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Note: Primetime did the leg work on the tables and I did the writing. -Chris
If you're been reading Arrowhead Pride for a little while now, you know that Scott Pioli and Todd Haley are big on bringing in coaches and players that they've worked with before. Which makes perfect sense. It's a natural human instinct to take the known over the unknown.
It's gotten to the point where as soon as we hear of a new player the Chiefs have signed or are interested in, we look for the Pioli/Parcells/Haley connection and it's inevitably there.
Why look for a Bill Parcells connection in addition to a Pioli/Haley connection?
Well because the legendary coach has had some big time influence on the Chiefs current GM and head coach.
Todd Haley began his career as the New York Jets' wide receivers coach under Parcells in 1997. Haley also coached under Parcells from 2004 to 2005 as the wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, while Parcells was the head coach.
Todd is the son of Dick Haley, who is the current Player Personnel Analyst for the Miami Dolphins and former Director of Player Personnel for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. Haley, his father Dick and Parcells all worked together in New York from 1997 to 1999. Haley was the Jets wide receiver coach; Parcells was the head coach; and Dick Haley as the Personnel Director.
Haley and Scott Pioli worked together from 1997 to 2000, when Pioli was the Director of Pro Personnel for the New York Jets.
As far as Parcells and Pioli go, both worked together in New York for the Jets in the late 1990s while Parcells was the head coach there. Oh, and Scott Pioli also married Bill Parcells' daughter. They're probably pretty tight.
So it's one big happy family over there at One Arrowhead Drive nowadays.
Every single coach hired by the new Kansas City Chiefs' brass has had some sort of Scott Piloli/Todd Haley/Bill Parcells connection.
- Special teams coach Steve Hoffman (Parcells)
- WR coach Dedric Ward (Haley, Parcells and Pioli)
- Defensive quality control coach Pat Perles (Haley)
- Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast (Haley)
- Offensive line coach Bill Muir (Pioli and Haley)
- LB coach Gary Gibbs (Parcells and Haley)
- Joel Collier (Pioli)
It's the same thing with the free agents the Chiefs have signed this off season:
- LB Monty Beisel - Played for Arizona in 2008 under Chiefs' DC Clancy Pendergast
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QB Matt Cassel - Former New England Patriot under Pioli
- WR Terrance Copper - Signed to the Cowboys by Bill Parcells when Todd Haley was working with the wide receivers
- CB Travis Daniels - Former Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel, who coached under Belichick and Pioli in New England, traded for him prior to the 2008 campaign
- WR Bobby Engram -Played for the Bears when Todd Haley worked with wide receivers
- LB Darrell Robertson - New England practice squad in 2008 and a former Georgia Tech player under Chan Gailey
- TE Sean Ryan - Played last year in Miami for Bill Parcells and for Haley and Parcells in Dallas from 2004 to 2005
- TE Tony Curtis - Played for Haley and Parcells in Dallas from 2005 to 2006
Is that enough evidence that these guys prefer working with people they've worked with before?
It makes sense to take a look at who the top remaining free agents and see where the Pioli/Haley/Parcells connection is. It's likely that any future free agent signings will come from this group.
The top offensive and defensive free agents connected to Pioli, Haley and Parcells are after the jump.
| Offense | |||||||
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Pioli | Haley | Parcells |
| Rex Grossman | QB | 6'1" | 222 | 28 | CHI 03-04 | ||
| Lorenzo Neal | FB | 5'11" | 255 | 39 | NYJ 97 | NYJ 97 | |
| Marty Booker | WR | 6'0" | 212 | 32 | CHI 01-03 | ||
| Kelley Washington | WR | 6'3" | 218 | 29 | NE 07-08 | ||
| Jerame Tuman | TE | 6'4" | 255 | 33 | AZ 08 | ||
| Brandon Gorin | RT | 6'6" | 308 | 30 | NE 03-05 | ||
| Rob Petitti | RT | 6'6" | 347 | 26 | DAL 05 | DAL 05 | |
| Terrence Metcalf | G-T | 6'3" | 325 | 31 | CHI 02-04 | ||
| Evan Mathis | G | 6'5" | 304 | 27 | MIA 08 | ||
| Grey Ruegamer | G-C | 6'4" | 310 | 32 | NE 00-02 | ||
| Matt Lehr | G-C | 6'3" | 300 | 30 | DAL 03-04 | ||
| Edgerrin James | RB | 6'0" | 219 | 30 | AZ 07-08 | ||
Back on Monday, I asked you what was the biggest positional need for the Chiefs after the draft. You responded by saying that wide receiver, offensive tackle and outside linebacker were the Chiefs' biggest needs.
