GRETZ: Battle Gone; More to Come - Page 6

Coogs · 08-11-2006, 08:10 AM

I know everyone knows Battle is toast, Just thought I would post the article in a new thread.

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GRETZ: Battle Gone; More to Come
Aug 11, 2006, 7:57:03 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ

RIVER FALLS, WI – It will not go down as one of the more earth-shaking personnel moves in recent Chiefs history.

But the decision to release cornerback Julian Battle on Friday certainly caught the attention of his once fellow teammates.

And there will be more “surprises” in the coming days and weeks as Herm Edwards begins to pull out the weeds in the Chiefs roster.

“Just not good enough,” was Edwards’ reply when asked why Battle was released. “We did it now so he would have a better opportunity of catching on somewhere else.”

A spot was needed with the signing of quarterback Jeff Smoker, but there were others on the roster that could have been sent packing at this time. The decision to waive Battle was done to send the message that Edwards has stressed from Day One in Kansas City: he doesn’t want the players to feel too comfortable about their status.

Battle was one of those players who felt very comfortable. The Chiefs attempted to trade him on Friday. Actually, it’s the second time in the last few weeks they floated his name on the NFL grapevine hoping for a nibble. When they signed veteran cornerback Ty Law the week that training camp starters, Battle expressed his displeasure and asked to be traded.

They found no takers then, and none this week, so he was released.

The fact that Battle actually thought he was tradable was a symptom of his biggest problem: he thinks he’s good enough. Yet, the fourth-year pro has done nothing during his time with the Chiefs to show he could be a contributing player to the defense. His season last year was wiped out by an Achilles’ tendon injury in mini-camp. But he rehabbed and was at 100 percent through the off-season program and during two weeks of training camp.

Battle’s biggest problem was his lack of consistency. There have been times since he joined the Chiefs when he showed flashes of ability. Physically, he might be as gifted a cornerback as Dale Carter.

But the times when he displayed that ability were few and far between. He could not carry it from one play to another. Even in practice, he would handle coverage well on one play, then he would come back on the next play and completely forget about what he learned just 30 seconds earlier. Plus, he’s prone to penalties. Last Friday night in the practice against the Minnesota Vikings, on his first play of one-on-one pass coverage, he was flagged for holding by the NFL game officials who were working the affair.

Edwards isn’t going to put up with that type of inconsistency. That’s one of the major reasons that cornerback Eric Warfield was sent packing in the off-season. This defense is built on a foundation of strong, consistent fundamentals. Battle never figured that out.

His release is another defensive draft failure for the Chiefs. Battle was a third-round pick in 2003, a first-day choice and he joins recent first-day busts like DT Eric Downing (3rd-round, 2001), DT Eddie Freeman (2nd-round, 2002) and DT Junior Siavii (2nd-round, 2004), who remains missing in action in this training camp and could be the next weed pulled from the roster.

When Dick Vermeil was the head coach, his approach to player evaluation could be characterized as: we’ve seen you perform at least once, so we believe you have the ability to do it again and we’ll work with you to make that happen.

Edwards attitude is: do it once, then show me you can do it again, and again, and again, and then I’ll believe you can play.

Julian Battle never came close to achieving that performance level.

The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.

htismaqe · 08-11-2006, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCTitus

LOL...I still disagree. I point to the truckloads of money and draft picks forfeited for players like Chester McGlockton, Lew Bush, Gray, et al. Overpaying for FA's is a Lexicon staple.

Again, the team, front office all want to win...they've just sucked at putting together the pieces to get it done.

Thanks for reminding me...

**RealSNR** · 08-11-2006, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

See, I feel that's PRECISELY what Vermeil did (and did not) do.

He tried to coach up guys that weren't faster, taller, or stronger. And in the process, he made them LESS disciplined because they didn't feel like they had to earn anything, let alone their starting job.

To add to the analogy, sculpting rock requires a hammer and chisel. When sculpting clay, you have to handle it with kid gloves for fear you ruin it...

