tk13
04-20-2005, 01:47 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/11436513.htm
Plan D?
Going all out for defense is no guarantee
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Back in 2002, the high-scoring Colts were trying to fix a defense that collapsed the previous season and cost Indianapolis a playoff berth.
Sound familiar, Chiefs fans?
The Colts' strategy that year for fixing their leaky defense could be instructive to the Chiefs this year. The first six players and seven of the eight drafted by Indianapolis were defenders. The Colts rebounded and made the playoffs.
The Chiefs could do worse things in the draft than follow the Colts' lead. They have 10 picks, their most since 1991, when the draft was 12 rounds rather than seven.
The Chiefs certainly have defensive needs. Not only was their defense the culprit in last year's 7-9 record, but because of poor recent drafts, the Chiefs have only two players they can honestly consider good young defensive players: linebacker Scott Fujita and end Jared Allen.
Fujita's season is threatened by an ankle injury that recently required arthroscopic surgery.
What about trying to net a group of draft picks almost entirely on the defensive side to see whether the Chiefs can fix the problem for years? The idea doesn't seem to have much traction at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Obviously, early in the draft, that's our primary focus,” said Lynn Stiles, Chiefs vice president for football operations. “But there may be an offensive player who can give us something special like Kris Wilson did last year. There may be a heck of a punter. So I don't think you can just say we'll use 10 picks on defense.
“Drafting 10 defensive players doesn't guarantee you anything. Just because you draft 10 guys doesn't mean they're all going to get on the field.”
It doesn't, but drafting 10 defensive players increases the chances of finding some good ones. The Colts in 2002 drafted not only a pass-rushing end in Dwight Freeney, but also a starting linebacker in David Thornton and couple of reserve defenders in tackle Larry Tripplett and cornerback Joseph Jefferson.
The 1996 Chiefs, sensing the creep of age on defense, spent their first four picks on that side of the ball and were richly rewarded with a draft that included safeties Jerome Woods and Reggie Tongue, linebacker Donnie Edwards and lineman John Browning.
By 1997, all were starting for a 13-3 team.
While this year's Chiefs draft doesn't figure to be all defense, it could resemble that of 1996.
“The emphasis will be on defense,” coach Dick Vermeil said. “Once you get going, then you start thinking about taking the best football player. You start thinking about getting better on special teams. But if it's equal, you'd have to draft the defensive player.”
An entirely defensive draft would ignore looming needs on the offensive line. Willie Roaf turned 35 Monday, and another perennial Pro Bowler, guard Will Shields, is considering retirement.
It would also cost the Chiefs the chance to improve at wide receiver, another position on their wish list.
That's worthwhile if it means enriching the defense with some young talent. It's why the idea makes some sense for former Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt, now an analyst for NFL.com.
“I like that strategy if that's what they need to do, but it can't be a hard-and-fast strategy,” Brandt said. “I'll give you an example of something they don't want to do. In 1975, in the 13th round, we drafted a guy named Herb Scott, who was an offensive lineman. We had a lot of good offensive linemen, and we really didn't need this guy. But he was something like our 73rd-ranked guy. We had to be crazy not to pick this guy. We picked him, and he ended up going to two Pro Bowls. My point is that you can't take a defensive player if you've got an offensive player ranked considerably ahead of him.
“Here's another thing they shouldn't do. Historically, if teams need defense, they put that board together with a tendency to rate defensive players higher. That's real dangerous. Teams get killed in the draft when they force their needs.”
The Chiefs had their chances in recent years to fortify their defense with good, young players. Linemen Eric Downing, Ryan Sims, Eddie Freeman and Junior Siavii; linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Keyaron Fox; and cornerback Julian Battle were drafted in the first three rounds in the last four years.
None has become what the Chiefs envisioned. Downing and Freeman are gone. The others, so far, have been part of the problem, not the solution.
“We've got some guys who haven't lived up to their physical attributes and have to play better,” Stiles said. “I'm not going to say these guys need to take their diapers off, but they need to jump in there and help us out. They need to look in the mirror very hard and ask themselves how long they want to be in this environment.”
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said this year is a good one for the Chiefs to atone because it's deep with defensive players. He identified players at all defensive positions whom he projects to someday become solid NFL starters.
“There are a lot of combination guys,” Kiper said, referring to players who could wind up at either linebacker or end. “Trent Cole from Cincinnati is interesting. Ryan Riddle from California is interesting. Brady Poppinga from BYU is another guy. There are a lot of corners in this draft who will help teams.”
