Pollard to replace Bell next year???
 

'Don’t be surprised if during the coming off-season, Pollard doesn’t get some work at weak side linebacker."


GRETZ: Bookends Of The '06 Draft
Nov 29, 2006, 8:37:52 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ


It was last February and like the rest of the NFL, the Chiefs were holed up in Indianapolis for the league’s annual Scouting Combine.

Herm Edwards took his defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham and secondary coach David Gibbs to lunch. Did the trio head for someplace fancy like Indy’s famous steakhouse St. Elmo’s? Not hardly.

Herm and the boys grabbed burgers to go at Johnny Rockets and headed back inside the RCA Dome.

“The safeties were working out that day and I remember sitting up in the stands with this giant burger in my lap and that’s when I first noticed Jarrad Page,” Cunningham said. “He looked big, like a coverage linebacker rather than a defensive back.

“Then, he started to move around and he showed his athletic ability and I remember looking at them (Edwards and Gibbs) and thinking, ‘Wow, what do we have here’.”

As they sat there munching burgers, the Chiefs coaches already knew about Tamba Hali. They had identified the Penn State defensive end as the type of player they were looking to add to the revamped defense: high intensity, good work habits, intelligent and they would find out, a lot faster than the times we posted at the Combine.

Almost nine months later, Hali and Page serve as bookends to the Chiefs 2006 Draft Class. Both have played big roles in on of the league’s most improved defenses. After 11 games, the Chiefs rank 12th in yards allowed (13th against the run, 12th against the pass), giving up an average of 308 yards per game. The Chiefs rank ninth in points allowed, giving up an average of 18.6 points per game. In the previous five seasons, the Chiefs allowed an average of 357 yards and 22.9 points per game.

Just in the last two victories, the bookend rookies have made big plays. It was Page’s interception in the end zone in the final seconds that sealed the victory over Oakland and in the Thanksgiving game against Denver, Hali had a pair of sacks that helped shutdown Jake Plummer and the Broncos offense.

Hali has been a contributor since his first days of off-season work and about the only thing that has slowed him down are a couple of injuries (ribs during the pre-season and a hip pointer in the last month.) He’s seventh on the team with 51 tackles and second with 5.5 sacks, just a half-sack behind Jared Allen. Hali has also forced five fumbles. He ranks among the best rookie pass rushers in the league.

Page started the Oakland game for the injured Greg Wesley, but otherwise has played as a fill-in for veteran Sammy Knight. Early in the season, he made some mistakes in coverage and some poor tackling. But over the last month, he’s elevated his play. He’s learned from his mistakes and against Miami and Oakland, he ranged wide and deep to knock down long passes. Overall, Page has 25 tackles and an interception. He’s also added six tackles in the kicking game.

Not bad for a seventh-round draft choice, the 228th player taken in the ‘06 Draft.

“He lasted that long because he didn’t time very well,” said Edwards. “But in watching him in person and then the tape from UCLA, you could see he had great anticipation. He had a real feel for coverage.”

So far, Hali and Page have made the only major contributions from the class of ‘06. Hali has started all 11 games, while Page has two starts. The only other rookie who has played in all 11 games is second-round safety Bernard Pollard, who has done most of his work on special teams. Don’t be surprised if during the coming off-season, Pollard doesn’t get some work at weak side linebacker.

Third-round quarterback Brodie Croyle has seen mop-up action in two games, while sixth-round wide receiver Jeff Webb has played in seven games, mostly on special teams. He has three catches for 23 yards, seven kick returns for a 24.1-yard average and four tackles in the kicking game.

Fifth-round cornerback Marcus Maxey has played in just one game, after leaving the team for several weeks when Chicago signed him off the practice squad. Eventually, the Bears released him and he re-signed with the Chiefs. Sixth-round guard Tre Stallings has not played in any games to date.

The Chiefs have gotten some production out of undrafted rookies DT Stephen Williams, OL Rudy Niswanger and RB Derrick Ross. Williams, who re-joined the active roster on Tuesday after spending a couple weeks on the practice squad, has five tackles and a fumble recovering in limited playing time. Niswanger has played in two games on special teams and Ross has played in three games, with three carries for eight yards and two special teams tackles.

Yeah, I saw that too. Interesting...

he must not have the coverage skills to replace Knight... I like the idea... he could probably do much better defending the tight ends on the goal line

Sounds like a plan to me, have Fox backing him & DJ. It wouldnt be the Great Wide Open for enemy TE's any more.

No prob with it here.

Anything is better than Bell matchup with a TE in goaline flat situations. Bell is so fuggin terrible in pass coverage it makes me wanna puke. He is STRICTLY a 3-4 inside LB, nothing more. I love the 3-4 and wish we had the players to run it.

Yup, and he is a hell of a hitter. We need as much of that at LB as we can get our hands on...

Bring on the youth Herm! Let's build a dynasty! (Or, at least a team we can run with for like 2 years or so...)

I like the idea it is similar to what Carolina does with Thomas Davis

I'll wait for htismage's explanation.....j/k

Sounds good to me Bell is worthless..3-4 is hard to play, because the Dlinemen needed are not out there...

Pollard might need to bulk up a little bit in the offseason if he's going to play LB. He's 10 pounds lighter than DJ, 20 pounds lighter than Bell, and 30 pounds lighter than Kawika.

the next urlacker!

Why not Fox on RedZone vs. TE, leave Pollard S.

Knight will move on soon.

I was hoping to have a bonecrusher at safety, but at least we aren't seeing another safety to corner conversion.

Do you mean Page to replace Bell next year???

No he means Pollard.

4th paragraph from the bottom.

I didn't know GM made the Pollard.

