2011 Chiefs Off-season Needs

[jap1]

Well. Now that the season is over. Lets start looking at the draft and free agency!

What are your top needs, and who do you want us to pick. It looks like we will be picking either at either 21, 22 or 23 (3 way tie between us Indy and the loser of the GB/Philly game, usu decided by a coin toss).

My top needs:

1. Elite FS
- By far the biggest weakness on our team. Berry will make a great SS. He has the skills to cover zone and man, and is great at coming up against the run. Other than him, we are horrible at safety. It may be better to get someone from free agency. Berry could use some experience to mentor him. (supposedly Champ Bailey wants out of Denver and wants to play FS to prolong his career).

2. OG and/or OC prospect.
-Our interior is getting old. Waters is still playing well, but is one injury away from retiring. Asamoah will likely be really good soon, but Weigmann is getting old, too. Id love to see our 3rd round pick used here.

3. #2 WR
- This will open up our offense immensely. Bowe is constantly double teamed. If he is one-on-one, he will get open. If they double him, then Moeaki, the #2 guy, and the run game will open up. I say draft someone in the 2nd round.

4. OLB
- Vrabel is getting old, isnt getting to the QB and is not the best cover man because he has lost a step. We need someone who is good in coverage, not just a rush guy. Our LBs couldnt keep up with the Ravens' TEs. This could probably be found in either the draft or in FA.

5. NT
- We dont have a true NT. Our DL is good, but Edwards is old and doesnt have the strength to hold up to 2x teams. We need a big beast in the middle. Not sure if there are any great NTs in the draft, or FA.

6. Backup QB
- I think we all agree that Brokie Croyle has lost most of his supporters. I say FA or a low round draft pick.

What are your thoughts?

[bwilliams]

I certainly don't agree that this is our biggest need.

The Chiefs ranked tenth in The NFL in Sacks, with 39.

I would love for that to improve. But this team was pretty good at getting after the QB in 2010. There are areas that they were not good at, that would require more attention, IMO.

We can't do like we've always done and skimp on an important position. We have at least stopgaps at LT, RT, SS, etc. We have absolutely nothing across from Hali. And next season, teams will key in on Hali. We need to fix this problem, ASAP.

It is very difficult for me to not love the idea of upgrading our LOT position, and putting the run-blocking machine of Branden Albert where his sub-par pass blocking would be helped, at OG.

Agreed. I like Albert, but put him back at his natural position. I don't get why we're screwing around on this.

I am thrilled with Ron Edwards.

I was right with you, last off-season, in thinking that Edwards was completely unable to do the job. But he did it. And he did it very well.

He made fools of many of us. I would let this one go.

Look, I like Edwards. He was serviceable this year. But he was good against bad lines and decent against good ones. He isn't a great 3-4 NT and never will be. We need a legit 3-4 NT, not a guy who would be clearly happier at a 4-3 DT.

AT LEAST... one.

I want more than one. McCluster is a fine 4WR/3RB/2KR, but he isn't a legit WR. Let's get some real players in there.

Berry was a stud at SS, with an occasional rookie mistake.

No. He screwed up a lot in coverage and clearly struggled. He needs to go back to his natural position at FS.

I wanted Okung in the draft last year. And, given the chance to go back, I would still be hoping for Okung.

Me too.

But we got Berry. And Berry was as good as anyone could ever hope for a rookie to play at SS.

And Lewis was a great surprise at FS. So we would diminish his value by trying to move Berry.

Berry was a good pick. If not Okung, then him. But he is a natural FS playing out of position. Lewis is a good backup and special teams guy.

We need a real SS.

Carr had some really good games. But getting another Flowers would be terrific!

Let's splurge. Get Asomugha in FA. Come on. What is there to lose?

However, I am not going to be upset if Carr winds up leveling out and being a solid #2 CB.

I like Carr. He's a decent CB. But we can and should upgrade him.

Competition, at least. We didn't see enough of Croyle for me to go looking for a replacement. But a young guy to grow with the offense would be a good thing.

We've seen enough of Croyle for a lifetime. We need a real QB who won't break every game.

I'd be thrilled if Haley were to work with McDaniels. But we need someone, no matter what, IMO.

Haley needs to swallow his pride. He needs an OC.

[brdempsey69]

Pro Bowler Leonard Davis (failed LT, moved to LG) is another pretty good example. So is Jason Smith on the Rams. They wanted him to be a LT, he didn't work out, so now he's a good RT.

I mean, how did Albert do against great run defenses and pass rushes this year? If the answers range from "not well" to "horrible" then he needs to be upgraded if we everwant to do well against those.

Exactly, and Tait was a pretty good LT when they moved him to RT when Roaf came in. Add to that list Robert Gallery of the Raiders.

How did Albert do against great pass rushers? Just go look at the 2nd Raiders game and the 2nd SD game and the Colts game -- my answer is "unsatisfactory". Time to get a real LT.

It is very difficult for me to not love the idea of upgrading our LOT position, and putting the run-blocking machine of Branden Albert where his sub-par pass blocking would be helped, at OG.

This is exactly what I've been trying to tell people. The Chiefs have not done right by him by throwing him out at LT. He was Guard at Virgina for a reason. He got beat out of the LT spot because he struggled with pass protection at the LT spot -- and that's an area he's not improving at playing LT. He looked just the same at the end of this year, as he did through the 1st half of 2009, as you pointed out, it was reverse of 2009. When the Chiefs were forced to pass, he struggled & with a tougher schedule in 2011, they'll probably be in that situation a lot more often. You can't take a guy who was a Guard in college and bring him into the NFL and throw him out there at LT and say "he's our LT" and think that makes him a Pro Bowler. Jonathan Ogden went the reverse order. The Ravens played him at Guard in his Rookie season in 1996, but wised up and moved him to LT in 1997. Ogden's talents were being wasted at Guard. I think Albert's talents are being wasted at LT. He'd be a killer Guard, which he was in college.

