Free Agency 2012 - Not who we should go get or anything

Well, it’s not terrible either.

We started with a 2-14 team full of out of shape, undisiplined, unskilled, disheartened players without much “fight” and completley overflowing with “give up.” Last season was truly painful to watch from an effort standpoint. I will admit that there were 2 games that I just flat turned off (and I haven’t missed a Chiefs game since the NFL ticket started). I used to be a season ticket holder when I lived in Olathe and Hutchenson KS; and I’ve not seen a team give up on a game by game basis like the team did last season since the winless Bucaneeers team of oh so many years ago.

We began the season with 31 new players. Think about that. 53 men on the roster and 31 of em were new. Since the first week we’ve got to have added/swapped in another 15 guys at least. The defense has changed to a 3-4, and is at least “ok” in most areas (safety is an issue most weeks). Guys like Tamba Hali and Ron Edwards are showing up with a fire in their belly and no “give up” at all. They play it to the whistle on every play. I’ve not seen a single game ALL YEAR where the Chiefs looked like they just flat out gave up on trying to win. (Last year the defense spent 1/2 the season just walking around going through the motions. They gave up and it was CLEARLY evident when you watched the games.)

We added a HC and a GM that, by all measurable accounts, are working very hard to build a team and keep searching until they find the right players to fit the system. NO ONE has been more active than the Chiefs in turning the roster on a week to week basis in an attempt to get better at every position. Think about all the holes we had in the team in week 2. In week 2 if you asked people what we needed to do in the draft the responce you got was a list as long as my preverbal johnson. If you ask that same question now in week 9 you will get a different answer. Some positions HAVE been addressed. We’ve seen improvement on the OL, Receiver, RB, LB, and TE as the season has gone by.

We’ve now morphed the offensive scheme and tweaked it a bit to better fit the players we have on the field. The HC (love him or hate him for it) HAS improved this teams fight. Last season we were a fat-assed. whimpering, whining, and cowering chihuahua one of Vicks pit bull fights. THIS season we’re a still a chihuahua in terms of wins and losses, but we’re a RABID chihuahua, complete with dripping froth, that at least gets into the fight.

We’re better in every position on the field (barring injuries to Page, and the trade of TG) than we were last season. Some of our young guys are really starting to step into their own (Dorsey, Mays, T Jack, and yes even Hali) on teh defense. On the other side of the ball Charles & Albert are looking like the long term solutions we need. Cassel is hit and miss from week to week, but he still gives up more from the QB position than we had from anyone else on the roster last season (Yes, even Thigpen).

And here’s the big one: It’s only been 9 games. We aren’t 2-14 this year, we’re 2-7. We’ve got 7 games left where we could improve on the W-L record (if that’s the only thing people are willing to look for tosee signs of improvement) . This team is most definetly headed the RIGHT direction.

Has Haley been perfect? Hell no, but who is? Has Pioli come in and made filled the team to overflowing with probowl caliber talent in one offseason? Hell no, but did you honestly think he would?

Let’s go back in time and look to last offseason when people were all saying things like: “I’d be satisfied with steady improvement all season long and a few more wins. I know they arent goign to turn it around in one year, but I expect improvement”

I bet I read a line like that in at least 500 posts/comments in the offseason. Sure, some pie in the sky folks were shouting PLAYOFFS from the roof of the insane asylum, but most of us knew that was never going to happen.

You asked for steady improvement, and that’s what we’re gotten all season. I don’t expect everyone to be jumping ON the Haley / Pioli bandwagon, but dayum: Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to be hoping/wishing/asking for them to be gone next week or next season?