Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey explains plan for No. 1 pick - Page 13

ShowtimeSBMVP · 04-04-2013, 12:53 PM

By Albert Breer
Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network
Published: April 4, 2013 at 02:28 p.m.
Updated: April 4, 2013 at 02:42 p.m.
0 Likes | 0 Comments

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Relaxed and easygoing as he might be on this day, Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey had to know the question was coming, particularly since West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith's flight into town was already airborne.
Mock draft central

In his first year on the job, Dorsey has the draft's first pick. His move will set the table for everyone else, and his job is to get the most value out of that commodity. The best way to do that, of course, is to generate a market for the pick by manufacturing the impression that the Chiefs, in fact, like everyone.

And as I floated that well-worn idea to Dorsey, his back straightened and he stopped me.

"It's not creating a belief, it's the truth," Dorsey sharply responded. "We've said all along it's a process, and that process will not be finalized, that board will not be set, until four days before the draft. That's the way that whole process works itself out. There are different phases that you go through. I mean, right now, I just walked downstairs and we're in a different phase right now. We're going back as a group and assessing all the different positions."

Still, there's very little question that the focus in Kansas City is squarely on the first pick -- the Chiefs' aren't scheduled to pick again until No. 63 overall -- and that focus is now narrowing.

It wouldn't make much sense for Dorsey and the Chiefs to tip their hand now on exactly who they're targeting, since, again, that might limit the value of the pick itself. But internally, there has been a process of elimination and an identification of "finalists" with the draft three weeks away.

"True contenders?" Dorsey quizzically uttered, before pausing and counting them in his head. "We've gotten it down to four."

*****

There's a shell game to this final phase of it, too.

Yes, the Chiefs brought in Smith, but they already gave up two high picks, including the 34th overall selection in this draft, to acquire Alex Smith from the San Francisco 49ers. That trade, plus the split opinion league-wide on Smith's ability, cast plenty of doubt on the possibility of Kansas City taking the plunge on the West Virginia star -- doubt that Dorsey does his best to dispel.

"There always can be a quarterback," he said. "We're gonna take the best player. I stand by that. And what I use as an example is that we were lucky enough to get Aaron Rodgers (in Green Bay). We were questioned about that, but we stood patiently for three years with him. We can stand patiently another three if we have to. At the end of the day, you want to do what's best for your organization, present and future. And if it happens to be the quarterback, we'll take the quarterback."

On the topic of Smith, Dorsey added: "Physically, he was very impressive at the combine, and we watched his pro day three times. When he threw, it was very impressive."

But if it's not the quarterback? That's where it gets interesting, because the guys who seem like better Chiefs fits aren't exactly being courted in the same manner Geno has been in K.C.

With left tackle Branden Albert's future uncertain, Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel and Central Michigan's Eric Fisher both would seem to be firmly in the mix. Neither is slated to visit. The Chiefs also spent considerable time kicking the tires on Oregon's Dion Jordan and Florida's Sharrif Floyd after the NFL Scouting Combine. Yet, those two aren't scheduled either, at least at this point, to go to Kansas City and meet the brass.

This could all be part of the club gaming the system, and other teams.

Internally, obviously, there are answers to all these questions. Every day, Dorsey sits down with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid at 6:30 in the morning, again at lunch and a final time at night to talk things over. In the final 10 days, the GM says, Reid will become more involved in draft meetings, as the scouts trickle in with their field work complete. The hope is, by then, Dorsey has been sold on one of the four.

"In a second, that could happen," Dorsey explained. "Sitting down and overwhelming somebody with their depth of knowledge of the offensive scheme and how quick they can put it up, and combine that with the on-the-field skills, and you go, 'Holy s---, he's got it.' It could be an interview at the combine, it could be his pro day at the school. There are different variables, and all of a sudden the light goes on and you're going, 'That's the guy!' It happens in a multitude of ways."

Whether that moment of clarity comes or not, Dorsey continued, there needs to "come a point after you sit here and listen to all the scouts, you sit and listen to the coaches, you sit and talk with the medical staff, and then you sit and talk with the head coach, and then you say, 'This is the guy, and here's why.' And everyone says, 'OK.' Then you know that's the guy."

*****

Win a chance to announce a pick live at the 2013 NFL Draft. Enter now!

And if your head isn't spinning quite enough yet, there's also a chance that the Chiefs a) aren't sold on any of the guys there or b) simply believe there's better value drafting eighth or 10th or 12th. In either case, they might test the trade waters.

For now, Dorsey is willing to admit he's open to entertaining the idea.

"Yeah," Dorsey said. "I'm open to what's best for this organization. I know I have the option to take the best player there. But if somebody calls me up and says, 'We're willing to move up, here's what we have to offer,' I see it, weigh it, listen to compensation and make a decision on what's best."