WR Marty Booker has already had a workout with the Chiefs and left without a contract offer (We assume).
Former 3rd round pick Kelley Washington is an option too I guess, although I'm not sure what he would bring to the table considering his poor career numbers.
At best, I think any of the offensive line free agents out there would be back ups to our current crop of linemen.
The defensive free agents are pretty slim pickings as well. Check them out.
| Defense | |||||||
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Pioli | Haley | Parcells |
| La'Roi Glover | DT-NT | 6'2" | 285 | 34 | DAL 05 | DAL 03-05 | |
| Chris Cooper | DT-DE | 6'5" | 275 | 31 | AZ 07 | DAL 04 | |
| Vonnie Holliday | DT-DE | 6'5" | 290 | 33 | MIA 08 | ||
| Rosevelt Colvin | DE-LB | 6'3" | 250 | 31 | NE 03-08 | CHI 01-02 | |
| Ebenezer Ekuban | DE | 6'3" | 265 | 32 | DAL 03 | ||
| Derek Smith | ILB | 6'2" | 245 | 34 | MIA 08 | ||
| Junior Seau | ILB | 6'3" | 250 | 40 | NE 06-08 | ||
| Willie McGinest | OLB-DE | 6'5" | 270 | 37 | NE 00-05 | ||
| Mike Brown | S | 5'10" | 210 | 31 | CHI 01-04 | ||
| Rodney Harrison | S | 6'1" | 220 | 36 | NE 03-08 | ||
| Lawyer Milloy | S | 6'0" | 210 | 34 | NE 00-03 | ||
| Roy Williams | S | 6'0" | 235 | 28 | DAL 05-06 | DAL 03-06 | |
| Keith Davis | S | 5'10" | 193 | 30 | DAL 05-06 | DAL 03-06 | |
| Terrence Holt | S | 6'2" | 208 | 29 | AZ 07 | ||
| Cameron Worrell | S | 5'11" | 199 | 29 | CHI 03-04 | ||
| Mike Green | S | 6'0" | 195 | 32 | CHI 01-04 | ||
| Deltha O'Neal | CB | 5'11" | 194 | 32 | NE 08 | ||
| Jason Webster | CB | 5'9" | 187 | 31 | NE 08 | ||
| R.W. McQuarters | CB | 5'10" | 198 | 32 | CHI 01-04 | ||
| Lewis Sanders | CB | 6'1" | 190 | 29 | NE 08 | ||
| Aaron Glenn | CB | 5'9" | 185 | 36 | NYJ 95-00, DAL 05-06 | NYJ 97-99, DAL 05-06 | |
| Roderick Hood | DB | 5'11" | 198 | 27 | AZ 07-08 | ||
| Travis LaBoy | DE | 6'3" | 250 | 27 | AZ 08 | ||
Considering that the top remaining linebackers are all over 34-years old and that the Chiefs have already signed two veteran LBs, I don't see the Chiefs signing Junior Seau, Willie McGinest or Derek Smith. McGinest could theoretically fill at defensive end in addition to linebacker but his age prohibits most investments in him.
S Keith Davis left KC without a contract offer after a private visit to KC back in March.
DE Travis LaBoy, like Primetime wrote this morning, really does seem to be the most viable option for the Chiefs on this list, although I'm not sure what the odds of him coming to KC truly are.
Last year, we would have crossed off any one on this list that was over the age of 27 but that's no longer the case. Now, with the draft over and compensation for many of these players at a minimum, we could be looking at more signings.
Would you like to see any of these free agents signed by the Kansas City Chiefs?