Plan D?
Going all out for defense is no guarantee
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Back in 2002, the high-scoring Colts were trying to fix a defense that collapsed the previous season and cost Indianapolis a playoff berth.
Sound familiar, Chiefs fans?
The Colts' strategy that year for fixing their leaky defense could be instructive to the Chiefs this year. The first six players and seven of the eight drafted by Indianapolis were defenders. The Colts rebounded and made the playoffs.
The Chiefs could do worse things in the draft than follow the Colts' lead. They have 10 picks, their most since 1991, when the draft was 12 rounds rather than seven.
The Chiefs certainly have defensive needs. Not only was their defense the culprit in last year's 7-9 record, but because of poor recent drafts, the Chiefs have only two players they can honestly consider good young defensive players: linebacker Scott Fujita and end Jared Allen.
Fujita's season is threatened by an ankle injury that recently required arthroscopic surgery.
What about trying to net a group of draft picks almost entirely on the defensive side to see whether the Chiefs can fix the problem for years? The idea doesn't seem to have much traction at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Obviously, early in the draft, that's our primary focus,” said Lynn Stiles, Chiefs vice president for football operations. “But there may be an offensive player who can give us something special like Kris Wilson did last year. There may be a heck of a punter. So I don't think you can just say we'll use 10 picks on defense.
“Drafting 10 defensive players doesn't guarantee you anything. Just because you draft 10 guys doesn't mean they're all going to get on the field.”
It doesn't, but drafting 10 defensive players increases the chances of finding some good ones. The Colts in 2002 drafted not only a pass-rushing end in Dwight Freeney, but also a starting linebacker in David Thornton and couple of reserve defenders in tackle Larry Tripplett and cornerback Joseph Jefferson.
The 1996 Chiefs, sensing the creep of age on defense, spent their first four picks on that side of the ball and were richly rewarded with a draft that included safeties Jerome Woods and Reggie Tongue, linebacker Donnie Edwards and lineman John Browning.
By 1997, all were starting for a 13-3 team.
While this year's Chiefs draft doesn't figure to be all defense, it could resemble that of 1996.
“The emphasis will be on defense,” coach Dick Vermeil said. “Once you get going, then you start thinking about taking the best football player. You start thinking about getting better on special teams. But if it's equal, you'd have to draft the defensive player.”
An entirely defensive draft would ignore looming needs on the offensive line. Willie Roaf turned 35 Monday, and another perennial Pro Bowler, guard Will Shields, is considering retirement.
It would also cost the Chiefs the chance to improve at wide receiver, another position on their wish list.
That's worthwhile if it means enriching the defense with some young talent. It's why the idea makes some sense for former Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt, now an analyst for NFL.com.
“I like that strategy if that's what they need to do, but it can't be a hard-and-fast strategy,” Brandt said. “I'll give you an example of something they don't want to do. In 1975, in the 13th round, we drafted a guy named Herb Scott, who was an offensive lineman. We had a lot of good offensive linemen, and we really didn't need this guy. But he was something like our 73rd-ranked guy. We had to be crazy not to pick this guy. We picked him, and he ended up going to two Pro Bowls. My point is that you can't take a defensive player if you've got an offensive player ranked considerably ahead of him.
“Here's another thing they shouldn't do. Historically, if teams need defense, they put that board together with a tendency to rate defensive players higher. That's real dangerous. Teams get killed in the draft when they force their needs.”
The Chiefs had their chances in recent years to fortify their defense with good, young players. Linemen Eric Downing, Ryan Sims, Eddie Freeman and Junior Siavii; linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Keyaron Fox; and cornerback Julian Battle were drafted in the first three rounds in the last four years.
None has become what the Chiefs envisioned. Downing and Freeman are gone. The others, so far, have been part of the problem, not the solution.
“We've got some guys who haven't lived up to their physical attributes and have to play better,” Stiles said. “I'm not going to say these guys need to take their diapers off, but they need to jump in there and help us out. They need to look in the mirror very hard and ask themselves how long they want to be in this environment.”
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said this year is a good one for the Chiefs to atone because it's deep with defensive players. He identified players at all defensive positions whom he projects to someday become solid NFL starters.
“There are a lot of combination guys,” Kiper said, referring to players who could wind up at either linebacker or end. “Trent Cole from Cincinnati is interesting. Ryan Riddle from California is interesting. Brady Poppinga from BYU is another guy. There are a lot of corners in this draft who will help teams.”