Mellinger: Marcus Peters is gone. The Chiefs have some explaining to do.

[DaFace]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...201907719.html

Marcus Peters is gone. The Chiefs have some explaining to do.

BY SAM MELLINGER
smellinger@kcstar.com
February 23, 2018 07:27 PM

Clark Hunt, Andy Reid and Brett Veach deserve an opportunity to explain, because as it stands right now they have cloaked their franchise with failure.

That word is not used without thought. That word is not used without intent.

The Chiefs on Friday agreed to trade Marcus Peters to the Rams, reportedly for draft picks. Without hearing from the men who made this decision, the explanation that makes the most sense is one lacking in guts, ambition, commitment to success, and realism.

A difficult situation presents itself, and the Chiefs hit the eject button.

Starting with Reid being hired and paid more than any NFL coach who has not won a Super Bowl, the Chiefs have branded themselves as a place for second chances, where strong personalities are welcomed and supported.

Here, then, they failed with their strongest-willed and one of their best players. This was supposed to be their edge. Let players show their personalities. Get the most out of them. Except with Peters, the Chiefs failed to do it, apparently allowing the situation to become so untenable they traded him without a strong market of interest.

Again, Hunt, Reid, and Veach should be allowed to explain. This has all the markings of the Chiefs pushing Peters out, but there is always a chance the trade return was so overwhelming the Chiefs couldn’t resist. So these words are an initial reaction, not the final judgment. Still, the following is true:

Peters plays one of the most important non-quarterback positions in football, creates more turnovers than anyone else in the league, and just turned 25 in January with a year left on his rookie deal plus up to three more years of club control.

And he’s gone. For what?

The Chiefs traded a cheap, young star at a premium position despite the limited leverage of just two teams interested.

Why?

For draft picks? So they have an opportunity to select Peters’ replacement? That’s not the action of a successful franchise.

That’s the action of a franchise with more blown leads than wins in playoff games.

One more time, maybe there is a better and more sensible explanation, but here’s what it looks like at the moment: Hunt, who cowered when given the opportunity to stand up for his players’ rights last fall, wanted the headache gone.

He has been outspoken about wanting players to stand for the anthem, and talked Peters into staying in the locker room for the song. Hunt is a conservative man by nature, and it’s not a stretch to believe he wanted one of the NFL’s least conservative players off his team.

Because the other explanations don’t make as much sense.

The Chiefs want you to believe they are serious about winning and just traded one of their best players.

The Chiefs are trying to get younger and just traded a 25-year-old star.

The Chiefs’ secondary was awful last year and they just dumped (by far) their best cornerback.

The Chiefs retained a defensive coordinator who was exposed in 2017, deciding it was more about a lack of talent, and just shipped off one of the league’s most productive and dangerous defenders.

The Chiefs’ defense emphasizes creating turnovers, and they just traded the man who has created more turnovers than anyone else since he entered the league.

The Chiefs, in other words, have a disconnected vision of their future, or no serious expectations of success this season, or both.

Peters is not without his faults. Obviously. He is hyper competitive, which is his greatest strength right until the moment it becomes his greatest flaw. You don’t know when he’ll draw a personal foul, but you can expect at least a few every season.

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters has lost his cool or done something that has resulted in a fine several times during the 2017 season. Neil Nakahodo, Pete Grathoff, David EulittThe Kansas City Star

Reid is by reputation one of the league’s great players’ coaches, and along with Terrell Owens, Peters is one of just two players Reid has suspended in 19 years. Peters’ protests during the national anthem angered a loud portion of the Chiefs’ fan base, and despite handing out turkeys and coats in Kansas City last year, the drama was never going fully away.

There is little doubt he was unhappy in Kansas City. Some of this was inevitable, because the player and his adopted home were so different. Peters could have asked to be traded, but his only leverage was a threat to sit out (which would mean not being paid, and not accruing service time toward free agency) or to not sign an extension (but the Chiefs could’ve controlled him for up to four more seasons).

The Chiefs were not against the clock here. They had time on their side.

