If the cupboards look a bit bare this offseason, it might make sense for the Chiefs to transition slowly ahead knowing they’ll have better options in 11 months.
Let’s start with what matters most: change is happening.
For the last two offseasons (and for some of you, even longer), Chiefs Kingdom has been clamoring for changes on the highest levels of leadership on the defensive side. It’s nothing personal about Bob Sutton as a person, but his ability to stop opposing defenses—his very job description—was lacking. On Tuesday, the hammer finally fell with the news that the Chiefs will never endure another season with Sutton as defensive coordinator.
Therein lies the main idea, and it’s one we should not stray from. Change has come. Change is here. Things can only get better.
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The question, at this point then, is how much better? As one of the final four teams still playing in the National Football League, the Chiefs were exactly where they wanted to be on the field. I mean, every player dreams of the chance to play in the Super Bowl. No one would have it any differently—fans included—but it also meant keeping Bob Sutton employed that much longer.
It’s not about Sutton at this point. What I mean to say is, the Chiefs lacked an opening at the time when it’s actually good to have an opening. Even teams who create openings only at season’s end are behind the proverbial eight ball. The best teams clear the slate with a week or even two to go to get that much more ahead of the rest of the miserable field, hoping to have their choice of the wide array of job-seekers aiming to move their way up in the NFL world.
By the time the Chiefs could even advertise for their job opening, it felt like a local grocery store on the verge of a major snowstorm—with only a few odds and ends on the shelves remaining for non-discerning shoppers.
Consider the faces the Chiefs have been linked with so far, and you’ll realize not a single one of them were involved with professional football on the field for at least the last year. For Rex Ryan, it’s been two years. A year away is well and good if a coach wanted to recapture the fire (a la Mike McCarthy in 2019). In the case of Steve Spagnuolo, he was quite vocal even one year ago about wanting to still coach in the NFL in 2018. Not a single team came calling, even in an advisory role.
(By the way, that in itself is weird, is it not? The Chiefs have been smarting defensively all season long, setting low marks like losing to the Patriots after scoring 40 or the Rams after scoring 50. If Reid knew a move was coming, why not even bring in Spagnuolo as a consultant? It’s a move that teams make all the time on both sides of the ball, but the Chiefs not only failed to bolster their leadership with new voices but they waited until there’s nothing left.)
(Another side note. Let’s be clear: I’m not advocating that the Chiefs should have fired Sutton at the end of the regular season with meaningful football still to play. Reid rolled the dice with Sutton for 2018 and he had to ride it out until the bitter end.)
After a couple days of looking over the prospective choices to replace Sutton, it occurs to me that these selections aren’t exactly the most tantalizing. It’s like hitting an all-day buffet at 3:00 in the afternoon. The Chiefs are hungry and anything will work. As we said, anything is better than Sutton at this point. But does that mean we have to get absolutely full here? At 3:00 p.m.? On crab rangoon under heat lamps?
Here’s my proposal. If the Chiefs look out and realize that the best and brightest aren’t exactly available at this point, then would it not make sense to kick the can on any permanent solutions for one calendar year?
Consider the following: the Chiefs could promote an internal defensive coach to the position of interim DC and let them work out their own ideas. Whether it’s outside linebackers coach Mike Smith or defensive backs coach Al Harris or even Emmitt Thomas, who has served as a defensive coordinator for more than one team in his career, the Chiefs could promote one of their own in a cautious capacity to see what they already have in-house.
The benefits here are significant because any staff member will already know and respect the culture and have a great working relationship with Reid. Furthermore, he will know the players intimately yet have permission to alter the approach with each. The front office will also have a working relationship here with the DC, so it wouldn’t mess up any offseason approach for Brett Veach, who is making some very important selections this spring.
If the results are positive and the Chiefs unearth the next good or even great defensive coordinator, then all of the resulting columns will be about a flawless transition and how Reid’s staff can grow coaches on both sides of the ball (although that’s already been proven during his years with the Eagles). If things go well, then there’s simply nothing to do but enjoy the fruits of a capable defensive coordinator on a Super Bowl caliber team.
If things do not go well, however, then the interim promotion of an internal candidate was simply a cautious way to bide the franchise’s time before they really go shopping 10 or 11 months from now. There’s no shortage of bright young assistants who would not want to be associated with Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. Positional coaches would likely come out of the woodwork knowing such an opportunity was on the table. Perhaps even exciting college options would also be there. Basically, the full range of products would line shelves once again.
As of now, if the Chiefs are in any way unconvinced about their external options moving forward, the best approach might be to stay cautious for the next year. The biggest and best change has already been made. The Chiefs simply cannot be this bad defensively next season. And if so, you’re going to want to fire whoever is in charge of them anyway in 2019 and start again.