Romeo Crennel Relinquishes Defensive Coordinator Duties, Chiefs Cut Stanford Routt

Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel has removed himself as Kansas City’s defensive coordinator, naming linebacker coach Gary Gibbs as his replacement effective immediately.

Gibbs has been the team’s linebacker coach since 2009, helping Chiefs like Derrick Johnson develop into pro bowl caliber players. He served as head coach for the University of Oklahoma from 1989-1994, and also coached as a defensive coordinator for LSU and Georgia. In the NFL, Gibbs served as the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator from 2006-2008.

Crennel had drawn some criticism earlier in the season for his attempt to serve as both the team’s head coach and defensive coordinator. Many noted that he was being stretched too thin, especially considering his failure as a head coach for the Cleveland Browns several years ago. This move appears to be an attempt for Crennel to save face after the Chiefs disastrous first half of the season, but give the Chiefs’ head coach some credit for trying something new.

Crennel’s decision to step down as defensive coordinator wasn’t the only move Kansas City made yesterday. The team also announced it has released cornerback Stanford Routt, who the Chiefs had signed to a three year, $18 million contract this offseason. Routt was brought in to be a replacement for the departed Brandon Carr; however he has struggled all season long and has proven to be yet another disastrous signing by GM Scott Pioli. Javier Arenas will likely fill Routt’s starting cornerback spot.

Routt’s roster spot will be filled by Shaun Smith, who is rejoining the Chiefs due to depth problems on the defensive line. Glenn Dorsey’s injured calf may force him to miss several weeks, and the unit could use a player who knows the system. Smith played for the Chiefs in 2010 and had a pretty decent season (despite some interesting controversy) and he should help the team’s defensive line immediately.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Will The Chiefs Take A QB In The First Round Of The 2013 NFL Draft?

With both the college football and NFL seasons past their halfway point, Chiefs fans can begin to think about the upcoming draft. Currently, Kansas City is one of three teams with only one win this season (tied with the Jaguars and Panthers) and appear to be a lock for a top pick.

The biggest position Kansas City fans will be focused on is quarterback. Matt Cassel has been a disaster this season, and Brady Quinn failed to play any better in his limited playing time. In today’s NFL, you simply cannot win without a good quarterback – the most recent Superbowl winners include Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Really in the last 20 or so years, the only two quarterbacks who won the Superbowl that weren’t considered “elite” were Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer, and both were efficient, mistake-free players who had the top defense in the league. The Chiefs haven’t drafted a quarterback in the first round since 1983, when the team famously picked Todd Blackledge over future hall of famers Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. While Kansas City has had some success bringing in veterans, such as Joe Montana and Trent Green, many feel it is time for the team to draft and develop a quarterback.

At QB, two names have dominated the discussion – Geno Smith and Matt Barkley. Earlier this season, it appeared that Smith was the frontrunner for the Heisman trophy, however West Virginia has struggled since getting blown out by Kansas State. Still, Smith has completed an astonishing 74 percent of his passes while only throwing two interceptions, and his athleticism could be a weapon at the next level. While there are some questions about his accuracy, Smith is extremely talented and will go early in the first round.

Barkley is considered to be more of a finished product, playing in what is his third season as USC’s starting quarterback. Barkley has played well, however many believe he should have done more this season with a bevy of future NFL players around him. USC has struggled this season and Barkley has been given a lot of blame for the team’s failure to meet expectations.

If the team picks up a few wins down the stretch and can’t get either Smith or Barkley, Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson would be an option. Wilson has become arguably the best quarterback in the SEC and has good size and an NFL-caliber arm, and is expected to go somewhere in the top 10 after Smith and Barkley.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Make More Roster Moves

The Royals were busy yesterday making several roster moves, most notably the additions of right-handed pitcher Guillermo Moscoso and catcher Brett Hayes. Moscoso was claimed off of waivers from Rockies, while Hayes was acquired from the marlins.

It is unknown if Moscoso has been acquired to be a starter, although many feel he may get a shot. Last season with Colorado, Moscoso earned a 3-2 record with a 6.12 ERA in 23 appearances, including three starts. Moscoso had a much better year in 2011, when he went 8-10 with a solid 3.38 ERA in 21 starts with Oakland. The Royals recently traded for Ervin Santana, and have talented pitchers like Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino returning from injury (both Duffy and Paulino were reinstated off the disabled list and are back on the roster). Moscoso would likely have to have a strong spring to earn a rotation spot, and may be headed to the Royals’ bullpen.

