Chief Concerns

Yours truly was just as earnest about wanting Stanford guard David DeCastro. DeCastro is being called the steal by the Pittsburgh Steelers at 24. Second on my list was Boston linebacker Luke Kuechly. Kuechly was taken by the Carolina Panthers at No.9, but when Kansas City’s turn came DeCastro was still there.

Surely the Chiefs would take DeCastro...right? Nope, DeCastro never came.

Soon after Kansas City selected Dontari Poe with the 11th overall pick fans responded with boos towards Scott Pioli and new head coach Romeo Crennel.

Poe Gaining Fan Support

Initially it was anger, shock, and surprise from fans. The day after Poe was picked reasonable Chief fans stepped in.

“There were plenty of mocks early on with Poe going to KC,” said a fan in response to fellow Chief fans getting upset over Kansas City taking Poe. “Everybody seemed to settle in on DeCastro as some no-brainer lock for KC. They fell in love with DeCastro. Love is blind. That’s why they got blindsided by the Poe pick. I learned years ago...if you go into the draft with your heart set on certain players you set yourself up for frustration and confusion. The best thing to do is assess your team’s needs, analyze the top prospects at those positions, and you will find you're better prepared for whatever comes.”

Here’s the deal. If Chief fans say they trust Crennel then that means letting Crennel run the show. If Crennel says he’s excited about Poe, then maybe it’s OK for fans to think the same. How many winning Super Bowl defenses has Crennel coached? Just one is more than me, but Crennel has five Super Bowl rings.

Crennel knows plenty about coaching players.

Since Thursday I've gained a different perspective. I'm not apologizing for wanting DeCastro or Kuechly. Those were my favorites, not Poe. Poe’s stats, what he did/didn’t do in college, and work ethic/smarts are still things he’ll have to disprove. I'm watching closely. I wanted a player with the first that'd have the best immediate effect on the Chiefs. I'm going off what Crennel thinks more than anything.

Less project more starter is what I coveted. I trust Crennel. If the Chiefs feel Poe is the guy then I’ll roll with it. How about you?