Kansas City Chiefs

The John Dorsey Legacy: Part 2

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:31 p.m. ET

Fansided, Lucas Hampton/FanSided via Arrowhead Addict

The season is over and the thrill of the off-season is approaching. John Dorsey has made his worth known when it comes to the offseason. The rumors of him possibly leaving have died down, but John Dorsey still has quite the legacy in Kansas City.

Last week I took a glance at John Dorsey’s draft classes and the impact they have had. This week, I take a look at the impact decisions made in trading and free agency. On the heels of a disappointing playoff loss, some good memories will be just what we all need to get spirits lifted again.

Our journey begins not too long after John Dorsey was officially hired on as the next general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs on January 14, 2013. Getting to work right away, his next few moves seeing some bottom-tier and non-impact players being released. The first impact move made was the trade for Alex Smith.

Alex Smith

Jan 1, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) runs the ball as referee Walt Anderson (left) follows during the first half of the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

That name alone sparks many controversies. To this day, there is still a huge split in the Kingdom over Smith. I was in attendance at the game Sunday night, and on a play where Smith was under pressure and running to keep the play alive, he missed spotting an open receiver. One fan behind me went off on Smith and wanting a replacement. One fan beside me stood up in defense of Alex.

Despite this, I think all of Chiefs Kingdom can agree that the trade for Smith was the biggest trade deal to date for John Dorsey and has brought a surprising amount of good to Kansas City. Alex Smith officially became a Chief March 12, 2013. Kansas City gave up a second round draft pick that year and a conditional pick for the next year that turned into a second round pick as well.

Alex Smith has been the best quarterback to suit up for the Chiefs since Trent Green last took the field. This cannot be argued. His stats with Kansas City have totaled 13,566 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions. That’s all good for a yearly average of 3,391.5 yards, 19 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and an average completion percentage of 64.6 (rounded up from 64.575). Certainly that is not elite, but it’s also not terrible by any means.

Nov 15, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) intercepts a pass thrown by Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) during the first half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Smith

This name brings smiles to many faces. Sean Smith joined the Chiefs March 16, 2013 to fill a hole left by the declining play and eventual departure of Brandon Flowers. The combination of Smith and Flowers was a sight to see, but not quite what everyone had hoped for. However, it was not meant to last.

Despite the loss of Flowers, Smith would play so well that we would all forget that Flowers was even a Chief at any point in the past. Sean Smith turned out to be a solid cornerback and a big piece of the defense for three seasons. He came away with 142 total tackles and six interceptions, one of those being returned for a score.

Daniel Sorensen and Husain Abdullah

Abdullah joined the Chiefs originally back in 2013, but was re-signed March 12, 2014. Sorenson came not long after as an undrafted free agent May 13, 2014. Both men have been solid, reliable players for Kansas City. Abdullah holds a special place in my heart for his role in making Arrowhead the loudest stadium in the world.

In the game where it was placed on Chiefs Kingdom to take back the title from Seattle, Abdullah would be the spark that lit the flame. He caught a pick-six near the end of the game and Arrowhead came out in full force. I was at that game and would like to point out that at this point, Arrowhead was at maybe two-thirds’ or three-quarters’ full and we lit it up.

Sorenson has been a dependable player, filling in for starters when needed, but mainly taking a third safety role in certain defensive packages. It is not all that often that Sorenson misses a tackle or lets a player burn him. He has even come down with a couple well-timed interceptions when the team needed them.

Nov 6, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) dives but is unable to catch a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 19-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Maclin

March 12, 2015 wide receiver Jeremy Maclin joined the Chiefs. Maclin came in to fill a gaping hole. The top man at the position for several years had been Dwayne Bowe, and the production from Bowe was just not up to snuff. It never really was, we just tolerated it enough to believe it was. For years, the talk was finding a quality second receiver to go with Bowe.

The real problem was Bowe. The passing game would not progress if Bowe stayed. Once he was released, that’s when real change happened and Maclin stepped in to give us a significant upgrade. Real second receivers could be found then also. In two seasons in Kansas City, Maclin has caught a total of 131 passes for 1,624 yards and 10 touchdowns.

I’ll have some thoughts on the playoff game later, I still need a couple more days to let it all digest. Thanks for reading Chiefs Kingdom. Stay loud, stay awesome, and Go Chiefs!