The Answer (Probably)

Here it is, everyone. Here's the big news we've all been waiting for- the answer to the biggest question concerning Kansas City football. The Chiefs have chosen their new quarterback, and agreed to terms to bring him to KC. Probably.

Since San Fran officially announced a willingness to trade Alex Smith, the Chiefs have clearly emerged as the team with the most interest. According to Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com, the deal between Smith and KC is “all but done.” A few hours after this news broke, Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports tweeted that the 49ers told other interested teams that a deal involving Smith was “effectively complete. Can't be finalized til league year begins 3/12.” This followed several other tweets from around the league that were essentially announcements from teams pulling out of negotiations for the San Fran QB. By late Sunday night, Kansas City appeared to be the only candidate still in the race.

If it's all true, the search is over. The new franchise QB is here- or at least, he'll be here on March 12^th. We can all move on from the QB situation once and for all. Probably.

In another NFL.com report, Ian Rapaport mentions that because of the odd situation in San Francisco last year, the Chiefs know that Alex “won't tear the place apart if he's replaced.” That's a very important and understated point. Several sources have pointed out Reid's interest in using the first draft pick on offensive lineman Luke Joeckel. However, with this move the Chiefs leave themselves the option to draft whichever 2^nd or 3^rd round QB catches their attention. If Ryan Nassib or Matt Barkley or Tyler Bray become the apple in Andy's eye, the Chiefs can still grab him, probably in the 2^nd round. Probably.

Everything is still up in the air, unfortunately. Who knows how we'll use our 2^nd round without knowing the 1^st round pick? We could trade down and change the draft order. We could trade the 2^nd round pick in free agency. It could be gone already; for all we know, the Chiefs already traded the 2^nd round draft pick for Alex Smith and signed the official/unofficial contract.

Since every theory is built on a foundation of probable-truths and hearsay, nothing will be clear fact until we hear it from the mouth of someone within the Chiefs organization. At the very earliest, this would come on March 12^th, the technical start to the new football year. For now though, it seems as if all the rumors and all the reading between-the-lines point to Smith being the answer. With the mediocre Matt Flynn and the untested Nick Foles* as the other legitimate options in free agency, Alex Smith seems to be the optimal choice. As much as I can read into it, Smith is coming to Kansas City, and the Chiefs made the best decision possible for this situation.

You know, probably.

* The Foles/Chiefs situation has supposedly ended with another stern rejection from the Philadelphia front office. According to USA Today, the Eagles reiterated to Reid on Saturday that Foles was not currently on the market. Why they said this publicly the first time while simultaneously naming their price is still a worthy question. Nonetheless, it seems Foles is officially off the list. That is, until a few weeks from now, when free agency begins, draft stocks shift, and every team's long-term plans become more concrete. Don't let the strong posturing fool you- if Smith isn't coming to Kansas City, Foles still looms in the shadows as an intriguing dark-horse. 

The Answer (Maybe)

The search is on for the new Chief's QB, and a new front-runner just emerged. Andy Reid is dancing a rather awkward dance with the front office in Philadelphia at this moment. Maybe it's less of a waltz and more of a slow-paced boxing match at this point, with Andy waiting to counter after Philadelphia's latest moves. As the hearsay spread that Reid and Co. weren't interested in acquiring Michael Vick, the Eagles resigned him to a one-year extension for $7 million.

It seems like Vick was waiting for an invite from Reid, and he never got one.

News broke earlier this week that Reid and the Chiefs have interest in Eagles QB Nick Foles. This would be the first proverbial counter-punch that Reid threw in response to Philly re-signing Vick and also hiring QB Dennis Dixon to compete with him (and Foles, so they say) for the starting job. Andy was responsible for Foles' hiring in the previous draft, where he picked him in the 3^rd round and saw enough potential in Nick to start him in 6 games. In those six games, Foles completed more than 60% of his 265 pass attempts and recorded a TD/INT ratio of 6/5. After Vick posted a positive ratio for touchdowns and picks 4 out of his 10 games and completed below 58.1% of his passes, many Eagles fans were left hoping for Foles to return as their starter. Even now, that may happen.

