nychief
03-01-2008, 03:41 PM
Chiefs cleaning house to build new foundation
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Tell Clark your opinion!
The purge has begun in Kansas City, and there's a message there for Chiefs fans: The team will get younger before it gets better.
When coach Herman Edwards took over the club in 2006, he knew the window of opportunity was small and that whatever he could do, he must do fast. So he took the Chiefs to the playoffs, lost, then started his makeover slowly.
Only slowly didn't cut it.
Brodie Croyle has to prove he can stay healthy for 16 games, a tall task with a rebuilt offensive line. (Getty Images) So now the team is engaged in an all-out teardown, releasing or not re-signing upwards of 15 players from its 2007 roster. Some of them, like offensive lineman John Welbourn, linebacker Kendrell Bell, tight end Jason Dunn and wide receiver Eddie Kennison, are gone. Others, like cornerback Ty Law, await execution.
Then there is a long list of unrestricted free agents like center Casey Wiegmann that the club has no interest in re-signing.
In any case, it's pretty simple what's happening. Edwards realized he couldn't win with what he has, so he decided to launch a youth movement immediately -- hoping to make his team competitive again within two years.
"Basically," said one source close to the Chiefs, "we're starting over."
It's a bold move by Edwards after a 4-12 finish, but sources close to the team say Chiefs owner Clark Hunt will be patient and Edwards is not under must-win orders. That's good because the Chiefs seem destined to wrestle Oakland for last in the AFC West again.
They believe they have their next quarterback in Brodie Croyle, who started six times last season, and maybe they do. Edwards is on record saying he wants to see him over 16 games, and he will have his chance this season -- provided, of course, Croyle stays healthy.
Given what the Chiefs field for an offensive line, that's iffy. They could wind up looking for three starters there, which is never a good thing with a young quarterback trying to hold down a job.
Once home to the top offensive line in the business, Kansas City can no longer lean on perennial Pro Bowl players like Willie Roaf and Will Shields. They're gone. Wiegmann will follow. In fact, every starter but guard Brian Waters is gone from the line that only two years ago helped push Larry Johnson to a 1,789-yard season.
Johnson should be back, with coaches convinced he will recover from a foot injury that sidelined him for all but eight games in 2007, but the club is looking for a capable backup to Kolby Smith as a third-down specialist.
With people like Kennison, Dunn and Samie Parker out the door, the Chiefs could use help at tight end and wide receiver, too. Heck, they could use help almost anywhere on offense, where they ranked among the bottom three teams in seven categories -- including scoring (31), total offense (31) and rushing (32).
While they are better on defense, they desperately need help at cornerback. Law will be gone and Patrick Surtain turns 32 in June. The Chiefs probably won't take a cornerback with their first pick, but they could -- and should -- anytime afterward. With 10 draft choices overall, look for them to hit the offensive line and cornerback spots heavily.
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"We've got to start rebuilding with younger players," said a source close to the club.
Makes sense to me. If you're going to be bad, don't be bad old; struggle with young players who gain experience on the job. The San Francisco 49ers did exactly that in 2000 with a string of solid draft choices, and they helped push them to a playoff spot a year later.
The temptation, of course, is to reach for free agents and hope they make you well, but Edwards and the Chiefs wisely will sit out the big bidding. A year ago, the New York Giants invested little in linebacker Kawika Mitchell, their only significant free-agent acquisition, and they won a Super Bowl.
The Chiefs have a much longer and steeper hill to climb, and they're tackling it the right way -- with youth and speed. They hoped to tiptoe into the free-agent market Friday, but their hopes were dashed when kicker Josh Brown, tight end John Gilmore and center Jeff Faine -- all on the Chiefs' short list -- signed with other clubs.
It happens.
The Chiefs will look elsewhere, with the draft a logical place to start. Remember, Edwards has at least two years to fill enormous holes, and that means he can tear down the team now -- which he's doing -- then rebuild it through the next two drafts.
It also means the April draft becomes one of the most important for Kansas City in years. You better pay attention, Chiefs fans. Your team's future is at stake.
