Mellinger: First three months of Dorsey’s Chiefs regime far cry from *****’s

[Tribal Warfare]

First three months of Dorsey’s Chiefs regime far cry from *****’s
By Sam Mellinger
The Kansas City Star
John Dorsey knows Kansas City. By now you’ve heard that part of his story. His wife is from the area, and their first date was at Jack Stack. When the Chiefs introduced him as their new general manager, he called it his dream job.

But living in a place can be very different than visiting. He just bought a house here. This is real now. Working a dream job can be very different than dreaming about it. So we wanted to check in after three months and see if anything had changed.

“No way, this place is awesome, man,” he says. “Here’s an example. We went down to Oklahoma Joe’s (on Wednesday), Andy and I and some other guys, and we sat in line for 40 minutes. The people were great. This is the good thing about the Midwest: Everybody respects your space. It’s a cool thing.

“Some guys would come up and talk to us; they’re genuinely excited. That’s what it’s all about. It’s the people, man.”

Dorsey will talk your ear off about Kansas City. The other day, as the lawn mower was going by his office window, he realized it was never this nice in Green Bay until mid-May, at least. You hear Dorsey talk, and you hear others in the Chiefs offices talk about him, and you begin to understand a franchise-defining change.

We don’t know if Dorsey will succeed in Kansas City. Nobody does. But after three months, there are clues about how the Chiefs are, and will continue to be, different.

He doesn’t spend any time trash-talking his predecessor, for one. This was a favorite pastime of Scott *****’s. Publicly and privately, directly and indirectly, ***** wanted you to know what kind of mess he inherited.

Dorsey never mentions that he arrives on the heels of what many involved called the worst football year of their lives.

“We’re just trying to get people excited, because that’s a good working environment,” Dorsey says.

The second major difference between this regime change and the one that preceded it is that Dorsey isn’t overhauling the front office. ***** talked constantly of changing the culture and spent a lot of time firing and hiring people. Dorsey has spent a large chunk of his time meeting and working with and listening to people who were here long before January.

“Not one guy has all the answers, my God,” Dorsey says. “This is a hard job now. There are going to be some people here who are going to help and it’s good to have everybody here to do this.”

That leads to the third major difference between Dorsey and *****. Whenever possible, ***** would namedrop Bill Belichick. Dorsey doesn’t talk much about Green Bay. Doesn’t tell stories about drafting Aaron Rodgers or winning the Super Bowl with the league’s youngest roster or what they saw in Clay Matthews that 25 other teams passed on ... unless you ask.

Dorsey isn’t coming to Kansas City expecting people to kiss his Super Bowl rings as much as he’s hoping the people here can help him win another one.

“I think you’ve got to earn everybody’s respect,” he says. “I’m trying to earn everybody’s respect in the organization. I only know one way. I have no ego. I like to work. I like work, I like football, and I love my family.”

The Chiefs’ last four years were filled with drama. Carl Peterson ran the organization for two decades, and although he probably should have been replaced a year or two earlier, you can now look back and see a professionalism that went missing when he departed. He had his quirks — quite frankly… — but people genuinely liked working for him. There’s something to be said for that.

It’s only three months, of course, but there seems to be a steadiness and professionalism returning to the Chiefs’ offices. You don’t hear stories of paranoia, or micromanaging, or bizarre rules about who can make color copies.

This is still an NFL organization, so secrets are still closely guarded. Besides, NFL teams are bigger than the general manager. Owner Clark Hunt was going to push his franchise in this direction no matter who he hired as general manager.

But the sense from the inside is one of confidence, comfort and a renewed optimism. You can see that in Dorsey as he talks about the rewards of hard work and the focus on empowering his scouts. Get people invested, he says. Get them excited. That’s how you build a winning culture.

Again, we don’t know how this story will end. Dorsey is only three months into the job. His first draft is three weeks off, his first game six months away. All we have are these hints. But all these hints are positive.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Kurt Warner isn't walking through that door. Eli Manning isn't walking through that door, and Aaron Rodgers isn't walking through that door.

Yeah, you can win a SB as a WC if you have elite QB play.

Welp...

