King Carl and DV on draft & off season

[AirForceChief]

Q&A with Carl Peterson: THE DRAFT & THE OFF-SEASON
Apr 19, 2005, 6:01:50 AM

KCMO-AM

Q: Have you got done what you had hoped to get done so far this off-season with the draft still to come?



CARL PETERSON: “It’s not everything we wanted but the goal at the beginning of free agency was let’s get a linebacker, let’s get a safety and let’s get a corner. We’ve done two of those three with Kendrell Bell and Sammy Knight at linebacker and safety respectively. I’m still working on the corner situation and we have a couple of options out there in free agency.

“Certainly there are some outstanding corners in the draft, so I think we can address that need there also.

“Then I think the acquisition of a Carlos Hall is kind of a bonus in the trade I was able to make with Floyd Reese at Tennessee for a late draft round choice. He’s a guy that’s started at defensive end the last three years – a good young ascending player in our opinion.

“Overall, I think we’ve made some progress in player personnel on the defensive side and we will address that again this coming weekend.”

Q: Putting the spotlight on cornerbacks, obviously among the veterans the guy in play is Patrick Surtain down in Miami. Update us if you can the situation with him. Have you been able to work out a deal with him?

PETERSON: “No, we’re still talking, still negotiating, still trying to do something that makes sense contract-wise for the Kansas City Chiefs and it has to make sense for Patrick and his representative.

“On the other side – and that’s what makes it a bit convoluted, complex transaction – is that if we can get to that point then it’s convincing the Miami Dolphins what is the appropriate draft compensation for the rights to Patrick Surtain. I’ve had continued conversations with them over the last few weeks. But I kind of figured from the beginning that it would take the pressure of the draft to see if we could do something.”

Q: So, this is the something that’s going to go down to Friday or Saturday if it happens at all.

PETERSON: “It’ll have to be before Saturday because of the complexity here. We can not trade for a player unless we have a contract in place that would fit our cap. So that necessitates that he would have to sign a contract with Miami and then we would trade that contract. His current contract would be too much for us cap-wise. It’s about $6 million dollars and it’s about $8 _ million to them including his pro-rated signing bonus. He’s an expensive player, a very talented one – couple of Pro Bowls. He’s a veteran corner that we’ve looked at closely for the last number of months.”

Q: A deal will be done then by the time you get to your first round choice.

PETERSON: “It’ll have to be done. It will not be possible to do this during the draft. There’s just too many things to accomplish beginning with a signed contract.”

Q: Any doubt that with that 15th pick in the first round whether Surtain gets done or not that you’re going to go defense with that pick?

PETERSON: “I think certainly that’s where we’re looking. There are some fine defensive players in the secondary I think that would probably be available at corner or safety. I think there are some other good players on the defensive side. There maybe is a defensive lineman or end that could fall to us. There are some talented offensive players too, but the emphasis we’ll be looking at will be defense.”

Q: Based on what you hear, the offensive players seem to be going right off the board with the quarterbacks and running backs. Each one that goes off pushes that defensive player back to you. Are you confident that at 15 you can get one of your top five defensive players on your board?

PETERSON: “You never know how the draft is going to go but we feel very good about it. Of course, if you do a 100 mock drafts you get a 100 different answers. There are no assurances about the draft. I think that’s why people like it, why they like to follow it and even watch it on TV or listen on the radio. I think they’ll be a very good football player at the 15th pick that the Chiefs can get.”

Q: Any position defensively you would not consider in the first round?

PETERSON: “No, I can’t say that at all. We would consider all positions. In free agency we felt linebacker, defensive safety, defensive corner, and we’ve already acquired a defensive end. We need help there and we need to get some impact players if we can to start helping us right away on that side of the ball.”

Q: In the pool of players that you believe will be available, anybody worth trading up for?

PETERSON: “There may possibly be, but the way we’ve looked at it we’re going to have a very good player at the 15th pick. I prefer not to give away draft choices unless it’s for an absolute veteran type of player and one that we know a lot about. We, I think, will stay right where we are at the 15th and hopefully come out with a very good player.”

Q: Any chance you would trade down?

