The Chiefs won the AFC West yesterday with a victory over the visiting Titans and a San Diego loss. As we still revel in our first AFC West title in seven years and our first playoff appearance since 2006, it is easy to forget about the season that was and just how we got here.
Before the conclusion of our 2008 season, the worst in franchise history at 2-14, Carl Peterson resigned as GM of the Kansas City Chiefs. Seemingly forced out by Chiefs ownership, and recently reviled by Chiefs fans, Peterson metaphorically fell on his sword. But all was not lost because of Peterson; even though he made some questionable trades (Jared Allen to the Vikings, Tony Gonzalez to the Falcons), Peterson, with the help of coach Herm Edwards, had started to build a team for the future through the draft.
Although it seemed that Peterson could rarely find talent past the 2nd round, and was never able to draft a franchise quarterback in his 19 seasons with the Chiefs, much of our success today comes from the players he drafted.
In 2005, we got linebacker Derrick Johnson and punter Dustin Colquitt (who at one time was the hardest working man on the team it seemed).
In 2006 we drafted defensive end Tamba Hali (who has converted to linebacker in our 3-4 defense) and safety Bernard Pollard (who might have been the most important pick of them all: he tore Tom Brady's ACL in the first game of the 2008 season which opened the door to Matt Cassel and we all know what happened next).
In 2007 we drafted wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. Yes, that was the only notable pick from that draft class.
Now, in 2008, we had one of our most successful drafts in recent memory. It was Carl Peterson's last draft and I would say that it rivals the successful draft we had in 2010, though without the immediate impact. With two picks in the first round, we took defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and left tackle Brandon Albert. We took cornerback Brandon Flowers in the second, running back Jamaal Charles in the third, cornerback Brandon Carr in the fifth, and tackle Barry Richardson in the sixth. Overall, we had 12 draft picks that year, but I listed the one's that have served a purpose.
On January 13th, 2009, Kansas City hired New England's Vice President of Player Personnel, Scott Pioli, to replace Peterson. Pioli had won the George Young NFL Executive of the Year award two years in a row while with the Patriots and was viewed by many to be one of the best in the business.
On January 23rd, 2009, Pioli fired head coach Herm Edwards. The job search was out for a new head coach.
Fresh off a run to a last minute Superbowl loss, Todd Haley, offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, was offered the job. Haley accepted the position on February 6th, 2009. Said Pioli on hiring Haley: “One of Todd’s unique qualifications is the fact that he’s served with a number of different organizations, four in particular that have turned their franchises around . . .We have a shared vision of what it takes to build a successful franchise in the National Football League.”
Pioli was not only noted for his ability to bring in young talent in the draft but also for the trades he made and the free agent singings he instigated. That's how he did it in New England and that's how he was going to do it in Kansas City. This was made evident when on February 28th, Pioli traded the 34th pick in the 2009 draft for quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel. Matt Cassel, who replaced Tom Brady after injury, led the Patriots to a 11-5 record but surprisingly no playoff berth.
All was set for the 2009 draft.
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