This is an exercise in futility only. My first time doing a mock draft. And if I’m correct on more than a dozen picks I’ll be shocked! This assumes no trades, though there’s been a lot of speculation that we could see more trades than normal this year.

St. Louis Rams (1 – QB Sam Bradford): I can’t imagine the Rams doing anything else. They’ve cut QB Marc Bulger, and all signs point to Bradford.

Detroit Lions (2 – OT Russell Okung): Most mock drafts have the Lions taking DT Ndamukong Suh. But this could shake up a few draft boards early. Lions need to protect their young QB and pick the best OT in the draft.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3 – DT Gerald McCoy): Bucs faced with a tough choice between Suh and McCoy, but choose McCoy as a better fit for their defense.

Washington Redskins (4 – OT Trent Williams): The Redskins are disappointed that Okung is off the board and take Williams. Shanahan needs to protect QB McNabb and must replace the retired LOT Chris Samuels.

Kansas City Chiefs (5 – DT Ndamukong Suh): Chiefs have no choice but to draft Suh, the top player on their board. They certainly won’t reach for the third best OT in the draft. And they won’t take safety Eric Berry over Suh. Here’s hoping that the Chiefs can trade down with both Suh and Clausen still on the board.

Seattle Seahawks (6 – S Eric Berry): Seahawks happy to see Berry fall to them. Berry will be an impact player.

Cleveland Browns (7 – Jimmy Clausen): Browns need to solve their problems at quarterback, and I can’t imagine they believe that Jake Delhomme is a long-term answer. Clausen would be a good fit in Cleveland.

Oakland Raiders (8 – OT Bryan Bulaga): Never to be deterred by potential character issues, Raiders draft the best OT on the board. That makes three OTs in the top 10.

Buffalo Bills (9 – NT Dan Williams): Bills had hoped for Clausen, but settle to fill a hole on their defensive line as they move to the 3-4 defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars (10 -DE Derrick Morgan): I could picture the Jags going in many directions here with the tenth pick. But at this point I don’t have a single pass rusher coming off the board yet. Morgan would help Jacksonville and their anemic pass rush.

Denver Broncos (11 – WR Dez Bryant): After trading WR Brandon Marshall, the Broncos have a hole to fill, and Bryant is still on the board.

Miami Dolphins (12 – DE/OLB Sergio Kindle): The Dolphins need to go defense, and improve their pass rush. They decide to choose Kindle over Pierre-Paul.

San Francisco 49ers (13 – CB Joe Haden): The 49ers are happy to see the best CB in the draft still on the board at number 13.

Seattle Seahawks (14 – RB C.J. Spiller): Having gone defense with their first pick, the Seahawks move to offense and take the dynamic Spiller.

New York Giants (15 – ILB Rolando McClain): The best inside LB in the draft and a fiery leader. A good fit with the Giants.

Tennessee Titans (16 – DE Jason Pierre-Paul): This could prove to be one of the steals of the draft. Fits in well with the Titans, and could become a sack machine.

San Francisco 49ers (17 – OT Anthony Davis): If Jimmy Clausen falls, I could picture the 49ers taking him here. But with Clausen off the board, 49ers add Davis to their offensive line.

Pittsburgh Steelers (18 – C/G Maukice Pouncey): Steelers need to improve their offensive line, and Pouncey just looks like a great fit here.

Atlanta Falcons (19 – OLB Sean Weatherspoon): I like Weatherspoon. He’s got a chance to be a real impact player in the NFL. Another option here would be DE/OLB Brandon Graham.

Houston Texans (20 – CB Kyle Wilson): Texans need to replace CB Dunta Robinson, and Wilson is a decent value here.

Cincinnati Bengals (21 – TE Jermaine Gresham): If WR Dez Bryant is still on the board, he’s the pick here. But instead the Bengals take the best TE in the draft. A good weapon in the passing game for Carson Palmer.

New England Patriots (22 – DT Jason Odrick): Pats have a history of drafting defensive linemen in the first round, and they still need to replace Richard Seymour.

Green Bay Packers (23 – G Mike Iupati): Packers need to upgrade the offensive line, and Iupai is best lineman on the board.

Philadelphia Eagles (24 – S Earl Thomas): Eagles go with the best player still on the board. Thomas could go considerably higher. Some mock drafts have him in the top 10.

