Bob Gretz Interview - A Mid Season Look
I was lucky enough to get together with Bob Gretz again to ask him some questions about the Chiefs. Gretz talks about the Chiefs record, Tyler Thigpen and the QB situation, and Larry Johnson’s recent off the field issues.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: What do you think of the Chiefs record so far and do you think it is a proper indication of where they are at as a football team?
Bob Gretz:Given the rebuilding project and the injuries this team has suffered, I think 1-8 is about right. We can all point to a game or two here or there where they may have been able to win. But I subscribe to the Bill Parcells saying that “you are what you are.” This is not a team that should be 5-4, but has had bad luck. They are 1-8, because that’s what they are.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: Tyler Thigpen has been looking really good these last few games, do you think he is the Chiefs QB of the future?
Bob Gretz: I have no idea at this point whether he’s the QB of the future but I know that he has a chance to lay claim to that designation over these final seven games. If he continues to make steady progression, there’s no doubt he’ll get the first shot at the job. But he’s still got to continue to move forward, continue to protect the ball. He’s due for a bad game; it’s only a matter of time. The question then will be how does he react to that bad game. There are a lot of steps Thigpen still has to make, but he’s doing the two best things any quarterback can do in this situation: he’s available and he’s not turning the ball ovver.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: With Thigpen’s strong play, if he keeps this up for the remainder of the year do you think the Chiefs should still look at a top QB in the 2009 NFL Draft?
Bob Gretz: I don’t know about top. I’m in the process of a lengthy research project on quarterbacks in the draft and the deeper I dig the more I believe that every decade there are maybe three or four QBs who rock solid picks; the rest are gambles not worth taking. I think the Chiefs have a lot of holes to fill and no matter what Thigpen does, quarterback is one of them. First-round pick no, but early draft choice yes.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: Around Arrowhead Stadium I hear a lot of fans say that we are just playing for draft picks right now and that last Sunday’s performance against the Bucs was an ideal performance (playing a good game, but losing in the end) because it shows progress but we still get a higher draft pick with the loss. What are you thoughts on this?
Bob Gretz: Anybody that says this has never been part of a team that has worked its tail off for months to be successful. This team is trying to win. Think about it: would anyone want to associate with a team that is trying to lose.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: Larry Johnson seems to have a hard time staying out of trouble. What do you think about his current situations and how does this affect the Chiefs future at RB?
Bob Gretz: Larry has a lot of ground to make up, starting with the Hunts, to Carl Peterson, Herm Edwards and his teammates. He’s going to have to change and we all know that change is not easy. As for the Chiefs, they’ve always been able to find running backs and I think that will continue.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: Who would you name the mid-season MVP of the Chiefs and why?
Bob Gretz: Right now, there’s no one worthy of that designation.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: Which players have stood out to you the most in the first half of the season and what players do you expect more from?
Bob Gretz: Tank Tyler, Bernard Pollard, Mark Bradley, Tony Gonzalez, Thigpen, and the Brandons, Flowers and Carr have grabbed my atteniton. I expected more from Bowe, Page, Derrick Johnson and Larry Johnson.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: Overall, are you happy with where the Chiefs are as an organization and a team right now?
Bob Gretz: I think the organization moved in a direction it needed to move. They might have been able to soften that blow by signing more veteran free agents in the spring, but that likely would have taken playing time away from young players. It makes real evaluation of Edwards and his coaching staff tough right now. They seem to be good talent evaluators because the young players they have added are good, some very good.
Kansas City Chiefs Football: I see that you started doing some podcast since our last talk. Good job on those, I know that people are enjoying them.
Bob Gretz: The podcasts have been fun. It allows me to do some of what I had been doing for Chiefs Radio for almost 20 years. Luckily, I have some good friends like John Czarnecki, Rick Gosselin and Len Dawson who have been willing to give their time. There’s more on the way as well. Like everything on the Internet, it’s a blank canvas and I can paint it any way that I would like.
Great job Mr. Gretz and you can get more Gretz at his blog.
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