Viril - How to fix the Chiefs
 

http://chiefs.scout.com/2/602501.html

How To Fix The Chiefs

By John Viril
Warpaint Illustrated Columnist
Posted Dec 20, 2006

Now that the Chiefs are all but eliminated from the 2006 playoff picture, everyone has their own theory on how to fix this team. Joe Posnanski from the Kansas City Star suggests we need a true losing year to land premium draft picks. Jonathan Rand from KcChiefs.com has voiced the opinion that fixing the team “won't be easy.”

I am not quite so pessimistic. This team actually has some good pieces to build around. One outstanding offseason could actually do the trick.

That, of course, is the rub. Having an offseason in which every move works is a difficult trick for a NFL general manager to pull out of his hat. Eighteen years without a Super Bowl appearance makes one doubt that Carl Peterson can accomplish such a feat.

The key is to focus on the obvious area which plagued the team this season: the offensive line. That's it. The decline in line play has turned Kansas City's once dominant offense into a mediocre unit. While a playmaking receiver would help, Tony Gonzalez and Larry Johnson are effective enough to power a top-notch unit.

In San Diego, Antonio Gates and LaDanian Tomlinson are the core of the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense. The Chargers have surged to this position behind the shrewd pick of left tackle Marcus McNeil in the second round of the 2006 draft.

While the Chargers were fifth in scoring in 2005 with veteran journeyman Roman Oben at left tackle, San Diego is No. 1 with Marcus McNeil after replacing quarterback Drew Brees with a first year starter in Philip Rivers. Rivers would never have been able to enjoy such success without solid protection from the backside.

Kansas City needs to pull a similar coup.

The Cleveland game showed that Trent Green can still pick apart a defense. His problem against the Ravens and Chargers was his protection. Green has been sacked 11 times in the last two games. Not surprisingly, the team scored 19 points despite solid performances from running back Larry Johnson.

But the Chiefs problems are deeper than one offensive line player. With Will Shields likely to retire, and the constant turnover at right tackle since John Tait left in free agency after 2003, there are two more positions that Carl Peterson needs to address.

It can be done and again San Diego is the model. In 2004, a down and out Charger team coming off a 4-12 season changed all five offensive line starters. They gelled well enough to fuel a 12-4 record and an AFC West title. Two of those linemen were rookie draft picks Nick Hardwick (center, third round) and Shane Olivea (right tackle, seventh round). They brought in journeyman Roman Oben at left tackle and coached the heck out of them.

While the Chiefs likely can't follow San Diego's example exactly, they need a combination of draft picks and free agent additions to solidify their offensive line.

After fixing the offensive line, the rest of the picture becomes clear. The Chiefs desperately need a playmaker at defensive tackle, which will likely require a high round pick. This time, Carl Peterson has to get it right. The Chiefs should skate at corner and hope to get another year out of Patrick Surtain and Ty Law. Replace safeties Greg Wesley and Sammy Knight with the speedy Jarrad Page and Bernard Pollard, then cut dead-weight weakside linebacker Kendrell Bell.

Insert Keyaron Fox in the lineup, or pick up a veteran like Donnie Edwards to fill in for a year. The team then needs at least another competent wide receiver with excellent hands. Move Samie Parker to the slot.

All these changes will be financed by cutting Ryan Sims, Kendrell Bell, Greg Wesley and the retirement of Will Shields. Furthermore, what the Chiefs cannot afford to do is stay the same age on offense, particularly on the offensive line.

Done properly, the Chiefs could be younger and in the playoffs as soon as next season.

SPAM
SPAM
SPAM

Am I misremembering or did the Chiefs take Pollard instead of McNeil?

good article--and he's correct... if we shoot the moon and hit on every move this offseason, we could contend next year (god, I've turned into a cubs fan--'maybe next year')... however, when has CP ever shown he has the ability to hit on every move in the same offseason??

Agree that offensive line is the #1 priority this offseason. Agree that we need a playmaker at defensive tackle.

However, I also agree that Carl will likely screw it up. Rebuilding your hogs is a tough job that takes gelling time and lots of reps as a unit. One rookie may pan out on the line, but two is a stretch. Getting a high-profile guy through free agency is a whole nother bunch of shit.

Herm was successful at drafting defense last draft. Let's hope he's able to pick out a nice defensive tackle to go along with Hali.

Don't think so. The Chargers picked ahead of us.

One thing in our favor is that the Chiefs may have some of the missing pieces sitting on the bench in Page and Pollard. We haven't seen enough yet to say they will but if even one of them become a solid contributor next season then we could probably add one DT and have a respectable defense. That should leave plenty of draft picks for the Oline and a WR.

Oh, now I remember. It wasn't McNeil I was thinking of- it was Justice. I was hoping the Chiefs would draft Winston Justice (who ended up going to Philly in the second).

