On Speculation, Jets, Wide Receivers and Dwayne Bowe
by Joel Thorman on Aug 19, 2009 8:04 AM CDT
in 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp
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Hello, players club? Oh, I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number. (Photo via Photo Source)
It's funny how a simple bit of speculation by a sports reporter can cause such an uproar. Yesterday, Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star tweeted his thought that Brodie Croyle might be pushing Matt Cassel for the first team job. A bit of a surprise, no?
Judging by the reaction, it is a surprise and most of us would disagree with Babb's speculation (even though we haven't been at camp).
Now, Mr. Babb didn't put this in a newspaper column which, to me, indicates that this is just a passing thought with no real legs to go on. Just an observation or a feeling of sorts. If he felt strongly about it, there's no doubt we'd be reading a column in the Star this morning. And that's fine. Isn't that part of the point of Twitter?
The newest bit of speculation (via Bestofthewest in the FanShots), that I imagine will make its rounds in the NFL world today, is a piece by Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News. In a column discussing the New York Jets options for acquiring a wide receiver, Cimini says this:
Another name to watch is the Chiefs' Dwayne Bowe, a former first-round pick. He caught 86 balls for 1,022yards on an awful team last season, but he's had a difficult transition under new coach Todd Haley. He may have played his way out of the doghouse with five catches in the preseason opener, but the Chiefs are rebuilding and will move a player if he doesn't fit their long-term plans.
Now, I understand how Cimini got to this point. Hard-nosed coach/GM + Player that doesn't fit the NE mold = trade bait. And all the points he makes are true.
It makes sense on some level, doesn't it?
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also chimed in on Cimini's name dropping:
Cimini also floats the name of Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe as a possible target, but we can't imagine Kansas City trading one of their only quality players -- cough . . . Tony Gonzalez . . . cough.
Two completely different situations if you ask me.
Bowe's tied up for three more years at a rate so low the Chiefs can't afford to trade him. In 2009, there are three other receivers on the team making more than him. The rookie league minimum is $310,000. Bowe is making $460,000 in year three of a five year, $9 million contract.
So that means, we can hang onto him, for three years at rates of $460,000, $600,000 and $690,000. Why would we trade that salary? That's the beauty of these first round picks outside of the top 10 - if they pan out early, like Bowe has, then you've got a heck of a player at a more than reasonable rate.
Trading Dwayne Bowe right now would, quite simply, be a team killing move in my humble, non-football executive opinion. For some players, he's the life of the team. A breath of fresh air in a Haley-controlled environment.
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Well I am working on a piece right now
that speculates that since Tom Brady got injured last year that he might be injury prone in which case, the Patriots MIGHT trade him to a team that needs a QB.
See how absurd that sounds? We can run it right under this guys articlle.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
How about this one to throw in there....
Cassel is pregnant with Vrabel’s baby, this why both were moved to the Chiefs for next year’s 2nd round pick. The Patriots personnel department were worried about tearing the new family apart, so they had a trade claus, take them both or nothing.
"Whenever you go to a live sporting event, always bring a seeing eye dog and cane, just incase the refs forgot their's at home."
by Chiefsuntilidie on Aug 19, 2009 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Croyle #1,Bowe trade
See to me in my opinion this is the downside of a tight lipped coach,not giving reporters much at all.So what do they do? Make stuff up anyway.Its kind of a catch 22, and i think both stories are a load of S%#@
You are correct
it is the way Haley talks. I said this yesterday. The only reason Babb was freaking out in his pants over Croyle last night is because Haley would not say Cassel was the best QB in camp.
Again, I ask you, do you think he would have answered that question if he were asked it about left Tackle? How about center? Does anyone have an arrowhead on their helmet yet? This coach wants these guys busting their asses all year long. He doesn’t want anyone to ever feel safe and he doesn’t want people being discouraged. Brodi looked great in the preseason game. He was poised and accurate. In fact, he looked better than he ever has. Why?
He knows his job is in jeopardy. Look at it from Croyle’s point of view. I am sure all he has ever wanted was to be an NFL QB. Factors beyond his control, the injuries, have prevented him from even getting a realistic shot. Most of these writers expected Croyle to be cut once he recovered from injury. Now he has unseated Thigpen with strong play. Croyle is busting his ass. Screw making the team, he wants to be the #1. He knows he is a snap away from being #1 if he can get the #2 spot. If he plays well he makes himself relevant again. It could open all kinds of doors for him with or without the Chiefs.
There are a lot of guys who you could say are over achieving for the chiefs. Corey Mays, Leggett and Studabaker. Should Haley go running his mouth about how Zach Thomas is the best LB on the team? Hell no. He needs Studabaker to keep pushing, to keep working hard because for all Haley knows, Zach Thomas might suddenly fail, get injured or shoot himself in the leg in a night club.
Haley is trying to build a solid team from bottom to top. Naming favorites does him no good and doesn’t cause those under the favorite to work harder.
