Teicher: Tackle crop not as strong if Chiefs go that direction

[Tribal Warfare]

Tackle crop not as strong if Chiefs go that direction
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

If the Chiefs are looking to improve at offensive tackle — and they don’t seem thrilled with either of their two current starters — they should have shopped the draft last year. Then, plenty of top prospects were available.

The task would be more difficult this year, if it’s what the Chiefs choose to do.

“It’s really a class that lacks an elite superstar,” Pro Football Weekly draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki said. “Physically, the guy that has the most talent in this class is Tyron Smith, but there are a lot of concerns. He played at only 280 pounds at USC and he had a lot of trouble grasping the playbook. Guys that make a lot of mental errors and miss assignments, it’s a problem on the offensive line.

“Whether he’s the most sound pro, I have serious reservations. There are guys who are a little bit (safer), more sound, more consistent.”

Compare that to last year, when top prospects such as Russell Okung, Anthony Davis and Bryan Bulaga were available to the Chiefs with their first pick.

“I think last year’s tackles were better,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “It was a better class.”

The Chiefs have Branden Albert at left tackle and Barry Richardson on the right side. Neither has established himself as a quality starter. The current administration of general manager Scott Pioli and coach Todd Haley inherited both players. Haley recently gave Albert a less than resounding vote of confidence when he said Albert would be the starter again at left tackle “as long as he’s the best one.”

But, looking at how Pioli drafted with the Patriots and now with the Chiefs, he seems to believe tackles can be found in lower rounds.

“If you look at the history of New England and how they’ve built their roster, they just in general have not drafted tackles very highly,” Nawrocki said. “Bill Belichick has been able to conceal the shortcomings with his edge blockers by providing a lot of (help from backs and tight ends). It’s just the way they scheme them.

“One thing that’s very clear is that there’s a need. I thought they should have addressed it last year in the draft. I think Barry Richardson has been a solid guy. I think he’s very committed. He’s not great and wasn’t drafted highly and may not have a big name but he’s been a solid player and I think they feel fairly comfortable with him there.

“They trust (Albert) on that left side. The issues have been more about being able to control his weight and staying disciplined than any issue about the talent. I think they feel comfortable there. Could they draft a tackle? Absolutely. It’s all going to be a function of what type of talent is available on the board at the time they come up.”

After USC’s Smith, who will probably be gone by the time the Chiefs make the 21st overall pick, the top tackles in the draft include Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo, Colorado’s Nate Solder and Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi.

“(This year) you can pick apart some of their games,” Mayock said. “Costanzo to me is the next logical guy. Some teams think he’s a right tackle and some teams think he can make it on the left side. …

“Carimi is not a great athlete. He’s a technician and a tough guy. He’s a right tackle and maybe a guard.”

[keg in kc]

Man, I sure wish they'd taken Okung, Davis or Bulaga instead of that scrub safety.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Agreed. I just cannot believe we wasted our 1st round pick. All it did was make us draft lower this year.

[BigRock]

If Teicher ever writes a good article about the draft, he should put it on a shelf called "my good draft articles", where it will ultimately die a slow, painful death brought on by sheer loneliness.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

“One thing that’s very clear is that there’s a need. I thought they should have addressed it last year in the draft. I think Barry Richardson has been a solid guy. I think he’s very committed. He’s not great and wasn’t drafted highly and may not have a big name but he’s been a solid player and I think they feel fairly comfortable with him there.

“They trust (Albert) on that left side. The issues have been more about being able to control his weight and staying disciplined than any issue about the talent. I think they feel comfortable there. Could they draft a tackle? Absolutely. It’s all going to be a function of what type of talent is available on the board at the time they come up.”

[HemiEd]

Another wasted two minutes.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Man, I sure wish they'd taken Okung, Davis or Bulaga instead of that scrub safety.

Sac is a ****ing idiot for thinking that.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Man, I sure wish they'd taken Okung, Davis or Bulaga instead of that scrub safety.

The hypothetical is that the Chiefs could have taken Bulaga or Okung last year, and then, with their first second round pick (which they spent on McCluster) they could have selected Nate Allen or TJ Ward, both of whom went right after the McCluster pick. Allen had a very good year and Ward had as good a year, and arguably better, then Berry.

I know that's sacrilege around these here parts and irrelevant because what's done is done. Just a hindsight observation as we head into the 2011 Draft.

[The Bad Guy]

Who writes these headlines? Holy god.

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

The hypothetical is that the Chiefs could have taken Bulaga or Okung last year, and then, with their first second round pick (which they spent on McCluster) they could have selected Nate Allen or TJ Ward, both of whom went right after the McCluster pick. Allen had a very good year and Ward had as good a year, and arguably better, then Berry.

I know that's sacrilege around these here parts and irrelevant because what's done is done. Just a hindsight observation as we head into the 2011 Draft.

LOL at TJ Ward being better than Eric Berry last year.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

The hypothetical is that the Chiefs could have taken Bulaga or Okung last year, and then, with their first second round pick (which they spent on McCluster) they could have selected Nate Allen or TJ Ward, both of whom went right after the McCluster pick. Allen had a very good year and Ward had as good a year, and arguably better, then Berry.

I know that's sacrilege around these here parts and irrelevant because what's done is done. Just a hindsight observation as we head into the 2011 Draft.

Epic troll post.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

The hypothetical is that the Chiefs could have taken Bulaga or Okung last year, and then, with their first second round pick (which they spent on McCluster) they could have selected Nate Allen or TJ Ward, both of whom went right after the McCluster pick. Allen had a very good year and Ward had as good a year, and arguably better, then Berry.

I know that's sacrilege around these here parts and irrelevant because what's done is done. Just a hindsight observation as we head into the 2011 Draft.

Berry is better than any player listed in your rehashed stupidity....he's Elite in his physical and football skills


but yeah, we should have passed on a generational player at Safety to draft a ****ing RT....saccofbats in all his glory

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

Berry is better than any player listed in your rehashed stupidity....he's Elite in his physical and football skills


but yeah, we should have passed on a generational player at Safety to draft a ****ing RT....saccofbats in all his glory

Saccoshit's draft knowledge is rivaled only by Nick Athan.

[RealSNR]

Great. So we could have had a less talented starter at safety AND a starting tackle like Bulaga or Okung, both of whom were just as mediocre as Brandon Albert in his rookie year and might not solve their teams' problems?

But at least Albert/Richardson would have been sitting on the bench! Shit, imagine how good we'd be right now

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

LOL at TJ Ward being better than Eric Berry last year.

LOL at you for thinking he wasn't.

Like I said - sacrilege.