PETERSON: “There’s a possibility for that, yes, depending on what people might want at our pick to give us. If we could move back a few spaces and still get the player or players that we covet right now then we would certainly consider that. As I am every year, I’m going to be open to phone calls from other teams and have begun the communication with those teams this week.”

Q: At the end of each draft your PR department puts out a little sheet that has all your picks and all the players that cane in the previous two days. On Sunday afternoon when they hand that sheet to you what do you want to see on it as far as position-wise?

PETERSON: “I want to see a couple – or at least one – impact player, a guy on the defensive side of the ball that we think can make a difference and come in and have a legitimate chance to not just start but to make an impact. If you’re picking right in the middle of the round as we are, I think we’ve got a good chance to do that.

“Certainly, we could use some help at offensive positions, too. We know this: all of our starters are back; they’re all under contract on both sides of the football. But we do need help on the defensive side in particular.”

Q: The draft is always important to any NFL team, but for this franchise right now does this make this a big draft for the Chiefs right now?

PETERSON: “It’s one of the best times of the year. It’s two or three years of scouting coming together and, hopefully, a little bit of luck will come your way and the player you want will fall to you and you’ll be able to acquire him.

“Then the proof of the pudding is that they just don’t replace people but they help us win and be successful. Then you can say, hey, that was a good draft.”

Q: Looking back on the ‘96 draft which was a heavily defensive draft. Your top five picks all became starters in this league – three of those five were pro bowlers and even a later round pick in Jeff Smith played for a few years and went on and started for Jacksonville. When you think of that draft, what was the key of hitting so many home runs and how do you re-create that?

PETERSON: “If my recollection is correct, Gunther (Cunningham) was with us and he does a terrific job of evaluating defensive talent. We had a plan and an idea of what we wanted. We also had some good fortune. You can covet a player in each round but that doesn’t mean he’s going to get to your slot. That particular year they did. Good players came out of that and helped us get better.”

[AirForceChief]

...and now for the DV portion of the show:

Q&A with DICK VERMEIL: THE DRAFT & THE OFF-SEASON
Apr 19, 2005, 6:01:22 AM

KCMO-AM

Q: Is solving the personnel puzzle an enjoyable time for you?



DICK VERMEIL: “I think our entire organization enjoys that. They’ve worked really hard together to come up with a collective agreement on a direction to go and the persons to go with. I’m optimistic. I think we’ll do a very good job.”

Q: How is the process gone this year in your view?

VERMEIL: “Smoother than it’s ever been since I’ve been here. I think Carl (Peterson) has been very active in it and has had the time to invest more time than just specifically the draft. No one is any better than Carl is at it. I think now in the span of a week’s it’s just collectively putting it together and making unselfish decisions.”

Q: This week always leads to rumor and innuendo and various scenarios about each team is going to approach the draft.

VERMEIL: “The stuff you read in the newspapers in regard to the draft is just amusing. You wonder where they get their information.”

Q: Is it safe to say that defense would be the rule this draft rather than the exception for the Chiefs?

VERMEIL: “Obviously, when you’re ranked where we are defensively and struggling like we are we have to keep improving in personnel as well as our coaching. I would say that the high percentage of those choices will go defensively.”

Q: That first round pick at number 15. Do you plan and prepare him to make a big contribution this year or do you still have to go through the off-season and training camp and see how he shows up?

VERMEIL: “There’s no guarantee the first round pick is going to start. About half of them each year do and I’m not 100% on the percentage. But sometimes you don’t even get them until training camp. There’s always that problem to consider. Kids always tell you they will be there on time but as you know there’s always a number that don’t show up on time.

“I think your first thought is your draft choices are initially going to be backup players and gradually work their way into starting positions and, if they’re outstanding here and at training camp on time and at mini-camp, then their chances of making an immediate contribution for that league opener against the Jets is much greater.”

Q: Your additions defensively so far in Kendrell Bell, Sammy Knight, and Carlos Hall: have you upgraded the areas you needed?

VERMEIL: “I think we really have but we’d still like to get a corner because it just adds depth. I don’t mean just a corner but a corner with starting ability prior to the draft. If it happens, great, if not then we’ll have to do it in the draft.”

