Gas on the Fire: Shutdown Corner Gives Chiefs "F" in FA.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

This is the same group that made it known repeatedly that this team went 2-5 down the final stretch of the season and wasn't in the same league as Denver.

Also the same group that claims that if we trade for Alex Smith, then go idle for a season, then we basically admit that in 2013 we were trying to put butts in seats.

If we are spending money in 2014 on things that probably don't make us Super Bowl competitive, then I feel the same way about this strategy. It's a strategy that might help us win a playoff game and maybe that's a win it itself, but it's ultimately to put butts in seats. That is as safe a strategy as you're going to find, if we're on the subject of "safe."

If spending on high-dollar free agents never works, as you're suggesting, then it isn't safe at all.

[Mecca]

Basically what happened is whether Dorsey or Reid felt the Chiefs were a rebuilding team or not. Hunt wasn't going to allow them to win 2 games again, his ass was on the line and people were talking about him.

He needed them to win some games to take his ass off the fire. Problem is now they made moves to become respectable and proceeded to make the playoffs and set the expectations much higher than I think Dorsey and Reid would like them to be.

Personally I think they thought they'd be competitive and win 5-8 games, it explains that round stip in the Smith trade. Then all of the sudden they went out and play better than that and set expectations. So now the plan they had to rebuild while looking competent and not being a bottom feeder has been derailed.

People have expectations now and they're still approaching this like a team that won 6 games because that was the plan all along.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Dude, when a team trades two first-round picks for a 28-year old QB, they set an expectation.

When they go 11-5 and come within minutes of winning their first playoff game in 20 years, those expectations get reinforced 10-fold.

The Chiefs put themselves in this situation.

Very well said. Glad others can read it so its not wasted on chiefszillatard...

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

If spending on high-dollar free agents never works, as you're suggesting, then it isn't safe at all.

If you are going all in on to bring in a few free agents on a team that has more problems to address, that is the definition of playing it safe. It is applying a band aid when what you really need is a little minor surgery. And for what? Probably to appease the fan base.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Basically what happened is whether Dorsey or Reid felt the Chiefs were a rebuilding team or not. Hunt wasn't going to allow them to win 2 games again, his ass was on the line and people were talking about him.

He needed them to win some games to take his ass off the fire. Problem is now they made moves to become respectable and proceeded to make the playoffs and set the expectations much higher than I think Dorsey and Reid would like them to be.

Personally I think they thought they'd be competitive and win 5-8 games, it explains that round stip in the Smith trade. Then all of the sudden they went out and play better than that and set expectations. So now the plan they had to rebuild while looking competent and not being a bottom feeder has been derailed.

People have expectations now and they're still approaching this like a team that won 6 games because that was the plan all along.

Good post. That's the way I see it too.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

If you are going all in on to bring in a few free agents on a team that has more problems to address, that is the definition of playing it safe. It is applying a band aid when what you really need is a little minor surgery. And for what? Probably to appease the fan base.

What you're suggesting is letting the disease run its course and hoping there is still living tissue left when it's over.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Good post. That's the way I see it too.

Shame on Clark then...

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

What you're suggesting is letting the disease run its course and hoping there is still living tissue left when it's over.

No, what I'm saying is if we don't truly believe that this team is 2 or 3 players away from being seriously competitive for a Super Bowl beyond being some wild long shot, then don't waste money on guys just to cover up a mistake. We can wait a year. If we draft well the next 2 seasons, I don't see why we wouldn't be on track to win by 2015 with a 2-3 year window while also building the infrastructure to transition to a new core.

The strategy other people are suggesting (restructure/load up today/etc…), in my opinion, will lead to a few more empty wins while ignoring the main problem.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Shame on Clark then...

I can't defend the moves they did. I hated the Fisher pick (I wanted Geno, even if I don't bitch about it today). I actually took a little shit for saying last year that Dorsey looked raw when trying to trade Albert and in overpaying for Dwayne Bowe.