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Tell Clark your opinion!
The purge has begun in Kansas City, and there's a message there for Chiefs fans: The team will get younger before it gets better.
When coach Herman Edwards took over the club in 2006, he knew the window of opportunity was small and that whatever he could do, he must do fast. So he took the Chiefs to the playoffs, lost, then started his makeover slowly.
Only slowly didn't cut it.
Brodie Croyle has to prove he can stay healthy for 16 games, a tall task with a rebuilt offensive line. (Getty Images) So now the team is engaged in an all-out teardown, releasing or not re-signing upwards of 15 players from its 2007 roster. Some of them, like offensive lineman John Welbourn, linebacker Kendrell Bell, tight end Jason Dunn and wide receiver Eddie Kennison, are gone. Others, like cornerback Ty Law, await execution.
Then there is a long list of unrestricted free agents like center Casey Wiegmann that the club has no interest in re-signing.
In any case, it's pretty simple what's happening. Edwards realized he couldn't win with what he has, so he decided to launch a youth movement immediately -- hoping to make his team competitive again within two years.
"Basically," said one source close to the Chiefs, "we're starting over."
It's a bold move by Edwards after a 4-12 finish, but sources close to the team say Chiefs owner Clark Hunt will be patient and Edwards is not under must-win orders. That's good because the Chiefs seem destined to wrestle Oakland for last in the AFC West again.
They believe they have their next quarterback in Brodie Croyle, who started six times last season, and maybe they do. Edwards is on record saying he wants to see him over 16 games, and he will have his chance this season -- provided, of course, Croyle stays healthy.
Given what the Chiefs field for an offensive line, that's iffy. They could wind up looking for three starters there, which is never a good thing with a young quarterback trying to hold down a job.
Once home to the top offensive line in the business, Kansas City can no longer lean on perennial Pro Bowl players like Willie Roaf and Will Shields. They're gone. Wiegmann will follow. In fact, every starter but guard Brian Waters is gone from the line that only two years ago helped push Larry Johnson to a 1,789-yard season.
Johnson should be back, with coaches convinced he will recover from a foot injury that sidelined him for all but eight games in 2007, but the club is looking for a capable backup to Kolby Smith as a third-down specialist.
With people like Kennison, Dunn and Samie Parker out the door, the Chiefs could use help at tight end and wide receiver, too. Heck, they could use help almost anywhere on offense, where they ranked among the bottom three teams in seven categories -- including scoring (31), total offense (31) and rushing (32).
While they are better on defense, they desperately need help at cornerback. Law will be gone and Patrick Surtain turns 32 in June. The Chiefs probably won't take a cornerback with their first pick, but they could -- and should -- anytime afterward. With 10 draft choices overall, look for them to hit the offensive line and cornerback spots heavily.
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"We've got to start rebuilding with younger players," said a source close to the club.
Makes sense to me. If you're going to be bad, don't be bad old; struggle with young players who gain experience on the job. The San Francisco 49ers did exactly that in 2000 with a string of solid draft choices, and they helped push them to a playoff spot a year later.
The temptation, of course, is to reach for free agents and hope they make you well, but Edwards and the Chiefs wisely will sit out the big bidding. A year ago, the New York Giants invested little in linebacker Kawika Mitchell, their only significant free-agent acquisition, and they won a Super Bowl.
The Chiefs have a much longer and steeper hill to climb, and they're tackling it the right way -- with youth and speed. They hoped to tiptoe into the free-agent market Friday, but their hopes were dashed when kicker Josh Brown, tight end John Gilmore and center Jeff Faine -- all on the Chiefs' short list -- signed with other clubs.
It happens.
The Chiefs will look elsewhere, with the draft a logical place to start. Remember, Edwards has at least two years to fill enormous holes, and that means he can tear down the team now -- which he's doing -- then rebuild it through the next two drafts.
It also means the April draft becomes one of the most important for Kansas City in years. You better pay attention, Chiefs fans. Your team's future is at stake.