SB Nation - Michael Merritt

Chiefs Brass Has History of Dealing With These Problems

Joel Thorman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:53:48 -0000

Photo courtesy the Kansas City Star

In the Scott Pioli era, the Kansas City Chiefs have reacted appropriately and relatively quickly to off-the-field trouble. This is one of the reasons I expect a decision, whether it be a suspension or an out-right release, on Larry Johnson to come down by next week.

The Chiefs have had two players arrested under the Pioli regime:

Michael Merritt: On February 5th, news breaks that Merritt was arrested for marijuana possession. (I can't mention this without repeating Merritt's best line to a police officer: "All this for a little bit of weed?")

19 days later, Merritt was released.

David Macklin: On March 13th, reports surface that Macklin was arrested for DUI.

5 days later he was released.

The Chiefs have also had another release due to violation of NFL rules:

Vince Redd: On August 24th, the Chiefs released linebacker Vince Redd. Later that night we learn that he had tested positive for a banned NFL substance.

***

These are three situations that the Chiefs have acted on. LJ's situation is kind of unique since he technically hasn't broken any laws (neither did Redd). However, he is possibly in violation of the personal conduct policy which may as well be the law as far as NFL players and teams are concerned.

The Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall acted immature and disrespectful in practice and he was suspended by the team. LJ's situation isn't much different.

CBS Sports Clark Judge has an idea of how the Chiefs should react.

"So make this quick and decisive," Judge writes. "Someone needs to step in here and remind Larry Johnson that he is wrong for what he did and how he did it. I don't care that he's frustrated. I don't care that his offensive line can't open holes for him. I don't care that he's not the back he was two or three years ago. I don't even care that the Chiefs can't win. What I do care about is that he behaved in a reprehensible way, daring someone, anyone, to do something about it.

"So do something."

Chiefs' Thigpen: 'Some Players Took Advantage of the Freedom Herm Edwards Gave Us'

Joel Thorman — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:06:27 -0000

"And if you real look real close, you'll see it's a...dog? No no. It's a pony! You have to cross your eyes and then slowly pull the sheet of paper back. OK, we're done here today." (via Photo Source)

View full size photo »

For the past three years, Kansas City Chiefs fans have been subjected to Hermisms, press conferences where the coach talked a lot without saying anything and a general feeling that there was a lack of accountability around One Arrowhead Drive. Maybe that's because, you know, there wasn't any accountability.

In an appearance on Sirius Satellite Radio, Tyler Thigpen told Bryan McGovern and Ross Tucker that he felt some players took advantage of this. I was listening to the show but here's Tucker's latest Tweet:

Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen just told us that he felt like some of the players took advantage of the freedom that Herm Edwards gave them.

We're only four and a half months into the Scott Pioli and Todd Haley era but we've quickly realized that there is assuredly a level of accountability with the "new" Chiefs.

David Macklin was arrested for DUI. Five days later he was released.
Michael Merritt was arrested (over just a little bit of weed?). 19 days later he was released.
Will Franklin reportedly showed up to mini-camp overweight. He was released.

I'm not trying to hold resentment against the previous regime because at this point it doesn't really matter. A cynic might say I posted this to take a shot at Herm Edwards (Hint: You may be partially right). But it's also interesting to note that for a player like Branden Albert, who was on the Red Zone Podcast today, have said that Herm was a coach who conducted toned down practices. At least comparative to the reports coming out of Haley's practices.

S Bernard Pollard:

"They hold everybody accountable. So if you mess up, they’re gonna call you out. That’s the thing with this coaching staff, they’re not going to hold anything back."

LB Derrick Johnson:

"I like the coaches. They are very passionate about what they do. There’s an energy around the Chiefs right now. There’s a lot of change going on. Everybody is adjusting and we are ready to go."

NT Tank Tyler:

"Well, I wouldn’t say that. I’ve had some conversations with Coach Haley and he’s a real cool dude but an intense coach. He’s strictly business and that’s a good thing."

DE/DT Glenn Dorsey:

"I won’t say he’s different. He’s really hands on. He doesn’t play any bull. He’s real straight forward. He tells you like it is. He don’t sugarcoat anything. If you ain’t doing good, he’s gonna tell you. He’s straightforward and I like him. He’s no nonsense, man. He’s ready to win."

