Kansas City Chiefs – The Big Risk with Matt Cassell

Usually the NBA is the place where you can play one solid year, get a ridiculous guaranteed contract and then sit on their ass. The NFL isn’t that place due to the ability of teams to shed contracts with cuts if necessary. The Kansas City Chiefs, marred in a rebuilding phase, made a bold move by moving a second-round pick in exchange for Cassell at $15 million plus. Will it pay off for the Chiefs and their NFL betting backers?

It’s been a couple weeks since the deal was finalized, and I was interested in seeing if KC would go after any other notable free agents. I was actually surprised that they didn’t make a leap to nab Terrell Owens, putting him across from Dwayne Bowe, their number one receiver. Since the Chiefs haven’t gone big in the free agent pool, it’s time to reflect.

Last season, the Chiefs were a horrific 2-14 SU finishing dead last in a pan handle AFC West division. Still, on the road, they went 5-3 ATS and were 8-8 ATS overall. They weren’t the best bet in football, but they certainly snuck up on people. Ending the season did nothing to garner respect, as they flushed the wins down the toilet with four consecutive losses to close the season.

Tyler Thigpen was the starting quarterback of choice last year, though the Chiefs were forced in to the position by injury. Damon Huard went down due to injury and Brodie Croyle, the heir apparent in KC, was miserable before being strung up on the IR as well. Thigpen managed 2,608 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 picks but was ravaged for 26 sacks behind a brutal offense line.

And that certainly didn’t help Larry Johnson become the rushing bulldozer he was in the past. Johnson had his worst year as a starter, gaining just 874 yards and 5 touchdowns, a mark that he matched with 5 fumbles. Of course this comes along with LJ missing four games due to injury.

Can this offensive line protect Matt Cassell? Let’s not forget that Cassell enjoyed playing against one of the most disciplined lines in football, and still got taken down 47 times. Cassell propelled the office, going 3,693 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was certainly worth the Patriots franchising him in light of Tom Brady’s injury, and frankly the Patriots got the most for him by securing a second round pick in exchange for the career back-up.

However, the honest truth has to be told. Cassell was the product of a system. After being drafted out of USC in 2005, Cassell played in just 14 games over his first three seasons, attempting just 39 passes. He saw garbage time and the clip board more than he saw the field during that time. But still, it gave him a chance to learn the system that Belichik instilled. And that is what made him successful.

Everyone was second guessing Cassell when he took over for Brady because he was a lifetime backup who hadn’t started a game since high school. Why are we on board with the Chiefs now, all of a sudden, just because they went out and blew the bank on a guy who had one good season with Randy Moss and Wes Welker at his disposal, and one of the best coaches in the game?

With people inexcusably banking on the Chiefs to emerge as AFC Champions at +2500 I’m left scratching my head. With the Broncos at +1500, Chargers leading the way at +600 and the Raiders at a laughable +5000. The Chiefs have defensive holes to fill, and Tony Gonzales isn’t getting any younger (or uglier) as time rolls by. I’m in wait-and-see mode with the Chiefs, but I’m not keeping my money tied up in an idiotic future with KC.