DeepSouth
09-09-2005, 05:58 AM
The charts didn't come across. You'll have to go to the link to see those.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2005/09/09/gretz_its_the_linebackers/
GRETZ: It's the Linebackers
Sep 09, 2005, 6:28:13 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
From the moment he returned to Kansas City in January of 2004, it was one word that stuck in Gunther Cunningham’s mind: linebackers.
Watching from afar, he knew the Chiefs’ cupboard was bare at linebacker. His friend Derrick Thomas had passed. Donnie Edwards had been allowed to leave in free agency in what ranks among the biggest personnel misjudgments by the Chiefs in the last decade.
Once Cunningham got back into Arrowhead, he realized those linebackers on the roster did not fit his style of defense. Few had the combination of explosion and power that he wanted from his linebackers. He wanted guys that pushed across the line of scrimmage, not ones that flowed along the line, which was the type that former coordinator Greg Robinson favored.
Now, 20 months later, linebackers are on still on Cunningham’s mind as the Chiefs prepare to open the regular season against the New York Jets on Sunday.
In the first steps of rebuilding the Chiefs defense, the linebacker position has been stabilized. They’ll get their first major test this Sunday against Curtis Martin and the Jets offense.
“I think more people around here understand what I was talking about now when it comes to the linebacker position,” Cunningham said. “We’ve got some players there that can make an impact, they can change the flow of the game, and they can even change the scoreboard.”
In the span of one year, the linebacker position went from one of the weaknesses on the Chiefs defense, to what must now be considered a strength. So much so that the Chiefs kept one more LB than normal, as eight made the final roster. Now, one of those is Gary Stills, whose spot has more to do with special teams than it does playing linebacker.
Of those eight linebackers, Stills was a defensive end last year, Rich Scanlon did not play a down of defense, Keyaron Fox played one game in the defense and did not make a tackle and Kawika Mitchell had disappointed everyone, including himself, with his 2004 performance. Playing in 15 games, with 12 starts, Mitchell had just 85 tackles and a couple dozen missed tackles.
Gone from last year are Monty Beisel (allowed to leave in free agency), Quinton Caver (released), Fred Jones (not re-signed), Scott Fujita (traded) and Shawn Barber (PUP.) Mike Maslowski, who missed the entire 2004 season, was also released.
Kendrell Bell was added through free agency, Derrick Johnson and Boomer Grigsby came through the draft and Kris Griffin was a gem found among the college players who were not drafted by the league’s 32 teams.
More importantly, Mitchell and Fox became two of the most improved players on the team in 2005, and Scanlon went to NFL Europe and was the defensive player of the year.
“It’s not hard to see; you would have to be a blind man not to notice the changes” said Cunningham. “Now, this is what I’m used to. If Kendrell Bell can play the whole season, he can be one of the really big-time defensive players in the league. D.J. can run like crazy. But what makes me feel good are Kawika Mitchell, Keyaron Fox, some of the young guys that made the roster. You see those guys now, and it’s like a whole different group.”
Against the Jets, the Chiefs will start a 1st-round draft pick and a pair of 2nd-round choices. Johnson, Mitchell and Bell were all drafted among the top 47 players in the draft. They are the first starting linebackers of that caliber for the Chiefs since D.T.’s last season of 1999 (he was the fourth player selected in the 1989 Draft.)
In the 80 games played in the last five seasons there have been a total of 232 starting spots at linebacker (the Chiefs started several games in nickel and dime defenses, with linebackers removed from the lineup.)
Of those 232 starts, none were by 1st-round draft picks. Only 20 were by players drafted in the second round (16 by Mitchell and four by Quinton Caver.) There were no starts by linebackers taken in the third round.
That’s 20 of the 232 starts by first-day draft choices, or less than nine percent.
Translation: the Chiefs have had a dearth of talent at linebacker for some time. Being a draft choice, let alone a first-day pick, does not guarantee accomplishment in the NFL. But let’s be honest: the best talents and athletes are taken early in the draft. Football teams win when they get the most talented players on the field. The odds of pulling that off are far greater with those early picks.
The Chiefs problem at linebacker, and thus their problem on defense, has been a lack of talent. At linebacker, that appears to have been rectified so they can compete with the better defenses in the league. Here’s how the Chiefs first four opponents lineup at linebacker as a comparison (three of these four teams made the playoffs last year:)
It’s easy to see why the Raiders have defensive problems, given the pedigree of their linebacker talent. It’s also obvious why the Jets and Broncos were among the league’s top defenses last year. The Eagles had problems last year stopping the run, and maybe part of the reason is their linebacker talent.
There is still much for the Chiefs defense to prove and plenty that the linebackers must still get done. The pre-season showed the potential.
