If I were in Scott Pioli’s shoes…….

I would send my friend Josh a text saying the following…

Jsh, sry 2 heA bout yr ruff *t as a hed coach. As yr pal Ill DY a boon n wl nd yr hlp 2 convince my fans we md a gud deal. giv me Jayn yr 1st rnd pik +I wl giv u Matn my 3rd rnd pik. Ull av d QB u realy wtd n my fans wl tnk I stuk it 2 d Broncos. Win2. gr8 4 both sides. yr Pal, Sct

If you have trouble reading that… I don't blame you. I needed help myself.

Here is the email version

Josh,

Sorry to hear about your rough start as a head coach. As your friend I will do you a favor and will need your help to convince my fans we made a good deal. Give me Jay and your first round pick and I will give you Matt and my third round pick. You will have the QB you really wanted and my fans will think I stuck it to the Broncos. Win-win. Great for both sides.

Your Pal,

Scott

Scott Pioli

General Manager

Kansas City Chiefs Football Club

1 Arrowhead Dr

Kansas City, MO 64129

spioli@kccchiefs.com

Cutler to be traded….

It is being reported by ESPN that Bowlen is willing to talk to teams about trading Cutler. Done deal. Congrats Pioli. Even if Cassel is a $14 million backup QB this year, a 2^nd round pick for a backup QB, some defensive leadership, and the Donks losing their pro bowl QB and that is priceless!

From ESPN:

Denver Broncos president and CEO Pat Bowlen on Tuesday released the following statement:

"Numerous attempts to contact Jay Cutler in the last 10 days, both by head coach Josh McDaniels and myself, have been unsuccessful.

"A conversation with his agent earlier today clearly communicated and confirmed to us that Jay no longer has any desire to play for the Denver Broncos.

"We will begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate his request to be traded."

Broncos to trade Jay!!

My favorite throwback helmet - The Drunken Donkey

I was looking at websites today and Gretz had my favorite throwback helmet of all-time on there. You can click on the link to the full article below, I am just sharing with you the Drunken Donkey! The Denver Broncos have a long history that their fans are proud of... Trust me, here in Colorado this is not one of those things...

Throwback Nonsense

"If it’s hard to see just how horrible that helmet is, here’s the logo itself:"

Mock Draft

Inside NFL Live

Q&A with Head Coach Todd Haley - 3/17

The Chiefs Sign 3 New Players

The Chiefs Sign 3 New Players
I thought about this one long and hard. I reviewed all the evidence and despite my initial hatred of these signings, I love them. Let me break down the reasons….

Bobby Engram – Bobby is old. Not just old, but four years older than Tory Holt the best veteran WR on the market. My initial response was WTF is going on?? I listened to Coach Haley’s press conference and thought oh great, he brought in a buddy of his. I reviewed Bobby’s stats from the last couple seasons, he was hurt a nice portion of last year and had a 1000 yard season in 2007. Well maybe he can play… Than I thought about why Bobby and his Depends is still in the league. Bobby runs great routes and has great hands. I listened to Coach Haley’s press conference again and what does he mention? 3rd down catches and it hits me….The Chiefs don’t have anyone to throw to on 3rd down! I watched every game last season at least twice and most of them four or five times. Just for the record, I am not a masochist (I have watched all of the wins at least 15 times). We had one person to throw the ball to on 3rd down and he had 3 defenders on him almost every time. Bowe’s hands are not reliable enough for 3rd down. Now with two targets on 3rd down, I expect the Chiefs to be much better on 3rd down.

Monty Beisel – Monty was not brought in to be a starter, he was brought in as a reserve LB and Special Team player. He is great in that role (the reason that I was glad to see McGraw resigned). At the very least, Monty is an upgrade over Rocky Boiman.

The whole point of these two guys is they are role players. Role players play an important part in any team. Terrance Copper, I am not sure about but we need training camp fodder at a lot of positions..

Herm Role playing for the Donks

Cutler to the Chiefs? Gaining ground!

Jay Cutler is more than upset right now. Jay doesn't trust Coach Josh McDaniels at all. That is a big problem for the Donks. That is good for the Chiefs in every way, shape, or form. One possibility is that Jay stays in Denver unhappy, another is that Jay gets traded somewhere else and Sims or a rookie starts in Denver and another is that he is traded to KC for their QB without a jersey #.

I have heard many arguments as to why the Donks would not trade Cutler to KC. The one that keeps coming up is that you can’t do business with a rival like KC-Den.

1. Pat Bowlen is not Al Davis. Pat does not even captain his ship.

2. Scott Pioli is not Carl Peterson. Carl would not make this deal because of his hatred of Denver.

3. Josh McDaniels is not Eric Mangini. I see Pioli making a trade with the Raiders and Al Davis before contacting Mangini and the Browns.

