Tribal Warfare
06-22-2009, 05:37 PM
Look At ’09 Draft Class Part 1 … Monday Cup O’Chiefs (http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-football/look-at-%E2%80%9909-draft-class-part-1-%E2%80%A6-monday-cup-o%E2%80%99chiefs.html)
June 22, 2009 - Bob Gretz |
It happened in the Chiefs first OTA session several weeks ago.
When the offensive and defensive lines went to a pass protection drill, No. 1 draft choice Tyson Jackson put his hand on the ground and went against 12-year veteran guard Mike Goff.
Jackson went three times against Goff. In the space of about 90 seconds he was welcomed to the NFL.
“They know everything those offensive linemen,” Jackson said last week as the Chiefs wrapped up their off-season practices. “A guy like him (Goff) has seen everything and there wasn’t much I could show him.”
This comment comes from Jackson with a smile on his face, because he knows that if he’s going to be successful in the NFL, he must find a way to show those offensive linemen something they haven’t seen before from him.
“Oh yeah, I tried some stuff and I’m going to keep trying some stuff,” he said. “If I’m going to get to the quarterback, then I’ve got to find some moves that work.”
Jackson and the rest of his fellow draft choices got welcomed to the NFL over the last six weeks since they were selected back in late April. They’ve learned the way Todd Haley and his staff want them to practice. They learned that they must get in better shape because the veterans had an entire month head-start in the strength and conditioning program.
They learned that there’s a lot they need to learn.
“Oh yeah, it’s something new every day,” said third-round draft choice Alex Magee. “At the start it was all new and your head is spinning. Now, I know I feel more comfortable.”
Over the next two days, we’ll take a look at the Chiefs eight draft choices and what they got done in OTAs and mini-camp and what didn’t happen.
We start today with the first four picks.
1ST-ROUND DE TYSON JACKSON
There is no actual line play in the off-season, so it’s very hard to get a complete view of how offensive and defensive linemen are performing.
What can be seen are their individual skills, how they attack the drills and with the pass protection segments, there’s a chance to see a rusher’s speed and moves.
Jackson certainly went all out when he worked. With the always vocal defensive line coach Tim Krumrie keeping up a constant patter of encouragement, admonishments and motivation, Jackson ran fast and with power.
As a pass rusher, there’s work that must be done. Jackson comes off the snap quite well and he’s got a few first moves. But pass rushers in the NFL find success with their second moves, and that’s something Jackson is lacking right now.
“I’ve definitely got to work on my techniques and get better at using my hands on the pass rush,” said Jackson. “I know that’s something I’m going to go home and work with before camp starts.”
Jackson has been installed at left defensive end with the No. 1 defense and took all the snaps with that group. There seems little doubt he’ll be part of the starting lineup come the 2009 regular season.
3RD-ROUND DE ALEX MAGEE
When it comes to a pass rush, Magee actually seems more advanced than Jackson. That’s largely due to his experience playing both defensive end and defensive tackle at Purdue. He’s a little more versatile and he’s seen more angles on the pass rush.
“I can see already that having had the chance to play inside at tackle has been a big help for me coming into the NFL,” said Magee. “It’s enabled me to show different things from inside to outside.”
But like Jackson and the other rookies, there are a host of new techniques and fundamentals for Magee to learn.
“I need to work on everything before camp starts,” he said. “I need to continue to work on my technique, to learn the plays, to continue to work on my first step and my second step and my hand placement.
“I can improve in every area.”
Magee has gotten snaps at right defensive end with the No. 1 defense when Glenn Dorsey was not able to practice. With Dorsey coming back at the end of the off-season work, Magee moved to the second team. He will definitely be part of the defensive line rotation come the regular season.
4TH-ROUND CB DONALD WASHINGTON
The NFL rule that kept Washington from taking part in the off-season work until the final week was really a setback for his chances of being able to make a contribution on defense in this rookie season.
