What do you think a free safety does?

[bwilliams]

The Chiefs will be looking this draft to upgrade a defense that ranked 31st against the run and was 31st in sacks.

Eric Berry is a free safety. He will not be able to fix either of those two problems. Until the Chiefs fix those two problems, they will continue to win 4 games a season. Trying to fill critical positions (i.e. that stop the run and rush the passer) with low draft picks is how Herm Edwards destroyed the team.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

[hometeam]

^ Agreed. He is not just a ball hawk, he can lay people out too. Hes done it for years, nothing makes me think he wont continue that trend.

[Seek]

What makes you think that? If we upgraded our long snapper, does it make our passing game better?

A free safety is a last-line-of-defense tackler and ball hawk. How does he help the run defense or pass rush?

I am not a fan of drafting Berry, but having a good secondary does take away passing lanes which forces the QB to hold the ball longer and creates a coverage sack.

While I agree with you that we need help at D Line and Linebacker before spend a high pick on a safety. A very valuable FS or SS will help the defense. A good safety is not the last line of defense. They are attacking just as the line backer is. There is others on the team as a last last resort in their pursuit of following the ball.

If the safety complete whiffs on a play, Liek the Chiefs did last year. That pursuit from other players makes the last resort even harder.

I still agree tha the chiefs need help in the front before we go safety.

[honda522]

What makes you think that? If we upgraded our long snapper, does it make our passing game better?

A free safety is a last-line-of-defense tackler and ball hawk. How does he help the run defense or pass rush?

There, you just said it. He is a safety, the last line of defense. Hints his name as safety, he saving the team..or in theory that is.

[Connie Jo]

It appears to me that teams are doing more long pass play calling...especially teams with notable long pass talented QB's, such as that of the Manning's. I've not researched stats, but from memory it seems there were many high scoring games in the NFL last season...obviously long pass plays contributed. This also backs theory teams are calling more long pass plays. They have to rely more today on long passes to win games, as defensive players become bigger, stronger, & tougher each season, by comparison to years past. This obviously means the positions of corner's and safetie's on defense need to be GOOD, if not outstanding in playmaking talent, such as high interception stats.

We didn't lose games just because of not being able to stop a QB with sacks or pressure, nor stopping their rushing game. Many of our opponents have strong OL's, preventing our defense from getting to their QB's as much as we'd like, etc..

We also lost games because we were weak at the safety position, helping corners to prevent our opponents from completing long passes, gaining high yardage and scoring TD's.

I believe a team needs just as strong of offense as they do defense to be a long term consistent winning team. I'm not a believer in that defense wins more games than offense...they go hand & hand IMO, 50/50 if wanting long term consistency. I do agree 100% that we need a strong defense to win...but I believe we have existing talented players already that can stop the run and pressure the QB as much as possible...with exception of a couple holes. Those holes can be filled fairly easily without using our first draft pick...nor do I believe there is a player in the first round of whom will make an immediate impact/difference with pressuring the QB & stopping the run, any more than those we already have on the Chiefs team.

Those defensive talented players I feel we already have will emerge as such with the help of Crennel & other negative factor's resolved during this off season...that contributed to their 'mistakes' last season with stopping the run & pressuring the QB.

What we don't have is as talented a safety to emerge with the help of coaching. We need a talented safety to help stop the long pass game. Where are we gonna get one by comparison to that of Berry's potential long term talent? A talented safety is gonna cost us money, a veteran talented safety will cost us more money than a first round draft pick safety...no?

[wildcat]

I actually believe that Berry, or any player that has a major impact on any one area of our D, can improve our team as a whole. If we have better pass coverage, we have more time to get to the QB, so Berry could actually help create some sacks.

It is also true that if we get to the QB more, then our pass coverage looks better because the QB has less time to get rid of the ball. You can also get inside the QBs head by pressuring him and this effects all aspects of his game.

If the pass D is exceptional (and your offense does it's job), odds are pretty good that the other team is going to fall behind on the scoreboard and become one dimensional. This is going to help your run D look a lot better.

If your D keeps the other team's offensive off the field and gives you field position, your offense is going to be given a lot of really good opportunities to score. So, the offense will look better as well.

I am not necessarily saying we should draft Berry, but I just do not get why people are acting like a better secondary will not impact our entire team.

[chief31]

I am not necessarily saying we should draft Berry, but I just do not get why people are acting like a better secondary will not impact our entire team.

I don't think anyone has said that, at all.

But those of us who feel that a S won't be as helpful as a NT are suggesting that a NT/OLB would have a far bigger impact than a S.

The biggest plus to the S is the potential for turnovers. But, if your defense is terrible with the exception of turnovers, then you aren't going anywhere.

Turnovers are not the foundation of your defense. They are a bonus feature.

Right now we need to get that foundation in place. And the S positions are the furthest from the LOS.

I want the players who will be stopping the run up front. I want the players who will be able to frequently stop a play as close to, or behind, the LOS.

And yes I know, at times, a S CAN be involved close to the LOS. But, just by the very design of NFL defense and the positioning of the S positions, the liklihood is far less than it is for the guys who are already there.

[NWA Chief]

I was too lazy to read the other posts so if what I say has been said.................I don't care

Getting Berry allows you to blitz more people as he can roam the middle of the field better than the other safeties on our roster.

Also, he may not be the best tackler coming out at safety, but he can't be worse than Mike Brown was last year. He was smart but had nothing left in the tank and took terrible angles.

At the least, Berry brings excellent instincts and a shot of youth in the middle of the field. Tired of seeing McGraw(which I like on ST), Brown and Morgan play deep for us. I have given up on Morgan, he was supposed to be a ST phenom coming out of college and he looks afraid to hit anyone.