Did the Chiefs make a mistake parting ways with John Dorsey?

John Dorsey has made a number of extremely high profile moves in the last few days, leaving some Chiefs’ fans wondering if the organization made a mistake.

NFL free agency has been an absolute whirlwind so far. It is incredible how quickly, and at what price, teams are snatching up premier free agents. In particular, the Cleveland Browns seem to be spending money and draft capital like it is going out of style.

In the span of a few hours, the Browns signed defensive tackles Sheldon Richardson and Carl Davis along with tight end Demetrius Harris and traded for pass rusher Olivier Vernon and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. This does not even include their February signing of running back Kareem Hunt. That leaves the Browns with talent on defense and a seemingly incredible offense of Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., and Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt.

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This has left national pundits, and some Chiefs’ fans, in awe of John Dorsey’s ability to compile talent—so much so that some Chiefs’ fans have questioned the organization’s decision to move on from Dorsey.

This is a very understandable sentiment. After all, Dorsey has now, on paper, transformed a terrible franchise that spent decades in mediocrity (or worse) into a potential Super Bowl contender. He did something similar with the Chiefs, aggressively turning over a roster that won two out of 16 contests in 2012 and making them relevant in 2013.

Dorsey is good at his job of that, there is no question, but comparing Dorsey and Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach is a far more complicated analysis than just looking at the talent they have personally compiled.

It may not seem like it, but not every NFL general manager has the same job. Dorsey and Veach, while they carry the same title, are performing tasks that require a far different skill set.

In both of Dorsey’s stints as GM, he has taken over franchises on severe downturns. The Chiefs had several poor years, capped off by a 2-14 campaign, and the Browns had spent practically two decades at the bottom of the league. In both cases, there was nowhere to go but up.

That’s not to take anything away from Dorsey. He is extremely good at what he does, fixing terrible franchises. But where he seems to falter is in sustaining those franchises both from a talent and financial standpoint.

For instance, it’s obvious that the Chiefs made a huge leap forward in Dorsey’s first year as GM. But it’s also obvious that they made only marginal improvements every year following that. Even worse, Dorsey had extreme difficulty buying low and selling high. Most Chiefs’ fans will remember his first mega contract to Dwayne Bowe, five years and $56 million. As terrible as that ended up being, it was only the beginning.

This last point, about contracts, was likely what lost Dorsey his job. This was a significant problem, one that the organization is still dealing with years later. It might be a stretch, but you could argue Dorsey was a big reason the Chiefs couldn’t sign more defensive help last offseason. Maybe he’s learned from his mistakes, but only time with the Browns will tell. So, how is Veach’s job different?

Where Dorsey was tasked with taking a perennial bottom feeder and making the playoffs, Veach has been tasked with taking a perennial playoff contender and winning a Super Bowl. Where Dorsey’s margin was vast, Veach’s margin is razor thin. It is a far different and arguably more complicated task.

To perform this task well, you must not only be able to identify talent, but also be able to identify players who have a championship mentality. Chiefs’ fans should know this well by now. We have had teams with a lot of talent in the Andy Reid era. But, it wasn’t until last season we began to see a true, sustainable championship mentality.

Think Patrick Mahomes. Yes, Dorsey did technically draft him. But most reports indicate that Veach was the one who “pounded the table” for him. If these are true, you can pretty much thank Veach for the position the Chiefs are in, one they haven’t been in 50 years.

Given how close the Chiefs were to the Super Bowl, this offseason will be a very important one for Veach’s legacy. Any realized regression is not something the Chiefs and this fanbase can afford. But fortune favors the bold, and Veach is nothing if not bold.

Now, I’ll be honest. It’s far too early to compare the jobs done by Dorsey and Veach with respect to their current teams. Hindsight is 20/20 and, unfortunately, we will only be able to compare the work of these men once their careers are over.

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That being said, it’s important to remember to take every situation in context. As Chiefs’ fans, we shouldn’t get distressed because Dorsey is turning a terrible team into a competitive one. Our GM has a different job, turning a competitive team into a Super Bowl champion.

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