Chapter 552 Bittersweet
"Hey, David, this is Levi. I have something I want to ask you for help with."
"Of course, you say."
"The captain will return to Kansas City the day after tomorrow to pack up and leave. I'm still in Miami and can't get away. Can you and Charles go over and help?"
"...Levi, Alex went to the Washington Redskins not because of salary, right?"
"..."
"You don't need to answer. If I'm wrong, just deny it out loud. Alex could go to New York, Buffalo, or Minnesota, but he chose Washington in the end because they were willing to provide draft picks and Cornerback, right?"
"..."
"Oh, Jesus Christ, what have we done. Sorry, Levi, we're all crazy, blindsided by a Super Bowl championship. I know, I'm going to help."
"…Thanks, David."
"Don't worry, we will send Alex off."
After all, Levi couldn't hold it back and couldn't bear Smith leaving alone.
So, he called Anderson at the Old Oak Tavern, using the excuse of moving, hoping that they could come to help, but Anderson was already aware of it.
Fans are often passionate and blind, often trapped in their own limited thoughts and unable to see the overall situation; but at the same time, they also know the team best.
As the defending champion, every move of the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason is naturally eye-catching. The Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, etc. all made frequent and drastic moves. All of them are hot in the league. object of discussion.
However.
The Kansas Chiefs didn't move much.
Last season, the media had been emphasizing the youth of the Kansas Chiefs. This shortcoming turned into an important advantage after winning the Super Bowl.
Perhaps, now that this young team is relatively complete, there is no need to break the muscles and bones, and minor adjustments in local areas are enough?
At least, that's what Vicki thinks.
After the free market opened, the Kansas City Chiefs only completed two actions:
One, is the Smith trade.
One is to trade cornerback Marcus Peters and a 2018 sixth-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2018 fourth-round draft pick and a 2019 second-round draft pick. .
Veach's offseason strategy suddenly became clear.
Target, rookie.
Is the Kansas City Chiefs' current team perfect?
No.
However, Vicki is not in a hurry to sign veterans in the free market to fill his shortcomings, and refuses to disrupt his pace in the short-term goal of "defending the title"; the front office team is still prepared to select young people from the draft in an orderly manner according to the plan, not only Create a team of your own and develop your own system.
In other words, Vic's strategy is not to defend the title, but to truly build a team with a strong pedigree through a three-year and five-year layout.
Patient enough, careful enough, and determined enough.
In everything, take a long-term view and see the big picture at the same time.
Now, looking back at the Kansas Chiefs’ draft strategy last year, even though it was Veach’s first time as a team manager, behind the bold move was a decisive decision attached to a clear plan framework——
As long as you see a player you really like, take action when it's time to take action.
Levi, that's true.
So, does that mean the same is true for Mahomes? Does this mean that from that point on, the future of the Kansas City Chiefs already belongs to Mahomes?
Then, look at Smith.
Perhaps, it is precisely because Smith is aware of Veach's overall strategy that he has never been in this blueprint and there will be no place for him in the future.
Therefore, instead of staying in Kansas City and waiting to be replaced, abandoned, and scorned, it is better to take the initiative to give up the position; and use yourself for the best interests of the team:
The Kansas City Chiefs need cornerbacks, then there are cornerbacks, Kansas Chiefs If you need a draft pick, there will be a draft pick. Of course, this does not mean that Smith is selfless. He has also maximized his own interests and chosen the path that is most beneficial to him.
But can they blame Smith?
At least, not Anderson.
On the phone, Levi didn't open his mouth to respond, but those silences, those hesitations, and those reluctances were enough.
Anderson believes they were saying goodbye to a leader, a true Chief; but that doesn't matter because the Kansas City Chiefs now have a new leader and they can and should give Smith the goodbye he earned.
then.
There was that scene at Arrowhead Stadium.
The mighty red wave stretched along both sides of the road like a huge wave. In the crowd, a woman wearing an Argentinian tango dress held up a card and stood out, firmly catching the eye.
It read, "Don't cry for me, Argentina."
But "Argentina" was crossed out with a red pen, and the correction was rewritten directly above, "Alex Smith".
A small piece of wisdom and humor that came from the comfort of your hand made people laugh. In just a short time, it spread on social networks and became a hot topic.
Unlike Cousins' move to the Minnesota Vikings, Smith's move to the Washington Redskins triggered another level of heated discussion and exclamation.
Mahomes reached it and trotted out immediately to share it with Levi.
"Look."
"Ha." Levi couldn't hold it back. After laughing, he couldn't help but tilt his head and think, "Is this context correct?"
Mahomes shrugged, "Does anyone care?"
Levi, "Captain cares. Oh, Alex."
Mahomes was stunned and realized, "Alex is no longer the captain." There was a bit of disappointment in his words.
Levi took a deep breath and said, "You should be happy. The rest is up to you."
Mahomes nodded, "I know, but I'm not sure whether I should be happy. I have been waiting for this day since I learned the news, but at the same time I feel a little guilty, as if I can't wait to get rid of the captain."
"I know that's the way it is in competitive sports. If I want to be the starter, I need to compete. I need to replace him to be the starting quarterback. There is no need to be sorry."
"But now, it's always a bit unpleasant to complete the replacement in such a way."
"This day has finally arrived, but I don't know whether I should celebrate. It's not right to celebrate, and it's not right not to celebrate."
"Is this normal?"
Levi showed a smile, "Of course." He affirmed without hesitation, "This shows that we are still young and have not been accustomed to this pattern; it also shows that we value friendship. Although victory and money are important, there are also some other things. It’s important and we can’t forget it.”
"So, you can regret, lament, feel guilty or sad; the only thing you can do is to shoulder the responsibility of the quarterback and use your full ability, and don't let down the responsibility of the starting quarterback."
"If we can reunite with him on the court, go all out to defeat him; if not, do our best to fight to the end in the new season. This is the best way for you to show respect and admiration, which is more sincere than any words."
"Trust me, Alex is looking forward to this day too."
"So, how about starting with more down-to-earth training tomorrow?"
The understatement made Mahomes roll his eyes, "Are you going to increase the dosage?"
A little bitter, a little sweet.
Mahomes looked at the open ocean in front of him. His vision suddenly opened up, and the boundless blue spread out, and the focus of his eyes collapsed in the blue.
(End of chapter)