The new GM spent the last 22 seasons working his way up through the Packers' personnel department. The average draft slot for Green Bay during that span? No. 20. Not only has Dorsey not worked for a team picking first before, but he's only been a part of the process with four top-10 picks in his entire scouting career: CB Terrell Buckley (No. 5 overall in 1992), Jamal Reynolds (10, 2001), A.J. Hawk (5, 2006) and B.J. Raji (9, 2009).

That makes these waters a bit uncharted for him. He knows there are different dynamics with it. He mentioned Rodgers again as a model of a player who handled the kind of pressure the first pick will be under (though he wasn't the first pick, he was replacing a legend), and said, "I think any one of the four guys that we're targeting right now can handle that."

He's also aware that, as a first-time GM, his actions on this pick will loom large when his prowess as a decision-maker is assessed.

At least outwardly, though, he's trying to look at the top pick like any other selection.

"A personnel guy always wants to get his pick right," Dorsey said. "We live that every year. We want to make sure the pick is right. This one happens to be the first pick in the draft. We're gonna try to make it right. You guys can put the pressure on us -- 'Holy crap, it's the No. 1 pick!' It's the No. 1 pick. We're gonna do the best we can."

And as the process typically proves, getting the most out of a top pick often goes far beyond simply identifying a top player

Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer 1m

Nugget from my KC/Dorsey story -- Geno visited Chiefs. But Joeckel, Fisher, Floyd, Jordan aren't slated to. #Poker http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap

Just Passin' By · 04-05-2013, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossChief

Andy Reid brought up passing on a massive offer for a trade down in 1999 and took McNabb even though he had already named Doug Pederson the starter.

John Dorsey makes it a point to "straighten up his back" and stand firm that he is Interested in drafting Geno...even if he needs to sit him for multiple years...even goes out of his way to point out a time when he used that strategy in the past with Aaron Rodgers.

I don't think you bring a quarterback for a two day visit/workout to Arrowhead and make all of these specific comments unless you are seriously interested in drafting the player.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/0ap10...at-teams-think

Teams do this stuff all the time, and it's been going on forever.

TEX · 04-05-2013, 09:18 AM

I just hope Dorsey's defination of "process" is much different to the point that it's the complete opposite of Pioli's defination...

TEX · 04-05-2013, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

Let's hope everyone else thinks that too. That way, whether the Chiefs have real interest or not, it will maximize the chance that they have a trade down offer to weigh it against.

I have this fear that the Chiefs will pick first and then watch as J-Ville, Oakland, etc. trade their pick for multiple one's and really make a splash with talent and value. But, then again it's J-Ville and Oakland so maybe not...

Sweet Daddy Hate · 04-05-2013, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

He's got Akili Smith's arm, JaMarcus Russell's work ethic, Vince Young's leadership and poise, and Casey Printer's chance of being a starter for the Chiefs this year. Maybe.

Trolling troll was a happy-troll, yes a happy troll was heeeeee....
Posted via Mobile Device

Sweet Daddy Hate · 04-05-2013, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefMojo

My question is, how will the Geno or bust crowd take having Geno on the bench for 2-3 years if we drafted him? Bet it wouldn't be pretty! If and I mean a big if we drafted Geno, that would likely happen and Dorsey was already planting the seed for that possibility.

You can fire up the clown theme for every film and gif for Alice and Chase as they suck their way to multiple losses, and I'm STILL cool with Geno on the pine being properly developed. Two more years of suck doesnt bother me one goddamned bit because I KNOW what's coming when the time is right.
Posted via Mobile Device

Sweet Daddy Hate · 04-05-2013, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefshrink

Or if you are Reid/Dorsey you are trying to play some serious poker to trade down(to make up for blowing your smokescreen) because you had to sign AS when you did because many other suitors would have gotten him b4 you if you hadn't and knew the FA sucked and there were no real ready made QB's in this year's draft. But I do admire your positive outlook but I think you still need to stay with your gut and not get your hopes up.

They play poker the way Hootie bangs supermodels HELL-OOOO! We've been through this already HELL-OOOO..MC FLYYYY....damn.
Posted via Mobile Device

Direckshun · 04-05-2013, 04:48 PM

When I read BossChief's posts, I get a boner.

Just... interpret that however you will. Lord knows I will.

Cannibal · 04-05-2013, 04:51 PM

I'm so tired of NFLN saying we're taking Joeckel. What a miserable draft season this turned into.

patteeu · 04-05-2013, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cannibal

I'm so tired of NFLN saying we're taking Joeckel. What a miserable draft season this turned into.

