~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's easy to forget how lucky we are.
It's easy to forget how far we've come.
It's hard to forget the man who's responsible.
Scott Pioli: What a Difference 3 Years can Make
The signing of Jared Gaither on Thursday marks, what I would consider, the conclusion of the Kansas City Chiefs 2011 offseason. It was a somewhat quiet, yet very effective 2 weeks for Kansas City that mostly flew under the national radar. Yet, the Chiefs were able to keep their own (Tamba Hali - really don't need Shaun Smith), while improving in most of their weak points (FB, WR, NT, OT, ILB - only OLB left unscathed). It almost resembled a Madden offseason where you can easily identify your weaknesses by overall ratings, and make your free agent acquisitions accordingly.
This all got me to thinking. Have the Chiefs filled all of their holes now? Now obviously they haven't with elite talent at every position, but it's hard to look at this team and say they have a definite need right now. Which brought me back to 2-3 years ago, when it was hard to find a position that you could say WASN'T a definite need And, well, that got me concluding...
Scott Pioli is the fuckin' man.
(To be completely fair, the turnaround began with that 2008 Draft class, which has the potential to go down as one of the best of all time.)
Lets take a look, position by position, at how this team has evolved from their 2-14 season in 2008 to where they stand heading into 2011...
Quarterbacks:
2008 - Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard, Crodie Broyle, Quinn Gray (!) - Pu pu extradionaire. I got love for Huard because of his magical 2006 season (yea I said it), and Thigpen because he atleast entertained me. The only inspiration I ever got from Cruddie was to write this.
2011 - Icy Matt Cassel, Rick Stanz, something called a Palko - While we may not know Cassel's ceiling, we know that, at worst, he is average. The big question is if can he be the QB on a Super Bowl caliber team?
Running Backs:
2008 - Larry Johnson, infantile Jamaal, Kolby Train - I couldn't be happier that LJ is no longer the face of the organization. My lasting memory of him will forever be him sitting in his New York penthouse on Hard Knocks, in his holdout, wondering if Jay-Z really likes him or not. And hittin' bitches.
2011 - God Jam Chauls, Thomas Jones, LeRon McClain (4 capitals!) - What might be the best backfield in the NFL. I hope the Chiefs stick with the plan of limiting Jamaal's carries, keeping him healthy and prolonging his career.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:
2008 - Tony Gonzalez, Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley (!), Devard Darling (!!) - Tight End is the only position I can see that was better in 2008 than what it is in 2011.
2011 - D-Pro Bowe Show, Jonny Baldwin, Steve Breaston, Tony Mohee-yahki - The Bee's Knees, B3PO, The B-Headed Monster, The B Musketeers > Killer B's. For real analysis read this.
Offensive Line:
2008 - Baby Branden Albert, Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger, Wade Smith, Damion McIntosh - They got Brodie Croyle killed. He never stood a chance behind this line!!!
2011 - Grown man Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah, Casey Wiegmann, Ryan Lilja, Barry Richardson/Jared Gaither - The overachievers of last season got rid of their underachiever and added a potential monster at RT (literally - he's 6'9), and will rely on the potential shown by Asamoah. But leave Albert alone at Left Tackle, it annoys me to hear people discuss moving him to RT so much.
Defensive Line:
2008 - Tamba Hali, Jason Babin, Tank Tyler, Turk McBride, Glenn Dorsey, Alfonso Boone - This was the year the Chiefs registered an NFL all time low of 10 sacks. These are the men responsible. Funny looking back that Tamba was playing out of position then.
2011 - Glenn Dorsey, Kelly Gregg, Ty Jax, Wallace D. Gilberry, Allen Bailey, Tony Toribio, Jerrell POW! - Dorsey is solid, Gregg is a mentor, Jackson will improve, Gilberry is the man, my buddy Bill is gay for Bailey, Toribio has a cool name, and Powe is a house.
Linebackers:
2008 - Derrick Johnson, Pat Thomas, Demorrio Williams, Rocky Boiman (!), Weston Dacus (!!), the corpse of Donnie Edwards - Possibly one of the worst linebacking units of all time? This is probably when DJ's depression began.
2011 - Muhammad Hali, Derrick Johnson, Jovan Belcher, Brandon Siler, Andy Studebakez, Justin Houston - The best positional battle this preseason should be between Jovan Belcher and Brandon Siler at the ILB position opposite DJ. Hopefully Houston develops anger management issues when he quits the ganja.
Defensive Backs:
2008 - Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Bernard Pollard, Jarrad Page, Patrick Surtain, Gavin McGraw, something called an Oliver Celestin - A phenomenal mixture of washed up vets, young promising corners, and overrated safeties.
2011 - Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Errrrric Berrrrrrrry, Ken Lewis, Javier Bardenas, Jon McG, Italian Stallion Piscatelli - If Kendrick Lewis pans out, this might be the best secondary this side of the Philadelphia. Flowers, Carr, and Berry will all make visits to Hawaii in their career (or wherever the Pro Bowl is played now).
Pioli rules.
Happy Chiefsmas,
His Dirkness
Showing posts with label scott pioli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scott pioli. Show all posts
Friday, August 12, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
What Chiefs Should Do in Free Agency
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Me and Matt Cassel bout to fuck this Dirkness hiatus up!
This NFL season could be completely insane. Nobody, including the teams themselves, has any idea who's been staying in shape all offseason and who's been doing bong rips and making 4 am trips to Whataburger (order the His Dirkness special next time). I think it might lead to the weirdest season yet, with players we're accustomed to playing at an elite level having down years, and relatively unknown players stepping into the limelight. Without a doubt, the teams with the highest level of dedication and character will benefit the most from the NFL Lockout.
This NFL "offseason" WILL be completely insane. We're about to see 6 months worth of transactions all rolled up into one week. There will be undrafted free agent signings, teams signing their draft picks (will be much easier than in year's past - thanks to this lockout), teams trying to retain their own free agents, the pursuit of other teams' free agents, trades, the peak of tickets sales, and the opening of training camps all in the next 5 days or so. I almost feel like we should go ahead and redo the NFL Draft (just throw it in there on Saturday). This week was the reason Twitter was created.
Now we get to the Chiefs. They're gonna have a ton of money to spend, but don't have a choice whether to spend it or not. They HAVE to spend somewhere from 30-40 million this offseason to reach the NFL's salary floor. While some of that money will go towards keeping what they've got (Tamba Hali and 2012 FA's Flowers, Carr, and Bowe), they'll have the chance to be very active in free agency. I don't expect them to target any of the "elite" free agents (a. because that's not Scott Pioli's style and b. only the Raiders and Redskins are foolish enough to do so), but I would expect a collection of solid, B-grade type players.
I fully expect the Chiefs to dominate this week. This was the reason we hired Scott Pioli.
I'm gonna offer up what I would like to see the Chiefs do over the next week (although, this is bound to change throughout the week as the options become clearer). Lets start with a little Roman style thumbs up/thumbs down with the Chiefs own free agents (thumbs up is a move to resign, thumbs down is cut off their head):
Ron Edwards - Thumbs up
Shaun Smith - Thumbs down
Casey Wiegmann - Thumbs up
Rudy Niswanger - Thumbs down
Jon McGraw - Thumbs down
Leonard Pope - Thumbs down
Ryan O'Callaghan - Thumbs up
Corey Mays - Thumbs up
Crodie Broyle - Thumbs up
Terrance Copper - Thumbs up
Kevin Curtis - does he count?
