Babb: Chiefs move quickly to get tight end Moeaki
 

Chiefs move quickly to get tight end Moeaki
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

Tony Moeaki was sitting on his couch, surrounded by family, when it happened. It seemed to pass in an instant. The tight end from Iowa saw on the television that a trade had been made. The Chiefs were picking now at No. 93 overall, at the end of the third round.

Then Moeaki’s phone rang. He was going to Kansas City.

“It happened within seconds,” he said Friday night. “Lightning quick.”

Things can happen that quickly during the NFL draft, and a player’s luck can change that fast, too. It has happened to Moeaki before.

Here was a promising tight end, with sure hands and strong shoulders, but his legs and feet kept failing him. He broke his left foot in 2007, missing all but four games. A season later, he made one start and had a sprained ankle to worry about, too. The promising tight end was now known as an injury risk, and who knew if he’d ever reach the potential he brought to Iowa City from Wheaton, Ill., a town west of Chicago.

“Definitely frustrating,” Moeaki said. “But that part is behind me.”

The Chiefs are confident that’s true.

Moeaki started all 10 of his games last season, his fifth at Iowa after being granted a medical redshirt year by the NCAA. He had a career-high 30 catches and four touchdowns. That was the kind of season his talent had made possible, but his legs were keeping him from.

When Kansas City made the call late Friday to trade its fourth-round pick (No. 102 overall) and the last of its three fifth-round selections (No. 144), it was ready to bet that Moeaki’s word was good. The Chiefs seem to be drafting with character in mind this year, and they’ve done their homework.

Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli is researching prospects like a president vets a Supreme Court nominee. Team captains. Players with their communities in mind. Youngsters with high football IQs and almost spotless resumes. Moeaki has all that, with the caveat that his talent hasn’t yet overshadowed the injuries.

Still, the 22-year-old Moeaki said he considers himself fully healthy. He said he’s a “complete tight end,” one who’s made his share of blocks, caught his share of passes. But those are his words.

So maybe Pioli turned to an old friend for some reassurance. Pioli and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz are longtime friends. Moeaki said Friday night that he got used to seeing Pioli hang around the Hawkeyes’ football offices.

Pioli wouldn’t say what kind of endorsement Ferentz gave Moeaki. He said he doesn’t feel comfortable speaking for others. Then again …

“I’ll say Kirk is very fond of him,” Pioli said.

Pioli said he was watching the draft, too. And as the selections kept passing, Pioli kept thinking Moeaki would be gone by the time the Chiefs’ turn came around again Saturday morning, when the fourth round started.

“He was a player that we were talking about earlier,” Pioli said. “We didn’t know what the sweet spot was going to be to try to pick him up.

I didn’t know if we had enough ammunition to make a trade and move up. … The opportunity came where we felt like giving up that late of a fifth-round pick, to be able to move up into this round and get one of the couple of guys that we would’ve been disappointed if we lost before it was our turn to pick.”

So the Chiefs came and got him.

Moeaki said he was casually watching the end of the third round when it all happened. The TV flashed. The trade happened. The phone rang. It was Pioli.

It was done.

“It all fell together,” he said. “I’m just excited that he got me.”

Just keep him in one piece.

Congratulations Moeaki, you ****ed us out of FOURTH ROUNDER YOU MOTHER****ER. DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!

hey we traded the last 5th and not the first!


good news


seriously

I was out walking when we made the trade, so I had the radio on, and the 810 guys actually figured out it was our last pick of the round based on the NFL.com draft tracker updating. I didn't realize there'd been any question about it.

Yay.

Nice to see the glass half full with that trade for Moeaki.

I was under the mistaken impression that we traded our 1st 5th rounder. The fact that it was our last 5th rounder makes this one a bit easier to swallow but I still think it was too much of a reach. Hope he stays in one piece long enough to prove me wrong.

some early report said it was our highest 5th....

This guy better be good. I dont wanna be the kansas city injury prone marginal talent model citizens.

I want a good football team.

those 5th rounders seem very valuable this year and i think pioli knew it. he probably considered them a barganing chip if he saw a player that he had to have, and this guy seems like he was that guy. i hope for the best and expect the worst. good luck tony

I think we should give the glass man a fair chance until he is injured, at which point we can blast Pioli and Moeaki for being such a POS.

If he stays healthy and has a solid rookie season we will all be happier people.

Hopefully he can overcome it like Charles, rather than continue it like Croyle and Cottam.

Croyle and Moeaki bunking with each other at camp....

I am still worried about Charles.

Oh ****, if they bump into each other they will explode.

Jamaal is a tough SOB. I have faith in him to stay healthy with the addition of TJ to help take the load off his shoulders when needed.

Yeah, I was kinda thinking the same thing myself. I wonder how long he can take the pounding if we use him for 20+ carries a game continually.

We won't. See - Thomas Jones

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True. I forgot about that pick up.

I may hate this guy more than Jake O'Connell

That guy sucks.

Considering where he was picked, I don't know if that is possible. (Meaning that you shouldn't have that much hate towards McConnell.)

Ive said this a few times before, but the "endorsement" Ferentz has given Moeaki is that he feels he is the best tight end he has coached.

HUGE endorsement from a guy that coached Dallas Clark.

I hate that this pick happened...

I couldn't becuase of Sean Ryan.....

