Chiefs Chiefs have to decide if No. 5 pick is too high for a safety - Page 7

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.”

**Reaper16** · 04-20-2010, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

Why is it that all of the arguments against Clausen surround things that are not measurable?

- He isnt a leader
- He is arrogant/cocky
- He hasnt won enough

This would be like responding in a debate with "well you know, I just don't like him"

Isn't the "he hasn't won enough" claim measurable by win-loss record, though?

**the Talking Can** · 04-20-2010, 03:29 PM

it is breathtaking to watch chiefs fans come up with excuses to not draft a QB...

"well.....he once went to a romantic comedy....Bart Starr never watched romantic comedies!!1!!11....dude, i pwn...lolarrrrrrrrgggggghhhhh"

Pushead2 · 04-20-2010, 03:30 PM

someone just call Pioli and ask him what's good with the 5 pick. I'm sure he'll let us inside on what will happen in the war room.

Mecca · 04-20-2010, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Isn't the "he hasn't won enough" claim measurable by win-loss record, though?

Don't worry someone will post the Parcells thing like winning 23 games is some magic number.

**FRCDFED** · 04-20-2010, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Yeah.....still waiting.

And I'll still be waiting 2 days from now because you have no response to that. Or maybe you're just too busy posting as Saccopoo right now.

wtf does John Elway and Joe Montana have to do with Clauson? Just say'n......damn!

**DaneMcCloud** · 04-20-2010, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coogs

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

Yeah, Pioli has to decide if a once in a decade safety is too high at #5 overall, but he already decided that a 5-tech was worth a #3 overall.

Un****ing real.

**FRCDFED** · 04-20-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Yeah, Pioli has to decide if a once in a decade safety is too high at #5 overall, but he already decided that a 5-tech was worth a #3 overall.

Un****ing real.

rep!

**dirk digler** · 04-20-2010, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

Why is it that all of the arguments against Clausen surround things that are not measurable?

- He isnt a leader
- He is arrogant/cocky
- He hasnt won enough

This would be like responding in a debate with "well you know, I just don't like him"

Jay Cutler syndrome?

**The Franchise** · 04-20-2010, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRCDFED

wtf does John Elway and Joe Montana have to do with Clauson? Just say'n......damn!

John Elway is considered a Franchise QB.

His argument was that Clausen is considered by some to be a franchise QB....but didn't take his team to a bowl game in his senior year at ND. John Elway never took his team to a bowl game.....HIS ENTIRE COLLEGE CAREER.

Then his argument that Clausen's best season was 6-6. So therefore he can't be a franchise QB because franchise QBs put their team on their back and win games. John Elway's best season was 6-5.

Or you could have just read the ****ing thread and figured that out.

**DeezNutz** · 04-20-2010, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Yeah, Pioli has to decide if a once in a decade safety is too high at #5 overall, but he already decided that a 5-tech was worth a #3 overall.

Un****ing real.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I still believe that teams are built in the trenches, so I can understand Pioli's logic. /True Fan

Mr. Laz · 04-20-2010, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

From highlights, it seems like it ran through Golden Tate.

ya, cuz tate set the all-time record for receiving with 4000 yards receiver.

maybe you might want to watch more than just highlights.

KCinNY · 04-20-2010, 07:02 PM

Bob Fescoe was on the radio this morning saying that no safety was ever worth the 5th overall pick -- to which I thought Lott, Atwater, Polomalu and Reed would be worth even higher picks.

However, he lost his football credibility when, in the same segment, he suggested drafting Suh if he were there at #5 and moving Dorsey to the nose.

**The Bad Guy** · 04-20-2010, 07:05 PM

I'd take Ed Reed and Troy at 5 every single draft.

The impact both of those players have made on their defenses is tremendous.

Billy Deveney said today, when looking at a player, you need to ignore the position. I never agree with what he says, but that was spot on. If he's a dynamic player, the position (as long as it's not on special teams) should not matter.

Berry would help this team win games. He's got extreme versitility where he can play in the box, in center field and against slot receivers.

There's not a lot of safeties in the NFL that can play the way he can.

Flowers, Carr, Berry and likely Morgan (unless someone else came along at SS) would give the Chiefs the best young secondary in the NFL.

04-20-2010, 07:11 AM
Coogs In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Northern Kansas Casino cash: $1384349	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: 21,629

04-20-2010, 03:29 PM	#92
the Talking Can Supporter Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: street Casino cash: $10022208	it is breathtaking to watch chiefs fans come up with excuses to not draft a QB... "well.....he once went to a romantic comedy....Bart Starr never watched romantic comedies!!1!!11....dude, i pwn...lolarrrrrrrrgggggghhhhh" __________________ Clark Hunt: "Thank god for the Dominican pool boy"
Posts: 51,585

04-20-2010, 03:30 PM	#93
Pushead2 **** off Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New York Casino cash: $7251882	someone just call Pioli and ask him what's good with the 5 pick. I'm sure he'll let us inside on what will happen in the war room. __________________ "**** up once, lose two teeth....”
Posts: 5,213

04-20-2010, 07:02 PM	#102
KCinNY Chiefs Goon Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Center Ice Casino cash: $10008350	Bob Fescoe was on the radio this morning saying that no safety was ever worth the 5th overall pick -- to which I thought Lott, Atwater, Polomalu and Reed would be worth even higher picks. However, he lost his football credibility when, in the same segment, he suggested drafting Suh if he were there at #5 and moving Dorsey to the nose. __________________ We must sacrifice the one they call "True Fan."
Posts: 1,497

04-20-2010, 07:05 PM	#103
The Bad Guy Scott Pioli Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: The Copacobana Casino cash: $9373645	I'd take Ed Reed and Troy at 5 every single draft. The impact both of those players have made on their defenses is tremendous. Billy Deveney said today, when looking at a player, you need to ignore the position. I never agree with what he says, but that was spot on. If he's a dynamic player, the position (as long as it's not on special teams) should not matter. Berry would help this team win games. He's got extreme versitility where he can play in the box, in center field and against slot receivers. There's not a lot of safeties in the NFL that can play the way he can. Flowers, Carr, Berry and likely Morgan (unless someone else came along at SS) would give the Chiefs the best young secondary in the NFL. __________________
Posts: 23,212