JoPo: MAJOR changes coming for the Chiefs this offseason?
 

http://www.kansascity.com/180/story/405684.html


JOE POSNANSKI COMMENTARY
Taking blame requires action

There are a lot of people trying to take the blame over at One Arrowhead Drive. The Chiefs’ offices resemble the “I’m Spartacus” scene in the movie, you know, when all the slaves were jumping up and shouting, “I’m Spartacus.” It’s just like that, except without Kirk Douglas and people wearing tunics.

Oh yeah, everybody’s jumping up and shouting, “I’m at fault.” If you are keeping score at home: Chiefs coach Herm Edwards took the blame last week (“I’ve got broad shoulders.”). Moments later, though, Chiefs president Carl Peterson blocked Edwards’ attempt to take the blame by taking it himself (“Blame me, OK? If you want to blame someone, blame me.”). After that, several players said it was silly for the coach or the GM to take the blame when it was clearly the players’ fault.

Then a few cheerleaders reportedly admitted they have not been as cheery as in past years, and they want some of the blame, too.

Some people suggested they were all at fault, all of them, everyone from the coaches to the players to the clubhouse guys to the people who clean up the stadium after games. This seems especially unfair to the people who clean stadiums after games. It’s bad enough they have to clean up substances chemists wouldn’t touch while wearing radiation suits. They don’t also need to take the blame for the Chiefs’ offensive line problems.

Point is that everyone sees that this season has gone down the tubes. It will only get worse from here. If the Chiefs win out, we will scream that they blew their shot at a decent draft pick. If the Chiefs lose out, they will have their worst record in 25 years (anyway, only really crummy teams lose out to get draft picks). Nobody’s going to be happy about anything that happens the rest of the way. The ship has already hit the iceberg — we’re all just waiting for the water to reach neck level.

And while it’s good to see so many people involved with the Chiefs trying to take the blame — Mitch Holthus, don’t you think it’s about time you take some blame here? Lenny? Grigs? — that’s a first step. It’s easy to “take blame.” I remember once writing a column about how a team messed up something badly. One guy in the front office called to say: “It’s entirely my fault. I blew it. I take full responsibility.”

OK, so the next day I ripped him in the paper for messing up. And the poor guy freaked out. He seemed to think, “I take full responsibility” was just a saying, kind of like, “Have a nice day,” or “Ding, fries are done.” He didn’t think there would be actual consequences. That’s sort of how it goes these days. People seem to think that, “I take responsibility” has become just a get-out-of-jail-free card, a meaningless cliché for coaches and players (and also criminals) to sputter when things don’t go right. Then they leave everything exactly the same.

So that’s why I say it’s only a first step for the Chiefs. The second step means blowing things up, which will be a lot harder and more involved than grabbing for blame.

The Chiefs are broken. Humpty Dumpty broken. Off-the-record interviews with several Chiefs insiders lead me to believe that this is understood — the Chiefs cannot fix this team. They can only salvage a few parts and start again. The word inside Arrowhead is that at least 20 players from this year’s team will have to go at the end of the year. That’s almost half the roster. You can undoubtedly guess some of the players who will be sent packing — the aging corners will be gone, the entire right side of the offensive line will be gone — but you can expect some surprises, too.

The word inside Arrowhead is that the offense will be completely redesigned, top to bottom — they will take whatever pages remain from Dick Vermeil/Al Saunders and throw them in fireplaces. To be blunt, I don’t see any resemblance between the plays the Chiefs run now and the plays they ran when Vermeil and Saunders were here (the Vermeil/Saunders plays tended to, you know, work). But either way, here’s hoping that little 2-yard out pass to Kris Wilson is the first play to go into the fire.

The word inside Arrowhead is that the whole Chiefs philosophy will change — no more aging veterans, no more short-term fixes, no more free-agent shortcuts. Even Peterson, who has for years refused to even utter the “R” word, admitted last week that the Chiefs are, in fact, rebuilding. Look for the Chiefs to try and stockpile draft picks (they already have 10), go crazy inviting college free agents, perhaps sign a couple of younger veterans and then go to camp next year with one of the NFL’s youngest and most enthusiastic teams.

So they say they want a revolution (well, you know, we all want to change the world). The question is: Who is going to run the revolution? The answer right now is hazy. Some changes are inevitable. It seems likely that offensive coordinator Mike Solari will be gone. But that’s not going to convince anybody that things are really changing. Maybe some other coaches will go. Maybe there will be a reshuffling in the front office. But clearly the big questions surround the two men trying to take the blame last week.

