Clark Judge: Rating smartest, boldest, scariest offseason moves

[DaneMcCloud]

Rating smartest, boldest, scariest offseason moves
May 13, 2009
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/11743195

Five boldest moves

Kansas City hiring Scott Pioli

Some people automatically put this one in the win column. Not me. Not after Charlie Weis fizzled at Notre Dame and Romeo Crennel bombed out in Cleveland. OK, so they were former New England coaches, and Pioli was a decorated GM. They still fall from the same tree. The question I have is this: How much was Pioli responsible for what happened in New England? "I guess we're about to find out," said one NFC general manager.

The good news is that Thomas Dimitroff had New England ties, too, and he circled the bases in his first turn as a GM in Atlanta. The bad news: Pioli's first draft with Kansas City: There are reaches everywhere. He also reversed the team's Get Young Now policy by adding 30-something discards like Bobby Engram, Zach Thomas, Monty Beisel and Mike Vrabel. You can do that when you're at or near the top, like New England. But this is a team that lost 23 of its last 25, for crying out loud.

Five biggest gambles

Kansas City acquiring Matt Cassel

I know what he did with New England. But that was the Patriots, and tell me where you find Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Richard Seymour and Bill Belichick in the 816 area code. Cassel was surrounded by a raft of talent on the field and on the sidelines in New England, and I'm still looking for that support group here. So he produced a couple of 400-yard passing games and won 10 of 15 starts. That was nice. But I want to see him reproduce it here. OK, I know what you're thinking: What do the Chiefs have to lose -- especially when all they surrendered for Cassel and Vrabel was a second-round draft pick? Try this: They're paying Cassel $14.65 million in guaranteed salary. If he turns out to be the next Scott Mitchell I know some bean counters in red suits who will demand explanations.

[Mr. Krab]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

I don't know why Pioli would make that trade if he didn't have every expectation that Cassel is going to be worth locking up.

Because it was only a 2nd round draft pick for two players. Think what Carl has done with 2nd round draft picks the last 10 year. Maybe Pioli didn't like the QB's in this year's draft enough to make them the 3rd pick of the draft.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Mr. Krab's

Because it was only a 2nd round draft pick for two players. Think what Carl has done with 2nd round draft picks the last 10 year. Maybe Pioli didn't like the QB's in this year's draft enough to make them the 3rd pick of the draft.

Its more than just the risk of a 2nd round pick. Its the risk of subsequently not taking a 1st round QB. It's a huge, huge risk.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by THISmaqe

How about just considering the history of big-time free agent DT's? They almost never work out. If he pans out in Washington, he'll be the exception to almost every rule, not just one.

They also got great value from Dana Stubblefield and the one or two sacks he had during his Redskin career.

[T-post Tom]

"Five smartest moves ... Washington adding Albert Haynesworth"

Essentially a four-year, $48 million deal with $41 million in guarantees for a guy with less tackles (last year) than Tamba Hali and a guy that has averaged 3.4 sacks per year over his career? Okay, Haynesworth did get 8.5 sacks last year, but that was an anomaly. He's still a stud at DT, but the 'skins overpaid. He got MORE THAN rushing DE money. Jared Allen, with 14.5 sacks last year (11.5 per year career avg.), got $31M guaranteed. And JMHO, but Haynesworth seems to be the type to pull a Chester McGlockton. But what do I know? You be the clark...er...judge.

[Cormac]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Rating smartest, boldest, scariest offseason moves
May 13, 2009
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/11743195

Five boldest moves

Kansas City hiring Scott Pioli

Some people automatically put this one in the win column. Not me. Not after Charlie Weis fizzled at Notre Dame and Romeo Crennel bombed out in Cleveland. OK, so they were former New England coaches, and Pioli was a decorated GM. They still fall from the same tree. The question I have is this: How much was Pioli responsible for what happened in New England? "I guess we're about to find out," said one NFC general manager.

The good news is that Thomas Dimitroff had New England ties, too, and he circled the bases in his first turn as a GM in Atlanta. The bad news: Pioli's first draft with Kansas City: There are reaches everywhere. He also reversed the team's Get Young Now policy by adding 30-something discards like Bobby Engram, Zach Thomas, Monty Beisel and Mike Vrabel. You can do that when you're at or near the top, like New England. But this is a team that lost 23 of its last 25, for crying out loud.

