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6 takeaways from Chiefs GM Brett Veach’s appearance on ‘In the Trenches’ podcast

Veach joined “In the Trenches” to talk Super Bowl 54, DT Chris Jones, the 2020 NFL draft and the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach recently joined team reporter BJ Kissel on the “In the Trenches” podcast.

Veach provided Kissel with some post-Super Bowl quips, thoughts about pending free agent DT Chris Jones, the 2020 NFL draft and the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. We’ll speak with Veach at the combine on Tuesday, but until then, this is the first we’ve heard from him since Super Bowl LIV.

You can watch the full interview at the top of the page. Below are some quick takeaways from what he spoke about on the podcast.

Chris Jones is a priority

Kissel didn’t hold back in his interview and asked if Veach could provide an update on Jones. While Veach didn’t exactly have an update to provide, the mindset is all about keeping as many players as possible.

“Chris is obviously a great player and he’s a priority,” Veach said. “We have a lot of priorities. Look, we know how hard it is to win a Super Bowl. It hadn’t been done in 50 years and we won it with the group we had last year. So I think that as we attack this offseason, first up its free agency before the draft, our goal and mindset is to do whatever we can to retain as many players as we can. And Chris (Jones) is at the top of that list because of the talent he is.”

It’s reassuring that Veach isn’t too keen on breaking the band up now that the Chiefs won a Super Bowl. He recognizes that this group of players was special (including Jones). He also wants to get them right back to Super Bowl LV next season.

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Bold moves from Chiefs GM Brett Veach paid off with Super Bowl LIV victory

Brett Veach became the youngest GM to ever win a Super Bowl after a very bold three-year rebuild of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach became the youngest GM to ever win a Super Bowl after a very bold three-year rebuild.

All but one player on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster in 2019 were brought in with some involvement from Veach. His boldness, however, all started with his persistence in pestering head coach Andy Reid and then-GM John Dorsey about Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes ahead of the 2017 NFL draft. He continuously said throughout the process that Mahomes was one of the best QBs that he’d ever seen.

“People thought I was crazy back at the combine, before he took a start, when I said he is the best player I’ve ever seen,” Veach said ahead of Super Bowl LIV. “He is the best player in the game. I think that’s not just me saying it now, it’s the whole league. He is the best player in the game so whatever he does, it doesn’t really surprise you. He is that good. . .”

When Dorsey was relieved and Veach was made general manager, that’s when he began to get even bolder in his decision making. He secured several role players via trade ahead of the 2017 season. He poached kicker Harrison Butker off of the Panthers practice squad. He attempted to trade for Sammy Watkins and Anthony Hitchens during the 2017 season and when he couldn’t get that done, he added them in free agency the following season.

“Sammy is super talented,” Veach explained. “We’ve just got a lot of weapons and when you are aggressive in the offseason and you make moves, you don’t make moves to make the playoffs. We’ve been a playoff team for years. Since we’ve got here, we’ve been in the playoffs every year. You make moves like that to put you over the top.”

He traded a backup lineman for undrafted free agent cornerback Charvarius Ward, who would become a starter for the Chiefs. He filled needs in free agency and via trade to put the team in the best possible position in the draft in 2018 and 2019. That way they didn’t have to feel like they were reaching for players when the value wasn’t there, and they could also be selective in acquiring players they wanted.

When things didn’t go the way of the Chiefs in the 2018 playoffs, Veach wasn’t afraid to blow the defense up. He was bold and decided to try something different under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“I think last year when the season ended, we knew we had work to do,” Veach said. “We put a plan together. I said in the offseason that we just didn’t pull names out of a hat. We identified Frank Clark. We identified Tyrann Mathieu. I think those guys showed, along with other guys like Damien Wilson and Bashaud Breeland, others we brought in here, we were aggressive and we believed in the process. We believed in the guys we went after. We knew that we had to field a defense to complement our offense and we did that. . .”

Veach identified and understood the types of personalities that when put in the Kansas City locker room could get this team over the hump. The ultimate goal was to win the Lamar Hunt Trophy and subsequently win the Super Bowl.

“If you start with the temperament in which a guy plays I think that’s a good starting point,” Veach said during Super Bowl media week. “When you watch the tape of Tyrann Mathieu or Frank Clark, they’re not guys where you have to fast forward to see them hustle or chase down a ball because they’re relentless. I think when you start with a relentless attitude and guys that have a passion for not just the game, but the process. These are guys that when you do your homework, they love to practice and they love to compete. . . I found out over my career if you really invest in guys that love the process you’re going to be more successful than not. That’s where we started with those guys and it’s infectious and it carries through [the roster] from top to bottom.”

