Mecca
04-30-2007, 07:58 AM
From Fox Sports
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Czar's breakdown: The Chiefs went for a physical receiver in LSU's Dwayne Bowe over the much faster Robert Meachem. Bowe disappeared during the Senior Bowl although he was JaMarcus Russell's favorite receiver. Tennessee DT Turk McBride only started 17 games in his four-year and seemed to be a reach with the 54th overall pick. McBride, though, can be used anywhere along the defensive line. They took UCLA PK Justin Medlock in the fifth round and he converted six field goals of 50 yards or more. Louisville RB Kolby Smith gained 5.7 yards a carry, starting for the injured Michael Bush. Smith appears to be a solid third-down back because he has great hands. The Chiefs took the best defensive tackle left on their board with the 82nd overall pick in North Carolina State's DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler. They didn't trade QB Trent Green and probably will be forced to release him prior to training camp.
Grade: C-
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6746812
The Fanhouse at AOL Sports
Kansas City Grade: B. The Chiefs had needs at wideout and offensive line. They were 1-for-2 ... and Larry Johnson should be very, very worried.
http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/04/29/20...west-afc-south/
Another AOL site
Kansas City : Grade B-minus – Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs hope, will give them something they have been missing - a true, go-to wide receiver. The defensive players Kansas City had targeted all were gone when they picked in the first round, but the Chiefs still added a pair of defensive tackles after the first round, getting both quickness (Turk McBride) and bulk (DeMarcus Tyler). Bowe should be a good fit in Kansas City, diverting attention from tight end Tony Gonzalez and also opening some running room for Larry Johnson .
http://sports.aol.com/nfl/story/_a/browns-...429193709990001
This last one is kinda different you could say....
Chiefs’ Draft Report Card: Blah-Plus
By Jon Yoon | April 29th, 2007
Now comes that critical moment when every writer and blogger grades the Chiefs’ draft. Of course, my grade doesn’t mean anything. I don’t think Carl Peterson is going to go home and show this report card to his parents any time soon (or ever). Don’t worry, Carl. I’m pretty happy with your draft this year.
I gave the Chiefs a B+. More appropriately, it should be graded as “Blah-Plus.” The Chiefs didn’t do anything dazzling this year. Out of the entire draft, you’d expect two of the Chiefs to be starters on day 1: Dwayne Bowe and Justin Medlock. That’s not even fair, because Medlock is a kicker, which I don’t think can be graded by the same standards as other players (if you’re a punter or a kicker and you are drafted high, you will start right away). Arguably, Tank Tyler has potential to be a terrific starting tackle in this league, so he could represent a third starter to come from this draft.
The rest of the draft was “blah.” Maybe that’s a good thing. Why are people so obsessed with drafting players that are going to start right away? Or start at all? It’s amazing how many people think the Chiefs could have gone out and picked up a cornerback in the 2nd or 3rd round that was a guarantee to be the “cornerback of the future.” Folks, there is a lot of value in a player like Turk McBride, even if he contributes in a backup role. While I’m not wowed by the McBride pick, I look at this way: McBride will play. He will contribute. I don’t know if he has the upside to be a pro bowl starter, but I do believe he has the tools to be a productive rotational player, much like Chris Kelsay is for the Bills. He’s almost guaranteed to be a starting tackle in the nickel defense. He can wear a lot of hats for the team. He can be a situational run stuffer, perhaps taking Allen off the field on running downs. He will definitely be a guy who goes right after blockers and hits them in the mouth. I see him as a guy who comes in and brings his motor to wear down the offense. The hope is that he can make Hali and Allen look that much fresher.
Same deal with Kolby Smith. He’s obviously not going to be a starter over LJ. Few project him to even be a quality starter in this game. But he’ll be terrific as a rotational backup that can take some carries away from LJ and even serve as a valuable pass blocker or receiver. He reminds me a lot of Derrick Blaylock who may not have been good enough to be a starting running back, but man, I always thought he was extremely valuable to the Chiefs as a #2 back.
As for the other picks, I’ve already mentioned that I love the Dwayne Bowe pick. Justin Medlock is a surefire starter, but that was a pretty low-risk pick. Herb Taylor and Michael Allan are exactly what you would hope for in the very late rounds: they were the best available players on the board. They could turn out to be Jarrad Page but, more than likely, they’re camp fodder. Not a big deal if either of the two gets cut. As for Tank Tyler, he’s got tremendous upside, but the good news is, it’s hard for him to be any worse than the Chiefs’ current starting tackles and, at the very least, he can be a rotational guy. The great thing about defensive linemen is, even bad linemen can contribute to a team merely by being a body to rest a tired starter.
