Whitlock: Trade for Cassel, like Pioli and Haley, looks good on paper

[FloridaMan88]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/col...y/1060759.html


Trade for Cassel, like Pioli and Haley, looks good on paper

Pardon my caution. I’ve been disappointed often enough to temper my optimistic enthusiasm and wait for the results.

It’s been quite a week for the Twin Bills, Kansas City’s Belichick and Parcells knockoffs, Scott Pioli and Todd Haley.

They disrespected and alienated a potential loyal soldier, Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters, and began the process of relocating New England’s spare parts to Arrowhead Stadium, trading for quarterback Matt Cassel and outside linebacker Mike Vrabel.

Pioli and Haley are doing exactly what they promised. They’re shaking the foundation of the Chiefs organization and transforming the culture of the locker room.

Congrats!

We’ve seen this before. Fresh off a Super Bowl victory in 1999, Dick Vermeil used a high draft pick to acquire the QB he loved in St. Louis (Trent Green), spoke confidently about procuring players who “fit the profile,” blasted Larry Johnson for wearing a diaper and wooed the local media with dinner, wine and a spirit of love.

You see the similarities?

Emboldened by his success with the Rams, Vermeil parachuted into Kansas City convinced he knew football secrets that only a select few had ever learned.

Eventually, as the game is prone to do, football humbled the Hall-of-Fame-worthy coach. After five years, one playoff appearance, zero playoff victories and a boatload of shiny offensive stats, Vermeil re-re-retired.

Success precedes and justifies arrogance. Success is flighty, unfaithful and reluctant to move. Arrogance will follow you wherever you go.

What we’re witnessing right now is an explosion of Patriots Way arrogance. Scott Belichick believes he knows football secrets that he’s only willing to share with Todd Parcells and the select few they’re going to allow into their circle (Cassel and Vrabel).

It’s my understanding that Waters, a nine-year veteran, visited Arrowhead Stadium last week with the intention of volunteering to join Pioli and Haley’s army. Waters is a loyal soldier. He soldiered for Gunther Cunningham, Vermeil and Herm Edwards without complaint or betrayal.

Waters, who asked to be released on Thursday after a brief, negative encounter with Haley and being dissed by Pioli, isn’t delicate or in need of pampering. He’s a man. He simply wanted the respect that his years of honorable service warranted.

“Hey, I appreciate you coming to town. Unfortunately, it’s not a good time right now. We’re in the middle of finalizing our game plan for free agency, the draft and the offseason program. When we have our plan together, we look forward to sharing it with you and the entire roster. Just be patient, Brian. We’re going to win games and believe you can help us do that.”

Maybe those words were spoken in addition to what we’ve heard from a reliable source. So far, we’ve only heard Waters’ side of the story. Pioli and Haley have declined to comment. The Patriots Way is to not discuss the inner workings of the team. The Patriots Way values secrecy (and illegal filming).

Let me make this clear: I’m rooting for Pioli and Haley.

I supported the idea of hiring Pioli because I got to know him when he worked in New England. We talked football philosophy regularly throughout 2008 when he was an employee of the Patriots. I supported the idea of hiring Haley because I’m a huge Bill Parcells fan, I like anyone willing to stand up to Terrell Owens, and I figured that Pioli would appoint someone he knew.

If you’ve read my columns for any length of time, you recognize what I enjoy most are the few times a decade when I’m right about something.

I want to be right about Pioli and Haley.

But I’m also willing to be the first one to point out that I was wrong about Pioli and Haley. I don’t mind being right about being wrong.

Their arrogance is disconcerting. Smells like King Carl on steroids.

The acquisition of Cassel could be a Pioli ego trip. You get lucky, find Tom Brady in the seventh round, and it becomes easy to convince yourself you’ve done it again with Cassel.

There’s no objective reason to believe that Belichick didn’t get the better end of the Cassel-Vrabel trade. Belichick doesn’t do favors, even for his former co-workers/employees. Yeah, a second-round pick sounds like a steal for a 26-year-old QB who threw 21 TDs and for 3,600 yards and won 11 games in his first year as a starter.