Q: Obviously, Patrick Surtain is the guy in play this week. We know talks continue but are you optimistic at all that something can get done?

VERMEIL: “I don’t want to ever get to the point where I count on something like that because it distracts your thinking. Right now, we’re planning on coaching the people that we have even prior to the draft and then after the draft you plan on coaching the people you have and inserting the new people as they mature and get ready.

“Last year it was Jared Allen who became the first player who was really ready to play and then later in the year it was Samie Parker. A lot of times coaches are blamed for not getting young kids in and pressure is put on them. Well, they have to fight their way into the lineup, understand the schemes, understand the pressure that is on them to do things right. It isn’t as easy as a lot of people like to believe.”

Q: When all is said and done this coming Sunday what would you like to see the Chiefs walk out of the two days with?

VERMEIL: “It would be great if we could come out with a blue-chip potential corner, maybe another safety, another linebacker, a big tight end, another running back, a couple of wide receivers, an offensive lineman. I think something like that will happen but you don’t know after that second day which guy is going to jump up and surprise you or which guy may jump up and disappoint you.”

Q: Off-season all the attention from the fans and the media always go to the guys coming to the team and the draft, but certainly improvement from the team comes from within and your off-season program began a couple of weeks ago. How’s attendance and how do you feel about it so far?

VERMEIL: “It’s good. As a head coach you’re not totally satisfied because we can not make it mandatory. It’s against the union rules and the league rules. All we can do is request that they be here. We have over 43 guys off our roster from a year ago working four days a week. We had 10 of our starting 11 defensive players working through those first three weeks and only five of our starting 11 offensive players. Johnnie Morton has never been here in the off-season, Tony Gonzalez has not been here in the off-season. Guys like that. Priest Holmes is living at home with his three boys, but he was here the other day and in great shape. So, you’d like to believe that they’re professional enough that they’re doing the right things to get ready to play. I would prefer to have them here but this is the best we can do.”

Q: You mentioned Priest Holmes. He appears to be moving well, but in your conversation with him what did he have to say?

VERMEIL: “He had a big smile on his face. I think weight training-wise he’s in outstanding condition. He’s 220 pounds, about eight pounds over what you’d really want him. It’s all bulk muscle.

“Running-wise and 100% confidence in the knee, I don’t think it’s quite there yet. But he’s working towards that.”

Q: Talking about a couple of other guys injury-wise: Tony Gonzalez who has been bothered with that foot. What’s the status?

VERMEIL: “We’ve heard that he feels fine. He’s really optimistic and really feels that the problem is behind him.”

Q: John Welbourn who missed the last part of the season with a knee problem.

VERMEIL: “John’s doing fine. He assures us he’ll be here for the OTA (on the field activities) and mini-camp. He feels better than he’s felt in a long time.”

Q: Marc Boerigter and his knee injury?

VERMEIL: “Making very good progress. I don’t know if they’ll turn him loose 10% for training camp but maybe a couple of weeks into training camp. But he might even be able to go before training camp.”

Q: Shawn Barber coming off the knee injury?

VERMEIL: “He’s behind Marc Boerigter because everything was done later. He’s ahead of schedule and doing well and very optimistic.”

Q: The question that most fans ask about: what about Mike Maslowski?

VERMEIL: “He says he’s doing well. I think it’s a real challenge for him, but I’m looking forward to evaluating him in training camp and even in the mini-camps to see what he can do. Through the off-season program and rehab program it’s going well and he’s very optimistic.”

Q: As far as you know today, the status of Will Shields? Are you pretty confident he’s going to return?

VERMEIL: “Yes, I am. I think he’s planning to play but only time will tell.”

Q: Do you have a defined comment from Willie Roaf? Do you expect him to play?

VERMEIL: “Oh yeah. Willie Roaf told me he’s going to play three more years.”

Q: What’s your overall view of your football team as you look at it today?

VERMEIL: “Last year I was so optimistic that it was going to be an outstanding football team and it ended up we only won seven games. So, this year I’m going to be very cautious. I’d like to believe we’re on track to being a good football team but how many other good football teams we can beat I don’t know. The first four weeks of our schedule is a b - - - -.

