Rand: It's Time to get the Defense Right...

shaneo69 · 01-11-2005, 08:58 PM

Here’s how the Chiefs look now and how they need to look next season:

ROSTER

The Chiefs finished the season with 16 players on the active roster who will be 30 or older at the start of next season. For a team that started last season hoping to make a Super Bowl run, a veteran-dominated roster made sense. But a team that needs to improve dramatically needs players who can improve dramatically, and up-and-coming players best fill that bill.

The Chiefs won’t be dramatically but veterans who didn’t contribute much in 2004 likely will be gone. Veteran offensive stars like quarterback Trent Green and linemen Will Shields and Willie Roaf aren’t going to crumble overnight because of old age.

And it’s not as if the Chiefs are without young talent. Running back Larry Johnson and defensive end Jared Allen had big seasons. The Chiefs also saw some good things from wide receiver Samie Parker, tackle Jordan Black, linebacker, Kawika Mitchell and defensive backs Willie Pile and Benny Sapp. Promising tight end Kris Wilson, whose rookie season was ruined by injury, will finally get a chance to show his stuff.

COACHING STAFF

With Dick Vermeil and nearly his entire staff coming back, continuity will not be a problem. Offensive coordinator Al Saunders continues to oversee the high-scoring attack he was expected to bring from St. Louis. Gunther Cunningham is a proven talent as a defensive coordinator, if you give him enough talent. Vermeil and president Carl Peterson overrated their defensive talent before last season but it’s hard to imagine them doing that again.

THE APPROACH

The Chiefs obviously need better balance. They ranked first in total offense and 31st in total defense. They scored a whopping 483 points and yielded a whopping 435. You don’t have to look beyond those numbers to understand why they had a losing record.

The Chiefs wound up hurting on defense because they figured Cunningham’s return plus the play of 2003 free agents Vonnie Holliday, Shawn Barber and Dexter McCleon would make a bad defense respectable. Instead, the defense got even worse and none of those three players made a good case for having a role in 2005.

The Chiefs need to set the bar higher for defensive improvement because it’s hard to hard to fix every leak. If they strive for excellence, they’ll do well to achieve respectability. If the Chiefs strive for respectability, as they did last year, they’ll wind up with much less.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Making defense a priority in the draft and free agency is a no-brainer. Establishing priorities is a little trickier because no defensive area can be left alone.

The top priority is a right cornerback, opposite Eric Warfield. The Chiefs have given their own players enough of an audition to know that spot must be filled from outside.

The Chiefs need at least one, and preferably two, more linebackers. If Scott Fujita, on the strong side, is their third-best linebacker, they’re in good shape. If he’s their best, they’re in trouble. The Chiefs need a sure-tackling middle linebacker and a quick weak-side linebacker with coverage and pass-rushing skills.

There’s always the chance Mitchell could take a big step forward next year and Barber or Mike Maslowski could bounce back from injuries. But the Chiefs can’t afford to bank on any of that happening. Too much optimism burned them last year.

The Chiefs got a pleasant surprise when Allen developed into a big-time pass rusher. The addition of a strong, run-stopping tackle would also give the defense a boost.

Now here’s where the Chiefs’ picture gets cloudy. What do they make of the disappointing play of safeties Greg Wesley and Jerome Woods? This was supposed to be an area of strength and instead became iffy.

Can Wesley, just 27 next season, bounce back. Can Woods, who’ll be 32, show he hasn’t lost a step? And if the Chiefs’ determine they need help here, can they really afford to make changes given all their other defensive needs?

Offensively, the Chiefs could use a young wide receiver. Eddie Kennison, 32, and Johnnie Morton, 33, had good seasons but the Chiefs can’t count on Parker alone for young legs at the position. Dante Hall has young legs but they won’t be fresh enough for consistently good kick returns if he’s overused as a receiver.

The Chiefs’ needs are easy to identify, but much tougher to fill. How many they can fill will determine if the Chiefs are one of those teams we’re still watching next January.