4. No one is responsible for the politics of the situation. Pioli is not responsible for pleasing the fans; he is responsible for putting the best football team on the field. Denver always sells out anyways so McDaniels has no political need to play up the rivalry.

I am convinced more and more that Josh is in over his head. Generally I like to see a young guy handle a situation like this because I myself am young, but he is failing in more ways than one. Here is Cutler's view of the face to face as quoted on ESPN.

"I went in there with every intention of solving the issue, being a Bronco, moving forward as a Bronco," Cutler said. "We weren't in there but about 20 minutes, [McDaniels] did most of the talking and as far as I'm concerned, he made it clear he wants his own guy. He admitted he wanted Matt Cassel because he said he has raised him up from the ground as a quarterback. He said he wasn't sorry about it. He made it clear that he could still entertain trading me because, as he put it, he'll do whatever he feels is in the best interest of the organization."

A couple of things strike me here. One is if you are going to lie, keep the lie going or fix the problem. The other is I am astonished that Josh doesn’t think it is in the best interest of the football team to have a happy, young, Pro Bowl QB even if he wasn’t the first choice. How hard is it to tell the kid that he is the QB you are going to build this team around? In Dallas that was done to Tony Romo and he isn’t half as good as Cutler.

Now there are some good reasons to not want Cutler:

1. His next winning season will be his first since high school.
Cassel's next start will be his first without Randy Moss since high school.

2. He is immature. Completely and totally agree. His ability tells me that hoping he will grow up is worth it.

3. Cassel is a better player. Total non sense. There is a good reason so many teams were willing to give up a 1st rounder for Cutler and only the Chiefs were willing to give up a second rounder for Cassel.

SI reported this which I found interesting:

"I think we were too late to the dance,'' he said, meaning the Chiefs had already made the deal with New England -- a second-round pick for Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel. Denver would have given more, likely a first-round pick, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick had his deal done with the Chiefs.

In the end, any way this works out is good for the Chiefs. I would take Cutler for Cassel straight up or better.

NFL Video Top 10 Pass Rushers: Derrick Thomas

Great blocking from the RT

What should the Chiefs do with all that Cap space?

According to ESPN, the Chiefs are still sitting on approximately $36 million. How can the Chiefs spend that money wisely? I believe that is an easy answer and can set the Chiefs up in good shape long term. Here is where that money should go.

1. The rookie cap should be around $9 million. That is based on the 2008 rookie cap numbers. According to ESPN, the Chiefs had $8.2 million and change to pay their 12 draft picks. That number included two top half of the first round picks. The Chiefs have the number 3 pick and nothing until the third round. What this means is that the Chiefs shouldn’t have the highest number this season but with the large cap increase, I am guessing the rookie cap with jump up a bit. $27 million left.

2. Budget $8 million for veteran free agents or trades. There can’t be that much money left to spend. $19 million left.

3. Pay DJ. Don’t let him leave next year. Use signing bonuses and roster bonuses wisely so the cap money isn’t wasted over the years. Let him count about $6.5 million for 2009. He is scheduled to make $1.5 million this year. $12.5 million left.

4. Get a long term contract for our new QB. He is already costing $14.65 million against the cap so let’s give him a $21 million dollar roster bonus set up for the day after so it all counts this season. Throw in a million dollar salary for 2009 and that leaves $5.15 million left over for cap hits for guys we cut as well as mid-season pickups. The Chiefs have locked up their best defensive player and their new franchise QB.

Offseason Wish List revisited

Surprisingly, the Chiefs did nothing at all in free agency. The Chiefs did pull one big move in trading for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel for only a 2nd round pick. While I was not incredibly impressed with Cassel given the amount of talent around him, there is a reason Pioli is the General Manager and I am not. So here is to hoping he has it right because if we can get a frachise QB for a second round pick with a locker room leader as a throw-in that is a steal. I also think with the QBs we have now, there is no reason to spend a draft pick on one. Croyle, Gray, and Martin are all there to compete for the #3 spot assuming that Cassel is #1 and Thigpen is #2. Coach Haley has told us that there will be a competition for the #1 slot but I am doubtful that the Chiefs are going to have an eight figure salary backup that was traded for a second round pick.

I can only assume that no moves toward 3-4 defensive lineman mean that as a base defense in 2009 the Chiefs will employ a 4-3 with a situational 3-4 alignment. I would find it hard to believe that the Chiefs would plan on looking for two starting lineman out of the draft. Alfonso Boone is the only player on the Chiefs payroll that can play any of the 3-4 line positions. He could play an end position in a 3-4. Dorsey would have no position what so ever in a 3-4. Hali could probably be used as an OLB but that would be quite the change and I don't know that it would be productive although I could see a situation where the Chiefs could line up Hali and Vrabel as OLBs and Johnson and Curry as ILBs. Then your defensive line looks Boone and a second or third-tier 3-4 defensive end and a second or third-tier nose tackle. I don't think that would be productive. I think in the next three to four year the Chiefs will be running a 3-4 base, but doing that this season would prove to be a disaster. Let's see if Dorsey can live up to his "baby Sapp" nickname and at the very least trade him for a first round pick next year if the 3-4 is desired that bad.


