Current Roster Evaluation

[texaschief]

I've seen a lot of posts stating vast overreactions to the state of the current roster. I've seen posts that state we need 3 new O-linemen, that we need 3 new WRs, and that we need 2 new safeties to go along with 2 or 3 new LBs, 2 new DTs and a new CB, a new RB and a new QB.

SO, basically, we don't have a SINGLE good player on this team. I think otherwise. So, I'm going to run down the roster and try to identify who stays, who goes and who currently on the roster can either keep their starting roles or step into a starting role. After this exercise and ensuing discussion, we should have a BETTER idea as to what positions ACTUALLY have to be filled thru free agency and the draft.

Let's start with the offense.

WR- Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley, Will Franklin, and Kevin Robinson

Dwayne Bowe is a legitimate #1 WR in the making and shouldn't be looked at as someone who needs to be replaced. He could very well turn into a #2 WR if the Chiefs get Boldin or Crabtree or Houshmandzadeh, but the Chiefs don't HAVE to go out and find that #1 WR. They would probably better served by finding a less expensive #2 WR. Mark Bradley was the #2 last season and he impressed a lot of people but he fell off dramatically during the second half of the season and could serve as a good #3 in the future. Will Franklin and Kevin Robinson still need time to develop as most late round WRs do and it's probably too soon to tell what they're going to become.

RB- Larry Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Kolby Smith, Jackie Battle

Who knows what the hell is going on with LJ. He's still talented enough to be a great back for a couple more seasons and would probably be more valuable to the team if the Chiefs kept him instead of trying to trade him. All the reasons we want to get rid of him are all the reasons why teams won't give us fair value in a trade. He serves the team better staying as the featured back. Jamaal Charles probably solidified his position as the 3rd down back and #2 back. Kolby Smith will serve this team well as the #3 back if one of the first two were to get hurt. Jackie Battle is probably going to find himself stuck on special teams or the practice squad.

TE- Tony Gonzalez, Brad Cottam, Michael Merritt, Jed Collins

Tony is staying. Again, his value to the team is more as a player than a trade chip. Chances are, he at the very least puts up an average Tony Gonzalez year. Brad Cottam gets another year to learn from TG before becoming the future at that position. The Chiefs are set at TE for the foreseeable future. Michael Merritt probably cost himself a roster spot "over a little weed." So look for the Chiefs to grab another TE at somepoint during the off season. I know NOTHING about Jed Collins. Perhaps he can step into Merritt's role on the team.

LT- Branden Albert, Herb Taylor, Andrew Carnahan

Branden Albert played beyond expectations for a rookie who missed the entire preseason. He has the talent to be the franchise's LT for the next decade or so. However, his versatility and college background gives the Chiefs to option to move him inside or to the other OT position and draft the best available LT at #3. Herb Taylor did enough during his time on the line this season to warrant a look at a starting spot somewhere on the line. I know nothing about Carnahan.

LG- Brian Waters, Wade Smith

Brian Waters is a Pro Bowl OG and will be back for at least another season and possibly two. The Chiefs should find a LG for the future at some point this off season or next. Wade Smith is a good backup guard and should have a roster spot locked down.

C- Rudy Niswanger, Wade Smith

Rudy Niswanger is too big for the C position. This position IS one of the positions on the line that should be upgraded this season. I'd expect the Chiefs to draft or sign a new Center. Wade Smith would probably lose his job as backup to Niswanger.

RG- Adrian Jones, Wade Smith, Tavares Washington

Another position that will change next season. Although, the replacement might be found on the current roster. I'd actually expect Niswanger to take a step to his right and fill this position. His size, build, and talent could be perfect for the guard spot. Wade Smith is a good backup and Washington is probably a non-factor.

RT- Damion McIntosh, Herb Taylor, Barry Richardson

This could actually be one of the deeper positions on the line. McIntosh really came on toward the end of the season and COULD keep his spot. Herb Talyor is knocking on the door and could push for a starting position. Barry Richardson was drafted last season with the thought in mind that HE could be the future at that position. Then, depending on what they want to do with Albert, HE could be at this spot to start the season. I'm not sure the Chiefs will be looking to bring in another player to compete here.

