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.

[Red Dawg]

Pass judgment when Veech is done with the off season. We have some cash and need a corner. Let the man work.

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Oh really, what part?

He thinks Florida is the deep south when it comes to racism...

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by cooper barrett

He thinks Florida is the deep south when it comes to racism...

Certain parts of Florida are.

[FringeNC]

Andy Reid made a huge bet by retaining Bob Sutton and jettisoning Marcus Peters. In my opinion, keeping Sutton is far more problematic than getting rid of Peters, but if you are keeping Sutton, Peters had to go.

Throw in the fact the Dorsey was essentially fired, and it certainly suggestive the Reid thinks there have been issues with talent on D.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

Andy Reid made a huge bet by retaining Bob Sutton and jettisoning Marcus Peters. In my opinion, keeping Sutton is far more problematic than getting rid of Peters, but if you are keeping Sutton, Peters had to go.

Throw in the fact the Dorsey was essentially fired, and it certainly suggestive the Reid thinks there have been issues with talent on D.

I believe if things don't go right in the next 2-3 years, and Reid gets fired, that's going to be a defining move, just like keeping Juan Castillo a year too long in Philadelphia.

[bowener]

Originally Posted by Rausch

Compensation is the issue with me.

If we get significantly below value I'll be pissed...

What is your value based on? On field productivity or on and off-field productivity? If it is the former you are going to be pissed. If it is the latter the trade will make sense. Chiefs will probably receive a 2nd round value for him... so a 3+4 this year or maybe a 1st next year.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Interesting who is defined as a "jackass".

Marcus Peters does some immature at times but harmless shit and he's a "jackass".

Tyreek Hill is convicted of beating the shit out his pregnant girlfriend and he's not apparently a "jackass" (or at least he's not as much of a "jackass" relative to Marcus Peters in the eyes of True Fans).

Interesting.

Peters attacked a coach on the sideline...who knows what happened behind closed doors. He got booted from his college team for the same thing.
He just left a game over his emotions
He always gets personal fouls
He yelled and screamed at the DC on the sideline during a game


Immature and harmless? Lol

I’m a big fan of his play, but those aren’t things to take lightly.

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Certain parts of Florida are.

Certain parts of Ohio are too...

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

Andy Reid made a huge bet by retaining Bob Sutton and jettisoning Marcus Peters. In my opinion, keeping Sutton is far more problematic than getting rid of Peters, but if you are keeping Sutton, Peters had to go.

Throw in the fact the Dorsey was essentially fired, and it certainly suggestive the Reid thinks there have been issues with talent on D.

I totally agree. Heres one thing people have to consider... Peters was bitching about the scheme. Anyone think he was wrong? The coaches including Reid literally made almost zero adjustment while even Tony ****ing Romo said our scheme was so easy to dissect. You wonder about how players feel when they know their general is marching them into slaughter. How does the offense feel when they see we're repeating the same bad second half strategy in the playoffs. If Jeremiah trotter is any hint, some players recognize it but don't speak up about it.

That many chiefs seemed legitimately torn about Alex Smith vs mahomes also makes me question if our players are yes men. Don't rock the boat. Just follow orders. Even when the orders are stupid.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by cooper barrett

He thinks Florida is the deep south when it comes to racism...

I live in a 80% black neighborhood. I'm treated better by store owners and the police because I'm white. You can be talking to someone at a party and all of a sudden out of no where comes a racist comment that you never would have suspected felt that way.

In the mid-90's my town had a full blown race riots that was national news for weeks. The epicenter was less than a mile from where I live.

It's getting a lot better but its still there under the surface. Even in a progresive town like mine.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I totally agree. Heres one thing people have to consider... Peters was bitching about the scheme. Anyone think he was wrong? The coaches including Reid literally made almost zero adjustment while even Tony ****ing Romo said our scheme was so easy to dissect. You wonder about how players feel when they know their general is marching them into slaughter. How does the offense feel when they see we're repeating the same bad second half strategy in the playoffs. If Jeremiah trotter is any hint, some players recognize it but don't speak up about it.

That many chiefs seemed legitimately torn about Alex Smith vs mahomes also makes me question if our players are yes men. Don't rock the boat. Just follow orders. Even when the orders are stupid.

Maybe if you aren't a yes man they'll get rid of you...

[SuperBowl4]

I'm glad the CHIEFS are getting rid of Marcus Peters. The two guys that choked in that GIANTS game last season are gone!

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Certain parts of Florida are.

North of Orlando pretty much is.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Peters attacked a coach on the sideline...who knows what happened behind closed doors. He got booted from his college team for the same thing.
He just left a game over his emotions
He always gets personal fouls
He yelled and screamed at the DC on the sideline during a game


Immature and harmless? Lol

I’m a big fan of his play, but those aren’t things to take lightly.

He a left a game thinking he had been ejected. Kelce has more personal fouls called against him than Peters.

And yelling and screaming at coaches on the sideline? Should Tom Brady be traded as well?



I am still waiting for you to list CONFIRMED actions that Marcus Peters has done that are as close to as bad as what Tyreek Hill did by beating his pregnant girlfriend.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by MIAdragon

North of Orlando pretty much is.

yeah, people come down here to visit Disney and the beaches and think this isn’t the old South anymore. Which is true. Yet, go to any rural area in Florida and talk to the locals.