Chiefs Chiefs have to decide if No. 5 pick is too high for a safety - Page 2

Coogs · 04-20-2010, 07:11 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/19...e-if-no-5.html

Chiefs have to decide if No. 5 pick is too high for a safety
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

They sold themselves as versatile and able, and if a team wanted a safety to be anything other than a safety, they said they’d be willing, too.

Eric Berry said he’d play cornerback. Taylor Mays said he’d be fine at linebacker. Earl Thomas said he’d be happy anywhere in an NFL defense. Whatever it takes. That’s what they said at the NFL’s scouting combine in late February.

“I’ll play whatever,” said Mays, a standout defensive back from Southern California. “If I’m on the field, it doesn’t really matter. I want to win. I want to contribute. I like football regardless.”

But sometimes, a safety needs to just be a safety. That’s what several NFL teams will be looking for when the three-day draft begins Thursday. The Chiefs are among those teams, and they’ll have a vast array of options.

The Chiefs could do the popular thing and select Berry with the No. 5 overall pick. Some scouts say Berry is the best safety prospect since Sean Taylor of Miami in 2004.

Berry, a former Tennessee star, possesses skills that have been compared with those of perennial Pro Bowlers Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu.

Then again, the Chiefs might pass on Berry — passing, in fact, on the big dollars they’d owe to someone playing a position that just isn’t valued the same way, the top-five money way, as a quarterback or left tackle or defensive end.

Not that Berry is the type to limit himself.

“I bring a lot to the table,” he said at the combine. “I can do pretty much anything the coaches ask me to.”

The Chiefs, of course, are at the center of a conundrum. They could draft Berry and, if he’s as good as advertised, be set at an important position that is becoming more important with each season. Offenses are becoming increasingly reliant on pass plays, and the game has evolved in such a way that safety might soon be seen as a premium defensive position — easily worth the money a player would command as the No. 5 pick.

“We’ve seen the evolution of the safety position to be one of the most important positions on the field,” ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski said. “It is a specific talent that you have to have. You have to be a (high-) quality cover guy; you have to be able to play in the box; you have to be able to blitz. It’s a position that now demands versatility.

“I think the safety position is now paramount in the NFL.”

Then again, the Chiefs could pass on Berry and target a safety in later rounds. This year’s draft is stacked that way: plenty of safeties, a desperate need for the Chiefs — one of the few weaknesses that general manager Scott Pioli didn’t address during free-agency — and a draft pool heavy on skilled players that will allow teams to draft early-round talent at midround prices.

What to do? The phenom or the value? Conventional thinking or a look toward a progressive future? It’s a tough one. And soon, the Chiefs will be on the clock.

“You hear this all the time: ‘You can’t take a safety that high,’ ” said Chris Landry, a former NFL scout who’s now a personnel consultant for 11 pro teams. “But some people get caught up in these sayings, and they don’t know why that’s the case. Eric Berry can line up in a number of schemes. … Would I consider taking him at 5? Yeah, I would.”

There’s an off chance, though, that Mays could fall to the early second round. It’s unlikely, but teams might be hung up on the fact that Mays’ ability to hit hard isn’t matched by coverage ability. The Chiefs might gamble that Mays will be there when they draft for the first time in the second round, the No. 36 overall pick. If Mays is gone, there will be others. Yes, this year’s draft is stacked that way.

“It’s harder and harder to find the well-rounded safety,” ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Jon Gruden said. “But I’ve seen a couple in this year’s draft that certainly fit my bill.”

The Chiefs could have their eyes on South Florida’s Nate Allen, Georgia Tech’s Morgan Burnett, Georgia’s Reshad Jones or Kansas’ Darrell Stuckey. All will be later-round choices; all could be terrific values for a team that likes a good bargain and could address needs at linebacker, wide receiver and nose tackle before plucking that mid- to late-round safety.

“It’s a good group,” Landry said. “There is incredible depth defensively in this draft, more so than normal.”

So the players aren’t the only ones with a bulging menu of options. Yes, the Chiefs have a tough decision ahead. Who could blame Berry for trying to sway a team into deciding on him?

“At the end of the day,” he said, “it’s on the GMs and the guys that make the decisions. I really do feel that I’m supposed to be up there with those guys.

“If you want a complete defensive back, a complete player as far as special teams — I played on kick return, kickoff, punt, punt return, all of those things. I definitely played free safety, strong safety, nickel corner, left and right corner. The list goes on. … So many things you could keep saying. I really want to sell myself.”

SenselessChiefsFan · 04-20-2010, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Just like the rationalization of "there will be a QB next year!". We don't know shit about next year. Last year everyone thought Snead was going to be a top 10 pick....now look at him.

And Clausen is not the next Ryan Leaf. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Of course not. Because that is who the Chiefs can draft this year. Just like, whoever the QB is next year that they have a chance at, will be a 'premier qb prospect'... and every year until they get a 'franchise qb'. All you are doing is rationalizing. Last year, I actually brought up Clausen as a potential franchise QB. This idea was laughed at by many. And, yet, fast forward to this year and he is a potential franchise QB.

