TEICHER- Chiefs draft helps, but it doesnt fill all the gaps
 

Chiefs draft helps, but it doesnt fill all the gaps
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs wanted to help Brodie Croyle stay upright by fixing up their offensive line — but first-round draft pick Branden Albert is the only newcomer of impact up front.
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With every sack, every feeble rushing play, every three-and-out series, the Chiefs resolved they would take this offseason to fix their forlorn offense.

They would repair their decrepit offensive line, they would give Brodie Croyle the tools to succeed as an NFL starting quarterback, they would take some of the considerable burden off their overtaxed defense.

Despite the Chiefs’ elation over their recent 12-player draft, their efforts are coming under question.

“You can only do so much in the draft,” said former Washington and Houston general manager Charley Casserly. “It’s still a work in progress. They got better where they could get better.”

Yet it’s difficult — if not impossible — to argue the Chiefs will be better on offense. They do have some reasons for optimism. They traded an offensive coordinator learning on the job, Mike Solari, for a proven veteran, Chan Gailey.

Running back Larry Johnson won’t be a holdout again and — if the law of averages prevails — won’t miss half the season because of a foot injury. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe could be even better than he was as a rookie.

Elsewhere, the Chiefs appear held together with a lot of wishful thinking. Croyle has yet to win a game or prove he’s a high-quality NFL starter. The offensive line still has holes. The Chiefs are relying on a boost from two third-round draft picks, running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Brad Cottam.

“Can you get everything you want in the draft? No,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “But we got a lot. We got some tight ends. We think we’re better there. We’ve got another runner. The problem is they’re all young, but that’s OK.”

The offensive line, the source of many ills last year, was to be the focal point. But Branden Albert, the second of two first-round draft picks, is the only newcomer of impact.

Albert will join Brian Waters and Damion McIntosh in the starting lineup. The two other starters will come from a group of journeymen and young players that includes Wade Smith, Herb Taylor, Anthony Alabi, Adrian Jones, Rudy Niswanger and Will Svitek.

They hoped to draft several linemen but wound up with Albert and sixth-round tackle Barry Richardson.

“The best thing they did was stay disciplined in the draft,” Casserly said. “They could have gone and drafted five offensive linemen right off the bat, but if they did that, maybe four of them can’t play. What good does that do for them?

“There was an elite group of offensive linemen in the draft this year. The Chiefs got one of them. That group went faster than anybody thought. So if they would have drafted an offensive lineman in the second round, they would have been getting a third- or fourth-round offensive lineman. They didn’t do that, and they should be commended for that.”

Since late last season, the Chiefs also added Smith as a free agent and Alabi and Jones off waivers. Two of those players could wind up starting.

“It’s not like we haven’t signed some guys that are pretty decent football players,” Gailey said. “Nobody’s proven it yet, but we think they have a chance to help us.

“The one thing Herm and Carl (Peterson, president/general manager) and Bill (Kuharich, vice president of player personnel) didn’t want to do was reach for somebody just because it would have been nice to have another one.”

Bowe, meanwhile, is the Chiefs’ only proven wide receiver.

Their other receivers are Jeff Webb, free-agent addition Devard Darling, former Arena League star Bobby Sippio, Maurice Price, fourth-round pick Will Franklin, sixth-round choice Kevin Robinson and three undrafted free agents.

“Bowe had a good year last year,” Edwards said. “We’ve brought some guys in. We drafted (Will Franklin). (Maurice) Price was a young guy we had hope for last year and he got hurt. We brought in Darling. We have some guys.

“I’m comfortable with the guys we have, but we’ll continue to look. There will be some guys available June 1. If we look at these guys all through (offseason practices) and minicamp and no one has really taken that No. 2 spot and run with it, we might go and bring somebody in.”

The Chiefs have already talked about Charles being the big-play threat at running back that neither Johnson nor Kolby Smith is. They once had similar hopes for Michael Bennett, but that never materialized in large part because of their dependence on Johnson.

For now, the Chiefs sound determined to make Charles part of the plan.

“He can score from anywhere on the field,” Gailey said. “He’s got that kind of speed. And he’s better between the tackles than I think people give him credit for even though he’s only 200 pounds.”

first in Print 'em

Meh.

They addressed a bunch of needs with quality players in the draft. I got no problem with that. Rome wasn't built in a day.

I don't excuse them for ****ing up all those previous years, but this is a good start in our rebuild process.

This is why there is a thing called FREE AGENCY that is another medium to build and improve your team. Jeff Faine and Jake Scott were YOUNG (both 27 years old) offensive linemen that were available in free agency that could have come in and immediately started on the Chiefs offensive line... instead the Chiefs decided to do nothing during free agency and rely completely on the draft, where even Herm in this article admits you can't fill all of your needs through.

I would much rather have a starting offensive line consisting of McIntosh at right tackle, Alberts at left tackle, Faine at center, Waters at left guard and Scott at right guard than the mess the Chiefs currently have now.

What's to say Faine would be any better than Niswanger? Rudy Niswanger did pretty damn good at right guard last year and with his size I think he will be a significant upgrade over Wiegmann.

How about we just see how the guys on our roster develop. Perhaps Herb Taylor develops into the next Jacob Bell at right guard. Similar size and both were collegiate tackles.

So whose alt is this really?

Can somebody please flush this turd? Seriously, enough.

Exactly! Mecca has been preaching this whole offseason that you can build (fill out) an O-line from the second day of the draft/free agents. Niswanger and Taylor have a chance to be just what Mecca has been promoting. Here is hoping we have already hit on those second day picks.

Are you really using Mecca as a source? Wow.

Rudy is smart...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Niswanger

who needs a stellar o-line
whith a cream puff schedule

Yeah! Most all of the other guys I read draft tidbits from have quit posting or left the Planet. :sulk:

I agree with Teicher we still have many holes to fill, but this is the "Excuse" article to put in the mind of the fans. I like the direction the team is taking, but this is Herm's third year, no more free passes from this clown. You got the players you wanted, now make something happen. No more excuses.

Predictable response from one of the biggest idiots on this board. They went after Jeff Faine. He signed elsewhere. GET OVER IT. Jake Scott was on the market for a while without garnering much interest. Hell, Indy didn't even want to resign him. But of course since the Chiefs didn't go after him he must be an all-out stud. :rolleyes:

Someone's expectations are out of touch with reality.