Why Is Chiefs Executive Chris Ballard Such an Intriguing GM Option?

The Kansas City Chiefs are bracing to lose Director of Player Personnel Chris Ballard to a team looking to fill its vacant general manager position. Only the Chicago Bears and New York Jets are on the hunt for a general manager, but both of them have requested to interview Ballard.

Characterized as the front-runner for both vacancies by some, Ballard is certainly a hot candidate this year. Part of what makes Ballard such an intriguing option is the work he’s done with the Chiefs over the last two years and his unique background.

Ballard has helped general manager John Dorsey remake a roster that went 2-14 in 2012 to have back-to-back winning seasons for just the second time in 17 years. The Chiefs have managed to exceed expectations by utilizing all the new pieces they’ve added.

The Chiefs weren’t supposed to be so good in 2013, but they went 11-5 and made the playoffs. The team was supposed to take a big step back in 2014 and still came within a game of making the postseason despite a brutal schedule.

In 2013, the Chiefs had 30 new players on their 53-man roster. Most of the players brought in already had at least one year of experience and signed realistic contracts. Because the rookie class was relatively quiet, the Chiefs' other additions had to be productive. 

Of course, quarterback Alex Smith helped head coach Andy Reid install his preferred offensive scheme. Like him or not, Smith gave the Chiefs a reliable quarterback who wasn't prone to turning the ball over. In fact, the Chiefs would now like Smith to take more risks. 

Year	Job Title	Team	Record	Avg. Wins Over Prior Year
2013-2014	Director of Player Personnel	Chiefs	20-12	+8
2012	Director of Pro Personnel	Bears	10-6	+2
2001-2011	Southwest Area Scout	Bears	95-81	+3.6
2000	Defensive Coordinator	Texas A&M-Kingsville	-	-
1995-1999	Secondary Coach	Texas A&M-Kingsville	-	-
1994	Wide Receivers Coach	Texas A&M-Kingsville	-	-

What's notable about the Smith trade is that the Chiefs were wiling to make a move to help their coaches be successful. Ballard has a background in scouting and coaching and now proven chops turning around a team in a hurry.

Ballard's focus on working with the coaching staff to give it the pieces it needs is rare. Far too many front-office types are more concerned with being right about a player than giving the coaches players they like.

After Lovie Smith joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014, they sought to hire Ballard, but he turned down an interview request, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. Lovie and Ballard spent many years together in Chicago, but Ballard chose to bypass an open GM job with the hope that a better job would open up in the future. 

Will Ballard see New York and Chicago as better opportunities or as dysfunctional? Ballard spend 12 years with the Bears, so he could see that job as a bit of a homecoming. The New York Jets may not be as desirable, but at least they don't have huge resources committed to a quarterback who isn't the answer. 

The Jets' search is being led by former Green Bay Packers' general manager Ron Wolf, who Dorsey learned under for many years. That makes the Ballard connection a more natural one as he'll likely do things much the same way Wolf did all those years in Green Bay. 

Ballard's success rebuilding the Chiefs, experience as a scout, experience as a coach, history with one of the organizations in need and ties to the consultant of the other team looking for a general manager make him the most sought-after football executive of the offseason. The Chiefs have been lucky to have him for the past two seasons, but with any luck, they will start to resemble a factory of football executives like the Packers.