Baltimore Ravens (25 – WR Demaryius Thomas): A big, physical home run threat, Thomas will help the Ravens passing game.

Arizona Cardinals (26 – OT Charles Brown): The run on OTs continue as the Cards take the best offensive lineman on the board.

Dallas Cowboys (27 – S Taylor Mays): Disappointed that they’ve missed out on all of the top OTs, Cowboys grab the top safety on the board.

San Diego Chargers (28 – DT Terrence Cody): Cody will be a great fit in the middle of their defensive line. This pick just makes too much sense not to happen.

New York Jets (29 – DE Everson Griffen): Another defensive weapon for Rex Ryan, Griffen is a fantastic athlete. Or they could go with Brandon Graham here.

Minnesota Vikings (30 – CB Kareem Jackson): Many have Jackson going much higher in the draft. The Vikings will be happy to see him still on the board.

Indianapolis Colts (31 – OLB Brandon Graham): Colts take best player still on the board. Graham could go much higher than this.

New Orleans Saints (32 – OLB Jerry Hughes): The Saints need to get more pressure on the QB, and Hughes could be a playmaker.

The draft is only three weeks away, and I don’t think I’m any closer to guessing at what the Chiefs will pick than I was three months ago. So instead we’ll look at a few possible scenarios, and a few areas of need. The Chiefs have done a good job in free agency plugging a few holes with Thomas Jones, Ryan Lilja, Casey Wiegmann, Shaun Smith and Jerheme Urban. And they’ve resigned Chris Chambers, Derrick Johnson and Mike Vrabel. What this has done is that it’s put the Chiefs in a position where they don’t have to draft any one area of need. They can focus on taking the best player available.

Top Five Pick
It’s almost impossible to trade out of a top five pick, so for the most part we’ll assume the Chiefs are stuck with their pick. Typically top five picks are reserved for players at premium positions: quarterbacks, offensive tackles, pass rushers (defensive ends / 3-4 outside linebackers), and possibly star cornerbacks and defensive tackles. Occasionally you might get a running back or a wide receiver that jumps to the top of the draft, but it seems that in recent years these positions have slipped further down the draft boards. Typically not taken in the top five are safeties, guards, centers, inside linebackers and tight ends.

I only see one scenario where the Chiefs could trade their pick, and that’s if quarterback Jimmy Clausen is still on the board. Behind the Chiefs are several teams that have a need at quarterback including Seattle, Cleveland, Oakland and Buffalo. If the Browns or the Bills want Clausen, and are concerned that the Seahawks might grab him with the sixth pick  in the draft, then possibly the Chiefs will have an opportunity to trade down. Other than that, it won’t happen.

Best Player Available vs Area of Need
Last year the Chiefs surprised us all by reaching for defensive end Tyson Jackson. I don’t expect the same kind of reach this year. And good news for the Chiefs is that they have needs that match up well with premium positions, and the top players on the board.

Defensive Tackle: According to Mel Kiper’s Big Board, he’s got Ndamukon Suh and Gerald McCoy ranked as the top two players in the draft. Most mock drafts have Suh and McCoy off the board by the time the Chiefs pick at number five, but if one of them would happen to fall, the Chiefs will be faced with a tough choice. The Chiefs have drafted a lot of defensive linemen in recent years, but still have a hole in the middle of their line. I think they’ll both be gone by the time the Chiefs pick.

Quarterback: Kiper has Jimmy Clausen and Sam Bradford rated in his top five. In a way this is great news for the Chiefs. The Chiefs don’t need a quarterback, but several teams drafting in the top ten could use a quarterback. Bradford is likely to go number one to the Rams. Clausen could potentially go to Washington at number four.

Offensive Tackle: This is the position most Chiefs fans see as the biggest area of need. Picking a top offensive tackle would allow the Chiefs to move Branden Albert to right tackle, and could dramatically strengthen their offensive line. There are several offensive tackles ranked highly among the experts including Russell Okung, Trent Williams, Bryan Bulaga and Anthony Davis.

Pass Rusher: I’m a bit surprised there hasn’t been more talk about the Chiefs taking a pass rusher in the draft. Derrick Morgan and Jason Pierre-Paul are two of the best defensive ends in the draft. Pierre-Paul is 6-5 and 262, and I would think could transition to an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense. He would give the Chiefs another pass rusher, and could rotate with Vrabel and Hali, and eventually replace Vrabel in the starting lineup.

