What do the Chiefs do with Haley, Assistant Coaches, and the Offensive Line in 2010?
by Jon Yoon on Dec 18, 2009 9:12 AM CST
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PrintLast week, I spoke about some of the moves the Chiefs need to make this offseason on offense, but the Quarterback and Receiver issue pretty much hijacked the entire discussion. I want to use this part of the column to round out that discussion by focusing on the Chiefs' offensive line. I also want to talk about the coaching staff and special teams.
What's really interesting about the scope of this discussion is that two months ago, the fans were stressed about the state of the offensive line but pretty psyched about the progress of the coaching staff. Today, it seems like the fans have flipped opinions.
Special Teams: Let me just get this part out of the way. Ryan Succop and Dustin Colquitt are clearly safe. Steve Hoffman has also quietly built an outstanding coverage unit around them and that coverage will only get better as the roster becomes deeper with talent (remember, when there is a lot more uncertainty on a roster, it becomes tougher to keep dedicated special teams specialists like Gary Stills on your roster). I sense that as the roster gets better, you'll see more Terrence Coppers on this team and that will make an already outstanding special teams unit even better. At the Kick Returner position, given that the Chiefs have a need for both a speed threat at wide receiver and a returner, don't be surprised to see the Chiefs try to kill two birds with one stone by bringing in a guy who can do both.
Offensive Tackle: I know there's been a lot of uproar about how the Chiefs must get the best offensive lineman on the board with the top pick, no questions asked. I couldn't disagree more. With a top 5 pick, the only position that carries any positional value is Left Tackle and while I am not a draft expert, I'm not really that wow'ed by the top Left Tackles on the board and I'm pleased enough with Branden Albert's progress over the last few weeks. If Branden Albert is indeed the answer at Left Tackle, then you absolutely, positively do NOT move him to any other position. Especially with your top 5 pick. On the right side, I don't see Ryan O'Callaghan ever progressing to the point where he would be considered a franchise Right Tackle. However, given the Chiefs' high urgency needs at multiple positions, I would have to think that finding O'Callaghan's replacement is pretty low on the priority list. That's a position that the Chiefs could probably fill through the later rounds of the draft. I am all in favor of bringing in a whole truckload of competitive options; I just don't think the Chiefs need to reach to get any specific one. The Chiefs should try to do better than O'Callaghan, but if he is the Chiefs' option in 2010, that's not a decision that will come back to haunt them.
- Stays: Branden Albert (#1 LT), Ryan O'Callaghan (#2 RT), Barry Richardson (#2 LT)
- Pick up: New starting RT either through free agency or around rounds 3-7/undrafted
Center: I don't know who will play Center for the Chiefs in 2010, but it had better not be Rudy Niswanger. Wade Smith might be an option, but I doubt it. There really isn't an option on the team that makes you do cartwheels. If I was to prioritize offensive line positions, I would have to say that bringing in a top-flight Center is easily at the top of the list. However, Rudy Niswanger will have a secure roster spot because he's fine as a backup and you have to like his flexibility to play both Guard and Center
- Stays: Rudy Niswanger (#2 Center)
- Pick-up: A higher draft pick (2nd-3rd round) or highly touted free agent
Guard: Guard is a position that I see as a pressing need, but not a pressing priority. Brian Waters isn't the Left Guard we thought he was when he was playing next to Willie Roaf, but he's still a good option. At Right Guard, Wade Smith really isn't a terrible option and there are some players on the roster who might make for interesting competition. I still think Rudi Niswanger could make a decent Guard, and you have two young players on the practice squad---Colin Brown and Darryl Harris---who might be able to compete in the offseason for the starting job. The Chiefs need to start thinking about bringing in a better player than Smith and an eventual replacement for Waters, but for now, the position is such a low level of priority that the Chiefs shouldn't consider an upgrade unless there is a Best Player Available (BPA) option in the 3rd through 7th round of the draft or a clear upgrade who slips into free agency.
- Stays: Brian Waters (#1 LG), Wade Smith (#1 RG)
- Potential In-house Replacements: Colin Brown, Darryl Harris
- Pick-up: Either drafted potential #1 RG or free agent #1 RG, Potential replacement for Brian Waters at LG in 2-3 years via draft
Head Coach:
There's been a lot of talk about Todd Haley being a target for firing. I really hope that's not the case and given his contract, I don't think that will happen. Coaches need time to establish their program. It always reflects badly on an organization when they play musical chairs with their coaches. Oakland and Washington are two NFL markets that can never seem to establish continuity because they're continually changing systems and philosophies. Haley has made a lot of mistakes for sure, but most rookie head coaches do and I still think he would make considerably less mistakes if he wasn't wearing so many hats. The Chiefs need to hire an Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach and that's non-negotiable.
