Seven Step Drop: A Chiefs Off-Season Wish List

As a fan, I don’t ask for much. I just wanna see some signs.

And now, I’m starting to get a hold of them.

With the acquisition of RB Thomas Jones (left), the Chiefs settled an old score. Almost nobody remembers that back in the ‘03 off-season (and before they selected Larry Johnson in that year’s Draft), the Kansas City decision-makers were genuinely interested in obtaining the one-time injury-prone Jones — then a member of the Arizona Cardinals — as an insurance policy/occasional reliever for Priest Holmes, after the latter suffered a season-ending injury at the end of the ‘02 campaign (here’s the proof). It took seven years and three more teams in-between, but Jones will be finally dressed in red, white and gold to perform those same supporting duties in Kansas City; this time in favor of one Jamaal Charles.

The signing was indeed welcomed with open arms because it enhances the talent level of the ballclub; it surely makes up for some necessary depth along the running back position.

Much to everybody’s surprise — as destiny is truly an unpredictable force — the Chiefs could go 2-for-2 in gridiron amends by inking the recently-released OG Ryan Lilja to a contract. The local product was lost to Indianapolis prior to the ‘04 season (after he was signed as an undrafted free agent) due to a roster gamble that went terribly sour. Time proved that leaving Lilja up for grabs was the wrong way to go, once we watched him become a fixture in the Colts’ O-Line all the way through his Indy tenure. Needless to say, a potential reunion could help to get rid of one off-season ghost that has now haunted the franchise for almost six years, and said scenario could provide some closure to this topic. But then again, that’s just wishful thinking.

As you could have figured out by now, I love the intangible sides of these tales. Why? Mainly because they help to conform the mythology within the game — and to me, that aspect cannot remain overlooked. However (and speaking in a realistic sense), neither one of such moves would be useful if they weren’t backed up by a pragmatic approach. There must be logic behind any of these proceedings in order to justify their execution. They have to embody a reaction to a specific stimulus; and simply put, they oughta respond to the fulfillment of a need. Exactly what the off-season is all about. 

Ever since the Chiefs defeated the Broncos in the final game of this past season, I’ve developed an inspiring feeling about the direction of the franchise. Cautious as I wanted to remain, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit anxious while waiting to see if the organization could carry that momentum into the off-season. Fortunately, the subsequent actions have been worth the wait – especially in the instructional ladder. In theory, the additions of Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel (right) can do nothing but solidify the coaching staff of Todd Haley, and that constitutes one big step in the pursuit of success. Based on their impressive NFL résumés, those men will be primed for an encore of their Bostonian days, and hopefully, they will team up to lay the grounds for a winning atmosphere. At first sight, the top of the organization looks strong, and that is reason enough to be optimistic.

But at the end of the day, what matters is what happens on the playing field, and that constitutes the challenging part — as Coach Haley has stated, his 4-win team has a lot of needs to be solved. Throughout the 2009 almanac we witnessed in detail that there were many deficiencies to cover and only a few solutions at hand. In trying to find the “Right 53″, players came and went with relative ease and certainly, that was quite an ordeal. Thankfully for us, the start of the free agency period signals the beginning of the new League year, and embedded comes the rebirth of the newfound hopes and dreams. Those of mine remain fairly positive but proportionally moderated. Akin to what I told you earlier, I’m only searching for an excuse to which I could attach them, and nothing more.

Aware that I have no control over the ongoing roster turnover, my way of satisfying an off-season craving consists of spotting the positions that I’d like to see get repaired/improved/replaced. Since one of the greatest lessons that I have learned from football resides in the premise that you have to trust your eyes, I applied the same judgment in writing these lines. Therefore, in commemoration of the first week of this latest adventure, I’m dropping those seven specific facets that, with luck and ability, will be really taken care of by the start of the upcoming season. Or so I hope.

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7.) FULLBACK: Back to Thomas Jones. Sure, I like very, very much that he’s a part of the Chiefs organization and I think that he will contribute greatly in lending some assistance to Jamaal Charles (and implicitly, to Matt Cassel). But the true concept of protection along the running back position belongs to the fullback. And with apologies to Mike Cox, Kris Wilson and everybody else that has tried to man the position since ‘06, the meanness required to handle the responsibility has been quasi-nonexistent. Let’s just say that we’ve been suffering from TDD — T-Rich Deficit Disorder – and I’ll be more than glad to find a cure for that ailment. My two cents: Tim Castille (left) has earned the benefit of the doubt to compete for the job until training camp (granted, he can make some pretty acrobatic TD catches), but I’d still take a flyer on a college free-agent. Those guys will run through walls in order to make a team, and that kind of spirit is essential to assume the role of a bodyguard. Guess who was a college free-agent: Tony Richardson. Something to keep in mind.