Now, here is the funny thing.... he actually had a down year, and by most accounts, underachieved. So, I feel like he didn't make the necessary step up to be a potential franchise QB. Yet, the same guys laughing last year at the possibility, now have him as a great prospect. Based on what? Hope, and rationalization.

**The Franchise** · 04-20-2010, 09:51 AM

Clausen had a down year? really?

SenselessChiefsFan · 04-20-2010, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

He doesn't have Ryan Leaf written all over him.

Every year it's the same garbage, "wait and draft a QB next year".

First, I didn't say wait and draft a QB next year. I say give Cassel another year. Yeah, I know that isn't popular.... but it is the smartest move, especially when the best QB you can draft is Clausen. Don't worry, there will be someone for you to rationalize as a great prospect next year.

**petegz28** · 04-20-2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensibleChiefsfan

First, I didn't say wait and draft a QB next year. I say give Cassel another year. Yeah, I know that isn't popular.... but it is the smartest move, especially when the best QB you can draft is Clausen. Don't worry, there will be someone for you to rationalize as a great prospect next year.

Even if we draft Clausen, Cassel is the starter this year.

**The Franchise** · 04-20-2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensibleChiefsfan

First, I didn't say wait and draft a QB next year. I say give Cassel another year. Yeah, I know that isn't popular.... but it is the smartest move, especially when the best QB you can draft is Clausen. Don't worry, there will be someone for you to rationalize as a great prospect next year.

Therein lies the problem. Every year there will be a QB that people want us to draft. And every year 75% of the fanbase will come up with some stupid bullshit reason to not draft him. The excuse will be to wait until next year. Then next year will roll around and they will come up with an excuse to not draft him.

This fan base is ****ing stuck in mediocrity and they don't want to leave.

SenselessChiefsFan · 04-20-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Clausen had a down year? really?

You don't think so? I know his numbers were good, but based on the w/l record of the team.... I just think that he struggled to lead his team to victories. And, isn't that what you all expect out of a franchise QB? A guys who can elevate his teamates? There was none of that in college.

Brock · 04-20-2010, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensibleChiefsfan

First, I didn't say wait and draft a QB next year. I say give Cassel another year. Yeah, I know that isn't popular.... but it is the smartest move, especially when the best QB you can draft is Clausen. Don't worry, there will be someone for you to rationalize as a great prospect next year.

We can just get rid of Cassel after this season. And next year it will be the same crap from you and your ilk: "This prospect isn't good enough, wait til next year, there will be somebody better".

**The Franchise** · 04-20-2010, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensibleChiefsfan

You don't think so? I know his numbers were good, but based on the w/l record of the team.... I just think that he struggled to lead his team to victories. And, isn't that what you all expect out of a franchise QB? A guys who can elevate his teamates? There was none of that in college.

FML. Some people around here are ****ing reeruned.

He had a down year because he didn't win all of his games. Nevermind that he brought his team back and won the game in the 4th quarter in some of those games. Nevermind the guy didn't have a ****ing running game to help him out. Nevermind that ND's defense was ****ing worse than the Chiefs.

Brock · 04-20-2010, 10:09 AM

"Matt Ryan is a loser" /True Fans circa 2008

Sure-Oz · 04-20-2010, 10:10 AM

They just better not pass on Berry unless they get to trade down and get some solid picks back.

SenselessChiefsFan · 04-20-2010, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Therein lies the problem. Every year there will be a QB that people want us to draft. And every year 75% of the fanbase will come up with some stupid bullshit reason to not draft him. The excuse will be to wait until next year. Then next year will roll around and they will come up with an excuse to not draft him.

This fan base is ****ing stuck in mediocrity and they don't want to leave.

The converse is that every year, a certain group of fans will convince themselves that whoever is there is worthy of the pick.

See, what you don't know is that I wanted Matt Ryan two years ago. And, for the record, I think the Chiefs were going to draft him if he fell to them. I was sad that Ryan got nabbed. I was happy when the Chiefs got Dorsey though.

By the way, next year's draft will have Locker, Luck and Mallet. They all bear watching as potential studs.

Last year, people said this would be a down year for QB. And, you know what? It is. But, now that we are here, we have to rationalize the players available to us. I think that Locker, Luck and Mallet all have a chance at being much higher rated QB's that Clausen when they come out next year.

Brock · 04-20-2010, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensibleChiefsfan

See, what you don't know is that I wanted Matt Ryan two years ago.

Link.

SenselessChiefsFan · 04-20-2010, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pestilence

FML. Some people around here are ****ing reeruned.

He had a down year because he didn't win all of his games. Nevermind that he brought his team back and won the game in the 4th quarter in some of those games. Nevermind the guy didn't have a ****ing running game to help him out. Nevermind that ND's defense was ****ing worse than the Chiefs.

On the college level, a good QB should raise your team, especially with the competition that ND gets away with playing.

ChiefsCountry · 04-20-2010, 10:14 AM

**** Matt Cassel.
Posted via Mobile Device

Brock · 04-20-2010, 10:15 AM

But but Clausen had a couple of 5th round draft picks on his offensive line, he shoulda done better.