**Obviously, I'm lying about keeping Brodie Croyle. I wouldn't let him quarterback my flag football team if he were the last quarterback on the face of the earth and we were playing 8 year old girls (I'd take the forfeit). But I wanted to see if you were paying attention.**
Now we get to the meat of this post (Mmm mmm yeah, lets make it a sheboygan sausage too). Here are 10 free agents (in a particularly random order) that I'd like to see the Chiefs pursue this offseason (sorry Tiki Barber fans):
1. Stephen Tulloch, ILB, Titans - Often referred to as a "thumper", he would make an ideal compliment to Derrick Johnson's athleticism on the inside. Finishing 2nd in tackles in the NFL last season, he's basically a rich man's Jovan Belcher, the man he'd be replacing.
2. Paul Posluszny, ILB, Bills - While Tulloch finished 2nd in tackles last season, Poz finished 3rd. This team needs a run stuffing inside linebacker, and while I'm a big Belcher fan, he's more suited for backup duties. Poz might make a better defensive leader than Tulloch, so I think he would be my #1 choice.
3. Aubrayo Franklin, NT, 49ers - Don't know much about him, but he is the only notable nose tackle available in free agency. He would appear to be an upgrade over Ron Edwards, but you'll almost assuredly have to overpay to get him. (NOTE: 38 year old Pat Williams named the Chiefs as one of his preferred destinations today. He weighs 400 pounds. Seriously.)
4. Santana Moss, WR, Redskins - I'm not too crazy about the list of available wide receivers. The Chiefs are already equipped with two big, physical, possession style WR's, so what they're in need of is a smart, quick WR to find holes over the middle of the field (not sold on McCluster being that guy). Also, I like the idea of bringing in a veteran mentor for both Bowe and Baldwin.
5. Steve Smith, WR, Giants - This is the other WR I like on the open market. Fits the mold of a potential crafty slot receiver. Look, the time is now for Matt Cassel. Adding yet another option at WR gives him all the necessary weapons to succeed RIGHT NOW. We must determine if he is our long term answer at QB. An additional WR would turn a big weakness from last season into a potential strength this season.
6. Matt Roth, OLB, Browns - His numbers won't wow you, but he's more adept in the running game than he is getting after the QB. He won't provide the Chiefs with a stud opposite Muhammad Hali, but he would provide some serious depth at the position. Wanna know more? Read this.
7. Le'Ron McClain, FB, Ravens - The most likely Chiefs signee from this list. McClain is the beloved fat back that could shine opposite God Jam Char, and could potentially solve the Chiefs 3rd and 1 issues from last season. However, we wouldn't get to hear Charles say "Cox all up in there" anymore.
8. Willie Colon, RT, Steelers - I'm a Barry Richardson kinda guy. If you give him another year to develop, I think he'll figure things out. Howevvvvvvva, if Pioli is ready to move on, then so am I! Colon missed all of 2010 (a bad thing) and the Steelers severely struggled protecting Lil' Ben (good thing).
9. Vince Young, QB, Titans - Nope, he's not a free agent yet, but he will be. The Chiefs can either sign a backup QB or take their chances with Ricky Stanzi this year (better than Cruddie). People say VY is a head case, but damn can he win some football games. 30-17 career record in the NFL. If nobody else is interested in him, I'd love taking a chance with him.
10. Steve Smith, WR, Panthers - Not a free agent, and not even considered available really, but a man can dream! I was struck with a premonition soon after the Chiefs bowed out of last year's playoffs that Smith would be the perfect compliment to D-Bowe. Since then, he has demanded a trade, making it somewhat realistic. Would I be willing to give up a draft pick to get him? Yes, yes i would.
Happy Holidays everybody,
his dirkness
Me and Matt Cassel bout to fuck this Dirkness hiatus up!
This NFL season could be completely insane. Nobody, including the teams themselves, has any idea who's been staying in shape all offseason and who's been doing bong rips and making 4 am trips to Whataburger (order the His Dirkness special next time). I think it might lead to the weirdest season yet, with players we're accustomed to playing at an elite level having down years, and relatively unknown players stepping into the limelight. Without a doubt, the teams with the highest level of dedication and character will benefit the most from the NFL Lockout.
This NFL "offseason" WILL be completely insane. We're about to see 6 months worth of transactions all rolled up into one week. There will be undrafted free agent signings, teams signing their draft picks (will be much easier than in year's past - thanks to this lockout), teams trying to retain their own free agents, the pursuit of other teams' free agents, trades, the peak of tickets sales, and the opening of training camps all in the next 5 days or so. I almost feel like we should go ahead and redo the NFL Draft (just throw it in there on Saturday). This week was the reason Twitter was created.
Now we get to the Chiefs. They're gonna have a ton of money to spend, but don't have a choice whether to spend it or not. They HAVE to spend somewhere from 30-40 million this offseason to reach the NFL's salary floor. While some of that money will go towards keeping what they've got (Tamba Hali and 2012 FA's Flowers, Carr, and Bowe), they'll have the chance to be very active in free agency. I don't expect them to target any of the "elite" free agents (a. because that's not Scott Pioli's style and b. only the Raiders and Redskins are foolish enough to do so), but I would expect a collection of solid, B-grade type players.
I fully expect the Chiefs to dominate this week. This was the reason we hired Scott Pioli.
I'm gonna offer up what I would like to see the Chiefs do over the next week (although, this is bound to change throughout the week as the options become clearer). Lets start with a little Roman style thumbs up/thumbs down with the Chiefs own free agents (thumbs up is a move to resign, thumbs down is cut off their head):
Ron Edwards - Thumbs up
Shaun Smith - Thumbs down
Casey Wiegmann - Thumbs up
Rudy Niswanger - Thumbs down
Jon McGraw - Thumbs down
Leonard Pope - Thumbs down
Ryan O'Callaghan - Thumbs up
Corey Mays - Thumbs up
Crodie Broyle - Thumbs up
Terrance Copper - Thumbs up
Jackie Battle - Thumbs up
Travis Daniels - Thumbs down
Tim Castille - Thumbs down
Charlie Anderson - never heard of himKevin Curtis - does he count?
**Obviously, I'm lying about keeping Brodie Croyle. I wouldn't let him quarterback my flag football team if he were the last quarterback on the face of the earth and we were playing 8 year old girls (I'd take the forfeit). But I wanted to see if you were paying attention.**
Now we get to the meat of this post (Mmm mmm yeah, lets make it a sheboygan sausage too). Here are 10 free agents (in a particularly random order) that I'd like to see the Chiefs pursue this offseason (sorry Tiki Barber fans):
1. Stephen Tulloch, ILB, Titans - Often referred to as a "thumper", he would make an ideal compliment to Derrick Johnson's athleticism on the inside. Finishing 2nd in tackles in the NFL last season, he's basically a rich man's Jovan Belcher, the man he'd be replacing.
2. Paul Posluszny, ILB, Bills - While Tulloch finished 2nd in tackles last season, Poz finished 3rd. This team needs a run stuffing inside linebacker, and while I'm a big Belcher fan, he's more suited for backup duties. Poz might make a better defensive leader than Tulloch, so I think he would be my #1 choice.
3. Aubrayo Franklin, NT, 49ers - Don't know much about him, but he is the only notable nose tackle available in free agency. He would appear to be an upgrade over Ron Edwards, but you'll almost assuredly have to overpay to get him. (NOTE: 38 year old Pat Williams named the Chiefs as one of his preferred destinations today. He weighs 400 pounds. Seriously.)
4. Santana Moss, WR, Redskins - I'm not too crazy about the list of available wide receivers. The Chiefs are already equipped with two big, physical, possession style WR's, so what they're in need of is a smart, quick WR to find holes over the middle of the field (not sold on McCluster being that guy). Also, I like the idea of bringing in a veteran mentor for both Bowe and Baldwin.
