Saturday Morning Cup O’Chiefs
I’ve always enjoyed Paul Harvey and his radio newscasts, especially when he does the “and the rest of the story.”
That’s what I was thinking about this week when now Buffalo LB Kawika Mitchell (below) decided to throw the Chiefs front office under the bus when talking about his departure from the team.
Basically Mitchell laid his departure at the feet of Carl Peterson and the team’s unwillingness to pay him.
In truth, the decision for Mitchell to leave the Chiefs was made by Mitchell himself. Here’s how things went down after the end of the 2006 season.
First, Mitchell fired his previous agent Peter Schaeffer and hired super agent Tom Condon to handle his deal. Condon was determined to score a big contract for Mitchell. At the time the numbers were 10 and 5: that’s $10 million to sign and an average of $5 million a year over the length of the deal. Basically, he was looking for 5 years and $25 million.
After four seasons with the Chiefs, the front office in concert with the coaching staff made the decision they wanted to keep Mitchell. But they also decided they were not going to overpay. They classified him a good linebacker, not a great one.
The Chiefs offered Mitchell a deal that included a $3.2 million bonus. Mitchell wouldn’t take the offer and entered free agency. Unfortunately for him, once he was available on the open market, he got no offers better than what the Chiefs presented him.
Rather than accept the Chiefs offer, Mitchell decided to wait. In the end, he took the only offer he had for the 2007 season: a one-year deal from the New York Giants for $1 million.
That decision turned out great for Mitchell, since he ended up winning a Super Bowl ring as part of the Giants starting defense.
Once the season was over, the Giants made the same sort of decision that the Chiefs made the year earlier. They liked Mitchell, wanted to keep him, but they were not going to break the bank to make it happen.
He ended up signing in Buffalo in a five-year deal with a signing bonus of $3.5 million. It was essentially the same deal he would have had with the Chiefs going into 2007.
So in the end, it all worked out for Mitchell. He got his money and he got a Super Bowl ring. Why he would be anything but thrilled, especially after the way things have gone over the last two years in Kansas City? He should be thanking Peterson and the Chiefs front office and coaching staff, rather than grumbling.
And what of the Chiefs decision? It turns out it didn’t work out very well. Linebacker has been a position of flux that could have used Mitchell’s talents, especially this season. They’ve signed two free agent linebackers since (Napoleon Harris and Demorrio Williams) and neither one has worked out. Harris is already gone and Williams can’t seem to hold a spot in the starting lineup.
That’s free agency. Teams make decisions. Players make decisions. Some work, others don’t.
SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO …
Chiefs LB Derrick O’Hara Johnson was born on November 22, 1982 in Waco, Texas.
Celebrating birthday No. 62 is former No. 81 Chiefs DE Marvin Upshaw. He played six years and 66 games with the team.
FROM THE PAGES OF CHIEFS HISTORY
On November 22, 1970, the Chiefs tied the St. Louis Cardinals 6-6 at Municipal Stadium. It was a defensive battle when these cross-state teams faced each other for the first time in the regular season. Jan Stenerud had field goals of 39 and 15 yards and Cardinals K Jim Bakken hit a 49-yarder and then a 14-yard FG with less than two minutes to play that tied the game. RB Ed Podolak was the only offense the Chiefs had, gaining 112 yards on 23 carries. LB Jin Lynch picked off a Jim Hart pass.
On November 22, 1998, the Chiefs lost to the San Diego Chargers 38-37 at Qualcomm Stadium. When K Pete Stoyanovich kicked a 50-yard FG in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs held a 37-24 lead over the Chargers with five minutes, 28 seconds to play. But San Diego QB Craig Whelan led the Bolts on a pair of scoring drives, throwing 25 yards to TE Freddie Jones and one-yard to C Jones. K John Carney hit both PAT kicks to give the Chargers the victory. RB Bam Morris had touchdown runs of 1, 2 and 3 yards. WR Derrick Alexander caught a 35-yard TD pass from QB Rich Gannon and Stoyanovich had three field goals. Alexander finished the day with five catches for 173 yards
OPPONENT NEXT/BUFFALO BILLS
The Bills secondary is all banged up for this game with two starters out this week, as well as two backup plyaers.Â
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Michael Vick went back to Virginia where he apparently will plead guilty to state dog fighting charges.