“Conditioning, mentally and all of those things (he’s behind),” said Haley. “We will have somebody hanging with him to work and get him up to speed. We are going to catch him up in all areas. Cedric Smith (strength and conditioning coach) will be working with him in the weight area and out on the field. We will have coaches working with him mentally.”
Washington’s physical gifts should allow him to make a contribution very quickly in the kicking game, whether as a returner or in coverage.
5TH-ROUND OT COLIN BROWN
Considered a surprise pick around the league in the fifth round, Brown says he’s grown more and more comfortable as the on-field work has gone on.
“Slowly and surely it’s getting better every day,” Brown said. “Now it’s just getting out there and trying to get better on every snap, every practice. It was just like when you go to college. It’s something different and you have to get used to it every day.”
Watching Brown work in pass protection and his good feet are visible. So is his lack of experience playing from a three-point stance. At Mizzou, the line was always upright in the spread. Putting a hand on the ground has been an adjustment. In the pass pro deals, he seemed to hold his own against other rookies, while struggling against the veterans. No surprise there.
“Every phase needs work in some capacity,” he said.
Brown has worked exclusively at right tackle, spending time on the second and third O-Line units, alternating with Barry Richardson.
Tuesday: the sixth and seventh round choices.
AN OUT-OF-TOWN VIEW OF WHAT THE CHIEFS GOT DONE THIS SPRING
When there are new faces in the building, sometimes the best information and stories comes from out of town, where general managers, coaches and assistant coaches and players have relationships with members of the media.
Such is the case with the story that appeared in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. It’s a good overall story from writer Sam Farmer about the strength and conditioning program that Haley instituted when he took over the team as head coach.
Most of the information has trickled out over the last few months, but here are two tidbits from the piece. First, not only did the team lose weight, but so did the head coach. He dropped 25 pounds in the last few months.
The second tidbit involved an attempt to motivate an overweight Branden Albert. GM Scott Pioli put a copy of the full body picture of the left tackle that was taken at the 2008 NFL Combine on Albert’s locker. At that time, Albert was less than 310 pounds. He was well over that figure when he showed up for the off-season program. He’s now back to being well under 310 pounds.
June 22, 2009 - Bob Gretz |
It happened in the Chiefs first OTA session several weeks ago.
When the offensive and defensive lines went to a pass protection drill, No. 1 draft choice Tyson Jackson put his hand on the ground and went against 12-year veteran guard Mike Goff.
Jackson went three times against Goff. In the space of about 90 seconds he was welcomed to the NFL.
“They know everything those offensive linemen,” Jackson said last week as the Chiefs wrapped up their off-season practices. “A guy like him (Goff) has seen everything and there wasn’t much I could show him.”
This comment comes from Jackson with a smile on his face, because he knows that if he’s going to be successful in the NFL, he must find a way to show those offensive linemen something they haven’t seen before from him.
“Oh yeah, I tried some stuff and I’m going to keep trying some stuff,” he said. “If I’m going to get to the quarterback, then I’ve got to find some moves that work.”
Jackson and the rest of his fellow draft choices got welcomed to the NFL over the last six weeks since they were selected back in late April. They’ve learned the way Todd Haley and his staff want them to practice. They learned that they must get in better shape because the veterans had an entire month head-start in the strength and conditioning program.
They learned that there’s a lot they need to learn.
“Oh yeah, it’s something new every day,” said third-round draft choice Alex Magee. “At the start it was all new and your head is spinning. Now, I know I feel more comfortable.”
Over the next two days, we’ll take a look at the Chiefs eight draft choices and what they got done in OTAs and mini-camp and what didn’t happen.
We start today with the first four picks.
1ST-ROUND DE TYSON JACKSON
There is no actual line play in the off-season, so it’s very hard to get a complete view of how offensive and defensive linemen are performing.
What can be seen are their individual skills, how they attack the drills and with the pass protection segments, there’s a chance to see a rusher’s speed and moves.