Start with Edwards. His approval rating is very low — I can’t remember a Kansas City coach who has inspired more nasty e-mails and phone calls. But Edwards is only in his second year as Chiefs coach, and the first year he did take the Chiefs to the playoffs. He certainly has his share of blame, but he was given an old team with a litter of quarterbacks who could not stay healthy, a decomposing offensive line, a defense with issues and a franchise running back who got hurt. He deserves more time.

That leaves Peterson, who last week made a rather odd statement. Doesn’t it seem like the Chiefs lead the NFL in odd statements? Whenever they say anything, it’s like trying to decode quotes from the Riddler on the old Batman TV show.

Anyway, Peterson said he “absolutely” would step down as GM if he decided that was best for the team. “I evaluate myself every year,” he said through his enigma machine. “But I look at the whole body of work.”

Of course, nobody knows what this means. Most read the quote and believe that the fix is in, that Peterson will look at his entire 19 years and, based on the success of the 1990s Marty teams, say to the mirror: “Hey, overall, I’ve done a darned good job. Look at all those early playoff appearances. Let’s go get some dinner! On me!”

It’s possible. But I don’t think that gives Peterson nearly enough credit. He cares monumentally about the Kansas City Chiefs. He is intensely loyal to the Hunt family. He does, despite what many might think, want more than anything for the Chiefs and the fans to win a Super Bowl. And he knows that the half-empty Arrowhead today is a harbinger of things to come.

Now, does this mean that he will step down? Maybe not. But I think he will look very, very hard at himself this offseason and ask himself the hardest questions: “Am I the right guy to lead the Chiefs on a complete reconstruction? Am I the guy who can win back the fans? Can I change enough to build a whole new kind of football team?”

Now to add my 2 cents... major changes and actual improvement CANNOT happen unless Dictator Carl AND Herm are fired after the season.

They are both the primary reasons for the Chiefs epic failure this season.

Worst thing JoPo has written in some time.

Interesting last paragraph. Except for the 1000 lb Gorilla: Carl's Ego.

Good Article....

As long as Herm is here, there isnt any hope for future success...

Unless someone takes us back to 1986.

But Carl thinks otherwise :( Let us pray Clark has a brain..

Carl will step down?


ha ha

so funnny

I hope the bit about "Arrowhead" realizing this team is broken is true..it also finally puts the lie that this was rebuilding year to bed...they thought they could win this year...they were wrong

anyone who says this was a rebuilding year is a liar...

but coaches need to go to...Solari is obvious, but does herm have the nads to ax Gunther too?

And a heart and courage and a desire to win a Super Bowl

The scary thing is if Herm stays and is allowed to completely blow up and rebuild the offense as has been suggested will happen... what will the offense look like?

I have a bad feeling it will resemble those lifeless, conservative Bucs' offenses that were coordinated by Mike Shula (who is available to be the Chiefs' next offensive coordinator and is a good friend of Herm's).

AMEN! His dad didn't and I don't give a **** who thinks he did...

some piece of shit west coast swing pass nightmare....

good article but I'll reiterate like everyone else has, if Carl is still running things expect more mediocre or worse seasons PERIOD!

I think Herm will put it completely in the hands of his new offensive coordinator.

Ladies and gentlemen ... Mr. Jimmy Raye.

I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that Jimmy Raye's name has not come up in discussions of who will be the new OC.

so could I, and everyone else

why?

That is the most insight any of us has had on what the plans are going to be in the offseason.

Great article. This is, frankly, amazing. Can it be that the world at large will eventually begin to realize what Herm has actually done here?

We've heard that our woes fall at the feet of the retirement of our Willies. That our DC was inept. That our OC was stupid. That our defense was the problem. That we had too many veterans. That our FG kicker was inconsistent. On and on. Excuse after excuse.

This disaster is the responsibility of Herm Edwards. Pure and simple. He is an ass clown and a liar. In ancient Egypt, they used to bash in the heads of crummy pharaohs. Someday, when they write the history of the Kansas City Chiefs, I can only hope that they erase Herm's name.

FAX

Meh, I'm thinking Carl is going to stay here as long as he can, hes going to ride this team for all it's worth.

Yep, thinking Carl will step down on his own is about as bad as it gets. He truly believes and marvels at his own 'regular' season success of the 90's and also includes the business aspect of it in his 'self evaluation' bullshit that goes on every year.

What other GM is also the CEO and President? Probably none. Yes you put butts in the seats, but that is not good enough from a GM standpoint for a football team.

It is also quite obvious like said, that Carl wanted to win this year and played his veterans.

