Steve Spagnuolo spent much of his year out of coaching m

KANSAS CITY Tyreek Hill Jersey , Mo. (AP) — aking the 45-minute drive from his home in Philadelphia to the headquarters of NFL Films in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.Spagnuolo had finished a tour as the interim coach of the New York Giants and missed out on the full-time job after the season. He turned down an assistant coaching offer and decided instead to spend the season recharging his proverbial batteries while getting a different perspective on the league.No better place to do that than the repository for all NFL game film.“I’m glad I did it. There might have been another year I should have done it,” said Spagnuolo, who was hired a couple weeks go to be Andy Reid’s defensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs.“I found it to be both challenging and rewarding,” he explained Wednesday. “The challenge was missing football, missing the camaraderie of the players and coaches. The reward was to sit back and see a big picture of the NFL and the game of football, as opposed to being in these buildings during the season with blinders on. Just a big-picture view of the league, the game of football.”While ensconced at NFL Films headquarters, the former St. Louis Rams head coach had plenty of time to check out the Chiefs, whose Super Bowl run came up short in the AFC title game.One of the clearest reasons? Their defense, which ranked near the bottom of the league in almost every statistical category. In fact http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-demetrius-harris-jersey , it was the defense that failed to stop the New England Patriots in overtime of the championship game, preventing Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of their dynamic offense from even getting onto the field in the extra session.More than anything else it was that performance that sealed the fate of longtime defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. He was fired within days of the season ending, and almost his entire staff was let go, found jobs elsewhere or, in the case of Emmitt Thomas, simply retired.Now, it is up to Spagnuolo to turn around the Chiefs’ weak spot.“I don’t really go backward. I’m not going to pass judgment,” Spagnuolo said. “I think the world of Bob Sutton. Bob and I have known each other a long time. A change was made — coach Reid made that decision — I’m just happy I was able to fall into what I think is a great position.”There are certainly pieces in place for a quick turnaround. There are also some crucial decisions to be made in short order.Top pass rusher Dee Ford is due to become a free agent, though the Chiefs are expected to place the franchise tag on him as they pursue a long-term deal. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is coming off a breakout season and is eligible to sign an extension, while the albatross contracts of safety Eric Berry and linebacker Justin Houston must be dealt with in some fashion. Perhaps they get restructured. Perhaps the two elder statesmen are released. Either way, the Chiefs could sorely use the salary cap relief to shore up other areas of the defense.They also have the draft in April Womens Armani Watts Jersey , and a first-round pick for the first time in two years, though they spent nearly all their picks on defense last season, with modest returns.“This is a process. There are no quick fixes. There is no magic wand,” Spagnuolo said. “One person does not assure success, but we’ll do everything to put something together.”Spagnuolo acknowledged in an interview Wednesday the lure of the Chiefs, who are well-positioned to chase championships for years. They have one of the most stable ownerships in the NFL, a highly respected head coach in Reid, the reigning league MVP in the 23-year-old Mahomes, and plenty of high-powered talent on offense to keep pace with just about any other team.The biggest piece missing is a defense that can get off the field when it matters most.Like overtime of the AFC championship game.“You won’t touch a defensive coach in the NFL that wouldn’t want to be on a team with, A, a really good head football coach and Dorian O'Daniel Jersey , B, a really good quarterback,” Spagnuolo said. “It goes without saying I’m really excited to be part of an organization that has an elite quarterback, and quite frankly to work with Andy Reid again, and what he’s all about and what he’s meant to this franchise and the league as a whole is really, really special.” The NFL MVP will be part of a new school that will teach American football to British teenagers." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteArrowhead PrideArrowhead Pride | Kansas City Chiefs Schedule, News, Roster and StatsLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpSeriesLatest NewsFanpostsFanshotsCommunityAboutStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteSeries Stagner ThingsLottery Tickets ’19Summer of SpagsDixon’s MailbagLatest News Fanposts Most recentMost activeFanshots Community Community GuidelinesContactAbout StubHub ✕Patrick Mahomes will serve as ambassador to new London football academyNew,22commentsThe NFL MVP will be part of a new school that will teach American football to British teenagers.CDTShareTweetShareSharePatrick Mahomes will serve as ambassador to new London football academyPhoto by Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesKansas City Chiefs quarterback (and NFL MVP) Patrick Mahomes will be among the current and former NFL players who will be part of a new academy to encourage British students to learn about American football, and possibly play in the NCAA and NFL.According to London newpaper The Evening Standard, the new academy — based at Barnet and Southgate College — will open in north London this September with about eighty students who will be selected in tryouts over the next few months.Six American football coaches have been recruited to work full-time at the academy.Mahomes — along with other NFL stars like Odell Beckham Jr. http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-derrick-nnadi-jersey , Juju Smith-Schuster, Jerry Rice, Jason Bell, Jay Ajayi, Osi Umenyiora and Efe Obada— will serve in “ambassadorial” roles, and will visit the school at least once a year. Ajayi and Umenyiora were born in Britain, and Obada grew up there.Mahomes has no known British connection, but that might not last — at least according to friend-of-the-site Tom Martin of KCTV5.Ajayi was present for the launch announcement at the NFL’s London office, and told the Standard it was about time for there to be an American equivalent to the British academy system that teaches football (what Americans would call “soccer”) to kids.“It’s a crazy thing in my mind because knowing what the academy system means to kids in London in football,” Ajayi said. “Now to have an American football academy here for kids that are passionate about it and want to chase that dream is really important.”It is not yet clear if no-look passes will be part of the school’s curriculum.Kidding.Maybe.