I don't really blame their reason for doing it. I don't know how you could sell in another rebuild after what the fans went through. I don't care about appeasing the true fans. But Arrowhead needed it. Reid needed to feel good about winning again. Players had to start to enjoying going to work again.

Again, if they don't draft well and that 2013 strategy comes back to bite him, you're right… shame on Clark. But if Dorsey does his job, it won't.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Shame on Clark then...

I think they should do some changing in theory after the year they had but I just don't see it.

The Chiefs have never ever been a huge cash team. He threw up a bunch of cash last year so people would stop talking about him and typically the next year is nothing.

Get ready they are approaching this like a team that just won 5 games, most likely Hali and Flowers are gone after this year. They'll most likely try to keep Houston but I wouldn't be surprised if Berry and Bowe are gone in the next 2 years either.

[BigRock]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

The only true definition of whether a team is cheap or not is how far below the salary cap they end up.

The cap is accounting. In a given year, a team can be carrying tons of money against their cap that doesn't actually translate to dollars they're paying out. And a team can spend lots of cash specifically to avoid running up their cap for a specific year. So being under the cap doesn't mean that money isn't being spent anymore than being up against it means a team is spending money. Cap space and spending don't have to correlate at all.

For half of Pioli's tenure, the Chiefs had tons of available cap space and were among the highest spending teams in the league. They were top 10 in spending in 2011, top 5 in 2012, and I believe top 5 again last year with Reid/Dorsey. And that doesn't count still paying Pioli and Romeo while Reid became one of the highest paid coaches in the league.

Clark Hunt practically had an ATM up his ass the last few years and people are still echoing the same tired "CLARK NO LIKEY SPEND" shit. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I think they should do some changing in theory after the year they had but I just don't see it.

The Chiefs have never ever been a huge cash team. He threw up a bunch of cash last year so people would stop talking about him and typically the next year is nothing.

Get ready they are approaching this like a team that just won 5 games, most likely Hali and Flowers are gone after this year. They'll most likely try to keep Houston but I wouldn't be surprised if Berry and Bowe are gone in the next 2 years either.

I really don't see that happening. The Hunts have a long history of keeping their own. Of course there are a few exceptions. But for the most part, they are loyal to their own. Ted Thompson also comes from that school. I would be stunned if we don't keep Houston, Hali, Flowers, Berry, and Alex Smith. What I don't want is to be the usual Chiefs and over promise stuff to these guys to the point where we overpay them when they're past their prime.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

No, what I'm saying is if we don't truly believe that this team is 2 or 3 players away from being seriously competitive for a Super Bowl beyond being some wild long shot, then don't waste money on guys just to cover up a mistake. We can wait a year. If we draft well the next 2 seasons, I don't see why we wouldn't be on track to win by 2015 with a 2-3 year window while also building the infrastructure to transition to a new core.

The strategy other people are suggesting (restructure/load up today/etc…), in my opinion, will lead to a few more empty wins while ignoring the main problem.

You'll have to forgive people if they don't have faith that pinning all of the team's fortunes on the draft will work.

This team has NEVER drafted well with any consistency. Expecting them to hit on an uncommonly high number of draft picks also seems like a "wild long shot".

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I really don't see that happening. The Hunts have a long history of keeping their own. Of course there are a few exceptions. But for the most part, they are loyal to their own. Ted Thompson also comes from that school. I would be stunned if we don't keep Houston, Hali, Flowers, Berry, and Alex Smith. What I don't want is to be the usual Chiefs and over promise stuff to these guys to the point where we overpay them when they're past their prime.

So you think that Hali, Flowers and Berry are going to willingly take serious pay cuts to stay because that's what you're saying.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

You'll have to forgive people if they don't have faith that pinning all of the team's fortunes on the draft will work.

This team has NEVER drafted well with any consistency. Expecting them to hit on an uncommonly high number of draft picks also seems like a "wild long shot".

You'll have to forgive me, then, if I don't have any faith that the Carl Peterson school of band aids is going to work either. It's lose lose, if you're talking about our team's history.