5. Steve Smith, WR, Giants - This is the other WR I like on the open market. Fits the mold of a potential crafty slot receiver. Look, the time is now for Matt Cassel. Adding yet another option at WR gives him all the necessary weapons to succeed RIGHT NOW. We must determine if he is our long term answer at QB. An additional WR would turn a big weakness from last season into a potential strength this season.
6. Matt Roth, OLB, Browns - His numbers won't wow you, but he's more adept in the running game than he is getting after the QB. He won't provide the Chiefs with a stud opposite Muhammad Hali, but he would provide some serious depth at the position. Wanna know more? Read this.
7. Le'Ron McClain, FB, Ravens - The most likely Chiefs signee from this list. McClain is the beloved fat back that could shine opposite God Jam Char, and could potentially solve the Chiefs 3rd and 1 issues from last season. However, we wouldn't get to hear Charles say "Cox all up in there" anymore.
8. Willie Colon, RT, Steelers - I'm a Barry Richardson kinda guy. If you give him another year to develop, I think he'll figure things out. Howevvvvvvva, if Pioli is ready to move on, then so am I! Colon missed all of 2010 (a bad thing) and the Steelers severely struggled protecting Lil' Ben (good thing).
9. Vince Young, QB, Titans - Nope, he's not a free agent yet, but he will be. The Chiefs can either sign a backup QB or take their chances with Ricky Stanzi this year (better than Cruddie). People say VY is a head case, but damn can he win some football games. 30-17 career record in the NFL. If nobody else is interested in him, I'd love taking a chance with him.
10. Steve Smith, WR, Panthers - Not a free agent, and not even considered available really, but a man can dream! I was struck with a premonition soon after the Chiefs bowed out of last year's playoffs that Smith would be the perfect compliment to D-Bowe. Since then, he has demanded a trade, making it somewhat realistic. Would I be willing to give up a draft pick to get him? Yes, yes i would.
Happy Holidays everybody,
his dirkness
Monday, October 18, 2010
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have returned from my first experience of cheering on my Kansas City Chiefs on the road, in another team's home stadium. Everything about the game was magical up until the final 30 seconds, which was obviously a bummer. It was the kind of trip that doesn't gain true perspective until you're able to look past the result of the game and focus on the total experience. I will offer some lightning quick analysis before telling the story of the game through numerous pictures and videos, sure to entertain you.
Quick analysis: It sucked how well we played as a team for 3 1/2 quarters, but weren't able to close it out. We ran all over one of the top run defenses in the NFL, and Matt Cassel got into his first true rhythm of the season. Dwayne Bowe made me look good for sticking up for him all week by going off for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, the defense, which had played so well this season, gave up four straight touchdowns to the high-powered Texans. It's no shame allowing a lot of points to one of the better offenses in the league, you just wish they could've stopped them one more time, or at least held them to a field goal to set up a game-deciding coin toss. The biggest play of debate was the 3rd and 2 tight end throwback, a play that always seems to work, and one that I didn't mind at the time. However, as time has progressed, so has my hatred for that play call. You're a running team. You'd been running all over them all day. You have a coach that would most likely go for it if presented with a 4th and 1. Unquestionably, you have to run the ball there. My biggest fear now is that the team (particularly the defense) has lost some confidence and/or swagger and carries the end of this game over to the next. If they're able to let it go, and play to the level they've set for themselves, the AFC West is the Chiefs division to lose.
On to the pictures.....
I have returned from my first experience of cheering on my Kansas City Chiefs on the road, in another team's home stadium. Everything about the game was magical up until the final 30 seconds, which was obviously a bummer. It was the kind of trip that doesn't gain true perspective until you're able to look past the result of the game and focus on the total experience. I will offer some lightning quick analysis before telling the story of the game through numerous pictures and videos, sure to entertain you.
Quick analysis: It sucked how well we played as a team for 3 1/2 quarters, but weren't able to close it out. We ran all over one of the top run defenses in the NFL, and Matt Cassel got into his first true rhythm of the season. Dwayne Bowe made me look good for sticking up for him all week by going off for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, the defense, which had played so well this season, gave up four straight touchdowns to the high-powered Texans. It's no shame allowing a lot of points to one of the better offenses in the league, you just wish they could've stopped them one more time, or at least held them to a field goal to set up a game-deciding coin toss. The biggest play of debate was the 3rd and 2 tight end throwback, a play that always seems to work, and one that I didn't mind at the time. However, as time has progressed, so has my hatred for that play call. You're a running team. You'd been running all over them all day. You have a coach that would most likely go for it if presented with a 4th and 1. Unquestionably, you have to run the ball there. My biggest fear now is that the team (particularly the defense) has lost some confidence and/or swagger and carries the end of this game over to the next. If they're able to let it go, and play to the level they've set for themselves, the AFC West is the Chiefs division to lose.
On to the pictures.....
 |
| Dirkness' home away from home: The American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks. |
 |
| They had a cool system where you park away from the stadium and ride the Metro. |
 |
| These Chiefs fans hooked us up with beer and gave us the scoop on where the hottest chicks in the parking lot were. |
There were Chiefs fans everywhere, especially when walking around the parking lot. Every pack of Texan tailgaters had at least one token Chiefs fans to display proper tailgating techniques. Texans fans were nice, even the one who yelled, "Get a haircut," presumably at some nerd behind us.
 |
| Clearly a Donald Washington jersey |
 |
| This dude's Matt Schaub jersey read "Thanks Atlanta" |
 |
| Beer for 4 dollars?!? And it was Shock Top on tap.... |
 |
| We took the Texans pregame festivities very seriously. |
 |
| Todd Haley playing catch with Tyler Palko before the game. He had a designated receiver so he wouldn't injure a finger. |
 |
| A fine looking modern gentleman inside Reliant Stadium |
 |
| Chiefs cuddle puddle before the game |
 |
| Scott Pioli paying off the ref and Clark Hunt acknowledging us for yelling like crazy people at him. |
 |
| President George Bush (the good one). Probably the closest I will ever get to a president. I could have spit on him. |
 |
| We asked the President to take this picture for us. Fantastic seats. |
We sat 3rd row right by the Texans' entrance tunnel. Andre Johnson made love to me with his eyes.
 |
| Picture sparked an interesting debate. Mike Vrabel or President Bush? |
 |
| D-Bowe's touchdown. No shortage of highlight plays for us to cheer about. |
Players heading into the locker room at halftime. Some boo's. A nice beard. For some reason I sound like I'm cheering them on. I should've tried to get Pollard to attack me. Yea refs I see YOU!
 |
| Demeco Ryans tore his achilles and was escorted out right by us. He denied my interview request but took my business card. |
Pivotal play of the game. Non-call on Andre Johnson was bad enough, but to call Pass Interference on Brandon Flowers may have made this the worst call I've ever seen. Peter King called it the worst Pass Interference call of the year.
 |
| Three dejected Chiefs fans after taking the walk of shame around the entire stadium. Needless to say, abuse took place. |
And remember kids, Fuck Texas.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Congratulations Chiefs Fans: 3-0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The End of the Dark Ages"
In the immortal words of Joe Namath on that painfully repeated NFL Network commercial, "We did it...We did it." Fans that stuck with the Chiefs through these last three seasons have paid their dues and can now sit back and enjoy relevancy once again. We have seen mountaintop (or maybe in this case, mountainbottom) and it was pretty bleak. Ten wins in three seasons (or more specifically. a 3-30 stretch from '07-'09) is enough to turn off even the most devoted of fans. I ask, though, does it not make it all the sweeter? Is success really that enjoyable without the proper context of what failure feels like? For example, ask a Colts fan how much fun the regular season is nowadays. It's more of a process and a waiting period for the playoffs for them. It's like preseason. So I'd like to personally (Dirkally) dedicate this 3-0 start to those fans that stayed loyal to the Chiefs, who gutted out the tenures of Eddie Drummond, Lance Long, Rocky Boiman, and Mike Goff and games like the 2007 13-10 OT loss to the Jets (maybe the worst played game ever), giving up 54 points to the (now unemployed) Trent Edwards led Bills in 2008, and last year's 44-13 home defeat to the hated Broncos (which I don't even remember). Enjoy everything all this week, all bye week, and all season because the Chiefs are back, and most likely here to stay for a while.