No one, including Casssel and his contract nor Bowe and his stats, deserves jack from coach Haley. They’ll know he approves of them when he trusts them to represent the Chiefs on the field.
Remember, its the players who give the team the best chance to win and winning is all that matters.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Aug 19, 2009 8:27 AM CDT up reply actions 8 recs
wow +1000000
just wow, that about sums it up. That’s the way everyone from Chiefs players to the fans should look @ how the team is now being ran.
When deep space exploration ramps up, it'll be the corporations that name everything, the IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks.
I'd be fine with 9-7 or 10-6 and competiting for the divsion title
I dont really have a problem with the way the team is being ran its nice to see the players being held accountable now,and you’re right the whole favorites thing IMO increases the possibility of the 2nd and 3rd stringers becoming disgruntled.
I would like to see haley and pioli take an afternoon off to take the guys bowling or something just to break up the daily grind.
I will be so happy to see the final 53 man roster agree or not with their picks,im ready for actual bone jaring hits,because i cant take much more of the 24 hour news cycle/rumor mill.
by Bestofthewest on Aug 19, 2009 8:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
I could see this different if he were heading in the final year of his five year deal. A big payday would be looming if Bowe continued to put up numbers like he has. But that’s the only scenario I see something like this coming to fruition.
by Joel Thorman on Aug 19, 2009 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions
East Coast Bias...
This will never happen. What would a reporter from NY Daily News know anything about anything that is actually going on in middle America let alone the Chiefs (a team tighter about any sort of information leakage then Fort Knox).
Chiefs already have proven they have virtually zero developmental talent at WR other then Bowe so how any reporter could think this is absurd.
Outsiders looking in…
Yep
That’s kinda the way I took it. It’s a nice thought for his Jets but doesn’t make any sense from our end.
by Joel Thorman on Aug 19, 2009 8:26 AM CDT up reply actions
OK
On Bowe: I can see the logic there, but this is a reporter that clearly doesn’t understand our Coach. Haley has been very tough on Brian Waters, Glenn Dorsey, Dwayne Bowe, and Matt Cassel. I see a pattern there. The only concern I have is that negative reinforcement seems to be Haley’s only mode. Some guys simply don’t respond well to it.
On Cassel: We all know how good Croyle looks in camp, but Cassel has the better resume and he’ll really have to screw up to lose his starting job. If Haley is seriously looking at Croyle as a #1, then we’ll see Croyle playing with the first team against a first team defense at some point in the preseason. He may have no choice but to go there, too. Both to motivate Cassel and to see what his options truly are.
Nonsense
Haley is a guy that wears his emotions on his sleeve. He only refused comment on Cassell because he was frustrated with Matt’s performance in practice yesterday. Tomorrow could be a completely different story. Todd likes to send the subtle message to his players.
Bowe is a different story. Haley is trying to break him down. He’s done this with a dozen top flight wr’s in this league now. If anyone can make Bowe into a top receiver in this league through motivation, it’s Haley. And, if he can’t, I doubt anyone else can, so Bowe should pay attention.
Furthermore...
There is a very wounded, hurt expression on Bowe’s face recently. Get used to that. That’s going to become a fixture… as his numbers go up this year.
I think this is a good point
Although, most of the time if not all of the time, Haley has praised Cassel or his work ethic.
by Joel Thorman on Aug 19, 2009 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions
its the media in new york
I’m from the metropolitan area, NJ to be exact but I’ve been a NY Mets fan my whole life and my family consists mostly of Giant and Jet fans- I can honestly tell you the media here thrives on speculation, and I’m sure smart sports fans already are aware of this but I figured I’d talk about it since were on the subject. I listen to 660 all the time and they are always rummaging through anything in the sports world to talk about and take calls on just to eat up radio time. Yesterday for instance, Brett Favre was talked about for about 3 hours, and they even went as far as how hot his wife was and compared his wife to Brenda Warners then went on to talk about who the hottest wives in the NFL were. I mean I loved it, but at the same time how can you take them seriously? People here don’t know what Todd Haley’s coaching style and press conference dialogue is like because they don’t see it and he’s a brand new coach. Once a year goes by and a record can reflect his reputation and coaching ability, media outlets all over America will have a better idea of what type of coach he is. As for now, this means nothing and everything you guys posted before my post is accurate. It just makes me mad living here knowing the media will take any chance it gets to conjure up some trade rumor to eat up some radio time just because of the way a coach goes about raising his players. Sidebar- I hope Bowe changes his # to 80- I think it would set up a new regime/new Bowe kind of perception.
I've stopped listening to 660.
I’ll probably start again when the season actually kicks off. You’re correct about the local guys not knowing, but they get some good interviews at times from people that do. I’ll just be glad when I don’t have to hear about the Yankees for awhile.
by NJ Chiefs Fan on Aug 19, 2009 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions
didn't the jets...
…already have a pretty good WR tandem in Coles and Cotchery? maybe they should have kept that going instead of letting Coles walk so easily.
Who do the Jets have that we would want???
I can’t think of anyone.
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