Kansas City Chiefs: John Dorsey Needs To Pass On Joe Mixon

The Kansas City Chiefs may be in the market for a running back. Despite his talent, the Chiefs should stay away from Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon.

The future is uncertain at running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. That seems strange to say with Jamaal Charles vowing to return and a pair of talented youngsters in Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West. However, that is the situation that we find ourselves in and Chiefs fans and analysts are looking for answers.

One of those potential answers could be to draft Joe Mixon out of Oklahoma. At least that’s what some people seem to think. The parallels between Mixon and Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill are already being drawn. If you’re asking me, I say the Chiefs need to keep as far away from him as possible. To that end, I don’t want GM John Dorsey to even entertain the idea of adding Mixon to the roster.

There is no denying the talent of Joe Mixon. I have seen people argue that he might be the best running back in the 2017 class. I wholeheartedly disagree with that notion to begin with, but I do understand how some would make that case. Mixon brings a lot of the natural talent and ability that you would be looking for.

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However, it is Joe Mixon’s off the field that concern me the most. That might be surprising to some considering how I have talked up Tyreek Hill in the past. I’ve been an advocate that Hill deserves a second chance, and I stand by that. Joe Mixon will deserve a second chance as well…just not with the Chiefs.

Perception Is Reality

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Ultimately, winning is everything in the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs haven’t won a championship in a long time. That’s the driving force behind most of the people advocating for the team to draft Joe Mixon. However, the image a team puts forward is very important in building a roster that can compete. The Chiefs must protect their image.

Being the team that gave Tyreek Hill a second chance is a good thing. Being the team that is seen as harboring anyone who commits domestic violence, or similar crimes, is not. The line between the two results is thin and difficult to find. However, it is not hard to see that drafting Joe Mixon would put us over the line.

If the Chiefs are willing to draft any and every player with a domestic violence incident, given they have enough talent, then where is the line? Why not just sign Ray Rice or Greg Hardy? If you’re entertaining that idea, then where do you stop? What if Aaron Hernandez gets out of jail on a technicality? At some point a line has to be drawn. The Chiefs need to draw it here.

That’s not to say the team has to stay away from all players with character concerns. That’s not what is at issue. There will be players with much lesser offenses that certainly deserve a second chance. It just can’t be Joe Mixon. That is not a perception the Chiefs want to give to the rest of the league and the world.

In the meantime, there are more than a few quality running backs in this draft class. It’s not like the Chiefs will have their hands tied without Mixon.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have a strong roster with a lot of character in the locker room. However, that doesn’t make them immune to discord. The Chiefs are more than good enough to win without Joe Mixon or any other player involved in a serious incident. There is no reason to add that to the mix.