The Draft

Obviously what moves are made in free agency will dictate what happens in the draft. I will keep this post fluid based on what happens.

1. I prefer to trade down from the #3 spot. With Crabtree measuring up at 6’1 3/8, I can accept him. If the Kansas City Chiefs stay at #3, Crabtree has to be the guy. I think Curry will be a fine player, but a top 5 guy should make a huge impact and I look at Curry and see another DJ. Not a bad guy to look at in the teens but I just don’t see the impact to be a top 5 guy. With Crabtree injured, it will be harder to trade out of that spot. We can trade down once and get Maclin which will add a deep threat and a returner. But being a wish list, I would trade down to the mid to late teens and select the RT of the future and my selection will be Michael Oher (T).

2. In my first round trade downs, I have acquired a second round pick to give me a second round pick back. I will use that pick to select Duke Robinson (G). Duke is the top guard prospect and will slide into the right guard position immediately, and eventually maybe replace Waters who I can only assume the Chiefs are not trading as of yet.

3. In my trade downs, I have a pair of 3rd round picks. Eric Wood (C ) based on grades should be available but other centers Luigs, Unger, or Mack would be the guy if available. The second 3rd round pick Gerald McRath (OLB).

4. With my 4th round pick I select Terrance Taylor (DT). Taylor is big enough to play nose in situational 3-4 looks and eat blocks in a 4-3 on running downs. I would really like him next to Dorsey in a couple years. I don't think he is ready to start week one but still could play a valuable role in the defensive line rotation.

5. To improve on the a pass rush Stryker Sulak (DE). He might have a low ceiling but can be used as a situational pass rusher and in the 5th round, if you can improve a deficiency you are not doing too bad.

6. With my 6th round pick I select Johnny Knox (WR). Knox had a great combine and could be a deep threat and compete as a kick returner.

7. With my 7th round and final selection in the 2009 NFL Draft I select Brandon Walker (G)

Undrafted FA

I would bring in as many of these guys as I can. Not to speculate on certain players draft status, I would say that if Chase Daniel is still there I would bring him in and see if he can be an NFL QB in the spread.

Happy times at Arrowhead

D and T Tailgating before the game
Originally uploaded by bonesjackson

Decided to test Blog from a flickr photo. This was taken prior to the Chiefs - Bengals game in 2007 when Tony Gonzalez broke the all time TE TD record. We won that one 27-20 to go to 3-3 on the season with things looking up. Since that game the Chiefs have only won 3 games and undergone many changes.

Here is to more happy days at Arrowhead!

Vrabel's Teleconference and Arrowhead Greatness

I was digging through the transcript of the Q&A session with the new Chiefs LB on the official site of the Chiefs and stumbled upon something I think anyone that has been to Arrowhead in good times and bad times can understand. Mike Vrabel understands our home game pain.

“That was the first thing I told him (Coach Haley), if we can get this thing back to where this is a tough place to play and we win all of our games at home or damn near all of them, we can be successful. I remember every year it seemed like we played on Monday night and it was a tough place to play, it was loud, and you had to play extra-ordinary good to win. Hopefully we can get back to that and give the fans something to cheer about. When the product out there isn’t good, there is nothing really to cheer about.”

Donkey Disarray

It seems the Donks just can't keep shooting themselves in the leg. Err bad use of words but apparently, Brandon Marshall was arrested last night which would be his 4th arrest in his short NFL career. This coming the day after Jay Cutler reported being hurt that the Donks tried to trade him for Matt Cassel. Cutler also called for his teammates to give the Broncos problems. So far, the events seem unrelated, but you never know. If they are related, than thank you Jay and Brandon for sticking it to the man! ESPN was the first one to report this.

Per the world wide leader:

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who's had a string of off-the-field brushes with the law, has had another.

Marshall was arrested Sunday in Atlanta and booked into the Atlanta City Jail on a disorderly conduct charge. Details of the events leading to Marshall's arrest are not known at this time. A supervisor at the jail would only tell ESPN's John Barr that Marshall was involved in a fight.

Marshall posted a $300 bond and has been released. This is the fourth arrest for Marshall since March 2006. He was suspended for three games last season for repeatedly running afoul of the law -- Marshall's suspension stemmed from seven police-related incidents with his former girlfriend, Rasheedah Wately. But he had his punishment reduced to a single game when he pledged to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that he would stay out of trouble.

I don't know where this will go but I would offer this suggestion to Goodell. A four game suspension for the bad behavior in this case and give him back the two games that was reduced from last year. A six-game suspension is just what the Dr. ordered for this knucklehead. What do you think?