordial.

Chiefs Ownership

Though owned by the Lamar Hunt family, through Hunt Sports Group, through Unity Hunt LLC, when one thinks of Kansas City Chiefs ownership, one thinks of the family-elected CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt. Simply saying the name “Clark Hunt” will send chills down a large number of Chiefs’ fans spines.

Clark Hunt has been associated with cheapness, caring more about the bottom dollar than team success/glory, and caring less about the Kansas City fanbase and community. That he lives in Dallas, TX is usually a shot taken by fans and media as indication of his lack of caring for the fanbase and community, and that cap availability numbers inaccurately represent how much a team is spending on its players have given him the label of being cheap.

I do not agree with a lot of the negativity surrounding Clark Hunt. For those of you who read my  article two weeks ago, you should know by now that the Kansas City Chiefs have not been cheap in their player spending, having amassed the highest paid team in the NFL this season according to salary cap figures. If you did not read that article, it may be more conducive to your fair assessment of Clark Hunt to do so now. The article provides insight into team spending for all NFL teams and how certain aspects of salary cap management function. To summarize the article for the sake of expedience, Clark Hunt isn’t being cheap on the player spending. This also feeds into how much Clark Hunt cares about the bottom dollar. Though I’m sure the Hunt family’s business interests in the Chiefs would keep them from wanting the organization to start functioning in the red, the same could be said of any business’s or organization’s owner(s) ever. Something can only be supported for so long when it’s not earning revenues equal to or greater than its expenses. That’s just basic economics.

In regards to his consideration for the fanbase and for the Kansas City community, more consideration is being given than the Hunt family has been commonly assessed. One of the chief complaints is that the on-the-field product is not equating to what a lot of Chiefs fans consider to be fair prices for stadium attendance. They don’t feel they’re getting the bang for their buck; a sentiment that is amplified in rough economic times where how one spends what money one has is greatly scrutinized by the spender. So, how does the Chiefs’ gameday experience stack up against the 31 NFL teams? Every year Team Marketing Report in Chicago, IL researches this very question. Here is a chart of the average ticket prices for a fan to attend a game at each of the NFL stadiums; it should be noted the cost and quantity of premium seating is not included in these averages:

The average NFL ticket price is reported as $78.38, well above what the average ticket price to Arrowhead costs. Even factoring out the five highest ticket prices (all above $100) the average ticket price for the 27 lowest price teams is $71.84, still firmly above the Arrowhead average. What may be of additional interest is that Team Marketing Report also tracks the percentage changes in ticket prices for each NFL team. TMR determined that the average NFL ticket price has increased by 2.5% compared to last season. Fifteen NFL teams saw no change in their ticket prices. Of the remaining seventeen teams nine increased ticket prices [the lowest being the Seahawks by 1%, the highest being the Bears by 9.2%], and six lowered ticket prices. The Kansas City Chiefs are not only counted among the six NFL teams that lowered ticket prices, but KC decided to decrease their prices by the second-most percentage* [2.6%]. As part of their report, TMR provided the NFL average cost dating back to the 2007 season; even going back that far, the current Chiefs’ pricing does not meet or exceed the league average.

*Only the Bengals decreased their ticket prices by a greater percentage[4.2%]; however TMR’s research showed that, of the six clubs that decided to decrease ticket prices, the Bengals were one of two clubs that decided to lower ticket prices following lower fan attendance during the 2011 season; the second team being the Bills.

TMR also researched the average premium ticket costs and the cost of beer, soft drinks, hot dogs, parking, programs and caps as part of their study. Their figures on beer and soft drinks are based on the smallest sizes available at each stadium, and their figures on caps are based on the least expensive, adult-size adjustable caps at each stadium. In these categories, the Kansas City Chiefs exceed the league average in only two of them: 1) Hot Dogs – in excess of 66 cents, and 2) Average Premium Ticket costs in excess of $26.30.

