How to fix the Chiefs

[jmlamerson]

The Chiefs are one of more interesting teams in the league, and could be one of the easiest to rebuild. In my opinion, the following owould be the best way:

1. Be very, very active in free agency and fix your lines.

Sign free agents O-linemen Jordan Gross (LT) and Marc Colombo (RT) to long term deals. Both are under 30. Overpay both of them if you have to and you will). Make gross the highest paid o-lineman in the league if you have to (and you'll have to) - just get them signed. This will also allow you to move Albert back to his natural position at RG and shoudl give the Chiefs an above average o-line.

Then sign Julius Pepper, Terrell Suggs, and Albert Haynesworth to long term deals for your d-line. All are under 30. Overpay them if you have to. Keep Dorsey at DT. The Chiefs will have the cap room to do this, even if you ignore step 2.

2. Clear out the dead weight.

Cut Brodie Croyle, Tamba Hali, MacIntosh, Donnie Edwards, all WRs not named Bowe, Pollard, Tank, Turk, Surtain, and every other project player that hasn't worked out. Try to trade those tradable and cut the rest.

3. Fix the QB position

Sign JP Losman to a two-year deal for near the minimum. Draft Stafford out of Georgia with the overall number 1 pick (which KC probably will have). Sit Stafford for a year at least and don't get him killed.

4. Convince Gonzalez and Waters not to retire.

This will be difficult, but a new regime committed to winning might be able to do it.

5. Don't cut or trade LJ

It makes no sense to cut him and eat his cap hit. Try to get 2-3 good years out of him. Behind a revamped line and with a good QB, he may become rejuvinated.

6. Draft well

Everyone needs to stop pretending Herm Edwards has drafted well. He hasn't, and most of his draft picks will be out of the league when their rookie contracts are up.

Even if the free agency plan above goes to plan, the Chiefs are still deficient at most positions. Stafford in the 1st round, and some mixture of WR, OL, LB, and CB over the rest. Do NOT draft any more DTs, RBs, TEs, or Ss.

7. Clean out the coaches and management personnel

Even if they weren't terrible at their jobs (and they are), you need to do this to rebuild faith in the franchise.

Cowher probably won't coach here (quit dreaming, people). Get Lane Kiffin (at least he'll care about Raiders games). Let him rebuild his staff. Throw a dumptruck of money at Scott Pioli to GM here.

What do you think?

[OTR Chiefs fan]

I am biased cause I really hate the b_lls but I live in Niagara Falls and unfortunately had to see him play a lot (fubbalo is all they show in the bars around here) and I have never been impressed with anything I have ever seen him do. I agree we need a new QB but not Losman or our downhill slide will continue. He could not help Fubbalo win with half decent talent, he has no chance of winning here or teaching someone to win. JMHO

I couldn't agree more. I don't think CP/HE will go FA to find a QB. I think what will happen is that if Thigpen is halfway decent the rest of this season they will keep him on and draft a QB and groom him to be the heir apparent. Management is not into the FA scene, they are totally into the build through the draft mode.

[texaschief]

I had to respond to this, and every other defense of Herm Edwards's drafting abilities.

1. I have never said Flowers would wash out. I have always said that was best KC pick over the past three years.

Really? Flowers is the "best pick?" The 2nd RD CB? wow.

2. You're right - Page, Webb, Stallings, Croyle, Pollard, Hali, Taylor, Smith, Tyler, McBride, Bowe, Merritt, Johnston, Richardson, Carr, Franklin, Morgan, Cottam, Charles, Flowers, Albert and Dorsey are all still on the team. Don't you think that is more of a sign that the Chiefs lack talent than how good of picks they were? How many of those do you really think will ever be legitimate starters?

All those will be "legitimate starters." Period.


Hali - A bust. Is getting run over every running play and is unable to rush the passer without a premier pass rusher taking up double teams.

a bust? are you kidding? what are you smoking? Is he a premier, rushing DE? no. that's not what he was drafted to be. he was drafted to be a bookend DE opposite a premier DE in Allen. He needs to go back to his original position.

