Andy Reid on Mike and Mike in the Morning

Andy Reid at Press Conference Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

This morning I had a pleasant surprise as Andy Reid was interviewed on Mike & Mike in the Morning. It was even more fun because Herm Edwards was sitting in for Golic. Considering we aren’t that many years from Herm getting fired from the Chiefs, it made for a fun perspective.

Reid was first asked a very appropriate question by Edwards: “What’s the best barbecue?” Andy later made a great comeback about he and Golic being great Weight Watcher candidates! He was asked by Mike Greenberg about taking a year away to rest and recover from the personally difficult year he has experienced. Andy had a great comeback about his time in Philly and his love for the Philadelphia people. He talked a lot about personal energy. Reid is all in. He expressed multiple times that he had the energy and is ready to go in Kansas City!

Herm Edwards started off this way: “When you look at your roster, you’ve got to be enthusiastic right now.  That record doesn’t reflect the players you have in house and I think you’re going to be excited about coaching those guys.” Maybe his view is slightly “rosy” because of his past and the fact that he drafted many of these players. What I loved about this segment is Reid gave us a good view into his work ethic and what he is thinking. He had already watched all of their offensive and defensive tape before taking the job. He expressed that special teams doesn’t have enough depth. He talked about good core players and adding to the depth. He also did a little brown nosing giving Romeo and Pioli props for transitioning the Chiefs to a younger team.

Greenberg asked Reid the $64,000 question:  “You have to have a quarterback … where do you feel the team stands as far as quarterback is concerned?” Reid gave two great answers during this segment. First, Reid expressed how important it is to look at what is already in Kansas City. He talked about the changes in offenses multiple years in a row and how difficult that becomes for these “kids”, referring to the quarterbacks the Chiefs already have in house.  It is so hard to evaluate players when they are constantly changing schemes. Secondly he talked about the different avenues to acquire new players; free agency, trades, and the draft.

They spent some time talking about Michael Vick, who is still under contract with the Eagles. Reid of course dodged the question, but did talk about how much he likes Vick, and he thinks he is a good quarterback. Reid thought that this year’s troubles were primarily due to Vick’s injuries.

Greenberg of course asked Reid about how he might use the first pick in the NFL draft. Reid smartly talked about the cap situation, the picks we have, and talked about being smart. He sarcastically said, “Oh, I need a quarterback…”.  Reid has said it many times now that you don’t force picks.

Edwards asked Reid about the coaching staff. Reid jokingly talked about how he’s been sitting in General Manager interviews for 8 hours at a time. He just started interviews yesterday and really likes some of the staff the Chiefs already have under contract. He will of course bring in other guys for interviews.

Three takeaways from this interview this morning:

1) Andy Reid has a heart for the “kids.” He expressed multiple times about our current quarterbacks, and Michael Vick, a deep level of concern for the players. People talk about a “player’s coach”, but Reid is something I have rarely seen from an NFL coach. He expresses a genuine care and concern for players.

2) He is laying the groundwork for selecting someone other than a quarterback with the first pick. He has said it multiple times now in different interviews. Whether or not the Chiefs select a QB, they are definitely keeping their options open at this point. I personally hope they select someone other than a QB and wrote an article a few weeks ago about the dangers of first round QB’s.

3) People around the NFL are still high on the Chiefs roster. Herm Edwards expressed it in this interview and Andy Reid talked about the good players in place. The Kansas City Chiefs are not your typical 2-14 team. We are not five years from competing. We are a few pieces from being a competitive team.

After listening to Andy Reid I’m even more excited about what is to come for our Kansas City Chiefs!