PFF talks Chiefs O-line
 

This is also an excellent article explaining some of their grading process.

http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog...-april-2-2012/

You guys have talked a lot about Barry Richardson dragging down the quality of the Chiefs’ line. Now that they’ve added Eric Winston, how do you think their line grades out compared to the rest of the league? – Matt Conner


Ben Stockwell: The addition of Winston immediately makes the Chiefs one of the best offensive lines in the league. In terms of an offensive line ranking, Winston not only upgrades a line that we ranked 16th in the 2011 season, it plugs their biggest weakness and also takes away one of the best players from our fifth-ranked offensive line from last season. It doesn’t solve all of their problems, but any time that you can replace arguably the worst right tackle in the league with arguably the best, well you can’t really make a bigger jump than that.

You can only really imagine where the Chiefs might be if they hadn’t made the hasty decision of cutting Jared Gaither during the middle of the year. A line of Gaither at left tackle, Winston at right tackle and shifting Branden Albert inside to his collegiate position of guard would be a fearsome group for the Chiefs’ backfield duo of Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis to run behind. As it is, they don’t have Gaither anymore, but they’re not exactly short changed.

The biggest obstacle for the Chiefs to improve in 2012 will be getting more from there interior offensive line as run blockers. Winston really helps them on the edge–not only in upgrading their pass protection, but also helping them spring more runs off-tackle–but Jon Asamoah and Ryan Lilja really need to up their game as interior run blockers. It’s just about all this line is missing now that they have made that big leap at right tackle.

This is where drafting someone like OG David DeCastro at #11 make the Chiefs have arguably the best OL in all of football (or at least on their way to having the best once were a little more seasoned).

It seems like center has been the forgotten position so far this off-season. We've heard a lot more about how we need to upgrade at nose, inside LB, and safety, but I think center is right up there in terms of importance.

I like Hudson, but he's unproven, and his natural position is guard.

I'd like to see the Chiefs get a true center at some point in the draft and have Hudson take Lilja's spot.

Still would much rather just keep Hudson at center and just get a vet to back him up if he isn't ready.

The guys on NFL network over the weekend were talking about DeCastro and mentioned that he did some drills as a center on his pro day. This article also lauds his flexibility and even talent playing as not only a guard but a center too.

http://sturminator.blogspot.com/2012...-stanford.html

I think this makes DeCastro an even better pick at #11. We get a guy who can be great at guard, or if Hudson can't hack it at center or gets injured, step in and play center at the same level. Drafting a great player who gives you flexibility and a contingency plan on o line is a no-brainier. Unless Richardson somehow makes it to us or we get a ridiculous offer to trade down I think he's our pick.

If this line would suddenly become a shadow of that 2003-2005 team, is that good enough to win even WITH Cassel? And yes, that's a sincere question.

Which vet?

I like versatility, but for some reason, I don't like guards moving to center. I like natural centers. The center-QB exchange is not something I like putting in the hands of an inexperienced guy.

Win what? The division? One playoff game? A Superbowl?

I think Cassel, with the talent around him, can play like Trent Green. Green's QB ratings from 2002-2005 are 92.6, 92.6, 95.2, and 90.1. Cassel's QB rating in 2010 was 93.

It would be interesting to see how far QB play like that could take us with the defense that we have now.

If we get that type of line coupled with a staunch NT on the other side to shore up the D-Line; I think we could contend for it.

Hudson will be a big improvement over wiegmann. Just because he played primarily gaurd in college doesn't mean that's his natural position.

ROFL

Now compare their completion percentages and yards per attempt.

Not remotely the same QB.

Green was a top 10 QB during his time here. Cassel is about the 20th best QB in the league. Maybe a few spots worse.

But can we win a playoff game?

Thanks Haley!

I think so. If Cassel could have 7 seconds to throw he could hurt you. Of course almost any QB would be HOF bound with that much time.

Meh Baltimore cut him too. There's more there than what we saw.