Justin Houston contract solidifies John Dorsey’s plan to build a contender
By Ryan Tracy
The Justin Houston contract sets the tone for the future for the Kansas City Chiefs.
It is a coup for Houston in becoming just the fifth non-QB to ink a deal worth more than $16M a year. He showed his character throughout the process by playing well last season and keeping a respectful approach to negotiating with the team. As I have said in the past, He’s an NFL generational talent and the team is best served by retaining him.
Jul 26, 2014; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs general manager John Dorsey deserves some major credit and more than a few atta-boys. Many, including myself, have been disgruntled with his personnel track record, particularly on the offensive side of the roster. That is fair and has been influenced by head coach Andy Reid and Reid’s system. At this point though, Dorsey has earned the benefit of the doubt in his approach to building the Chiefs’ roster.
Dorsey has a plan and he is sticking to it. As we have seen over the course of the years since Dorsey was hired, he is a steady general manager with priorities and a clam demeanor.
I appreciate a defense-first approach and I like the philosophy Dorsey has developed. He has pre-plugged holes before they became issues and he has concentrated on the two most important aspects of a modern defense in pass-rushing and covering receivers. It is reminiscent of the old days of Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith playing with Dale Carter and James Hasty. This philosophy was very successful for King Carl and his legacy and built a consistent playoff team in Kansas City.
The Houston deal sets the foundation for years to come. It sets the defensive leadership for the next era beyond Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson. Although a slow process, Dorsey is building a defense that can compete for years to come. That will give the city a contender and give Dorsey a long tenure as the Chiefs’ general manager.