Chiefs: Offseason Grades, Best and Worst Contracts

Jan 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey (left), chairman Clark Hunt (middle) and coach Andy Reid pose for photos during the press conference at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

As voluntary and mandatory camps come to a close and the six week “dead” period gets started, evaluations of offseason transactions begin to come out. The first wave comes from ESPN’s Bill Matt Williamson who was very flattering of John Dorsey‘s first offseason in Kansas City.

"This is a much better football team than the one we saw struggle through the 2012 season in very disappointing fashion. There isn’t one position on this team that I would say was better in 2012 than it is right now, although we must realize just how badly this team underachieved last season. In fact, the Chiefs look to be noticeably improved at quarterback, tight end, offensive line and defensive back."

Kansas City was one of only two AFC teams to receive an offensive grade of a B+ or better, receiving an A-minus from Williamson.

One of the few weak spots Williamson points out is the wide receiver position, something we have touched on here before. While Dorsey did not overhaul the wide receiver position the way he did the quarterback, secondary, offensive line, and tight end position groups, he did manage to keep Dwayne Bowe in Kansas City and added some pieces through draft and free agency that should help the offense. While the top half of the Chiefs roster was strong, the bottom half clearly needed a great deal of work. It will be interesting to see how aggressive Dorsey is next offseason in adding true top-end weapons.

GOOD AND BAD CONTRACTS

Jason La Canfora put together his list of best and worst contracts in the NFL this week and while the Chiefs best contract is not surprising – Jamaal Charles – his decision for worst contract did catch some off guard.

"Anthony Fasano — Kansas City Chiefs ($5.8M cash; $2.4 cap): The Dolphins’ offense needed major help and they were tossing around millions like candy, and, well they didn’t think Fasano had anything to offer, and he hasn’t done much lately. But the Chiefs were quick to snap him up. Maybe Andy Reid knows something the rest of the league doesn’t, but this free-agent signing had a lot of people scratching their heads in March."

First, if the worst contract on your team only takes up $2.4 million of your cap, how bad is it really? The space could have been used to add a wide receiver or get a contract done with Brandon Albert, I suppose, but I’m not sure it would have added much more impact than the signing of Fasano.

What may be interesting is if Fasano ends up being the third or fourth tight end on the team. Early reports are high on third round draft pick Travis Kelce, there is still potential in Tony Moeaki, and there is a buzz around undrafted free agent Demetrius Harris. How Kelce and Harris develop and how much playing time Fasano receives as a result may end up being the key to whether or not this is a “bad” contract or not.

CLARK HUNT HAPPY WITH WHAT HE’S SEEING

Not surprisingly, Clark Hunt is pleased with the progression of his new general manager and head coach, commenting on the improvement of the roster and the change in culture.

“I always have high expectations, but you try to temper those expectations,” Hunt said. “We do have a new staff. We have a lot of new players. I don’t know how quickly it will come together once we get to September. But I’m very excited about what I’ve seen this spring.

“I wouldn’t use the term ‘rebuilding.’ We came into 2013 with a lot of talented football players on the team. John Dorsey has done a great job of adding some people who I think will help us both this year and down the road. And then obviously Andy and his coaching staff have done a tremendous job with them.”

Look, Hunt isn’t going to come out and say anything other than he is pleased with the hires he made. But there are clear, positive changes around the organization. It seems looser, more focused, and more efficiently run based on the first few months of evidence. Dorsey and Reid clearly have a plan and know what they want to do both with player acquisition and player development. Whether it works or not – i.e. how it translates into wins – we’ll find out in three months.