Tribal Warfare
03-09-2007, 04:54 PM
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2007/03/09/gretz_the_personnel_road__recap/
GRETZ: The Personnel Road - Recap
Mar 09, 2007, 8:12:54 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
In the last few weeks, I’ve thrown a lot of personnel information out there involving the key positions on the Chiefs radar for the 2007 season.
We’ve already seen in the first week of NFL free agency the team fill one of those positions with the signing of free agent Damion McIntosh to play left tackle. On paper the McIntosh signing is a step up for the Chiefs, compared to other teams at the top of the league. Last year, they were the only team that made the playoffs that did not have a first-day draft choice at left tackle. McIntosh entered the league as a third-round choice in the 2000 Draft. Last year’s starter Jordan Black was a free agent and agreed to terms on Friday with the Houston Texans.
But right tackle, defensive tackle, cornerback and wide receiver still remain positions where the Chiefs must find help, whether in free agency, the draft or improvement from within the roster.
There are trends that come out of the information that we’ve covered:
The NFL Draft and development of that talent is still the way to go in putting together a successful franchise. Take a look at the last two Super Bowl winners: Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. Of the starting 22 for Indy against Chicago, 18 (82%) were “pure” Colts, meaning they had never played for another team in the league. Of that total, 15 were draft choices and three were signed as college free agents. For Pittsburgh in its victory over Seattle, 19 of the 22 starters (86%) were “pure” Steelers, with 17 draft choices and a pair of college free agents. Chiefs Conclusion: it’s time for the Chiefs to get back to building their team through the draft. Of the 22 starters last year, half were “pure” Chiefs. Of the five positions we covered in depth, only three of the nine players listed were Kansas City draft choices: Jordan Black at left tackle, Kevin Sampson at right tackle and Samie Parker at wide receiver. Note that none of those three were first-day draft choices.
Left tackle and cornerback are two of the top positions in the game. Check the teams that made the playoffs last year and you’ll see plenty of top draft picks used on those positions. There were 39 players that started five games or more for the dozen post-season teams at left tackle and both cornerback spots. From that total, 82 percent (32 of 39) were a first-day draft choice. Among the 32, there were 17 first-round picks, 12 in the second round and three taken in the third-round. Chiefs Conclusion: with McIntosh signed, expect them to use a first-day draft choice this year on a cornerback. It’s time.
Wide receivers change teams more often than almost any position. There were 77 players that started at wide receiver last year and 43 percent (33 of the 77) began their career with a different team. That doesn’t include recent moves, such as Drew Bennett who left Tennessee for St. Louis and Dennis Northcutt, out of Cleveland and signed with Jacksonville in free agency. Also, Seattle has made it known that Darrell Jackson is available in a trade. Only six of 32 teams (19%) had starting receivers who were all homegrown: Indianapolis, Arizona, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Jacksonville and St. Louis. Only the Colts were part of the dozen teams that made the playoffs. Chiefs Conclusion: the chances are better they’ll fill their wide receiver needs in free agency than in the first day of the draft. Considering the team’s history, it would be a shock to see them use a first-day draft choice on a wide receiver.
Defensive tackle must now become a Chiefs priority. Both of last year’s starters – Ron Edwards and James Reed – and probably the most effective backup – Jimmy Wilkerson – are unrestricted free agents and able to sign with any team in the league. Neither will draw a lot of interest, but there’s always the chance that one or both will find more money elsewhere. The problem is this: there’s little on the free agent market when it comes to defensive tackle. That’s why only four inside guys have appeared on the transaction wire this month: Miami traded Dan Wilkinson to Denver (he’s now considering retirement), the Dolphins re-signed Keith Traylor, Tennessee re-signed Rien Long and Aubrayo Franklin left Baltimore for San Francisco. Chiefs Conclusion: they need to get at least two of their three defensive tackles re-signed and they need to draft at least a pair of DTs in April, one on the first day. However, the talent level at defensive tackle in this year’s Draft is pretty shallow. Only two DT’s are considered sure-fire first-round talents: Alan Branch out of Michigan and Amobi Okoye out of Louisville. After them, there are about a half-dozen players considered talents worthy of a first-day selection. Don’t forget the avenue of trades for possibly picking up inside help.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/contact/
GRETZ: The Personnel Road - Recap
Mar 09, 2007, 8:12:54 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ
In the last few weeks, I’ve thrown a lot of personnel information out there involving the key positions on the Chiefs radar for the 2007 season.