Wow, we're all a bunch of ****ing poets

teedubya · 08-11-2006, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachKC

As sad as the no INT schtick is Battle has actually gone on the field and made a few plays here and there...he isn't consistant enough to be a player for us I wouldn't mind if he got cut but the guy has done some good things during his time...you can't say the same for Battle.

you cant say anything nice about Battle, please dont say anything at all.

|Zach| · 08-11-2006, 12:49 PM

Woops, the first one should read Bartee.

Cormac · 08-11-2006, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg in kc

I'm starting to see Vermeil as a bridge between the kind of thug team that Marty had and the kind of team that Edwards appears to want to build.

Marty went for talent over character with a defensive (aggressive, violent) attitude, Vermeil went for character over talent with an offensive (cerebral) attitude, and Edwards appears to want both talent and character with a return to defensive attitude.

And by defensive attitude, I mean the mindset of the team, not necessarily an emphasis on defense. I think the team will be tougher and more violent on both sides of the ball. For instance, I see Larry Johnson as a player with a defensive attitude, although he's a running back...

Either way, while Vermeil did improve the character of the team, and help us recover from a salary cap hell in 2001, ultimately, we're headed for another salary cap hell in the next 2 years, and the end result of his 5 years here was failure, every bit as much as Marty and Gun's tenure.

Good post.

KCTitus · 08-11-2006, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Thanks for reminding me...

Hey, what are friends for?

Ive always wondered if you 'ranked' draft classes among the teams how well Carl would fare against other teams. I dont have the inclination nor time to go through the time consuming task of putting all of that together to see how it worked out, but I wouldnt be too suprised if KC was in the average/mean of teams.

I did hear on the radio the other day someone talking about Buffalo and how Donahoe has totally decimated the Bills. Donahoe was a sexy GM pick that got trumpeted around here when there was speculation that Carl was on the outs...while I dont follow Buffalo, one thing I do know is that team is a mess right now.

That said...4 more years, after this one, and everyone's dream will come true. I look forward to see how things pan out.

ChiefaRoo · 08-11-2006, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rausch

I think we're finding out now that in the current NFL you can't make them smarter or more disciplined.

You have the desire to develop that mentality when you get to the NFL level or you don't...

I agree. Battle was inconsistant at Tennessee when he was there and even after making it to the NFL he showed NOTHING. The only play I can even remember him making is the block he made for Dantes run back against the donks.

rocks · 08-11-2006, 05:59 PM

Thank the Gods of Football that the POS is gone!

jlscorpio · 08-11-2006, 07:02 PM

Lemme see if I got this right...if a guy sucks, you cut him??? What a freakin' concept, and a refeshing one at that!!! HERE, HERE!!!

DaWolf · 08-12-2006, 04:42 AM

Just keep in mind that with Herm's approach a player like Dante Hall also would have been cut long before he was able to blossom. It cuts both ways...

huskerdooz · 08-13-2006, 02:15 AM

Hopefully with Herm as HC, the Chiefs will actually draft CB's that have played the position in college and have the necessary skills to play the position in the pros. Both Battle and Bartee should have been drafted as Safeties. They actually may have turned into productive players if that had happened. Other than Dale Carter, name 1 college Safety that we've drafted as a CB that has panned out. Count me in the minority but I still have hope that Bartee can be converted to a Safety. With the drafting of Pollard and Paige, it may be too late for it to happen with the Chiefs though.

RINGLEADER · 08-13-2006, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Now if Bartee gets cut the cycle will be complete.

Agreed. When -T is gone we'll know there has been a change in the player personnel thinking of the Chiefs...

