Dude, you said this EXACT same thing last year.

Its like you've just stopped trying...

People say it enough, they'll eventually get it right. I'm a lot more optimistic about this team than most here. They're building through the draft and not overpaying in free agency. People can say "what about last year", but we were freakin PATHETIC at more positions than we were respectable at. They had to make drastic changes last year, now it's time to build on to what they started.

I'm probably somewhere between you and the others, while I FULLY acknowledge that building your core through the draft is the only way to create and sustain long term success... I honestly felt that this year was the year to add just TWO real pieces, I genuinely think that two solid pieces at FS and WR could've propelled us deep into the playoffs.

As I've said many times over in the past... don't mortgage the future to get those two pieces, they didn't have to be PREMIER guys like Byrd etc. But I remain convinced that some easily doable cap finagling could've gotten those two, second tier pieces without putting us in cap hell for the next 5 years.

Dorsey has pretty much went the exact opposite of where I thought he would... what I took from last year, is that we have a team that's THIS close to making real noise, so lets get a couple bigger pieces to help us go over the top.

But the tack they seem to have taken is... instead of adding in a couple of really strong support beams for the wall, lets just kinda fill in little chinks here and there on the cheap. In short, I wanted two starters and then fill in the cracks with the draft... Dorsey has decided to find two starters AND fill in the cracks through the draft and bargain free agents (and precious few of even these).

I'm by NO means ready to fly any banners, the NINE game swing last year still gives me a chub to think about it, BUT if he wants to double down on his injured second year guys and bargain bin fill ins to make up ground on Denver... then he damn well better be right.

If we get blown out left and right next year (our schedule is brutal), I'll join the usual negative naybobs here with lusty boo's of my own.

:clap: This is a pretty darn solid take. Rep!

The Chiefs have never really gone big in FA. I mean when was the last time they went out and got a top tier FA that wasn't already past their prime? Historically the Chiefs haven't been ones to "kick ass" in FA. They'll settle for the 2nd and 3rd tier guys to plug holes and they'll continue to build through the draft. This team only has a 2-3 year window before some players start to decline or become too pricey for their own good. It's a god damn shame we wasted so much ****ing time money and resources on thinking Matt Cassel was good enough...holy **** shame on Pioli

First off great post and I am with you on most of it.

Last off season was merely about stopping the bleeding, righting the ship, and getting some respectability back in KC. In order for them to do that they stepped out of what they would normally do in order to have a foundation that they wanted to start from. They needed a QB and they got the one they wanted that was the best choice available too. But Dorsey has said trading multiple picks was something he would never do again. So he stepped out of his norm just to have a solid place to start from.
It just so happens that the team did great. I am sure better than they expected by a decent margin which again is great and all but the streak was against lesser opponents or opponents that had extenuating circumstances when we played them. Not saying we didn't have some decent games during that stretch. None the less it is an apparition that will not be counted on when honestly viewing the overall team.
I am glad we didn't sign Byrd or DeSean to some huge contracts. I believe we could have but I don't think we, like any other team, are going to spend almost 20 mil a year on 2 WRs or 15 mil a year on the safety position. So Bowe would have to be cut or traded next off season which just creates a loss of return on those funds. i.e. we are getting to the SB this next year. Same kind of thing for Berry. I believe we are further than a FS and a WR upgrade from the SB, maybe not a playoff win but that is questionable and for sure not the goal.
If things don't work out this year and we are a .500 football team I will be rational and realize what has really been going on, the team overachieved against weaker opponents. This team aside from a few players was pretty darn bad.
I sure don't want to try and "keep pace" with the donkos either. They are likely going to be very mediocre after next season when Manning retires. I don't want to be in cap hell and trying to retool while the donks are rebuilding. Their time is almost over.
I think that Reid and Dorsey are here for the foreseeable future unless we have a couple of seasons in a row that are bad.

Thanks for the evenhanded reply, I was 110% with you through the first three paragraphs...people have argued that signing all of the guys we did in 2013 goes against the "Thompson Model" therefore Dorsey is a liar, but I don't see it that way either... it was a unique situation that called for unique solutions.

I will never trust anyone who's so sold on egotistical, rigid views of what SHOULD happen that they cant see what NEEDS to happen, ala Pioli.

Keeping pace with the Donks? I don't want to be confused here... we didn't have to SPEND like they did to "keep up" with them IMO, just a few key moves in free agency + a great draft would've poised us to go neck and forehead with them, not only that, but those potential moves could've given us a REAL leg up on them once that old butthole retires.

In short, if we end up 500 or slightly better next year, I will not accept that, its my very firm opinion that we could've competed with anyone given the right roster... but now it almost seems like theres a psychological ploy in place that convinces us we shouldn't expect too much...

***K MAN... with the right, and doable moves... we should be talking about our odds in the AFC Championship game, not how we'll probably go 8-8.

I think talking about an AFCC game in the 2cd year in any program is expecting too much. Especially when you combine the weak schedule last year with timely injuries to opponents key starters we end up with a bloated result. Part of the 8-8 is that overachieving last year and another part is that we currently have unknowns going to be relied upon and if they don't work out that is going to be bad, but we have to find out about these players we currently do have before we move on. It appears on paper that we have back slide while the donks have improved. Only time will tell if we are the team on paper or if I am underestimating the team.
I don't want to compete with anyone for just one year. That is not a formula that will allow for any success to be realized. We would not be able to keep those expensive FAs and our players that need to be resigned/extended etc. Which means we are further than just 2 players away.

I will never begrudge a fan his favorable views CR, I have so often felt the same as you and others and I refuse to crap on your views... but I just wanted a bigger push for glory this year.

No lie, it seems like Dorsey flat out refused to play around with "the cap" at all, he played every single deal straight up, no sleight of hand at all... "the naked numbers" say we cant get the guy, what can I do?

It just doesn't seem to me that he tried this year, no wheeling and dealing whatsoever... its NOT what I want as a long term business model... but DAMN we're right there, PUSH just a little bit, that's all I'm saying.