Kansas City Chiefs Tickets

The Kansas City Chiefs were pretty awful last season, which meant some significant offseason changes were expected heading into 2009.

The first move came in the front office, with Scott Pioli coming in from New England to take over as general manager. The team then let Herman Edwards go, bringing in Todd Haley.

Pioli then made his big move of the offseason, trading for Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Matt Vrabel in exchange for a draft pick.

The team then continued to acquire veteran linebackers, signing Zach Thomas to a one-year deal.

Thomas and Vrabel should help the defense, but it will be more from a leadership standpoint than anything else. Both players are well past their prime and not likely to make a major statistical impact.

The Chiefs should be improved this year, especially if they can get Larry Johnson focused and motivated to play. Johnson wants to be traded, but I'm guessing the Chiefs will hold onto him.

The schedule makers didn't do Kansas City any favors, as they get the honor of opening up their season in the loudest stadium in the NFL against one of its toughest teams, the Baltimore Ravens.

Outside of a home game against Oakland Week 2, the first six games are a brutal stretch. They follow the Raiders with four straight against NFC East opponents, which isn't the way Cassell and Co. would like to spend October.