Fantasy Football Podcast: Week 16 Posted by John Paulsen (12/18/2008 @ 9:00 am) Listen in as Anthony and I discuss Brandon Jacobs’ and Marion Barber’s status, Tarvaris Jackson’s chances against the Falcons, and the RB situation in New Orleans. Click here to listen to the podcast. Posted in: Fantasy Football, NFL Tags: Carl Peterson, Dominic Rhodes, fantasy football podcast, fantasy football sleepers, fantasy football strategy, Frank Gore, John Paulsen and Anthony Stalter, Joseph Addai, Marion Barber, Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, Tarvaris Jackson, Tony Gonzalez
GM Carl Peterson done in Kansas City Posted by Anthony Stalter (12/16/2008 @ 10:23 am) Chiefs fans got an early Christmas present Monday night when it was reported that general manager Carl Peterson will resign at the end of the season. Kansas City Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt today announced that Carl Peterson will step down as President, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer at the end of the 2008 season. “On behalf of my family and the entire Kansas City Chiefs organization, I want to thank Carl for his two decades of service to the Chiefs,” Hunt said. “Both Carl and I agreed that immediately initiating the search for the next Chiefs General Manager would be the best thing for the future of the organization, and he will be resigning following the 2008 season.” Peterson joined the Chiefs in 1989, and guided the club through one of the most successful eras in its history. During his 20 years at the helm, the Chiefs amassed a 176-141-1 record, won the AFC West four times and reached the AFC Championship Game in 1993. Hunt said the search for a new General Manager will begin immediately. Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Denny Thum will serve as the Chiefs interim President and General Manager.
Chiefs fans have to appreciate what Peterson did in the 90s, because he did construct some solid teams. That said, his moves of late have been disastrous and his unwillingness to fix the offensive line over the years has doomed this team’s chances of survival. The Dolphins and Falcons turned their fortunes around in just one season and they did so by first hiring quality football men in the front office (Bill Parcells and Thomas Dimitroff, respectively). The Chiefs can do the same thing, but it all starts with Clark Hunt finding the right GM to rebuild through the draft. Should Herman Edwards be fired? Posted by Anthony Stalter (12/15/2008 @ 10:21 am) After their stunning, last-second collapse against the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star writes that Herman Edwards and the rest of the Chiefs’ coaching staff should be fired. That was pretty much all I could come up with. And really, even if you total up all the positive vibes, it probably does not quite make up for the astounding way that the Chiefs blew an 11-point lead in the final 5 minutes Sunday.
They blew it by punting on fourth and inches, then by allowing the Chargers to drive 89 yards in about 3 1/2 minutes (all without using a timeout), then by Dwayne Bowe dropping the onside kick, then by forgetting to cover a Chargers receiver deep (even though they were in a coverage conveniently designed to have four defensive backs deep), then by forgetting to cover a receiver in the end zone, then by pulling out their Three Stooges playbook for the final offensive drive, then by missing a 50-yard field goal at the buzzer. The only thing missing was the “Psycho” music and the see-through shower curtain. And the truth is that, after that sort of mind-shattering collapse, it’s hard to come up with a single good reason why anybody involved with the Chiefs should be back next season. Sure, everyone knew that this year would be trying, that there would be more losses than wins, that young players would make lots of mistakes. But there was no way to see this mess coming.
After a game like Sunday’s, it’s kind of hard not to share Posnanski’s feelings on the subject. But in the coaching staff’s defense, this is a young team severely void of talent. They don’t have an offensive line, the secondary is littered with inexperienced players and quarterback Tyler Thigpen (who has made strides this season) is in his first year as a starter. Look what Edwards is working with. You actually have to hand it to him because for the most part, the Chiefs have been somewhat competitive even though they’ve found every way possible to lose this season. Then again, sometimes it’s just better to blow up the entire thing and start fresh. Turnarounds in the NFL happen all the time (see the Dolphins, Ravens, Falcons and Jets this year), so regardless of the situation, maybe it is time for the Chiefs to start anew. Chiefs’ president Carl Peterson is unreasonable Posted by John Paulsen (10/15/2008 @ 1:45 pm) Tony Gonzalez is in the twilight of his career but he is still one of the top three or four pass-catching tight ends in the game. The Chiefs are surely in the midst (or at the beginning?) of a rebuilding effort, so why would they hold onto Gonzo when there was a third round pick on the table? The Chiefs’ president, Carl Peterson, apparently was holding out for a second round pick. The Packers, Eagles, Giants and Bills all showed interest, but that offer never came, so Gonzalez is still a Chief.
Barring a few slight differences, this scenario is pretty similar to the Brett Favre situation this summer. Both players are All-Pro caliber and both are going to probably play one or two more seasons. The Packers traded Favre for a conditional fourth round pick that will turn into a third round pick if Favre plays at least 50% of the Jets’ snaps. It could turn into a second round pick if Favre plays 70% of his team’s snaps and the Jets make the playoffs. So the market value for an aging, still productive Pro-Bowler is a second or a third round pick. It’s fine to hold out for a second rounder, but if your team is rebuilding and no one is willing to offer that up, take the third round pick! What good does it do you to have a grumpy Tony Gonzalez on your roster? Not only that, but it’s a slap in the face of Gonzalez. Peterson deems that extra round more important than allowing the face of your franchise to go somewhere else and have a chance at a title. Everyone in Kansas City realizes that they aren’t going to be making a Super Bowl run in the next two years, so why not let Gonzo have a shot elsewhere? |