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Pioli defends Chiefs’ strategy to add personnel
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
DAVID EULITT
PioliAfter making the big strike by trading for quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel in opening the free-agency period, the Chiefs have mostly watched as other teams spent cash on players.
The sum total of their efforts since the deal with New England are two backups, linebacker Corey Mays and cornerback Travis Daniels.
While their lack of activity hasn’t pleased many Chiefs fans, general manager Scott Pioli is urging patience. He indicated the Chiefs aren’t finished adding pieces.
“We’re only in the beginning stages,” Pioli said. “Player acquisition is not limited to just free-agency, and it’s not just the draft. It could be waiver claims, trades, street free agents. It could be anything we see as an opportunity to help this team get better, whether that’s in the locker room or on the field.
“We’re still in the beginning phase. You can never predict what your opportunities are going to be. We’ll keep at it. There are players out there that can help us.”
In the meantime, players like Mays, Daniels and safety Jon McGraw, who re-signed last week, are part of Pioli’s plan. The Chiefs appear intent on placing a greater value on building their special teams and depth.
That’s where Mays and Daniels fit in. Mays, who agreed to contract terms Thursday, was known mostly for his special-teams play in his four seasons with New England and Cincinnati. Daniels was mostly a reserve in his four seasons with Miami and Cleveland but gives the Chiefs an experienced option to starters Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr.
In 2001, Pioli’s second season assisting Bill Belichick with New England, the Patriots signed 23 free agents. Few were big-money players. Most were imported to either give the Patriots some viable competition for starting positions or to help on special teams.
While Pioli won’t sign 23 players this year, he does appear serious about improving the Chiefs on special teams and providing better competition for starting spots at several positions.
The Chiefs in recent years have awarded starting spots by default at several positions, including quarterback, wide receiver, offensive line and linebacker.
“We’re interested in building the roster spots all the way through the roster.” Pioli said. “Everywhere I’ve been, we’ve used all 53 players. You can only use 45 on game day, but throughout the course of the season you need all of them.”
In addition to Mays and Daniels, the Chiefs had publicly identified visits with three other free agents: Arizona linebacker Clark Haggans, Seattle wide receiver Bobby Engram and Dallas safety Keith Davis.
The re-signing of McGraw probably eliminates the need for Davis. Engram is 36, so the Chiefs don’t appear in any hurry to sign him.
Haggans makes more sense for the Chiefs because of their need for linebackers, even after signing Mays.
“Just because we haven’t signed a player doesn’t mean … different negotiations are in different stages,” Pioli said. “It’s not always up to just us. It’s up to the player, too.”Pioli defends Chiefs’ strategy to add personnel – Kansas City Star