A new era is upon us. It's time to rejoice, no matter who they pick in the draft.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 04-05-2013, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

A new era is upon us. It's time to rejoice, no matter who they pick in the draft.

Yeah! No.
Posted via Mobile Device

Cannibal · 04-05-2013, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

A new era is upon us. It's time to rejoice, no matter who they pick in the draft.

I do agree with that and I don't care if they take Geno Smith. However, the Chiefs need a game breaking player, whether that be on Defense or Offense. I also hate that we went 2-14 in embarrassing fashion, earned the # 1 pick and now we're going recycle that pick into a position we already have a solid player occupying.

Very, very, unsexy, unexciting Draft coming up for us.

Our team has no balls.

Cannibal · 04-05-2013, 05:19 PM

The # 1 pick should get you a player that can change games by making big plays, whether by scoring touchdowns by throwing, runnig or catching the ball, or by sacking the QB, forcing fumbles and getting safeties.

Cannibal · 04-05-2013, 05:21 PM

Those types of plays swing momentum in a game.

Luke Joeckel adequately blocking his opponent is not going change the momentum in any game.

**BossChief** · 04-05-2013, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

A new era is upon us. It's time to rejoice, no matter who they pick in the draft.

Where/when have I heard this before?

OrtonsPiercedTaint · 04-05-2013, 05:26 PM

There is nothing worth while a rookie QB could learn from Alex Smith. That he couldn't learn from Matt Cassel, Damon Huard or Rex Grossman.

04-04-2013, 12:53 PM
ShowtimeSBMVP Chiefs Join Date: Feb 2009 Casino cash: $3726009	Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey explains plan for No. 1 pick By Albert Breer Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network Published: April 4, 2013 at 02:28 p.m. Updated: April 4, 2013 at 02:42 p.m. 0 Likes \| 0 Comments KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Relaxed and easygoing as he might be on this day, Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey had to know the question was coming, particularly since West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith's flight into town was already airborne. Mock draft central In his first year on the job, Dorsey has the draft's first pick. His move will set the table for everyone else, and his job is to get the most value out of that commodity. The best way to do that, of course, is to generate a market for the pick by manufacturing the impression that the Chiefs, in fact, like everyone. And as I floated that well-worn idea to Dorsey, his back straightened and he stopped me. "It's not creating a belief, it's the truth," Dorsey sharply responded. "We've said all along it's a process, and that process will not be finalized, that board will not be set, until four days before the draft. That's the way that whole process works itself out. There are different phases that you go through. I mean, right now, I just walked downstairs and we're in a different phase right now. We're going back as a group and assessing all the different positions." Still, there's very little question that the focus in Kansas City is squarely on the first pick -- the Chiefs' aren't scheduled to pick again until No. 63 overall -- and that focus is now narrowing. It wouldn't make much sense for Dorsey and the Chiefs to tip their hand now on exactly who they're targeting, since, again, that might limit the value of the pick itself. But internally, there has been a process of elimination and an identification of "finalists" with the draft three weeks away. "True contenders?" Dorsey quizzically uttered, before pausing and counting them in his head. "We've gotten it down to four." *** There's a shell game to this final phase of it, too. Yes, the Chiefs brought in Smith, but they already gave up two high picks, including the 34th overall selection in this draft, to acquire Alex Smith from the San Francisco 49ers. That trade, plus the split opinion league-wide on Smith's ability, cast plenty of doubt on the possibility of Kansas City taking the plunge on the West Virginia star -- doubt that Dorsey does his best to dispel. "There always can be a quarterback," he said. "We're gonna take the best player. I stand by that. And what I use as an example is that we were lucky enough to get Aaron Rodgers (in Green Bay). We were questioned about that, but we stood patiently for three years with him. We can stand patiently another three if we have to. At the end of the day, you want to do what's best for your organization, present and future. And if it happens to be the quarterback, we'll take the quarterback." On the topic of Smith, Dorsey added: "Physically, he was very impressive at the combine, and we watched his pro day three times. When he threw, it was very impressive." But if it's not the quarterback? That's where it gets interesting, because the guys who seem like better Chiefs fits aren't exactly being courted in the same manner Geno has been in K.C. With left tackle Branden Albert's future uncertain, Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel and Central Michigan's Eric Fisher both would seem to be firmly in the mix. Neither is slated to visit. The Chiefs also spent considerable time kicking the tires on Oregon's Dion Jordan and Florida's Sharrif Floyd after the NFL Scouting Combine. Yet, those two aren't scheduled either, at least at this point, to go to Kansas City and meet the brass. This could all be part of the club gaming the system, and other teams. Internally, obviously, there are answers to all these questions. Every day, Dorsey sits down with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid at 6:30 in the morning, again at lunch and a final time at night to talk things over. In the final 10 days, the GM says, Reid will become more involved in draft meetings, as the scouts trickle in with their field work complete. The hope is, by then, Dorsey has been sold on one of the four. "In a second, that could happen," Dorsey explained. "Sitting down and overwhelming somebody with their depth of knowledge of the offensive scheme and how quick they can put it up, and combine that with the on-the-field skills, and you go, 'Holy s---, he's got it.' It could be an interview at the combine, it could be his pro day at the school. There are different variables, and all of a sudden the light goes on and you're going, 'That's the guy!' It happens in a multitude of ways." Whether that moment of clarity comes or not, Dorsey continued, there needs to "come a point after you sit here and listen to all the scouts, you sit and listen to the coaches, you sit and talk with the medical staff, and then you sit and talk with the head coach, and then you say, 'This is the guy, and here's why.' And everyone says, 'OK.' Then you know that's the guy." *** Win a chance to announce a pick live at the 2013 NFL Draft. Enter now! And if your head isn't spinning quite enough yet, there's also a chance that the Chiefs a) aren't sold on any of the guys there or b) simply believe there's better value drafting eighth or 10th or 12th. In either case, they might test the trade waters. For now, Dorsey is willing to admit he's open to entertaining the idea. "Yeah," Dorsey said. "I'm open to what's best for this organization. I know I have the option to take the best player there. But if somebody calls me up and says, 'We're willing to move up, here's what we have to offer,' I see it, weigh it, listen to compensation and make a decision on what's best." The new GM spent the last 22 seasons working his way up through the Packers' personnel department. The average draft slot for Green Bay during that span? No. 20. Not only has Dorsey not worked for a team picking first before, but he's only been a part of the process with four top-10 picks in his entire scouting career: CB Terrell Buckley (No. 5 overall in 1992), Jamal Reynolds (10, 2001), A.J. Hawk (5, 2006) and B.J. Raji (9, 2009). That makes these waters a bit uncharted for him. He knows there are different dynamics with it. He mentioned Rodgers again as a model of a player who handled the kind of pressure the first pick will be under (though he wasn't the first pick, he was replacing a legend), and said, "I think any one of the four guys that we're targeting right now can handle that." He's also aware that, as a first-time GM, his actions on this pick will loom large when his prowess as a decision-maker is assessed. At least outwardly, though, he's trying to look at the top pick like any other selection. "A personnel guy always wants to get his pick right," Dorsey said. "We live that every year. We want to make sure the pick is right. This one happens to be the first pick in the draft. We're gonna try to make it right. You guys can put the pressure on us -- 'Holy crap, it's the No. 1 pick!' It's the No. 1 pick. We're gonna do the best we can." And as the process typically proves, getting the most out of a top pick often goes far beyond simply identifying a top player Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer 1m Nugget from my KC/Dorsey story -- Geno visited Chiefs. But Joeckel, Fisher, Floyd, Jordan aren't slated to. #Poker http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap
Posts: 23,752