QB- Tyler Thigpen, Quinn Gray, Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard

Your guess is as good as mine here. If Pioli is as good of a talent evaluator as everyone says he is, he'll see that the value we'd have to give up for Cassel isn't nearly worth the difference between he and Thigpen. I doubt the Chiefs trade a pair of firsts for Cassel. Gray was a good back up and should be retained. Croyle would be a cheap, young and talented 3rd QB if no other QB were brought in to compete. Damon Huard probably doesn't have a spot next season.

Defense

LE- Tamba Hali, Wallace Gilberry, Turk McBride

Tamba Hali plays good at LE. I doubt they'll look to replace him. I can't see Turk McBride staying on the team. He just hasn't done enough. I know nothing about Gilberry.

LT- Tank Tyler, Alfonso Boone

Tank is developing nicely and I think the Chiefs got a steal in the 3rd, drafting this guy. Alfonso Boone is a good rotational player and he'll have a roster spot.

RT- Glenn Dorsey Ron Edwards, Derek Lokey

Everyone is freaking out about Dorsey and worrying that he could be Ryan Sims part Deux. That's not the case. Dorsey is going to be a great DT. The problem with him and Tyler going forward is that the Chiefs may not keep the 4-3 and that might spell doom for both players. Edwards is a good rotational player and should have a roster spot next season. I don't know much about Lokey other than he was above average at Texas.

RE- Jason Babin, Andy Studebaker, Brian Johnston

Jason Babin really surprised some people last season and may have won a roster spot going into next season. Although, I seriously doubt he'll be looked at as THE starting LDE. I don't know enough about Studebaker and Johnston to be able to give an informed opinion.

LOLB- Demarrio Williams, Curtis Gatewood

Williams needs to be a backup and the Chiefs need to fill their linebacking positions through free agency.

MLB- Pat Thomas Weston Dacus

See above

ROLB- Derrick Johnson

Johnson is the only good LB the Chiefs have on their team. Since being drafted 15th overall, he has underachieved. This season is going to be a huge year for him as it pertains to his future as a Chief.

LCB- Brandon Carr, Pat Surtain, Maurice Leggett

Brandon Carr and Maurice Leggett did enough last season to be considered for a starting position next season. Look for Pat Surtain to be released.

RCB- Brandon Flowers

Starter.... for a WHILE

SS- Bernard Pollard, DaJuan Morgan

Personally, I like Pollard. His mistakes seem to be basic. If he can figure out how to wrap up, I think we've got a SS for a long time.

FS- Jarrad Page, DaJuan Morgan, Jon McGraw

I wouldn't be surprised to see Page come back. But, I also wouldn't be surprised to see Morgan become the new FS.


The way I see it, the Chiefs NEED only a few players from free agency and the draft, while any other players they bring in would be considered upgrades and would render the players they replace as depth... WHICH IS A GOOD THING!!

This is how I see the roster:

FA/D= Free Agent/Draft

Offense
QB- Thigpen
RB- Johnson
TE- Gonzalez
WR- Bowe, FA/D, Bradley
LT-Albert or D
LG-Waters
C-FA/D
RG-Niswanger/Albert
RT-Taylor/Albert/McIntosh

Defense
LDE-Tamba Hali/Jason Babin
LT-Tyler
RT-Dorsey
RDE-FA/D
ROLB-FA/D
MLB-FA/D
LOLB-Johnson
LCB-Carr/Leggett/FA/D
RCB-Flowers/FA/D
SS-Pollard
FS-Morgan

So, as far as in players the Chiefs NEED to bring in, they really just NEED five players to complete the starting squad (excluding depth). We need a RDE, ROLB, MLB, #2 WR and a Center. The rest of the team CAN be filled through players already on the team.

