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Dwayne Bowe was born in Miami on Sept. 21, 1984. Thus begins the tragedy. Bowe has the perfect body for football. He's 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, big for an NFL receiver. He can go through the middle and take the most brutal hits...

Kansas City Chiefs: The Tragedy of Dwayne Bowe

by Dallas Wilson (Analyst)

35

2,878 reads

Sports

May 24, 2008


Dwayne Bowe was born in Miami on Sept. 21, 1984. Thus begins the tragedy.

Bowe has the perfect body for football. He's 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, big for an NFL receiver. He can go through the middle and take the most brutal hits. He has breakaway speed, running a 4.5 forty even in high school. He connected with 2007 top draft pick JaMarcus Russell on 23 touchdowns during their career, an LSU school record. All these things caused him to be a hyped draft pick.

Then all these things disappeared in one moment. The Kansas City Chiefs picked him with the 23rd overall pick in the 2007 draft.

No one predicted this would kill his career. The Chiefs had just come off their first playoff appearance in several years with a record of 9-7.

They had historically had a high scoring offense, always near the top. They had Larry Johnson, the surprise superstar out of Penn State, and Tony Gonzales, the best tight end to ever play the game of football. They also had quarterbacks Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle. Who?

You've never heard of Damon Huard, except that he is a quality backup. But he is a backup, nothing more. Brodie Croyle was a third round choice in 2006 and was not meant to be anything but the next Damon Huard.

A year of these two quarterbacks splitting time, plus the biggest o-line failure of all time caused the high scoring offense to drop to last place. They were 4-12. They had nine straight losses to end their season.

Bowe, at least tried. He caught 70 passes for 995 yards. He had six touchdown catches. Those are remarkably good numbers for a receiver, and not usually the numbers of a failure.

Just imagine this scenario. In the first round of the playoffs two years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Colts, win the Super Bowl, and end up selecting Colt's wide receiver Anthony Gonzales. The Colts would have probably selected Bowe.

This would pair him with the best quarterback in the game, Peyton Manning, and two of its best receivers, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. With Harrison getting hurt early, Bowe would have stepped into the starting role and flourished.

His numbers would have looked something like this: 1,500 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns off of 100 receptions.

But, sadly, the Chiefs lost and they drafted Bowe. Now with the Chiefs still looking to be horrible on the offensive end, Bowe will again underachieve. He won't play to his full potential until he is on a different team.

I like the Chiefs, but I like Bowe more. I don't want them to pull down a career that could put him among the game's greatest. Please, Herm, do Bowe a favor and trade him. If this never happens, it will be the biggest tragedy since Romeo and Juliet.

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35 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Tommy Stedham about 1 year ago

    It's ironic that Croyle is now throwing passes to the guy who broke Bama's heart in 2005. The Tide was 9-0 when they played LSU, but the Bengal Tigers won 16-13 in overtime. Jamarcus Russell threw a touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe on the last play of the game.

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  2. Andrew Kneeland about 1 year ago

    Good read, Dallas. I will be lobbying for a Bowe trade!

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  3. D Darby about 1 year ago

    Ha this is the funniest bunch of B.S. I've ever read. You have no idea what you are talking about the Chiefs have completely re-tooled to a completely faster and youthful team. You obviously know nothing about football. The Chiefs have started building a team around players like Bowe his career is nothing but on his way up as a wearer of Red and Gold.

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  4. Ron Rabon about 1 year ago

    I agree this is a lot of BS. Imagine if you will the first year season Bowe had last year. Realizing that all those catches he made were in spite of the fact that both Huard and Croyle were running for their life the whole season. If the Oline can give a little protection and LJ can get his act together, Bowe will shine as well at KC as on any top line team in the league. Remember the poor first year seasons that Manning and Brady had. They aren't the best today because of their own play. The supporting cast is why they lead the league.

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  5. Dallas Wilson about 1 year ago

    good, point. i didnt see it like that.

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  6. Ryan Marsh about 1 year ago

    If anything, Bowe has an even better chance of succeeding because he is KC's go to guy. Ron is totally right, there hasnt been one QB in the history to do it all himself, football doesnt work that way. Whoever gave this idiot his job needs to be canned, he just wasted 10 minutes of my life. Watch "Dallas", Croyle to Bowe will be a household name in the next year or two, mark my words! GO CHIEFS!

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  7. Mark Nunja about 1 year ago

    I am so angry that the Colts drafted Peyton Manning. 3-13, Jim Mora is the coach, ran Marshall Faulk out of town. Lamont Warren? Jerome Pathon? Who? This team is a wreck. It's a shame Peyton Manning won't get to play for a contender. What a waste of a career.

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  8. Dallas Wilson about 1 year ago

    Wow... I was practically still in diapers then. Good example. Joey Harrington was thrust in to fast on a bad team and look at what happened to him. Same with Akili Smith and Ryan Leaf. Im just saying he would be more productive out of KC. For now at least.