Just out of curiosity, do you think that The Browns will have coaches wanting to replace Joe Thomas? How about The Dolphins? The Seahawks, Ravens, Saints, or Broncos?

Or, how about this?

Do you think that The Patriots, Colts, Saints, Chargers, or Eagles will have a coach suggesting to take a QB in the first round?

When you have an excellent player at a specific position, you don't recommend using your first round pick (especially that high of a first round pick) on that position.

Not a chance. None whatsoever. Like I said, there was a bonafide reason the Chiefs O-Line coach was wanting Russell Okung drafted at #5 & never would have wanted that if he was satisfied with Albert at LT. Bill Muir wanted a better pass blocker at the LT position & I still think he feels that way, today.

He played extremely well in run blocking. But, as we opened up the playbook for more passing, he became exposed for being a weaker pass protector.

It's the reverse of what happened last season.

When LJ was failing through the first half of the season, Albert looked bad, because he was being asked to pass block alot. But once Charles took over, and we had a successful running game, he no longer had to protect as often. That helped mask his skills at LOT.

When you are a great run blocker, who struggles against speed rushers, in space, you are custom made for the interior of the o-line.

This is why I like Derek Sherrod & the idea of moving Albert to Guard. Sherrod's strength is being able to handle speed rushers, plus he can play both Tackle and Guard spots, so he would fit in somewhere on an O-Line that going to need help for the next season. Ryfo18 is probably right, they won't take the best LT available, but they should, and if Waters and Weigmann retire (which I think they should ) & they get a quality WR in FA, then that should settle the issue and they should draft the best O-Lineman available at #21, and Sherrod or Costanzo should be there. Costanzo had a great game against DE Bowers of Clemson and Bowers is projected as a top 5 pick. Both are Pioli type guys, as well.

richardson has been much more of a liability than albert, and by 21 the elite LT prospects will be gone anyway

I disagree, I'd say Albert was the bigger liability over the last part of the season.
Maybe the best LT's won't be there at #21, but there is a chance of one falling to #21, just like Bulaga fell to #23 last year to the Packers.

[brdempsey69]

Okay, enough of my ranting about the O-Line. Let me ask everyone this. Do we all not agree that the Chiefs 1st pick in 2011 draft will be either O-Line or WR? I believe so.

What do you all think?

[Ryfo18]

Okay, enough of my ranting about the O-Line. Let me ask everyone this. Do we all not agree that the Chiefs 1st pick in 2011 draft will be either O-Line or WR? I believe so.

What do you all think?

Based on my guesses on which direction they'd go in the 1st round the last 2 years, I'm just going to guess that they don't go punter or kicker .

[bwilliams]

Okay, enough of my ranting about the O-Line. Let me ask everyone this. Do we all not agree that the Chiefs 1st pick in 2011 draft will be either O-Line or WR? I believe so.

What do you all think?

I think we will go, and should go, OLB. We have nothing across from Hali, and there's no free agent out there to fill that gap.

I mean, Jones and Baldwin should both be gone at 21, so I don't see a WR worth the pick. I know people want Sherrod at LT, but our front office has obstinately refused to go OL (we can get decent guys in rounds 2 and 3 as well).

[brdempsey69]

Based on my guesses on which direction they'd go in the 1st round the last 2 years, I'm just going to guess that they don't go punter or kicker .

Well, that's obvious they won't go punter or kicker. But, if I read you correctly, then they may go neither O-Line or WR, and maybe go Defense again.

[Ryfo18]

I think we will go, and should go, OLB. We have nothing across from Hali, and there's no free agent out there to fill that gap.

I mean, Jones and Baldwin should both be gone at 21, so I don't see a WR worth the pick. I know people want Sherrod at LT, but our front office has obstinately refused to go OL (we can get decent guys in rounds 2 and 3 as well).

I agree about OLB, would love to have another opposite Hali. Who knows though, we still have Sheffield in the works and I'm not sure of their plans with him, or even really how good he is since he was on IR all year. Being a 5th rounder, I'm not going to say he's our answer, but can't rule it out either.

I wouldn't be surprised to see one of Jones or Baldwin available. I mean look how far Dez Bryant fell last year.

[4everchiefsfan25]

I think we will go, and should go, OLB. We have nothing across from Hali, and there's no free agent out there to fill that gap.

I mean, Jones and Baldwin should both be gone at 21, so I don't see a WR worth the pick. I know people want Sherrod at LT, but our front office has obstinately refused to go OL (we can get decent guys in rounds 2 and 3 as well).

I believe that we need to go OLB. If we can get another pass rusher then IMO we are one more step closer to the defense we had in the 90's. I would like to see us get Sam Ocho from Texas. He is a DE in a 4-3 but he reminds me so much of Hali and I think that he can make the position switch to LB.

[brdempsey69]

I wouldn't be surprised to see one of Jones or Baldwin available. I mean look how far Dez Bryant fell last year.

I believe that as well. I think Baldwin will be there at #21, although it won't be due to character issues that pushed Bryant down last year. Got to love his overpowering size and route running and hands. Perfect fit to line up across from Bowe. But if they do take a WR at #21, they need to go heavy on the O-Line the rest of the draft.

[4everchiefsfan25]

I believe that as well. I think Baldwin will be there at #21. Got to love his overpowering size and route running and hands. Perfect fit to line up across from Bowe. But if they do take a WR at #21, they need to go heavy on the O-Line the rest of the draft.

Dez Bryant fell in the draft because of his attitude and the whole thing that happened in College. He didn't really play the season before he went into the draft.