Jackson certainly went all out when he worked. With the always vocal defensive line coach Tim Krumrie keeping up a constant patter of encouragement, admonishments and motivation, Jackson ran fast and with power.
As a pass rusher, there’s work that must be done. Jackson comes off the snap quite well and he’s got a few first moves. But pass rushers in the NFL find success with their second moves, and that’s something Jackson is lacking right now.
“I’ve definitely got to work on my techniques and get better at using my hands on the pass rush,” said Jackson. “I know that’s something I’m going to go home and work with before camp starts.”
Jackson has been installed at left defensive end with the No. 1 defense and took all the snaps with that group. There seems little doubt he’ll be part of the starting lineup come the 2009 regular season.
3RD-ROUND DE ALEX MAGEE
When it comes to a pass rush, Magee actually seems more advanced than Jackson. That’s largely due to his experience playing both defensive end and defensive tackle at Purdue. He’s a little more versatile and he’s seen more angles on the pass rush.
“I can see already that having had the chance to play inside at tackle has been a big help for me coming into the NFL,” said Magee. “It’s enabled me to show different things from inside to outside.”
But like Jackson and the other rookies, there are a host of new techniques and fundamentals for Magee to learn.
“I need to work on everything before camp starts,” he said. “I need to continue to work on my technique, to learn the plays, to continue to work on my first step and my second step and my hand placement.
“I can improve in every area.”
Magee has gotten snaps at right defensive end with the No. 1 defense when Glenn Dorsey was not able to practice. With Dorsey coming back at the end of the off-season work, Magee moved to the second team. He will definitely be part of the defensive line rotation come the regular season.
4TH-ROUND CB DONALD WASHINGTON
The NFL rule that kept Washington from taking part in the off-season work until the final week was really a setback for his chances of being able to make a contribution on defense in this rookie season.
“Conditioning, mentally and all of those things (he’s behind),” said Haley. “We will have somebody hanging with him to work and get him up to speed. We are going to catch him up in all areas. Cedric Smith (strength and conditioning coach) will be working with him in the weight area and out on the field. We will have coaches working with him mentally.”
Washington’s physical gifts should allow him to make a contribution very quickly in the kicking game, whether as a returner or in coverage.
5TH-ROUND OT COLIN BROWN
Considered a surprise pick around the league in the fifth round, Brown says he’s grown more and more comfortable as the on-field work has gone on.
“Slowly and surely it’s getting better every day,” Brown said. “Now it’s just getting out there and trying to get better on every snap, every practice. It was just like when you go to college. It’s something different and you have to get used to it every day.”
Watching Brown work in pass protection and his good feet are visible. So is his lack of experience playing from a three-point stance. At Mizzou, the line was always upright in the spread. Putting a hand on the ground has been an adjustment. In the pass pro deals, he seemed to hold his own against other rookies, while struggling against the veterans. No surprise there.
“Every phase needs work in some capacity,” he said.
Brown has worked exclusively at right tackle, spending time on the second and third O-Line units, alternating with Barry Richardson.
Tuesday: the sixth and seventh round choices.
AN OUT-OF-TOWN VIEW OF WHAT THE CHIEFS GOT DONE THIS SPRING
When there are new faces in the building, sometimes the best information and stories comes from out of town, where general managers, coaches and assistant coaches and players have relationships with members of the media.
Such is the case with the story that appeared in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. It’s a good overall story from writer Sam Farmer about the strength and conditioning program that Haley instituted when he took over the team as head coach.
Most of the information has trickled out over the last few months, but here are two tidbits from the piece. First, not only did the team lose weight, but so did the head coach. He dropped 25 pounds in the last few months.
The second tidbit involved an attempt to motivate an overweight Branden Albert. GM Scott Pioli put a copy of the full body picture of the left tackle that was taken at the 2008 NFL Combine on Albert’s locker. At that time, Albert was less than 310 pounds. He was well over that figure when he showed up for the off-season program. He’s now back to being well under 310 pounds.