[kcmostwanted]

I understand guys wanting to build the line first, but a team starts at o-line? That's crazy talk. The Steelers just won a super bowl with a horrid offensive line. The Cardinals O-line wasn't much to speak about either. A team starts with its QB period. It's the most important position in football. We can build our offensive line through FA and later rounds in the draft since we already have our LT.

We can also build our defense through FA and the draft the next 2 years. Has anyone looked at the prospects on defense for the draft next year? It's filled with studs. This year...not so much. This isn't a one year fix to try and win the Super Bowl next year. We need to to have patience, it's going to take a few years. That's why I don't have a problem developing Sanchez. He has potential to be a franchise guy that can lead us where we all wanna go.

You don't win Super Bowls with serviceable QB's anymore. The only exception being Dilfer, but that Ravens D is top 3 of all time. As Chiefs fans we should know that. In the 90's we had a above average defense and arguably the best offensive line in the league. But never had that franchise QB and it got us nowhere and very few playoff wins. I just think the fan base is petrified of drafting a QB high for some reason.

Amen!!! I think we're the only 2 that agree on this.

As I've stated before, I would much rather take a Sanchez or Stafford this year than a Colt or Tebow next year... I'm not all that confident about Bradford either.

If we spend wisely on FA D players we can definitely make it happen w/ Sanchez as our #3 pick.

It also helps that we're drafting at the top of every round... If we pick Sanchez at #3 then we can look to fill in the RT position w/ our 2nd round pick and a C w/ our 3rd round pick. I think this year is pretty deep in those 2 positions.

And I don't understand why everyone has given up on B. Albert already w/ all the, "move him to RG or RT". Give him some freakin time at the LT position. IMO he was the 3rd best Rookie LT last year behind J. Long and R. Clady...

I think we can and will find a very solid RT in the 2nd Round

[jmlamerson]

Amen!!! I think we're the only 2 that agree on this.

As I've stated before, I would much rather take a Sanchez or Stafford this year than a Colt or Tebow next year... I'm not all that confident about Bradford either.

If we spend wisely on FA D players we can definitely make it happen w/ Sanchez as our #3 pick.

It also helps that we're drafting at the top of every round... If we pick Sanchez at #3 then we can look to fill in the RT position w/ our 2nd round pick and a C w/ our 3rd round pick. I think this year is pretty deep in those 2 positions.

And I don't understand why everyone has given up on B. Albert already w/ all the, "move him to RG or RT". Give him some freakin time at the LT position. IMO he was the 3rd best Rookie LT last year behind J. Long and R. Clady...

I think we can and will find a very solid RT in the 2nd Round

I can't speak for everyone, but my thought process at least is:

1. Our OL, DL, and LB positions need help this offseason if we even want to pretend to be competitive in 2009.

2. It's unlikely that we're going to get starters at DE, MLB, ROLB, C, RG, and RT all in free agency.

3. We have a young QB good enough to put points on the board for 2009.

4. There's no way we should start either Sanchez or Stafford (both juniors) in 2009 if we draft them.

5. We don't want to plug in a bunch of low round draft picks or discarded FAs at starting positions.

which leads to the conclusion that:

6. We need to take the best front seven or OL prospects in the first few rounds of the draft.

EDIT: And calling Albert the third best LT rookie last year doesn't mean that much, given there were only three LT rookies starting last year.

[HokieChief 09]

Draft Countdown - 2009 NFL Mock Draft

Scott Wright, draft whiz, has us taking Aaron Curry at the #3 spot. He has us taking Michael Johnson(the DE out of Georgia Tech) in the 2nd round.

[jmlamerson]

Draft Countdown - 2009 NFL Mock Draft

Scott Wright, draft whiz, has us taking Aaron Curry at the #3 spot. He has us taking Michael Johnson(the DE out of Georgia Tech) in the 2nd round.

That's the best mock I've seen so far this year. I think he's wrong about the Jets - they're jumping on Josh Freeman if he drops that far given Favre's retirement - and about the Colts, who are going DT, but it's a great mock and I see it playing out pretty close to this.