The great part about our situation is that the players have gone, and are going, through much of the same things that us, the fans, are. We have this young nucleus of talent that has all gone through the growing pains of the last three seasons together and are now growing up together. Together. And we have Scott Pioli to thank for a lot of that, but we also have to give a secondary thank you to Dr. Herman Edwards for that 2008 draft class (Dorsey, Albert, Flowers, Charles, Carr- Wowza). Combine that with the quickest impacting draft class I HAVE EVER SEEN (Berry, McCluster, Arenas, Moeaki, Lewis), and you might be looking at the most young talent on any team in the league. They seem to all like playing together and seem to feed off each other's energy, which is a unique quality that most great teams have. And it's all happened so unbelievably quickly, that it's hard to remember just how disjointed our team looked at times last year. We went from a faint resemblance of an NFL team to what will be one of three remaining undefeated teams after tonight (KC, Pitt, GB/Chi).
If anybody out there still doubts how important coaching in the NFL is, then they need to closely examine what the Chiefs have been doing this year. Todd Haley took his lumps last year, but he painted Mike Singletary's face white yesterday in the 31-3 victory (wait, they scored a TD?). He embarrassed Singletary by taking advantage of his old school beliefs with a little new age strategery. He played mind games with him on a 4th and 1 before, surprisingly, just going for it (get that man a Guinness!) and converting easily. His next move was a surprise onside kick that would've worked to perfection if not for an offsides penalty. Haley then capped it off with a Wildcat reverse flea-flicker executed beautifully. Checkmate! People have criticized him for his use of the JamaAL/Tom Jones duet this year, but I'd say the #1 rushing offense in the NFL is proof of proper management (he's clearly saving Charles so he can last the whole season while feeding the workhorse that is Jonesy). Haley has grown up as an NFL coach at the same rate as his young nucleus of players. Like a perfect storm.
That paragraph was supposed to include some Romeo Crennel love, but instead, he'll have to get his own, along with the rest of the defense, the most surprising phase of the 2010 Chiefs. Obviously, Colonel Crennel has been the biggest difference maker, but the defensive line has been the most improved aspect of the defense. Ball grabbin' Shaun Smith might be my new favorite player (Check this), and might be in the process of taking Tyson Jackson's job too (more about Smith than Jackson). Ron Edwards seems like a new player and is much improved. Wallace Gilberry is a quarterback pressure waiting to happen. And, Glenn Dorsey, well, he's the best player on the line (hopefully a few years away from Seymour territory). We absolutely owned the line against the 49ers on both sides of the ball (rushing yards 207-43 in KC's favor) against a team with a top 5 fantasy Running Back along with (what was) the #6 rushing defense. Oh yea, and Brandon Flowers is playing at a rate of one outstanding play per game (he is Pro Bowl bound). But, the ring leader is Crennel, who has formed this near identical personnel grouping into the #2 scoring defense in the NFL.
The only thing that hasn't gone our way so far this year is the positioning of the bye week. Why why why can we not get back on the field next week? Can we just challenge another team on a bye to a pickup game to keep our momentum going? The Chiefs face their two toughest games of the year once returning from the bye, at Indianapolis and then at Houston. Nobody will be picking the Chiefs in either contest. But, this just in, the Chiefs haven't been favored in any of their three victories yet this year! If they can come away with a split from those two games, they will be good to go with the next seven games (Jac, Buff, @Oak, @Den, Zona, @Sea, Den) all very winnable. Plus, what if what we saw yesterday was a better representation of what the Chiefs really are, and the first two games were just examples of them winning games while not playing their best (a sure sign of a good team)? Regardless, the Chiefs are relevant once again, and while that carries some value for the casual fans out there, it has an indescribable value to those of us that have stuck around through it all.
His Dirkness
"The End of the Dark Ages"
In the immortal words of Joe Namath on that painfully repeated NFL Network commercial, "We did it...We did it." Fans that stuck with the Chiefs through these last three seasons have paid their dues and can now sit back and enjoy relevancy once again. We have seen mountaintop (or maybe in this case, mountainbottom) and it was pretty bleak. Ten wins in three seasons (or more specifically. a 3-30 stretch from '07-'09) is enough to turn off even the most devoted of fans. I ask, though, does it not make it all the sweeter? Is success really that enjoyable without the proper context of what failure feels like? For example, ask a Colts fan how much fun the regular season is nowadays. It's more of a process and a waiting period for the playoffs for them. It's like preseason. So I'd like to personally (Dirkally) dedicate this 3-0 start to those fans that stayed loyal to the Chiefs, who gutted out the tenures of Eddie Drummond, Lance Long, Rocky Boiman, and Mike Goff and games like the 2007 13-10 OT loss to the Jets (maybe the worst played game ever), giving up 54 points to the (now unemployed) Trent Edwards led Bills in 2008, and last year's 44-13 home defeat to the hated Broncos (which I don't even remember). Enjoy everything all this week, all bye week, and all season because the Chiefs are back, and most likely here to stay for a while.
The great part about our situation is that the players have gone, and are going, through much of the same things that us, the fans, are. We have this young nucleus of talent that has all gone through the growing pains of the last three seasons together and are now growing up together. Together. And we have Scott Pioli to thank for a lot of that, but we also have to give a secondary thank you to Dr. Herman Edwards for that 2008 draft class (Dorsey, Albert, Flowers, Charles, Carr- Wowza). Combine that with the quickest impacting draft class I HAVE EVER SEEN (Berry, McCluster, Arenas, Moeaki, Lewis), and you might be looking at the most young talent on any team in the league. They seem to all like playing together and seem to feed off each other's energy, which is a unique quality that most great teams have. And it's all happened so unbelievably quickly, that it's hard to remember just how disjointed our team looked at times last year. We went from a faint resemblance of an NFL team to what will be one of three remaining undefeated teams after tonight (KC, Pitt, GB/Chi).
If anybody out there still doubts how important coaching in the NFL is, then they need to closely examine what the Chiefs have been doing this year. Todd Haley took his lumps last year, but he painted Mike Singletary's face white yesterday in the 31-3 victory (wait, they scored a TD?). He embarrassed Singletary by taking advantage of his old school beliefs with a little new age strategery. He played mind games with him on a 4th and 1 before, surprisingly, just going for it (get that man a Guinness!) and converting easily. His next move was a surprise onside kick that would've worked to perfection if not for an offsides penalty. Haley then capped it off with a Wildcat reverse flea-flicker executed beautifully. Checkmate! People have criticized him for his use of the JamaAL/Tom Jones duet this year, but I'd say the #1 rushing offense in the NFL is proof of proper management (he's clearly saving Charles so he can last the whole season while feeding the workhorse that is Jonesy). Haley has grown up as an NFL coach at the same rate as his young nucleus of players. Like a perfect storm.