I vehemently disagree with this cheap sensationalist piece of pseudo-journalism.

In order to be a BOLD move, one would have to consider who was replaced, not just who was brought in. We hired (probably) the hottest commodity in FO personnel for a jaded-shell-of-his-former-self-laughing-stock, CP. How is that "bold"? That is the lowest-risk, highest-reward move we could have made. Bold my ass. What we did was OBVIOUS.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Its more than just the risk of a 2nd round pick. Its the risk of subsequently not taking a 1st round QB. It's a huge, huge risk.

A risk implies that you're going to lose something you already have. There is ZERO risk in NOT taking a 1st round QB. At all.

[Jethopper]

OMFG, , LOL..... Vrabel and Thomas are here to teach a system the younger players are not familiar with.........OBVIOUSLY. Bad journalism.

[Red Dawg]

Pioli is what? Anyone can be dubbed a risk.

[Mojo Jojo]

Originally Posted by THISmaqe

As long as we have room under the cap, who cares how much we're paying him?

Would you rather have him on a 7-year deal that we're locked into whether he sucks or not?

It's a ridiculous question. If he plays well for the first few games, they lock him up. If he doesn't, they let him walk.

Here is the problem...we can offer what ever the key is what will he accept mid season? If he is playing like a $20 million dollar QB week 5 does it take $23/$25 million to sign at that point. If I'm the agent after week five or six and things are going well go the FA route. Worst thing to happen is that you are tagged for an uncapped year. Best case is that someone is willing to break the bank. I just don't get all the posters who say sign him mid season. It is a two way street fools.

[booger]

Judge also wrote this article:

Underappreciated Kuharich deserved better from Chiefs

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caution, this may piss you off...

Underappreciated Kuharich deserved better from Chiefs
Jan. 13, 2009
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

Memo to Scott Pioli: Keep Bill Kuharich.

Kuharich is Kansas City's vice president of player personnel, and to say he just got a raw deal is an understatement. Kuharich deserved to be part of the Chiefs' hunt for a general manager, but he wasn't ... and he wasn't because the Chiefs confined their search to applicants outside the club.

So they landed the Patriots' Pioli, and hooray for them.

Now my question is: Where does that leave Kuharich? I suspect only Pioli knows.

If he does what is best for him and his new employer keeps him, he trusts him and he relies on him. Kuharich not only is good at his job; he is so good he deserved to be a candidate for the position Pioli just filled.

But he wasn't, and I'm still not sure why.

Maybe the Chiefs considered him too old. He's 55. Maybe they wanted someone more telegenic. Kuharich is more at home in a sweater and khakis. Or maybe they just wanted a perspective from someone outside the organization, someone more removed from former president Carl Peterson.

"He was collateral damage," one NFC general manager said. "The Chiefs didn't want to go anywhere near someone close to Carl. And that's unfortunate because Kuharich is outstanding."

Well, whatever the reason it was apparent Kuharich didn't pass the physical and that owner Clark Hunt would be sold on someone outside the 816 area code. And that's OK if Hunt also understood that by doing that he eliminated one of his most qualified candidates.

"I want somebody who's a shrewd evaluator of football talent," Hunt said last month. "(His) job will be to think 24/7 about the football team. That's the most important quality."

Pardon me, but I think he just described Kuharich.

Look, I don't know if he could have outpolled Pioli. I don't know that anyone could. But I do know he deserved a chance to make his case because, like Pioli, he knew how to build a football team. He did it when he was general manager with the Saints, and he has done in his nine years with the Chiefs.

Let's start with New Orleans. I know what you're going to tell me: The Saints didn't rebound from their 1990s funk until Kuharich left, and you're right. But this just in: They got good with Kuharich's players.

The foundation of the team that went to the 2000 playoffs was laid by Kuharich, and don't tell me how foolish it was for the Saints to trade away an entire draft class for Ricky Williams.

First, that was an organizational decision, with the owner signing off on it. Second, of the draft picks they sacrificed, only one -- tackle Chris Samuels -- amounted to anything. Third, Williams became a marquee player for the Saints, rushing for 179 yards in a game as a rookie and 1,000 or more yards in two of his three seasons there.

So, yeah, that move worked out. Like other drafts in New Orleans worked out, with four first-rounders under Kuharich going on to Pro Bowls.