The Chiefs could have supported the player, could have worked with the player. They could have found common ground. They could have defended the player against unfair public criticism, if that’s what it took.

Good organizations do that. The Chiefs traded the player. Organizations whose last Super Bowl appearance is old enough to be a grandfather do that.

One more time for the people in the back: Hunt, Reid, and Veach deserve the opportunity to explain. Chiefs fans deserve that, too. Maybe there is something that brings it all together.

But at the moment, only two explanations come to mind that make more sense than Hunt wanting the player out.

The first is that Peters had somehow become such a problem that he was breaking the locker room, and the organization made the advance decision to deal him now before he made more money and his trade value slipped.

That would have to account for the Chiefs players upset by the trade, require something much worse than what’s known so far, and be a tacit admission of failure by a coach hired in part because of his ability to get the best out of strong personalities.

The second apparent explanation would be that the Chiefs are fully embracing a rebuild, and selling off all valuable parts while they reset around quarterback Patrick Mahomes. If that’s the case, then more big trades should be expected.

There are varied holes in this logic, too, from the Chiefs having a good roster already to the NFL’s established history of teams winning with quarterbacks on rookie contracts.

But, at least it would be something.

At least it would be something that didn’t leave the sinking suspicion that the Chiefs just caved to the ugliest parts of their fan base and the weakest part of human nature by avoiding discomfort even as it sets them back competitively.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Alex isn’t an all-pro like Peters and he Had just been benched.

Nowhere near as valuable as what Peters value is right now.

Yes a QB isn’t as valuable as a CB in a league where half of the teams are desperate for a QB with a pulse.

You must amaze yourself with your abilities to churn out moronic and braindead content on such a consistent basis.

[Shields68]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

JFC you are a dumbshit.

Randy Moss?

Aqib Talib?

James Harrison?

All high maintenance players Belichick has acquired over the years.

Belichick knows better than anyone that you don’t give up on talented/high maintenance players since he was Lawrence Taylor’s DC with the Giants when they won multiple Super Bowls.

No one said that the Pats will not deal with guys who have off field problems. They will. But it is all about football in the building. Bill does not want TD celebration and the Pats don't. He does not want players talking to the media they do not. If guys are disruptive in the building they are gone.

Not sure James Harrison is on the list. He seemed upset about not playing and did not want to be there. Fine signs with Pats and wants to be there no problem. Moss they gave next to nothing for him, he was told what was expected of him and he was looking to turn his career around. There are stories that Bill will tell them he does not care what went on before, but this is what is expected if not you will be gone. Further there are articles indicating Bill has gotten more particular as he has gotten older.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

JFC you are a dumbshit.

Randy Moss?

Aqib Talib?

James Harrison?

All high maintenance players Belichick has acquired over the years.

Belichick knows better than anyone that you don’t give up on talented/high maintenance players since he was Lawrence Taylor’s DC with the Giants when they won multiple Super Bowls.

You ****ing moron. Aqib Talib, acquired for a 4th while getting a 7th in return on a cheap deal, then letting him walk in FA. Randy Moss, acquired for a 4th and then signed to a 3 year, 27 million deal after not getting what he wanted in FA, and Harrison, who was acquired extremely cheap as a playoff rental? That's all you got, when Reid acquired and gave a massive contract worth 100 million to a guy fresh out of prison for dogfighting? Hindsight really is 50/50 with you, ****wit.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Wrong dumbshit.

There could by any number of reasons for why the teams you listed were not interested in trading for Peters... compensation, future salary cap considerations, etc.

But it most likely was not because they were afraid of taking on a high maintenance player because all of the teams you listed have won Super Bowls with high maintenance players.

It’s been reported that the Chiefs aren’t getting a 1st rd pick and the Rams don’t have a 2nd rd pick.

So a 3rd rd pick is worrisome compensation now?

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Alex isn’t an all-pro like Peters and he Had just been benched.

Nowhere near as valuable as what Peters value is right now.

