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Originally Posted by GOATSE
If you're a Chiefs fan, you want the Patriots to win because it's just one more piece of proof that drafting and developing a franchise quarterback is the key to building a consistent winner.
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That's an interesting perspective. The reality is that they've spent the following picks on QBs during the last decade:
Michael Bishop, 1999 7th round
Tom Brady (of course...), 2000 6th round
Rohan Davey, 2002, 4th round
Matt Cassel, 2005, 7th round
So would you call that a focus on "drafting and developing a franchise quarterback"? I'm not sure. Did one develop? Of course. But we're talking a Kurt Warner situation here. It was by chance, not by design.
What did New England do to get them where they are? Well, to start with, they had a few drafts with multiple first and second round picks (2 1sts/2 2nds in '98, 2 1sts in '99, 2 2nds in '03, 2 1sts in '04) - that's a far cry from the "big" Chiefs drafts where we have 10 picks, but 7 of them are 4ths and later...
Now, obviously, Brady developing impacted the draft, but what they did do is draft a lot of offensive linemen and tight ends, a bunch of defensive tackles, a few wide recievers and runningbacks, and several defensive backs.
In other words, they built strong lines, and then peppered a few other positions around.
One thing he said is valid, and I think very important, they've focused more on the concept of "team" than on talent. Corey Dillon and Randy Moss were the notable exceptions to that, but all in all, what they've done is go for character, and in free agency experience, over flash.
In the end, what I think the Chiefs need to do is #1 stop throwing picks away on coach and player trades, #2 find a way to parlay their picks into multiple early-round selections, if at all possible. Because, while I do think superstar players can be keys, I think a team like the Chiefs needs more than one or two guys; I think they need an infusion of talent across the board. I don't think I'd drop out of 4 or 5 this year, but I'd start to try to work on getting multiple picks in future drafts, and I'd starting doing it while we're on the clock in April. If that means trading away guys like Tony Gonzalez or Brian Waters, or even Jared Allen and Larry Johnson, I'd consider it. I'd at least listen to any offers that might come in. And, finally, they need to start hitting on most of their picks (and that might have started in 2006 and 2007). There was a ten year period where they wasted draft after draft, and that got them into the hole they've been in for most of the 21st century.
Rocket science it ain't.