FAX

Sounds good to me. Hopefully he will turn into a Thomas Davis type player and not the next Larry Atkins.

Fox should be starting NOW.

Pollard - 6-1 224
Thomas Davis - 6-0 231

Didn't Oakland put their rookie safety at linebacker, too?

I think we should put SOMEBODY else at weakside linebacker immediately. There's no way it wouldn't upgrade the defense. We'd be much better on third down.

Agreed.

Good comparison. Davis probably doesn't have more than a few pounds on Pollard and although Davis was atrocious at safety last year he seems to be doing well at LB. Hopefully Pollard could make a similar transition. The Chiefs would be young and quite talented and dare I say deep at LB for a good while if it all pans out.

Bell sucks.

IIRC the Chiefs were very interested in Davis and I think it would have been an interesting draft day decision to choose between him and DJ if they both were there to pick

Yeah, makes a little more sense going this way than the other.

I wonder if it has anything to do with Wesley's improved play. He's only 28 himself, and under long-term contract. There's only two spots in the starting lineup, and Paige has apparently progressed faster...

I just hope Pollard doesn't turn out to be another day one bust. Until we see him, this is looking an awful lot like a repeat of Larry Atkins' tenure here...

Pollard would definitely be better than bell.

Pollard-DJ-Kawika with the ocassional Key would be awesome.

yeah, that's my fear....

As i recall, it seems that Atkins was the last Bigfoot we had here. Kept hearing all of these accolades about hitting & versatility, but i really cant remember 1 big play from the guy.

I dont think Pollard will be a bust, he has probably made more plays here as a rook than Atkins did in years.

I like Pollard, but correct me if I'm wrong, we could've had Greg Jennings at that spot?

I know we could've had Marques Colston too, but Jennings should have actually been on the radar.

Safetys to Linebackers, that is what Nebraska did in the 90s to get speed. Pollard can lay the wood, and since he played DB he can cover. Could be a good move and Gunther can coach Linebackers.

I don't particulary like this idea.....I'd rather either just play Fox or.......offer up a contract to Lance Briggs if he hits the market, Briggs is a star and be worth every penny.

to me, Pollard is looks too light to play LB. Page on the other hand, looks big enough. Maybe it's just me though.

Plus I'm tired of always drafting guys and then trying to change their position.

Does the safety to linebacker move usually work in the NFL?

mmm...I don't know? I'm not too crazy about this move. But it couldn't be worse than having him cover TE's in goalline situations than Bell?

That's not a question.

Thanks for the tip bob, i won't be surprised if Damon Huard <b>doesn't</b> get some reps at punt returner either.

Boulware in Seattle did the same thing...or the reverse?

I just wish they knew exactly what position he should be before they spent a 2nd on him.....

True, 1st and 2nd rounders switching positions is probably rare. What does that say for or scouting dept.?

That must be the problem with Sims! He's not playing a position he is suited for. Maybe we should start him at corner or something...ANYTHING!

He went from LB to safety......but everyone knew he would because he was about a 215lb LB.

yeah, that's right.....they drafted him explicitly to play safety

I think move from Safety to LB is probably a relatively easy move. Though I do think we should be looking to sneak in Fox more as a replacement to Bell. His first game in the starting lineup Fox didn't do well, but has been getting better every game. The same can't be said for Bell.

Bell should never be in the game on 3rd down.

EVER.

Fax, you beat me with that one! LMAO

You mean like Bell was?

I don't have an explanation. I personally don't like the idea. :D

Thomas Davis, if you've watched him play, is a natural LB. I don't think Pollard is at all.

Am I still the only one of the opinion that Wesley sucks and that Page should be his replacement as Pollard should be for Knight???

I agree, but it sounds like they are happy with Wesley and will have Page play SS.... they want Pollard on the field so lb might have to do.

Sounds like the Chiefs think:

Page > Wesley

Wesley > Knight

Wesley > Pollard

Pollard > Bell

I just remembered you being a big Pollard fan...I honestly have no idea where he fits or what they think he can do....

I have been happy with Wesley's play this year. Page and Wesley is the Chiefs best safety duo IMO.

the curse of the 2nd round pick

I'd say really this shows that Pollard is a dolt that can't hack it at this level as a safety so lets try something else.

I thought this pick was a bad one at the time and it appears i may well have been right.

Dave

What Laz said...

Dave

ROFL

Time for the sky to fall in 3...2...1...

As far as I'm concerned Bell can keep the starting job. He's not flashy, he's not making jacked up, but he's part of unit that is @ 11th in the NFL in points against, and he hasn't been repeatedly burnt or given up a lot of bad plays. I'm fine with defensive players who quietyly do their job. In fact his pass coverage last week was much improved.

Nobody even said anything romotely close to that, Polly.

Except for those pesky TEs in the red zone.... he could use a little work there....

The only way Bell is going to stay next year is if we switch to a 3-4, IMO, and back to ILB

If he could just get his head around in the endzone he'd probably have at least 2 interceptions. He gets owned in the redzone....

DT

that won't work either unless we change our secondary setup.


right now our linebackers fall into coverage ....... deep into coverage.


heck the chiefs expect our middle linebacker to play the run AND also cover the deep middle on pass plays.


Bell isn't suited for that at all

I thought he had pretty good position this past week and he was even able to get one hand in to try to break it up. That's a huge improvement from earlier in the year. He's never been asked to play the pass before in a cover 2 or go one-on-one with receivers and TE's.

Well then he won't be back next year.:)

http://www.bonius.com/images/2006/03/16/guinness.jpg
Brilliant!

won't you miss him?


i think i'll be sad :deevee:

I won't bother to quote you and Dave. You know what you said, and you know how ridiculous what you're saying now is.