ROYC75
04-25-2005, 09:34 AM
GRETZ: The Post-Draft Picture
Apr 25, 2005, 8:40:38 AM by Bob Gretz
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2005/04/25/gretz_the_postdraft_picture/
So today is the day when the individual drafts of the 32 NFL teams are graded and analyzed by the media. What a giant waste of time. With a handful of exceptions, the folks in print, radio and television have no basis for their opinions.
Who could? Until these guys get on the field and show how they are going to fit into their new teams, giving anybody an A, B, C or D is nonsensical. Even then, a body of evidence must be accumulated before making a judgment.
What we can do is take an overview of the new bodies and how they fit with what the teams needed to get done in the draft. And, on the surface the Chiefs accomplished some important objectives in the two-day affair.
IMPROVE THE DEFENSIVE TALENT LEVEL
The Chiefs had 11 draft choices when the off-season began. Ultimately, six of those were used on defensive players, two veterans acquired in trades and four taken in the draft. The additions of LB Derrick Johnson, CB Patrick Surtain, and DE Carlos Hall all figure to pay immediate dividends. Surtain is an immediate starter, Hall will be part of the DE rotation and if Johnson is not in the starting lineup by mid-season at the latest, it will be a shock.
Dick Vermeil tried to take the pressure of his first-round pick by saying the Chiefs were not going to expect Johnson to start. Think again. Johnson is going to get attention, practice time and playing time. He’s going to be given every opportunity to be a starter in Gunther Cunningham’s defense. It will be up to him how successful he becomes, how quickly he assimilates the offense, produces on the field. Plus, there’s the little question of showing up on time for the start of training camp.
The rest of the defensive players drafted are projects. LB James “Boomer” Grigsby could make a roster spot for himself with special teams work. CB Alphonso Hodge has holes in his game, but he’s a good cover cornerback and for the position, that’s a good start. DE Khari Long is just finding his place as a pass rusher off the edge.
TAKE CARE OF THE PUNTING PROBLEM
We wrote a few weeks ago that it was time for the team to draft a punter. Little did we know they would concur and the pick would come as early as round three. Dustin Colquitt was the 99th player drafted. Only the late Jerrel Wilson, who was the 88th player selected in the 1963 AFL Draft was taken earlier, although that was in the 11th round.
Of all the choices the team made over the weekend, Colquitt could have the biggest splash and longest career. If he simply builds off of what he accomplished at the University of Tennessee and keeps improving, he’ll kick in the league longer than his father did. Craig Colquitt, like his son, was a third-round draft choice. Twenty-seven years ago, Dad went to Pittsburgh as the 76th player selected. He won a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Steelers and kicked for six full seasons.
Dustin Colquitt has a fighting chance to stick with the Chiefs because he was born the son of a punter and seems to understand the position, not only physically, but mentally. He understands how the punter fits into the whole team picture. He was just a toddler when his father was kicking for the Steelers, but the lessons have been passed down.
Inconsistency is the bus ticket out of town for every kicker and punter. Colquitt seems equipped to keep those moments to a minimum. He could become the best friend of the Chiefs defense.
FIND ANOTHER YOUNG RECEIVER
This was a year that was strong in wide receivers and had the team still held its second-round pick, they might have gone after one earlier. But securing Colquitt was the first key. The next chance they had, the Chiefs selected Craphonso Thorpe out of Florida State. Before he broke his leg in the last game of the Seminoles 2003 season, Thorpe was one of the fastest men in the country. He ran the 100 meters in 10.43 seconds. That’s just a hair behind new teammate Samie Parker, who that same year ran a 10.41 seconds.
Thorpe is not just a track guy playing football. He has skills for the game and that one skill that can’t be taught: speed.
But there is more to this story of the off-season and the changes made by the Chiefs. We’ll address that on Wednesday.
Apr 25, 2005, 8:40:38 AM by Bob Gretz
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2005/04/25/gretz_the_postdraft_picture/
So today is the day when the individual drafts of the 32 NFL teams are graded and analyzed by the media. What a giant waste of time. With a handful of exceptions, the folks in print, radio and television have no basis for their opinions.
Who could? Until these guys get on the field and show how they are going to fit into their new teams, giving anybody an A, B, C or D is nonsensical. Even then, a body of evidence must be accumulated before making a judgment.
What we can do is take an overview of the new bodies and how they fit with what the teams needed to get done in the draft. And, on the surface the Chiefs accomplished some important objectives in the two-day affair.
IMPROVE THE DEFENSIVE TALENT LEVEL
The Chiefs had 11 draft choices when the off-season began. Ultimately, six of those were used on defensive players, two veterans acquired in trades and four taken in the draft. The additions of LB Derrick Johnson, CB Patrick Surtain, and DE Carlos Hall all figure to pay immediate dividends. Surtain is an immediate starter, Hall will be part of the DE rotation and if Johnson is not in the starting lineup by mid-season at the latest, it will be a shock.
Dick Vermeil tried to take the pressure of his first-round pick by saying the Chiefs were not going to expect Johnson to start. Think again. Johnson is going to get attention, practice time and playing time. He’s going to be given every opportunity to be a starter in Gunther Cunningham’s defense. It will be up to him how successful he becomes, how quickly he assimilates the offense, produces on the field. Plus, there’s the little question of showing up on time for the start of training camp.
The rest of the defensive players drafted are projects. LB James “Boomer” Grigsby could make a roster spot for himself with special teams work. CB Alphonso Hodge has holes in his game, but he’s a good cover cornerback and for the position, that’s a good start. DE Khari Long is just finding his place as a pass rusher off the edge.
TAKE CARE OF THE PUNTING PROBLEM
We wrote a few weeks ago that it was time for the team to draft a punter. Little did we know they would concur and the pick would come as early as round three. Dustin Colquitt was the 99th player drafted. Only the late Jerrel Wilson, who was the 88th player selected in the 1963 AFL Draft was taken earlier, although that was in the 11th round.
Of all the choices the team made over the weekend, Colquitt could have the biggest splash and longest career. If he simply builds off of what he accomplished at the University of Tennessee and keeps improving, he’ll kick in the league longer than his father did. Craig Colquitt, like his son, was a third-round draft choice. Twenty-seven years ago, Dad went to Pittsburgh as the 76th player selected. He won a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Steelers and kicked for six full seasons.
Dustin Colquitt has a fighting chance to stick with the Chiefs because he was born the son of a punter and seems to understand the position, not only physically, but mentally. He understands how the punter fits into the whole team picture. He was just a toddler when his father was kicking for the Steelers, but the lessons have been passed down.
Inconsistency is the bus ticket out of town for every kicker and punter. Colquitt seems equipped to keep those moments to a minimum. He could become the best friend of the Chiefs defense.
FIND ANOTHER YOUNG RECEIVER
This was a year that was strong in wide receivers and had the team still held its second-round pick, they might have gone after one earlier. But securing Colquitt was the first key. The next chance they had, the Chiefs selected Craphonso Thorpe out of Florida State. Before he broke his leg in the last game of the Seminoles 2003 season, Thorpe was one of the fastest men in the country. He ran the 100 meters in 10.43 seconds. That’s just a hair behind new teammate Samie Parker, who that same year ran a 10.41 seconds.
Thorpe is not just a track guy playing football. He has skills for the game and that one skill that can’t be taught: speed.
But there is more to this story of the off-season and the changes made by the Chiefs. We’ll address that on Wednesday.