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  9. Tiny Evel about 1 year ago

    WTF? Are you a Colts or (even worse) Donks or Faiders homer or something. Bowe almost broke 1000 with a rookie and a backup as QBs with an O line that had the strength of tin foil (generic brand, not even Reynolds quality). HE's exactly the smash n grab kind of WR Herm is counting on, our #1 guy in his second year. He'll rule the offense this year. GO BOWE!

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  10. Dallas Wilson about 1 year ago

    Yeah, he dominated with a bad qb. Im just saying hed be a Hall of Famer on a better team.

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  11. Scott Ferguson about 1 year ago

    Bowe would never see near as many throws his way on any other team as he had in KC. In KC he is the number one guy, in Indy he would still be number 3 behind two guys who are going to get their catches. The only rerason Anothony Gonzales got throws his way was because Marvin Harrison went out with an injury. This year he will be lucky to see 50 catches while Bowe should top 100. Bowe is in an ideal situation where he is the man for the passing game.

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  12. Dallas Wilson about 1 year ago

    Yeah but Marvin wont produce much this year: hes done.

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  13. Dallas Wilson about 1 year ago

    Yeah but Marvin wont produce much this year: hes done.

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  14. James Green about 1 year ago

    Maybe Arizona should trade Larry Fitzgerald and Boldin, Buffalo should get rid of Lee Evans, Texans should trade away Andre Davis. With Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay now I guess Green Bay should trade away Jennings and Donald Driver. Any good wide receiver in the NFL deserves to be traded to a better team. That's want I want to see in the NFL, is it to be lopsided every year because I enjoy seeing the same teams in the playoffs every year. No team deserves the right to rebuild. Maybe the Chiefs should trade Glenn Dorsey now to give him a fair chance in the NFL. What kind of idiot are you, yes Bowe will develope into an even greater player, he has the opportunity to make Kansas City into his team. He would not have the same opportunity on any other team where you already have the Marvin Harrison's and the Randy Moss'; he would constantly be overshadowed by the veteran talent. Look at Reggie Wayne, he had a huge year but when you look at that receiving corps it's still Marvin Harrison's team in regard to receivers. Reggie Wayne would had not had the season he did with a healthy Harrison on the team. Bowe, even with Harrison out would still had played the role of an Anthony Gonzalez on the Colts, even though Bowe is a bigger talent. Brodie Croyle has a a strong and accurate arm, with the help of a new and better offensive line he will flourish this coming season, especially going into the season as the #1 guy and Bowe being in OTA's and training camp from day one, both on the same page in a new offense. Kansas City could be the biggest surprise of the 2008 season.

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  15. Dallas Wilson about 1 year ago

    It wasnt a serious article, i was just saying hed b better elsewhere. Im nt saying he shud actually b traded.

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  1. James Green about 1 year ago

    Well unfortunately for you, he is going to turn the #82 into a staple around KC for a while. He quickly made us forget about Dante Hall, who wore that Jersey before him. He probably has the best selling jersey in Kansas City as we speak, though I'm sure the Dorsey jersey's are getting out there.

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  2. Dallas Wilson about 1 year ago

    Im still mad that they traded Dante: hes my favorite player.

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  3. non stupid about 1 year ago

    Too funny. They played 15 games last year? First of many mistakes.

    Are you sure your not a Dallas player and not just named Dal las

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  4. Ian Brennan about 1 year ago

    Dallas you are retarded!!!! point made but i will go on..... D-bowe hada phenomenal year last year better than alot of stars did their rookie years.... The chiefs have a rushing attack that should be back this year, they have an offensive line that will be better and will grow with each other This team can't get much worse than they were last year, and they will only get better, I can't belive you have a job as a sports writer, seriously a trade, after the chiefs had a bad season after not being in the bottom of thier league for how long, im sorry you have a man crush on Bowe and want to see him win, which he will in a matter of time, but seriously if thats what you are going to write, you suck

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  5. FRANK YRAY about 1 year ago

    Dallas good read if you want my opinion on the chefs I'll give it from a scotting from my team the raiders. Bowe is a very tallented reciever I watched him play at lsu as well, I love his hands first. He rarely drops a ball in his zip code( last one I remember was at LSU vs Ark. Second very strong able to body up on lighter speed corners and fend them off the line in press nd arm extention while breaking to to get the ball.I think we differ in speed and I think KC uses him wrong. They send him on 9's and goes alot and that's not how I would use him at all. 4.55 was the time Iremember and against Nnamdi Asomugha who runs sub 4.4's he ain't going deep unless 21 slips and falls on a wet field in oakland.
    I would play him over the midle in motion s a zone buster as the slot of a 3 wr set no fb 1 te then you get the fast guys out side the strong guys inside. If routt is on bowe bowe wins the short cross the dig the hook the slant and kc moves the chains against the best passing defense in the west.
    Dallas only the way I see it
    Also the line for KC is bad and it would help croyal to take 3 steps and hit bowe for confidence rythum and to set up the running game loosening up the box for lj!

