KCMB Kansas City News

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Chiefs Complete Deal To Acquire Alex Smith

It is official – the Chiefs and 49ers have reached a deal that will send quarterback Alex Smith to Kansas City. In the deal, the Chiefs gave up their second round pick (No. 34 overall) in this year’s NFL draft as well as a conditional pick in the 2014 draft.

Smith’s career got off to a rough start, but he has played well recently. In the 2011 season he threw 17 touchdowns against only five interceptions, leading the 49ers to the NFC title game. Smith was having an even better season in 2012, with a 104 QB rating through nine games before suffering a concussion against the St. Louis Rams. After he got hurt, Colin Kaepernick played well, and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with the talented Kaepernick through the team’s run to the Super Bowl.

There is no question that the Chiefs needed help at quarterback, and Smith provides an upgrade to the position. The big question Chiefs fans are now wondering is this: did the team give up too much to acquire Smith?

The answer is yes. Smith is a good player, but the Chiefs are not in win-now territory. The team was the worst franchise in football last year, and will need a year or two of rebuilding to get back to playoff contention. The 34th pick in the draft is extremely valuable, as well as a mid-round pick in 2014.

The move to get Smith makes sense – there aren’t any great QB prospects in this year’s draft. The staff likely felt Smith gave them the best chance of winning over Geno Smith or Matt Barkley, and Alex will be 29-years-old when the season starts (so he has several years of football left in him). It just seems like the Chiefs could have acquired Smith at a cheaper price, especially since it has become clear he is firmly the backup to Kaepernick in San Francisco.

The Chiefs could still take a quarterback in the draft and groom them for the future. The team may gamble on Geno Smith with the top pick, or attempt to trade down several spots in the first round and take a quarterback then. Kansas City also could take a chance on a project later in the draft, but losing their second-round pick gives the team less flexibility. Most feel that the team isn’t sold on any QBs in this year’s draft, and will instead take a player like Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel and attempt to find a young QB in the future.

With the acquisition of Smith, it appears that Kansas City will release Matt Cassel. Cassel is due $7.75 million in 2013.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Kansas City Recovering From Second Snow Storm

After being hit with one of the worst winter storms in years, Kansas City got a second helping of snow and ice yesterday that continued into this morning. The second storm featured heavy snow that has caved in roofs, broken trees and damaged power lines.

Over 100,000 people in the metro lost power from the recent storm, which featured 10 to 12 inches of snow across Johnson County to Lee’s Summit. Areas north of the Missouri River received around eight inches of snow, while the area between Pleasant Hill and Warrensburg received up to 14 inches. As a result from yesterday’s and Thursday’s snowfall, most of the Kansas City metro has received between 16 and 25 inches in less than a week.

The latest storm did not create nearly as many traffic problems as Thursday’s, mostly because more Kansas City residents chose to stay home during the day. Few roads were blocked, which marked a significant improvement over Thursday’s snowfall, when hundreds of abandoned vehicles blocked roads and highways across the metro. Despite less people on the roads, there were still several traffic accidents. Many cars and snowplows attempting to brave the conditions slid off roadways, and many roads were still in poor condition.

Most KC metro schools closed yesterday, and many decided to close today as well. Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley, Olathe, Kansas City, KS, Kansas City, MO Lee’s Summit, Belton, Raymore-Peculiar, Independence and Grandview schools are all closed today and will reopen tomorrow.

Kansas City International airport once again had to cancel flights due to the weather. Around 100 flights were cancelled yesterday, most of them coming in the morning. Several KC metro shopping areas and malls also closed, including Independence Center, Legends Outlets, Oak Park Mall, Lee’s Summit shopping centers, Town Center Plaza, Ward Parkway Center and most stores in Zona Rosa. Most of these areas have reopened today, and customers can call stores or visit their websites to check that they are open.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Kansas Storms Back To Beat Iowa State In Overtime

The Kansas Jayhawks moved closer to a ninth consecutive Big 12 title with a thrilling 108-96 win over Iowa State in Ames last night. The victory was Bill Self’s 500th career win, and the Jayhawks now have three winnable games remaining on their regular season schedule.

