The Sports Xchange

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs general manager John Dorsey was walking to a meeting with the Kansas City media when his phone beeped with an incoming text message. Dorsey would not identify the sender, other than to say it was a veteran and successful NFL defensive coordinator.

The text was about Dorsey’s selection in the first-round of the 2015 NFL Draft, University of Washington cornerback Marcus Peters.

Listed at 5-foot-11 1/2, 190 pounds, Peters was kicked off the Huskies football team in November last season after a series of confrontations with head coach Chris Petersen’s staff. That brought an end to a 34-game career at Washington, where he started 22 games, grabbed 11 interceptions, totaled 129 tackles and produced two defensive scores.

Dorsey said the text he received called Peters the best cornerback to come into the league in the past four years.

“He has the best ball skills of any defensive back in this draft,” Dorsey said. “I think he’s very physical in run support. I think he has an incredible feel for the game of football.”

Dorsey and Chiefs coach Andy Reid felt that the organization’s vetting process over the last few months gave them the confidence that Peters would help them on the field and wouldn’t be a problem.

Peters’ issues last season began early in the schedule when he was penalized during a game with Eastern Washington for head-butting a wide receiver. After he was pulled from the game, he threw his helmet and gloves during a sideline outburst. He was suspended for the next game.

In November, there was an argument with the coaches during Washington’s victory over Colorado. He missed practice three days later with no explanation, then got into an argument with an assistant coach during practice the following day. Peters was suspended Nov. 6.

“We feel comfortable bringing Marcus in here,” Reid said. “We all make mistakes at times in life. Marcus realizes that. We feel comfortable he realizes that. It was an emotional situation, and he didn’t handle it the right way. I think he’s learned from it from our experience with him.

“He was upfront with us. He said, ‘I goofed.’ That’s half the battle, if you know the issue. This guy is so competitive, he let his competitive juices get carried away. You learn to handle them. That’s the maturing process that comes with young guys.”

The Chiefs met with Peters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February, and they brought him to Kansas City for a personal visit in early April. Earlier this week, they sent director of player personnel Chris Ballard to Oakland, Calif., to meet with Peters and his family. Reid had long discussions with Petersen and former Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, who is now at Southern California.