fatlock`s new rambling`s

[wolfpack]

Wanted: more offense

By JASON WHITLOCK

Columnist


In case you forgot, when last we saw our Chiefs, the final score was 23-8, the Chiefs didn’t get a first down until late in the third quarter, Larry Johnson rushed for 32 yards, and the Indianapolis Colts fielded one of the league’s worst defenses.
Carl Peterson, Herm Edwards and Bill Kuharich should have been forced to re-watch KC’s playoff loss in the hours leading up to the draft. Maybe then they would have been reminded of what they needed to do over the weekend.
Kansas City’s offense needs a major injection of youth, talent and energy. Somehow that has all been forgotten this offseason. So after signing two free-agent linebackers, the Chiefs reluctantly settled on a wide receiver in the first round of the draft and then settled on a Turk and a Tank, two defensive linemen, in the second and third rounds.
Am I the only one who remembers Indianapolis? Am I the only one who remembers that Dick Vermeil went overboard trying to build an offense and that Herm promised to build a complete team?
Am I the only person who thinks it is absolute lunacy to hand Larry Johnson any more contract leverage?
Let me be the first to label this offseason a failure. I don’t mind climbing out on limbs. I’ll be the first to apologize if I’m wrong. But from my view, the Chiefs played this thing all wrong.
They did not do near enough to fix their decaying offense. Will Shields retired. Trent Green is on his way out. Larry Johnson wants Peyton Manning money. The Chiefs never replaced Willie Roaf or Tony Richardson. Eddie Kennison is old.
And let’s see, a little more than three months after the most embarrassing offensive performance in the history of the league, the Chiefs take a flier on Sylvester Bowe or Dwayne Morris or SlyBowe.
Hey, I’m not down on Dwayne Bowe, the receiver out of LSU. I was happy about his acquisition. I called it a great pick at the time. But the Chiefs needed to do more on the offensive side of the ball.
They should have taken an offensive tackle in the second round. Who? I don’t know. If there was no tackle worthy of a second-round pick, I’d have taken another receiver. In the third round, they should have selected Louisville running back Michael Bush, a sure-fire top-15 pick had he not broken his leg. The Raiders took Bush with the first pick of the fourth round. He might be the steal of the draft.
Right now, if Larry Johnson holds out in a contract dispute, Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard should sue Peterson, Edwards and Kuharich for negligence.
It is impossible to develop a young quarterback (Croyle) without the proper complementary surrounding talent. It appears Croyle is going to get Schottenheimered, which is quarterback death caused by neglect.
Dick Vermeil put on a five-year clinic on how to develop a quarterback. You pamper quarterbacks. Peterson didn’t pay attention, and Herm spends his free time fantasizing about 9-3 field-goal shootouts.
Did anyone notice that the Colts drafted a receiver in the first round and an offensive tackle in the second? The Colts are constantly giving Manning new toys to play with.
Croyle and Huard got Bowe and upgraded life-insurance policies. Meanwhile, Herm and Gunther Cunningham got a Tank and a Turk to maneuver, and a new kicker.
If Johnson is a no-show, the Chiefs won’t score a touchdown this season. Not an offensive one. Even with Johnson, the KC offense is still highly suspect. Bowe is not a burner. He won’t open up passing lanes for Tony Gonzalez. In fact, Bowe is likely to crowd Gonzalez’s zones. Best-case scenario, Bowe is a T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Bengals receiver who plays opposite speedster Chad Johnson.
The Chiefs don’t have a Chad Johnson. They don’t have a dominant offensive line, either. They have a top-flight, 31-year-old tight end and a punishing, overworked, hard-to-like running back who wants a $30 million signing bonus. That’s it.
The Chiefs made five key acquisitions this offseason: two linebackers, two defensive tackles and a receiver.
Rewatch the Indy playoff game and ask yourself whether the offseason strategy makes any sense at all.

[wolfpack]

you know i almost agree with him, i think for the most part i do. this is a sad day.

[Coach]

I sadly agree with him as well. The offense needed some major retooling and it didn't get it. Keyshawn Johnson became available today. Those would be some dependable hands to throw to. But I wonder if the lockeroom would become a ticking time bomb with LJ and Keyshawn in the same room.

I also think Bowe is a little faster than Jason lets on. His 40yd times were in the 4.4-4.5 range which isn't shabby. He's 6'2" with a 33 inch vertical and isn't afraid of going across the middle weighing in at 217 lbs.
I'm not really worried about the RB position as much as the O-line. The O-line seems to be the real question mark on this team.

[Chiefster]

I sadly agree with him as well. The offense needed some major retooling and it didn't get it. Keyshawn Johnson became available today. Those would be some dependable hands to throw to. But I wonder if the lockeroom would become a ticking time bomb with LJ and Keyshawn in the same room.

I also think Bowe is a little faster than Jason lets on. His 40yd times were in the 4.4-4.5 range which isn't shabby. He's 6'2" with a 33 inch vertical and isn't afraid of going across the middle weighing in at 217 lbs.
I'm not really worried about the RB position as much as the O-line. The O-line seems to be the real question mark on this team.


Ditto that! That was the one glaring failure of the draft. IMO

[Chiefster]

I have to say that I agree with much of what Fatlock has said here; I feel so dirty.

[texaschief]

this is why C.P. still has a job. I bet by the end of spring training, Carl will have landed at least 2 offensive "saviors" and Arrowhead will be sold out at every home game again with the hopes and anticipation from the Chief faithful that "this year is the year". Everybody who was on his *** about not drafting any O-lineman will get what they wanted in free agency and all will be right with the Chiefs.