I want to know WHY people thinks he sucks. Just saying you hate him or he sucks is the start to a conversation that ends in name calling. His hands? Speed? Route running? Blocking?

O'Connell was drafted by an arrogant front office that froze out their scouts.
I'm not worried about Moeaki from an ability standpoint. We can talk all we want about Jimmy Graham, but while I may not trust Pioli on offensive picks, I trust Weis, who was a Tight Ends coach under Parcells. And I'm sure it has a lot to do with Moeaki's ability to both block and catch.

I wouldn't have traded up, but given Weis' reliance on the "Detroit Option" (double TE sets) that can be effective both in the running and passing game, I don't think this is a pick that we can really bitch about until we see if it works.

Undersized & often injured comes to mind....

.... because he does not play NT.

This is THE stupid pick that was the icing and cherry on top a mongoloid sundae...

You'll learn to...

There is no way this guy could be worse than Sean Ryan.

Sean Ryan sucked ASS.

I've already forgotten his name.

Easy.

He'll be on the IR before we're done with the preseason...

Our new secret weapon!!!!

After dealing with thug punk LJ for years, I know where Poli is coming from drafting team leaders with heart and drive. I just hope they have the skills to back it up, because we passed up a lot of good talent. I guess only time will tell. Poli obviously was concentrating on the O side of the ball (With the exception of Berry, but you don't pass that up) this year and will likely go after D guys in next draft. This team has a lot more holes to fill than one draft can take care of. I guess only time will tell if this technique is going to pay off.

This draft is the echo of all others.

We have (Bigfoot) Wilson
We have Will Shields in round 3
Marty would have put Dale "Berry" Carter at CB, but I think we'll be smart here (he isn't on teh coke...yet.)

And why exactly do you think Charlie Weis had any voice in this selection.

Was it that pick of Jimmy Clausen?

Uh......Wait.

I know, it was Golden Tate...

Oh shit.

I think the fact we passed them both over is exactly WHY he know he voiced his opinion.

As much as I wanted BOTH of them...

I disagree.

This is 100 percent Pioli's baby. Crafted with the sole intent of protecting Pioli's baby.

I can see the flaw in Clausen but Tate did look Golden.

He was perfect for what we needed and he was under our old OC.

We never sniffed the ass of either one...

Disappointing...

Such is being a fan of this franchise, unfortunately.

By God, I've got goosebumps. He's got Tony Gonzalez written all over him.

Goodbye Cottam.

I never saw Clausen as the QB I wanted to draft, and I am on record saying that I like Mardy Gilyard better than Golden Tate.

But you know that Weis had to championing one or both of Clausen and Tate, and we passed.

So what makes anyone think that Weis had any say in selecting Moeaki?

Cottam isn't going anywhere.

He'll show Moeaki the IR ropes.

It's Brokaki. (c)

Please get it right.

Stealing that.

What a POS draft.

First post read this morning, and it is perfect.


ROFL

the people that dont like ALL Iowa players haven't watched them play.

I can pull up hundreds of posts slamming Spivey, Angerer, Moeaki, Bulaga and Calloway and the only one left is Calloway (and I bet he goes pretty fast once this starts back up in a hour) most went much higher than projected.

OOPS I forgot Edds, but I havent even talked about him at all.

2011 Iowa stud watch:

Adrian Clayborn

I understand the injury concerns. I understand the angst at not selecting a position of higher need with that pick. But anyone calling Moeaki a POS, or that he sucks, is flat out wrong.

Talent wise, he's the best TE in the draft, and will likely start from day 1.

nice to see you have such emotional investment in a 7th round pick ROFL

seriously...

are you on anti-depressants?

if not, you should look into it...you are a sad, sad, sad ****stick of a person.

It's a Cassell draft so far .. maybe we can at least drive to the 50 this year ...

Here's a question. A good friend of mine pointed this out.

Everybody know who's Iowa's QB is, right. Ricky Stanzi, possibly one of the worst QB's in the NCAA.

How much of Moeaki's injuries are from the direct connection of Stanzi (or any other Iowa QB for that matter) exposing him by horrific passing?

Good player, but I don't consider it much value, especially having to trade up for him. Short of catching 50 passes plus next year, I consider it an average move with some upside, but I fail to see how it addresses our attrocious defense.

Jimmy Graham will be 10 times more effective in the NFL than Moeaki.

like moeaki ... don't like that he cost us the 5th too.


wasn't Pitta was still on the board too?

I'll take some of that action.

It's pretty obvious who did and did not watch any Hawkeye games.

Not so fast, my source says they are going to fatten up Cottam, and make him the NT.

Graham is in the same athletic mold as Gates and Gonzalez... not saying he is going to have their same production or success in the NFL, but he's the same physical, former basketball player mold who was a major weapon for Miami last year in the red zone.

LOL, that's funny.

Yea this is a risk. Cottam isn't going to make it so Tony better make it.

I see a lot of people mad because they wanted a NT (or insert position of your choice) instead, but there were only 2 DTs taken between Moeaki and our next pick. Also people pissed about spending that late 5th to move up.

So support your outrage by telling us who you would have preferred. What guy would you have taken in his place? How would you have spent that #144?

Instead of trading up on a huge question mark for a tight end we couldve drafted Thomas/Norwood/Tennant/Olsen and still couldve gotten McCoy who most people had graded far ahead of Moeaki