Putting Chiefs draft into the big picture

The Hill fallout.

So, this happened and the Chiefs Kingdom flipped its lid.  I seriously cannot remember a more divisive draft pick in Chiefs history.  That’s actually kind of impressive for a fifth rounder.  I mean, in these first few days of reaction, we have been seeing Matt Cassel and Alex Smith-like division among Chiefs fans.

And with something this polarizing, you had better believe it is going to be a constant topic among the KC media outlets.  Being a hot topic, I’m compelled to weigh in as well…

Let me start by saying I believe in second chances.  I believe that people make mistakes, often terrible ones, that don’t actually reflect the person.  I also believe that sometimes what you see is what you get.  I believe that some people are just terrible by nature or nurture and won’t change.  Those are things I believe.  When it comes to Tyreek Hill, what I KNOW…is that I don’t know anything.

So from that point of view, I am going to reserve my judgment.  He’s on probation for three years, during which he will be receiving a lot of counseling.  So, fine, if he goes those three years without a single incident, then I will believe it was just a one time terrible mistake.  If not, then I will absolutely hold this against John Dorsey.  My message to Hill: “Prove you are a better man than you were in that moment.”

Now, with that said…I don’t like this pick.  From a strategic point of view, I really don’t see the advantage to adding Hill to this roster.  The Chiefs return game has been solid for the past several years with players that are a threat to score every time they field a punt or kick.  Even if Knile Davis is sent packing, there is return talent on this roster.

And it wasn’t difficult to see that the struggles we did have last year were on the blocking end, not the return man end.  Tyreek Hill is a minimal upgrade as a punt returner over DeAnthony Thomas, if even an upgrade at all.  Hill is possibly a better kick returner than Thomas, but not based on the college production of the two.  And Thomas also appears to be the better offensive weapon.

Now, there is the question of what is going on with DeAnthony Thomas.  He suffered a concussion at the end of last season that cost him several weeks, and then did not travel with the team in the playoffs for reasons not related to football.  From there, rumors surfaced early in the offseason that the Chiefs were trying to trade Thomas to the 49ers.  Both the team and Thomas have consistently stated that there is nothing to any of this and that all parties expect DeAnthony Thomas to be a Chief in 2016.  But all of these issues do create an air of uncertainty…and drafting Hill just adds to that.

The best reasoning I’ve seen is: “DeAnthony Thomas just isn’t a reliable option at this point.”  Hey, fair enough.  I can’t argue against that.  What I can argue against, however, is that adding a guy who is on legal probation for domestic violence is somehow more reliable.  The slightest slip up could result in Tyreek Hill going to jail…yeah, not exactly the safest bet.  So for me, this move fell very flat even if I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Next: Wrapping up...