Hayes has spent the majority of his career as a backup, although he has seen some significant time in the major league. He appeared in 39 games last year, hitting .202, and played in 64 games in 2011, when he posted a .231 batting average.

Kansas City lost Blake Wood, as the right-handed pitcher was claimed off waivers to the Cleveland Indians. The Royals also designated three players for assignment – pitchers Tommy Hottovy and Jeremy Jeffress, as well as outfielder Jason Bourgeois. Catcher Manny Pina was sent to Class AAA Omaha on outright assignment.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Chargers Blow Out Chiefs - Pioli & Crennel Must Go

The latest embarrassing episode of the Chiefs 2012 season came last night, when Kansas City was throttled on national television by their division rivals, the San Diego Chargers. The team committed four turnovers and let the game slip away in a disastrous fourth quarter, in which the Chiefs were outscored 2103.

Turnovers have been the biggest problem for the Chiefs all season, and the stats at this point are comical. Quarterback Matt Cassel has more turnovers than every team in the NFL save the Dallas Cowboys, despite missing nearly two games’ worth of action due to injury. As a team, the Chiefs have committed more turnovers in the first eight games of the season than any NFL team in the last 15 years. When you can’t protect the football and routinely give the other team great field position, you are going to lose.

Last night’s game was bad, but it is time for Kansas City Chiefs fans to look at the bigger picture here. The Chiefs General Manager, Scott Pioli, has completely failed. Pioli has drafted poorly and missed on most first and second round picks, has made poor free-agent signings and has assembled a team that is not very good. Throw in a coach who appears to be clueless, and you have a recipe for disaster. Why exactly did Romeo Crennel get another head coaching opportunity after being terrible in Cleveland? Because he beat a Green Bay team last year that had wrapped up a home field advantage and had nothing to play for? Romeo Crennel is a better option than Todd Haley, who won the division three years ago and kept a depleted roster competitive last season? The list of poor decisions this franchise has made just goes on and on.

The team needs to absolutely clean house and spend some money to find a solid GM and coach. The good news is that Kansas City should have some high picks in next year’s draft. The Chiefs need to trade the veterans that don’t want to be here anymore (Dwayne Bowe) for draft picks and give the next GM something to work with.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Trade For Pitcher Ervin Santana

Just hours after announcing that the club had declined an option on closer Joakim Soria, the Royals announced another deal concerning a pitcher. Kansas City has made a trade with the Los Angeles Angels, acquiring right-handed pitcher Ervin Santana for minor league left-hander Brandon Sisk. The Royals also acquired $1 million in cash with the deal.

Santana has been a regular in the Angels’ rotation since 2005, going 96-80 with a 4.33 ERA. He has been extremely durable during this stretch, starting at least 23 games in eight consecutive seasons. The righty struggles last season, finishing with a 9-13 record with a 5.16 ERA while allowing a league-leading 39 home runs. Santana did pitch well in the final two months of the season, hopefully showing that he has put his struggles behind him and can pitch like he did earlier in his career.

Santana only has one year remaining on his contract, and it appears that the Royals have not discussed any long-term deals with him at this time. This might be a wait-and-see situation for Kansas City, mostly due to Santana’s inconsistency. The pitcher is a former all-star who once looked like one of the best in the game, yet really regressed in the early portion of the 2012 season.

Sisk spent last season in Triple-A Omaha, going 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA and also recording eight saves. The Angels didn’t have room for Santana in their starting rotation, and it is believed that Sisk may be an addition to their struggling bullpen.

It is hard to gauge this trade for the Royals. While the team does need some starting pitching, the acquisition of Jonathan Sanchez – who was downright horrible last season – is still on many Royals fans’ minds. However, the club has shown a knack for helping struggling pitchers find a second life in Kansas City, and Santana did pitch well at the end of last season. The Royals new acquisition has one year left on his contract to prove that he still has the stuff that once made him one of the better starters in the majors.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.