Current economic conditions worry even NFL Commish Roger Goodell.
AROUND THE AFC WEST
Denver coach Mike Shanahan is sweet on Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha.
Broncos two-way starter Spencer Larsen was named the NFL’s rookie of the week and was also fined for a hit from last Sunday’s game against Atlanta.
The Chargers don’t have any choice this week in hosting the Indianapolis Colts. They must win.
Quinn Gray , if chiefs are down in 2nd half , nows it !
Bob,
You have by far the most insightful website about football I have ever seen. Keep up the phenomenal work!!
I believe the Chiefs have to win 2 more games to save Herm’s job. I also think Gunther and his staff are goners. I believe Carl will be gone.
With the Chiefs being 30-40 million under the cap, do you believe they will alter their approach to Free agency and be more aggressive.
Look at how the Falcons, improved-Michael Turner, The Jets, Brett F., Alan Faneca, and of course Kris Jenkins. Miami was also heavy into free agency. When you have purged a roster of veterans, a few exceptional free agents can change
the course of a team-T. suggs, J. Gross, Cassell or Losman
What are some of these people thinking?
Well hey you can’t blame the Chiefs for Mitchell leaving. YOu mean to tell me we offered him more money than the Giants and he still left how can you blame management for that.
Kawika Michell is no Mike Singletary. Let him shovel snow in Buffalo. We have a history of paying way too much for mediocre talent. Glad we passed on that one.
Bob, thanks for the details of one side of the story. Throwing people under the bus? Nobody currently associated with Chiefs management or coaching staff would know anything about that, would they? *cough*vermeils*cough*fault*cough*
I was never a huge Mitchell fan, but I always thought it was strange how they paid Napolean Harris big money and not Kawika. Glad you shed some light on the subject Bob.
As for Demorrio Williams, I really thought that he would end the trend of free agent LB busts here in KC. So far he hasn’t, but this Buffalo game would be a perfect time for him to breakout. Buffalo’s entire offense revolves around handing off AND throwing the ball to Marshawn Lynch and Fred Thomas. That’s the kind of offense a WLB can really rack up some tackles in.
The problems at LB are at Gun’s feet. He is the one who insisted that Kawika (a career OLB) become a MLB. He is the one that insisted Pat Thomas (a career OLB ) become a MLB. Neither have really thrived at that position.
Kawika has thrived since leaving the chiefs. Heck, even Scott Fujita has done well since leaving the chiefs.
Anyway, Kawika is not the only one. There have been a number of former (young) chiefs including recently Jimmy Wilkerson who have said the chiefs dont develop players, and put them in positions to win. How else can you explain that the chiefs:
“In the last 7 years, the Chiefs have spent 4 of 7 First round picks on Defense, EVERY Second round pick on Defense, and 5 Third rounders on Defense.”
15 first day defensive players and still such a horrible defense.
Ok, what about the other defenders the Chiefs let go, especially Jimmy Wilkerson and Scott Fujita? Wilks had an article in TB paper this week stating KC played rookies and gave him only 3-5 snaps a game, by orders of the front office. Then when it became apparent Allen was leaving, Wilks was already gone. Fuji was jettisoned because we had such promising young players as Kawika Mitchell, Kris Griffin, Rich Scanlon, Derrick Johnson, Keyaron Fox all of whom except DJ are GONE. Yet Fuji singlehandedly kept us out of the playoffs in 2005 when he sacked the QB (against Dallas) and we finished 10-6 instead of 11-5. But for those days! Now we have a balanced team–bad on BOTH sides of the ball .
jim lloyd,
What the heck are you thinking about Quinn Gray for? Thiggy’s on a hot streak right now and Gray hasn’t played since the preseason with the Colts.
Actually, Kawika Mitchell was playing middle linebacker here before Gunther Cunningham returned as Defensive Coordinator, but that’s not the point.
I certainly agree with argument against the Chiefs’ apparent willingness to allow young defensive players to leave, while simultaneously breaking the bank to retain aging offensive players and add underachieving defensive free agents.
During a radio interview this week, Brian Waters said that while he was disappointed to see Kawika Mitchell leave, he didn’t feel as strongly about Scott Fujita leaving. He explained that, while Scott Fujita is athletic and very smart, he was very much an “in the box” linebacker, as opposed to the type of linebacker Gunther wanted when he returned.