Safety: Typically safeties aren’t taken in the top five, but most experts agree that Eric Berry is a special talent, and this would certainly qualify as an area of need for the Chiefs. I wouldn’t be disappointed at all to see Berry in Kansas City.

Two other names that have popped up for the Chiefs are wide receiver Dez Bryant and linebacker Rolando McClain. I’d be surprised by either pick. These are not premium positions, and they aren’t glaring needs for the Chiefs.

Summary
If Suh or McCoy falls, I think the Chiefs would have to give this serious consideration. But I think that’s unlikely. It’s hard to know how the Chiefs value the safety position, and whether or not they’d take a safety this high in the draft.

Experts: Eric Berry seems to be the pick from many experts, including Kiper and Todd McShay.
My prediction: Offensive tackle Russell Okung
My sleeper pick: Jason Pierre-Paul

NFL free agency is set to begin, and there’s already been some movement as teams release players no longer in their plans. The Chiefs have many needs, but don’t expect them to fill many of them in free agency. It’s not the Chiefs fault. There just isn’t much out there, and 31 other teams who will be going after this same small group of unrestricted free agents. So who should the Chiefs pursue? Here are a few suggestions:

Safety Antrel Rolle: Released by the Arizona Cardinals in a financial move, Rolle would appear to be a good fit for the Chiefs. He would be an upgrade over Mike Brown. He’s played both corner and safety. And he’s only 27. He would be my number one target. I can’t imagine he’ll last long in free agency. There are a couple other free agent safeties who might be worth looking at including Ryan Clark from the Steelers and Dawan Landry from the Ravens.

Nose Tackle Jamal Williams: At 33 it’s hard to know how much Williams has left in the tank, but he’s a true nose tackle with tons of experience in the 3-4. Last year the Chiefs had Ron Edwards and not much else. Williams would provide depth, and might even push for a starting spot.

Wide Receiver: Fill in the blank here. The Chiefs are attempting to resign Chris Chambers, which I think would be an excellent move. But the Chiefs will need to consider yet another receiver. I’ve always like Laveranues Coles, and he was recently released by Cincinnati. Though at 32 his best seasons are well behind him. And I really like Antonio Bryant. He’s a playmaker, and only 28 years old. Plus there still might be an opportunity to trade for Anquan Boldin.

Running Back: The Chiefs will need to find a complementary back for Jamaal Charles. Preferably somebody with some size for short yardage situations. Chester Taylor from the Vikings is probably the biggest name out there, but he’s not necessarily the best fit for the Chiefs. Not sure where the Chiefs go here, but you’d think they’d bring in somebody to provide competition. Or they might just wait till the draft.

Offensive Line: I would expect the Chiefs to sign a couple of guys to create some competition, but there’s not much out there. Chad Clifton, the offensive tackle from the Packers, is probably the biggest name available, but he’s certainly not an elite tackle. I’d rather see the Chiefs draft an offensive tackle than sign Clifton.

The two biggest names on the market are linebacker Karlos Dansby and defensive end Julius Peppers. I don’t anticipate the Chiefs making a push for either of them. Dansby would certainly be an upgrade for the Chiefs at inside linebacker, but the Chiefs have such bigger needs elsewhere that it’s hard to see them going after Dansby. And Peppers would have to convert to an outside linebacker in the 3-4. He’s capable of making that transition, but with the Chiefs resigning Mike Vrabel this week it’s hard to see them making a play for Peppers.

NFL free agency begins soon, and the draft is only a couple months away. A difficult time of year for us NFL junkies with little news to read.

Free Agency
With the expiration of the NFL’s labor agreement, free agency takes an interesting turn. Unless a deal is reached soon, which is not anticipated, this year will be an uncapped year. So you might expect a lot of money to get thrown around to free agents. But because of the expiration of the agreement, many players who would have become unrestricted free agents are now restricted free agents. So pickings will be slim. Add to that the uncertainty of the 2011 season and it’s likely now that many teams will refrain from spending much this off-season. There are a few marquee names out there who will sign quickly. But after that expect little action on the free agent market.

I found an interesting website this week: NFL Labor News. Lots of information focused on, well, NFL labor news. And if you’re looking for a site to track available free agents, try KFFL’s Free Agent Tracker.