As part of their report TMR created a cost index comprised of the costs of four average-price tickets, two small beers, four small soft drinks, four regular-size hot dogs, parking for one car, two game programs and two of the least expensive, adult-size adjustable caps. The reported cost index for such a gameday experience for each team is as follows:

As can be seen, the Chiefs rank as the fourth cheapest team in terms of the cost index. TMR determined that the average NFL cost index has increased by 3.9% compared to last season. Only two NFL teams saw no change in their cost index. Of the remaining thirty teams twenty-six saw an increase in cost index [the lowest increase being the Cardinals by 0.3%, the highest being the Bears by 16.3%], and four saw decreases in their cost index. The Kansas City Chiefs are not only counted among the four NFL teams that lowered the overall cost of an average gameday experience, but KC decreased their prices by the second-most percentage [1.6%] with only the Jets showing a greater decrease [1.9%].

So though some, including The Arrowhead Adventurer, may not care for certain organization initiatives, such as the switch to paperless tickets (thereby depriving fans of the memento of ticket stubs), savings are being passed onto the fans by making such changes (I, for one, always tended to rip/disfigure ticket stubs from any events I’ve attended and, as a result, do not partake in that particular keepsake practice… as such, I’d personally prefer more efficient line movement).

Does this forgive the disparity between on-the-field product and the associated costs? Not incredibly. We’d still all like to see the Chiefs be more competitive and in championship contention; an increase in quality without an increase in cost. But at least you’ve been afforded the opportunity to see what other teams’ fans are paying out on gameday, and I think we can all agree that being a Jets fan has to suck considerably more by a quality to cost comparison.

As for the Hunt family living in Dallas, this is the way it’s always been. Lamar Hunt’s ability to finance a football team came from the wealth earned by his father, H.L. Hunt, in conjunction with Hunt Oil. Though Lamar Hunt’s branch of the Hunt family tree no longer holds a stake in Hunt Oil, there are many other business ventures they do own a stake in which are, for the most part, based in Dallas. In the early days, when the Dallas Cowboys (who at the time were much less successful than the Dallas Texans) started taking attention away from Lamar Hunt’s beloved football team, and he resigned to the fact that sentiment was not enough to continue functioning in Dallas when the previous three seasons found the organization in the red, he sought to move that team to a city that would give a damn. The speculated options at the time were for a move to be made to either Oakland or Kansas City. After what was described as a “cloak-and-dagger” affair,  Kansas City’s mayor and Hunt agreed to stage a season ticket run to determine if the new city would be devoted enough to the sport to garner the team with the attention Lamar felt it deserved. Obviously Kansas City met Lamar Hunt’s expectations as we know that he moved the team there; however, what may not be known is that Kansas City fell far short of the set season ticket goal (25,000 tickets) in that they only sold tickets in the 13,000-14,000 tickets by the given deadline. Lamar still felt that the city showed enough devotion and passion (despite not meeting the ticket sales threshold) that he decided to move the Texans to Kansas City.

Nowhere is it mentioned or even suggested that Lamar Hunt agreed to pull up his family’s stakes to move to Kansas City. A lot of tradition and business interests already existed in Dallas for that to have been part of the deal. That same family tradition continues to this day. The Chiefs are but a part of Hunt Sports Inc., and Hunt Sports Inc. is but a part of Unity Hunt LLC. To expect numerous businesses, and a family’s tradition, to be uprooted for the sake of one of those business ventures (though the Kansas City Chiefs are the most recognizable) is asking a lot, and probably too much

Does this mean that the Hunts and the Chiefs don’t care about Kansas City? Not in the least. By my count the Hunts through the Kansas City Chiefs have 15 steady community service programs devoted to helping various aspects of the Greater Kansas City Community. Players are encouraged to actively participate in giving back to the community. And new initiatives such as the Chiefs partnership with the University of Kansas Medical School are geared towards ultimately helping the Kansas City community as a whole. These are not the actions of an ownership that doesn’t care about its fans or its team’s city’s citizens. In fact, their devotion to the community is a large part of why I am of a fan of the organization and have remained a fan through the tougher years; they may not always win (or even be competitive) but the organization’s devotion to contribute beyond what the game dictates is, by my estimation, admirable and should not be diminished by how they play 16 days a year.

