Feelin' Flustrated

Sigh. Alright. Enough of the rosy optimism. Things have certainly looked better. And by better I mean not worse.

The Kansas City Chiefs arrived in River Falls, Wisconsin yesterday to settle in for their 2007 training camp. Missing were star running back Larry Johnson, first-round pick/wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, and surprise-return running back Priest Holmes. Present were everyone else (yes, the damn fifth-round kicker signed just in time), the nerdiest, non-soul-having black man in history (Editor's Note: Some Chiefs call the guy "Coach"), notwithstanding.



Here's the part where I start prognosticating, which, for the thousand-some-odd new HoG readers of this fine day, typically means piles of accuracy. So pay attention.

I may light up my new-equipment-possessing colleague in the comments, but the simple truth is this: I am afraid that Brodie Croyle will in fact be our starting quarterback on opening day. Hold on a minute. Understand that this is not because I don't have faith in Croyle. I think he's a fine talent, a nice southern kid and someone who deserves to prove the injury gossip-mongers wrong. The deal is that I just don't think this is the right year to do it, and, more importantly, I don't think Herm "I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is" Edwards is incapable of judging the matter soundly. Period.

Don't get me wrong. I won't call him Herm "Stupid is as stupid does" Edwards, and there's a galaxy of difference. There really is. Edwards wants to make the team younger. He's proven that he can motivate -- at least on occasion -- teams of not-so-high caliber. He's passionate, knowledgeable, and, unfortuneately more often than not, amusing for all the wrong reasons.

Edwards' problem? Focus. That's right. He'll throw the 'f' word around left and right in press conferences, perhaps even on the field and in the locker room. I just don't think he has much of it himself. Edwards, in his one-and-only season as HCIC, spent way too much time (Note: WAY too much time) telling and re-telling his story -- how he made it, how long he's been in the league, how firmly he believes in the shield, how he does this but not that, last time I checked this, the great thing is that... -- and not near enough time coaching football.

Hang on a sec', there. I said coaching football. I don't mean pulling up to the stadium at four a.m. and going home at one a.m. the next morning six days a week and wearing a whistle around your neck and telling the media how you never see your wife. I mean coaching football. Edwards mishandled the quarterback situation last year worse than an intoxicated Chris Henry handles an automobile. Why should I believe he's changed? I should give him the benefit of the doubt for the first-year/new-regime bullshit, but I'm not.

Edwards needs to prove to me that he's a smart football coach. A bloach even. Step one starts not with training camp drills, not with roster cuts, not with drafting a kicker in the fifth round, but with the quarterback situation. All the Croyle naysayers can tread shark-infested water. I ain't one of 'em. I do happen to think, however, that 2007 is the year of da'Mon.