That paragraph was supposed to include some Romeo Crennel love, but instead, he'll have to get his own, along with the rest of the defense, the most surprising phase of the 2010 Chiefs. Obviously, Colonel Crennel has been the biggest difference maker, but the defensive line has been the most improved aspect of the defense. Ball grabbin' Shaun Smith might be my new favorite player (Check this), and might be in the process of taking Tyson Jackson's job too (more about Smith than Jackson). Ron Edwards seems like a new player and is much improved. Wallace Gilberry is a quarterback pressure waiting to happen. And, Glenn Dorsey, well, he's the best player on the line (hopefully a few years away from Seymour territory). We absolutely owned the line against the 49ers on both sides of the ball (rushing yards 207-43 in KC's favor) against a team with a top 5 fantasy Running Back along with (what was) the #6 rushing defense. Oh yea, and Brandon Flowers is playing at a rate of one outstanding play per game (he is Pro Bowl bound). But, the ring leader is Crennel, who has formed this near identical personnel grouping into the #2 scoring defense in the NFL.
The only thing that hasn't gone our way so far this year is the positioning of the bye week. Why why why can we not get back on the field next week? Can we just challenge another team on a bye to a pickup game to keep our momentum going? The Chiefs face their two toughest games of the year once returning from the bye, at Indianapolis and then at Houston. Nobody will be picking the Chiefs in either contest. But, this just in, the Chiefs haven't been favored in any of their three victories yet this year! If they can come away with a split from those two games, they will be good to go with the next seven games (Jac, Buff, @Oak, @Den, Zona, @Sea, Den) all very winnable. Plus, what if what we saw yesterday was a better representation of what the Chiefs really are, and the first two games were just examples of them winning games while not playing their best (a sure sign of a good team)? Regardless, the Chiefs are relevant once again, and while that carries some value for the casual fans out there, it has an indescribable value to those of us that have stuck around through it all.
His Dirkness
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Chiefs Preseason Game #1 Analysis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~There are two backups that need to be starting right now, and I will quickly sour on Haley if they are not promoted. I am speaking of Jamaal Charles and Derrick Johnson. Thomas Jones could be a good addition and all, but this is Charles' team. Our offense doesn't move without him, as proven last night. With Johnson, I believe Haley continues to play mind games with him, aiming to right his mind into that of a fierce, determined Linebacker. I suspect both of these players to be starting by week 1, and will be vocal in my displeasure with Haley if they are not.
~Dexter McCluster was unreal, literally. Clearly, he's a Madden creation. His two plays consisted of the best working plays on Madden (at least a few years back, anyway) with the sweep around the end and the quick out from the slot position. He was unstoppable, just faster than anybody else on the field. I was a step slow to hop on the McDexter bandwagon, but now I'm sitting shotgun. Our offense has some serious weapons right now, led by Charles and Dex.
~My biggest concerns with the team after one game is stopping the run on defense. We were pushed off the line in the first drive, giving up at least five yards a pop. We will constantly need an 8th player in the box, making us vulnerable to playaction passes over the top.
~My biggest concern with the offense is teams stacking the box due to a lack of a downfield threat. The blame for this goes all the way around the offense. The line struggles to hold blocks to give Cassel enough time to look down field, neither Bowe or Chambers are speedsters, and Cassel tends to overthrow deep balls. This will allow teams to bring 8 or 9 players up, forcing us to find ways to throw over the top.
~My biggest surprise of the game was the effectiveness of Mike Vrabel. My main mane, LBR, made the astute statement that Vrabel will be good as long as we are good, which got me to thinking. I remember being very confident in him at the beginning of last season (and preseason), but was semi-embarrassed by his performance the latter half of the season. This makes sense. He just shut it down, with no real reason to continue pushing. Save it for next year, which is now this year. Our defense has a shot to be mediocre at the least if Vrabel plays like he did last night.
Impressive List:
~Kendrick Lewis- QB pressure, helped blow up a sweep, and blanketed Tony G.
~Javier Arenas- Delivered a stiff arm that would make the Viagra CEO proud.
~Maurice Leggett- A few big hits, including a throw down of Rowdy Roddy White.
~Andy Studebaker- Solid across the board, could provide much needed depth.
~Derek Lokey- Should make this team after a few unsuccessful tries.
Disappointment List:
~Ryan O'Callaghan- Got beat a few times around the edge, we seemingly have nobody better to replace him though.
~Jon Asamoah- Got absolutely roasted on back-to-back plays in the 3rd quarter.
~Leonard Pope- Missed a block on 3rd and short, dropped a pass, and dove for a catch that a normal sized man could've caught and ran with.
~Ryan Succop- Missed two field goals, albeit they were long.
~Tyson Jackson- Have yet to see him fight off a block or do anything.
~Corey Mays- Too slow in the middle. A one-on-one matchup with a Tight End is a guaranteed catch.
~DaJuan Morgan- Was actually afraid of the ball when John Parker Croyle floated a pass right to him.
~Zebras- Nice call on the offensive penalty converting a 3rd and Goal into a 1st and 10. I wish Haley would have just sat on the field in protest and drawn multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
His Dirkness
~There are two backups that need to be starting right now, and I will quickly sour on Haley if they are not promoted. I am speaking of Jamaal Charles and Derrick Johnson. Thomas Jones could be a good addition and all, but this is Charles' team. Our offense doesn't move without him, as proven last night. With Johnson, I believe Haley continues to play mind games with him, aiming to right his mind into that of a fierce, determined Linebacker. I suspect both of these players to be starting by week 1, and will be vocal in my displeasure with Haley if they are not.
~Dexter McCluster was unreal, literally. Clearly, he's a Madden creation. His two plays consisted of the best working plays on Madden (at least a few years back, anyway) with the sweep around the end and the quick out from the slot position. He was unstoppable, just faster than anybody else on the field. I was a step slow to hop on the McDexter bandwagon, but now I'm sitting shotgun. Our offense has some serious weapons right now, led by Charles and Dex.
~My biggest concerns with the team after one game is stopping the run on defense. We were pushed off the line in the first drive, giving up at least five yards a pop. We will constantly need an 8th player in the box, making us vulnerable to playaction passes over the top.
~My biggest concern with the offense is teams stacking the box due to a lack of a downfield threat. The blame for this goes all the way around the offense. The line struggles to hold blocks to give Cassel enough time to look down field, neither Bowe or Chambers are speedsters, and Cassel tends to overthrow deep balls. This will allow teams to bring 8 or 9 players up, forcing us to find ways to throw over the top.
~My biggest surprise of the game was the effectiveness of Mike Vrabel. My main mane, LBR, made the astute statement that Vrabel will be good as long as we are good, which got me to thinking. I remember being very confident in him at the beginning of last season (and preseason), but was semi-embarrassed by his performance the latter half of the season. This makes sense. He just shut it down, with no real reason to continue pushing. Save it for next year, which is now this year. Our defense has a shot to be mediocre at the least if Vrabel plays like he did last night.
Impressive List:
~Kendrick Lewis- QB pressure, helped blow up a sweep, and blanketed Tony G.
~Javier Arenas- Delivered a stiff arm that would make the Viagra CEO proud.
~Maurice Leggett- A few big hits, including a throw down of Rowdy Roddy White.
~Andy Studebaker- Solid across the board, could provide much needed depth.
~Derek Lokey- Should make this team after a few unsuccessful tries.
Disappointment List:
~Ryan O'Callaghan- Got beat a few times around the edge, we seemingly have nobody better to replace him though.
~Jon Asamoah- Got absolutely roasted on back-to-back plays in the 3rd quarter.