Also, when it was obvious things were not progressing under Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards, Clark Hunt made a move to obtain one of the most decorated executives in the football industry, and spared no expense to bring him in to help the franchise (something an owner that doesn’t care wouldn’t do), which brings us to:

Chiefs Management

I don’t know what to think about Pioli. On the one hand Kent Babb has painted a pretty bad picture of Pioli. On the other hand, Babb also neglected to look into team finances and painted the Hunts as cheap on players though they appear to be anything but*, and generated negativity on that front where negativity wasn’t due.

Aside: I’m still astounded by that one. I’m a legal assistant in Pennsylvania, devoting nearly 60 hours a week towards my day job with a wife and 2-year-old daughter also garnering my attention, and I was still able to do more thorough research on that front (cross-checking my findings across many independent sources with no team affiliation for slant) and reported this as part of my contribution to this website. It was Kent Babb’s day job to do such things for which I’m sure he got amply paid, and he couldn’t do that much??? I guess I’m saying I’ve re-read Babb’s articles with a grain of salt as I am not satisfied with his research abilities (or lack thereof).

In Michael Holley’s book “War Room”, it is indicated (and I’m paraphrasing here) that when Pioli arrived in Kansas City, the Chiefs staff and scouts were complacent and unmotivated, which (by that point in the book) were distinguished as work habits in conflict with Pioli’s own work ethic. Holley (in juxtaposition to Babb) painted Pioli as a hard worker who would sooner have his work product exceed his paycheck than his paycheck exceed his work product.

If that is his work ethic, and the incumbent staff did not put their hearts into their jobs and strive towards the goal of making the Chiefs organization a championship product, I can understand the turnover ratio. There are no salary cap concerns in the front office; severance packages maybe (and they could be pillaging Hunt’s pockets for all we know), but not a set number that the organization may not exceed in accounting terms. If these people were not earning their paychecks (admittedly by Pioli’s standards), then I can understand Pioli taking swift action in terminating them and bringing in new people. I can even understand him bringing in people he knew from his time with the Patriots (as he likely had previous knowledge of these individuals’ work ethics, knowledge and talents).

The desire to have people who work for you do their damnedest and take more pride in doing their work in excess of expectations rather than taking the mentality of “I’m doing just as much as I think my pay warrants” (such people usually overestimating how much pay they’ve ‘earned’ through the work they’ve actually done) is also something I can understand, and would explain the so-called “wire-tapping”. I work for government, we have the same systems in check. E-mail, phone logs, etc. are monitored to determine how much company time the worker is spending on personal business (i.e. how much non-work they’re performing during hours they’re getting paid for). It isn’t incredibly shocking that a multi-million dollar business would partake in such monitoring. Again, if the workers were as complacent as Michael Holley indicated, it may be of utmost importance to changing the culture of football operations from people who care more for how much they could soak the organization for than how much they could contribute to the organization’s success.

If Pioli (or any other GM that could’ve been, or could still be, brought in) wanted to change a complacent culture satisfied with doing the bare minimum and having little interest in a championship that was gained by more than luck (if hard work was the alternative), I think we’d all be supportive of that change.

That being said, I doubt the candy wrapper story was made up, to which I can only say this: I can understand wondering why the hell you’re paying maintenance to do a job they’re obviously not doing (the wrapper was sitting for about a week after all… which by my count is at least 4 days too long, even if they were understaffed or only cleaned two to three days a week), but the taking of the wrapper as evidence makes the whole incident automatically extreme (and sounds on par with Mitch Hedberg’s “donut receipt” joke). That definitely could’ve been handled a lot better.

