This news surprised me:
Andy Reid arrived in Kansas City on Friday, and the Chiefs are close to making an official announcement that he will become their next coach.
Reid and the Chiefs have reportedly agreed to a deal giving the longtime Eagles coach broad authority over football decisions. His deal came hours after the Chiefs announced they had parted with general manager Scott Pioli after four tumultuous seasons.
I watched Reid and the man he replaces, Romeo Crennel, fairly closely this past season because each man coached a star running back that I had on my FFL roster. With Reid and the Eagles it was LeSean McCoy. With Crennel and the Chiefs it was Jamaal Charles.
It seems strange to say, if you know Andy Reid at all, but Crennel was the more baffling of the two coaches to me. He had this enormous talent in Jamaal Charles and he couldn't figure out how to use him effectively, as their 2-14 record this year shows. The man rushed for over 1500 yards this year and managed only five rushing TDs. That's about half of what his peers in the elite RB corps of the NFL did this year. In two losses to Oakland this year, Charles had only five and then nine carries. Can you imagine the Vikings using Adrian Peterson only five times in a game? Same with Charles, unthinkable.
Reid's problem seemed more general. The Eagles lately have always seemed disorganized and on the brink of self-destruction, but this year took the cake to the point where I kind of felt sorry for Eagles fans(well, Kate, so fan). Through it all, Andy Reid looked dazed, confused, tired. Yeah, yeah, more than usual. To be fair to Reid, the death of his son earlier last year was a terrible blow and I would not be surprised at all if that burden explains part of the issue.
Reid looked to me to be burned out. A man who needed some rest and relaxation, some time to rejuvenate. In many ways he is a good head coach, it's just that he's not always so quick with the wits in the 4th quarter. A fairly common defect among NFL coaches. Anyway, I expected him to take some time off.
So why would the Chiefs, a team in disarray, hire a man who appears to be in a state of disarray himself to not only coach, but also oversee the new GM?
Perhaps my take on Reid is wrong, or maybe both teams feel the change in organizations and cities can be rejuvenating enough. I know from my own experience that going to a new job can be very refreshing after many years in the same place.
I have nothing against Reid or the Chiefs, so good luck to both(except when they play the Vikes). My gut tells me I'm not wrong though.
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