~Leonard Pope- Missed a block on 3rd and short, dropped a pass, and dove for a catch that a normal sized man could've caught and ran with.
~Ryan Succop- Missed two field goals, albeit they were long.
~Tyson Jackson- Have yet to see him fight off a block or do anything.
~Corey Mays- Too slow in the middle. A one-on-one matchup with a Tight End is a guaranteed catch.
~DaJuan Morgan- Was actually afraid of the ball when John Parker Croyle floated a pass right to him.
~Zebras- Nice call on the offensive penalty converting a 3rd and Goal into a 1st and 10. I wish Haley would have just sat on the field in protest and drawn multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
His Dirkness
Friday, February 19, 2010
Kansas City Chiefs 2010 Offseason Priority List
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that Owner Clark Hunt and General Manager Scott Pioli have taken care of two of the biggest offseason needs- General Weis and Colonel Crennel- I think it's time to take a look at what else the Kansas City Chiefs need to address in the about-to-begin offseason.
The Chiefs grabbed some headlines by filling both coordinator positions with high-profile coaches, adding to the momentum gained from the beatdown handed to the Denver Broncos in the last game of the 2009 season. This is important as sometimes late season/offseason momentum can lead directly into positive early season results. This will be a unique offseason due to the bigwigs trying to ruin the game we love by arguing over the viable owners of millions of dollars. This will result in the least active free agency in many years because of the fact that players will need six years of experience to become unrestricted free agents instead of the normal four. What does this mean? Teams will need to either sign free agents that are 29 years or older or give up draft picks as compensation to sign players that are in the prime of their careers. I believe this leads to free agency becoming almost inconsequential while we will see a big jump in the number of trades. This is good news for the good teams and bad news for teams needing to improve a lot, which means the Chiefs will have to act swiftly and precisely to make the necessary upgrades to compete next year.
First off, the list needs a few guidelines to follow for legitimacy purposes. It is based on the individual position most in need of an effort to upgrade before the start of next season. Importance of position is a factor, meaning even though Tight End may be the team's worst position in terms of talent, it's not as important as another position in terms of winning. I tried to imagine my feelings going into the start of next season with the exact same personnel of that position from last year. This paragraph was extremely difficult to find the correct wording, so lets just pretend we're all on the same page and get on to the list...
Chiefs Top 10 Positions of Need:
1. Outside Linebacker- Defense will become legitimate once Tamba Hali is the second best outside linebacker/pass rusher, it is THAT important of a position to a 3-4 defense. Mike Vrabel and Andy Studebaker would make a great pair of backup OLB's. Julius Peppers could fill the position, but I can't imagine the Chiefs spending the
necessary money for the prize of free agency. Shawne Merriman's freedom gets costly due to the new restrictions, but could be available for the right draft picks. Joey Porter might be the most likely free agent to fill the hole and would provide great leadership to a defense lacking in that area. A few potential early round prospects who I like are Jerry Hughes (TCU-2nd-mean-proved by picture) and Eric Norwood (South Carolina-3rd-quick). I would make a play for Joey Porter and draft Norwood in the third or wait until next year and go after one with a first round pick.
2. Slot Wide Receiver/Returner- I might be suffering from a severe case of Lance Longitis to have this position so high. The receiving corps is set with Chambers (if we resign him) and Bowe (if we don't trade him) on the outside, but has a huge hole to fill with a quick slot receiver to work underneath. I think the draft is the right place to find one and would love to hear any of the following names called: Mardy Gilyard (Cincinnati-2nd), Jordan Shipley (Texas-3rd), or Jacoby Ford (Clemson-4th). The only other option might be to work out a trade for Steve Breaston, who Todd Haley knows well from Arizona.
3. Safety- The first position on the list that will be possible to address with the Chiefs current first round positioning. Eric Berry will most likely be the selection if he is still available, but there is a very good chance that he goes third to the Redskins. The draft is definitely the way to go because of the need to get younger at the position. Chad Jones (LSU-2nd/3rd) is someone I'm really high on. Mike Brown might look better paired with a more talented safety, and would serve as the perfect tutor for either Berry or Jones.
4. Center- Rudy Niswanger does a decent job, but is just too small and gets pushed around too much, especially when matched up against a 3-4 Nose Tackle. This became the weakest spot on the offensive line once Wade Smith solidified the Right Guard position in the second half of 2009. This is a position that I would address through free agency, because it is smart to have an experienced center to deal with all of the line calls.
5. Middle Linebacker- Demorrio Williams and Derrick Johnson would make a mediocre
pair of starting Linebackers going into next year. It would be better to have them split time and get actual NFL talent at the position (sorry Corey Mays and Javon Belcher). This brings me to who I would take with the first round pick--Rolando McClain (Alabama-pictured). I feel like he would immediately step in as the defensive leader at the position best designed for leadership. This defense has not had a strong leader since the Mike Maslowski days. Other options include Brandon Spikes (2nd round slide) or a pair of veterans in Antonio Pierce or Keith Bulluck.
6. Nose Tackle- Ron Edwards does an unheralded job playing a little undersized at the nose. He would be a fantastic rotation guy, but doesn't quite cut it full time. Look for the top two tackles to get franchised out of consideration (Vince Wilfork and Casey Hampton). An interesting option could be Ryan Pickett, who will most likely be let go after the Packers drafted B.J. Raji in the first round last year. Draft options would include Terrance "Mount" Cody (Alabama-2nd-Man Boobs) or Cam Thomas (North Carolina-3rd). I'd be very giddy to snag McClain and Cody in the first two rounds of the draft.
7. Offensive Tackle- This is all dependant on if Branden Albert stays at Left Tackle or makes a switch to either Right Tackle or a guard position. We cannot continue to have this conversation every offseason, so a final decision needs to be made once and for all. The most popular prediction for the Chiefs first round pick is an offensive tackle (Okung-Okla St, Davis-'Gers, Baluga-Iowa), which isn't what I'd do per say, but I'm not totally against it. I would keep him at Left Tackle and make him put the weight back on that limited him last year. Ryan O'Callaghan even looked good the second half of the season at Right Tackle (funny how the whole line's play improved once JamaAl replaced L.J.). This will be the most important decision regarding the current personnel of the team to be made this offseason.
8. Big Running Back- Big drop off from the top 7 biggest needs this offseason. The draft is definitely the way to address a viable backup to JamaAl, who's role will be to log 10 carries a game, including 3rd and 1's and goal line carries. He should come from the later rounds and a few names I would like to see include Toby Gerhart (Stanford-3rd), LaGarrette Blount (Oregon-5th), or Stafon Johnson (USC-6th/7th). And I don't want to hear any Ladainian Tomlinson chatter, our team is already classy enough, and he sucks now.
9. Tight End- Very little currently on the roster, but neither Haley's Arizona teams nor Weis' New England teams had star tight ends. Leonard Pope is good enough for now with how many needs there are. I would not be surprised at all to see us go after free agent Ben Watson out of New England. I just don't want to see us draft one in the 2nd or 3rd round (unless Jermaine Gresham slides big time), but Kris Wilson and Brad Cottam have ruined me.
10. Offensive Guard- It will be very interesting to see what the Chiefs do with Brian Waters this offseason. There was some definite turmoil between Waters and the new regime that could end up with him being traded for a draft pick. If that happens, than this position shoots way up the list. Wade Smith did a fairly good job last year but is a free agent himself. This position is a circumstantial need. Getting Mike Iupati in the 2nd round would be great value and would be a rock for a decade at guard.
