If only we had a O-Line to protect him!

[tornadospotter]

Where have we seen this before?

Jul 08, 2008, 3:01:05 AM by Jonathan Rand - FAQ



The unfolding Brett Favre soap opera should seem familiar to Chiefs fans. Didn’t we see a similar show at Arrowhead Stadium a year ago, albeit with a less famous quarterback?
A young quarterback, Brodie Croyle, was the presumptive starter a few months before he stumbled in the preseason. Former Pro Bowler Trent Green complained he wasn’t getting a fair chance to keep the job he’d held for six years, and he was given permission to seek a trade.
Yet, even as the Chiefs were trying to move him to the Dolphins, Green reported to Arrowhead for voluntary spring workouts. He was trying to turn up the pressure on the Chiefs, whose negotiations were stalemated. It took another month for them to close the deal.
What should have been a routine spat between the Chiefs and Green turned into major nationwide sports news. Public demand for NFL news in the offseason far exceeds the supply.
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to envision the circus that would surround Favre and the Packers if developments continue the direction they seemed headed. First, he retired, setting his five-year clock for Hall of Fame induction. Early rumors of his return seemed unfounded.
More recently, however, Favre’s relatives gave legs to talk of Favre’s return. His brother, Scott, claimed a comeback was a 50-50 possibility. His mother, Bonita, claimed that Packers general manager Ted Thompson lacked enthusiasm for bringing Favre back, and that Favre no longer felt welcome with the team. Favre, meanwhile, hasn’t said much.
The Packers prepared carefully for life after Favre, who had a bang-up season in 2007 before ending it with an interception that allowed the Giants to continue their championship run. The Packers named Aaron Rodgers to start and drafted quarterbacks Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn.
Should Favre notify the NFL office that he wishes to return, the Packers would have to activate or release him. If they’d want him back, there’d be no problem. But if they don’t want his back, they’d face a touchy situation, to say the least.
They Packers obviously wouldn’t release him because of his trade value and because they don’t want him calling signals for a division rival, or any other NFC team for that matter.
If Favre wants to play but he’s not wanted in Green Bay, the Packers could well face the predicament the Chiefs faced last spring. If they don’t trade him before training camp begins July 27, they could not prevent him from taking snaps along with Rodgers and the rookies. That circus would make the Chiefs’ episode with Green seem like a backyard juggling act.
Cable channels would be showing us Favre 24/7 and everybody in camp, right down to the ball boys, would get the chance to tell America whether they think Favre should be the team’s starter.
The Packers obviously would not relish the spectacle of their foremost franchise icon since the Lombardi era griping about being held hostage.
Because Favre’s coming off a strong season – 4,155 yards and 28 touchdown passes – it’s tempting to assume he’s still in his prime. But he’ll turn 39 in October and had back-to-back mediocre seasons before 2007.
The Chiefs have more experience than most teams with successful quarterbacks who needed a change in scenery near the end of their careers. The club’s evaluations have proved accurate.
Green took over as the Dolphins’ starter only to suffer a concussion for the second straight season. He’s now moved on to the Rams as Marc Bulger’s backup.
In 1993, the Chiefs traded for Joe Montana, arguably the best quarterback of all time, but who was coming off injury problems that led to his replacement in San Francisco by Steve Young. Though Montana in his two years with the Chiefs was no longer the great player he’d once been, he led them to the AFC championship game in 1993. They haven’t advanced that far since.
Montana’s departure from San Francisco and the fans’ enduring loyalty to him made Young’s life difficult, and filled with boos, until he threw six touchdown passes in a Super Bowl victory over the Chargers in the January, 1995 Super Bowl. So you can imagine the pressure that would hound Rodgers in Green Bay if Favre winds up in another uniform.
If Favre wants to come back to the Packers and they’re willing to tear up their succession plan for now, perhaps both can live happily ever after. Otherwise, ill will could pollute the skies of Green Bay.
Once egos, money and public opinion get involved, there’s no civil way to resolve these things.



If only? I would try to get him, for a season or two. He could help develop our young QB's and wins some games for us! Just my thoughts anyway.
Post away what if Brett became a Chief?

[milkman]

If we have to address the QB position again next season, then we can go ahead and plan on addressing it for alot of years.



Yeah, because a Tom Brady couldn't play poorly under that kind of pressure. That would be impossible.

The situation that we are giving Croyle is not a chance.

If you are suggesting that Croyle needs more than this year to dEvelop, I would agree with you.

However, everything we've read suggests that this year is all he's going to get.

With that in mind, I don't expect Croyle to put up numbers that we can write home about.

What he can do is show improvement in his decision making.

He has to show that he can checkdown or simply throw the ball away.