The Eagles front office is simultaneously telling the press that they aren't considering trading Foles AND letting the league know it would take at least a 1^st or 2^nd round pick to pique their interest. Whenever you hear business talk like that, chances are the two parties are about to, you know, do business together. So, don't let the lofty valuations or bargaining jargon fool you- Foles is on the market, and the Chiefs want him. This is all part of the dance/fist-fight that will quite possibly end with Foles starting his next season in red.

The question now isn't whether Foles is available- it's whether he can be had for a reasonable exchange. The Eagles are reading off page one of the Haggling for Dummies handbook and setting the bar high as their first step of negotiations. There's been no word from either side, at least not publicly, about what else Philly would take in exchange for their possible 3rd-string QB. All the faith is with Reid here, both from the fans and, presumably, from the front office in KC. He knows Foles, so his valuation of him in the current market will determine what happens next. If he can convince Philly to part with their third-string QB for a reasonable price, Foles becomes the answer to the Chiefs' most important question. If the Eagles can't make it worth it for Reid and Kansas City, we'll go right back to the drawing board to further analyze all the Smiths and Flynns and Barkleys out there.

Reid will hopefully never reach the Big Brother levels of secrecy that Pioli has in years past. Every team, however, (or more to my point, every business) keeps certain things under wraps and out of the public eye for good reasons. Things have been quiet since Saturday. Too quiet. Just the fact that Reid's interest in Foles went public seems a telling sign of at least partial commitment to that plan. I have a feeling that Foles will be here in KC next year- whether or not he will start is an entirely different debate.

So, what do you think? What would you offer to Philly in return for Foles? Do you think Foles is the real answer at franchise QB? Do you think I'm moronic for one reason or another? Let me know in the comments section. You can be as honest and mean as you want, guys, it's the internet.

Hoping For Hope From Hopefuls

This January, the Chiefs signed two offensive linemen, a veteran defensive tackle and a young wide receiver to the 2013 roster. This comes as the first wave of player acquisitions since the induction of the Reid-Dorsey regime. Though I was chomping at the bit to analyze these guys when I saw that we had already hired four free agents, there sadly isn't much here to analyze. My excitement seems to have gotten the best of me. Of the four newly-signed Chiefs, three of them have a combined one game of NFL experience, and exactly zero starts. Only one of the four was drafted- offensive lineman Ryan Durand- and he was a 7^th round pick.

Maybe “boatload of talent” was overstating things a bit.

Although improvement at all these positions is necessary to success, these probably aren't the long-term solutions Kansas City needs. But hey, what do I know? The Chiefs have significantly improved their ability to scout for talent with all the previously detailed coaching hires. Obviously they know more than I do, but right now no one can know whether they hired these players for depth or for serious consideration for a role as a starter.

So, let's see the situation for what it gives to us- another opportunity for hope. These guys aren't rejects or burnouts or busts. They're all just untested youngsters, and they've all caught the eye of somebody in the Chiefs front office. John Dorsey alone brings a dozen years of analyzing the skills of young players. Mark DeLeone, Dave Toub and other assistants plan to- or at least hope to- contribute their opinions to the process of finding talent, as well. By upgrading the Chiefs front office, Clark Hunt leaves fans without a reason to doubt that we've hired players with potential to make an impact.

So, let's meet some of the guys who will make the preseason (relatively) interesting.

Let's start with the obvious outlier in this list of otherwise young, unproven players. Daniel Muir played four seasons with the Colts and one each with Green Bay and the Jets before signing with the Chiefs. Muir got the bulk of his experience with Indy in '09 and '10, when he played in a combined 30 games and started in 24. Dan also brings valuable playoff experience to KC. With the Colts, he started in four postseason games and recorded 11 tackles.

