What Mike Brown means to the Chiefs
By: SCUBA
Mike Brown.....hmmmm....when you think of Mike Brown the memory brings back flashes of brilliance at the safety position. You remember a load of interceptions brought back for touchdowns. You remember game winning defensive touchdowns. You remember a Bears team that was carried by its defense throughout the entire season. You remember Mike Brown as a top safety in the NFL and a Pro Bowl in 2005, but where has he been since then?
Mike Brown has been injury plagued over the past 5 seasons. In fact, I think only Brian Westbrook has spent more time on the IR than Mike Brown in the past 5 years. Brown has missed 44 games over the past 5 seasons. When Brown's contract was up at the end of 2008 it wasn't even a question as to why the Bears didn't resign him.
What does Brown mean for the Chiefs? Most likely it means that Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page will be pushed to retain their own starting positions. Brown is 31 years old and has been off the field more than he has been on the field for half a decade. What he does bring to the organization is another example of the Patriots blueprint.
GM Scott Pioli, one of the central personnel figures during the Patriots dynasty did the exact same thing while in New England. The talent level is not yet where the Patriots were, however you can't help but see the New England fingerprints all over the Chiefs' schematics.
The Patriots for a number of years drafted young stars and surrounded them with veteran's leaders who have all played in winning organizations. Ex. Randy Moss, Junior Seau, Rodney Harrison.
The young talent left on the Chiefs is Larry Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Matt Cassel, Brandon Flowers, Branden Albert. Since Pioli, has been hired as the GM he has brought a few veterans from other winning organizations, including the Patriots, to the NFL's youngest team. Current off-season signings -
Mike Vrabel,
Zach Thomas, and Mike Brown.
Pioli's and new head coach Todd Haley's goals are to develop a base of young talent while surrounding them with proven veterans. The Chiefs are still a few years away but as they say.....you have to crawl before you can walk.