Chiefs First Round Draft Pick
Improving the Chiefs’ offensive line remains a priority this off-season. And I still think it’s likely that the Chiefs will take an offensive tackle with their first pick in the draft. Russell Okung from Oklahoma State has consistently been high on most draft boards, but appears to be slipping a bit as other players move up. One name to watch is Anthony Davis, an offensive tackle from Rutgers. Here’s how he’s described by ESPN’s Mel Kiper, who predicts that the Chiefs will pick him in the draft: “Davis has the physical talent to be a Pro Bowl player early in his career, but he’s still developing. Still, given a choice, the Chiefs can’t pass on his upside, which is as high as any player’s in the draft. A potential Walter Jones-like presence, if his development continues. The Chiefs also could move Branden Albert to the right side.”

Chiefs’ Waters Wins Award
Congratulations to Brian Waters, winner of this year’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Waters is a leader on and off the field. A very good player, and by all accounts, and even better person. Waters is the fifth Chief to win the award following linebacker Willie Lanier (1972), quarterback Len Dawson (1973), linebacker Derrick Thomas (1993) and guard Will Shields (2003). That’s more than any other team in the league. Here’s the story in the Star.

Super Bowl
I’m looking forward to today’s game more than any other in recent years. We’ll be watching Peyton Manning quarterback in his second Super Bowl. A win today and Manning enters the discussion as possibly the best quarterback to ever play the game. I’d already put him in the top five. But another win or two in a Super Bowl and he probably jumps to number one in my book.

And then there’s the Saints. What a great feelgood story. New Orleans suffered through so many years of really bad teams. I’m happy for the city. Drew Brees is the second best quarterback in the league right now behind Manning. And probably my favorite player who’s not a Chief. The Saints run an offense where they share the ball and make plays all over the field. New Orleans were number one in the league in total offense with more than 400 yards per game. And the Saints had seven players with at least 35 receptions.

You would expect a shootout between these two teams, but I really expect both defenses to make enough plays to keep this interesting. The offenses will keep this game entertaining. I’ve been on the Colts / Saints bandwagon for weeks. Nice to see that I can finally get one right.

Prediction: Colts 31, Saints 28

Collective Bargaining Agreement
The amount of posturing going on right now between the league and the player’s association is amazing. While this is a storyline that should interest all football fans, it’s really too early to take anything they say to heart. People are already predicting a lockout in 2011. That’s NEXT year! Deals never get done till the last minute. Don’t take anything you hear too seriously.

The owners have been unhappy with the last couple of extensions to the existing agreement, and appear ready to take a harder stance. The economics of the game need to be changed for the league to continue to thrive. Believe it or not, many teams are struggling financially under the current system, and need the players to take a smaller piece of the pie. Right now the players make approximately 60% of the revenues.

From a fan’s point of view, I’d really like to see the NFL implement a system like the NBA where the salaries of draft picks are automatically slotted. There’s no reason a player should ever holdout for more money. Or a team should balk at paying a rookie they drafted. Holdouts hurt the player AND the team.

In negotiations, if you want something, you typically have to give something up. And I’d be fine with teams giving up the franchise tag. Players hate it. Good teams should be able to get their players resigned without the threat of the franchise tag. And players hate it. Or possibly the NFL could look into some type of guaranteed contracts for players chosen in the first few rounds.

The Kansas City Chiefs announced yesterday the hiring of three more assistant coaches: Bernie Parmalee (tight ends), Otis Smith (defensive quality control) and Emmitt Thomas (defensive backs).

First Charlie Weis. Then Romeo Crennel. And now the Chiefs add Emmitt Thomas to their coaching staff. Quite an off-season for the Chiefs. Todd Haley has assembled a very impressive and accomplished group of assistant coaches.

As a Chiefs fan, I have long admired Emmitt Thomas — both as a player and as a coach. Here’s what the Chiefs had to say about Thomas:

Emmitt Thomas (Defensive Backs): A veteran of 42 NFL seasons as a player and a coach, Thomas joins the Chiefs coaching staff after an eight-year coaching stint with Atlanta (2002-09), where he most recently served as assistant head coach/secondary. He also served as the Falcons interim head coach for the final three games of the 2007 season. Thomas served as an NFL defensive coordinator for seven seasons, working in that role for Minnesota (2000-01), Green Bay (’99) and Philadelphia (’95-98). He also served as an NFL assistant with Washington (’86-94) and St. Louis (’81-85), earning a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Redskins. He began his coaching career at Central Missouri State (’79-80).