Of all the new members to sign with the Chiefs, Muir probably has the best chance to get consistent playing time. The Chiefs list only two other defensive tackles and two nose tackles on the roster. Anthony Toribio is an unimpressive DT with zero career starts and seven tackles in 15 games. The only other defensive tackle on the team is Shaun Smith, a soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. If you ask me, Smith was great on special teams and provided a spark every time he was plugged into the defense. Clark is showing an openness to spend, but it's easy to envision him putting his money elsewhere to improve the team through free agency (Alex Smith, anyone?) Maybe a defensive line that includes Muir can be effective, but a line that includes Poe, Muir and Toribio looks like the worst in the league on paper. So essentially, Muir>Toribio, but Muir<The Average Starting DT, so the work at this position is far from over.

Speaking of positions with serious need for an upgrade, let's talk about the holes on offense. Dwayne Bowe's future in red and gold is undoubtedly in question, and the rest of the receiving core under-performed through the whole season. Tyler Shoemaker won't fix all the Chief's problems in the passing game, but he'll get a chance to help. Shoemaker is a wide-out from Boise State that was signed by the Bucs after going undrafted in 2012. Before training camp began in Tampa, Tyler was released. That leaves us knowing nothing about this guy beyond his college career. He was the best receiver on his team for a Division I competitor, but wasn't able to impress any team enough to get drafted. Did someone in KC see a spark of greatness in this unknown, undrafted receiver? Was there something important these talented scouts noticed that others couldn't see? I guess that's for them to know and us to find out in fall.

Steven Baker and Ryan Durand play a very different position but come to town with very similar question marks surrounding them. Durand was drafted 239^th overall in 2009 and spent the year with the Titans practice squad. He joined the active roster in 2010, but only played a handful of downs in a single game. The next year, Ryan returned to the practice squad. In 2012, he spent a single week on the Dolphins roster before being released. As you can tell, his resume conjures little confidence.

Baker's history is equally uninspiring. He joined the league with the Colts in 2012, but was released on August 31^st. He spent the rest of the year on the Cardinals practice squad. So if you do the math, that's two guys that yielded zero playing time with four teams. That's four groups of talent scouts that passed on these guys. Like I said- not too inspiring.

Just remember, though, how harshly Scott Pioli was ridiculed and lambasted for not providing depth at the offensive line positions. Remember the injuries that left the Chiefs scrambling just to find 11 guys to run onto the field. Remember the fumbles caused by a guard playing at center for the first time in his eight-year-long career. Remember all that, and appreciate what the Chiefs are trying to do here. Depth isn't a sexy thing to talk about as a fan, but it's crucial to building a perennially successful franchise. Without depth, we'd have a bunch of Sabby Piscitelli's out there every Sunday. I shudder at the thought.

Meet the Gang, Part 10- The Big Finish

We're finishing off our introductions today with a look at the new quality control coaches. Although they go mostly unnoticed, it should be clear to Chiefs fans why quality control is an important focus this year. Allow me to introduce the men who will do their damnedest this year to disallow the same level of crap witnessed in years past.

Mark DeLeone- Mark comes to KC fresh off his first NFL season at the same position in New York. DeLeone coached for Temple, New Hampshire, Iowa and Florida U before making the jump to pro ball. Mark has laid claim to a plethora of job titles in his short career. In Florida, he worked alongside Urban Meyer to prepare wide receivers, offensive linemen and tight ends for SEC football. That year, 7 All-SEC players came from Gainesville. Prior to that, DeLeone began as a defensive assistant for Iowa in '07 and '08, then worked for New Hampshire in 2009 as the director of football operations and assistant offensive line coach. He also attends football camps in the off-season and plans to be heavily involved in the recruiting process. A seriously well-rounded football guy like Mark, whose dad is a former NFL assistant and current college coach, will be well-received here in Kansas City.

