Weekend Musings: Veach, Charles and the Secondary

Weekend Musings

Veach, Charles and the Secondary

by Ransom Hawthorne

Weekend Musings

As training camp inches ever closer, the Kansas City Chiefs acquired nothing from the NFL’s Supplemental Draft: so, has GM Brett Veach been prematurely labeled a gambler? With family in town, I got to thinking about the past, and how Chiefs fans don’t appreciate RB Jamaal Charles enough. The Chiefs have a good problem in the secondary… and a bad one. Time will tell which proves to be the bigger issue. All this, and more, in this week’s: Weekend Musings.

Brett Veach, Gambler Extraordinaire

Optimistic Chiefs fans have come to view Brett Veach as a hyper-aggressive GM, identifying talent, and doing whatever it takes to acquire it. Pessimists have decried him as too aggressive, taking chances and reaching on players who should’ve been picked later. The Supplemental Draft should provide solace to both groups. Veach did his due diligence, meeting with CB Adonis Alexander, and sending a scout to CB Sam Beal’s pro-day. In the end, he, decided that Beal wasn’t worth the 2^nd round pick the organization would have had to give for him, and Alexander was more UDFA than 5^th round pick, which is what the Chiefs would’ve had to give for him. Disappointment may strike those most concerned about the secondary, but take it from me, Veach did the right thing. I was prepping an article crushing him if he was too active in this S-draft.

Jamaal Charles, Never Appreciated Enough

If you are a Chiefs fan, you don’t appreciate Jamaal Charles enough. Period. It’s not possible to place an appropriate value on Charles: he is priceless. It’s truly tragic that Charles’ best years were spent playing for Herm Edwards, Todd Hayley, and Romeo Crennel. Hayley was perhaps to most egregious wrong doer of all. The only playoff game Charles ever got to participate in, fully, was a 30-7 blowout, at the hands of the Ravens. Incredibly, he only got to rush nine times in that game, despite averaging 9.1 yards per attempt. QB Matt Cassel, we know, threw at least three passes, because that’s how many interceptions he had. Hayley has been, for stretches, one of the best Offensive Coordinators in the league, but anyone with half a brain, and a normal sized ego, would have just handed the ball to Charles, for the entire game.

The man still holds the record for yards per attempt… in the history of the NFL. Eight out of 10 years, he averaged at least 5ypc. I watched every game, the year Crennel coached the Chiefs to a 2-14 record, but Jamaal made it worth it. Being stuck on crap teams, during his best years, may keep Charles out of the hall of fame, but I will always regard him as one of the best RBs of all time.

Secondary Problems

The Kansas City Chiefs lack proven talent, at the top, in the secondary. While Kendall Fuller and Eric Berry are the best, at their positions, Steven Nelson, David Amerson and Daniel Sorenson have had inconsistent careers, thus far. Rookies Dorian O’Daniel and Armani Watts offer upside, but have yet to see the field. This kind of uncertainty has fans clamoring for veteran depth. The trouble is, the Chiefs don’t really have room to bring in more talent, because they don’t want to lose out on what they’ve already got. K.C. has a lot of really intriguing depth options, with upside. Guys like Will Redmond, Keith Reaser, Arrion Springs, Leon McQuay, and Tremon Smith all have starter upside, and currently sit on cheap contracts. If Veach brings in a veteran, it’ll almost certainly mean ditching one of them and watching that guy make contributions for another team. Now potential does not equal production, but I can see why Veach has a hard time trading starter upside, on the cheap, for proven depth, for a price. Time will tell if that’s the right approach.

Defense Changes Foreshadowing 4-3

The Chiefs approach to defensive talent has changed drastically, since Veach took over. Positions like ILB, nickel LB and nickel CB: which used to be low priorities, flew to the top of the list. What’s more the Chiefs pass rusher profile preferences, have changed, as well. Is this Brett Veach listening to DC Bob Sutton better than previous GM John Dorsey? Is it Sutton changing his MO? I’m, actually beginning to suspect that Brett Veach is simply doing what he thinks is right for the defense. A lot of fans wanted Sutton fired. Sutton got another chance to prove himself, but I think he may not have gotten carte blanche. Head Coach Andy Reid will have Sutton on a short leash, and I believe Veach is deliberately drafting players who can play in a 3-4 or a 4-3. If the Chiefs defense doesn’t improve drastically this year, they’ll be positioned, roster wise, to run either system in 2019. That would speed the transition, should they switch Defensive Coordinators.

This is a great time to appreciate some old Chiefs. Watch highlights of guys like Jamaal Charles, Priest Holmes and Christian Okoye. Enjoy this little time left before training camp. Once the news starts rolling in, there won’t be much time for looking back. As for training camp, the secondary will offer the most compelling story of camp. If there’s no clear front runner at the 4^th CB spot, don’t be surprised if Veach makes a veteran signing, or acquires a better CB through trade. At season’s end, Bob Sutton should prove himself respected, or find himself retired. Go Chiefs.

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