Webb - A bust. Can't even crack the Chiefs 3rd WR spot despite the distinct lack of talent in the WR corps (outside Bowe).

Any player still in the league his 3rd year after being drafted in the 6th round can't be considered a "bust" until he's out of the league. Get a clue. Hell, any player taken after the 5th round that is still in the league their rookie season has passed the term "bust." To be labeled a "bust" you need to achieve Ryan Sims/Ryan Leaf notoriety. Webb was a 6th round WR who's still in the league.

Stallings - A bust. Can't crack the RG spot despite the immortal Adrian Jones stinking it up over there.

ANOTHER 6th rounder who is still in the league during their 3rd year. I'm sure everyone in Kansas City thought this guy was going to be a Pro Bowl caliber OG when we drafted him too. Again, for a 6th rounder to still be in the league three years later is an achievement. You really should go back and count how many of Vermeil's picks, rounds 1-7 even made it to their 3rd year.... it's ok... the list is short. It won't take long.

Croyle - Look, he is out of the league. He will never play another game. He won't be backing us (or anyone up) next year. He is a massive bust.

I'd say Croyle is a disappointment more than a "bust." Again, if we had drafted him in the first round, like (oh, i don't know, Ryan Leaf/Alex Smith/David Carr?) then maybe he'd be a bust. He's going to be the backup on this team next year because he has another year on his contract and he's definitely worth keeping as a backup. While i hoped he could be the QB of the future, i'm not shocked he couldn't be. But, I'll be happy to take him as the franchise backup. Higher picks than he aren't even in the league anymore.

Pollard - I'll agree to disagree until he's in a coherent defensive scheme.

Yeah, he's only becoming the leader of the defense.

Hali - Hey, you listed him twice! I think you meant Page, who can't tackle or cover - bust.

Page is a "bust?" How the hell is HE a bust? How the hell can you label ANY 7th rounder who made a NFL team a "bust?" Page trails only 17 people in the entire league in picks. You say he can't tackle, but he's not the SS. He's not the guy who should be supporting the run in the first place. I like 3 picks though.

Taylor - He's a servicable 6th OL, but he's shown nothing in the regular season yet to have me believe he's a 16-game starter on the OL.

yeah, Taylor is awful. Especially how he performed in Albert's absence... that was atrocious.

Kolby Smith - A bust. If you want a 3/yd per carry runner, he's your guy. He's not a long-term solution at RB.

wow. A 5th round bust. Kolby was awful last year too. Your player evaluations and judgments are some of the worst I've EVER seen from anybody.

Where's Medlock? Figured you'd throw him in here... although that was Peterson's pick. How else do you explain taking the UCLA K over the best kicker in the draft?


Tyler - A bust. Drafted way to high. Can't stop the run or rush the passer.

LMFAO... sorry.

McBride - See Tyler.

McBride IS NOT a "bust." Although, i do agree that he was drafted too high. He certainly hasn't produced the way a 2nd rounder should. But if he were producing at this level as a 5th round pick, he wouldn't be considered a disappointment at this point in his career.

Bowe - Great pick. Of course, one that Edwards fought.

One that Edwards fought, huh? Where did you hear that?

Merritt - A non-factor this year. He's the Chiefs 4th TE or 2nd FB. Wasted pick either way.

Wasted... unless TG retires in next couple years and we end up needing a blocking TE in the future.... oh, wait.

Johnston - A bust. Can't start over Alfonso Boone despite Herm trying to give him the job.

lol. another 7th round "bust" that still made a NFL team.

Richardson - A bust. Can't start over McIntosh despite Herm trying to give him the job.

Where do you get your info? Everything Edwards has said this year indicated that he wants his starting unit to play together for a while before he starts replacing people. Why does that count for everyone BUT Richardson. Nonetheless, ANOTHER 6th RD "bust" that made a NFL team.