However, the clock has started to tick for Haley. The mistakes he's making now are unforgiveable in 2010. He has to become a better game manager. In his defense, a lot of his game management mistakes are situational. Haley has been over-aggressive on fourth down situations, but who's to say he'll be just as aggressive when this team is a little better? When you have an offense that struggles to put points on the board, sometimes you take a few more risks to score touchdowns. When you have a defense that can implode at any given second of a game, sometimes you have to be more aggressive about going for 7 to create some cushion for the defense.
I'm also becoming increasingly concerned about the team's lack of discipline. Haley was hyped up to be a disciplinarian and yet his team plays without any shred of discipline. Maybe the team has started to give up, but it's also quite possible that they don't buy what Haley is selling. Sometimes when you overthink, you become more prone to mistakes.
Assistant Coaches:
I've said from the beginning that the stupidest move the Chiefs made this offseason was to enter the season without an Offensive Coordinator or a Quarterbacks Coach and they are paying a price for it. How many times have we watched another team's sideline and saw a Quarterback make a mistake, then immediately consult with one of the Assistant Coaches. Cassel hasn't had that luxury. He's had to figure that all out on his own. He's a young QB who's had to coach himself, not only on mechanics, but on how to think through the game. It might also help Cassel to have a fall-back guy. When Haley tears Cassel apart for making a mistake, sometimes it helps to have another coach on the staff to turn to for help. I imagine Cassel doesn't have the same access to good coaching off the field either. The Chiefs bought a $60M product and didn't even equip themselves with a training manual. Unbelievable.
On other levels, rather than go into painstaking detail about each and every coach, let's just talk about the ones whose job security might be called into question. The two names that most often come up in discussions are Tim Krumrie and Bill Muir. In my opinion, Krumrie is a scapegoat of convenience. It started several years ago when he got negative publicity for running what many consider to be a useless combine drill. That escalated into hatred when he coached one of the worst defensive lines in football. In the fans' defense, Krumrie probably should have been canned along with Herm Edwards. But I was okay with keeping him on board because Scott Pioli, a completely neutral set of eyes with no tie to Herm Edwards or Carl Peterson, thought Krumrie was good enough to keep on his staff.
The question is, has the Defensive Line improved under Krumrie? My answer is "yes." Don't get me wrong. The Defensive Line still stinks, but you have to be careful about understanding why that's the case. We shouldn't judge Krumrie based on his ability to coach up players who don't have talent to play their respective position in the first place (Ron Edwards) or rookies who might not see improvement until 2010 (Tyson Jackson). Krumrie has taught his linemen to operate in an entirely different defense, and he has improved several of the players within it. Dorsey went from a non-factor last season to a fairly consistent disruptive force at a position that I still don't believe best fits his skill sets. Tamba Hali has improved by leaps and bounds in his role as a 3-4 OLB. Even Wallace Gilberry and Alex Magee have looked pretty good from time to time. In other words, when he has talent and the time to develop them, he hasn't done a poor job and maybe the 3-4 Defense is his sweet spot. If Dorsey and Hali continue to play at a high level, if Jackson plays better in his second season as Dorsey did, and if the Chiefs bring in a legit Nose Tackle (which they have to), the Defensive Line will be a strength for the Chiefs.
As for Muir, that's also a tough call to make. I never really liked him because I was never a fan of the offensive lines that he coached in the past. But like Krumrie, he's actually made a lot of progress with virtually nothing to work with. The Chiefs have horrible players on the offensive line. No amount of coaching is going to fix that. I do think Muir has done a surprisingly admirable job making a bad unit look increasingly better over the past several weeks.
At Wide Receivers coach, I'd expect a change here too. The Chiefs demoted Dedric Ward earlier in the season and plugged in Richie Anderson. I would be surprised if the Chiefs looked at Anderson as anything more than a stopgap, unless they plan to keep him as an Assistant coach somewhere else.
Finally, Clancy Pendergast. I don't like his defense. Behind all the shifts and moving people around, the defense still seems pretty vanilla. To this day, I still wonder if he was hired because he was the guy Pioli wanted or because he was the only one left late in the season. I sense it's the latter. I actually think Pendergast would make a terrific assistant coach, but more likely than not, he's not going to accept a demotion.
- Stays: All Assistant Coaches except Pendergast
- Goes: Clancy Pendergast, Dedric Ward
- Pick up: Offensive and Defensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach, Wide Receivers Coach
I know it sounds like I'm not pushing for change. Between keeping continuity on the coaching staff
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I agree
New Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Coordinator will make a world of difference. Haley stays of course….we can see how well he does with 100% game management.