04-20-2010, 07:11 AM
Coogs In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Northern Kansas Casino cash: $1214349	Chiefs have to decide if No. 5 pick is too high for a safety http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/19...e-if-no-5.html Chiefs have to decide if No. 5 pick is too high for a safety By KENT BABB The Kansas City Star They sold themselves as versatile and able, and if a team wanted a safety to be anything other than a safety, they said they’d be willing, too. Eric Berry said he’d play cornerback. Taylor Mays said he’d be fine at linebacker. Earl Thomas said he’d be happy anywhere in an NFL defense. Whatever it takes. That’s what they said at the NFL’s scouting combine in late February. “I’ll play whatever,” said Mays, a standout defensive back from Southern California. “If I’m on the field, it doesn’t really matter. I want to win. I want to contribute. I like football regardless.” But sometimes, a safety needs to just be a safety. That’s what several NFL teams will be looking for when the three-day draft begins Thursday. The Chiefs are among those teams, and they’ll have a vast array of options. The Chiefs could do the popular thing and select Berry with the No. 5 overall pick. Some scouts say Berry is the best safety prospect since Sean Taylor of Miami in 2004. Berry, a former Tennessee star, possesses skills that have been compared with those of perennial Pro Bowlers Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. Then again, the Chiefs might pass on Berry — passing, in fact, on the big dollars they’d owe to someone playing a position that just isn’t valued the same way, the top-five money way, as a quarterback or left tackle or defensive end. Not that Berry is the type to limit himself. “I bring a lot to the table,” he said at the combine. “I can do pretty much anything the coaches ask me to.” The Chiefs, of course, are at the center of a conundrum. They could draft Berry and, if he’s as good as advertised, be set at an important position that is becoming more important with each season. Offenses are becoming increasingly reliant on pass plays, and the game has evolved in such a way that safety might soon be seen as a premium defensive position — easily worth the money a player would command as the No. 5 pick. “We’ve seen the evolution of the safety position to be one of the most important positions on the field,” ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski said. “It is a specific talent that you have to have. You have to be a (high-) quality cover guy; you have to be able to play in the box; you have to be able to blitz. It’s a position that now demands versatility. “I think the safety position is now paramount in the NFL.” Then again, the Chiefs could pass on Berry and target a safety in later rounds. This year’s draft is stacked that way: plenty of safeties, a desperate need for the Chiefs — one of the few weaknesses that general manager Scott Pioli didn’t address during free-agency — and a draft pool heavy on skilled players that will allow teams to draft early-round talent at midround prices. What to do? The phenom or the value? Conventional thinking or a look toward a progressive future? It’s a tough one. And soon, the Chiefs will be on the clock. “You hear this all the time: ‘You can’t take a safety that high,’ ” said Chris Landry, a former NFL scout who’s now a personnel consultant for 11 pro teams. “But some people get caught up in these sayings, and they don’t know why that’s the case. Eric Berry can line up in a number of schemes. … Would I consider taking him at 5? Yeah, I would.” There’s an off chance, though, that Mays could fall to the early second round. It’s unlikely, but teams might be hung up on the fact that Mays’ ability to hit hard isn’t matched by coverage ability. The Chiefs might gamble that Mays will be there when they draft for the first time in the second round, the No. 36 overall pick. If Mays is gone, there will be others. Yes, this year’s draft is stacked that way. “It’s harder and harder to find the well-rounded safety,” ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Jon Gruden said. “But I’ve seen a couple in this year’s draft that certainly fit my bill.” The Chiefs could have their eyes on South Florida’s Nate Allen, Georgia Tech’s Morgan Burnett, Georgia’s Reshad Jones or Kansas’ Darrell Stuckey. All will be later-round choices; all could be terrific values for a team that likes a good bargain and could address needs at linebacker, wide receiver and nose tackle before plucking that mid- to late-round safety. “It’s a good group,” Landry said. “There is incredible depth defensively in this draft, more so than normal.” So the players aren’t the only ones with a bulging menu of options. Yes, the Chiefs have a tough decision ahead. Who could blame Berry for trying to sway a team into deciding on him? “At the end of the day,” he said, “it’s on the GMs and the guys that make the decisions. I really do feel that I’m supposed to be up there with those guys. “If you want a complete defensive back, a complete player as far as special teams — I played on kick return, kickoff, punt, punt return, all of those things. I definitely played free safety, strong safety, nickel corner, left and right corner. The list goes on. … So many things you could keep saying. I really want to sell myself.”
Posts: 21,645

04-20-2010, 09:51 AM	#17
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $2715047	Clausen had a down year? really?
Posts: 92,303

04-20-2010, 10:09 AM	#24
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	"Matt Ryan is a loser" /True Fans circa 2008
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04-20-2010, 10:14 AM	#29
ChiefsCountry The Insider Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lake of the Ozarks Casino cash: $1928752	**** Matt Cassel. Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 49,821

04-20-2010, 10:15 AM	#30
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	But but Clausen had a couple of 5th round draft picks on his offensive line, he shoulda done better.
Posts: 47,314