As far as his plans for rebuilding and his apparent secrecy of these plans are concerned, it’s frustrating as hell only being able to speculate what his intentions are/were. I, for one, believe (or maybe just really hope) that the plan was/is to build up the supporting cast first and drop in the intended franchise QB last. This would help prevent “David Carr Syndrome” or other 1^st round busts such as Brady Quinn was in Cleveland. Instead of custom building an entire team to one guy’s talents (thereby making it more difficult should that one guy go down), it would entail building a talented team and allowing the last guy (QB) to adjust to the talents around him (thereby making it less disastrous should that one guy go down temporarily). To get the QB first and build the team around him is akin to making the QB the entire foundation’s cornerstone. If it’s later learned that that cornerstone is not of the quality it was believed to be, the building stands to get irreparably damaged. To get the QB last is akin to building a quality structure first and using the QB as the capstone. If the capstone is of lesser quality than was expected, so what? It’s less damaging to the structure to replace a damaged capstone than to replace a damaged cornerstone. The downside is that, as fans, we don’t know if this is the plan until it happens. It could very well be. It could very well be that Cassel was perceived to be the guy for real (rather than a QB deemed adequate to man the helm while the rebuilding took place… I guess in my metaphor “the scaffolding”). Will Pioli say? No.

Which brings us to the secrecy. I can understand this to an extent. Part of the existence of a salary cap in the NFL is to promote competition and to provide no team with an unfair competitive advantage due to finances. But each team wants a competitive edge to build the strongest team possible within the restrictions of these limited resources. Kansas City is not a large market, so the competitive edge of “come here, we’ll make you famous” isn’t much of one for Chiefs execs (past, current or foreseeable future). Fan loyalty can help lure talent, but that’s more our thing than a FO thing. The Chiefs don’t have overwhelming, modern day championship prestige (yet). So what competitive edges can there be? I would reason that not letting your competition know your goals heading into deals would prove to be a great advantage. If everyone expected KC to draft a QB in the first round of next year’s draft (let’s say they finished with a pick lower than No. 1 Overall), and a move was made to jockey the team in the position to draft the QB of their choice, how much greater would the trade cost be knowing that the team’s intent is to draft a team’s most valuable asset (QB)? If, however, you lowered your trade partner’s expectations to believe that your intent is in the interest of drafting a lesser position player, that deal will likely become less costly (meaning that your own team can hold onto more assets, be it player, asset, or money to re-invest in another portion of the team). It’s a competitive edge built on manipulating others’ speculation of your intents, and there may be considerable success in doing so; unfortunately, the decision to put your competitor’s speculation in doubt also casts doubt within your fanbase’s speculation.

As for owning up to his mistakes, I’ll go back to Babb and the salary cap situation: Babb (local media) fabricated a negative misconception of something the Chiefs were actually doing well and it spread like a fire causing a wave of damage in its wake. That was with bad knowledge of a situation the team was actually doing pretty well. What could be expected of this same local media if Pioli admitted to an actual error? Holy bejeezus, that would not end well.

Overall, I can appreciate wanting personnel dedicated to making the franchise a perennial contender, and I can understand building the supportive components of a team up first before dropping in the franchise QB. It’s not the broad goals behind (what I think is) Pioli’s rebuilding plan I question, so much as Pioli’s execution of this plan. Keep the ideology, but do better at enacting the plan (or, Clark, find someone else who can).

Eric Winston

Spoke in a moment of passion. While morally justified in sentiment, he lacked the censorship to scope his claims down to only indicate the fans that partook in the behavior. CBA dictates that players are open to media. He spoke to media in conjunction with this clause. So, I really can’t begrudge him the action of speaking with the media.

I’ve been saying for weeks that negativity from fans affects the players more than fans might think. After weeks of negativity, and the greetings of a negative banner on Sunday, he construed some cheers as being in the morally negative bent. Looking through comments on various sites pertaining to this issue, it’s easy to find people admittedly partaking in this deplorable behavior (cheering a player getting injured), so Winston’s perception of the intent behind some of these cheers does hold some merit.

There is some understandable and justifiable betrayal felt on behalf of the fans (at least the portions whom, in a moment of passion, Winston lumped in with the bad ones), but attempting to look at thing empathetically from Winston’s point of view, the portion of fans that cheered Cassel’s injury are a part of the same fanbase whose overwhelming response to his FA visit convinced him to stop seeking potentially greater fortune, and a greater media market, elsewhere and to settle for less money if it meant great fans. He made a major life choice based on how great the fanbase presented itself to him, and in short time saw just how negative the fanbase/local media could get [the local media is crawling with negativity, fans (though not all) have been acting out in negative fashions for weeks (even if just verbally), and it culminated with a portion of those fans doing something so deplorable and anti-supportive of the players]. Given that consideration, I wouldn’t be surprised if Winston felt a little bit of betrayal, too.