I expect a new QB coach….for sure. Also new WR coach….like you said.
I expect the new OC and DC to have some say so on their respective position coaches….to some degree.
I think they coaching overhaul will make as much difference as moves on the roster.
"Its going to be a challenge, its going to feel like forever, and there will be difficulties. But we will emerge on the other side of it stronger than we were when we entered." ~ Sudden
What do you mean by "lack of discipline?"
We don’t execute, that is for sure, but I don’t think our team is undisciplined (i.e. lots of stupid penalties)
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by Scaryclouds on Dec 18, 2009 9:27 AM CST via mobile reply actions
some of those holding penalties
have been bs calls this year. I agree on the Charles run last week that was holding, but it also depends on the name on the back of the jersey whether they call it or not. on the pass play from Cassel when the line got called for holding thats not holding.
no we are way undisciplined! He is dead on. If you watch us we are out of place
and we are out of position. Even Chambers commented on how the receivers are not stopping and running routes as they were designed. So that’s discipline.
Fill the wholes
drop the holdovers that still aren’t producing. But do NOT overhaul anything. That’s all we’ve been doing for the last 3 years. These coaches and players need time to develop within a consistent system and set of expectations. Coaching changes every 2-3 years don’t create winning teams. Lots of systems work, lots of players can play, but only with a commitment to excelling in one course of action.
Very good read Jon
Your best yet here at AP imo. Jooking forward to your take on our LBs and DBs.
I agree with some points and disagree with others. My take:
Special Teams: Absolutely amazing what Hoffman has done with coverage units consider the overall lack of team speed.
OL: Agree completely on C/RG. Not sure what the beef is with O’Callaghan tho. Frankly, he’s been our best OLman the last 6 weeks or so. I have no idea what a franchise RT is. The nature of the position is that it’s where you put you’re less talented tackle. O’Cally may not be a dynamic talent at the position. But who is? HE’s done a fantastic job of bringing stability to a problem spot and has done nothing but improve since he arrived.
Krumrie: Couldn’t agree more. He gets no credit for JZ’s development even tho his arrival coincided with JA’s sack explosion. He get’s the blame for Dorsey’s perceived lack of development. And did we really expect him to perform miracles with guys like Edwards, Boone, Tank and Turk? The only one with any real talent at all is Tank and he’s as interested in his rap career as his is in football.
Muir: No idea what your beef is here. He’s been OL coach for some of the best running teams in the league. One of the most respected Ol coaches in football and the OL has actually played well considering 2 gaping holes and putting in a new blocking scheme 1 week before the season started.
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 9:33 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
JA
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 10:17 AM CST up reply actions
Hey Reed!
What are you doing for the game this Sunday? Want to come over and hang out?
by Chiefsfan1970 on Dec 18, 2009 10:18 AM CST up reply actions
coming home from gig St. Louis late
sat. night, if not Sun. Morning……I’ll be dead tired either way…..waking up 15 min. before kickoff, so, status is questionable. Thanks though!
Pioli was on 810 yesterday
He’s pleased with Haley’s progress (I agree), he’ s uncertain of Albert’s progress (I agree), he is pleased with O’Callighan’s progress (I agree), and knows the team needs players everywhere. He’l pleased with the culture change, he likes the conditioning, he likes the discipline (penalties are way down) and he says Todd Haley is TOTALLY in charge of his staff. That’s the way it has to be. It sounds like both Haley and Pioli agree that the coaching staff will require changes.
Forgot--- Pioli seems pleased with talent on the DL
The interview was with Kietzman. I recommend listening to it.
thx for the tip
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 9:37 AM CST up reply actions
Thanks for the link
Pioli always gives a good feeling with his humble confidence. I feel good that the days of 2-6 wins will be a distant memory soon enough.
Predictions:
Kansas City will not win more than four games in 2009
Kansas City will have a new OC and DC in 2010
Kansas City will win at least seven games in 2010
I cant help but wonder
what things would be like if we had taken either Ryan Kalil from USC or Samson Satele from Hawaii in the 2nd round a few years ago instead of Turk McBride. I understand that Turk put up monster numbers at the combine and his pro-day, but those were two elite center prospects. Hindsight is always 20/20, but those were guys I wanted badly.
Also, I like Tyson Jackson and he was clearly the best 3-4 end in last year’s draft, but I dont believe any 3-4 end is worthy of a top 10 pick. I know trading down in the draft isnt always as easy as we may think, but had we been able to last year to either get Eugene Monroe, Alex Mack or Max Unger would have been a dream come true for me.
