Realize too that Joeckel could be Robert Gallery, Levi Brown, Mike Williams, or Kenyatta Walker. I'd take Vince Young over any of them.
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Robert Gallery is an All-Pro OG. Levi Brown is still playing LT in this league. Kenyatta Walker started 73 of 77 games during his pro career after being selected #14 overall. You would take an unemployed, 3-year flop, Vince Young over those guys? There's nothing you can say to justify that statement. You had to dig DEEP to find bust LT's and even those that are deemed "busts" still had pretty productive careers. Definitely not something you could say about Vince Young. Hell, I'd take Gallery, Brown, and Walker over Vince Young RIGHT NOW. What a horrible statement.
Forgot to mention that you can still have V. Young! He worked out at the Texas Pro-day a couple days ago! LOL.
But of course, the same proverbial copout that has been posted around the web by that herd of sheep wearing diapers out there, that are threatening to crap in those diapers if the Chiefs take an O-Lineman with their 1st pick. All the while, of course, blatantly not mentioning what's been happening with Browns player/personnel and front office/coaching staff since the selection of Joe Thomas was made. The reality is, selecting Joe Thomas was one of the few things that they've done right in that time span up to this day.
The problem with that herd of sheep is that their minds were poisoned by the Pioli regime and they're still thinking with Pioli's loser-type mentality. I suspect many of them wish that he was still the GM.
That's funny, I've watched him go against the nations best pass-rushers and stonewall them repeatedly. Granted, there may be struggles in year 1, being that he'll be a 21-year old rookie, but he hasn't reached his physical peak yet, and I can easily see an All-Pro performer by year 2 or 3. I won't rule out Fisher, though. The Chiefs had private workout with him on Tues. and he may have convinced them that's he's the guy, for all any of us know.
According to whom? The fantasy football kiddies that can't put O-Lineman on their fantasy football teams & are more concerned with the results of their fantasy football pools or sweepstakes they enter, than they are with the success the Chiefs have on the actual football field?
And what about the so-called "exciting" pick that the fantasy football kiddies were given at pick #5 in 2010? That has proved to be as exciting as a turd floating around in a public swimming pool -- with the play on the field equivalent to boot.
Rubbish! If blocking up front by their O-Line -- especially pass protection -- improves, then they will be much better. Don't believe me? A paltry 18 TD's on Offense in 2011 followed by a blazing 17 TD's on Offense in 2012. And it wasn't just the QB's, either. Too often, opposing defenders were spending more time in the Chiefs backfield than the Chiefs backs were and you don't address that issue by taking a QB ( especially when you've already traded for Alex Smith ) or any Defensive player -- you do it by drafting either Joeckel or Fisher. Anybody that can't see that O-Line is the teams most glaring need is being blatantly blind and most certainly didn't watch the games very closely.
Whatever success Geno Smith might have with another team is irrelevant. Same as Russell Wilson in Seattle last year, same as Kelly and Marino in '83, same Montana in '79. There are no guarantees whatsoever that any of those guys would have had the same success if KC had drafted them, that they had elsewhere and anyone thinking otherwise is only p!ssing on their own heads and telling themselves it's raining -- especially given that the Chiefs are 0 for 17 when it comes to drafting QB's since 1970.
I can see it happening. Joeckel wouldn't be the 1st O-Lineman from Texas A&M that the Chiefs took with their 1st pick in the draft. They took G Mo Moorman, from Texas A&M, in '68 and that's the guy that perfectly executed the trap block on HOF DT Alan Page in SB IV that sprung RB Mike Garrett for the Chiefs first TD in that game on the play that's become infamous known as "65 toss power trap". When healthy, he was an excellent player for 6 years before he retired for unknown reasons & the Chiefs O-Line did suffer from his absence for years afterward.
One more thing. The last time the Chiefs drafted an O-Lineman with their top pick, that was the Outland Trophy winner the year before, that player went on to have a stellar 14-year career that included 12 rightfully earned Pro Bowl appearances. His name was Will Shields.
Have you been sleeping under a rock all that time or what? That QB list would include Montana, Gannon, and Green. I don't recall them struggling -- except maybe Gannon for a bit before he caught fire in late '97 and Green in some games in 2001.
Or he could be successful like the other 70+ percent of LT's taken in the top 15 in the last 2 decades and could be another Joe Thomas. LT's have the lowest bust rate of any position in football. That makes Joeckel or Fisher worth the pick and addresses the most glaring need the Chiefs have right now.
If Geno is there at #3, I'm sure the faiders will be stupid enough to snatch him up - ala Jamarques Russell.
My overall thoughts on this are that Joeckel/Fisher are solid picks and will be solid players for many years. So don't confuse my reservations with displeasure. My thoughts on each:
Joeckel
He looked outstanding on film this year and has the looks to be a top 5 LT in the league. My reservations are that he blocked for Manziel, a running quarterback, last season. Defensive ends are often assigned different roles to contain the QB, so I try to realize this when watching, but it's hard to separate it. Nevertheless, he should be fine at the next level.
Fisher
This dude is a mauler, and I love to watch him. My worries about him are the level of competition he's faced (mostly MAC opponents). Again, it's tough to translate that to the NFL, but the technique is there.
I wouldn't sleep on Lane Johnson either. He's got a lot of room to grow and could end up being the best of the 3. He's a very solid LT. Quick feet, huge base, long arms. He's got all the tools.
That's great, we're getting a solid LT any way you look at it. I don't think they'll miss with this pick with whatever they choose, Dorsey knows his ****.
I'm not backing away from my view that Geno Smith should be the #1 overall pick though. Obviously we're past that point with the acquisition of Alex Smith. We've been spoiled since last year with RGIII and Luck coming out as can't miss QBs. For the most part, can't miss QBs aren't there in the draft. Guys like Ryan, Roethlisberger, and Rodgers all had their flaws. However, Geno has an incredible skillset with which to work with. Alex Smith had better lead this team to the playoffs and get victories, cause otherwise he'll be good enough to achieve 8-8 or 9-7, and they'll never get past the QB hump.