dallaschiefsfan
10-20-2008, 10:05 AM
I say this with the caveat that it's unlikely (based on recent comments at face value) that Clark has the courage to do this...but hey, I can dream. The Chiefs CAN make progress next year and be extremely competitive in 2 years. It happens all the time, but needs some key things to happen in this order:
1. Immediately announce the firing of Carl Peterson and conduct a search for young, talented front office people (a team Pres AND a separate GM). The GM is most important and must be someone that has been intimately involved with the player personnel side of a consistently winning organization. Why this move first? This will a.) get a head start on putting a plan in motion for next year and b.) Communicate to the fans that ownership has the courage to make bold moves and cut bait when it's not working.
2. Announce the retention of Germ Edwards for the remainder of the season. At this point, I want the ineptness that is Germ to finish the season so as to seal his fate as an NFL fraud of a head coach. I don't simply want him to be let go mid-season with excuses for his horrendous coaching...I want him humiliated...untouchable by every NFL organization except for the Faiders and Al Davis.
3. Once the season is over, announce the firing of Germ Edwards 30 minutes after his final post-game presser. Waste no time. Let the new GM get his guy. Don't care who...because at this point, if they hire a good GM, the choice will be well-thought out. A good HC and coaching staff that excludes Dick Curl will do wonders for the 2008 draft pics. The one area Germ has succeeded (CB's Carr and Flowers) must be built upon. Whoever the coach is, they need to be someone that sells out to bleed Chiefs red and be the greatest advocate for stoking the fire of the "12th man". Marty was excellent at this...and I'm convinced this was as key as anything in rebuilding the franchise in the 90's.
4. Obtain a solid vet QB in free agency that will be a one year transition guy. If our goal is to draft and go with a young QB early, I believe the best chance of getting him up to speed fast is by having a vet run the offense for a year while transitioning our newly drafted guy into the mix. Manning is an exception...most guys do better behind a vet for the first year. Warner and Garcia seem to be the most likely candidates. They would IMMEDIATELY give your offense an opportunity to move forward while simultaneously giving your new rookie QB time to learn NFL speed and the new offensive system.
5. Sign the best available UFA kicker. I am absolutely stunned that Herm "I prefer field goals" Edwards hasn't put a full court press on getting a competent kicker in his 3 years.
6. Sign the best UFA line backer/s available. This is an area we are really, really weak. We have to spend money AND draft to get improvement. This can't be fixed by better coaching...but I believe our D-line and Safeties can get better with competent coaching. We have a LARGE amount of money under the cap and need to spend some on this area. I don't like Ray Lewis...and don't advocate bringing him in, necessarily...but let's be honest, he wouldn't put up with this sh!t.
7. Sign either an UFA center or guard that has played competently at the NFL level. Jones is a weak link and Nicewonger is probably out of position. The better option is probably center...and move Nicewonger to right guard. At that point, Herb Taylor at RT and with better coaching and a decent mid-round G or T draft pick and you might be ok.
8. Draft an F'ing QB in the first round and draft another in the mid rounds. Always be developing QB's. Draft a value QB every year. When Jimmy Johnson took the Cowboy job, he was very smart to draft Aikman AND Walsh. Walsh didn't work out, but he gave them added competition in landing their QBOTF. Keep competition alive at this position and always have someone in the shoot. After transitioning to the QBOTF, never have a vet backup again. Develop guys for the "just in case" scenarios.
9. Continue building the team through the draft. I agree with this...but you can't go cold turkey and expect to develop winning as a cultural reality. Young guys like Neil Smith, Okoye and Dino Hackett and vets like Cherry, Lewis, Ross etc. did NOT become winners until Marty brought in some veteran band-aids to stop the bleeding. I'm convinced that none of those players would have reached their full potential exclusively surrounded by other rookies. Winning is cultural...and so is fundamental NFL professionalism. This team needs competent NFL vets along the way to successfully build from the draft. Herm does NOT seem to GET THIS.