I'm guessing next years DC/OC will be selected from Mitch Holtus's "holy grail"
There’s a lot of the Parcells tree that will be looking for work next year.
For DC, If he wants to come back…We all know he was rumored to be the choice for this year, but wasn’t healthy enough to coach. He’ll likely be back.
If not, and if Cleveland hires Holmgren…Mangini. Would Mangini take a step down? Well, who is going to hire him as a Head Coach after Holmgren cleans house?
Or a long shot…
Al Groh. After leaving the NFL, he was a successful college coach for Virginia. After a 6 game losing streak, they fired him. He was the LB coach for the Jets in 1998, an area that needs to be improved.
OC
Charlie Weis – this has been rumored for some time. I’m not sure it’s my choice, I thought Chan Gailey was fantastic. But obviously Haley needs someone he can work with, and Weis may be that person.
"The way this works is you string together some good games, some good practices and you get momentum and you gain confidence," linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "It can be a real positive for your team. It builds on itself."
A list of choices I at least agree with!
So you think you are so important that no one can replace you? Put your finger in a bucket of water and pull it out. Does it leave a hole? Nope, just some ripples that eventually calm themselves!
by Fan of the Red And Gold on Dec 18, 2009 11:25 AM CST up reply actions
Additioally, I believe Romeo was definately the guy..
That they originally wanted for DC. Thats why it took so long to anounce Pendergast as the DC. My guess originally was that he would wind up being either LB coach or Secondary coach when he was first hired.
So you think you are so important that no one can replace you? Put your finger in a bucket of water and pull it out. Does it leave a hole? Nope, just some ripples that eventually calm themselves!
by Fan of the Red And Gold on Dec 18, 2009 11:30 AM CST up reply actions
Additionally...Need to preview these again!
So you think you are so important that no one can replace you? Put your finger in a bucket of water and pull it out. Does it leave a hole? Nope, just some ripples that eventually calm themselves!
by Fan of the Red And Gold on Dec 18, 2009 11:31 AM CST up reply actions
mangini
Has a terrible reputation. The players hate hi plus pioli can’t be too fond of him since Mangini ratted him and the Pats out for spygate. Also Al Groh a successful college coach? I must’ve missed that as I believe he had one good year and finished below .500. Might be a good coordinator or position coach but he wouldn’t be hired for what he did at UVA
by golfbard on Dec 19, 2009 2:40 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Two draft picks on the O-line...At least.
I agree that Center should be the highest priority to improving this offense. We still need a stellar guard to bring in to both replace Waters in the future and help stabilize the line next year. I don’t think Smith is the answer although he is a VERY good backup guy. Very versatile. Niswanger needs to go! I think he should go become a rocket scientist or a doctor because I don’t really think the NFL is for him. He is a very intelligent guy who will have a great future with or without football. I am really hoping that Colin Brown can find a spot somewhere and become a good football player. The guy is HUGE and should be able to keep from getting beat physically at the line. on paper, he looks like he should be a decent player. I disagree about the LT position. If Okung is on the board, I think we should take him. Albert has played LG for his entire college career and IMO he would be the best LG in the league.
As far as the coaching staff goes, I don’t like Krumrie. He has had a bunch of very high draft picks to work with and hasn’t made this line the force that it should be. Tank has all the physical tools to be a great D-lineman and I chalk up his mediocre play to poor coaching. Simple as that. Pendergast needs to be replaced or demoted. I will give him that the defense seems improved a little bit since last year but, it’s not as good (consistent) as it should be. Romeo is looking pretty good to me right now. I hope we can get him. I think Haley is probably safe but, of course, we need a really good OC and QB coach to help get this offense to the next level. Cassel could REALLY use some help from the coaches.
We need a playmaking Safety, WR who has some real speed and good hands, a NT, and another RB who can be used as a power type back to help take the load off of JC. One more good MLB wouldn’t hurt us any either if you ask me. Once Page get’s healthy, we need him to come back and play well to give our Safety corps the help it so desperately needs.
These moves could go a long ways towards helping the Chiefs have a strong season in 2010 and beyond and hopefully, keep this blackout BS from happening again next year.
Re: Okung
I don’t pretend to be a draft expert, but the sense I get is that he’s not nearly the exciting prospect you’d expect from a top 5 LT. More importantly, Albert has played a lot better and is getting better and better. We forget that he entered this season with a limited understanding of technique at LT and learning a new blocking scheme. He could easily be on his way to becoming a franchise LT.