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Chiefs Hall of Fame in ‘86, Thomas played cornerback for 13 seasons with Kansas City (’66-78). He is the Chiefs all-time leader with 58 interceptions and 938 INT return yards. In 181 regular season games, he also accumulated five INT return TDs and seven fumble recoveries. He was named to the Pro Bowl or the AFL All-Star Game on five occasions and was a first-team All-Pro selection in ‘74 when he led the NFL with 12 INTs. He won two AFL titles with the Chiefs and was a member of the club’s Super Bowl I squad, as well as the club’s ‘69 team that claimed a victory in Super Bowl IV. The Angleton, Texas native joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent from Bishop College.

Here’s a complete list of the Chiefs coaching staff.

It’s a good thing I’m not a gambling man. Last weekend my teams went 2-2. But I went against my gut picking teams coached by Norv Turner and Wade Phillips. I won’t do that again.

Jets at Colts: The Jets showed some real grit against the Chargers. Great defense and a great running attack. Brian Schottenheimer has really developed into a fine offensive coordinator. But the Jets probably don’t beat the Chargers if kicker Nate Kaeding doesn’t puke all over the field and miss three field goals. The Colts on the other hand bottled up the Ravens running attack and controlled their game from start to finish. Look for another Colts win, and another trip for Peyton Manning to the Super Bowl. Prediction: Colts 24, Jets 13

Vikings at Saints: A much tougher game to pick as both teams played very well last weekend. The Vikings defensive front four manhandled the Cowboys, and Brett Favre continues to make plays in the passing game. Yet the Saints have looked like the team of destiny most of the year. They put 45 points in the Cardinals, while holding Arizona to only 14 points. It appears that the Saints defense is getting healthy at the right time. And Drew Brees is maybe the best quarterback in the NFL not named Peyton Manning. Brees is uncanny in his accuracy. And he’s certainly the heart and soul of the Saints. I’m not jumping ship now. Prediction: Saints 27, Vikings 24

Dallas Cowboys: I thought it was interesting that the pre-game story on the Cowboys was all about how Dallas had gotten rid of all of the problems in the locker room, and that they were now a “team”. Yet immediately following the game wide receiver Roy Williams was pissed off because of how few passes have gone his way this season. Sounds like team first to me.

Pro Bowl: As a kid I looked forward to watching the Pro Bowl every year. It was a blast to see all the great players on the field at the same time. Only a couple of games were televised every week, and there was little opportunity to see many of the players throughout the season. But the Pro Bowl has lost its luster over the years. And I think primarily because now you get to see NFL coverage of every game in such great detail. This year the NFL is playing the Pro Bowl the week before the Super Bowl, which means the players who have been nominated to the Pro Bowl but our bound for the Super Bowl won’t be playing. The Vikings have nine players slotted to play in the Pro Bowl, which means if they make the Super Bowl, that’s a lot of star power missing from the Pro Bowl. I’m not sure this is a very good idea. We’ll see what it does for the ratings.

Bills Hire Chan Gailey: Where did this come from? I like Chan Gailey as a coordinator, but he’s had little success as a head coach. I don’t see the Bills getting better any time soon.

Broncos Part Ways with Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan: I don’t understand this move at all. Denver’s defense has been bad for years. Mike Nolan converted the defense to a 3-4 and really made them competitive this year. And after one year, Nolan’s gone. Can only assume that Noland and head coach Josh McDaniels didn’t get along.

Chargers and LaDanian Tomlinson: I’ve enjoyed watching LT run the ball for years. He’s a class act on and off the field. But he’s no longer an every down back. And as explosive as Darren Sproles can be, he can’t carry the load either. Tomlinson has likely played his last game for San Diego. Look for the Chargers to draft a running back early this year.

Raiders: What’s up in Oakland? Are they firing head coach Tom Cable or not? Lots of rumors that Al Davis is testing the waters and talking to some potential coaches. But word has it that Al Davis wants a coach who will commit to working with quarterback JaMarcus Russell. And any coach willing to make that commitment won’t have a chance. Russell appears to be a complete bust.

Chiefs: And just because I love my Chiefs, I have to say one more time how excited I am about our new coordinators, Weis and Crennel.

It’s early January and the Chiefs have already had a very productive off-season. Chiefs fans who look at the additions of Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator and Romeo Crennel as defensive coordinator and aren’t excited have become too jaded to look at this for what it is. The Chiefs have hired two of the most successful coordinators of the last decade. I posted weeks ago that the additions of Weis and Crennel should be Chiefs priority number one.