The common theme through all of this? Gunther, obviously. I have always loved Gunther Cunningham as a coach. I was happy when he was promoted to head coach when Marty left. I was actually sad that Gunther’s tenure as head coach got cut so short when Dick Vermeil became an option. But since Gunther’s return in 2004, there has been a consistent pattern of both poor defensive play, as well as poor personnel choices on the defensive side.
People can choose to blame Carl Peterson for as much of it as they choose, as he is where the “buck stops”, but by all accounts, Carl Peterson bases a large portion of the “who stays and who goes” decisions to the input from the coaching staff. Carl makes it a point to “give the coaches the players they believe they need”, which is something I understand, but which obviously leads to blunders.
Gunther’s desires regarding defensive players included the acquiring of players like Kendrell Bell and Carlos Hall, the retention of William Bartee, trading away Scott Fujita at the start of the 2005 season, allowing players like Kawika Mitchell and Jimmy Wilkerson to leave, the drafting of players like Junior Siavii, and the signing (and subsequent dismal failure) of Napoleon Harris. After each season of defensive disappointment, Gunther has brought a new “wish list” of players to Carl Peterson, who does what he can to give Gunther the guys he wants.
To top it all off, the Chiefs have consistently underperformed (or outright failed) on the field from a defensive standpoint. I was ready to celebrate in the streets when it was announced that Gunther Cunningham was returning to Kansas City to replace Greg Robinson, but here we are, heading into the 12th game of Gunther’s 5th season since coming back, and the Chiefs’ defense consistently struggles with allowing big plays, 3rd-down conversions, and blown assignments.
I hate saying it as much as anyone, but Gunther Cunningham has not gotten the job done. And, unfortunately for Gunther, nobody can make the case that he hasn’t gotten “his players”.
—Tim
I agree with everyone on Gunther. My friends ask me all the time why do we still have this guy as our defensive coord. And I tell them hell I can’t explain it. I look at Derrick Johnson as a prime example and say darn why isn’t this guy making more of an impact. You see the talent. Look at the Broncos game. But why isn’t he and others on defense making more of an impact. I’m even questioning whether its Demarrio Williams or the defensive coord puttin him in position to make plays because he didn’t play like this last year in ATlanta. Even the defensive line with all those first and second round picks all of them can’t be that bad.
If Gunther can’t get these guys to play lights out the remainder of the season its time to let Herm pick his own defensive coord. as well. If he can bring in a guy just as good or better than his choice at offensive coord. then we should be more of a complete team next year. He got rid of Mike Solari and in only half a season its already making a difference. Maybe time to let him pick his own defensive coord. too. STay tuned.
Kawika Mitchell has not “thrived” since leaving the Chiefs. Nor has Wilkerson, Fujita, or anyone else.
Look at Wilkerson’s stats, for goodness sake. He has 15 tackles. FIFTEEN. I questioned why they released Wilkerson this year considering the lack of depth at DE, but he’s doing little to nothing.
And Mitchell? He’s getting to play on defenses with better talent around him than he had in KC. But that doesn’t make Mitchell himself any better.
Watch him play, he still makes the same errors, the same whiffs, that he did in a KC uni. We’ll probably all get a look at it tomorrow.
Did you see him on Monday night? He had a clear shot at the QB, barely grazed him, and another Bills managed to get the QBs legs and bring him down for the sack. And Mitchell stood there posing. Same old Kawika.
I was very reluctant to say Gun is not getting the job done too Tim, but something has to change and it appears it’s going to be Gun, rightfully so IF (I have heard no one report otherwise) Gun is the man choosing personnel and TRULY running the D the way he sees fit (here is where I have my doubts ie cover II) but one would think if he were strongly apposed to this form of D he would/should have fought harder.
Dave,
Even Bob aknowledges that Kawika has done well since leaving the chiefs. smell the roses.
What do you want Kawika to do. jump ontop of a sacked qb and get a roughing the passer or late hit penalty? that would be foolish.
Wilkerson has 15 TKLs, 2 sacks, and 1 FF while rotating in as a backup. He has more sacks and production than most of our STARTERS, who are playing two thirds of the snaps.
And yet findthedr wants the Chiefs to stick another career OLB in the middle: Derrick Johnson. Dude you need to make up your mind.