Chiefs Jonathan Baldwin: The Kansas City Chiefs' Missing Link for AFC West Dominance - Page 4

cavtrp1 · 05-12-2011, 11:27 AM

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6...west-dominance

In between the draft dust settling and the NFL season getting under way, there are always bold predictions about kids that catch eyes, turn heads and spark debate amongst NFL fans and critics alike.

In the first round of the 2011 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs grabbed one of these players in Jonathan Baldwin.

Baldwin wasn't the highest-profile wide receiver coming out in this year's draft; he didn't have the "freak" label that Georgia's A.J. Green had, nor was he the crisp route-runner that Alabama's Julio Jones was in college.

What he was, though, was a 6'4", 230-lb. wide receiver out of Pitt with great hands who ran a sub-4.5 in the 40-yard dash and leaped for an incredible 42" vertical—tops among all wide receivers in his class—in the NFL scouting combine this offseason.

This young man has the physical tools to stand up to the top receivers in the game, and he's also going to be afforded the luxury of playing opposite Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs' top and only real wide receiver to speak of. The combination of these two talents could be deadly for all of the Chiefs' opposition for years to come.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley finds himself in a situation not unfamiliar to him. He has an upstart veteran wide receiver coming into his own in Dwayne Bowe that will now be coupled with a brand-new big, physical and sure-handed counterpuncher just waiting to show the world what he has to offer in rookie wideout Jonathan Baldwin.

When Haley was the offensive coordinator on the Arizona Cardinals' staff, he had an established Larry Fitzgerald paired with a blossoming No. 2 guy by the name of Anquan Boldin. At the time, Larry had already answered questions that Bowe is still facing—Larry was more sure-handed than Bowe is right now—but Boldin was very raw and physically similar to what Baldwin will be come game time.

Haley had role players in tight end Leonard Pope and slot receiver Steve Breaston to complete the illusion, and he turned them into Super Bowl contenders with a QB in the twilight of a make-or-break career. The rest of that story is history.

Now Haley is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, and he has the task of setting up the future of the Chiefs organization. After a successful 2010 campaign, he seems to be on the right track. The Chiefs won their first division title since 2003, winning 10 games, and they did it with the league's 30th-ranked passing attack led by the league's best running game.

The Chiefs also have a young but stout defense in place. Cornerback Brandon Flowers is blossoming into one of the NFL's top young CBs, and 2010 rookie Eric Berry made the Pro Bowl in his first year. Add to that the wide-eyed QB chaser Tamba "the sack machine" Hali, Glenn Dorsey on the end and LB Derrick Johnson, who tackles anything that tries to run by him, and the defense is in great shape.

They just need some help staying off the field a little more than they did in 2010. Despite winning the division, the Chiefs still had an anemic passing game that left the defense sucking wind when the fourth quarter came rolling around. That's where Baldwin comes into play.

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images Baldwin brings a big, sure-handed target who isn't going to be double-covered on every down like Bowe was on almost every play last season. On top of that, if and when he becomes a regular target and starts catching balls, he'll take some heat away from Bowe.

This will help to keep the chains moving and put a stop to the overabundance of stalled drives, which will result in more red-zone attempts. This is where this acquisition will really come in handy.

Inside the 20-yard line, the Chiefs already have four big threats for touchdown scoring: Jamaal Charles or Thomas Jones, sophomore tight end Tony Moeaki and the aforementioned Pro Bowl wideout Dwayne Bowe. Jones and Charles were too easily defended in the red zone since doubling Bowe and keeping linebackers in the middle for Moeaki pretty much took care of the passing threat.

Enter Jonathan Baldwin. He adds a whole new dimension to the passing game, especially in the red zone. No longer is doubling Bowe an option with a jump-ball threat on the other side of the field too. Crossing routes and quick outs are also a possibility. Everything is brand new, as long as Baldwin is the receiver that I—and Scott Pioli—believe he will be.

Call this speculation if you will, but it's far more than that. The man upstairs—no, not God; Pioli in the booth—sees something special in this guy, and even a blind man can see the upside to having him in the lineup. I'm just waiting for Jonathan Baldwin to show in September—or whenever the season gets under way—what Chiefs fans already expect from this talented young man.

