As the Buffalo Bills wrapped their GM search with Brandon Beane, some interesting quotes about the Chiefs leadership structure came out.
Brandon Beane is in control of the Buffalo Bills final 53-man roster. As part of his newfound responsibilities as general manager for the team, Beane has personnel say, per the Buffalo News. That much should be assumed for any GM unless it’s an odd case like the New England Patriots. And maybe, add to that, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Most general managers control all personnel decisions and then present the rosters to the coach to translate the talent to on-field results. The official leadership structures of NFL franchises vary from one to another, but by and large, coaches remain coaches for a reason. Only in rare Belichickian circumstances are things switched or even altered that much when all is said and done.
Imagine our questions, then, after reading the following in the Buffalo News:
"The Buffalo News has learned that the Bills’ model will pretty much replicate that of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs’ GM, John Dorsey, has a significant say in the assembling of the 53-man roster, but there is no mistaking that coach Andy Reid is in charge of the entire football operation and has final say.Besides the Bills and Chiefs, the only other team that has a coach calling the football shots for the organization is the New England Patriots, who do everything the Bill Belichick way."
So there it is. Four years after Andy Reid’s hire, wherein he said he was done with the personnel game, we find out that he’s been the personnel man all along? That seems a bit odd. Does John Dorsey present everything to Reid and then he makes the final call? Is there a dual leadership structure where all parties sign off on a transaction? Is everyone just so Midwestern-y friendly that no one can tell one from another?
This would be a serious issue and question all over sports radio if not for one thing: the Chiefs continue to win. 41 regular season wins in four seasons will do that for a regime. At this point, most fans will likely respond to this with a giant “who cares?” After all if something is working, then leave it alone.
But some of us find this interesting, even if it’s only an NFL writer being overzealous in how they perceive another team to work. Does Reid have personnel sway here despite Dorsey being the “face” of those matters? Is it a bit of all of the above? Does the news story have things entirely wrong? Either way, we certainly wouldn’t want to change a thing, even if that still leaves us curious to know how it works.