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View Full Version : Scouts Inc. 2009 Chiefs Player Grades



yashi
08-07-2009, 09:32 AM
These came out yesterday, and I figured not everyone has an ESPN Insider account to view them. They're especially interesting considering how many Chiefs were ranked very highly. Take these with a grain of salt of course because someone like Jason Peters, who gave up the most sacks in the league last year was rated higher than Ryan Clady, who gave up the least. Also what they say about Dorsey is pretty much wrong.

Matt Cassel #7 QB
Grade: 81 (tied for 6th among QBs!)
Comment: Cassel is coming off his fourth year in the league and obviously made a huge impact in 2008. He developed each week in New England's passing game by making good decisions and getting the ball to all levels of the field with a high rate of accuracy. He doesn't have great speed, but he can pull the ball down and move the chains effectively. He stands tall in the pocket and has great vision. He has good weight transfer, release quickness and mechanics when given time in the pocket. Cassel has also made some nice throws, when eluding pressure from different angles. He is adept at finding his second and third options, but has taken too many sacks in his first year as the starter. Cassell has a strong arm to make throws at all levels. He can check off and get his offense into mismatches in both the passing and running game.

Larry Johnson #27 RB
Grade: 84 (5th among RBs)
Comment: When he is right, Johnson can be one of the NFL's top running backs, as he possesses rare running skills with excellent size. He runs with a good pad level and shows excellent vision and instincts when it comes to following his blockers and seeing the hole develop. He has a good burst through the hole and can make linebackers miss at the second level. He is an effective receiver out of the backfield, but is generally used on the underneath routes or out in the flats. He can be elusive after the catch and has enough speed to go all the way. Johnson is a willing blocker, but still needs work on his techniques to sustain his blocks longer.

Jamaal Charles was tied for 55th, which is around guys like Sproles, Fred Jackson, and Cedric Benson.

Albert was missing from the list of tackles for some reason, and the Guards list is broken so I don't know where Waters or Goff are. Ghiaciuc and Niswanger were between 25 and 30th or so among Centers.

Brandon Flowers #24 CB
Grade: 68
Comment: Flowers is a slightly undersized corner who plays with a lot of confidence and intensity. He has excellent foot quickness in his pedal and can flip his hips with no restrictions when turning to run deep with receivers. He needs to maintain good position as he lacks premier speed and acceleration to catch up when he gets behind the receiver. He is quick in transition and will close on the ball with a good burst when it is thrown in front of him. He has shown the ability to compensate for his lack in height with excellent leaping ability. He consistently seems to end up around the ball at the end of the play.

Derrick Johnson #56 LB
Grade: 81 (12th among LBs)
Comment: Johnson has an excellent combination of size, speed and athleticism with a good nose for the ball. He likes to play off the edges rather than use his hands to take on blockers. He is quick to locate the level of the ball and does a good job of leveraging his way to get involved. He tends to rely on speed when blitzing and still needs some work on counter moves. He gets excellent depth in his pass drops and shows good route recognition as well as the ability to read the quarterback's eyes. Overall, Johnson is an upper-echelon athlete who is still developing his techniques and skills.

Mike Vrabel #50 LB
Grade: 80 (tied for 14th)
Comment: Vrabel is a solid overall athlete with an excellent combination of size and strength. He has been a versatile player who can play inside or outside linebacker. He has great instincts and intelligence. He reacts well as the play unfolds. He understands angles and blocking schemes to maintain proper leverage to execute a variety of complex wrinkles. Vrabel uses his hands well to ward off blockers and get through trash. He is a solid pass-defender and is best in short and intermediate zone coverages. He can be exploited in pure man coverage and is rarely used in that way.

Zach Thomas #55 LB
Grade: 66 (tied for 77th)
Comment: Thomas lacks ideal size, but compensates with outstanding instincts, toughness and production. He is a quick read-and-react player who is efficient with his movements and angles to the ball versus the run. He is sound with his run fits, has good change of direction in a tight area and can slip contact quickly to get in on tackles. He lacks top strength to shed blocks quickly, but really excels when he is covered up and can get to the ball without taking on offensive linemen. In passing situations, he does a good job of maintaining his depth in zones. He can anticipate, read routes and get a good jump on the ball, but only has adequate burst in space. He is a good overall tackler because of his upper-body strength to wrap up quickly. Overall, Thomas communicates well and he's a very instinctive player.

Tamba Hali #91 DE
Grade: 68
Comment: After spending his first three years as a defensive end, Hali is being asked to make the transition to outside linebacker in the Chiefs' new scheme. He is explosive off the edge and should be a productive blitzing linebacker on passing downs. Against the run he will need to develop linebacker skills to scrape and flow to the ball while playing out of a two-point stance. He closes to the ball with a good burst and can be explosive as a tackler. He shows all the physical tools and is a smart player, which makes you think he should have no trouble with the new position.

Glenn Dorsey #72 DT
Grade: 76 (tied for 20th)
Comment: Dorsey made an immediate impact on the Chiefs' defense after being drafted in the first round in 2008. He is a thick defensive tackle with an explosive first step. He consistently gains the advantage as he engages blockers. He plays with a high level of intensity and will chase the ball from sideline to sideline as well as on downfield pursuit. He is quick to locate the level of the ball and takes good angles to get there. He is a natural knee-bender who plays with good leverage and can work his way to the play while warding off blocks. He still needs to develop more counter moves as a pass-rusher as he tends to rely on initial quickness to get the job done.

Page and Pollard were both 68, each tied for 31st among safeties.

Colquitt was 4th among punters.

Anyone I didn't mention was either ranked really low or wasn't on the list for one reason another (rookies aren't scouted).

AussieChiefsFan
08-07-2009, 09:42 AM
The ratings in the 60's (not the 1960's) are dissaponting but hay! New look CHIEFS!

isht_starter
08-07-2009, 10:52 AM
Glenn Dorsey #72 DT
Grade: 76 (tied for 20th)
Comment: Dorsey made an immediate impact on the Chiefs' defense after being drafted in the first round in 2008. He is a thick defensive tackle with an explosive first step. He consistently gains the advantage as he engages blockers. He plays with a high level of intensity and will chase the ball from sideline to sideline as well as on downfield pursuit. He is quick to locate the level of the ball and takes good angles to get there. He is a natural knee-bender who plays with good leverage and can work his way to the play while warding off blocks. He still needs to develop more counter moves as a pass-rusher as he tends to rely on initial quickness to get the job done.

Dorsey made an immediate impact? WTF were they watching?