He has to show that he can stay away from trying to force things.

That's what I'll be looking for to see if he can grow into the position.

The fact that we have failed to address the offensive line means that Croyles career is likely over, right now. We just get to watch the burial this season.

Since you have no confidence in Albert to play LT, there really isn't any point in debating this, but what the hell, I like to argue.

If Albert were the only O-Lineman we drafted, his presense at LT improves two positons, his and RT.

I don't like McIntosh at RT, but even if I'm wrong about Barry Richardson eventually taking that spot from him, we still are better there than we were at any time last year.

I also don't care for Adrain Jones and think that either Herb Taylor (who I like alot) or Chris McDuffie will eventually displace, but again, even if I'm wrong, Jones is an improvement over anyone we played there last year except Rudy Niswanger.

Which brings us to center.

Niswanger showed us at RG that he is a solid player last year, and he is a better fit at center for what this team does now than Weigman.

So the fact is, regardless of how things play out on the right side, we are (substantially) better all across the line this year.

I don't think that Croyle is great. But I don't blame him for the time he spent in college, with some of the worst protection I have ever seen, nor for continuing to get no protection from Herm Edwards.

The fact that he played as well as he did behind that pathetic excuse of an O-Line at Alabama is the very reason that I think we can learn alot about him this year.

We know he has talent.
His experience at Alabama shows us he has the courage to stand in and make plays under pressure.

What we need to find out is if he can play smart.

Unless Croyle recovers from what Herm has done to his career, and gets a job with another head coach, he will never have the opportunity to play NFL football.

Please.

6 starts.

That isn't nearly enough time for anyone to get to screwed up to recover.

[Seek]

I also don't care for Adrain Jones and think that either Herb Taylor (who I like alot) or Chris McDuffie will eventually displace, but again, even if I'm wrong, Jones is an improvement over anyone we played there last year except Rudy Niswanger.

Which brings us to center.

Niswanger showed us at RG that he is a solid player last year, and he is a better fit at center for what this team does now than Weigman.

So the fact is, regardless of how things play out on the right side, we are (substantially) better all across the line this year.

Your logic is highly flawed in thinking anything is better, which last year proved to be a mistaken assumption.

This was the same logic that everyone spouted last year after the aging Will Shields retired and moving Welbourne to his natural postion was an upgrade and anything was better than Jordan Black...

Facts remain. Our LT is a rookie who played two games at Tackle. Not only is the position new the speed and competition of the game is also new. His future at LT may be great but this year will be bumpy.

Brian Waters arguably had his worste year last year. Is he aging??? Was it Wiegmann briging Waters down, or was it the lack of Willie Roaf helping him out? There is questions about how Brian will perform.

Center, If Niswanger was ready to start at center last year was hit chance to take the position away from Casey. Based on Casey's comments, the Chiefs were looking to dump him and hoping Rudy was ready. He failed to do it at camp so he still has tons to prove before you can consider this an upgrade.

I don't even now who our RG is. Currently it is projected to be some other teams reject. You are stating Herb as a possile year end starter, when he failed to take that spot last year when it was mostly needed. Also, I have heard he is currently the main back up at both tackle positions. You are assuming this poistion can't get any worse when that same logice last year proved to be wrong.

I think Big Mac will be fine at RT.

There is a bunch of questions this offensive line needs to prove and right now, until you see it on the field. It isn't very promising, but that is why the game is played.

[milkman]

Your logic is highly flawed in thinking anything is better, which last year proved to be a mistaken assumption.

This was the same logic that everyone spouted last year after the aging Will Shields retired and moving Welbourne to his natural postion was an upgrade and anything was better than Jordan Black...

Facts remain. Our LT is a rookie who played two games at Tackle. Not only is the position new the speed and competition of the game is also new. His future at LT may be great but this year will be bumpy.

Brian Waters arguably had his worste year last year. Is he aging??? Was it Wiegmann briging Waters down, or was it the lack of Willie Roaf helping him out? There is questions about how Brian will perform.

Center, If Niswanger was ready to start at center last year was hit chance to take the position away from Casey. Based on Casey's comments, the Chiefs were looking to dump him and hoping Rudy was ready. He failed to do it at camp so he still has tons to prove before you can consider this an upgrade.

I don't even now who our RG is. Currently it is projected to be some other teams reject. You are stating Herb as a possile year end starter, when he failed to take that spot last year when it was mostly needed. Also, I have heard he is currently the main back up at both tackle positions. You are assuming this poistion can't get any worse when that same logice last year proved to be wrong.

I think Big Mac will be fine at RT.

There is a bunch of questions this offensive line needs to prove and right now, until you see it on the field. It isn't very promising, but that is why the game is played.