If Curry and Johnson are our top two picks, I can't complain that much, so long as our 3rd, 4th, and 5th picks are OL.

[topgonzo]

Just my opinion, A quarterback is a huge gamble with a first round pick. Normally takes a year or two to actually see some high production from a QB. I could see us possibly going through FA or a trade for Cassell at QB or even sticking it out with Thigpen who is actually not a bad QB and can definately improve with some more experience with the offense and coaches around him. I can see 3 areas that need addressed immediately.

1.) Linebacker- Here Curry would be a monster. They need someone that can plug gaps, cover or rush the passer. Someone who is a leader that can talk the talk and smash heads with big boys.

2.) DE- Peppers or through draft the chiefs need a damn pass rush. This will help our D backs and pass coverage as well as the rush defense and overall defensive stats. Just like my saying the only thing a prevent defense does is prevents you from winning the game. No rush then to much pressure on your defense. This needs addressed.

3.) Offensive line- Draft 2nd round possibly or FA pick up. We need to either move Albert to guard which imo would be ideal and get a tackle or add one poss 2 lineman or throw some competition into the mix.

With Haley as HC and poss calling the plays and hopefully adding a defensive coordinator that can motivate and light a fire in some of these young guys and give them a blue print of schemes to run and pressure on the QB with a new front office attitude I personally think the Chiefs could finish 8-8 next year with the playoffs in 2-3 years. These are realistic expectations from a first year HC and some new pieces in place. We all know that from the past the worst thing to try and do is to count on FA pickups on defense like the long long list of LBS and corners that are either past their prime or just fail at production.

[dbolan]

That's the best mock I've seen so far this year. I think he's wrong about the Jets - they're jumping on Josh Freeman if he drops that far given Favre's retirement - and about the Colts, who are going DT, but it's a great mock and I see it playing out pretty close to this.

If Curry and Johnson are our top two picks, I can't complain that much, so long as our 3rd, 4th, and 5th picks are OL.

First, I am sure you will find something to complain about if in fact, those are the first 2 KC picks.

Second, we already have 3rd, 4th and 5th rd lineman and that has not seemed to work out, has it?

LMAO

[jmlamerson]

First, I am sure you will find something to complain about if in fact, those are the first 2 KC picks.

Second, we already have 3rd, 4th and 5th rd lineman and that has not seemed to work out, has it?

LMAO

No, those two picks are fine for the first couple rounds. We need a LB and DE badly.

And our OL is Albert (1st), Waters (undrafted), Niswanger (undrafted), Jones (FA), and, McIntosh (FA). Our reserves are Herb Taylor (6th round), Barry Richardson (6th), and Wade Smith (FA).

Which, exactly, of our OL did we draft in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds?

This isn't going to be another debate where you forget to look up facts, is it?

[ChiefsFanFromNY]

Just my opinion, A quarterback is a huge gamble with a first round pick.

Every first round pick a gamble. No pick is guaranteed. We have been playing it safe with Carl for 20 years with this franchise. Where did that get us? NOWHERE!!! Drop the fear of drafting QB's high. There have been LB's, OL that have flopped when they were drafted high as well, it's just not QB's. The best teams in the league all weren't scared of taking QB's early in the first round, now look at them. Steelers, Giants, Colts, Eagles, Chargers (even after the Ryan Leaf debacle) just to name a few. If the scouts and manangement grade out Sanchez to be a franchise QB, you can bet he will be the pick. Now if you don't like Sanchez as a prospect then ok, you're entitled to your opinion...but to not want to take a guy just because he's a gamble and it's risky drafting a QB early is ridiculous and the mindset of mediocrity. I wonder if the guys who don't want a Sanchez or Stafford have seen these guys even play?

Sanchez has played in a pro system, the arm strength to make all the throws, leadership qualities, passion for the game, studies the game, makes good decisions with the football, is an accurate thrower, mobile, good mechanics, good size and will command a huddle. What's not to like? He has all the tools.