While I respect your opinion, I'd prefer to wait until after Reid and Smith's first season in KC before shutting the door on any possibilities.

2013 "feels" like 1989 to me. It doesn't "feel" like 2001 or 2006 or 2009.

I've been fooled in the past, by Levy (he won in the CFL!) and especially with the Mackovic hire (Oh, well he was Tom Landry's "Right Hand Man!").

But I wasn't fooled by Gansz, wasn't fooled by Gunther, wasn't fooled by Vermeil and wasn't fooled by Pioli's bunch.

I could be wrong and maybe I'm being fooled again. But right now, I think they've made some solid moves and I'm hopeful.

Check back next Spring.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Messier

I don't think there's a QB in the draft that can play better than Alex Smith this season.

I bet Geno Smith can make the big time plays that Alex Smith would fail at. Game managing Alex Smith would have the edge. Give another couple seasons and Geno Smith will most likely be head and shoulders over Alex Smith.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

While I respect your opinion, I'd prefer to wait until after Reid and Smith's first season in KC before shutting the door on any possibilities.

2013 "feels" like 1989 to me. It doesn't "feel" like 2001 or 2006 or 2009.

I've been fooled in the past, by Levy (he won in the CFL!) and especially with the Mackovic hire (Oh, well he was Tom Landry's "Right Hand Man!").

But I wasn't fooled by Gansz, wasn't fooled by Gunther, wasn't fooled by Vermeil and wasn't fooled by *****'s bunch.

I could be wrong and maybe I'm being fooled again. But right now, I think they've made some solid moves and I'm hopeful.

Check back next Spring.

The 90s Chiefs plopped into the modern NFL would be even more dead in the water than they were then.

Besides, the only thing Carl ever built was something that clearly wasn't good enough.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by The_Doctor10

The biggest problem with both Kolb and Vick is their inability to stay on the field; both are concussion magnets. Subtract some severe brain trauma, there's very little wrong with them as quarterbacks. Vick's second season in Philly was as dominant a season as a qb has had in the last fifteen years. And largely credited to the work Reid did with him.

This is a commonly held belief that happens to be completely false. Vick played tremendously for about a ten game stretch. That's not a full season of greatness.

There have been numerous other QBs who have put together tremendous aberrational years: Jake Delhomme, Steve Beuerlein, and Derek Anderson to name a few.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

While I respect your opinion, I'd prefer to wait until after Reid and Smith's first season in KC before shutting the door on any possibilities.

2013 "feels" like 1989 to me. It doesn't "feel" like 2001 or 2006 or 2009.

I've been fooled in the past, by Levy (he won in the CFL!) and especially with the Mackovic hire (Oh, well he was Tom Landry's "Right Hand Man!").

But I wasn't fooled by Gansz, wasn't fooled by Gunther, wasn't fooled by Vermeil and wasn't fooled by *****'s bunch.

I could be wrong and maybe I'm being fooled again. But right now, I think they've made some solid moves and I'm hopeful.

Check back next Spring.

Ya lets get a new retread QB every 2-3 seasons and watch our draft picks get old and waist away on the roster and wonder why we never win shit in the playoffs.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

The 90s Chiefs plopped into the modern NFL would be even more dead in the water than they were then.

Besides, the only thing Carl ever built was something that clearly wasn't good enough.

Yeah but all intents and purposes, every Chiefs fan had passion for each and every Sunday.

As a fan that's nearly 2,000 miles from KC that's watched a horrible team for the better part of 15 years, my hope is a consistently competitive football team.

Championships aside, this team hasn't won a playoff game in more than 20 years. I'm worn out. I'm spent. I drove all over Los Angeles to watch the Chiefs on a 19" TV for a decade and spent more than $3,000 dollars on the Sunday Ticket in the past 10 years, not to mention travel to other cities, only to watch them lose.

A playoff win would be nice.

Ugh.

[DTLB58]

Originally Posted by milkman

Don't care who has the final say.

When it all goes wrong, they'll both be culpable.

I think Reid will be gone long before Dorsey. Then we will see what Dorsey can really do. I don't mind Reid getting the players he wants though. The worst thing a GM can do is build a team against the philosophies of the HC. ex. Lynn Stiles and Jerry Burns with the Vikings and the Herschel Walker trade with Dallas.

