Kansas City Chiefs fans do not need to think hard to remember the darker days. Many fans were on the verge of giving up on the franchise after watching the Chiefs stumble to a 2-14 record in 2012 under general manager Scott Pioli.
However, that same 2-14 team produced six Pro Bowlers. That stat alone should be enough to suggest that it wasn’t all Pioli’s fault, despite the general manager being in charge of player acquisitions and contract negotiations. So while Pioli wasn’t the best general manager, he definitely wasn’t the worst. That was hard for me to convince myself of after the dismal 2012 season. Then Clark Hunt started making moves and showing fans that he isn’t giving up on this franchise, and that was the beginning of the John Dorsey era.
I remember when I first heard that the Chiefs hired Dorsey away from the Green Bay Packers. My first thought was “Who the heck is John Dorsey?” My second thought was “Great another personnel guy from a successful franchise is going to come to Kansas City and make us suffer again.” Boy, was I mistaken.
Dorsey’s first move at the helm of the organization was bringing in Alex Smith. I know a lot of people weren’t necessarily be thrilled by that acquisition, but I was ecstatic. Smith was a guy that just took the San Francisco 49ers to two NFC championships and lost his job to a lesser player in Colin Kaepernick, and he was coming to Kansas City.
People get upset that Smith doesn’t throw downfield as much as he should, but Dorsey saw a guy that could run Reid’s offense and put the team in good position to win games. He was absolutely right. In two seasons with the Chiefs, Smith has won 19 games and taken them to the playoffs.
The next massive move Dorsey made during his tenure with Kansas City was signing Jeremy Maclin this offseason. He signed Maclin to a five-year, $55 million contract. The numbers might seem a little high, and after the Dwayne Bowe contract debacle I can certainly see where it would make some skeptical. But what people tend to forget is that Maclin is Reid’s guy. Reid drafted Maclin out of Missouri in the first round of the 2009 draft. He has had a solid career when not injured.
Maclin knows the system and is familiar with Reid’s playbook. This is the guy Reid wanted and Dorsey made it happen. It might have been pricey, but that is expected in this league.
Another position group that needed to be addressed this offseason was the offensive line. Kansas City’s line last year was obviously the worst position group on the team. I know the receivers failed to catch a single touchdown all season, but I still don’t think they were as bad as the line. Dorsey addressed the line early by trading for Ben Grubbs, a Pro Bowl guard with the New Orleans Saints. He also brought in Paul Fanaika, who may not start but definitely adds depth and competition to the interior.
It may be easy to dismiss these moves since we haven’t seen them play yet, but Dorsey and Reid saw an obvious need and addressed it. Not to mention brought in a Pro Bowler for a fifth-round pick before signing him to a four-year, $24 million extension.
The last thing I want to talk about is the current negotiations with Justin Houston and his agent. After putting up 22 sacks in a contract year it was obvious that Houston wanted to get paid big money. I have read arguments for and against a big contract for Houston. Ultimately, Dorsey and Houston came to an agreement before the deadline, inking a six-year, $101 million deal with $52.5 guaranteed.
Relax, everyone. Dorsey has this.