Elijah Johnson, who has been criticized all season for some poor play, had one of the most legendary performances in Kansas history. The senior scored a career-high 39 points, including eight in the final 29 seconds of regulation and 12 in overtime. Travis Releford added 19 efficient points, and Jeff Withey was a force in the paint to help Kansas keep pace with the red-hot Cyclones in the first half.

Iowa State nearly pulled off the win by hitting an insane 17 three pointers – a school record. The Cyclones’ 22-game home winning streak was snapped when Iowa State went cold in overtime as Johnson continued to score at will for the Jayhawks.

The Iowa State fans proceeded to throw plastic megaphones and concessions at the Kansas players after the game, due to Johnson dunking the ball with only a few seconds remaining on the clock. Johnson and Self both apologized for the dunk after the game.

Kansas has now passed the two toughest games it had on the backend of its schedule – on the road against Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Kansas hosts West Virginia and Texas Tech in its next two games, and the Mountaineers and Red Raiders are two of the weakest teams in the conference. The Jayhawks finish the season on the road against Baylor, who has been inconsistent all season. Kansas State, currently tied with Kansas in first, still has to travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State and also plays Baylor on the road. The road wins over OSU and ISU have put Kansas in a great position to once again win a Big 12 championship and earn a high seed for the NCAA tournament.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Chiefs Close To Acquiring 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith

According to multiple reports, the Kansas City Chiefs have a deal that is nearly completed to acquire San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. Any deal involving Smith cannot officially take place until March 12, when the new league year begins.

Smith’s story was well documented this past season due to the emergence of Colin Kaepernick during the 49ers run to the Super Bowl. After a strong 2011 season in which he threw 17 touchdowns against only five interceptions, Smith was having an even better season in 2012 – enjoying a 104 QB rating through nine games before suffering a concussion against the St. Louis Rams. Kaepernick played well in Smith’s absence, and head coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with the young QB instead of Smith all the way up through the 49ers loss in the Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs’ most glaring need is at quarterback, and many thought the team would draft a QB with its top overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. However, this draft does not have any quarterback prospects that deserve to go number one overall, and many reports have indicated that Kansas City is moreinterested in drafting Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel.

If the Chiefs trade for Smith, there are two paths the team can take. Kansas City could make Smith the starting quarterback and still draft a QB like Geno Smith or Matt Barkley with the top pick, grooming the young signal caller for the future similar to how the Packers brought along Aaron Rodgers. The Chiefs could also make Smith the starter and spend its top pick on an impact offensive or defensive lineman, and select a QB later in the draft or next season. Acquiring Smith certainly gives the team options.

Is Smith a good fit for Kansas City? He rarely turns the ball over and has excelled in a scheme in San Francisco that emphasizes conservative passes and running the football. With the dynamic Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs are built to be a run-first offense, and Smith could give the Chiefs just what they need – a steady quarterback who limits mistakes. The downside to Smith is that he struggled his entire career in San Francisco until a championship-level team was built around him. As Matt Cassel proved, an average QB can look good with a strong team around him, and Smith will not have the talent supporting him that he enjoyed in San Francisco.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Kansas City Recovering From Winter Storm

Kansas City is still trying to recover after being hit by a massive winter storm over the past 24 hours. The metro was blanketed in snow, with accumulations of anywhere between 10 to 13 inches.

The snow fell at a rate as rapid as three inches per hour, which quickly made roads dangerous and led to many motorists being stranded or, even worse, wrecking their vehicle. Drivers who had a car stranded or towed are urged to call the city at 816-607-2000 before visiting the city tow lot to retrieve their vehicle. Some vehicles are located at the impound lot at 7750 E. Front St., while others may have been taken to a Missouri Department of Transportation site.

While the snowfall has stopped, the Kansas Department of Transportation is still urging those in the metro to avoid driving, if possible. Many roads are still in poor condition, and road crews and towing companies are still extremely busy.

The storm forced Kansas City International Airport to close down, however KCI has reopened today. A UPS plane was the first to land, and reported good traction on the runway. While the airport is open, many flights have been affected, and a total of 51 flights were still cancelled as of this morning. Anyone traveling in the near future should check their flight status at FlyKCI.com.