Carr - Solid slot CB.

This is the "Jared Allen" of the past 3 years. He will be the other CB opposite Flowers.

Franklin - A bust. Injury prone and undersized.

Little early to label a guy who beat out some good competition for a roster spot, a "bust" in his first year... but whatever.

Morgan - Undecided - will have to wait and see. Has done nothing yet this year.

Agreed. So, he's OBVIOUSLY a "bust" right?

Cottam - Undecided - will have to wait and see how he performs without Tony G.

Why? He's bigger and faster with better hands.

Charles - Want to see if he can stand up to a real defense before declaring him anyhting more than a 3rd down back, but looked good against the Jets.

He's NOTHING MORE than a 3rd down back. He's a change of pace back to compliment a bruising RB like Johnson. He is what he is. He's our Reggie Bush. Except, we didn't waste a top 2 pick on him.

Flowers - Stud pick. See #1.

Albert - Injury prone and out of place as a LT. Yes, he played LT in high school. He is a better RG and should be moved there.

"injury prone and out of place?" for real guy, you need to figure your sh!# out.

Dorsey - Is getting blown out so far this year. May turn into a stud, but at least not until his 2nd contract.

Defensive Tackles take a couple years to develop. Albert Haynesworth is arguebly THE best DT in the league. He was taken with the 15th pick in 2002 and made his first Pro Bowl in 2007. That's why i haven't given up hope on Tank or Turk yet.

This isn't counting the four picks no longer on the team.

Look, few teams have drafted worse than the Chiefs these past three years. So many rookies have played for the Chiefs, not because they are so good, but because the Chiefs cannot (or will not) attract legitimate free agents.

Can you show me some statistics to back this claim up or are you just spouting more bullsh!#? I'd just like to see some comparison.

For some reason, you think I'm defending Vermeil's drafting abilities. Vermiel, in the first three rounds of 2001 to 2005 drafted:

Derrick Johnson (2005)starter
Colquitt (2005)starter
Junior Siavii (2004)Not in the league
Kris Wilson (2004)backup
Keyaron Fox (2004)backup in Pitt
Larry Johnson (2003)starter
Kawika Mitchell (2003)starter
Julian Battle (2003)not in the league
Ryan Sims (2002)backup in tampa
Eddie Freeman (2002)not in the league
Eric Downing (2001)not in the league
Marvin Minnis (2001)not in the league

3 starters and a punter... nice.

They also traded a 1st and 2nd for Trent Green, who turned out pretty well, and a 2nd for Surtain, who has been servicable as a CB.

Was Trent Green really worth a 1st and 2nd? Give me a break. If we got back P. Manning, MAYBE... but Trent Green? please.

The rest of your post is just random nonsense not worth my time. It's your AWFUL opinion and you're entitled to it. But you posted your player evaluations as if they were fact and you were flat out wrong on almost every single account.

just thought i'd help you out there buddy.

[Three7s]

Texas, I agree with you on almost everything, just one thing. Albert has been injured twice since preseason, he may not be injury-prone yet, but he's gotta be close.

[chief31]

Was Trent Green really worth a 1st and 2nd? Give me a break. If we got back P. Manning, MAYBE... but Trent Green? please.
.

Over 20,000 yards in five seasons, with a QB rating over 90? Yeah. That's well worth a 1st and a 2nd.

I'll leave the rest of that for you and jmlamerson to work out. But Green was awefully damn good here for five striaght seasons.

Maybe sometime soon, I will go over the likelihood of finding a 1st round QB that can match that productivity.

[yashi]

How soon do people forget that Green was a top 3-4 quarterback in the league during his time in KC?

[Drunker Hillbilly]

Over 20,000 yards in five seasons, with a QB rating over 90? Yeah. That's well worth a 1st and a 2nd.