Now, it’s time for production.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2005/09/09/gretz_its_the_linebackers/
GRETZ: It's the Linebackers
Sep 09, 2005, 6:28:13 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
From the moment he returned to Kansas City in January of 2004, it was one word that stuck in Gunther Cunningham’s mind: linebackers.
Watching from afar, he knew the Chiefs’ cupboard was bare at linebacker. His friend Derrick Thomas had passed. Donnie Edwards had been allowed to leave in free agency in what ranks among the biggest personnel misjudgments by the Chiefs in the last decade.
Once Cunningham got back into Arrowhead, he realized those linebackers on the roster did not fit his style of defense. Few had the combination of explosion and power that he wanted from his linebackers. He wanted guys that pushed across the line of scrimmage, not ones that flowed along the line, which was the type that former coordinator Greg Robinson favored.
Now, 20 months later, linebackers are on still on Cunningham’s mind as the Chiefs prepare to open the regular season against the New York Jets on Sunday.
In the first steps of rebuilding the Chiefs defense, the linebacker position has been stabilized. They’ll get their first major test this Sunday against Curtis Martin and the Jets offense.
“I think more people around here understand what I was talking about now when it comes to the linebacker position,” Cunningham said. “We’ve got some players there that can make an impact, they can change the flow of the game, and they can even change the scoreboard.”
In the span of one year, the linebacker position went from one of the weaknesses on the Chiefs defense, to what must now be considered a strength. So much so that the Chiefs kept one more LB than normal, as eight made the final roster. Now, one of those is Gary Stills, whose spot has more to do with special teams than it does playing linebacker.
Of those eight linebackers, Stills was a defensive end last year, Rich Scanlon did not play a down of defense, Keyaron Fox played one game in the defense and did not make a tackle and Kawika Mitchell had disappointed everyone, including himself, with his 2004 performance. Playing in 15 games, with 12 starts, Mitchell had just 85 tackles and a couple dozen missed tackles.
Gone from last year are Monty Beisel (allowed to leave in free agency), Quinton Caver (released), Fred Jones (not re-signed), Scott Fujita (traded) and Shawn Barber (PUP.) Mike Maslowski, who missed the entire 2004 season, was also released.
Kendrell Bell was added through free agency, Derrick Johnson and Boomer Grigsby came through the draft and Kris Griffin was a gem found among the college players who were not drafted by the league’s 32 teams.
More importantly, Mitchell and Fox became two of the most improved players on the team in 2005, and Scanlon went to NFL Europe and was the defensive player of the year.
“It’s not hard to see; you would have to be a blind man not to notice the changes” said Cunningham. “Now, this is what I’m used to. If Kendrell Bell can play the whole season, he can be one of the really big-time defensive players in the league. D.J. can run like crazy. But what makes me feel good are Kawika Mitchell, Keyaron Fox, some of the young guys that made the roster. You see those guys now, and it’s like a whole different group.”
Against the Jets, the Chiefs will start a 1st-round draft pick and a pair of 2nd-round choices. Johnson, Mitchell and Bell were all drafted among the top 47 players in the draft. They are the first starting linebackers of that caliber for the Chiefs since D.T.’s last season of 1999 (he was the fourth player selected in the 1989 Draft.)
In the 80 games played in the last five seasons there have been a total of 232 starting spots at linebacker (the Chiefs started several games in nickel and dime defenses, with linebackers removed from the lineup.)
Of those 232 starts, none were by 1st-round draft picks. Only 20 were by players drafted in the second round (16 by Mitchell and four by Quinton Caver.) There were no starts by linebackers taken in the third round.
That’s 20 of the 232 starts by first-day draft choices, or less than nine percent.
Translation: the Chiefs have had a dearth of talent at linebacker for some time. Being a draft choice, let alone a first-day pick, does not guarantee accomplishment in the NFL. But let’s be honest: the best talents and athletes are taken early in the draft. Football teams win when they get the most talented players on the field. The odds of pulling that off are far greater with those early picks.
The Chiefs problem at linebacker, and thus their problem on defense, has been a lack of talent. At linebacker, that appears to have been rectified so they can compete with the better defenses in the league. Here’s how the Chiefs first four opponents lineup at linebacker as a comparison (three of these four teams made the playoffs last year:)
It’s easy to see why the Raiders have defensive problems, given the pedigree of their linebacker talent. It’s also obvious why the Jets and Broncos were among the league’s top defenses last year. The Eagles had problems last year stopping the run, and maybe part of the reason is their linebacker talent.
There is still much for the Chiefs defense to prove and plenty that the linebackers must still get done. The pre-season showed the potential.
Now, it’s time for production.