I know there will be experts and analysts out there who will grade the Chiefs poorly for this draft. They’ll rant and rave about how the Chiefs were stupid not to take an offensive linemen or a cornerback in the draft. Frankly, I don’t understand the logic. The Chiefs had needs all across the board. They couldn’t afford to be picky. This was a draft for the Chiefs where it made the most sense to pick the best available player at most positions. Can anyone really argue that the Chiefs need to improve their consistency in the pass rush? Can anyone really, truly say that the Chiefs were strong at the tackle position? I love it when analysts and experts harp on and on about one absolute need that a team must fill, and if a team doesn’t fill that need, it’s a lousy pick. Larry Johnson and Tamba Hali were lousy picks, in analysts’ minds, because they weren’t wide receivers. Funny, because the Chiefs probably aren’t regretting right now passing up on Rashaun Woods or Chad Jackson right now.
Nobody will talk about this draft, because it was very blah. But that doesn’t mean it was a bad draft. I’m glad to see the Chiefs are looking to add contributors to the team, rather than looking for the next big superstar with “upside” (ahem, Junior Siavii). I’m glad that the Chiefs are just as happy to add a valuable role contributor like McBride or, last year, Pollard, rather than attempting to find a starter with every first day pick (ahem, Eric Downing). Ever since Lynn Stiles left the Chiefs’ War Room and Bill Kuharich began taking a more leading role in personnel decisions, I’m seeing the Chiefs’ draft strategy shift their focus on adding quality contributors rather than superstars. That’s an approach Philly and New England usually take every year, and I think it’s worked out pretty good for them.
Every one of the Chiefs’ picks in the first five rounds is going to play a valuable role for the Chiefs in 2008. Fans don’t have to worry about them being developmental picks, or backups who may never see the field. They’ll play. They’ll contribute. Every one of them. And so, once you get past all the blah, you’ll come to realize that the Chiefs are a much better football team after the 2008 draft. For that, they deserve a B+.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Czar's breakdown: The Chiefs went for a physical receiver in LSU's Dwayne Bowe over the much faster Robert Meachem. Bowe disappeared during the Senior Bowl although he was JaMarcus Russell's favorite receiver. Tennessee DT Turk McBride only started 17 games in his four-year and seemed to be a reach with the 54th overall pick. McBride, though, can be used anywhere along the defensive line. They took UCLA PK Justin Medlock in the fifth round and he converted six field goals of 50 yards or more. Louisville RB Kolby Smith gained 5.7 yards a carry, starting for the injured Michael Bush. Smith appears to be a solid third-down back because he has great hands. The Chiefs took the best defensive tackle left on their board with the 82nd overall pick in North Carolina State's DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler. They didn't trade QB Trent Green and probably will be forced to release him prior to training camp.
Grade: C-
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6746812
The Fanhouse at AOL Sports
Kansas City Grade: B. The Chiefs had needs at wideout and offensive line. They were 1-for-2 ... and Larry Johnson should be very, very worried.
http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/04/29/20...west-afc-south/
Another AOL site
Kansas City : Grade B-minus – Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs hope, will give them something they have been missing - a true, go-to wide receiver. The defensive players Kansas City had targeted all were gone when they picked in the first round, but the Chiefs still added a pair of defensive tackles after the first round, getting both quickness (Turk McBride) and bulk (DeMarcus Tyler). Bowe should be a good fit in Kansas City, diverting attention from tight end Tony Gonzalez and also opening some running room for Larry Johnson .
http://sports.aol.com/nfl/story/_a/browns-...429193709990001
This last one is kinda different you could say....
Chiefs’ Draft Report Card: Blah-Plus
By Jon Yoon | April 29th, 2007
Now comes that critical moment when every writer and blogger grades the Chiefs’ draft. Of course, my grade doesn’t mean anything. I don’t think Carl Peterson is going to go home and show this report card to his parents any time soon (or ever). Don’t worry, Carl. I’m pretty happy with your draft this year.
