C-Mac
03-16-2007, 06:46 PM
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2007/03/16/gretz_righting_a_wrong/
GRETZ: Righting a Wrong
Mar 16, 2007, 8:35:26 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
It’s been a blister that Carl Peterson’s carried for the last five years. Last week, a healing salve was applied to the sore with the signing of Donnie Edwards.
Over his 18-year tenure as the man in charge of the Chiefs, Peterson has gained a reputation as the man who pulls all the strings, makes every decision and rules Arrowhead Stadium like an autocrat. Thus the imperial title “King Carl” that been bestowed on him by the pundits.
The truth is quite different. Although making decisions is something he does every day, he is not a dictator. Ask any of the men who have served as head coach for Peterson and there are very few times when they didn’t get the man they wanted, whether it was in the draft, a trade, or free agency. Marty Schottenheimer has said many times that in 10 years working together, he and Peterson had a serious disagreement over less than a handful of players.
There have been times when Peterson has overruled his coach, most famously in the 2003 draft when Dick Vermeil wanted to take Tyler Brayton with the Chiefs first-round pick and Peterson instead drafted Larry Johnson.
But that didn’t happen in the weeks after the 2001 season, Vermeil’s first as head coach. Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson was not a big fan of Edwards and his style of play. Edwards was a free agent and wanted badly to re-sign with the Chiefs. But Robinson convinced Vermeil that they shouldn’t spend any money on Edwards. Vermeil agreed and pushed Peterson to walk away from the linebacker the Chiefs selected in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft.
Unable to re-sign with the Chiefs, Edwards actually got more money in signing a new deal with his hometown San Diego Chargers.
“I was never happy with that decision,” Peterson said. “I got talked into something and for the last five years, twice a year, we had to see him playing in the division, going to the Pro Bowl (2002), leading their team in tackles. He always played great against us. Always.”
Robinson only lasted two more seasons before he fell on his sword and left the team after the defensive debacle in the 2003 playoffs against the Colts. Edwards’ production was never replaced. Shawn Barber was signed for the ‘03 season as an unrestricted free agent from Philadelphia. After that first season, injury took him out of the lineup and he didn’t play a down for the Chiefs since the ‘05 season. Last year he was back with the Eagles and is currently a free agent.
Barber’s problems led to the signing of another free agent linebacker, Kendrell Bell in 2005. While Bell is still on the roster, he’s not been a major producer in the Chiefs lineup over the last two seasons.
Here are the numbers for Edwards in the last five seasons in San Diego, and the contributions made by Barber and Bell during their games with the Chiefs:
Barber missed half of the ‘04 season and most of the next season recovering from a bad knee injury. In three seasons, he was out of the lineup for 21 games. Bell arrived as injured goods when he signed as a free agent and that hampered him during the ‘05 season. Edwards has missed two games in his career, two out of 176 games. He’s started 137 consecutive games, the sixth longest active streak in the league. He’s had ability and availability.
Barber and Bell have not had the impact on the field over the last five seasons that Edwards did with the Chargers. And in 10 games against the Chiefs in those seasons, Edwards made his former team pay time after time. He averaged 9.8 tackles per game, with 2.5 sacks and three interceptions. He had a sack and an interception in the Chargers victory over the Chiefs last December in San Diego. In five games at Arrowhead, he averaged 11 tackles, including the meeting in ‘05 when he finished the game with 18 tackles.
Edwards will be 34 in April and this season will be his 12th in pro football. Those numbers do not fit the pattern of what Herm Edwards is looking for these days on the Chiefs roster. The coach wants the Chiefs to get younger.
But Herm Edwards also wants production and that’s certainly something Donnie Edwards has provided the Chargers for the last five years. With his 27 career interceptions, he leads all active linebackers and the way the Chiefs play defense these days should take advantage of Edwards pass coverage skills.
Make no mistake on this: signing Donnie Edwards adds a talented player to the roster. But it also allowed Carl Peterson to right a wrong.