LB Zach Thomas:

"I think he's doing great with the team. He’s tough and that’s what you need. He’s trying to get the mindset changed here and he does make you a little uncomfortable – which is good. You need that."

***

That's half the defense on record talking about the intensity of Todd Haley and his practices. That's gotta count for something come September.

Poll

Do you think that Herm Edwards' more laid back approach to practice and conditioning hurt the Chiefs?

Yes

797 votes

No

30 votes

Not sure

35 votes

862 votes | Poll has closed

Chiefs 2008 Draft Class Dropping Like Flies

Joel Thorman — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:45:49 -0000

Over the last three months nearly to the day, the Kansas City Chiefs new regime has given the ax to 33% of former GM Carl Peterson's 2008 draft picks. The players were drafted to fit Herm Edwards' Cover 2 defensive scheme and his brand of offense.

Here's the rundown on whose been released from the 2008 draft class:

February 24th TE Michael Merritt: 'All this for a little bit of weed?'
April 13th WR Will Franklin: Rumored to be out of shape
April 21st KR Kevin Robinson: Injury/production concerns
May 27th OLB/DE Brian Johnston: Might not have fit the 3-4

Here's a quick glance at who was drafted, who is gone and who is still here.

Pick	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt	Status

Round 1 Pick 5 (5)	Glenn Dorsey	DT	6'1"	297	???

Round 1 Pick 15 (15) (From Lions)	Branden Albert	OG	6'6	309	Starter

Round 2 Pick 4 (35)	Brandon Flowers	CB	5'10	189	Starter

Round 3 Pick 10 (73) (From Broncos through Vikings)	Jamaal Charles	RB	5'11	200	#2 RB

Round 3 Pick 13 (76) (From Lions)	Brad Cottam	TE	6'8	270	1st year starter

Round 3 Pick 19 (82) (From Vikings)	DaJuan Morgan	S	6'0	205	???

Round 4 Pick 6 (105)	~~Will Franklin~~	WR	6'1	214	Waived 4/13

Round 5 Pick 5 (140)	Brandon Carr	CB	6'0	207	Starter

Round 6 Pick 4 (170)	Barry Richardson	OT	6'7	320	???

Round 6 Pick 16 (182) (From Vikings)	~~Kevin Robinson~~	WR	6'0	190	Waived 4/21

Round 7 Pick 3 (210)	~~Brian Johnston~~	DE	6'5	276	Waived 5/27

Round 7 Pick 32 (239) (From Giants)	~~Mike Merritt~~	TE	6'3	270	Waived 2/24

The Question Marks

DE Glenn Dorsey: How will he react to a position change?

My take: The position change is a tad overblown in my opinion but still needs to be answered. The move to defensive end likely won't highlight Dorsey's strengths but it's a key part of the 3-4 and could still be used in that capacity.

TE Brad Cottam: Can he be the starter after Tony Gonzalez's departure?

My take: We saw very little of Cottam in 2008 in the role he'll be asked to play in 2009. This is an unknown at this point.

S DaJuan Morgan: What can he offer?

My take: He appeared in 15 games for the Chiefs last season and totaled 14 tackles. He's also a complete unknown at this point. When he was selected, it was largely attributed as a "value" pick (as in he was rated much higher on the Chiefs board).

OL Barry Richardson: Can he contribute?

My take: He's got the size to contribute but the word on him coming out was he lacked the technique. He's still on the roster, which I guess is a good sign, but so is Damion McIntosh and he's got 10 times the salary as Richardson.

***

33% of the 2008 class is GONE.

By my count, only four players have definitive roles on the team (Albert, Flowers, Charles and Carr). That's not meant to say Dorsey won't be on this team in two years but he's yet to show he can play the position he's being asked to play. Same with Cottam. So it's only fair to label them as question marks right now.

The 2008 class was lauded as the best in 20 years for the Chiefs by a lot of folks. Though that title could still come to fruition, the new regime isn't hesitant about getting their guys in there.

Chiefs Release David Macklin After Arrest

Joel Thorman — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:53:56 -0000

via www.dailypress.com

The Kansas City Chiefs have parted ways with cornerback David Macklin just five days after he was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

The Chiefs official statement was short and sweet:

The Kansas City Chiefs terminated the contract of CB David Macklin on Wednesday. Macklin played in four games with the Chiefs in 2008.