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  6. Kyle Sandenmemouthburger about 1 year ago

    Learn how to spell if you are going to write about anything. There are so many puntuation problems it is terrible. It's funny how dumb you are.

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  7. Joe Edwards about 1 year ago

    Pure idiocy. For starters, Bowe would never reach those numbers as a slot receiver in Indy. If anything, Bowe was helped often by the lack of the offense as well, because it led to their being no other real options at WR. While other teams might give him a better QB, they'd also give him more competition for the ball. Second, the article is completely ignorant of the idea of creating a team. By this philosophy, all first rounders on non-competitive teams would be traded to competitive teams. The point of players like Bowe is to IMPROVE the offense that was, yes, bad. Much like Peyton Manning, the example used earlier. Or Ladainian Tomlinson. Chad Johnson in Cincy. The idea is to add more players like Bowe, not get rid of the few that are that caliber.

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    • Dallas Wilson about 1 year ago

      This article wasn't really calling for a trade. I was just saying he would be more productive on a different team. He would have dominated o the Colt's because he wouldn't be a slot reciever. With Harrison out of the picture he would have put up the stats Reggie Wayne normaly does.

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  8. jim mcafee about 1 year ago

    id·i·o·cy (d--s)
    n. pl. id·i·o·cies
    1. Extreme folly or stupidity.
    2. A foolish or stupid utterance or deed.
    3. Psychology The state or condition of being an idiot; profound mental retardation.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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  9. David Reed about 1 year ago

    There is only one statement which will approriatly Address the author and the Raider fan...
    PUT THE CRACK PIPE DOWN AND MOVE AWAY SLOWLY!!!!!

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  10. Dylan Wilson about 1 year ago

    Dude u guys are retarded. Look at the stats, the chiefs need to use him right or get rid of him.

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  11. Brandon Heshee about 1 year ago

    Good read, Dallas.

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  12. David Haddock about 1 year ago

    Dallas:

    I thought your article was based on nothing more than your opinion. You have absolutely zero facts to back up your opinion. You have a man crush on Bowe? Great. Ask him out for a date...leave real football analysis to those who have studied it and know what they are talking about. Look at all the posts Dallas. The vast majority disagree with your opinion...might mean your opinion is wrong. In fact, I'll go ahead and say it..."your opinion is wrong."

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  13. Nikil Ramanathan about 1 year ago

    I find the article quite a bit pretentious. Yes the obvious mistakes off 4-11 and Gonzalez last name are evident. But I can't seem to grasp the point of your article. I understand it is your opinion but is their any concrete evidence to back up your "argument?".

    First, you state the the tragedy began when Bowe was born. That makes no sense and does not logically follow with your claim that Kansas City has killed Bowe.

    Second, you talk about pairing up Bowe with Peyton Manning. Last time I checked, Gonzalez had far fewer receptions and yards than Bowe did last season, and that was with the absence of Marvin Harrison. Seems like Bowe has the good life to me.

    Thirdly, your projected numbers for Bowe are insane. No wide receiver in the NFL caught 100 passes, has over 1500 yards and scored 12 times. Basically, you are telling me that Dwayne Bowe is the best wide receiver in all of football. Sorry, I cannot buy that.

    Finally, Bowe has been used plenty in the KC offense. Plus, this year with LJ back to full strength, the Chiefs offense will once again put up points. Keep in mind that last year the Chiefs running game was the worst in the league, their passing offense was 20th in the league, which is middle of the pack. Bowe nearly had 1000 yards in his rookie season, a feat accomplished by very few receivers. The third year is when most wideouts excel, and I can see Bowe developing into a great wideout right in the middle of Kansas City.

    And as an avid fan of football, I do know who Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle are. And when you talk about the Chiefs 9-7 season, keep in mind that was with a healthy Larry Johnson. And, Huard that season went 5-2 after the week 3 bye week, including 5 games of 200+ yards passing. So he certainly can be an adequate starter in this league.

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  14. Chad Hogan 11 months ago

    I love how you say it killed Bowes career when he was drafted by KC. He was 5 yards short of 1,000 and im pretty sure the last time I checked he's a rookie and has plenty of years left in him. How many rookie WR's do you see get 995 yards? The Chiefs had no running game thus the #32 in the league in rushing because of a LJ injury. The Chiefs had no O-line only Brain Waters, with basicly a rookie QB in Brodie Croyle. So with no LJ, a terrible O-line, and a beginer QB its very amazing that Bowe got so many yards. If Bowe was drafted by Indy then what happens this season with Harrison healthy? He's the number three WR and will get very very few catches and yards. That will stay the same until Harrison ritires but Bowe would still be behind Wayne. Bowe is the number one reciver for the Chiefs and he will have a great career with them. Think before you make an artical and get opinions from more then one person, because you acted like a grade schooler that is mad that some other kid is playing with the toy you wanted to play with.

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  15. Chad Hogan 11 months ago

    P.S. Dallas your not a Chiefs fan. Don't ever call yourself a Chiefs fan ever again. Your not welcomed in the Chiefs family.

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