I really liked the Baldwin pick, I think with Todd’s experience with receivers he could be one of the best in the AFC

milkman · 05-12-2011, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Lamest. Nickname. Ever.

I beg to differ.

The Centuar............

Brock · 05-12-2011, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Baldwin isn't that fast and Thomas is so yoked that he looks like a TE.

Is yoked another word for fragile?

Okie_Apparition · 05-12-2011, 09:54 PM

Lack of body fat does not make you a monster. It removes a layer of fuel that leaves you weak when you need it most. Oh & gay

milkman · 05-12-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okie_Apparition

Lack of body fat does not make you a monster. It removes a layer of fuel that leaves you weak when you need it most. Oh & gay

If Knowmo removed the fat from his head, he might understand this.

Thig Lyfe · 05-12-2011, 10:01 PM

Posting bleacher report articles should be a bannable offense.

Ugly Duck · 05-12-2011, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavtrp1

He wasn't the highest-profile wide receiver coming out in this year's draft; he didn't have the "freak" label, nor was he the crisp route-runner. What he was, though, was a 6'4", 230-lb. wide receiver who ran a sub-4.5 in the 40-yard dash

You guys drafted Darius Heyward-Bey?

-King- · 05-12-2011, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

DT is a freaking monster.

He's also done in football.

**Bugeater** · 05-12-2011, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SportsRacer

Posting bleacher report articles should be a bannable offense.

This. I'll bet the dumbass who posted it is the same dumbass that wrote it.

suzzer99 · 05-12-2011, 11:59 PM

I've always thought The Golden Bear was a pretty lame nickname.

The Galloping Ghost wins best all time I think. No one does nicknames like the old timey sportswriters.

Quesadilla Joe · 05-13-2011, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -King-

He's also done in football.

How did you find that picture? Are you following him on twitter?

Saccopoo · 05-13-2011, 01:28 AM

1. derrr
- something you say when someone is being stupid

derrr, what an idiot.

-King- · 05-13-2011, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

How did you find that picture? Are you following him on twitter?

It was posted on the Broncos board.

DTLB58 · 05-13-2011, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SportsRacer

Posting bleacher report articles should be a bannable offense.

It's just like anything, it has it's bad people or parts but you can't judge the entire website as a whole when it has so many indiviuals that write there.
I will agree, there is some bad stuff there.

My son has posted articles on B/R either directly or after he writes them for his website and has over a quarter of a million reads and is a year a away from getting his degree in journalism at Iowa.

His articles are picked up by cbs on a consistent basis also.

Tom_A_Hawk · 05-13-2011, 06:07 AM

The best WR's in the league still can't over come the gimp at QB.

You can't blame 30 ranking in passing on just lack of WR.

The last two games and the playoff game should have earned Cassel a pink slip. Cassel sucks.......yes I know there are forty eleven threads stating that.

**SAUTO** · 05-13-2011, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

DT is a freaking monster.

lol why didnt you post comparable pics at least?