Guy calls us impatient. We have not won a playoff game in 14 years you ****tard. God I want him gone badly. I was never one to jump on that guy in the past, but how can it be more black and white that his time is Over?!

At the beginning of the season, I was for Herm running the team after this year, and I thought even though he lacks intelligence and has a ridiculous, defensive approach to running offense. I thought he could coach defense and draft. I am not sure about either of those now. Looks to me like the team laid down on Herm last Sunday. That is not good. He needs to go too. And he can take that piece of crap Dick Curl with him. How is that guy our QB coach? That might be the gheyest thing about this years squad. I mean tell me, how the hell is he qualified to be a QB coach? Especially now, with having Brodie out there. Every time I see a shot of our QB over there talking to that dumb**** on the sidelines it makes me want to puke.

Jo Po is the most engaging writer on the Chiefs beat. Fantastic read by a talented and refreshing voice in the metro area.

There's only one way I ever become a season ticket holder again and that's Clark telling Carl and Herm and every other dipshit at 1 Arrowhead Drive,"there's the door don't let it hit you in the ass."

Well this gives us some hope, that they might be ready to junk the whole roster and start again. Maybe Carl will realize finally his mistakes now that the curtain has been pulled back this year.

Obviously, he's gotten a lot more time than he's deserved, but he brought a team back from the depths once, maybe now if he's convinced that we're in that same spot again we can do it.

I hope Herm would fire his lover Curl along with Solari. Didn't Shula coach Croyle, and Shula is friends with Herm... hmmm

You must not read his work very often. Can we trade him back to Cleveland for......anything.

I just evaluated myself and I've decided I'm a great guy.

I don't agree it was poorly written, but neither will I agree that it provides any "insight",

Quite frankly, it's absolutely no surprise. There's no "exclusive, breaking news" in this article for me. Now, if JoPo had stated that the official position of the Chiefs was to do business as usual this coming off-season, that would be news.

More like 1926 leather helmets baby
ROFL

I think that since they (Herm & Prickerson) said that they were to blame that then everyone would say "It's oooOKKK" and let them off the hook. Neither are worthy to come back next year.

I think this article is dead on that they are just trying to get out of trouble by taking the blame. It's the only way they can save themselves from being tar and feathered. I say they should still be tar and feathered and drug out of KC.

Drop some names please.

Brought them back to do what? Have a great regular season record while fans watched other teams go to and win Super Bowls?

Wooo hoooo!!!! Sign me up for another two decades!

But still 20x better than anything in your rag and 100x better than anything I've written.

It strikes me that all of the people who are badmouthing this article are giant Herm apologists. :hmmm:

Dick Curl will be one of the leading canidates....

There's no reason why this is so. The article's point reiterates one JoPo made last week - the problems are caused by the personnel errors of the Vermeil/Stiles/Carl regime. Herm deserves to stay and blow it up. Carl should look in the mirror and go. It's hard to see how anyone could read it as meaning anything other than that.

Yeah, I know. I was mostly just hoping he could evolve.

When Herm is gone, either next year or two years from now, I am going to spend all my time bashing his regime, while i give the new coach a free pass for years...

This way, I can be like you!

Okay, that's fine. But I still did accurately summarize JoPo's piece.

It's gonna be Mike Shula. I know it. I'm not saying that's good or bad, I just think he's gonna be the guy. Coached with Herm at Tampa, Croyle's college coach. Makes too much sense.

Evolution takes tens of thousands of years.

Even though I know it's only been 20 years it feels like it's just around the corner, though.

Zouk, is Herm Edwards responsible for the state of the New York Jets? If so, why should we have any confidence that Herm has a clue about building a roster?

I agree 100%.

Its a major relief to know that a complete team overhaul is in the works...Clark Hunt may love Carl & appreciate his loyalty, but you can bet that he's been read the riot act...irate fans, empty seats & lost revenue can test even the tightest business relationship.

This is what I don't get. There are only two logical positions to take:

1. The current head coach is responsible, in which case Herm needs to go.

2. The former head coach is responsible, in which case we need to look at where Herm came from and then he needs to go.

Either one ends with Herm needing to go.

Those who can, do.

Those who can't, critisize.

Ill believe it when i see it.

:hmmm:

I thought the state of the NYJ's was DV fault as well? Because if DV didnt retire, Herm would of completed his master plan in NYJ. Even though NYJ was going to can his sorry ass...

I think those waiting for Herm, Carl & Gun to go will be disappointed, my gut tells me that they will stay...but after that its wide open...OC, most if not all position coaches, aging players, unproductive players.

It wont please everybody, but it will be a good start.