And if he’s on his way to becoming a franchise LT, you do NOT bump him out of the position. 1) there’s no guarantee Okung will have any success in the NFL; 2) you’re spending a top 5 pick and $60M to essentially upgrade at Left Guard.
If the goal is to get better at Guard, then take the top Guard on the board. You can do that in the 2nd to 3rd round and for a fraction of the salary.
But this is one move that upgrades 2 positions. LG AND LT.
Okung will be a top OT IMO. Killing two birds with one stone and making our O-line much younger and more physical at the same time.
If Berry is not on the board but, Okung is, I think the best move is to take him.
Just my opinion.
by Chiefsfan1970 on Dec 18, 2009 12:32 PM CST up reply actions
Re: Okung
I understand your point, 1970. But it still goes back to positional value. If you pick up Okung, there’s no guarantee you have an upgrade at LT. There’s a very good chance Albert will have a much better career, especially given how much he’s improved over the season. If Okung becomes better, it’s very likely it won’t be by a whole lot.
So you’re talking about a very small upgrade at Left Tackle. Really what you’re doing is you’re bumping Albert to Guard where he’ll be miles better than Wade Smith or the eventual replacement for Brian Waters. In other words, you draft Okung because you want to improve at Guard with a very small chance you’ll upgrade in any significant way at the Left Tackle position.
Going back to positional value, you will never see a Guard taken in the top 5, let alone top 10 and rarely ever in the top 25. You can get the best Guard in the draft in the 2nd, sometimes even 3rd round. So using a top 5 pick with the primary intention of upgrading at the Guard position is a tremendous reach. You’re better off getting a playmaker with the top 5 pick, and then getting the best Guard on the board in the 2nd or 3rd round.
A top 5 pick needs to be used on a playmaker, not on a position that can be upgraded much later in the draft.
Re: Quick clarification
To provide a quick and easy example:
Let’s just make an assumption about who will be on the board at the Chiefs’ draft position
Option 1: Draft Okung, 2nd round pick on
-LT – Okung
-G – Albert
-RB – CJ Spiller
Option 2: Keep Albert at LT
-LT – Albert
-G – 2nd round pick (top Guard on the board)
-Eric Berry/Jimmy Clausen/Etc….
Option 2 gives you far more value than Option 1. The o-line is about the same in both options, but monumentally better with the “third wheel” in those options.
Oh, without a doubt you have to take Berry if he's there at #5
I just don’t know if he will be. It is possible though. It’s pretty rare that a Safety goes that high but, his playmaking ability is something that ALL the teams in the top 5 will have their eye on…If they’re smart.
by Chiefsfan1970 on Dec 18, 2009 7:20 PM CST up reply actions
I'm excited for this offseason
I believe as soon as this season is done we will start to see Pioli and Haley go to work and see some changes being made. I just dont think they had enough time last offseason and there was a lack of option as who to bring in as far as coaching staff. I also think we will a good draft now that they both have had a whole year to look at who will be available and they know what type of players they want to bring in. Im not saying they did a poor job drafting this year we just had way too many holes to try and fill and the lack of good free agents didnt help.
Bingo!
I have always thought that Pioli, and Haley were taking this season and using it as a evaluation period, as both of them came in with little for knoledge of what was here.
Toby J. Neal
Haley's original comments
stating something like “Well, I hear the punter is pretty good” should have been a clear indication to all of us that neither man had much faith invested into this season. As a fan, it’s certainly frustrating but it is reality. While I havent agreed with quite a few of their personnel moves, this team is really just a few dropped passes, a few missed tackles and a few holding penalties away from having 3 more wins, and a 6 win season is what most of us expected.
lets just hope
that those same holding penalties, dropped passes, & missed tackles won’t happen next year. Hopefully they’ll acquire more talent this off-season that can overcome things like that.
this offseason is critical
to the Pioli/Haley legacy here. If Pioli whiffs,(I don’t think he will) continual floundering well into the next decade is all but certain. If they do get a stout FA NT, draft a defensive game changer(S or very good coverage LB) a legit deep threat WR opposite Bowe, a power RB, O line help @ C & RG, &OC & QB coach, we’ll at least be treading water and the table may be set for real, tangible progress.
How about a new quarterback???
Just kiddin! I like to stir the pot sometimes!
My homemade Chili is the Shiznit.
That’s no joke. I don’t fuck around when it comes to chili.
by Chiefsfan1970 on Dec 18, 2009 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
OC/DC
Weis and Crennel
Kyle Shanahan and Wade Phillips
Arrelius Benn?