Andy Reid also brings with him his former coach's assistant, Corey Matthaei to assist in quality control. Andy also hired his son, Britt Reid, as a quality control coach. After a serious drug possession case, Britt has since cleaned up and engaged himself in football. He's spent three years as a grad assistant helping the offense at Temple, and now with the help of his dad, he gets his first chance at the professional level. Andy's son will likely analyze film and statistical data for the Chiefs in 2013.

And there you have it- that wraps up the new coach introductions for this year. This has been insightful and all that, but I'm ready to get back to the real football talk. When does the season start? September Nth? Oof. Thank goodness for baseball and March Madness. Yeah, I said it football fans. Baseball's great. Just embrace it.

Tomorrow, I'll start with free agency acquisitions. The Chiefs recruited a boatload of talent already, so I have plenty more introductions left to write. After getting to know 18 new coaches and coordinators (yeah, I think I miscounted the first time,) we already have four newly hired Chiefs to meet. Roughly four. So, I've still got a lot of work to do- and I'm excited to do it.

Meet the Gang, Part 9- Behind the Scenes

It's time to get technical, folks. We're going to appreciate the unappreciated. Today we're looking at the guys nobody ever thinks about. Here we have coaches that no one ever sees and no one ever acknowledges, but without them any team in the league could quickly become the Oakland Raiders. Since the Chiefs have flirted with such an abysmal fate lately, it's about time we met the guys behind the scenes and gave them some credit.

Mike Frazier- Statistical Analysis Coordinator- Mike was hired by the Eagles as their first full-time statistical analysis coordinator immediately after graduating Wooster College. This move joined Philly with other successful teams like Green Bay and New England who happily cut a check to someone for providing them in-depth mathematical breakdowns of the game. Not all teams in the NFL have succumbed to this growing trend. After Baltimore hired Sandy Weil to a similar position last year and used his input to win a championship, it just might start to catch on. Hopefully, Mike can bring KC the same kind of success with his number-crunching as Sandy did for the Ravens.

Barry Rubin- Head Strength and Conditioning Coach- Here's some exciting news- the Chiefs just hired a Hall of Famer to their coaching staff. Rubin was inducted into the USA Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003. This came during a successful tenure in Green Bay where those who worked with him praised Barry's efforts in running the intricate strength and conditioning program and helping the medical staff with injury rehab. In 2010, his talents were wanted in Philly by, you guessed it, Andy Reid. Andy brings yet another former Eagles coach with him to KC, but since this time it's a guy with HOF stamped on his resume, the complaints should come few and far between. If the Philadelphia Chiefs are the most athletic team in the league, fans won't mind it one bit.

Rubin brings with him his former assistant in Philly, Travis Crittenden. Before joining the Eagles staff, Travis served as the director of football operations and general manager for Competitive Edge Sports. At this training facility in Atlanta, Crittenden supervised pro players through off-season training and groomed college players for the NFL combine.

Bonus Coach: Kevin O'Dea- Assistant Special Teams Coach- Since I wasn't smart enough to write about Kevin alongside his supervisor, special teams coordinator Dave Toub, let's learn about him now. Kevin spent four years in the Coast Guard before enrolling in Lock Haven University and beginning his coaching career as a wide receivers coach in 1986. From there, he coached at Virginia and Penn State in various positions until being hired onto the Chargers staff in '94. Since then Kevin has coached for five other NFL teams and even spent time in the UFL with the Hartford Colonials. According to Toub, O'Dea is an expert in the art of kicking, so while Dave supervises the return game, it looks like Kevin will keep his focus on Dustin Colquitt and Ryan Succop. 

Meet the Gang, Part 8- Meet the Defense

Defensive line coach Tommy Brasher and secondary coach Al Harris both bring proven success to KC, but they also bring two vastly different histories. By the time Harris was drafted by the Bucs in 1997, Brasher had already logged 15 seasons as a defensive line coach in the NFL. Brasher's career began as an assistant at Arkansas in 1970- four years prior to the birth of Alshinard Harris in Pompano Beach, FL.