01-11-2005, 08:58 PM	Topic Starter
shaneo69 Smug Weasel Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bleachers at Busch Casino cash: $10004900	Rand: It's Time to get the Defense Right... Here’s how the Chiefs look now and how they need to look next season: ROSTER The Chiefs finished the season with 16 players on the active roster who will be 30 or older at the start of next season. For a team that started last season hoping to make a Super Bowl run, a veteran-dominated roster made sense. But a team that needs to improve dramatically needs players who can improve dramatically, and up-and-coming players best fill that bill. The Chiefs won’t be dramatically but veterans who didn’t contribute much in 2004 likely will be gone. Veteran offensive stars like quarterback Trent Green and linemen Will Shields and Willie Roaf aren’t going to crumble overnight because of old age. And it’s not as if the Chiefs are without young talent. Running back Larry Johnson and defensive end Jared Allen had big seasons. The Chiefs also saw some good things from wide receiver Samie Parker, tackle Jordan Black, linebacker, Kawika Mitchell and defensive backs Willie Pile and Benny Sapp. Promising tight end Kris Wilson, whose rookie season was ruined by injury, will finally get a chance to show his stuff. COACHING STAFF With Dick Vermeil and nearly his entire staff coming back, continuity will not be a problem. Offensive coordinator Al Saunders continues to oversee the high-scoring attack he was expected to bring from St. Louis. Gunther Cunningham is a proven talent as a defensive coordinator, if you give him enough talent. Vermeil and president Carl Peterson overrated their defensive talent before last season but it’s hard to imagine them doing that again. THE APPROACH The Chiefs obviously need better balance. They ranked first in total offense and 31st in total defense. They scored a whopping 483 points and yielded a whopping 435. You don’t have to look beyond those numbers to understand why they had a losing record. The Chiefs wound up hurting on defense because they figured Cunningham’s return plus the play of 2003 free agents Vonnie Holliday, Shawn Barber and Dexter McCleon would make a bad defense respectable. Instead, the defense got even worse and none of those three players made a good case for having a role in 2005. The Chiefs need to set the bar higher for defensive improvement because it’s hard to hard to fix every leak. If they strive for excellence, they’ll do well to achieve respectability. If the Chiefs strive for respectability, as they did last year, they’ll wind up with much less. WHAT COMES NEXT? Making defense a priority in the draft and free agency is a no-brainer. Establishing priorities is a little trickier because no defensive area can be left alone. The top priority is a right cornerback, opposite Eric Warfield. The Chiefs have given their own players enough of an audition to know that spot must be filled from outside. The Chiefs need at least one, and preferably two, more linebackers. If Scott Fujita, on the strong side, is their third-best linebacker, they’re in good shape. If he’s their best, they’re in trouble. The Chiefs need a sure-tackling middle linebacker and a quick weak-side linebacker with coverage and pass-rushing skills. There’s always the chance Mitchell could take a big step forward next year and Barber or Mike Maslowski could bounce back from injuries. But the Chiefs can’t afford to bank on any of that happening. Too much optimism burned them last year. The Chiefs got a pleasant surprise when Allen developed into a big-time pass rusher. The addition of a strong, run-stopping tackle would also give the defense a boost. Now here’s where the Chiefs’ picture gets cloudy. What do they make of the disappointing play of safeties Greg Wesley and Jerome Woods? This was supposed to be an area of strength and instead became iffy. Can Wesley, just 27 next season, bounce back. Can Woods, who’ll be 32, show he hasn’t lost a step? And if the Chiefs’ determine they need help here, can they really afford to make changes given all their other defensive needs? Offensively, the Chiefs could use a young wide receiver. Eddie Kennison, 32, and Johnnie Morton, 33, had good seasons but the Chiefs can’t count on Parker alone for young legs at the position. Dante Hall has young legs but they won’t be fresh enough for consistently good kick returns if he’s overused as a receiver. The Chiefs’ needs are easy to identify, but much tougher to fill. How many they can fill will determine if the Chiefs are one of those teams we’re still watching next January.
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