Ultimately my point on this is that fan attitude does affect player attitude, and this whole fiasco is a case in point.

Fans who cheered Cassel’s injury

Winston was correct in stating that this is not the Roman Coliseum and the players are not gladiators.

For those that use the flawed logic that NFL stadiums are constructed in the image of the Roman Coliseum so football is like the modern equivalent, you should probably know that the architectural design of NFL stadiums is not intended as an allegory to ancient Rome. The Romans designed the Coliseum as they did because it architecturally allowed for greater seating capacity. The properties of such design haven’t changed, and this is why stadiums are made in such a fashion. Incidentally, uncomfortable-as-all-get-out bleacher seating may also be used to accommodate more people. It’s an attendance maximization thing, not a throwback to days of yore.

For those that use the logic that “it’s okay to cheer MMA and boxing, so why not a football player’s injury?”, you should probably know that the rules are different going into each contest. Beating the crap out of each other is an integral part of MMA and boxing matches, and the participants willingly submit themselves to such punishment. Incidentally, it’s not unheard of for professionals in these sports to schedule matches several months apart to accommodate for the fact that they’re going to get brutalized and need copious amounts of time to recover in between bouts. Injuries in football, on the other hand, are incidental to the sport (not integral) and any action done by a player to intentionally injure another (or even that increase the odds of injury, such as helmet-to-helmet shots) are generally frowned upon. Remember that whole Bounty scandal thing? Yeah, the main part of that was the targeting of players for the purpose of injury (that money may or may not have been put towards these goals is secondary). Remember all those fines players accrue for helmet-to-helmet hits? Yeah, that’s what those are about, too.

There’s no denying that big hits or hard hits get a viewer’s adrenaline going, or that it is pants-crappingly awesome to see a player pop back up from such hits like they’re no big deal. But sometimes those players don’t bounce back up, and that’s when it’s time for humanity to kick back in. Maybe if the injury is a more minor one (ankle sprain, broken finger, etc.) to an opponent’s superstar, you can thank your lucky stars that your team got a reprieve from his awesomeness for the rest of the game, but when you get into potentially life-altering injuries such as concussions, ACL tears and the ilk, it’s time to dial it down.

To those of you convinced that Cassel’s injury is the only thing that would take him out of the line-up and that your voice isn’t being heard, you may be right, you may not be right. Maybe Cassel really was the best QB on the squad (I just vomited in my mouth a little). That being said, I personally didn’t care for the public display of discord by use of a banner flying over Arrowhead; such displays have the potential to place the fanbase as a whole in a bad light. That being said, I respect that you care so much about your team to spend extra money for such a display,

I would suggest and alternative: it may go against younger generations’ grain to not make public statements (ala Facebook or Twitter), but there’s a thing called letter writing that involves a pen and paper which would be more low key (as in less inflammatory to the fanbase) and cheaper, too. I’m in no way condoning sending threatening letters to One Arrowhead Drive (that’s kind of illegal), but sending letters highlighting your devotion to the team and expressing your disapproval of certain things that are being done which you don’t agree with (preferably with well-reasoned arguments, as you’d be taken more seriously) might be much more effective. As I write this, it occurs to me that Lamar Hunt was fond of conducting business via letter writing (even as technology advanced into allowing more instant communications), so to do so as a fanbase may very well strike a personal chord within the Hunt family as it pertains to fan concerns. The least that could be expected? Solid evidence of fans’ concerns that can’t be as easily discarded and ignored as pressing a “Trash” button in e-mail. Pioli flipped over a candy wrapper, how much attention do you think will be paid to stacks of letters filling up the joint?

Hopefully some of what I said has shed new light on certain things. Again, some of it is speculation, so my guess is as good as yours, but hopefully you have gotten to considering alternative intents. Tune in next week when I’ll be looking forward to 2013’s expected cap hits/player personnel moves. As always, Go Chiefs!!!