Now that Owner Clark Hunt and General Manager Scott Pioli have taken care of two of the biggest offseason needs- General Weis and Colonel Crennel- I think it's time to take a look at what else the Kansas City Chiefs need to address in the about-to-begin offseason.
The Chiefs grabbed some headlines by filling both coordinator positions with high-profile coaches, adding to the momentum gained from the beatdown handed to the Denver Broncos in the last game of the 2009 season. This is important as sometimes late season/offseason momentum can lead directly into positive early season results. This will be a unique offseason due to the bigwigs trying to ruin the game we love by arguing over the viable owners of millions of dollars. This will result in the least active free agency in many years because of the fact that players will need six years of experience to become unrestricted free agents instead of the normal four. What does this mean? Teams will need to either sign free agents that are 29 years or older or give up draft picks as compensation to sign players that are in the prime of their careers. I believe this leads to free agency becoming almost inconsequential while we will see a big jump in the number of trades. This is good news for the good teams and bad news for teams needing to improve a lot, which means the Chiefs will have to act swiftly and precisely to make the necessary upgrades to compete next year.
First off, the list needs a few guidelines to follow for legitimacy purposes. It is based on the individual position most in need of an effort to upgrade before the start of next season. Importance of position is a factor, meaning even though Tight End may be the team's worst position in terms of talent, it's not as important as another position in terms of winning. I tried to imagine my feelings going into the start of next season with the exact same personnel of that position from last year. This paragraph was extremely difficult to find the correct wording, so lets just pretend we're all on the same page and get on to the list...
Chiefs Top 10 Positions of Need:
1. Outside Linebacker- Defense will become legitimate once Tamba Hali is the second best outside linebacker/pass rusher, it is THAT important of a position to a 3-4 defense. Mike Vrabel and Andy Studebaker would make a great pair of backup OLB's. Julius Peppers could fill the position, but I can't imagine the Chiefs spending the
necessary money for the prize of free agency. Shawne Merriman's freedom gets costly due to the new restrictions, but could be available for the right draft picks. Joey Porter might be the most likely free agent to fill the hole and would provide great leadership to a defense lacking in that area. A few potential early round prospects who I like are Jerry Hughes (TCU-2nd-mean-proved by picture) and Eric Norwood (South Carolina-3rd-quick). I would make a play for Joey Porter and draft Norwood in the third or wait until next year and go after one with a first round pick.2. Slot Wide Receiver/Returner- I might be suffering from a severe case of Lance Longitis to have this position so high. The receiving corps is set with Chambers (if we resign him) and Bowe (if we don't trade him) on the outside, but has a huge hole to fill with a quick slot receiver to work underneath. I think the draft is the right place to find one and would love to hear any of the following names called: Mardy Gilyard (Cincinnati-2nd), Jordan Shipley (Texas-3rd), or Jacoby Ford (Clemson-4th). The only other option might be to work out a trade for Steve Breaston, who Todd Haley knows well from Arizona.
3. Safety- The first position on the list that will be possible to address with the Chiefs current first round positioning. Eric Berry will most likely be the selection if he is still available, but there is a very good chance that he goes third to the Redskins. The draft is definitely the way to go because of the need to get younger at the position. Chad Jones (LSU-2nd/3rd) is someone I'm really high on. Mike Brown might look better paired with a more talented safety, and would serve as the perfect tutor for either Berry or Jones.
4. Center- Rudy Niswanger does a decent job, but is just too small and gets pushed around too much, especially when matched up against a 3-4 Nose Tackle. This became the weakest spot on the offensive line once Wade Smith solidified the Right Guard position in the second half of 2009. This is a position that I would address through free agency, because it is smart to have an experienced center to deal with all of the line calls.
5. Middle Linebacker- Demorrio Williams and Derrick Johnson would make a mediocre
pair of starting Linebackers going into next year. It would be better to have them split time and get actual NFL talent at the position (sorry Corey Mays and Javon Belcher). This brings me to who I would take with the first round pick--Rolando McClain (Alabama-pictured). I feel like he would immediately step in as the defensive leader at the position best designed for leadership. This defense has not had a strong leader since the Mike Maslowski days. Other options include Brandon Spikes (2nd round slide) or a pair of veterans in Antonio Pierce or Keith Bulluck.6. Nose Tackle- Ron Edwards does an unheralded job playing a little undersized at the nose. He would be a fantastic rotation guy, but doesn't quite cut it full time. Look for the top two tackles to get franchised out of consideration (Vince Wilfork and Casey Hampton). An interesting option could be Ryan Pickett, who will most likely be let go after the Packers drafted B.J. Raji in the first round last year. Draft options would include Terrance "Mount" Cody (Alabama-2nd-Man Boobs) or Cam Thomas (North Carolina-3rd). I'd be very giddy to snag McClain and Cody in the first two rounds of the draft.
7. Offensive Tackle- This is all dependant on if Branden Albert stays at Left Tackle or makes a switch to either Right Tackle or a guard position. We cannot continue to have this conversation every offseason, so a final decision needs to be made once and for all. The most popular prediction for the Chiefs first round pick is an offensive tackle (Okung-Okla St, Davis-'Gers, Baluga-Iowa), which isn't what I'd do per say, but I'm not totally against it. I would keep him at Left Tackle and make him put the weight back on that limited him last year. Ryan O'Callaghan even looked good the second half of the season at Right Tackle (funny how the whole line's play improved once JamaAl replaced L.J.). This will be the most important decision regarding the current personnel of the team to be made this offseason.
8. Big Running Back- Big drop off from the top 7 biggest needs this offseason. The draft is definitely the way to address a viable backup to JamaAl, who's role will be to log 10 carries a game, including 3rd and 1's and goal line carries. He should come from the later rounds and a few names I would like to see include Toby Gerhart (Stanford-3rd), LaGarrette Blount (Oregon-5th), or Stafon Johnson (USC-6th/7th). And I don't want to hear any Ladainian Tomlinson chatter, our team is already classy enough, and he sucks now.
9. Tight End- Very little currently on the roster, but neither Haley's Arizona teams nor Weis' New England teams had star tight ends. Leonard Pope is good enough for now with how many needs there are. I would not be surprised at all to see us go after free agent Ben Watson out of New England. I just don't want to see us draft one in the 2nd or 3rd round (unless Jermaine Gresham slides big time), but Kris Wilson and Brad Cottam have ruined me.
10. Offensive Guard- It will be very interesting to see what the Chiefs do with Brian Waters this offseason. There was some definite turmoil between Waters and the new regime that could end up with him being traded for a draft pick. If that happens, than this position shoots way up the list. Wade Smith did a fairly good job last year but is a free agent himself. This position is a circumstantial need. Getting Mike Iupati in the 2nd round would be great value and would be a rock for a decade at guard.
Monday, December 14, 2009
2009 Kansas City Chiefs thoughts
As tough as this is right now, I'm gonna try and put out some words on what I'm seeing from the Kansas City Chiefs this year (tissues are nearby).
First, I need to get something off my chest though. I was offered free tickets to each of the last two games. I didn't go either Sunday. Warp back to three years ago, and this was unheard of to me. I would feel embarassed to even call myself a fan. Here's the thing though: I don't feel like I'm in the wrong. I liken it to a friend becoming an alcoholic (analogy alert!). Lets call him Nate. Now, Nate (The Chiefs) has recently started drinking too much (Carl + Herm + Haley), and gets irrational when he does (bad drafts in the 2000's). I don't really want to to see Nate when he gets like this (not going to the games), but I still want to support him (watching them on TV). So what do you do? You lie to yourself, tell yourself its not that bad, keep an eye on the situation from afar and wait for it to pass over. Now is this being the best friend in the world? No, but its atleast keeping you sane. I don't want to see the joke that his life (Arrowhead Stadium) has recently become, and want to remain naive to preserve his friendship (sacredness of Arrowhead). Arrowhead just needs some time to itself and a bottle of Hennessy.
