Bob Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 The Rant Stephen Cannella SI.com If you live in the Kansas City area, you're probably under the impression that the Chiefs are going to swindle the Jets out of a coaching genius today. After a couple days of tense stop-and-start negotiations, K.C. is expected to hire Herman Edwards -- master motivator, defensive wizard, former Chiefs assistant and longtime pal of team owner Carl Peterson -- away from New York, and all it will cost them is a couple of mid-round draft picks. (Edwards, who led the Jets to three playoffs appearances in five seasons, still has two years left on his contract.) That, and the $4 million or so per year that Edwards will ask for. If you're a New Yorker, you're probably wondering why the Jets played hardball when the Chiefs wanted to swing a deal for Edwards. Judging by his team's clock management throughout his tenure, he's under the impression an NFL quarter is 20 minutes long, not 15. And, after a 4-12 season, he had the nerve to drop hints that he's unappreciated and underpaid. (His $2 million annual salary was among the lowest in the league.) OK, it's not his fault that injuries knocked off every quarterback he could find this season, but in the cutthroat NFL, it wasn't the best time to start sniffing around for more money and respect. If you're from anywhere else in the country, you're probably wondering this: Is the pool of NFL coaching candidates so shallow that teams have to fight over a guy like Edwards? Once upon a time trades for coaches under contract were reserved for heavyweights like Bill Parcells and Dick Vermeil. Edwards has his strengths, and his upbeat approach is a welcome departure from the permascowls most coaches affect. But in terms of results, he's nothing special. There's his losing career record (41-46, including postseason). He's won just two playoff games. He never led the Jets to more than 10 wins in a season. In other words, it's hard to figure why the Chiefs are so hellbent on hiring Edwards -- and why the Jets didn't just add him to the list of the league's coaching casualties on Black Monday. In the ridiculous world of NFL coaching, one team's golden boy is another's redheaded stepchild. Remember that, K.C. fans, when you're calling for Edwards' head in three years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Peterson of the Chiefs has these long time relationships with Edwards and Bradway for that matter- as we see many times friendships can cloud sound business judgement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GimmeShelter Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 When you come right down to it Herm is the brilliant guy in all this. He probably just made 16 million and went from a team in a major rebuild mode to one that should be a play-off contender. What KC is thinking is beyond me. One KC fan called up WFAN and said KC should have received a pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cant Hackett Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 When you come right down to it Herm is the brilliant guy in all this. He probably just made 16 million and went from a team in a major rebuild mode to one that should be a play-off contender. What KC is thinking is beyond me. One KC fan called up WFAN and said KC should have received a pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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