To be great you need to take risks. Not have serviceable QB's back there that will make us 8-8, 9-7, 6-10 every year. Doesn't anyone want to win a Super Bowl? I'm tired of seeing everyone's team win and not mine. And QB is where it starts, not with a cover OLB like Aaron Curry. His impact on the game is minimal compared to a QB and is not worth the money or value of a #3 pick. Only speed rushing OLB's comparable to LT and DT should be picked that high.

[kcmostwanted]

EDIT: And calling Albert the third best LT rookie last year doesn't mean that much, given there were only three LT rookies starting last year.

So out of the 8 OTs (Albert included) that were drafted last year in the 1st round, there were 3 that were capable of starting on the Left side, ( we happen to have one of the 3) and you're saying this is a bad thing???.. The LT position is a hard position to play and Albert's rookie year should not define whether he can play the position or not... Give him 1 or 2 more years before everyone starts calling for his head, calling him a flop or requesting to move him to RG.

Very rarely do we see a tackle come in and dominate in the fashion of Joe Thomas (especailly if he played OG in college)...I think Joe making the pro bowl the last 2 years have caused unrealistic expectations from football fans whose team drafts OTs in the first round.

Players get owned from the Highschool to college transition, and that happening from the College to pro transition should not surprise us either... We need patience when it comes to developing players!!

[kcmostwanted]

Albert allowed 4.5 sacks his rookie season which was less than many other veteran LT. You guys are crazy to think that he won't have the potential to be a very good LT in this league. I think he will only get better!

1. Ryan Clady, Denver, 0.5 sack
2. Michael Roos, Tennessee, 1 sack PRO BOWLER
3-T. Tony Ugoh, Indianapolis, 2 sacks* (Started 11)
3-T. Tra Thomas, Philadelphia, 2 sacks
3-T. Jared Gaither, Baltimore, 2 sacks* (He missed first quarter of Philadelphia game because of a shoulder injury)
7. Jake Long, Miami, 2.5 sacks
8-T. Marcus McNeill, San Diego, 3 sacks* (13 games)
8-T. Chris Samuels, Washington, 3 sacks* (Only appeared in 12 games)
8-T. Jordan Gross, Carolina, 3 sacks* (Missed 1 game) PRO BOWLER
8-T. Jammal Brown, New Orleans, 3 sacks* (Missed 1 game)
8-T. Todd Weiner, Atlanta, 3 sacks* (Started 10 games and appeared in 15)
13-T. Joe Thomas, Cleveland, 3.5 sacks PRO BOWLER
13-T. Walter Jones, Seattle, 3.5 sacks* (12 games) PRO BOWLER
15-T. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, NY Jets, 4 sacks
15-T. Bryant McKinnie, Minnesota, 4 sacks* (11 games)
15-T. Max Starks, Pittsburgh, 4 sacks* (10 starts)
18. Brandon Albert, Kansas City, 4.5 sacks* (Missed 1 game)
19. Levi Jones, Cincinnati, 5.5 sacks* (10 games)
20. Mike Gandy, Arizona, 6.25 sacks
21-T. Chad Clifton, Green Bay, 6.5 sacks* (missed 1 game)
21-T. David Diehl, NY Giants, 6.5 sacks
23. Flozell Adams, Dallas, 7.25 PRO BOWLER
24-T. Khalif Barnes, Jacksonville, 7.5 sacks
24-T. Matt Light, New England, 7.5 sacks
24-T. Kwame Harris, 7.5 sacks* (Started 11, appeared in 13)
27. Donald Penn, Tampa Bay, 8 sacks
28. Joe Staley, San Francisco, 8.5 sacks
29. Jeff Backus, Detroit, 9.25 sacks
30. John St. Clair, Chicago, 9.75 sacks
T-31. Duane Brown, Houston, 11.5 sacks
T-31. Jason Peters, Buffalo, 11.5 sacks* PRO BOWLER (13 games)

How Many Sacks Each LT Gave Up (Because it interests me) - WalterFootball.com Forums