05-12-2011, 11:27 AM
cavtrp1 Starter Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: FT. Hood TX. Casino cash: $10005395	Jonathan Baldwin: The Kansas City Chiefs' Missing Link for AFC West Dominance http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6...west-dominance In between the draft dust settling and the NFL season getting under way, there are always bold predictions about kids that catch eyes, turn heads and spark debate amongst NFL fans and critics alike. In the first round of the 2011 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs grabbed one of these players in Jonathan Baldwin. Baldwin wasn't the highest-profile wide receiver coming out in this year's draft; he didn't have the "freak" label that Georgia's A.J. Green had, nor was he the crisp route-runner that Alabama's Julio Jones was in college. What he was, though, was a 6'4", 230-lb. wide receiver out of Pitt with great hands who ran a sub-4.5 in the 40-yard dash and leaped for an incredible 42" vertical—tops among all wide receivers in his class—in the NFL scouting combine this offseason. This young man has the physical tools to stand up to the top receivers in the game, and he's also going to be afforded the luxury of playing opposite Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs' top and only real wide receiver to speak of. The combination of these two talents could be deadly for all of the Chiefs' opposition for years to come. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley finds himself in a situation not unfamiliar to him. He has an upstart veteran wide receiver coming into his own in Dwayne Bowe that will now be coupled with a brand-new big, physical and sure-handed counterpuncher just waiting to show the world what he has to offer in rookie wideout Jonathan Baldwin. When Haley was the offensive coordinator on the Arizona Cardinals' staff, he had an established Larry Fitzgerald paired with a blossoming No. 2 guy by the name of Anquan Boldin. At the time, Larry had already answered questions that Bowe is still facing—Larry was more sure-handed than Bowe is right now—but Boldin was very raw and physically similar to what Baldwin will be come game time. Haley had role players in tight end Leonard Pope and slot receiver Steve Breaston to complete the illusion, and he turned them into Super Bowl contenders with a QB in the twilight of a make-or-break career. The rest of that story is history. Now Haley is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, and he has the task of setting up the future of the Chiefs organization. After a successful 2010 campaign, he seems to be on the right track. The Chiefs won their first division title since 2003, winning 10 games, and they did it with the league's 30th-ranked passing attack led by the league's best running game. The Chiefs also have a young but stout defense in place. Cornerback Brandon Flowers is blossoming into one of the NFL's top young CBs, and 2010 rookie Eric Berry made the Pro Bowl in his first year. Add to that the wide-eyed QB chaser Tamba "the sack machine" Hali, Glenn Dorsey on the end and LB Derrick Johnson, who tackles anything that tries to run by him, and the defense is in great shape. They just need some help staying off the field a little more than they did in 2010. Despite winning the division, the Chiefs still had an anemic passing game that left the defense sucking wind when the fourth quarter came rolling around. That's where Baldwin comes into play. Wesley Hitt/Getty Images Baldwin brings a big, sure-handed target who isn't going to be double-covered on every down like Bowe was on almost every play last season. On top of that, if and when he becomes a regular target and starts catching balls, he'll take some heat away from Bowe. This will help to keep the chains moving and put a stop to the overabundance of stalled drives, which will result in more red-zone attempts. This is where this acquisition will really come in handy. Inside the 20-yard line, the Chiefs already have four big threats for touchdown scoring: Jamaal Charles or Thomas Jones, sophomore tight end Tony Moeaki and the aforementioned Pro Bowl wideout Dwayne Bowe. Jones and Charles were too easily defended in the red zone since doubling Bowe and keeping linebackers in the middle for Moeaki pretty much took care of the passing threat. Enter Jonathan Baldwin. He adds a whole new dimension to the passing game, especially in the red zone. No longer is doubling Bowe an option with a jump-ball threat on the other side of the field too. Crossing routes and quick outs are also a possibility. Everything is brand new, as long as Baldwin is the receiver that I—and Scott Pioli—believe he will be. Call this speculation if you will, but it's far more than that. The man upstairs—no, not God; Pioli in the booth—sees something special in this guy, and even a blind man can see the upside to having him in the lineup. I'm just waiting for Jonathan Baldwin to show in September—or whenever the season gets under way—what Chiefs fans already expect from this talented young man. I really liked the Baldwin pick, I think with Todd’s experience with receivers he could be one of the best in the AFC
Posts: 265

05-12-2011, 09:54 PM	#48
Okie_Apparition Banned Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: floatin cobwebs n the sky Casino cash: $10004900	Lack of body fat does not make you a monster. It removes a layer of fuel that leaves you weak when you need it most. Oh & gay
Posts: 7,012

05-12-2011, 10:01 PM	#50
Thig Lyfe Banned Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Thigpen's America Casino cash: $10004900	Posting bleacher report articles should be a bannable offense.
Posts: 25,680

05-12-2011, 11:59 PM	#54
suzzer99 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: L.A. Casino cash: $-605716	I've always thought The Golden Bear was a pretty lame nickname. The Galloping Ghost wins best all time I think. No one does nicknames like the old timey sportswriters.
Posts: 28,353

05-13-2011, 01:28 AM	#56
Saccopoo Kindness in words... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Zion Casino cash: $10025483	1. derrr - something you say when someone is being stupid derrr, what an idiot.
Posts: 15,450

05-13-2011, 06:07 AM	#59
Tom_A_Hawk Starter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St. Louis Casino cash: $10005010	The best WR's in the league still can't over come the gimp at QB. You can't blame 30 ranking in passing on just lack of WR. The last two games and the playoff game should have earned Cassel a pink slip. Cassel sucks.......yes I know there are forty eleven threads stating that.
Posts: 107