I'm making assumptions based on my observations.

I watched a couple of Albert's games last year, and I saw his combine performance, and based on what I saw, I think he will be better this year, while he is just learning, than Damion McIntosh has ever been at LT.

I've never like McIntosh, and think he will be even less at RT than he was at LT, but that is still better than any of the crap than we threw out there last year.

As for Niswanger, I don't think he was ready last season, but he showed growth as a blocker in his time at RG last year, so he now looks ready.

I never bought into the "We are better simply because Black is gone" nonsense.

I think Waters showed signs of aging, but he also didn't have the support that he had been accustomed to before.

I also never bought into Wellbourne.

I thought our O-Line was going to be bad last year.

I just didn't know it was going ot be historically bad.

I think Taylor's versatility is the reason he's not being given an opportunity to compete for a position right out of the gate.

He was 5th round rookie who displayed a lot of potential in his limited playing time last season.

But he can play any position along the line, except center.

Overall, these guys are more talented than the group of useless *******s we had last year.

[Seek]

I'm making assumptions based on my observations.

I watched a couple of Albert's games last year, and I saw his combine performance, and based on what I saw, I think he will be better this year, while he is just learning, than Damion McIntosh has ever been at LT.

I won't argue against any of the rest. I have very high hopes for Albert, but you are basing your opinion from observations that don't mean squat, until it is proven on the field. I really hope what you say will happen, but this is the Chiefs we are talking about.

Watching a player play and watching their combine would have made Ryan Sim a pro-bowler. Yet that didn't even come close to happening.

Until we can watch him against real NFL Defensive ends. Any observation you may have seen is skewed.

Even if he lives up to your observations, you have to consider that realistically he is still a rookie playing a postion he does not know and he won't be as consistent as Big Mac as. At times he may be tons better, but he will still make his mistakes.

[milkman]

I won't argue against any of the rest. I have very high hopes for Albert, but you are basing your opinion from observations that don't mean squat, until it is proven on the field. I really hope what you say will happen, but this is the Chiefs we are talking about.

Watching a player play and watching their combine would have made Ryan Sim a pro-bowler. Yet that didn't even come close to happening.

Until we can watch him against real NFL Defensive ends. Any observation you may have seen is skewed.

Even if he lives up to your observations, you have to consider that realistically he is still a rookie playing a postion he does not know and he won't be as consistent as Big Mac as. At times he may be tons better, but he will still make his mistakes.

McIntosh gave up 7.5 sacks last year, and he missed a game due to injury, and large portions of another two.
That's ok, at best, and he is, at best, a marginal run blocker.

Even as a rookie making mistakes, Albert can match that sacks allowed number, and right now, without question, is a hell of a lot better run blocker.

[Seek]

right now, without question, is a hell of a lot better run blocker.

Again, until I see that against a NFL caliber DE, I can not agree to your optomism. What you have seen was him dominating lesser opponents at a different position. The players he will face are the best of the best, who are seasoned at their position.

To expect more from him than what Big Mac provide last year, isn't fair.

[milkman]

Again, until I see that against a NFL caliber DE, I can not agree to your optomism. What you have seen was him dominating lesser opponents at a different position. The players he will face are the best of the best, who are seasoned at their position.

To expect more from him than what Big Mac provide last year, isn't fair.

I expect more from him because he's a far superior athlete, has better leg strength, is quicker and more graceful on his feet, and has longer arms.

I think it's more than fair.

[Seek]

I expect more from him because he's a far superior athlete, has better leg strength, is quicker and more graceful on his feet, and has longer arms.

I think it's more than fair.

I think you are looking towards the future fair.. Not his rookie year fair... You are basically expecting him to be top 10 material as a rookie. Since Big Mac was about average.

[milkman]

I think you are looking towards the future fair.. Not his rookie year fair... You are basically expecting him to be top 10 material as a rookie. Since Big Mac was about average.

No.
I'm expecting him to be at least as good as McIntosh as a pass blocker, which is about average.

I'm expecting him to be a better run blocker than McIntosh, and even if that's only average, that's a damn sight better than McIntosh.

McIntosh is a suckass run blocker.

[CHIEFCANNON]

What might be getting lost and it did in the NFL Draft is... but fore, Albert getting placed at G... in college based on team need not talent, Branden Albert would have been the #1 O-lineman in the draft Yes.. even stated on the NFL Channel that he very well could have beaten Long for the #1 spot. Because he played Guard he was down graded in draft rank.

That being said, I would expect Albert to perform suprisingly well.. he was meant to play tackle. By the way, IF I'm not incorrect he only allowed one sack his last year in college.