We’ve already seen in the first week of NFL free agency the team fill one of those positions with the signing of free agent Damion McIntosh to play left tackle. On paper the McIntosh signing is a step up for the Chiefs, compared to other teams at the top of the league. Last year, they were the only team that made the playoffs that did not have a first-day draft choice at left tackle. McIntosh entered the league as a third-round choice in the 2000 Draft. Last year’s starter Jordan Black was a free agent and agreed to terms on Friday with the Houston Texans.
But right tackle, defensive tackle, cornerback and wide receiver still remain positions where the Chiefs must find help, whether in free agency, the draft or improvement from within the roster.
There are trends that come out of the information that we’ve covered:
The NFL Draft and development of that talent is still the way to go in putting together a successful franchise. Take a look at the last two Super Bowl winners: Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. Of the starting 22 for Indy against Chicago, 18 (82%) were “pure” Colts, meaning they had never played for another team in the league. Of that total, 15 were draft choices and three were signed as college free agents. For Pittsburgh in its victory over Seattle, 19 of the 22 starters (86%) were “pure” Steelers, with 17 draft choices and a pair of college free agents. Chiefs Conclusion: it’s time for the Chiefs to get back to building their team through the draft. Of the 22 starters last year, half were “pure” Chiefs. Of the five positions we covered in depth, only three of the nine players listed were Kansas City draft choices: Jordan Black at left tackle, Kevin Sampson at right tackle and Samie Parker at wide receiver. Note that none of those three were first-day draft choices.
Left tackle and cornerback are two of the top positions in the game. Check the teams that made the playoffs last year and you’ll see plenty of top draft picks used on those positions. There were 39 players that started five games or more for the dozen post-season teams at left tackle and both cornerback spots. From that total, 82 percent (32 of 39) were a first-day draft choice. Among the 32, there were 17 first-round picks, 12 in the second round and three taken in the third-round. Chiefs Conclusion: with McIntosh signed, expect them to use a first-day draft choice this year on a cornerback. It’s time.
Wide receivers change teams more often than almost any position. There were 77 players that started at wide receiver last year and 43 percent (33 of the 77) began their career with a different team. That doesn’t include recent moves, such as Drew Bennett who left Tennessee for St. Louis and Dennis Northcutt, out of Cleveland and signed with Jacksonville in free agency. Also, Seattle has made it known that Darrell Jackson is available in a trade. Only six of 32 teams (19%) had starting receivers who were all homegrown: Indianapolis, Arizona, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Jacksonville and St. Louis. Only the Colts were part of the dozen teams that made the playoffs. Chiefs Conclusion: the chances are better they’ll fill their wide receiver needs in free agency than in the first day of the draft. Considering the team’s history, it would be a shock to see them use a first-day draft choice on a wide receiver.
Defensive tackle must now become a Chiefs priority. Both of last year’s starters – Ron Edwards and James Reed – and probably the most effective backup – Jimmy Wilkerson – are unrestricted free agents and able to sign with any team in the league. Neither will draw a lot of interest, but there’s always the chance that one or both will find more money elsewhere. The problem is this: there’s little on the free agent market when it comes to defensive tackle. That’s why only four inside guys have appeared on the transaction wire this month: Miami traded Dan Wilkinson to Denver (he’s now considering retirement), the Dolphins re-signed Keith Traylor, Tennessee re-signed Rien Long and Aubrayo Franklin left Baltimore for San Francisco. Chiefs Conclusion: they need to get at least two of their three defensive tackles re-signed and they need to draft at least a pair of DTs in April, one on the first day. However, the talent level at defensive tackle in this year’s Draft is pretty shallow. Only two DT’s are considered sure-fire first-round talents: Alan Branch out of Michigan and Amobi Okoye out of Louisville. After them, there are about a half-dozen players considered talents worthy of a first-day selection. Don’t forget the avenue of trades for possibly picking up inside help.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/contact/