Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 968 - 967 Watch the fire from the other side of the river

Veach makes another move.

Indeed, rookies are extremely important. They represent the future of the team and are also the best way to ensure competitiveness during the championship cycle.

But from the perspective of team interests, a general manager has different ways to strategize, with the ultimate goal being to continue improving the roster.

So, who is Frank Clark?

Clark was selected by the Seattle Seahawks as the 63rd pick in the second round in 2015. Last season, he delivered an impressive performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite not being selected for the Pro Bowl or All-America First or Second Team, he made it into the Top 100 Players list, ranking 85th.

Clearly, despite not being highly popular among fans, professional players recognize his abilities.

As a point of reference, last season the Kansas City Chiefs’ starting linebacker Dee Ford, drafted 23rd overall in the first round of 2014, not only excelled in his linebacker role but also handled duties as a defensive end. After struggling during his rookie phase, Ford finally delivered a sensational performance last season.

During this offseason, Ford sat down to negotiate with the Kansas City Chiefs, while Clark was also negotiating with the Seattle Seahawks.

The outcome? Both negotiations fell apart.

The Kansas City Chiefs applied the non-exclusive franchise tag to Ford, while the Seattle Seahawks did the same to Clark.

Regarding the "franchise tag," fans are already well aware after the uproar caused by Bell’s holdout last season. However, there’s an important detail they may not know:

The franchise tag cannot be applied at will. Each team can only designate one player with the tag per offseason.

In other words, the player receiving the franchise tag is absolutely critical to the team but has reached a deadlock in contract negotiations, forcing the team to resort to this measure.

Eventually, the Kansas City Chiefs still failed to retain Ford, who signed a lucrative deal with the San Francisco 49ers—a contract Veach couldn’t match.

Thus, when Veach realized there weren’t suitable defensive linemen or linebackers in the draft, his attention shifted to the free market.

This brought Clark into the spotlight.

As a result, the Kansas City Chiefs relinquished their first-round draft pick this year in exchange for an excellent plug-and-play defensive end, boosting their roster.

Then, they observed the situation from the sidelines.

"Smart. Shrewd. Calculated."

That’s how analysts in the live studio described Veach’s move.

The Kansas City Chiefs realized this year’s rookie class lacked players meeting their specific needs, so they decisively maximized the value of their draft pick, immediately addressing the gaps left by Houston, Berry, Ford, and other key defensive stars who departed, thereby subtly pulling out of the spotlight on the draft’s first day.

Brilliant!

True excellence doesn’t lie in always commanding the spotlight, like the New York Jets often do, but rather in making the right choices at the right time.

If Veach’s bold moves in the 2017 draft drew public attention, and his slightly uninspiring picks in last year’s draft raised some doubts as people speculated whether 2017’s success might have been mere luck, then this year Veach proved his genuine expertise once again.

So how did the Kansas City Chiefs maneuver themselves into such an advantageous position this time?

The answer lies in the running back.

Evidently, the Kansas City Chiefs don’t need a running back, but Veach knew other teams did.

Take the Oakland Raiders, for example.

Throughout the offseason, Veach and Reid—two old foxes—have been laying the groundwork.

The Kansas City Chiefs need a second running back. Last season, after Hunt abruptly left, the team relied entirely on Li Wei. Damien, serving as the second running back, brought some surprise performances but lacked comprehensive skill sets. Reid needed a running back who could keep pace with Li Wei and fill the roster gap.

Casually, rumors surfaced around the league that Reid was searching for a suitable running back. freewёbnoνel.com

Reid once again turned his attention to his old connections at the Philadelphia Eagles. Former Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy, who played six seasons for the Eagles, had delivered consistently during his four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, albeit faced with a concussion that ended his season last year—a regrettable setback.

Various rumors suggested Reid was considering bringing in McCoy as Li Wei’s backup.

The key issue? The proud McCoy would hardly accept a backup role to Li Wei. The Buffalo Bills also expressed their confidence in McCoy, stating he would remain their starting running back next season.

Left with no choice, Veach shifted his focus to the draft, intending to select a backup for Li Wei.

Among all the swirling speculation, the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders took the bait.

The Seattle Seahawks are rebuilding. They currently lack a suitable running back, and ground offense plays an essential role in Coach Carroll’s tactical system.

The Oakland Raiders are stuck in the mud. Over the past two seasons, they seemed desperate by signing the retired Marshawn Lynch back, but Lynch underperformed. After this season ended, Lynch announced his retirement once again, forcing the team to find a new running back.

However.

In 2017, rookies boasted a "Big Three." In 2018, there were Barkley and Nick-Chubb. But what about this year?

With rookies performing poorly across the board, running backs have failed to attract much attention. Scouts and analysts can’t help but shake their heads.

Under such circumstances, it’s logical for running back draft positions to slide down the order, increasing the value of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 24th pick.

Ultimately, Veach leveraged this opportunity to initiate a pivotal three-team trade.

The Oakland Raiders displayed their determination. After selecting Clemson’s defensive end Clelin Farrell with the fourth pick, they used the 24th pick to take Alabama running back Josh Jacobs and the 27th pick to select Mississippi State safety Jonathan Abram.

The Seattle Seahawks also gained numerous draft picks, including the 29th overall pick, where they selected Texas Christian University’s relatively unknown defensive tackle LJ Collier—an unexpected twist from the first day of the draft. But Coach Carroll expressed great satisfaction.

Amidst a backdrop of overall mediocrity and chaos, the two-time reigning champions Kansas City Chiefs went invisible while the Oakland Raiders stood in the spotlight and became the center of attention.

On the first day, three bold moves—powerful, extravagant, and even involving a three-way trade with a divisional rival—hinted at their confidence to stir the league next season.

After all, this will be their farewell season in Oakland.

Whether the Raiders aim to bid goodbye to Oakland proudly or to win over Las Vegas residents with a grand entrance, they’ve succeeded in capturing significant attention in this year’s draft, creating waves and sparking some anticipation for next season.

Ultimately, being in the AFC West as well, the Kansas City Chiefs will directly feel the pressure of the Raiders’ rise.

Moreover, the Raiders’ drafting strategy this year was clearly tied to the Kansas City Chiefs, making it hard to say they weren’t intentionally targeting their divisional rival.