There's no reason that a team couldn't be competitive in two years under this scenario...but the GM and coaching piece is easily the most important part of the whole equation. This is a poorly managed organization with a poorly coached team on the field. Once those two items are addressed, we might be surprised how many players are salvageable for future use toward competitiveness.
1. Immediately announce the firing of Carl Peterson and conduct a search for young, talented front office people (a team Pres AND a separate GM). The GM is most important and must be someone that has been intimately involved with the player personnel side of a consistently winning organization. Why this move first? This will a.) get a head start on putting a plan in motion for next year and b.) Communicate to the fans that ownership has the courage to make bold moves and cut bait when it's not working.
2. Announce the retention of Germ Edwards for the remainder of the season. At this point, I want the ineptness that is Germ to finish the season so as to seal his fate as an NFL fraud of a head coach. I don't simply want him to be let go mid-season with excuses for his horrendous coaching...I want him humiliated...untouchable by every NFL organization except for the Faiders and Al Davis.
3. Once the season is over, announce the firing of Germ Edwards 30 minutes after his final post-game presser. Waste no time. Let the new GM get his guy. Don't care who...because at this point, if they hire a good GM, the choice will be well-thought out. A good HC and coaching staff that excludes Dick Curl will do wonders for the 2008 draft pics. The one area Germ has succeeded (CB's Carr and Flowers) must be built upon. Whoever the coach is, they need to be someone that sells out to bleed Chiefs red and be the greatest advocate for stoking the fire of the "12th man". Marty was excellent at this...and I'm convinced this was as key as anything in rebuilding the franchise in the 90's.
4. Obtain a solid vet QB in free agency that will be a one year transition guy. If our goal is to draft and go with a young QB early, I believe the best chance of getting him up to speed fast is by having a vet run the offense for a year while transitioning our newly drafted guy into the mix. Manning is an exception...most guys do better behind a vet for the first year. Warner and Garcia seem to be the most likely candidates. They would IMMEDIATELY give your offense an opportunity to move forward while simultaneously giving your new rookie QB time to learn NFL speed and the new offensive system.
5. Sign the best available UFA kicker. I am absolutely stunned that Herm "I prefer field goals" Edwards hasn't put a full court press on getting a competent kicker in his 3 years.
6. Sign the best UFA line backer/s available. This is an area we are really, really weak. We have to spend money AND draft to get improvement. This can't be fixed by better coaching...but I believe our D-line and Safeties can get better with competent coaching. We have a LARGE amount of money under the cap and need to spend some on this area. I don't like Ray Lewis...and don't advocate bringing him in, necessarily...but let's be honest, he wouldn't put up with this sh!t.
7. Sign either an UFA center or guard that has played competently at the NFL level. Jones is a weak link and Nicewonger is probably out of position. The better option is probably center...and move Nicewonger to right guard. At that point, Herb Taylor at RT and with better coaching and a decent mid-round G or T draft pick and you might be ok.
8. Draft an F'ing QB in the first round and draft another in the mid rounds. Always be developing QB's. Draft a value QB every year. When Jimmy Johnson took the Cowboy job, he was very smart to draft Aikman AND Walsh. Walsh didn't work out, but he gave them added competition in landing their QBOTF. Keep competition alive at this position and always have someone in the shoot. After transitioning to the QBOTF, never have a vet backup again. Develop guys for the "just in case" scenarios.
9. Continue building the team through the draft. I agree with this...but you can't go cold turkey and expect to develop winning as a cultural reality. Young guys like Neil Smith, Okoye and Dino Hackett and vets like Cherry, Lewis, Ross etc. did NOT become winners until Marty brought in some veteran band-aids to stop the bleeding. I'm convinced that none of those players would have reached their full potential exclusively surrounded by other rookies. Winning is cultural...and so is fundamental NFL professionalism. This team needs competent NFL vets along the way to successfully build from the draft. Herm does NOT seem to GET THIS.
There's no reason that a team couldn't be competitive in two years under this scenario...but the GM and coaching piece is easily the most important part of the whole equation. This is a poorly managed organization with a poorly coached team on the field. Once those two items are addressed, we might be surprised how many players are salvageable for future use toward competitiveness.