I'll leave the rest of that for you and jmlamerson to work out. But Green was awefully damn good here for five striaght seasons.

Maybe sometime soon, I will go over the likelihood of finding a 1st round QB that can match that productivity.

I'm on the fence here with this one. While I agree that he was absolutely great while he was here, he was older and toward the end of his most productive days. 1st OR a second yes, first AND a second, just don't know.

[jmlamerson]

The rest of your post is just random nonsense not worth my time. It's your AWFUL opinion and you're entitled to it. But you posted your player evaluations as if they were fact and you were flat out wrong on almost every single account.

just thought i'd help you out there buddy.

I don't see why you think you're making sense. You are equating being on the Herm Edwards Chiefs for three years to being on any other team in the NFL for three years. Herm Edwards has kept players on this team who could not get work elsewhere in the NFL (Richardson, Johnston, Stallings, Webb, etc.). He has also released those people who have done very well elsewhere (K. Mitchell, T. Richardson, J. Wilkerson). Herm has kept his picks on the team because he cannot attract the necessary free agents to play in those positions with a NFL level of skill. He also wants to keep up his image as a master talent evaluator. This is the way Isiah Thomas held onto his job for years with the Knicks.

None of these players I labeled busts would make the practice squad on most teams.

And yes, Flowers, a 2nd round CB, WAS the best pick made by the Chiefs over the past two years. Bowe was the 2nd best pick. Carr is probably the 3rd. Albert has been injured trying to play LT. He isn't right for it. Did we reach too high for a RG? Probably. But we and he would be much better off playing him there. Charles should be a great 3rd down back. Tell that to the people who claim he'll have success running the ball 20+ times a game.

A small point. It is idiotic for the Chiefs to keep pouring picks into RBs, SSs, and TEs to be backups in case of retirements/trades, when we have established players in front of them. If you are able, explain to me how it makes sense to draft Cottam in the 3rd, sign him to a three-year contract, and then refuse to trade Tony G. Explain to me how it makes sense to draft a SS (he's too slow for FS) in Morgan in the 3rd when you have 23-year-old Pollard cemented in the SS slot?

My point about Vermeil was that he drafted badly. I said it in my post. You chopped it up to make it seem otherwise. Do you think this helps or hurts your credibility?

I wrote that we need to wait and see for most of this year's draft, including Morgan, Charles, Dorsey, Albert, and the other you whined that I slighted. I'm not going to call them successes (or futur stars) before I actually see them do anything successfully.

In a way, I admire your utter committment to the current vision of the team. On the other hand, I'm pretty contemptuous of the fact that you don't know what you're talking about and that you're misstating what I've written.

[Dyno-Mite]

That Lamerson dude gets pounded on by everybody.He just doesn't make any sense at all.

[jmlamerson]

That Lamerson dude gets pounded on by everybody.He just doesn't make any sense at all.

I respect your opinion on this as much as I respect your opinion that Grbac was Favre's equal. And your opinion that Croyle is our QB of the future because he got to practice against Law and Surtain.

Really, don't you ever get tired of being wrong, all of the time?

And you insulted a lot of people by referring to you two idiots (you and Texaschief) as "everybody."

[Sn@keIze]

Over 20,000 yards in five seasons, with a QB rating over 90? Yeah. That's well worth a 1st and a 2nd.

I'll leave the rest of that for you and jmlamerson to work out. But Green was awefully damn good here for five striaght seasons.

Maybe sometime soon, I will go over the likelihood of finding a 1st round QB that can match that productivity.

I agree. Green did what top tier QBs did w/o a stud WR core like a Harrison/Wayne or Bruce/Holt. All he had was TG. Yet he still had several 4000+ yard seasons.

After that Bengals hit tho, Trent never has been the same.

I do understand too bout how TexasChief says 1st and 2nd do to his age. But because of our draft ability goes, if we had to do that again and knew we would have a QB like that for the next 5 years. Id say GO FOR IT!