Herm knows what he’s doing when it comes to cornerbacks
 

Herm knows what he’s doing when it comes to cornerbacks
JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star

Jason Whitlock
Previous columns
T he Chiefs held their annual predraft news conference Thursday afternoon inside Arrowhead Stadium.

Why?

Can’t say for sure. As usual, nothing of interest was said. At one point, Chiefs coach Herman Edwards, as bored with the news conference as anyone, tried to engage The Star’s Randy Covitz in a verbal battle.

Herm’s a fine talker, but he’s absolutely no match for the Muhammad Ali of sports journalism, Randy “The Lip” Covitz. To no one’s surprise, “The Lip” ran his unbeaten streak to 3,235 confrontations.

Seriously, by the time Edwards, Carl Peterson and the Chiefs’ new vice president of player personnel Bill Kuharich were done cleverly and enthusiastically saying nothing, I’d concluded the reason for the event was so Peterson could appear in front of a Kansas City crowd without being booed.

We, the media, have a reputation for abusive behavior, but we’re still much too polite to boo Peterson (in the offseason).

About the only thing I could discern from Thursday’s proceedings was that Edwards has little concern about KC’s No. 2 corner opposite Patrick Surtain, which makes me believe the Chiefs will use their first-round pick on a wide receiver or defensive end.

Edwards did not say he was unconcerned about the spot vacated by Eric Warfield. Or did the Chiefs fumigate their secondary by letting Warfield walk to New England for virtually no money?

Whatever the case, Edwards seemed like an extremely confident man when it came to identifying, drafting and developing cornerbacks. He pointed out that when he was an assistant in Tampa Bay the Buccaneers got major production from young corners selected in the second and third rounds (Ronde Barber, Brian Kelly).

Now, this could all be a smokescreen. Edwards admitted the Chiefs, just like most teams, were sending out misinformation about their draft desires.

But here’s why I believe Peterson and Kuharich will let Edwards pick a corner in the second or third round rather than the first.

No one in football knows more about what it takes to play corner in the NFL than Edwards. He scouts the position better than anyone, and he coaches the position better than anyone. That’s the advantage of having played the position, worked as a scout and having coached the position.

Edwards picking a corner is the equivalent of putting a blindfold on me, setting eight slabs of ribs on a table and asking me to identify the slab prepared at a Gates. It wouldn’t be fair to call it work.

As much as I’d like to see the Chiefs acquire free-agent corner Ty Law, I have no doubt that Edwards will identify and develop a solid No. 2 corner. It might be someone already on the Chiefs’ roster. Maybe Julian Battle will play up to his physical skills. Or Bennie Sapp will play over his head. Or the Chiefs will draft someone in the second or third round who will step in and contribute right away.

So I guess I’m leaning toward the Chiefs drafting a defensive lineman. Of course, we know the Chiefs stink at drafting defensive linemen. Yes, they plucked Jared Allen out of the fourth round of the 2004 draft. But there’s still Ryan Sims, Junior Siavii, Eric Downing and Eddie Freeman to explain.

Maybe Kuharich’s ascension in the organization will fix KC’s inability to find defensive linemen. There’s considerable celebration within the Chiefs organization in general and the coaching staff in particular about Lynn Stiles’ decision to step aside for Kuharich.

Stiles is best remembered as the man who fell in love with Trezelle Jenkins’ wingspan and overlooked his clumsy footwork and lack of mental toughness. To be fair, Kuharich, who made his bones with the Saints, is best remembered as the man who fell so madly in love with Ricky Williams’ size and speed that he overlooked the size of Ricky’s bong and weed.

I’d like to see the Chiefs take Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. Most draft experts have Kiwanuka pegged as a late first-rounder. He should be available. Then the Chiefs can take a cornerback. I also love Western Michigan receiver Greg Jennings, a projected second- or third-rounder. Jennings will be an NFL star.

One of the funniest lines JW has ever written...classic...

Good article. I agree with almost everything he said except for drafting Mathias Kiwanuka.

Quoted for wisdom.

quoted to emphasize said wisdom

what little of the news conference I caught. Carl keep butting in, Herm was getting all the attention. If Carl posted on CP he would be a postwhore of great magnitude

If you admit that you're putting out misleading information about your draft plans, aren't you in essence giving out information about your draft plans?

except for the fact, that they know that we know, that they know that we know that they know.

ROFL

I don't understand all the bad vibes for Kiwanuka? Can you enlighten me/us? Seriously? :hmmm:

Thanks.

Whats wrong with Kiwanuka? He was a badass at Boston College, and could be a great pass rusher. We better not trade down if he's still on the board. I still think though we need more push up front through the middle. The pocket collapses more frequently, causing the QB to move out of the pocket and throw when he doesnt want to.