I gave the Chiefs a B+. More appropriately, it should be graded as “Blah-Plus.” The Chiefs didn’t do anything dazzling this year. Out of the entire draft, you’d expect two of the Chiefs to be starters on day 1: Dwayne Bowe and Justin Medlock. That’s not even fair, because Medlock is a kicker, which I don’t think can be graded by the same standards as other players (if you’re a punter or a kicker and you are drafted high, you will start right away). Arguably, Tank Tyler has potential to be a terrific starting tackle in this league, so he could represent a third starter to come from this draft.
The rest of the draft was “blah.” Maybe that’s a good thing. Why are people so obsessed with drafting players that are going to start right away? Or start at all? It’s amazing how many people think the Chiefs could have gone out and picked up a cornerback in the 2nd or 3rd round that was a guarantee to be the “cornerback of the future.” Folks, there is a lot of value in a player like Turk McBride, even if he contributes in a backup role. While I’m not wowed by the McBride pick, I look at this way: McBride will play. He will contribute. I don’t know if he has the upside to be a pro bowl starter, but I do believe he has the tools to be a productive rotational player, much like Chris Kelsay is for the Bills. He’s almost guaranteed to be a starting tackle in the nickel defense. He can wear a lot of hats for the team. He can be a situational run stuffer, perhaps taking Allen off the field on running downs. He will definitely be a guy who goes right after blockers and hits them in the mouth. I see him as a guy who comes in and brings his motor to wear down the offense. The hope is that he can make Hali and Allen look that much fresher.
Same deal with Kolby Smith. He’s obviously not going to be a starter over LJ. Few project him to even be a quality starter in this game. But he’ll be terrific as a rotational backup that can take some carries away from LJ and even serve as a valuable pass blocker or receiver. He reminds me a lot of Derrick Blaylock who may not have been good enough to be a starting running back, but man, I always thought he was extremely valuable to the Chiefs as a #2 back.
As for the other picks, I’ve already mentioned that I love the Dwayne Bowe pick. Justin Medlock is a surefire starter, but that was a pretty low-risk pick. Herb Taylor and Michael Allan are exactly what you would hope for in the very late rounds: they were the best available players on the board. They could turn out to be Jarrad Page but, more than likely, they’re camp fodder. Not a big deal if either of the two gets cut. As for Tank Tyler, he’s got tremendous upside, but the good news is, it’s hard for him to be any worse than the Chiefs’ current starting tackles and, at the very least, he can be a rotational guy. The great thing about defensive linemen is, even bad linemen can contribute to a team merely by being a body to rest a tired starter.
I know there will be experts and analysts out there who will grade the Chiefs poorly for this draft. They’ll rant and rave about how the Chiefs were stupid not to take an offensive linemen or a cornerback in the draft. Frankly, I don’t understand the logic. The Chiefs had needs all across the board. They couldn’t afford to be picky. This was a draft for the Chiefs where it made the most sense to pick the best available player at most positions. Can anyone really argue that the Chiefs need to improve their consistency in the pass rush? Can anyone really, truly say that the Chiefs were strong at the tackle position? I love it when analysts and experts harp on and on about one absolute need that a team must fill, and if a team doesn’t fill that need, it’s a lousy pick. Larry Johnson and Tamba Hali were lousy picks, in analysts’ minds, because they weren’t wide receivers. Funny, because the Chiefs probably aren’t regretting right now passing up on Rashaun Woods or Chad Jackson right now.
Nobody will talk about this draft, because it was very blah. But that doesn’t mean it was a bad draft. I’m glad to see the Chiefs are looking to add contributors to the team, rather than looking for the next big superstar with “upside” (ahem, Junior Siavii). I’m glad that the Chiefs are just as happy to add a valuable role contributor like McBride or, last year, Pollard, rather than attempting to find a starter with every first day pick (ahem, Eric Downing). Ever since Lynn Stiles left the Chiefs’ War Room and Bill Kuharich began taking a more leading role in personnel decisions, I’m seeing the Chiefs’ draft strategy shift their focus on adding quality contributors rather than superstars. That’s an approach Philly and New England usually take every year, and I think it’s worked out pretty good for them.
Every one of the Chiefs’ picks in the first five rounds is going to play a valuable role for the Chiefs in 2008. Fans don’t have to worry about them being developmental picks, or backups who may never see the field. They’ll play. They’ll contribute. Every one of them. And so, once you get past all the blah, you’ll come to realize that the Chiefs are a much better football team after the 2008 draft. For that, they deserve a B+.