Your comment at the bottom of the special teams section is something I totally agree with. Let’s kill two birds and one stone with finding a nice #2 WR who also has experience returning kicks. I love this kid Benn outta Illinois. He is a tough WR and a leader, who also returns kicks. He is projected to go late 1st round, early 2nd round. I believe he is #3 on McShay’s WR board (not that it matters). If he falls to our ATL pick in the second round, we should jump all over this guy. He has the build of a Boldin and has exceptional hands. Oh…and he blocks well!! Pretty much the total package and his draft stock fell cause IL was awful and did not use him properly (so his numbers fell). Thoughts?
If everyone worked as hard as me, I would be out of a job.
-Steve Nash
Speaking of Boldin.
This offseason would be prime time to pick him up. Arizona still hasn’t offered him an extention. Anybody else think we might get him? He has really played well. (as you would expect)
by Chiefsfan1970 on Dec 18, 2009 11:02 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
OK. AGREED.
All the footage, and not enough time to study it. Concidering all the changes that happened last year.
Toby J. Neal
I would almost expect him to end up here. for sure
they are not a big market and with uncapped…where else would boldin or fitz want to play than with their old sinse? did i spell that right…pronounced “sin say”
Boldin is not a free agent this year
Breaston is an RFA tho….
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by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 11:24 AM CST up reply actions
Urban will be a free agent this year.
Arizona’s 4th WR could become our 2nd.
sensei
I'm officially on the 'Draft Eric Berry' train.
Haley-Crennel 2010.
by scottbwalters on Dec 19, 2009 3:07 AM CST up reply actions
Hey Kray!
Work has been slow…so I have been commenting this week a little more.
If everyone worked as hard as me, I would be out of a job.
-Steve Nash
No passes
I’m sorry but they (Haley, Pioli) have all the practice AND game footage, there is no “they didn’t know the personal” excuse. It’s their job to know. Half the fans knew.
even so, there were too many holes to fill in one off-season
unfortunately, lots of the team’s resources this season were spent on frivolous, unneccessary stadium renovations. I’ve been to 2 games this year & could absolutely care less about the new concourses & the ribbon scoreboard. Spend the cap $ on PLAYERS to make the team a winner, then people will WANT to come & drink 7$ beers & pay 20$ to park, etc……Arrowhead is a dinosaur, for sure. and is nicer now, but it doesn’t mean a thing when the team isn’t winning……. I think team first, stadium 2nd…….am I wrong for believing that?
just shooting in the dark, here
probably not much they could or should have done w FAs…..I didn’t know that renovations &salry cap stuff was unrelated….
I horribly disagree with a lot of your statements...
First, I agree with the Special Teams. Hoffman has done a fandamtastic job calling play and putting guys in the right spot. But We MUST find a return man.
BUT…..
Offensive tackle I personally think Albert belongs a t guard and we can go get Rusell Okung. Most of ALberts success was at guard in college so why not move him to right guard then?
The latest mock drafts I’ve seen is pretty darn good:
1st round: Russel okung, Oklahoma State LT(considered a franchise left tackle)
2nd:Von Miller, Texas A&M DE/OLB
(TG Trade)2nd round: Brandon Spikes, Florida MLB
3rd: Darrell Stuckey, Kansas SS( Plays smart, fast, picks off A LOT of balls)
I firmly believe getting these guys will set us up for success…but thats a huge IF.
as for getting O-lineman I personally would wait for the C and RT for free agency(wait for the next draft for the Pouncey twins)
Now the Head Coach: I backed up Pioli for the hire but Haley has shown a lot of immaturity to me on the sidelines by lack of adequate playcalling and blowing up at his own players which is INEXCUSABLE. Lamar wouldn’t ever allow it. Haley is supposed to be this great offensive genius but yet our offense is worse off than last year. He’s making Herm the germ look good right now. I personally, want Haley gone after this season because a lot of the good coaches are coming out wanting jobs(Shannahan, Bill Cowher, Holmgren etc.)
To be the best you have to have that coach whos have had that experience in the past.
Obviously my dream hire would be Bill Cowher HC with Marty at DC but hey lets come back to reality here.
Clancy is not fired up enough or Emotional enough to be a DC. hes a great position coach at LB but we need a fiery DC.
I agree at OC We must fill these positions. I like Weis always have and it just makes perfect sense for him to come to KC.
I love offense but for me You have to build your defense up first while also adding a few things here with the offense. Especially with that god awful line of ours.
I just hope Pioli is smart enough to pinpoint all of these things.
Not rehired
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by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 11:26 AM CST up reply actions
dammit...nah I liked his comment I just don't this person yet
thought a good firing would be a great way to break the ice. And you can’t not rehire someone..you’ll be banned forever!