Michael Merritt, a 2008 draft pick that didn't see the field, was also a rrested earlier this offseason and, like Macklin, was "terminated" days after the incident.

According to NFL bylaws, the Chiefs can't technically cut Macklin based on this arrest. No player can be subjected to discipline from the team for something like this.

But, from the Chiefs perspective, they can release a player based on skill. Especially one that only saw action in four games last season.

This goes to show that if you're a fringe player that can't keep his mitts clean, the Chiefs won't have anything to do with you.

Chiefs Free Agency Roster Moves Summary

Chris Thorman — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:31:37 -0000

Additions	Subtractions	UFA Re-signed	UFA not Re-Signed	Visited/ Interested
QB Matt Cassel	CB Pat Surtain	S Jon McGraw	LB Pat Thomas	SS Keith Davis
LB Mike Vrabel	LB Donnie Edwards		G Adrian Jones	WR Keary Colbert
WR C.J. Jones	QB Damon Huard		S Oliver Celestin	WR Bobby Engram
LB Darrell Robertson	TE Michael Merritt		LB Rocky Boiman	LB Clark Haggans
CB Travis Daniels			DE Jason Babin

Since not all of you get to obsessively check Arrowhead Pride for hours a day, here's a roster roundup to help people get caught up.

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed/traded for six players; cut four players; re-signed one unrestricted free agent; and had a number of players in for free agent visits.

The Chiefs have 68 players on the roster. And as of right now, we'll add six players through the draft (possibly more if you don't forget about compensatory picks, which I think we'll get at least one).

That leaves about a half dozen or so players that the Chiefs will add at some point this off season. The current roster is far from concrete. Players currently on the roster will be cut as others at their position become available or they've worn out their potential with Todd Haley.

I've linked back to our discussions about some of those players in case you want to catch up.

Chiefs Release Huard, Edwards and Merritt, Too

Joel Thorman — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:05:00 -0000

via www.kcchiefsfootball.com

Just a little bit we ago we learned that the Chiefs released veteran Patrick Surtain. We thought veteran Donnie Edwards might be close behind him.

Turns out it wasn't just Edwards that was cut.

The Chiefs released quarterback Damon Huard, cornerback Patrick Surtain and linebacker Donnie Edwards today. Also released was tight end Mike Merritt.

None of these moves are much of a surprise for those who have been following the Chiefs offseason.

Damon Huard was signed to a 3 year, $7.5 million contract extension by former GM Carl Peterson two seasons ago. (Interesting note about Huard from Rotoworld: "Turning 36, Huard could follow his younger brother Brock to TV." Brock and Damon? On TV?) He will immediately become a free agent and free to sign with any team.
Donnie Edwards was due $5 million in 2009 and his release will free up $4.5 million in salary cap space for the Chiefs. He will immediately become a free agent and free to sign with any team.
Michael Merritt, if you'll remember, brought us this great quote just a few short weeks ago: "All this for a little bit of weed?" You can figure out the rest. Because he's not a fully vested veteran (4 years of service), Merritt will have to pass through the waiver wire before he's free to sign with any team.

Over $10 million in cap space freed up today. Not bad at all, Mr. Pioli.

Poll

What do you think of today's roster moves?

Approve

1039 votes

Disapprove

19 votes

1058 votes | Poll has closed

Chiefs TE Michael Merritt Arrested: 'All this for a little bit of weed?'

Joel Thorman — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:08:53 -0000

Excuse me, officer? I'm ready for my PB&J sandwich now.

via www.kmbc.com

The doldrums of the NFL offseason have already caught up to one Kansas City Chiefs player. Tight end Michael Merritt, the Chiefs last selection in 2008 NFL draft, was arrested early Thursday morning for possessin' the dope.

Marijuana possession, that is. Per KMBC.com the incident occurred in a silver Dodge station wagon in downtown Orlando, FL.

According to police, officers spotted Merritt rolling a marijuana cigarette in the car at 1 a.m.

The officer reported that he saw Merritt put a cigar-shaped object into his mouth. He ordered Merritt to get out of the car and spit it out.

So, for a guy like Merritt who was the 239th overall selection in the 2008 draft with no playing time his rookie season due to injuries this probably isn't the best time to be smokin' the dope.

The money quote comes from the police report which can be viewed here.

