Tribal Warfare
01-23-2009, 12:36 AM
Draft appears to be lean one for pass rushers (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/996859.html)
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
MOBILE, Ala. | As they attempt to fix history’s most feeble pass rush, the Chiefs can take heart by looking at a list of this season’s NFL sack leaders.
Many didn’t enter the NFL as early draft picks. Miami’s Joey Porter and the New York Giants’ Justin Tuck were picked in the third round, Minnesota’s Jared Allen in the fourth and Indianapolis’ Robert Mathis in the fifth. James Harrison of Pittsburgh wasn’t drafted at all.
That can provide some hope for the Chiefs in their attempt to add some punch to their pass rush, because this year’s draft contains few, if any, top-shelf defensive ends.
“It’s hard to label groups, but this doesn’t appear to be a good draft for pass rushers,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. “Some of these guys are going to be really good, and you don’t expect them to be at this point. Who would have thought Jared Allen would turn out to be this kind of player? He wasn’t a first-round pick. He wasn’t a second-round pick.
“The trick is to find those guys. There are no guaranteed stars in this group as far as pass rushers go. If you need one, free agency might be a better way to go.”
As usual, free agency is lean on top pass rushers other than Julius Peppers, assuming he doesn’t re-sign with Carolina. One NFL personnel director said he didn’t think it would be the style of new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli to splurge on a major free agent, even one of Peppers’ stature.
The Chiefs, of course, wouldn’t have such a desperate need for a pass rusher had they not traded Allen last year. They greatly miscalculated their pass-rush capability without him, believing that between improvement from Tamba Hali, the addition of top draft pick Glenn Dorsey and help from others, they could make up for Allen’s loss.
Not only were the Chiefs wrong, but spectacularly so. The Chiefs totaled only 10 sacks, setting an NFL-record low.
“Losing Jared Allen made a difference,” said former Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, who took the same job this week with the Detroit Lions. “Taking him out of there, you’re not going to be very successful. Everybody said we should have known that. Well, we all felt that, but what can you say as a football coach, that we’re not going to be very good?
“Everybody wanted Glenn Dorsey to get sacks. First, he has to learn how to get them. That takes time, but he will learn.”
The Chiefs won’t enter next season making the same mistake.
“It’s obvious they have to do something,” a coach for one of the Chiefs’ opponents said. “Those rookie cornerbacks are good players. We were impressed with both of them, surprised at how good they are. And I love (Jarrad) Page at free safety. They’ve got enough physical, cover ability. They’ve got the right guys in the secondary.
“The front seven? Not so good. It obviously killed them to lose Jared Allen. He was really the only one we had to worry about as a pass rusher, and when he was gone, things changed completely.”
If the Chiefs draft a pass rusher, it probably won’t be in the first round.
Brian Orakpo of Texas is generally considered the best defensive end available, but he’s probably not worth the third pick.
“There’s nobody at three who’s there for them to take as far as a pass rusher,” Kiper said. “They’ll have to wait until the second round for that.”
An interesting prospect there could be Michael Johnson, who played for three seasons at Georgia Tech for Chan Gailey, now the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. Johnson had a disappointing senior season but has the skills to be an effective NFL player.
“He’s a kid with enormous talent, but there were games last year when he was no factor whatsoever,” Kiper said. “He doesn’t play the run all that well. He’s a one-dimensional guy. He’s not real tough, not real physical. But he’s a very gifted athlete.
“He went from a top-five pick on potential when the season started to a late first-round, early second-round kind of guy. He’s a lean kid who still has to fill out yet. He just wasn’t productive. He may wind up as a situational pass rusher because I don’t know if he can hold up against the run.”
Orakpo and Johnson declined invitations to this week’s Senior Bowl. Apparently, neither believed he could help his draft standing by participating.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
MOBILE, Ala. | As they attempt to fix history’s most feeble pass rush, the Chiefs can take heart by looking at a list of this season’s NFL sack leaders.
Many didn’t enter the NFL as early draft picks. Miami’s Joey Porter and the New York Giants’ Justin Tuck were picked in the third round, Minnesota’s Jared Allen in the fourth and Indianapolis’ Robert Mathis in the fifth. James Harrison of Pittsburgh wasn’t drafted at all.
That can provide some hope for the Chiefs in their attempt to add some punch to their pass rush, because this year’s draft contains few, if any, top-shelf defensive ends.
“It’s hard to label groups, but this doesn’t appear to be a good draft for pass rushers,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. “Some of these guys are going to be really good, and you don’t expect them to be at this point. Who would have thought Jared Allen would turn out to be this kind of player? He wasn’t a first-round pick. He wasn’t a second-round pick.
“The trick is to find those guys. There are no guaranteed stars in this group as far as pass rushers go. If you need one, free agency might be a better way to go.”
As usual, free agency is lean on top pass rushers other than Julius Peppers, assuming he doesn’t re-sign with Carolina. One NFL personnel director said he didn’t think it would be the style of new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli to splurge on a major free agent, even one of Peppers’ stature.
The Chiefs, of course, wouldn’t have such a desperate need for a pass rusher had they not traded Allen last year. They greatly miscalculated their pass-rush capability without him, believing that between improvement from Tamba Hali, the addition of top draft pick Glenn Dorsey and help from others, they could make up for Allen’s loss.
Not only were the Chiefs wrong, but spectacularly so. The Chiefs totaled only 10 sacks, setting an NFL-record low.
“Losing Jared Allen made a difference,” said former Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, who took the same job this week with the Detroit Lions. “Taking him out of there, you’re not going to be very successful. Everybody said we should have known that. Well, we all felt that, but what can you say as a football coach, that we’re not going to be very good?
“Everybody wanted Glenn Dorsey to get sacks. First, he has to learn how to get them. That takes time, but he will learn.”
The Chiefs won’t enter next season making the same mistake.
“It’s obvious they have to do something,” a coach for one of the Chiefs’ opponents said. “Those rookie cornerbacks are good players. We were impressed with both of them, surprised at how good they are. And I love (Jarrad) Page at free safety. They’ve got enough physical, cover ability. They’ve got the right guys in the secondary.
“The front seven? Not so good. It obviously killed them to lose Jared Allen. He was really the only one we had to worry about as a pass rusher, and when he was gone, things changed completely.”
If the Chiefs draft a pass rusher, it probably won’t be in the first round.
Brian Orakpo of Texas is generally considered the best defensive end available, but he’s probably not worth the third pick.
“There’s nobody at three who’s there for them to take as far as a pass rusher,” Kiper said. “They’ll have to wait until the second round for that.”
An interesting prospect there could be Michael Johnson, who played for three seasons at Georgia Tech for Chan Gailey, now the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. Johnson had a disappointing senior season but has the skills to be an effective NFL player.
“He’s a kid with enormous talent, but there were games last year when he was no factor whatsoever,” Kiper said. “He doesn’t play the run all that well. He’s a one-dimensional guy. He’s not real tough, not real physical. But he’s a very gifted athlete.
“He went from a top-five pick on potential when the season started to a late first-round, early second-round kind of guy. He’s a lean kid who still has to fill out yet. He just wasn’t productive. He may wind up as a situational pass rusher because I don’t know if he can hold up against the run.”
Orakpo and Johnson declined invitations to this week’s Senior Bowl. Apparently, neither believed he could help his draft standing by participating.