Is Chiefs general manager John Dorsey the best?

2015

At first glance, it’s difficult to overstate just how impressive the 2015 offseason was. All stages of player acquisition were solid and provided help on both sides of the football.

Wide receiver was a huge need, and the Chiefs addressed that position quickly landing Eagles wideout Jeremy Maclin, a fan favorite of fans who watched him at the University of Missouri. Tyvon Branch provided solid depth that season after coming over from the Oakland Raiders.

The draft would yield plenty of talent and finds.

First round pick Marcus Peters is well on his way to being one of the best corners in the game. From his first game, Peters has been dominant and a threat to turn the field on every snap. Only in his second year, Peters has already earned the distinction of affecting opposing teams game plans, forcing the ball to the other side of the field.

Second round pick Mitch Morse was selected from Missouri to be a center, despite playing tackle in college. Morse would go on not only to transition to the new position, but take over as starter as a rookie, and has been solid ever since.

Chris Conley and Steve Nelson would come in round three, and both have contributed this 2016 season, especially Nelson, who’s helping to make Gaines expendable with his solid play (along with Terrance Mitchell). Fourth round pick Ramik Wilson is starting at middle linebacker, fifth round pick D.J. Alexander is a top reserve linebacker and key special teams contributor, and sixth round pick Rakeem Nunez-Roches appears to have found talent he didn’t know he had, and has been a solid performer along the defensive line.

Fifth rounder James O’Shaugnessey has played sparingly thus far and one has to wonder his fit long term, and seventh round pick DaRon Brown was on the Chiefs practice squad during the 2015 season before being cut prior to the start of the 2016 season.

The Chiefs would end their extended dry spell of postseason success with a thrashing of the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round only to fall the next week to the New England Patriots.  The biggest concern perhaps stems from the issues this organization has had healing ACL injuries. Justin Houston sat out the second half of the season only attempt to play in the playoffs. Further testing showed Houston had a damaged (non functioning) ACL. Gaines suffered an ACL tear in the thrashing the Chiefs took in the Monday night game against the Packers. Both players have had issues returning from injury, and both may miss the 2016 playoffs due to issues arising from those injuries.