“If we can get through the first four weeks and hold our own in playing the Jets in the opener – a playoff team – and then two road games at night including going to Denver on Monday night and the Raiders on a Sunday night and then come back here and play the NFC champion and compete evenly and beat a couple of them, then I’ll be able to tell you where we are.

“But if we don’t do that, then it may be another season like this last year.”

Q: You came out of training camp very uneasy last year and you made that very plain. Some of that was out of your hands because of weather and so forth, but part of the head coach’s job this off-season is planning training camps and so on. What are you going to do to make sure you don’t walk out with that same feeling?

VERMEIL: “There aren’t any guarantees. Right now as we go to training camp as planned we have four weeks with a very even routine and one that is not interrupted by different kinds of travel and Monday night games. We’ll be able – barring bad weather – to have a very consistent routine that allows you to program and organize your schemes and teach them in a way you’re not interrupted. We had a training camp like that the year before when we won 13 games and came out and started the season with nine straight wins. If we can come out like that then our chances of starting strong are better. But our final training camp plans are not finalized yet.”

[Rausch]

VERMEIL: “Oh yeah. Willie Roaf told me he’s going to play three more years.”

Damn. Roaf is a beast...

[jspchief]

PETERSON: “If my recollection is correct, Gunther (Cunningham) was with us and he does a terrific job of evaluating defensive talent. We had a plan and an idea of what we wanted. We also had some good fortune. You can covet a player in each round but that doesn’t mean he’s going to get to your slot. That particular year they did. Good players came out of that and helped us get better.”

Hopefully Peterson lets Gun have his way again.

[whoman69]

Nothing new here. CP is holding down expectations and DV is acting like everything is going great.

[KCTitus]

Originally Posted by jspchief

Hopefully Peterson lets Gun have his way again.

You mean like when he drafted Bartee?

[Kyle401]

Originally Posted by KCTitus

You mean like when he drafted Bartee?

Bartee was a Peterson pick.

[StcChief]

Bartee didn't/isn't panning out.

$hit happens coaching/analysis or playing effected it.

Every team has busts in different positions over time.

Get past it.

[nmt1]

Originally Posted by Kyle401

Bartee was a Peterson pick.

Proof?

[King_Chief_Fan]

I like the part where CP claims that 2-3 years are spent in scouting for the draft.........what the hell were they looking at when they decided to pick Junior?

[KCJake]

Q: What’s your overall view of your football team as you look at it today?

VERMEIL: “Last year I was so optimistic that it was going to be an outstanding football team and it ended up we only won seven games. So, this year I’m going to be very cautious. I’d like to believe we’re on track to being a good football team but how many other good football teams we can beat I don’t know. The first four weeks of our schedule is a b - - - -.

I agree

[shaneo69]

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

I like the part where CP claims that 2-3 years are spent in scouting for the draft.........what the hell were they looking at when they decided to pick Junior?

Carl was able to acquire some rare film of Junior playing rugby in Samoa when he was 19. But it was the interviews with the owner of the t-shirt sweat shop in Utah where Junior worked from the age of 21-25 that really sealed it.

[Chris Meck]

I'm not sure where Vermeil said everything's going great in that interview. He seems pretty guarded to me.

I will say...I'm beginning to sour on Surtain a little...and maybe beginning to shift my thoughts to Law.

IF you could sign Law to an incentive-laden contract, one that pays him big if he plays in 90% of the defensive snaps or something, then you still have both a first and second round picks. It's true that Law COULD be a bust due to his injury, but he's always been a high character/hard worker guy. He's got something to prove. You could then use one of the first two picks to draft the best corner on the board.

Risky, but might be the best way to go with so many holes to fill.

I dunno, just a thought.

Chris

[Kyle401]

Originally Posted by nmt1

Proof?

Everyone knows that every defensive bust we have taken for the last 16 years has been a Peterson pick. Where have you been?

[LiL stumppy]

Originally Posted by Kyle401

Bartee was a Peterson pick.

Bartee is a safty,not a CB.