Prior to the season and still today...I feel the Kansas City Chiefs still have one of the better rosters in the NFL. Though I didn't predict a 1-3 record through 4 games, watching the games my opinion on this team hasn't changed. That opinion in a nutshell...Pioli has built a good roster...Crennel trains defensive players well and schematically among the best...and the team is collectively the best roster we've had in years.
The way I grade Pioli is in April after free agency and the draft. I think he did very well acquiring talent in free agency. I didn't like the draft but I got it...for the most part these 2012 draft picks are the future. What I have is a difference in opinion on how the draft should've been approached. I felt that drafting guys with the ability to contribute was important, not stockpiling guys for contributions after this year.
The only fireable offense for Pioli is his handling of 2009. I don't even hold that sentiment. The problem that I had was Hunt and Pioli dragging their feet on Herm, the coaching search, Chan Gailey, (eventually) Haley, (by all accounts) Cassel. I am still not sure what happened...every indication hints to Pioli not being prepared for this position from Day 1. 2009 for the Chiefs was a wasted season, the choice is do you move past it?
Since 2010 I haven't agreed with the draft strategy but for the most part the players I understood. Eric Berry removed the images of Miles Austin getting famous at the expense of Mike Brown. Arenas and McCluster all but removed the memories that were Bobby Wade as our returner. Houston made Vrabel a distant memory, while Baldwin/(free agent)Breaston did the same to rent-a-player Chris Chambers. The moves since 2010 have made us a better team.
The issue that I have with Pioli is why does he continue to let an awful 2009 off-season haunt this team in 2012? Cassel shortcomings were never really an issue until now. Until now this team had a lot of issues and Cassel was just one of them. To me Pioli can't move this team forward until he moves on from that 2009 off-season entirely.
Saying that...I can't call for the mans head. I watched Jimmy Raye send Bam Morris/Greg Hill on dives for what seemed like an entire game. I watched Eric Warfield and Dexter McCleon get roasted week after week by opposing offenses. I seen the Trezelle Jenkins picked by CP in the first along with Ryan Sims. I love the Chiefs alumni but this team hasn't gotten bad overnight, and we still haven't won a playoff game going on two decades. Trust me we can do a lot worse than Pioli.
This isn't meant to defend Pioli, but it's meant to provide both sides of the coin. Yes, Scott Pioli has made mistakes. But since 2009 none of his mistakes are close to fireable offenses. In 2013 with one pick at the QB position, nearly all of his mistakes are erased. Given the make-up of the roster I'm willing to see if he is ready to move on. Until then, I won't back down from the idea that Pioli is the right GM for this job in Kansas City.
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