04-05-2013, 09:18 AM	#182
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Laguna Beach, CA Casino cash: $2443127	I just hope Dorsey's defination of "process" is much different to the point that it's the complete opposite of Pioli's defination... __________________ "The CHIEFS, HAVE THEIR DYNASTY!"
Posts: 34,641

04-05-2013, 04:48 PM	#187
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4443447	When I read BossChief's posts, I get a boner. Just... interpret that however you will. Lord knows I will.
Posts: 59,247

04-05-2013, 04:51 PM	#188
Cannibal Better to burn out... Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bible Thumping Country Casino cash: $10010618	I'm so tired of NFLN saying we're taking Joeckel. What a miserable draft season this turned into.
Posts: 9,306

04-05-2013, 05:19 PM	#192
Cannibal Better to burn out... Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bible Thumping Country Casino cash: $10010618	The # 1 pick should get you a player that can change games by making big plays, whether by scoring touchdowns by throwing, runnig or catching the ball, or by sacking the QB, forcing fumbles and getting safeties.
Posts: 9,306

04-05-2013, 05:21 PM	#193
Cannibal Better to burn out... Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bible Thumping Country Casino cash: $10010618	Those types of plays swing momentum in a game. Luke Joeckel adequately blocking his opponent is not going change the momentum in any game.
Posts: 9,306

04-05-2013, 05:26 PM	#195
OrtonsPiercedTaint MVP Join Date: Dec 2012 Casino cash: $10004980	There is nothing worth while a rookie QB could learn from Alex Smith. That he couldn't learn from Matt Cassel, Damon Huard or Rex Grossman.
Posts: 5,994