Harris spent 14 seasons as a cornerback in the NFL, playing mostly with Philly and Green Bay. That's right- four years with Andy and seven with John Dorsey. With the Packers, Harris started 102 games and reached the Pro Bowl in '07 and '08. In 2009, Al blew his knee out and dramatically altered his future career path. Harris tore a lot of sciencey-sounding acronyms in his left knee and immediately had it surgically reconstructed. Al has fought to rehab the blown left knee ever since. During the 2010 season, Harris signed a 1-year deal with the Dolphins, but after just three games he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. Shortly after being placed on the Injured Reserve, he was released. So, Al went back to the rehab program, this time for a blown hammy. He healed up fast, and only seven months after being released from Miami, Harris agreed to terms with the Rams. Nine games into his first season in St. Louis, Al's career was dealt its final blow when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. After all that fighting to get back, Harris' season was ended early once again. This wouldn't keep him out of the league for long, though; Harris interned as a coaching assistant in Miami that following season. The work he did there, as well as his determination and affection for the game were enough to convince Reid and Dorsey to give him his first job as a full-time secondary coach. Along with his veteran knowledge from the DB position, Al brings a proven work ethic to a secondary with Pro Bowl-caliber youngsters on the roster. Although his work is being overseen by Emmitt Thomas, this tough, battle-wizened vet will get every chance to put his mark on the Chiefs secondary in 2013.

Facing adversity with toughness is definitely one the things these two men have in common. In 2001, Tommy Brasher received the Ed Block Courage award for his impressive determination shown during his fight against cancer. Brasher spent most of the '01 season battling to recover from surgeries in which 67 lymph nodes and a malignant tumor in one his salivary glands were removed. And oh, by the way, he continued to coach, and the Eagles defense ranked 2^nd overall that year. As Tommy battled through life-threatening illness, his team ranked 7^th in sacks, and his student, defensive tackle Corey Simon, recorded the second most tackles from any defensive lineman in the league. A strong mentality based on toughness and iron will is vital to creating a powerhouse defense. You can bet your ass Tommy Brasher will bring that to Kansas City.  

Meet the Gang, Part 7- Bob Sutton

In 1973, the release of Dark Side of the Moon was blowing the minds of hippies and rebels and flower children everywhere. Richard Nixon was still telling the press he wasn't a crook, The Exorcist was scaring everyone back to church, and Bruce Lee was finally karate-chopping bad guys for an American audience. In baseball, the American League began playing with designated hitter rules for the first time. In football, Dan Shula's Dolphins recorded the first and only perfect season in NFL history. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was just an eight year old boy watching Len Dawson throw bombs to Otis Taylor.

What was Bob Sutton doing? Coaching football. What's he doing now? Coaching football, for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sutton brings 40 uninterrupted years of coaching experience to KC's defensive coordinator position. He started his coaching career in 1973, serving as a grad assistant under legendary college coach, Bo Schembechler. After nearly two decades at various positions and colleges, Bob found himself coaching Army in 1991. There he stayed until the Jets hired him in 2000. In New York, Sutton worked at four different positions under four different coaches in 13 seasons.

Bob brings all the stout defensive mentality from New York, without the huge mouth or the drama. Sounds perfect for Kansas City. But, the statistics reveal some sub-par performance in recent years. Overall, the Jets ranked 18^th or lower in three of the last five years. Sadly, two of those crappy seasons outrank Kansas City's defense of the same year, and, not-so-sadly, the stats also show that when the Jet's D is good, it's really good. In '09 and 2010, the Jet's defense ranked 1^st and 5^th, respectively. Each of those years, New York sent two defensive players to the Pro Bowl. Tamba, Houston, Eric Berry and Derrick Johnson all went to Hawaii this year, and they aren't the only Chiefs on defense that will go in the future. With talent like this already in place, Bob Sutton should prove to be a good choice. Coaches and league experts praise Bob for his mentoring abilities and high football IQ. I've stated before that this team has all the pieces necessary for elite status. With any luck (no year-long injuries,) Sutton is the kind of coach that can make them a top-5 defense.