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The 2021 NFL Draft is just ten days away! Team executives, coaches, staff members, NFL executives, media personnel, scouts, analysts, talk show hosts, podcasters, bloggers and football fans across the country and around the world are making final preparations for another draft that should prove to be just as exciting and unpredictable as last year’s edition (possibly even more so, due to how many prospects played little or no football in 2020 due to COVID-19 opt outs and/or team scheduling). However, in Chiefs Kingdom, all this excitement has been tampered by an equally high level of anxiety and frustration.
This anxiety obviously started with Super Bowl LV. Our Chiefs went into that game looking almost invincible, but then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shocked everyone — even the so-called “experts” — with their dominant defeat of the mighty “Run it Back” defending Super Bowl champs. The question that immediately followed was one of “Where do we go from here?” So many of us struggled to explain away the heartbreaking Super Bowl loss, along with trying to speculate as to what General Manager Brett Veach and company would do to fix the issues and set the organization up for another Super Bowl run.
Unfortunately, the Chiefs’ offseason, particularly the free agency period, has to this point not lived up to the hopes and expectations of many in Chiefs Kingdom, and many have been led to believe that Veach has failed to improve the team for the 2021 season and beyond, or at the very least that he could have done more. Highlighting these failures, let-downs, or disappointments, have been many failed attempts at free agent signings, along with some signings that have been labeled by fans as questionable, or unnecessary. However, I would challenge any Chiefs fan to seriously ask the following questions.
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Do we really have enough information at this time to determine that Veach himself has been a failure to his organization between the dates of February 8, the day after the Super Bowl, and April 18, the date on which I am writing this?
Does he truly deserve to “take smack” from the fanbase, or should we collectively give him slack until more time has passed and hopefully more personnel moves and general understanding comes to fruition/light?
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These are the questions I would like to examine now, and I will try to make an argument for both sides.
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Talking Smack
I’ll just start here by stating the complaints that have been most popular around Chiefs Kingdom over the past couple of months:
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- Why the heck are we signing all these guards when we need tackles?!
- Why aren’t we getting any of these available receivers to be a RELIABLE WR#2?!
- Why on earth would we bring in another useless FB right after we let Sherman go?!
- Why have we STILL not extended the Honey Badger?!
- Why have we not pushed for one of these dynamic edge rushers in free agency to be a book-end to Frank Clark?!
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The complaints and frustrations are certainly not limited to these, but I have to say these are the ones I have personally seen the most of, and at times thought of myself. Let’s be completely honest and transparent – we’re fans, and we don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors (or Zoom cameras) in the Chiefs organization. We should probably have some blind faith and assume that there is some master plan and that in the end Mr. Veach will once again make us all feel completely foolish, as he has in the past. However, as a passionate fanbase still recovering from a devastating Super Bowl loss, we are also absolutely entitled to answers! “You want answers? … I want the TRUTH!!” That’s what we need, the truth about what the heck is going down at One Arrowhead Drive. We need to see that Veach and his team are doing whatever it takes to make improvements, make the team stronger, address any and all issues, and get the organization back on track toward proving itself as the next great dynasty.
Sadly, we just haven’t seen this – or at least we haven’t seen these efforts result in the kind of personnel movements that we the fans had deemed to be good, right and salutary. So, let’s just recap. Veach failed to sign available marque players, such as: Trent Williams, Rodney Hudson (though to be fair he was never available), Juju Smith-Schuster, and honestly many others who could have been potential fits and gap-fillers at positions of need. The Chiefs lost WR Sammy Watkins to free agency and the Baltimore Ravens, making the second best WR on the team … who? Demarcus Robinson (re-signed him, great – if he could catch a ball)? Mecole Hardman (failed to take that second-year step we expected, still can’t run routes, muffed too many punts, and is basically only useful as a “gadget” guy)? Byron Pringle (can’t seem to get consistent reps, usually looks lost when on the field)? By the way, who the heck is Tajae Sharpe, other than some random WR who will probably amount to nothing more than a camp body or special teamer at best?! The team also lost the services of veteran FB and special teams extraordinaire Anthony Sherman. This move made many of us believe that Chiefs would finally move on from the FB position in the offensive scheme, until Veach went out and signed FB Michael Burton. Ever heard of him? Neither had I.