OK I'll rehire him
But you’re flagged for suggesting a ban for me
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 4:11 PM CST up reply actions
I agree
I know our o-line is bad but imagine if we grabbed 3 def players in the first two rounds. Berry, Mt Cody or 2 lb’s. Our def would be set. Then go grab a free agent wr/pr ans 2 o-lineman. We still would also have rounds 3-5 to draft players for either side of the ball
Mr J
KC Chiefs Fan
That's the problem though
The free agent offensive linemen class for this upcoming off-season isnt nearly as deep as what we usually see in an off-season. You have LG Logan Mankins, LG Daryn Colledge, RT Willie Colon, RG Jahri Evans, LT Marcus McNeil, C Kevin Mawae and restricted free agent LT Jared Gaither and that is really about it.
You have to assume that at least 1/3 will be retained by their current team (listed 8 names but we’ll say 3 makes 1/3), Mawae will turn 39 years old in January, and Gaither would require draft picks as compensation since he is restricted. That really only leaves 3 quality players under the age of 30 who are likely to hit the free agent market.
I dont desire to repeat history and acquire the 30+ o-linemen in the mold of Damion McIntosh, John Welbourne and Mike Goff.
Other notable names that have expiring contracts include: Khalif Barnes, Alex Barron, Mike Gandy, Ryan Cook and Richie Incognito to name a few. However, there is a reason these players have either already changed teams and/or wont be retained by their current team.
"blowing up at his own players which is INEXCUSABLE. Lamar wouldn’t ever allow it."
Ridiculously untrue. Lamar would never have interfered with the teh philosophies of his HC.
Mackovic was a screamer. Marty yelled at his players all the time especially his first couple of years as our coach. Gunther was our HC for christ sake.
Don’t try to envoke the memory of Lamar to back up your arguement. If you don’t like Haley…fine. But you have no idea what Lamar would or would not have put up with.
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 11:33 AM CST up reply actions
R U kidding??
The greatest thing that could happen to us is Dick Vermeil for OC. We would be untouchable. The man is an offensive genius. The likes of which we may never see again in his lifetime.
I wish to God they cold hire him for 2 years to run that offense. Man we would be elite.
Nice write-up
I agree with most everything re personnel upgrades but sometimes I get the feeling Haley is approaching this season as just more pre-season games preparing for the 2010 season.
I love it!
This reminds me of Sim city. But we are building an nfl franchise instead. I know its been a terrible year but I’ve enjoyed watching us tear this thing down and rebuild it from scratch. I dont expect us to be bottom dwellers fro much longer. 1 top 5 pick wont change that but with a smart draft and good quality free agents, we good easily be looking at 8-8 next yr.
Mr J
KC Chiefs Fan
KC Satchmo you misread it..
I wasnt evoking any bad memories or disgracing Lamar in anyway shape or form I grew up watching him and loved his compassion and love for the game thats something I enstill today in myself and others.
But one thing you should notice about these “Screamers” as you call it. Mackovic whoch was one fo the worst coaches was fired by lack of chemistry with the management and Gunther well he found out by a news article that he was fired…..as for marty i think he was just pushed out by King carl himself.
Haley on the other hand antagonizes his players by critical critiscism. I’ve seen many times that he would say something negative cause that player…or players to react. Example Bobby wade. Works his butt off everyday and got heated by haley’s comments. He’s also attacked Brodie too. Things like that can’t be tolerated and simply put he just doesnt know what it takes. Therefore, I expect a firing or resignation.
I didn't misunderstand
And I didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t love Lamar. We all did.
I could just as easily pull out the list of nice guy coaches who have failed here in KC. Extend the arguement beyond our team and you’ll find plenty of example of success and failure on both sides of the nice guy/screamer debate. Haley’s success or failure will have little to do with his approach and far more to do with consistency and finding winning players for his system.
You cite the Wade example as proof that Haley is somehow going farther than other coaches have and therefore will fail. Simply not true. Marty had sideline confrontations with Deberg and DT. Parcells, Cowher, Lombardi, Ditka, Belichick and countless others have had such arguements on the sidelines with players.
It’s a byproduct of personality type and being in a competitive situation. What the great coaches have in common is a willingness to pull those same players aside, put their arm around them and be as complimentary of success as they are critical of failure.
Will Haley be able to do this? I don’t know. I do know that on those rare occassions where we have succeeded, Haley has been mobbed by his players. They dumped Gatorade on him after our first win. They jumped on him and hugged him after the Steelers game. These are good signs. Only time will tell if he’s doing those positive things behind the scenes. Unfortuatley, you and I won’t know until we get some more talent in here.