I dont care what people will say about this guys work ethic but hopefully in the 3rd round we can land DT Rod Wright. The guy was a dominant DT in college. I'm sure Gun or someone can motivate his ass to do something productive.


I dont know about you guys, but I cant wait til training camp to see what kind of competition theres gonna be on the defensive side of the ball.

ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL

I don't understand the concerns of Kiwanku either.....I see some boards dropping him deep into the second round. :spock:

Wright won't be there in the third according to the stuff I'm reading.

Edwards picking a corner is the equivalent of putting a blindfold on me, setting eight slabs of ribs on a table and asking me to identify the slab prepared at a Gates. It wouldn’t be fair to call it work.

Blindfolding JW and putting him in front of ribs sounds like a good way to lose a hand to me. :hmmm:

in boston college he got his sacks 2 ways that i saw ... pure speed around the corner and cleaning up the trash more like a linebacker would.

he's built like a bean pole and will need to gain weight to hold up against the run ... don't know if he can gain the weight(he hasn't been able to yet) and don't know if he lose what speed he has if he does.


got totally owned senior bowl week ... and not just by D'Brick. then he pulls up hurt ........... again.



1. can he physically handle the NFL
2. can he stay healthy
3. can he add the weight necessary without losing speed.


tall,skinny and not very fast isn't a good way to start your NFL career.

He's a Mike Mamula clone.

Agreed. That was quality stuff right there. ROFL

ROFL I know I'd stay a safe distance away

So was Ryan Sims...........:banghead:
It wouldn't be fair to call ANYTHING you do "work" Jason. Other than getting your fat azz off the couch.....maybe.

Kiwi is likely going to be available when we pick in the 2nd. Almost every projection I've seen has him now dropping out of the 1st round.

He's 6-feet SEVEN inches and only weighs 250. He's gonna get manhandled in the NFL because of that combination. He's too tall to get underneath tackles and he's too light to push them around...

htismaqe summed up why I have bad vibes perfectly in post #20.

LOL. You want to hate Whitlock, but every once in a while, he makes you laugh.

if they are giving misinformation, couldn't the admission of misleading itself be misleading?

But then doesn't that mean you told the truth the first time?

This is a dangerous game that they're playing.

Manny Lawsons 6'6 and weighs 240......so has a combination like that too. I see alot of people around here like him.........

I think Kiwi will do fine if drafted by a team that plays in a dome and has a pair of big tackles.

SHO ME!

I don't think Lawson is gonna play DE...

He really is a true tweener, at this point. A lot of folks are stoked about Lawson, because of DeWare and Merriman from last year....

I don't think he's in the same class, personally.

Thanks, Laz. That clears it up for me.

Thanks to the others who've posted, as well. :thumb:

Kiwanuka is a guy that needs the benefits of an NFL program desperately. Namely, weight training and professional coaching. He wouldn't do well here, because we have shitty defensive tackles.

I really wish the Chiefs were doing everything in their power to trade up and get Haloti Ngata. He's going to be one of the most dominant DT's in years.

As far as CB, if it's someone on the roster, I'd like to see Alphonso Hodge step up.

Ware was a work out warrior from a small school college. I believe Lawson could be like Jevon Kearse type that will pucker offensive co-ordinators assholes.

I'm stoked about Lawson because I saw him play three or four games and the Senior Bowl. The guy reminds me of Dwight Freeney comming off the edge. And when Freeney came out of college, I was pimping him big time for the Chiefs. We passed and actually traded up to get Sims. If Lawson is still there at #20, I hope we don't pass again this year.

I'm willing to sacrifice a few rushing yards a game for the chance at game changing plays these type of guys can make. Our best defensed were when DT had this same type of role comming off of the edge.

But Lawson projects to a 3-4 OLB role because he has a rare blend of speed and overall athleticism to go with that great OLB-type size.

Kiwi can't handle that type of poisiton because he's not quick enough laterally or explosive enough up the field, and of course, there are questions about him as a 4-3 DE because of his lanky frame, slow first step and lack of pass-rush moves.

And to the guy who said Rod Wright was a dominant college DT - ROFL .

Wright was a big, fat, underachiever. That's the problem. He has some appreciable tools, but he never parlayed that to production on the field.

I wouldn't worry about it Herm and company has a mancrush on Lawson .

The problem is that, while Kiwi has the frame to add weight, adding weight would actually neutralize the ONE skill he does have - straight-line speed...

Dead-on regarding Kiwi.

And I'm inclined to think the same of Wright, having watched the last couple of games of the season and listening to some of the people here that I trust...

We run a 4-3. Theres no way he could beat out NFL tackles at only 240 lbs. This has Gary Stills written all over it.

Nothing against Kiwanuka, but there are much better prospects at tackle. Watch the DT video.


http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/9315053