But hey, we brought in Joe Thuney, Kyle Long and Austin Blythe to bolster the IOL! Except that Veach also released both of our starting OTs (Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fischer), and those three are all interior linemen. Well okay, we did resign TEs Nick Keizer and Blake Bell (brought back to Kansas City after spending last year with the Dallas Cowboys)! Yeah, except that neither really ever proved worthy as a TE#2; and if they were brought back to compete to replace the skill set of Sherman, why sign Burton?! Oh but wait! What about Jarran Reed?! He’ll be a great pass-rushing DT next to Chris Jones! Well yeah, except that he doesn’t play DE, and we need a great pass-rushing DE on the opposite end of Clark, especially now with the loss of Alex Okafor, the failures of Tanoh Kpassagnon, the uncertainty of Taco Charlton, and the inconsistencies of Mike Danna!
Bottom line, Veach has basically done nothing useful during this offseason. In fact, at times he has seemingly done exactly the opposite of what should have happened. He has signed players the Chiefs don’t need, he has failed to sign the players the Chiefs absolutely do need and could have used, and he has put the organization in a very difficult position going into the draft. Initiate the HOT SEAT!
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Give Him Slack
Okay, that was heated. Now, let’s see if we can all take a deep breath, swallow a big ole chill pill, and flip over to the opposite side of this argument. While there have been many free agent players who might’ve looked slick in red and gold, while there have been some questionable signings, and while there is still absolutely a desperate need at OT (especially LT), let’s just calm down! There is still a draft coming up real soon! There is still a LOT of time left between now and training camp. There are still a good deal of free agents available, as well as a handful of guys who are looking to leave their current teams via trade. Finally, there is almost certainly a plan that we as fans are not privy to.
First, let’s consider the signings of Thuney, Long and Blythe. Thuney was expensive, but he is arguably one of the best guards in the league. He is a veteran who can make the center and tackle next to him better, and he is a versatile player who can be used at all five spots along the line. Long is coming out of retirement as a question mark, but he will be a veteran presence in the OL room. He has a Pro Bowl pedigree, and he also has shown the ability to play at the tackle position when asked to. Finally, Blythe is an interesting signing. His recent pass blocking grade is far worse than that of Austin Reiter, but that grade also came with having immobile Jared Goff as his QB (whereas Patrick Mahomes consistently avoids sacks with his athleticism, arm talent and vision). Additionally, his run blocking grade is far superior to that of Reiter, which is potentially incredibly good news for the likes of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and fellow Chiefs RBs (and also Mahomes and the pass game in the event that an improved running attack could lead to more openings in the pass game).
We should also consider the failed attempt at acquiring LT Trent Williams. It has been reported that Veach offered him more than fair market value for his position, his abilities and his age. It has also been reported that perhaps Williams and his agent had simply used the Chiefs’ offer to leverage himself into a bigger contract with his current team, the San Francisco 49ers. This sent me a clear message that Veach is very serious about obtaining a LT worthy of protecting Mahomes’ blind side, but that the opportunity simply has not been there thus far. We really must keep in mind that this year’s draft is deeply laden with OT talent. Funny enough, many of this year’s best OTs are short-armed and we know Andy Reid has historically coveted OTs with at least 33-inch arms, especially in the draft. However, there will almost certainly be a starting LT, or at minimum someone who can quickly develop into a starter under the guidance of Reid, OL Coach Andy Heck and the current veteran offensive linemen on the roster, available either at picks 31 or 63.