Experience and Success: Weis and Crennel have a combined six Super Bowl rings as coordinators for the New England Patriots. Are there any other teams in the league with this much proven talent at their coordinator positions? And both have been head coaches, which will help Todd Haley greatly as he continues to learn how to be an NFL head coach.

Instant Credibility: Many in the media have written how the Chiefs will have a tough time attracting high-quality free agents to Kansas City. I’ve never bought into this mindset. In my opinion, it’s typically the money that matters. Players go where they’ll be paid the most. Few choose smaller contract offers for a chance to “win it all” with a certain team. Though a few may choose slightly smaller contracts to stay with their current team if they’re comfortable with their current situation. But if you DO buy into this mindset, then feel good that the additions of Weis and Crennel WILL be a selling point for the Chiefs as they talk to free agents.

Not a Lost Year: Watching the 2009 season unfold, it was difficult not to get frustrated. It often felt like a wasted year. But now it starts to feel like the pieces are falling into place. The firing of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey right before the ‘09 season looked like a mistake at the time. But with the implementation of Haley’s offense, and now the addition of Charlie Weis as coordinator, the Chiefs will begin this off-season much further along than if they had kept Gailey and fired him after the season. And on defense, the Chiefs had tried to hire Romeo Crennel last year, but the timing just wasn’t right for Crennel. The Chiefs implemented the 3-4, and got a year of the new defense under their belt. Not a very successful year. But a year nonetheless.

What’s Next: The Chiefs still need to dramatically improve their roster. And until there’s some resolution to the collective bargaining agreement, teams will find it difficult to begin their off-season plans. The state of the CBA will tremendously impact free agency this year. But having said that, I still don’t expect the Chiefs to make a huge splash in free agency. I don’t think that’s Pioli’s style. And as I’ve posted before, great teams are built through the draft, not through free agency. But the Chiefs will need to find a few additions in free agency. And they must have a draft that can help this team immediately.

People have speculated for weeks. I wrote a post a month ago that new coordinators should be the top priority for the Chiefs, and had hoped for a reunion of Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel in Kansas City. And yesterday, news broke that Weis had accepted a job with the Chiefs to become their offensive coordinator. Good job Chiefs. One down, one to go.

As you recall, the Chiefs fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey just days before the regular season began. Head coach Todd Haley took over the duties of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and completely revamped the offense. The move was puzzling at the time. And subsequently, the offense struggled mightily. The offensive line was atrocious. Larry Johnson couldn’t run the ball. The line couldn’t protect quarterback Matt Cassel. The Chiefs were having to learn a completely new offense on the fly. And it wasn’t going well.

But as the season progressed, so did the offense. Signs were difficult to see on a week-to-week basis. It’s easy to point to the success that Jamaal Charles had running the ball compared to Larry Johnson, but that’s only a piece of the puzzle. Other improvements were materializing. In particular, the offensive line was improving. Wade Smith had replaced the injured Mike Goff at right guard. And after rotating through a few players at right tackle, the team settled in with Ryan O’Callaghan. In the first 10 games of the season, the line gave up 37 sacks (3.7 per game). During the last six games, the line gave up only eight sacks (1.3 per game). In the first half of the season, the line couldn’t open a hole for Johnson. For the last half of the season, Jamaal Charles gained more yards than any back in the league except Chris Johnson. Much of that was due to the speed and elusiveness of Charles. But it was also due to the improved play of the offensive line.

Makes you wonder how much more the offense could have progressed if the Chiefs hadn’t lead the league in dropped passes. If the wide receivers could have hung onto the ball, it’s easy to see where the Chiefs could have picked up another couple wins late in the season.

Now back to Charlie Weis. He is widely considered one of the brightest offensive minds in the game. And he runs virtually an identical offense to Todd Haley. Before the news leaked about the hiring of Weis, here’s what Haley had to say about his old friend: “Charlie would allow us to run the offense we’re running if he were in this mix,’” Haley said. “’I will do everything I can to get the best, bright football minds in a position to help us. Charlie is a bright football mind who I have first-hand experience with. He would be a guy I would consider.”

The transition of the offense from Haley to Weis should be seamless. Now the firing of Gailey, and the move to Haley’s offense, has put the Chiefs in a better position moving into the next season.