What if LA offered a contingent long term deal. What if peters insisted he play near Oakland? What if LA set the market and no one wanted to match. What if many teams had cb way down on the wish list. How do we know that teams stayed away totally because of attitude? Did bellichick say they weren't interested?

[RunKC]

2012 Alex sitting on the bench is more valuable than an all-pro corner on a rookie deal?

Just stop talking dude

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

What if LA offered a contingent long term deal. What if peters insisted he play near Oakland? What if LA set the market and no one wanted to match. What if many teams had cb way down on the wish list. How do we know that teams stayed away totally because of attitude? Did bellichick say they weren't interested?

All pro on rookie deal and no one wanted him?


There's a reason

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

You ****ing moron. Aqib Talib, acquired for a 4th while getting a 7th in return on a cheap deal, then letting him walk in FA. Randy Moss, acquired for a 4th and then signed to a 3 year, 27 million deal after not getting what he wanted in FA, and Harrison, who was acquired extremely cheap as a playoff rental? That's all you got, when Reid acquired and gave a massive contract worth 100 million to a guy fresh out of prison for dogfighting? Hindsight really is 50/50 with you, ****wit.

so now you are changing your dumbshit narrative from “Belichick doesn’t sign/acquire high maintenance players”, to he signs/acquires high maintenance players in salary cap friendly deals?

Newsflash... that’s how the Patriots do business with ALL of their players, high maintenance or not.

Your claim that Belichick stays away from high maintenance players is proven incorrect.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by RunKC

2012 Alex sitting on the bench is more valuable than an all-pro corner on a rookie deal?

Just stop talking dude

We don't even know what the trade comp is. And qbs will always demand more trade comp. Maybe we should wait for the trade comp to come out first. If the Rams offered solid trade comp, isn't it possible many teams took themselves out of the market? Of course his attitude blowups is going to hurt his stock. That doesn't mean no team wanted him at all.

[Chiefnj2]

If you listen to Dorsey's first interview after he was fired from KC, he talked a lot about his religion and belief in giving people second chances. If you take that along with Banner's recent tweets about Reid being focused on character, I don't think you will see many more Peters/Hill/Kelce's drafted.

Some teams like the Cowboys (with Jerry) would go out of their way to help at an risk high draft pick (Dez). It doesn't look like KC has an organizational setup like that.

Looks like a poor fit from the start, perhaps made worse by not having Dorsey around.

It wouldn't surprise me if the team promised Peters a trade after the Jets game as long as he was on his best behavior. Which goes to show you Peters CAN control himself if he wants to.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

so now you are changing your dumbshit narrative from “Belichick doesn’t sign/acquire high maintenance players”, to he signs/acquires high maintenance players in salary cap friendly deals?

Newsflash... that’s how the Patriots do business with ALL of their players, high maintenance or not.

Your claim that Belichick stays away from high maintenance players is proven incorrect.

Then they should have been all over this deal

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

We don't even know what the trade comp is. And qbs will always demand more trade comp. Maybe we should wait for the trade comp to come out first. If the Rams offered solid trade comp, isn't it possible many teams took themselves out of the market? Of course his attitude blowups is going to hurt his stock. That doesn't mean no team wanted him at all.

Welp...

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

so now you are changing your dumbshit narrative from “Belichick doesn’t sign/acquire high maintenance players”, to he signs/acquires high maintenance players in salary cap friendly deals?

Newsflash... that’s how the Patriots do business with ALL of their players, high maintenance or not.

Your claim that Belichick stays away from high maintenance players is proven incorrect.

What the ****? I literally gave you 2 examples of the Patriots doing that very same thing with Haynesworth and Johnson.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

Then they should have been all over this deal

Shouldn’t you be picking up Nick Athan’s lunch right about now in your role as his intern/protege?

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Shouldn’t you be picking up Nick Athan’s lunch right about now in your role as his intern/protege?

Look what I said was 100 percent true. Not sure why you want to attack me over it. Doomy3 said it too. And months ago.
A 4 this year and a 2 next. Does that sound like a good deal? Why didn't teams beat that?