Speaking of the draft, there will also be a number of quality WR options (including those who can fill the X role) available who could immediately join the team and compete with Robinson, Hardman and Pringle for the WR#2 role. Let’s also remember that with receivers, a relatively mediocre group of receivers behind Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce can be absolutely adequate for Mahomes, especially if he has an improved OL protecting him going forward.
Finally, let’s think about how the Jarran Reed signing actually makes the DL much more dynamic and dangerous to opposing offenses. Yes, the Chiefs still would like to obtain a better pass rusher at the edge position. There’s still a draft and a lot of offseason left before training camp and the start of the regular season. Charlton had also shown a lot of potential before he was injured last season. Plus, think about what the addition of Reed (especially on passing downs, as DT Derrick Nnadi is one of the elite run-stuffers in the league) means for both Chris Jones and Frank Clark. With Reed in between those two, opposing offenses will not be able to repetitively double-team Jones and force the play away from Clark. If they try that, Jarran Reed will eventually make them pay. His dynamic play and the threat he poses will also open things up for everyone else on the line.
Remember last year when the Chiefs had just $177 against the cap? Remember how so many of us were stressing about re-signing Mahomes to a long-term deal, about having enough cap space to simply sign the rookie class?! Well, do you remember how Veach then proved to us all that he can essentially do anything he wants and that the cap is a myth? Remember how silly he made us all feel, and how by the beginning of the regular season we were already shouting: “Veach for executive of the year!” … “In Veach we trust!” – and how he accomplished so much in such a short time that all of us in Chiefs Kingdom were placing all our faith and trust in him as our GM (and not just us – remember when both he and HC Andy Reid got their long-term contract extensions with the Chiefs)? At the end of the day, he will still always be the man who pushed hard (when he wasn’t yet the GM) for the Chiefs to trade up and draft Patrick Mahomes – so no matter what he does, we still have to always be grateful for that! Right?
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The COVID Effect, and Bottom Line
Okay, we all realize there is still a pandemic going on, right? Granted, there is a cure. Granted, vaccines are getting out to people. However, the COVID effect is still a very real consideration – especially as it pertains to the draft. There is still a ton of uncertainty for all teams, GMs, scouts, coaches and other personnel. And look, as a die-hard Chiefs fan myself, I get the passion; but we really need to try to maintain some perspective. Our team went 50 years without a Super Bowl appearance. That’s more than many of our lifetimes. The year 2017 changed everything for us as Chiefs fans. Our team has gone from being a consistent let-down to a perennial Super Bowl contender almost overnight.
With that has come a lot of emotional baggage. We have in large part experienced a football variant of culture shock. Our team in our quaint little Midwest market suddenly became a major topic of discussion at ESPN and the like. We have a QB who exploded onto the scene, won league MVP, won Super Bowl MVP, confounded the rest of the league, got his face on the Madden cover, became the face of the league, transcended the sport and became a major face for the fight against social injustice all over the United States of America. We have a head coach who has rapidly become the darling of the league, having got the Super Bowl monkey off his back, having quickly ascended through the all-time wins records, and having won the hearts and minds of football fans as the cheeseburger-loving “well by God!” coach who’s success is due in large part to his compassion for people and the relationships he has built over his long career. Plus, we have the Hunt family, who have transformed the organization and brought the trophy, that has the family name on it, back to Kansas City… OUR city.
With all of this, so have also gone our expectations. We expect to win every single game. We expect to win the AFC West division every year as if it was routine. We have been in the conference championship game all of the last three years, and the Super Bowl the last two years – so it has become an expectation. But right now, we MUST PRACTICE PATIENCE. As a fellow Chiefs fan, I will not demand that you all feel a certain way; but I strongly recommend that we all just allow this process to play out. Do your research. Pay attention to what is happening – not just inside the Chiefs organization, but also around the league. Watch the draft and do your homework on the players the Chiefs ultimately select. Allow the rest of the offseason to play out. And finally, let Veach prove us all wrong once again.
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James S. McGregor — ArrowheadOne
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