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 12:21 PM CST up reply actions
+1 regarding Haley
If he’s so dispised by his players then why have so many of his current and former players come out in support of him? I think Haley is liked by his players in spite of the screaming because they know that he’s going to be totally honest with them…good or bad. It’s impossible to know, but my gut feeling is that he’s going to end up being a very good HC in the NFL.
Predictions:
Kansas City will not win more than four games in 2009
Kansas City will have a new OC and DC in 2010
Kansas City will win at least seven games in 2010
I rehired him per your request above
I’m still waiting for him to admit he used an incorrect statement about Lamar to further his point. Nothing wrong with the point he is making. I just took exception to saying that Lamar wouldn’t have tolerated yelling at players. Fact is…he did…with multiple coaches…across multiple decades.
;)
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 4:14 PM CST up reply actions
So...how about signing Richie Incognito?
He’s a talented guy who played at Nebraska, and could solve the problem at center. Seems like a smart pickup, and he’d be fairly consistent with SP’s personnel strategy.
by burntorangehorn on Dec 18, 2009 1:57 PM CST reply actions
Don't need Incognito to room with Succop
We have Mike Cox for that
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 4:16 PM CST up reply actions
Moot point
The Bills already signed him. If you search Google for Incognito’s connection to steroids and coke you’ll find a ton of stories about him. Now I don’t know the man. Not saying he’s a roid-raging cokehead or even that the stories about him are true.
But there’s a hell of a lot of smoke out there….
Pass
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 4:18 PM CST up reply actions
Damn...
I couldn’t agree with you more on just about every point. Great post. I especially like your analysis of Pendergast.
"Gonna gallop all over the Chiefs. Cleat prints on the chests. Mud in the face masks." - 2.7* *Yes I know it was changed to 2.9 but f*ck the statisticians.
I am with the group that belives Clancy was a last minute decision because
there wasnt anybody else available. Clancy could be deomtoed based on the fact he was hired as an assistant first and then promoted when nothing transipred (my opinion). He could have been told this is your shot, but if you dont do well enough, then you have a job as an assistant next year. Doesnt seem that far fetched.
Winning begins with Attitude - Haley and Pioli will be winners in KC!
I'll forever be a Chiefs fan! Only God himself could take that away from me, but when I get to my great reward, I'll rejoin two bigger fans, my Mom and Dad.
and I still like Keith Butler in Pittsburg as our next DC
Winning begins with Attitude - Haley and Pioli will be winners in KC!
I'll forever be a Chiefs fan! Only God himself could take that away from me, but when I get to my great reward, I'll rejoin two bigger fans, my Mom and Dad.
Is there a Parcells connection?
Cause I have a feeling that’s what it takes
"The way this works is you string together some good games, some good practices and you get momentum and you gain confidence," linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "It can be a real positive for your team. It builds on itself."
As far as assistant coaches go
Haley came in to the game late because he play’d the superbowl
so i would expect the chiefs to bring in higher caliber of assistant coaches this offseason
Before you build yourself up, you must tear somebody else down.
I'm still fried about Gailey's release
and Haley’s arrogance in thinking he could do and be everything on the team (HC.OC/QB)
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!
Let it go brutha
let it go
This is my signature line. It is full of awesome and win.
by KCSatchmo on Dec 18, 2009 4:19 PM CST up reply actions
Note to Mr. Yoon
Yah, I’m still sold on taking Okung in the draft. We can argue the point closer to draft day. But we should both be worried about something.
With Jake Locker staying in school…if we stay around 5-8th pick, we might not be able to get either Okung or Berry.
I wouldn’t be upset if we took Berry over Okung BTW.
We almost need to lose this game to the Browns to try and bump them out of our drafting position.
If we pick 6th’ish, and Okung/Berry are gone, I’m gona be pissed.
The other side of that coin
is that if we aren’t picking in the top 5 it’ll probably be easier to trade down for extra picks. I’d be happy with trading down in the first for an additional 2nd round pick & grabbing a guy like Cody for the NT.
Predictions:
Kansas City will not win more than four games in 2009
Kansas City will have a new OC and DC in 2010
Kansas City will win at least seven games in 2010
QB Coach
Can we get Steve Deberg in here to coach up our QBs? He’s making quite a name for himself in that arena right now.
Romeo for DC, Weis for OC. If we’re going NE, we might as well go all the way.
I'm officially on the 'Draft Eric Berry' train.
Haley-Crennel 2010.
Interesting note
Rookie Sabastian Vollmer has played well at LT for the Patriots during the stints Matt Light has been hurt this year to the point some speculate Light being traded in the off season with KC a likely landing spot.
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