When he left after the 1999 season, the Saints were stocked with talent -- much as Tampa Bay was when Tony Dungy departed following the 2002 season. The Saints went from dead last (3-13) in their division in 1999 to first (10-6) a year later, a remarkable achievement that earned Kuharich's successor, Randy Mueller, the league's Executive of the Year.

But the Saints won with many of the players Kuharich chose, which means he was as much Executive of the Year as Mueller.

And let's not forget, it was Kuharich who brought free agent Jake Delhomme to the Saints in 1997. I once remember him telling me he thought the guy was good enough to start for the club. Only he never really had a chance. So he shuffled off to Carolina after Kuharich left ... and took the Panthers to the Super Bowl.

Score another for Kuharich.

Now fast forward to Kansas City. It was Kuharich who ran the pro personnel department that acquired starters like running back Priest Holmes, quarterback Trent Green and wide receiver Eddie Kennison and that swung the deal for tackle Willie Roaf.

It was Kuharich who ran the past three drafts that delivered a raft of starters, including Tamba Hali, Dwayne Bowe, Bernard Pollard, Jarrad Page, Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Flowers and Branden Albert. And it was Kuharich who oversaw a 2008 draft that was universally acclaimed as one of the best anywhere.

Four draft picks became starters, and all but one of the 11 choices played.

Then there was quarterback Tyler Thigpen, whom Kuharich recommended after watching him in a preseason game with Minnesota. The Chiefs claimed him after he was waived, and he started 11 games this season.

So the Chiefs went 2-14. Big deal. This is a tear-down long overdue. They served youth, with so many young players gaining experience that the foundation Kansas City needs to rebuild is firmly established.

Too bad the guy who made it happen isn't.

I don't know what happens to Kuharich now, and I bet he doesn't know, either. Essentially, management has just told him he's gone as far as he can in the organization, and that if he wants a promotion he can start by reaching for the yellow pages.

That's a mistake.

He has the Chiefs on the road to recovery; it just might be time to find the next patient to cure. Maybe he never becomes a general manager anywhere again, but he should at least go where he's appreciated -- and I can't believe that can't be Kansas City.

"What I've always liked about him," one league source said [Rufas Dawes?], "is that he knows what a football player looks like. He doesn't need a stopwatch or a list of measureables. He can just look at a guy and tell."

I remember when Kuharich once told me about an offensive lineman he admired and how he was sure he would be a perfect fit for New Orleans. Yeah, I said, I had heard of Willie Roaf, but I wasn't sure he was a can't-miss prospect. Kuharich was.

Bill Kuharich knew what he was doing then, just as he knows what he's doing now. He deserves a chance to stay with the Chiefs. So give it to him, Scott Pioli.
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copied and pasted from this thread
http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showt...ht=Clark+Judge

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

um, we signed vets to hold us over for a year, we can't fix every problem at once...we aren't building the team around them...is that really hard to figure out?

and who cares what we're paying Cassel for 1 year?

I'd rep ya if it was possible via mobile device. You summed up exactly what I was thinking while reading is rationale... or lack thereof . The team is hardly hamstrung by any of these moves, minus if they don't pan out, one added year to correct it and the money they dumped for one year, but I feel fairly certain the club will still turn a profit either way...
Posted via Mobile Device

[DaWolf]

I have a feeling that Clark Judge had some inside buddies with the Chiefs under Carl Peterson, he used to always write very complimentary pieces on the Chiefs. I say this because a few months ago he also wrote a piece saying that Hunt would be an idiot not to strongly consider Kuharick for the GM job. Now that Pioli has cleaned house, Judge probably has no one in the org with whom he has a relationship with, and so I expect the critique of the Chiefs from him to start ramping up...

[booger]

Originally Posted by DaWolf

I say this because a few months ago he also wrote a piece saying that Hunt would be an idiot not to strongly consider Kuharick for the GM job. ...

that was i good article. Help a fellow planeteer out and find it for me could ya?

[DaWolf]

Originally Posted by booger

that was i good article. Help a fellow planeteer out and find it for me could ya?

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=5391803

I should correct myself and say he implies that Kuharich should have been given a shot at the GM job and that Pioli should make sure he keeps him around...

[Tiger's Fan]

The Sanchez fan bois are reaching for anything at this point in time. Must be a terrible existence, hatin on "your favorite team", for any reason whatsoever. Winning will ruin some peoples self esteem.