He even managed to make some crucial midseason acquisitions that fit into the bigger picture. Players such as Demone Harris, Stefen Wisniewski, Mike Pennel and Terrell Suggs all played pivotal roles in the Chiefs’ success down the stretch. Harris a young upstart at the defensive end position and Pennel a salty vet from Topeka, Kansas that grew up as a Chiefs fan. Suggs and Wisniewski, of course, were two veteran players with Super Bowl rings that helped guide some younger players.

Now that the Super Bowl has been won, Veach is simply in awe of the journey and what it took to get there.

“It feels amazing,” Veach said of winning the Super Bowl. “It’s been quite a ride — quite a journey. These guys have worked their tails off. We’ve had adversity all season, whether it was early on with injuries and into the playoffs, deficits [against all three teams]. But these guys are resilient and they kind of mirror the image of the head coach — just completely resilient, hard-working and determined. And the resolve paid off tonight for sure.”

Many new challenges await as Veach and his staff attempt to build a team for 2020 that can defend a Super Bowl title. We know the foundation for success is already there. They have one of the greatest NFL coaches of all-time in Reid, an ascending QB in Mahomes, and a roster full of players that love the process and knows what it takes to be champions. They also have Veach, and after the 2019 season, we should have trust that he will be able to successfully navigate these new challenges head-on.

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LeBron James to be featured in Super Bowl commercial for GM’s new all-electric Hummer

LeBron James to be featured in Super Bowl commercial for GM’s new all-electric Hummer SUV.

General Motors will be airing a Super Bowl commercial featuring LeBron James announcing the new all-electric Hummer SUV later tonight. During the ad, LeBron can be seen shattering a backboard with a two-handed slam in a dark and empty gym. GM is branding its newest vehicle as the Hummer EV and it will be available for sale next year.

James called the partnership with General Motors for the new Hummer a “natural fit” according to CNBC.

“Everyone knows about my love for Hummer since high school and I’m proud to be a part of announcing the new EV model,” James said. “The truck may be quiet, but the performance numbers speak for themselves.”

During his time at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, LeBron was investigated by Ohio high school athletic officials for receiving a free gas-guzzling version of the Hummer H2 as a gift. Eventually, it was determined that he did not violate amateur bylaws after being forced to sit out multiple games during the investigation.

The new electric Hummer is expected to go into production in the fall of 2021 at a plant in Detroit, Michigan. This commercial featuring LeBron is scheduled to air in the United States during the second quarter of the Super Bowl later today.

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Saints GM Mickey Loomis shares his view on Drew Brees’ future with the team

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis shared his take on Drew Brees’ future, explaining that the Saints won’t push him away.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has a big decision ahead of him: whether it’s time to bow out, and retire from the NFL on his own terms. His contract expires in March, and he’ll have the option to re-sign with New Orleans, consider new offers, or simply enter retirement.

Brees, 41, leaving the game wouldn’t really be a huge shock — he’s played professionally for 19 seasons, having devoted his life to football. He’s got a wife and four children who would love to spend more time with him. And he won’t be lacking for new career paths once he’s thrown his last pass. He’s recently managed his contract with the Saints on a year-to-year basis, taking time to decompress and deliberate after each season.

But Saints general manager Mickey Loomis wants it known that he and his team will welcome Brees back as long as he wants to play in New Orleans.

“Yeah,” Loomis replied when asked if the Saints wanted another year with the Hall of Fame-bound quarterback. “I don’t think it’s any different than it’s been for the last few years. I don’t view it any different than I did a year ago or the year before that or the year before that, regardless of whether he has a contract or not. He’s a good player. He’s been a good player. He continues to be a good player.”

Still, Loomis acknowledged that the Saints must consider more factors than Brees’ personal success and the records he’s broken. He also pointed out that it’s important not to get bogged down in a string of recent, disappointing playoffs exits: “I think that any team who makes the playoffs is a success. That’s a successful season. Yet, we all have goals and aspirations more than just making the playoffs. And you really do if you’ve made the playoffs a number of years.”

The Saints have won 26 of their last 32 regular season games, posting back-to-back 13-win seasons for the first time in franchise history. And they’ve largely done that with Brees commanding the offense. Unless Brees decides to retire this offseason or seriously regresses next year, it’s tough to imagine anyone else starting at quarterback in the foreseeable future.

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