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CLEVELAND, Ohio — I don’t have a good feeling about what will happen Sunday when the Browns play Kansas City.
But looking at the Chiefs, Browns fans should have some confidence about the future of their favorite team.
That’s because John Dorsey played a major role in helping the Chiefs become a playoff team and a consistent winner.
He didn’t do it alone.
The current Browns general manager was blessed to be paired with Andy Reid, an elite coach who had reached the Super Bowl when he coached in Philadelphia.
Having Reid meant the Chiefs didn’t have to go through the drama and internal discord witnessed by Browns fans this week.
The insecurities of former head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were adding poison to an already toxic losing environment.
That’s what Dorsey inherited in Cleveland when he was hired on Dec. 7, 2017. Losing breeds finger-pointing and discontent. It also creates desperation, such as Jackson bringing in Haley to run the offense.
Some fans and media people thought Haley was Dorsey’s choice.
Nope.
Owner Jimmy Haslam and Dorsey wanted Jackson to hire an offensive coordinator. Jackson brought in Haley.
Now, both are gone.
And Gregg Williams is the interim coach as the Browns face Dorsey’s old team.
GETTING IT RIGHT
Dorsey had problems with the Chiefs, especially in the area of the salary cap.
But he worked well with his coach. He immediately traded for veteran quarterback Alex Smith, and that brought stability to a Chiefs team that was 2-14 in 2012.
To be fair to former Kansas City General Manager Scott Pioli, he left the Chiefs with five Pro Bowl players.
But in his four years with Kansas City (2009-12), Pioli was not able to find a coach or a quarterback. His head coaches were Romeo Crennel and Haley. They went through a lot of quarterbacks.
Reid was actually hired a week before Dorsey. Chiefs Owner Clark Hunt brought in Dorsey, giving him final say over the roster.
The main point was Dorsey and Reid blended together to rebuild the Chiefs.
“John is going to do a phenomenal job for your guys,” Reid told the Cleveland media in a conference call. “He has already done it. You have seen what he’s done (in Kansas City).”
If you can find a coach and a quarterback…
If you can find a way for a strong-willed coach and a strong-willed general manager to make decisions…
If you have five drafts that produce a dozen starters and five pro bowlers…
That’s what happened in Kansas City while Dorsey was there.
TAKING THE CREDIT
Several times, I’ve mentioned Dorsey was the general manager who drafted Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs in 2017 — even traded up to No. 10 to pick him.
Mahomes has emerged as a star with the Chiefs in his first full season as a starter. He sat behind Smith in 2017.
Several fans have contacted me to say Dorsey had little to do with the pick. The key voice was Brett Veach, who is Kansas City’s director of player personnel.
“Brett Beach wore Dorsey and me out over this guy,” Reid said. “Every five minutes, he was talking about this guy. We (Dorsey and Reid) looked at him and go, ‘You know what, this guy is pretty good.’ We ended up taking him.”
Just as most executives/coaches run from a pick that fails, many try to take credit when it succeeds.
Reid explained he had nothing to do with trading up to acquire the Texas Tech quarterback.
“Brett and Dorsey were doing all that stuff,” said Reid. “I don’t worry about all that. I just know I wanted him.”
Let’s assume Veach was the first member of that organization to fall in love with Mahomes.
Several months ago, I had a casual conversation with Dorsey about Mahomes.
Mahomes father is Pat Mahomes, who pitched 11 seasons in the majors for several teams. He was second-team All-Academic All-American. Dorsey said all the top members of the front office and coaching staff “were blown” when they interviewed Mahomes and then put him on the white board to draw up plays.
The point is the entire organization worked properly to identify and draft a franchise quarterback. Dorsey was a big part of that.
We’ll see if Baker Mayfield eventually emerges as the Browns’ long-term answer at quarterback. But drafting him was Dorsey’s first draft pick with the Browns, and it looks promising.
Next will be finding the right head coach.
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