6.) SPECIAL TEAMS RETURNER: Believe it or not, this is a case of subtraction by addition. With Jamaal Charles emerging as the featured runner in KC’s offense, the odds are in favor that his name will be scratched from returning duties and that’s a bummer. Charles notched the team’s first kickoff return for a TD in four years and trust me, that was no small feat. Nonetheless, the decision to relieve him of this obligation will be pretty much made by default, for no better reason that it would be the right thing to do. Health-wise, it’d be too risky to expose him to the double task of returning kicks and carrying the rock; and performance-wise, I just think it would be foolish to hold him to that function. Just consider how Devin Hester’s game has suffered since he was inserted in the Bears’ starting lineup as a wide receiver. In short, that was not a very good idea. My two cents: With Darren Sproles pretty much out of our reach, it seems that will have to wait for the Draft to get another specialist; but if I were Scott Pioli, I’d call my Miami in-law to ask about the availability of one Ted Ginn Jr. With the former Buckeye falling out of favor in Florida, I have a hunch that he could be had for the right price. Just a thought.

5.) LINEBACKER: Bob has stated that this would be his off-season’s first point or order and I agree that the state of this position should not remain at a halt; after all, the LB’s outnumber any other protecting element in the 3-4 defense. Then why am I not rating this need any higher? My two cents: Because I truly believe that no other group within the team will be more benefited by the addition of a new coach than this one — that’s how high a regard I have for the work of Romeo Crennel. I do think that there’s real talent among the people that play the linebacker roles (read, Derrick Johnson), and I’m confident that the mere presence of Crennel will bring the best out of them on a regular basis (read, Andy Studebaker (right).) I would not discount any addition through free agency or the draft, with the purpose of circling the wagons around this important unit, but more than anything, I’m buying rather than selling; which in itself, it’s already a gain.

4.) SAFETY: Jon McGraw is a fine special-teams player. Let’s keep him around. Mike Brown WAS a fine starting safety and I’m among of those who think that he can still supply veteran aid if required. Again, let’s keep him around. Now that we got those sentences out of the way, I’ll say this: It would be unsettling — and a total crapshoot – to see either one of them get extended playing time at the safety position. Sincerely, I’m not holding my breath for it to happen. My two cents: A no-brainer. If Eric Berry is available in April, let’s get him signed, sealed and delivered. If not, more than ever, let’s hope and pray that Jarrad Page’s calf has not suffered any setbacks.

3.) POSSESSION RECEIVER: Matt Cassel desperately needs either a wide out or a tight end that can catch the football and move the sticks. Either a wide out or a tight end that can catch the football and move the sticks. Either a wide out or a tight end that can catch the football and move the sticks. My two cents: I guess I made my point.

2.) CENTER: Imagine that at some point during the ‘10 season, in a short-yardage situation, Cassel is assigned the mission of running a basic QB sneak behind Rudy Niswanger (left). Well, here’s a question: would you trust the incumbent Kansas City snapper to make a strong enough push to enable Cassel to move the chains? Here’s my answer: I really don’t know. My two cents: I’d let him fight for his job. By all accounts, Niswanger has been appointed as a good, smart, hard-working, available roster member, and that should work in his favor. But what I’m missing in this picture is sheer stoutness; and speaking strictly out of instinct, I’d push him (fittingly) with competition obtained through free agency AND the Draft, to see if he toughens up to meet the parameters set by the coaches. I mean, if he shows that he can withstand the pressure of trying to hold on for his post, then I’ll have tangible evidence that he can resist the power of a bull rush.

1.) NOSE TACKLE: I’m sorry, but you can’t talk me out of this. Not after that embarrassing three-game December home stand (Denver, Buffalo, Cleveland) in which the Chiefs surrendered back-to-back-to-back 200 rushing-yard outings to their opponents. To this day, I still have that bitter taste in my mouth. My two cents: A year ago, I sent an e-mail to Bob where I stated that the Chiefs’ main off-season priority was to sign Albert Haynesworth; and a year later, I don’t regret doing that. The beauty of the 3-4 Defense can be traced in the concept that everything punctually starts at the point of attack. If the Nose Tackle doesn’t give you a constant disruption up the middle to attract the attention necessary to free the linebackers, then you’ll have a problem to find a proper functioning of the scheme. And a big one I might add. With names like Wilfork, Hampton and Franklin taken out of the market before they could hit it, the majority of the efforts will be concentrated on the Draft (Terrence Cody, Dan Williams) to solve this dilemma for the short and the long run. Ron Edwards tried his best to do an adequate chore as the man in the middle, but that “best” is not good enough if the Chiefs aspire to attain greater things. There has to be more. Simple as that.

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That does it for me and in hindsight that was pretty cathartic, and reinforcing. In my humble opinion, I share the idea that winning teams are built on the trenches, and it’s an undeniable truth that the Chiefs are lacking definitive answers at the head of those fronts. That’s why it’s been really pleasant to observe that after the first seven days of the Money-Flowing Period, the team’s management has addressed such necessities in two of their recent transactions.

The importation of DT Shaun Smith and the return of C Casey Wiegmann to the fold, coupled with the recruitment of former Cardinal WR Jerheme Urban — yet discreet — got things going. With strength in mind, Smith is most likely to be penciled as a nose tackle. With experience in mind, Wiegmann was brought back to compete for the starting center slot. And with effectiveness in mind, Urban will be allowed to assume a role as a security blanket in the K.C. wide out community. I don’t know if they’ll be cut before training camp; or if they’ll become dependable assets in 2010; or better yet, if any one of them will be a Chiefs representative in the Pro Bowl. But at least those associations represent the desired movement and improvement, and to this man’s personal count, the front office already got 3 of them down.

Only four more to go.