08-11-2006, 08:10 AM
Coogs In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Northern Kansas Casino cash: $1044349	GRETZ: Battle Gone; More to Come I know everyone knows Battle is toast, Just thought I would post the article in a new thread. _____________________________________________________________ GRETZ: Battle Gone; More to Come Aug 11, 2006, 7:57:03 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ RIVER FALLS, WI – It will not go down as one of the more earth-shaking personnel moves in recent Chiefs history. But the decision to release cornerback Julian Battle on Friday certainly caught the attention of his once fellow teammates. And there will be more “surprises” in the coming days and weeks as Herm Edwards begins to pull out the weeds in the Chiefs roster. “Just not good enough,” was Edwards’ reply when asked why Battle was released. “We did it now so he would have a better opportunity of catching on somewhere else.” A spot was needed with the signing of quarterback Jeff Smoker, but there were others on the roster that could have been sent packing at this time. The decision to waive Battle was done to send the message that Edwards has stressed from Day One in Kansas City: he doesn’t want the players to feel too comfortable about their status. Battle was one of those players who felt very comfortable. The Chiefs attempted to trade him on Friday. Actually, it’s the second time in the last few weeks they floated his name on the NFL grapevine hoping for a nibble. When they signed veteran cornerback Ty Law the week that training camp starters, Battle expressed his displeasure and asked to be traded. They found no takers then, and none this week, so he was released. The fact that Battle actually thought he was tradable was a symptom of his biggest problem: he thinks he’s good enough. Yet, the fourth-year pro has done nothing during his time with the Chiefs to show he could be a contributing player to the defense. His season last year was wiped out by an Achilles’ tendon injury in mini-camp. But he rehabbed and was at 100 percent through the off-season program and during two weeks of training camp. Battle’s biggest problem was his lack of consistency. There have been times since he joined the Chiefs when he showed flashes of ability. Physically, he might be as gifted a cornerback as Dale Carter. But the times when he displayed that ability were few and far between. He could not carry it from one play to another. Even in practice, he would handle coverage well on one play, then he would come back on the next play and completely forget about what he learned just 30 seconds earlier. Plus, he’s prone to penalties. Last Friday night in the practice against the Minnesota Vikings, on his first play of one-on-one pass coverage, he was flagged for holding by the NFL game officials who were working the affair. Edwards isn’t going to put up with that type of inconsistency. That’s one of the major reasons that cornerback Eric Warfield was sent packing in the off-season. This defense is built on a foundation of strong, consistent fundamentals. Battle never figured that out. His release is another defensive draft failure for the Chiefs. Battle was a third-round pick in 2003, a first-day choice and he joins recent first-day busts like DT Eric Downing (3rd-round, 2001), DT Eddie Freeman (2nd-round, 2002) and DT Junior Siavii (2nd-round, 2004), who remains missing in action in this training camp and could be the next weed pulled from the roster. When Dick Vermeil was the head coach, his approach to player evaluation could be characterized as: we’ve seen you perform at least once, so we believe you have the ability to do it again and we’ll work with you to make that happen. Edwards attitude is: do it once, then show me you can do it again, and again, and again, and then I’ll believe you can play. Julian Battle never came close to achieving that performance level. The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Posts: 21,673

08-11-2006, 12:49 PM	#79
\|Zach\| For The Glory Of The City Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $5096768	Woops, the first one should read Bartee.
Posts: 53,518

08-11-2006, 05:59 PM	#83
rocks Box of Rocks Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Joplin Missouri Casino cash: $10004900	Thank the Gods of Football that the POS is gone!
Posts: 315

08-11-2006, 07:02 PM	#84
jlscorpio Veteran Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Rapid City, SD Casino cash: $10004900	Lemme see if I got this right...if a guy sucks, you cut him??? What a freakin' concept, and a refeshing one at that!!! HERE, HERE!!! __________________ For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for those who don't believe, no explanation will do.
Posts: 1,089

08-12-2006, 04:42 AM	#85
DaWolf Cry havoc... Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $10007725	Just keep in mind that with Herm's approach a player like Dante Hall also would have been cut long before he was able to blossom. It cuts both ways...
Posts: 6,798

08-13-2006, 02:15 AM	#86
huskerdooz Starter Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Can't get there from here Casino cash: $9909885	Hopefully with Herm as HC, the Chiefs will actually draft CB's that have played the position in college and have the necessary skills to play the position in the pros. Both Battle and Bartee should have been drafted as Safeties. They actually may have turned into productive players if that had happened. Other than Dale Carter, name 1 college Safety that we've drafted as a CB that has panned out. Count me in the minority but I still have hope that Bartee can be converted to a Safety. With the drafting of Pollard and Paige, it may be too late for it to happen with the Chiefs though.
Posts: 640