GRETZ: Righting a Wrong
Mar 16, 2007, 8:35:26 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
It’s been a blister that Carl Peterson’s carried for the last five years. Last week, a healing salve was applied to the sore with the signing of Donnie Edwards.
Over his 18-year tenure as the man in charge of the Chiefs, Peterson has gained a reputation as the man who pulls all the strings, makes every decision and rules Arrowhead Stadium like an autocrat. Thus the imperial title “King Carl” that been bestowed on him by the pundits.
The truth is quite different. Although making decisions is something he does every day, he is not a dictator. Ask any of the men who have served as head coach for Peterson and there are very few times when they didn’t get the man they wanted, whether it was in the draft, a trade, or free agency. Marty Schottenheimer has said many times that in 10 years working together, he and Peterson had a serious disagreement over less than a handful of players.
There have been times when Peterson has overruled his coach, most famously in the 2003 draft when Dick Vermeil wanted to take Tyler Brayton with the Chiefs first-round pick and Peterson instead drafted Larry Johnson.
But that didn’t happen in the weeks after the 2001 season, Vermeil’s first as head coach. Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson was not a big fan of Edwards and his style of play. Edwards was a free agent and wanted badly to re-sign with the Chiefs. But Robinson convinced Vermeil that they shouldn’t spend any money on Edwards. Vermeil agreed and pushed Peterson to walk away from the linebacker the Chiefs selected in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft.
Unable to re-sign with the Chiefs, Edwards actually got more money in signing a new deal with his hometown San Diego Chargers.
“I was never happy with that decision,” Peterson said. “I got talked into something and for the last five years, twice a year, we had to see him playing in the division, going to the Pro Bowl (2002), leading their team in tackles. He always played great against us. Always.”
Robinson only lasted two more seasons before he fell on his sword and left the team after the defensive debacle in the 2003 playoffs against the Colts. Edwards’ production was never replaced. Shawn Barber was signed for the ‘03 season as an unrestricted free agent from Philadelphia. After that first season, injury took him out of the lineup and he didn’t play a down for the Chiefs since the ‘05 season. Last year he was back with the Eagles and is currently a free agent.
Barber’s problems led to the signing of another free agent linebacker, Kendrell Bell in 2005. While Bell is still on the roster, he’s not been a major producer in the Chiefs lineup over the last two seasons.
Here are the numbers for Edwards in the last five seasons in San Diego, and the contributions made by Barber and Bell during their games with the Chiefs:
Barber missed half of the ‘04 season and most of the next season recovering from a bad knee injury. In three seasons, he was out of the lineup for 21 games. Bell arrived as injured goods when he signed as a free agent and that hampered him during the ‘05 season. Edwards has missed two games in his career, two out of 176 games. He’s started 137 consecutive games, the sixth longest active streak in the league. He’s had ability and availability.
Barber and Bell have not had the impact on the field over the last five seasons that Edwards did with the Chargers. And in 10 games against the Chiefs in those seasons, Edwards made his former team pay time after time. He averaged 9.8 tackles per game, with 2.5 sacks and three interceptions. He had a sack and an interception in the Chargers victory over the Chiefs last December in San Diego. In five games at Arrowhead, he averaged 11 tackles, including the meeting in ‘05 when he finished the game with 18 tackles.
Edwards will be 34 in April and this season will be his 12th in pro football. Those numbers do not fit the pattern of what Herm Edwards is looking for these days on the Chiefs roster. The coach wants the Chiefs to get younger.
But Herm Edwards also wants production and that’s certainly something Donnie Edwards has provided the Chargers for the last five years. With his 27 career interceptions, he leads all active linebackers and the way the Chiefs play defense these days should take advantage of Edwards pass coverage skills.
Make no mistake on this: signing Donnie Edwards adds a talented player to the roster. But it also allowed Carl Peterson to right a wrong.