I want to see Cassel do it without Randy Moss, who has a habit of elevating the play of every QB on his roster. Randall Cunningham and Jeff George had career years throwing to Moss. Brady shattered a plethora of league records lobbing rainbows to Moss.

A year after Moss broke Jerry Rice’s single-season TD receiving record, Cassel struggled to connect with the Human TD Machine. Moss’ touchdown production dropped more than 50 percent in 2008. But, to his credit, Cassel managed to take advantage of the simplified coverage schemes that Moss’ presence dictates. There’s only one direction to roll coverage when Moss is on the field. Cassel dusted off his rust and completed 63 percent of his passes.

I need more proof before I celebrate his arrival. He sat on the bench at USC behind Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, two Heisman Trophy winners. Palmer is a good player. Leinart couldn’t capitalize on being blessed with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

I’ll wait to label Cassel a “steal” until I see the contract he signs and how he performs away from the New England line, Moss, Wes Welker and a stingy defense.

I’ll take the same approach with Vrabel, whose jersey number 50 is rather appropriate since his locker-room nickname is likely to be “5-Oh.” In New England, Vrabel was one of Belichick’s locker-room leaders and an assignment-sound defender. In KC, he’ll be seen as police, a snitch, a Pioli spy.

In 2007, when the Patriots ran the regular-season table and built enormous leads with a quick-strike offense, Vrabel exploited his numerous pass-rush opportunities and recorded a career-high 12 1/2 sacks. Last season he returned to normal, tallying four sacks, two of which came in the season opener against the Chiefs.

He’ll be 34 this season. Does he have more in his tank than Donnie Edwards had when Carl Peterson brought Donnie back from San Diego?

I told you. We’ve seen this all before. And that’s not to say it won’t work.

I’d just like to see a little less arrogance. We embrace Belichick’s and Parcells’ conceit because theirs is backed by multiple Super Bowl titles and appearances.

Pioli and Haley look good on paper, just like their decision to trade for Cassel and Vrabel.

[SAUTO]

how good did moss make kerry collins and aaron damn what was his last name (brooks maybe) former saint. look? well good enough i cant remember him

[The_Doctor10]

Wow, Whitlock sounds like such a bitch here...

[Gravedigger]

Trent Green and DV weren't the worst things about those teams it was our poor ass defense that hasn't been good since the early 90s.

[kcpasco]

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

Trent Green and DV weren't the worst things about those teams it was our poor ass defense that hasn't been good since the early 90s.

Yeah I didn't understand his diss on Green either

[Hammock Parties]

Brady was a sixth-round pick, not a 7th.

FAIL, jwhit. FAIL!

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Unleash_the_Phury

Wow, Whitlock sounds like such a bitch here...

Why? Because he's cautiously optimistic and wary of going tits deep into the Kool-Aid?

[KC kid]

Whitlock is having an affair with Brian Waters. . .

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

Trent Green and DV weren't the worst things about those teams it was our poor ass defense that hasn't been good since the early 90s.

And he didn't say they were. He said that all the bullshit amounted to nothing. Zip. Meaningless ****ing stats.

And he's right.

(But trading #12 and the second rounder was dumb as ****.)

[blueballs]

DREW BLEDSOE
IS GAY

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by KC kid

Whitlock is having an affair with Brian Waters. . .

I think they are both having an affair with cholesterol

[Hammock Parties]

I can't say I disagree with Whitlock.

But a couple of assholes is really just what we need.

I didn't want Pioli or Haley to tiptoe around Arrowhead like they owed anybody anything.

If they fail, fail big. Lay it all on the line.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsfan88

I think they are both having an affair with cholesterol

Has anyone seen Brian Waters and Jason Whitlock in the same room at the same time?

[blueballs]

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

Trent Green and DV weren't the worst things about those teams it was our poor ass defense that hasn't been good since the early 90s.

and Larry Johnson was on the team
when DV came to town

[Deberg_1990]

I get the feeling JWhit and Waters are chummy and hes feeling a little butt hurt over his homey getting smacked down.