Carl keeps butts in the seats and gets another extension.

"give them thier bread and thier circuses"

"It's all about entertainment in Kansas City. They sell out that stadium every year even though they'll soon be celebrating thier sentinial from the last time they made the Super Bowl. The fans don't demand excellence, they demand offense."

[Cisco Kid]

Good Old Twitlock, hard at it again...I did enjoy the line about him "climbing out on a limbs." Twitlock on a limb with Rhonda under him with open arms, what a cute pair.

They should have taken an offensive tackle in the second round. Who? I don’t know. If there was no tackle worthy of a second-round pick, I’d have taken another receiver.

Wow, now that shows the right direction! OT Joe Staley sure might have been a solid pick but was far from the best value. Staley benefitted from a very weak OT class. Twitlock might want to slow down just a bit and give some consideration to the fact that the Chiefs were NOT going to be able to fill all the holes with one draft.

As for filling the O-line holes, that may in fact need to be address with next years draft. The talent pool at center, guard and tackle should be much deeper and more talented. I'll go out on a limb and say that the chiefs could very easily spend the majority of the 2008 draft shopping for O-line help. Let's not forget that there will be a free agency period prior to that draft, and my money is on the Chiefs making upgrades at the cornerback position.

Granted there is the 2007 season to play and hopes are always high this time of year, but no matter how you slice it, a bumpy road is just ahead. But even with a sub .500% 2007 record, the really gain will come through the quality playing time and on field experience obtained by the young players. Chiefs fans should not discount the season but put it into prospective, it won't be about victories or a playoff run but a look into the future.

[Chiefster]

Good Old Twitlock, hard at it again...I did enjoy the line about him "climbing out on a limbs." Twitlock on a limb with Rhonda under him with open arms, what a cute pair.

They should have taken an offensive tackle in the second round. Who? I don’t know. If there was no tackle worthy of a second-round pick, I’d have taken another receiver.

Wow, now that shows the right direction! OT Joe Staley sure might have been a solid pick but was far from the best value. Staley benefitted from a very weak OT class. Twitlock might want to slow down just a bit and give some consideration to the fact that the Chiefs were NOT going to be able to fill all the holes with one draft.

As for filling the O-line holes, that may in fact need to be address with next years draft. The talent pool at center, guard and tackle should be much deeper and more talented. I'll go out on a limb and say that the chiefs could very easily spend the majority of the 2008 draft shopping for O-line help. Let's not forget that there will be a free agency period prior to that draft, and my money is on the Chiefs making upgrades at the cornerback position.

Granted there is the 2007 season to play and hopes are always high this time of year, but no matter how you slice it, a bumpy road is just ahead. But even with a sub .500% 2007 record, the really gain will come through the quality playing time and on field experience obtained by the young players. Chiefs fans should not discount the season but put it into prospective, it won't be about victories or a playoff run but a look into the future.

I agree with this; see the 2006 Packers.

[wolfpack]

19 years of looking for the future with carl.

[Chiefster]

19 years of looking for the future with carl.

Great; now I'm depressed again. :p

[TheLateGreat#58Fan]

wolf pack i gotta say i fell ya brotha
and now I am depressed
Sometimes I wish I could just grab C.P. and say what the F are you doing

[TheLateGreat#58Fan]

I meant to put feel, its late.
I have been spending to much time on this damn website called...
um well ya know

[Chiefster]

I meant to put feel, its late.
I have been spending to much time on this damn website called...
um well ya know


You can never spend too much time here. :D

[chief31]

I meant to put feel, its late.
I have been spending to much time on this damn website called...
um well ya know


Ridiculously addicting, isn't it?

[kenny1937]

19 years of looking for the future with carl.


With Carl the future and past are the same present, he is like the offense, predictable, sigh!

:H2: :violent-smiley-080:

[Chiefster]

Ridiculously addicting, isn't it?

ain't it though??? :D

[Chiefster]

With Carl the future and past are the same present, he is like the offense, predictable, sigh!

:H2: :violent-smiley-080:


I find that I constantly repeat myself regarding this subject thus making my feelings here about Carl as constant as he has been as the one common denominator in nineteen years of regular season and playoff failure; meaning no Super Bowl appearances.

[wolfpack]

the queen has tired it with marty,top dog defense and he had one, run,run,pass,punt ofense. i remember my grandma,rip, she knew what play and where it was going offense, but he had a great defense. it almost worked, but then again no offense. then he tired dickie. what,3 years of the #1 offense, but a joke of a defense. so now the queen is going to try it again with a defensive coach who knows nothing of running a ofense. you would think carl would have learned and got a coach kinda in the middle, even if it was a young one trying to make it on his first job.

[kenny1937]

the queen has tired it with marty,top dog defense and he had one, run,run,pass,punt ofense. i remember my grandma,rip, she knew what play and where it was going offense, but he had a great defense. it almost worked, but then again no offense. then he tired dickie. what,3 years of the #1 offense, but a joke of a defense. so now the queen is going to try it again with a defensive coach who knows nothing of running a ofense. you would think carl would have learned and got a coach kinda in the middle, even if it was a young one trying to make it on his first job.


:wheelchair: You whippersnappers, I have had 19 years experience, and everybody knows that you can win with 10 to 15 field goals a game with a great defense, so you and that kenny1937 can just get off my back!!