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.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by canoworms

In first 3 years:

Dale Carter: 10 turnovers
Marcus Peters: 24 turnovers

Peters baits QBs into bad throws while our LBs play patty-cake.
Carter covered them and let DT hunt the QB down.

[Chiefshrink]

I usually like his articles but Mellinger doesn't understand the concept of "a kid who does not want to leave the hood" and demands a trade to "get closer to his hood" with a lot of $$ in the near future in his pocket.

Giving Mellinger grace right now to grieve the loss while he catharts !!!

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by KCTitus

Great point...I seems to me KC got the most they could from him and hopefully that stat means a high draft pick, possibly a first, which KC needs.

If you have 5 first round picks you'd count yourself fortunate to get that level of production out of any of them. Not even looking like a first.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Chiefshrink

I usually like his articles but Mellinger doesn't understand the concept of "a kid who does not want to leave the hood" and demands a trade to "get closer to his hood" with a lot of $$ now in his pocket.

Giving Mellinger grace right now to grieve the loss while he catharts !!!

Racist much?

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by petegz28

supposedly he was a cancer in the locker room....didn't want to be here as well

[KCTitus]

Originally Posted by canoworms

If you have 5 first round picks you'd count yourself fortunate to get that level of production out of any of them. Not even looking like a first.

I think you're right...KC got a great kid in that draft and he gave us what he did, but again, I think his erratic play became a liability in the last season. if KC can shore up the LB/DL with whatever pick they get, I think they come out ahead.

[Tombstone RJ]

Congratulations you all got the #23 pick and rams 5th round pick...

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by canoworms

Racist much?

Alinsky much ? You better get your "community organizing" on better than this if you are going to Alinsky me my friend.

You may want to research the word "neighborhood" in which I used a shorten version of it using "hood". Just your simple allegation here of me say's you are the "true bigot". You told on yourself for sure.

[Easy 6]

Sooo many people all ready to weep tears of loss, for a guy who flat out said he wants nothing to do with you when his contract is due... all you people are huge pieces of shit as far as Marcus is concerned

Yeah yeah the boos factor in, but he will get that almost anywhere, except LA, so good for him and LA... truth be told, the Rams defense just got SICK

Pete Carroll is surely wearing a diaper right now, LA has undergone an unbelievable transformation in such a short time

[MeatRock]

Originally Posted by canoworms

Opponent passer rating of 65 in targets at Peters. Can't get much more lock down than that.

Not to mention his number of targets dropped significantly each year. Opposing quarterbacks were throwing his way much much less.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Chiefshrink

Alinsky much ? You better get your "community organizing" on better than this if you are going to Alinsky me my friend.

You may want to research the word "neighborhood" in which I used a shorten version of it using "hood". Just your simple allegation here of me say's you are the "true bigot". You told on yourself for sure.

Marcus Peters is from the hood but George Zimmerman lives in a neighborhood. I bet most people you associate with live in a neighborhood.

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=3398

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

Sooo many people all ready to weep tears of loss, for a guy who flat out said he wants nothing to do with you when his contract is due... all you people are huge pieces of shit as far as Marcus is concerned

Yeah yeah the boos factor in, but he will get that almost anywhere, except LA, so good for him and LA... truth be told, the Rams defense just got SICK

Pete Carroll is surely wearing a diaper right now, LA has undergone an unbelievable transformation in such a short time

Man get the **** outta' here with that shit. All I SEE are a bunch of speculative clowns who are idiotically rejoicing over the loss of our best defender. And what Peters did, by comparison to some other players in this league was MILD.

Unless this compensation nets us a game-changer? This was an absolutely idiotic move by the Churfs.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

Sooo many people all ready to weep tears of loss, for a guy who flat out said he wants nothing to do with you when his contract is due... all you people are huge pieces of shit as far as Marcus is concerned

Yeah yeah the boos factor in, but he will get that almost anywhere, except LA, so good for him and LA... truth be told, the Rams defense just got SICK

Pete Carroll is surely wearing a diaper right now, LA has undergone an unbelievable transformation in such a short time

I dont really care if he didn't want to be here after he fulfilled his obligations.

The pieces were falling into place for the Chiefs. You have 2 years left on the cheap from one of the best corners in the game. You just traded Alex Smith to start the Mahomes era and not only that, but you filled one of your holes and got back a much needed CB opposite of Peters. Then you go and trade Peters... what?

One step forward and two steps back.

Fuller put up great numbers... in nickel. Now you are asking him to be a #1 while simultaneously asking him to replace a guy who created the most turnovers and 2nd lowest passer rating since entering the league.

It just begs the question of why?

[007]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

Congratulations you all got the #23 pick and rams 5th round pick...

Stop quoting that moron Athan.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by canoworms

Marcus Peters is from the hood but George Zimmerman lives in a neighborhood. I bet most people you associate with live in a neighborhood.

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=3398

Quite the bigoted assumption here. I don't make any distinction whether I use the full term "neighborhood" or "hood" but you do and why you are the real bigot here who tries to play victim.

BTW Zimmerman is Latino a minority if you didn't know already.