It just might be a good enough start that in a year or two (god help us) a new GM and a real NFL coach might have something to build on....

Until then we are just spinning our wheels, hoping for 9-7....

Well then, thats the same old "business as usual" solutions.

Typical of this organization....

I dont blame Carl anymore, i blame the Hunts.

I've argued this before. He built a team in 2004 that was capable of winning in the playoffs in San Diego (when Drew Brees and not Phillip Rivers was QBing - meaning they were better then than now) and in Pittsburgh (they missed a kick and lost in overtime). If they were not in the same division as the Patriots (who were 14-2 and won the Super Bowl that year) they might have gotten home games in the playoffs and advanced further. But because the Pats were in their division, the best seed they could get was 5. That means road playoff games which means no Super Bowl in virtually all cases.

After the following year in which the top 2 QBs got hurt in the first quarter of the season (no NFL team has ever won in similar circumstance) he left the Jets and Mangini took over. The Herm Edwards' Jets 3 best defensive players were then traded (John Abraham) or were a poor fit for the new 3-4 scheme (Dewayne Robertson, Jon Vilma). So they're transitioning. I don't think Mangini deserves to be fired there, and I don't think Herm deserves to be fired here.

But the facts are overpowering that the Chiefs he inherited had the least amount of young talent of any team in the NFL. The bill for all those traded and wasted draft picks came due once Kennison, Roaf, Shields, Wiegmann, and Dunn stopped being functional NFL starters.

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Thanks trndobrd, for the first gay reference to the game day thread!

I thought it was a good column, for 2 reasons:

1) He addressed an important issue, not just in sports but in society, about the "I take the blame, I accept full responsibility -- without consequences" tact (I think someone posted a post-Waco picture of Janet Reno on this last week, which was clever and apt).

2) He didn't just speculate about or assert what needed to be done, he has a source inside the organization who says the higher-ups know the team has to be blown up. That's encouraging.

However, I will believe it when I see it.

My column which will appear this week is similar in direction to JoPo's but he did it so much better than I ever could. Mine essentially leaves 1000 questions in your head about the state of the team. It boils down to who is ultimately responsible because so many things have gone wrong. The only solid phase of the whole team is the punting unit and that's 80% Colquitt.

yup...I hope they weren't blowing smoke up his you know what...

:)

Mort on ESPN just reported (or speculated) that either Herm or Norm Chow was interviewed for the UCLA head coaching job last night.

Hmmm... Come on Carl, use your connections!!

unfortunately, it has to be Chow...

Have to be Chow...

No way a program like UCLA would try and hire Herm.. They cant be that stupid...

Where is all the young talent on the Jets that Herm stockpiled? It's non-existent.

Regarding young talent here, even if Herm didn't inherit loads of young talent, two years in today's NFL is quite a long time to rebuild a roster. Where's all the young talent? Bowe looks to be a talent. Croyle may be. The rest?

I would concur. You can be Chiefs GM.

Herm's rebuilding
 

I thought that Herm stated at the start of the season that he had ridded the team of all of the underachievers and problem makers. He had a group that wanted to play and wanted to win. Only problem is he didn't rid the team of himself. Herm is the biggest hinderance to this team and will continue to be so as long as his tenure lasts. He's had two years, thats enough. When you see things decline instead of improve, its time for a change. Hey Herm how about coaching Notre Dame. They have become accustomed to losing and they haven't heard all of your stories of how you were :huh: :banghead: :banghead: such an icon on the football field when you used to play. There is no rebuilding going on Herm. If you stay next year and we get 10 draft picks, I guarantee you can have 9 of them ruined before the regular season even begins. Be a man Herm, step down! :banghead:

Ray Farmer is going to get tendonitis of the jaw and the "you're fired" finger.


The team obviously needs blown up and rebuilt. It makes ZERO sense, if the team is taking an entirely new direction and rebuilding, for that rebuilding process to be headed by the Man responsible for its current dreadful and embarrassing condition.

Bye Carl. Take Dick Curl, Mike Solar, john Matsko and all of the other bums with you when you go.

Thanks for the 90s, but GTFO.

Its the insight that these guys have that astounds me. Who would ever have thought a shakeup was in order? Man, we are fortunate to have the Star.

I'd like Clark to hire Donald Trump for a day...

I'd like for Clark to pay this fan to sit in the board room and give the fan's perspective.

I'll effing read some cold hearted Ezekiel 25:17 at the beginning of the MEATing.

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you. I been sayin' that shit for years. And if you ever heard it, it meant your ass."

They did hire Karl Dorrell.