I want Reid to succeed obviously, but at least we know he will succeed or fail under his own watch. I don't think Clark or Dorsey will fight him on much.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

Ya lets get a new retread QB every 2-3 seasons and watch our draft picks get old and waist away on the roster and wonder why we never win shit in the playoffs.

No team has ever won a Super Bowl without a QB that team has drafted in the first round.

[The_Doctor10]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

This is a commonly held belief that happens to be completely false. Vick played tremendously for about a ten game stretch. That's not a full season of greatness.

There have been numerous other QBs who have put together tremendous aberrational years: Jake Delhomme, Steve Beuerlein, and Derek Anderson to name a few.

Alright then; all im saying is reid isn't the sort to just commit blindly to one qb. So I have no doubt he's willing to jump on a qb who could be better than Alex smith. And I don't know that he thinks there's one in this draft.or at least, the talent differential isnt much between geno and a guy like Glennon, to justify taking him at 1.1 vs round 3.

And I assume if that's the case, the reasoning isn't 'I want to succeed only with Alex smith'

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by The_Doctor10

Alright then; all im saying is reid isn't the sort to just commit blindly to one qb. So I have no doubt he's willing to jump on a qb who could be better than Alex smith. And I don't know that he thinks there's one in this draft.or at least, the talent differential isnt much between geno and a guy like Glennon, to justify taking him at 1.1 vs round 3.

And I assume if that's the case, the reasoning isn't 'I want to succeed only with Alex smith'

FWIW, I've been told by multiple people associated with the league in one way or another, that the Chiefs are absolutely sold on Alex Smith.

Again, take it FWIW.

[Mother****erJones]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

FWIW, I've been told by multiple people associated with the league in one way or another, that the Chiefs are absolutely sold on Alex Smith.

Again, take it FWIW.

Sure they are, they gave up a 2nd rounder and a conditional 3rd next year.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

While I respect your opinion, I'd prefer to wait until after Reid and Smith's first season in KC before shutting the door on any possibilities.

2013 "feels" like 1989 to me. It doesn't "feel" like 2001 or 2006 or 2009.

I've been fooled in the past, by Levy (he won in the CFL!) and especially with the Mackovic hire (Oh, well he was Tom Landry's "Right Hand Man!").

But I wasn't fooled by Gansz, wasn't fooled by Gunther, wasn't fooled by Vermeil and wasn't fooled by *****'s bunch.

I could be wrong and maybe I'm being fooled again. But right now, I think they've made some solid moves and I'm hopeful.

Check back next Spring.

Marv Levy's teams improved each year for the first 3 years he was the HC, in the era when it did take 5 years to build a team that could compete.

He got ****ed over by the player strike.

I still believe, had he not been fired after a strike year, fielding a team of terrible replacement players, and allowed to continue his rebuild of that team after the strike, that he would have been successful over the long term in Kansas City.

[tk13]

It is interesting because it's not like Alex Smith has any connection to Reid or Dorsey prior to this. This is not like Pioli bringing in the late round pick he personally scouted and drafted.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Mother****erJones

Sure they are, they gave up a 2nd rounder and a conditional 3rd next year.

But besides that fact, they apparently truly believe that he's a championship caliber QB that will have the same success in KC has he's had for the past two seasons in SF.

Again, take it FWIW.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by milkman

Marv Levy's teams improved each year for the first 3 years he was the HC, in the era when it did take 5 years to build a team that could compete.

He got ****ed over by the player strike.

I still believe, had he not been fired after a strike year, fielding a team of terrible replacement players, and allowed to continue his rebuild of that team after the strike, that he would have been successful over the long term in Kansas City.

Yeah, they improved but not through "normal" means. The Wing T?



I liked Levy but I do believe he had a fair opportunity in KC. I know that Lamar Hunt said his biggest regret was firing Marv, but I also believe that Marv wouldn't have had the success he had in Buffalo without the growing pains he experienced in KC (and to a lesser degree, the USFL).

He had a helluva coaching staff, especially offensively, in Buffalo.