Now on to actual thoughts about the team...
Charlie Weis- It seems to make too much sense for it not to happen. He's familiar with Scott Pioli and Todd Haley. He seems to run a similar offense to what Haley runs and likes. He's been a good coordinator in the past, and will most likely be looking to return to that position. Haley needs to hire an offensive coordinator to get better control of the game (and if he doesn't want one, then he needs to go). Pioli will need to make some sort of move before free agency starts to get this season off the fans' minds. I see a strong chance of this happening.
Matt Cassel- He has looked shaky at best the last couple of weeks. His biggest problem is that he seems to get uncomfortable at times. This is the exact problem you'd expect from a quarterback without much game experience. He needs games under his belt. The good news is that we can give him that experience. Remember how bad Trent Green was in his first year with the Chiefs (led the league in INT's)? How did he turn out? Green lacked experience the same way Cassel does. Now I don't envision Cassel becoming as good as Trent (Top 10 quarterback) was, but he could be in the 10-15 range in the league, and I do think we can win with him. His biggest asset is that he performs well in crucial moments. He has led successful drives at the end of games against the Raiders (first game), Cowboys, and Steelers (twice). He makes plays to win games (his teammates don't always respond, i.e. Chambers vs. the Bills). I remain sold on Cassel for now, and would like to see him with a better offensive line. However, next year will be his last year as the undisputed starter if he continues to stuggle.
Defense- The Chiefs defense lacks the same thing it has since Derrick Thomas: Leadership. They try to appoint people as leaders (Shawn Barber, Kendrell Bell, Derrick Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Mike Brown), but leadership needs to be earned, not given. We have three solid pieces to build around: Hali, Flowers, and Carr. We have some overpaid underachievers: Dorsey, Jackson, and DJ. We have some role players that would be good not playing every down: Edwards, McGraw, Brown, Page, Mays, and Belcher (too many). I just noticed that I named every starter except Mike Vrabel/Andy Studebaker. There's our answer. Vrabel is best off becoming co-defensive coordinator and Studebaker is best off starring in preseason games. So what's the solution?
Shawne Merriman- But, Nic, isn't he your most hated player in the league?? Yes, yes he is. That is until he leads the Chiefs in double-digit sacks. I learned years ago with Freddie Mitchell that I can learn to like anybody that puts on a Chiefs uniform. Merriman will become a free agent after this year and has a pretty rocky relationship with general manager A.J. Smith that will in all likelihood lead to his departure. Merriman is having a down year (4 sacks), but we all know that he has the potential to be a force. He is coming off a major knee injury suffered last year, which can take a year or two to overcome (perfect timing), or could possibly be the end of his career (Lights out!). The Chiefs would be forced to overpay which makes the move somewhat risky. I, however, feel in favor of taking the chance because I know I'd be getting a player fully motivated (Lights on!) after switching teams to a division rival.
This will be the first of many posts on the Chiefs franchise, and completes the trifecta of writing about "my teams" (Chiefs, Nebraska Football, KU Basketball). I hope this comforts some of the hopelessness felt by a beaten down, once proud, Chiefs fanbase. Stay tuned for what I think the Chiefs need to address in the upcoming draft (only 5 months away!) and how I see the NFL season playing out.
First, I need to get something off my chest though. I was offered free tickets to each of the last two games. I didn't go either Sunday. Warp back to three years ago, and this was unheard of to me. I would feel embarassed to even call myself a fan. Here's the thing though: I don't feel like I'm in the wrong. I liken it to a friend becoming an alcoholic (analogy alert!). Lets call him Nate. Now, Nate (The Chiefs) has recently started drinking too much (Carl + Herm + Haley), and gets irrational when he does (bad drafts in the 2000's). I don't really want to to see Nate when he gets like this (not going to the games), but I still want to support him (watching them on TV). So what do you do? You lie to yourself, tell yourself its not that bad, keep an eye on the situation from afar and wait for it to pass over. Now is this being the best friend in the world? No, but its atleast keeping you sane. I don't want to see the joke that his life (Arrowhead Stadium) has recently become, and want to remain naive to preserve his friendship (sacredness of Arrowhead). Arrowhead just needs some time to itself and a bottle of Hennessy.
Now on to actual thoughts about the team...
Charlie Weis- It seems to make too much sense for it not to happen. He's familiar with Scott Pioli and Todd Haley. He seems to run a similar offense to what Haley runs and likes. He's been a good coordinator in the past, and will most likely be looking to return to that position. Haley needs to hire an offensive coordinator to get better control of the game (and if he doesn't want one, then he needs to go). Pioli will need to make some sort of move before free agency starts to get this season off the fans' minds. I see a strong chance of this happening.
Matt Cassel- He has looked shaky at best the last couple of weeks. His biggest problem is that he seems to get uncomfortable at times. This is the exact problem you'd expect from a quarterback without much game experience. He needs games under his belt. The good news is that we can give him that experience. Remember how bad Trent Green was in his first year with the Chiefs (led the league in INT's)? How did he turn out? Green lacked experience the same way Cassel does. Now I don't envision Cassel becoming as good as Trent (Top 10 quarterback) was, but he could be in the 10-15 range in the league, and I do think we can win with him. His biggest asset is that he performs well in crucial moments. He has led successful drives at the end of games against the Raiders (first game), Cowboys, and Steelers (twice). He makes plays to win games (his teammates don't always respond, i.e. Chambers vs. the Bills). I remain sold on Cassel for now, and would like to see him with a better offensive line. However, next year will be his last year as the undisputed starter if he continues to stuggle.
Defense- The Chiefs defense lacks the same thing it has since Derrick Thomas: Leadership. They try to appoint people as leaders (Shawn Barber, Kendrell Bell, Derrick Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Mike Brown), but leadership needs to be earned, not given. We have three solid pieces to build around: Hali, Flowers, and Carr. We have some overpaid underachievers: Dorsey, Jackson, and DJ. We have some role players that would be good not playing every down: Edwards, McGraw, Brown, Page, Mays, and Belcher (too many). I just noticed that I named every starter except Mike Vrabel/Andy Studebaker. There's our answer. Vrabel is best off becoming co-defensive coordinator and Studebaker is best off starring in preseason games. So what's the solution?
Shawne Merriman- But, Nic, isn't he your most hated player in the league?? Yes, yes he is. That is until he leads the Chiefs in double-digit sacks. I learned years ago with Freddie Mitchell that I can learn to like anybody that puts on a Chiefs uniform. Merriman will become a free agent after this year and has a pretty rocky relationship with general manager A.J. Smith that will in all likelihood lead to his departure. Merriman is having a down year (4 sacks), but we all know that he has the potential to be a force. He is coming off a major knee injury suffered last year, which can take a year or two to overcome (perfect timing), or could possibly be the end of his career (Lights out!). The Chiefs would be forced to overpay which makes the move somewhat risky. I, however, feel in favor of taking the chance because I know I'd be getting a player fully motivated (Lights on!) after switching teams to a division rival.
This will be the first of many posts on the Chiefs franchise, and completes the trifecta of writing about "my teams" (Chiefs, Nebraska Football, KU Basketball). I hope this comforts some of the hopelessness felt by a beaten down, once proud, Chiefs fanbase. Stay tuned for what I think the Chiefs need to address in the upcoming draft (only 5 months away!) and how I see the NFL season playing out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)