With the Kansas City Chiefs set to open the 2024 Regular Season on Thursday Night against the Baltimore Ravens, the roster architect, General Manager Brett Veach, once again magically built areas of need without sacrificing the chance to Three-Peat.
When Kansas City Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt was looking for a new General Manager to replace John Dorsey, he did a vast search outside the organization. Ultimately, he felt the Chiefs would be better served with someone familiar with his Head Coach, Andy Reid.
Though Dorsey also fit that bill, his bumbling and stumbling signing players and mismanaging the salary cap were ultimately his demise. So he decided Brett Veach deserved a promotion.
However, based on the cap hell Dorsey put the franchise in when he left, Veach had significant financial restrictions that would take two years and some of his own failed draft picks.
Finally, free of cap restraints, he started signing players such as Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins and Linebacker Anthony Hitchens. Those essential signings showed the NFL that Kansas City was willing to spend money.
That backdrop of talent and the evolution of Quarterback Patrick Mahomes catapulted the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. Thus, despite the rocky road at the beginning, Veach eventually found Yellow Brick Road, and now he has three Lombardi trophies in his display case.
The latter two came in back-to-back years, and now the Chiefs are on the verge of chasing NFL history. Veach’s gambling mentality caused him to trade Tyreek Hill two years ago to gain draft leverage and rebuild his defense.
After the trade, he found superstar first-round talent in Cornerback Trent McDuffie and Defensive End George Karlaftis. Without both having impact starters, it’s doubtful the Chiefs win consecutive titles.
This season, he’s armed Mahomes with his best offensive talent. By adding Hollywood Brown in free agency, drafting receiver Xavier Worthy and Tight End Jared Wiley, and this week adding veteran running back Samaje Perine, this is the best offensive unit in the AFC.
On paper, it’s also the most talented team Veach has assembled overall. Offensively, he’s given his quarterback and head coach an undeniable group of players that could dominate the NFL this season. Defensively, he re-signed Chris Jones and Drue Tranquill, plus most of the defenders on last year’s Super Bowl team.
Yet, despite winning Super Bowl LVIII, Veach’s biggest challenge this year was fixing the receiver room. That fix meant adding players, giving some of those who failed a year ago another chance, and letting go of what did not work.
Two years ago, the Chiefs traded for Receiver Kadarius Toney. The former first-round pick of the New York Giants was unfulfilling his potential in the Big Apple, so Veach plucked him from the roster. Toney made an impact on the offense and in Super Bowl LVII.
However, after a series of injuries, penalties, dropped balls, and an overall lack of effort last season, Veach gave him another shot in training camp to show his belief that his talent was worthy of a roster spot.
As we found out Tuesday, he was not. Now, Toney is a free agent looking for a new team. He’ll have a tough road in the NFL because if you can’t make it work with Mahomes, he will likely find it tough sledding elsewhere.
Though it was apparent he wasn’t going to make the roster, and the parting of ways was inevitable, he was hand-picked by Veach, and he had to admit this week, it just didn’t work out.
That happens as a General Manager, and to his credit, Veach moves on to the next move without any sentimentality or failure to pull the trigger elsewhere. Knowing Toney wouldn’t make the team, Veach brought back JuJu Smith-Schuster to add another veteran presence.
So, as we ramp up the excitement meter for the opener, it must be said that Veach is teaching the rest of the NFL how to build a championship team despite roster turnover each season.
As ESPN’s Louis Riddick said so profoundly about his friend, “Brett Veach is playing Chess while other GMs are playing checkers,”
You know what?
He’s correct!