Now if only they could find some receivers who could catch the ball. And oh yeah, hire Romeo Crennel to run the defense.

Great teams are not built through free agency. They’re built through the draft.

A friend of mine asked me the other day, “Why do the Chiefs suck?” And the answer is really pretty straightforward. The Chiefs have done a poor job of drafting and developing talent.

How Did the Chiefs Get Here?
I have a theory. Are you surprised? I believe that one of the primary reasons that few men have succeeded at being both a head coach and a general manager at the same time is because the two roles have competing goals. A head coach needs to win now to keep his job. A general manager needs to put a system in place to win for the next ten years to keep his job. And it’s difficult to achieve a balance between these two competing goals.

During the early years of Marty Schottenheimer and Carl Peterson, these two strong-willed men balanced each others needs. Marty wanted to play veterans who could help his team win now. Carl wanted to draft and develop players who could help the team over the long haul. They found a balance. The team drafted and developed players such as Derrick Thomas, Tim Grunhard, Will Shields, Dale Carter, Donnie Edwards, Jerome Woods, Tony Gonzalez, David Szott and more. Like all teams, they had their share of misses in the drafts. But they also had their share of hits. Even out of the two Gunther Cunningham drafts, the Chiefs picked John Tait, Greg Wesley and Dante Hall.

When Peterson hired Dick Vermeil in 2001, the Chiefs sold out for the chance to win a Super Bowl. Carl stopped caring about a long-term plan. Vermeil’s plan was to put together a team of veterans and win the Super Bowl within three years. And by his third year he had constructed an offensive juggernaut that lead the team to a 13-3 record. Everyone believed that with just a little more tinkering to their defense, the Chiefs could finally win the big game. Vermeil stayed for two more years, but could never get the Chiefs over that last hurdle.

Why? Because the Chiefs forgot one simple fact: Great teams are not built through free agency. They’re built through the draft.

Vermeil’s Drafts
During the five years with Vermeil at the helm (2001-2005), the Chiefs drafted poorly. Out of these five drafts, the Chiefs drafted only four players who have played significant minutes in Kansas City: Larry Johnson (round 1, 2003), Jared Allen (round 4, 2004), Derrick Johnson (round 1, 2005) and Dustin Colquitt (round 3, 2005). By the beginning of 2007 and Herm Edward’s third season in Kansas City, the Chiefs had only THREE players from Vermeil’s drafts still on their roster (Johnson, Johnson and Colquitt).

Look through the rosters of the best teams in the NFL. Look at the Patriots, the Colts, the Eagles, the Saints, the Chargers. You’ll see something consistent. The majority of the contributors were drafted by their team. And the team has a core of players who are young veterans. Players who are hitting their best years (their late 20s). These teams round out their rosters with a few older veterans, a few young draft picks, and a few free agents. But the core of these teams were drafted by the teams several years earlier. The Chiefs are basically void of a core group of young veterans in their prime.

Free Agency Cannot Fix the Chiefs Ills
The great teams have never been built through free agency. You would think that the Washington Redskins would have learned this by now, but they have not. They continue to spend huge amounts of money signing players like Albert Haynesworth, and they’re still losers.

Last year, the Denver Broncos finished the season 8-8. The Chiefs finished the season 2-14. Both teams fired their head coaches. Denver went out and signed more than a dozen free agents. The Chiefs did not. When the Broncos started the season 6-0, fans and sports writers praised Denver for the signing of their free agents. Fans and sports writers criticized the Chiefs for sitting on the sidelines during free agency.

Today, Denver is likely to beat Kansas City in the season finale. Denver will finish the season 9-7, the Chiefs will be 3-13. Each team improved their record by one game. So how exactly did all the free agent signings help the Broncos?

What Do the Chiefs Need to Do Next?
It won’t make the fans happy, but the Chiefs need to stay the course. General manager Scott Pioli must draft high-quality players. And they must spend the next few years developing these players. While it’s too early to grade Pioli’s 2009 draft, so far the results have been underwhelming. The only rookie to make a significant impact this year has been their seventh round pick, kicker Ryan Succop. Mr. Irrelevant has proven to be a reliable NFL kicker. Other than that, the Chiefs have seen minimal contributions from their most recent draft class. Pioli must do better.

The Chiefs must remember one simple fact: Great teams are not built through free agency. They’re built through the draft.