At this time I observed the defendant in the front passenger seat make eye contact with uniformed police officers, then take a cigar shaped object and shove it quickly into his mouth. I quickly approached the passenger side of the vehicle and told the defendant to get out of the car. As the defendant got out I said, "Spit it out!" The defendant complied and spit out a brown cigar like object on the ground. The defendant then spontaneously stated, "All this for a little bit of weed?"

Yes, Mr. Merritt, your 3 grams of weed will cost you $250, public embarrassment and quite possibly your job.

According to the NFL's substance abuse policy, the Chiefs can't discipline and/or release Merritt based on this incident. Any discipline will come from the NFL offices.

H/T oldchiefsfan in the FanShots

Herm Edwards Media Session Highlights

Joel Thorman — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:00:07 -0000

Highlights from Herm Edwards media session on Wednesday.

On signing veteran corners:

"Yeah to go in and play. Right now, yeah. It’s hard to get another young guy to go in and play because they don’t know the system. (CB David) Macklin’s been in the system. He was with (Colts head coach) Tony (Dungy) in Indianapolis. He could go play nickel, he could play corner, he’s lined up. He could help us there and he’s going to be up this week."

On putting Sunday's loss behind them (Warning: Hermism overload):

"Yeah. They’re pretty resilient. They’re disappointed. They’re excited about the opportunity again this week, young guys generally are that way. They came out today and practiced good and practiced fast. They had fun practicing. That’s what’s great about them, they’re just trying to get better and trying to find a way together."

It looks like no one wants to win the AFC West this year:

"You wouldn’t think of that early, when everyone was predicting the division. You’d probably think San Diego would have more wins right now, maybe Denver. I would have felt we would have had a few more too. It’s still tight, anything can happen with eight weeks left. Somebody’s got to get hot, Denver plays Thursday against Cleveland so we’ll see what happens there. If you can win two or three games in a row, all of sudden you probably feel pretty good about yourself in the division."

On Larry Johnson's availability this weekend:

"It’s kind of like last year, in the preseason when he was out, we kind of brought him along slow. We’ve got to bring him back. He’s missed month of playing football. We’ve changed a little bit too, on how we play, so that’s all involved in it too. But yeah, he’s working out, he’s preparing himself to get ready to play and that’s kind of important."

On Barack Obama's victory Tuesday night:

"I woke my daughters up last night. They know who Barack Obama is. It’s about 10 o’clock and we were watching television and they were clapping. I said, ‘he’s the President.’ I wanted them to know that our country is great. You can accomplish anything if you’re just given the opportunity. When they have children, they’ll be able to say ‘I saw that happen, I didn’t read it in a history book.’ So to me, that was important, and I think it’s important for America, how great this country is and what we’re all about."

Other notes:

Brandon Flowers is likely to play this weekend
Kevin Robinson could get a shot at returning punts
Derrick Johnson is out with a hamstring injury
Michael Merritt likely won't play this week but hopefully we'll see him sometime this season

Kansas City Chiefs Continue To Shake Up Roster

Joel Thorman — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:38:56 -0000

Chris just posted the news that we brought Tyron Brackenridge back into the mix. Brackenridge was an undrafted free agent. He replaced another undrafted free agent, Dimitri Patterson.

Herm Edwards spoke on two other roster moves that will be coming soon. TE Michael Merritt and WR/KR Kevin Robinson haven't played a snap this season and the team is just over a week away from the deadline of making a final decision for those on the PUP list.

“Yeah, we’re going to have to make a decision. We’re still juggling it right now but we like our return guy (Savage) right now. We think he’s done a pretty good job and that’s kind of where Robinson fits.

“The other guy might have a chance. We’ll see where it’s at. He’s gotten himself in shape. He’s a good blocker at the point of attack. It’s just that he’s so far behind, that’s the hard part for him to catch up mentally. He’s missed all the off-season but he’s a guy that has a future in this offense. He’s just scout team right now.”

We speculated on this just a few days ago but it appears Dantrelle Savage will begin to see some time in the backfield. Herm was asked if Savage will play if Jamaal Charles can't go.

“Yeah. He sure will. It’s up in the air (with Charles and Colquitt) but Charles looked a lot better today and moved around pretty good. But we limited him. I anticipate he might be able to go.”

The run down goes, Brackenridge in, Patterson out, Merritt and Robinson coming off PUP is iffy, and Savage may be in the backfield on Sunday.