I don't blame the scouting department on this one Roaf and Welbourne fucked us right before TC. Since Welbourne is off the roids his play has dropped severely

The key isn't to get a world-beating defense, it's to get this one in the top ten, which could be done with a top shelf DT and another above average DT. Reed, Edwards, and Wilkerson are backups/rotational players. Spend a mid-rounder on another OLB, hoping for depth. Use the 2nd on WR, OT, DT, even OLB if the value is there...but it's quite apparent that we need an LT and we need one badly.

The odds of things breaking like that are so slim......if they're lucky they can get 1 tackle the odds of getting 2 in 1 year is so slim.

You should be able to get one tackle if you specifically target that as a position of need...getting 2 isn't really necessary. You hope Wellbourne, Sampson, or Terry pans out. If they are only 4-1 each to pan out and be solid, you've got a better than 2-1 shot there...:shrug:

Hopefully Carl will do the right thing and step aside in the offseason.

Check it out....I sneezed on Kevin Sampson and he's out 6 months.

I don't think the best player on the board when we pick is going to be an OT and we frankly have to many holes to reach to fill that one.....

I know we have holes, but the odds that we draft a need like a OLB or a WR is very slim. I'll eat my hat if we don't draft an OL or a DL

Right now alot of mocks are showing our pick as Dwayne Jarrett......have a problem with that?

depends... are all quality LTs and DTs off the board?

There's 1 quality DT and he's going top 10.....the only LT left is Levi Brown from Penn State and he's not nearly the caliber of player of a Jarrett taking Brown over Jarrett would be a monumental **** up.

Personally, i think drafting in the 1st round a team (especially in the later half like the Chiefs usually do) should take the best player available regardless of position.


Drafting for need has made Carl reach on some serious projects...most notably Trezelle Jenkins, Siavii ( a low 2nd rounder)


He did great when he drafted LJ because he was the best athelete left on the board, even though it wasnt a real pressing need at the time.

see, that's the rub--we have NO clue who'll declare yet, no clue who's going to vault up the 'draft boards' due to outstanding workouts, and no clue who'll slide/fall in our laps... I still hold out hope that sam baker or alan branch will have horrible workout numbers and fall to us

That first pick had better be one of the following: an OT, a DT or a WR. Anything else would be foolish.

Branch is projected 8th, Baker is projected 11th.....so they are included.

Just so you know after Branch at DT and Thomas/Baker at OT there is a serious drop off to the next guys....there isn't even another DT who should go 1st round.

If you see a OT/DT taken by the Chiefs in the 1st without those names it's probably a severe reach.

Yes true, obviously at a position of need i should have said.

Id even be open to picking a CB or QB if hes the best athlete left on the board.

The only positions the Chiefs shouldn't be looking at are RB and TE and that's provided they resign Gonzalez they can use everything else......

Agreed. But im of the unpopular opinion they should blow the roster up and start over. Im even willing to sacrifice a few seasons to get some top 10 picks.


What Carl is doing now isnt working, and theres no hope on the horizon..its time to start fresh from scratch.

I believe this too......I'd much rather feel we were building to somthing and there was light at the end of the tunnel than muddled mediocrity every year.

Long? Brown? Pitcock?

The first pick better be the best player on the board regardless of position need.

PhilFree:arrow:

jake long already said he was returning for his SR year... I have no clue how good brown OR pitcock are

I do not like Levi Brown or Quinn Pitcock, I believe they are only being listed in the first round due to a lack of depth at the top ends of their positions this year.

exactly.

This is one of the reason why Carl and Marty were pretty damn successful right from the start in KC. We had a stockpile of high draft talent from the bad seasons of the 80's......

They had some young superstars and veterans all entering or right at the primes of their careers.

Carl could have blown up the team 2 or 3 times by now instead of playing it safe and mediorce for the past 10 years and gaining nothing.

Of course why would he want to do that, blowing up the team and starting fresh would be the easiest way for him to get fired.

hahah...good point.

I don't belive in the "blowing up the team philosophy". Since the advent of the CBA the NFL has become alot like the College game game in that it's pretty much a 4 year roll over. If the coast isn't so great you always keep the good players.

Philfree:arrow:

That's not a good point at all. Carl has stated he's gonna retire in two more years so I doubt he's worried about getting fired.

PhilFree:arrow:

Then he won't be rebuilding because its more than a 2 year process.....

Think about this team, we maybe have 10 players. When I say blow it up I don't mean get rid of everyone just the old guys/guys who suck/guys who are overpaid.

O.K. I'm fine with that but isn't that what a team should do every offseason.

PhilFree:arrow:

Yeah,

That absent minded guy that wrote the article should have included Eric Hicks and William Bartee on the "out the door" list.

Honestly, you know what the best thing for the Chiefs to do is?

Draft the best player available. Thats the best thing for this team to do.

Because realistically look at it this way? Has it ever crossed your mind Chiefs fans, be honest, that this team has a lot of holes anyway?

And that we could use a possible upgrade at a lot positions.

Whether it'd be LT, QB, WR, DT, LB, S? Who cares? We could use talent anywhere....Draft the best guy that will be available when we pick in the middle of the 1st round. I dont know about you, but thats what I hope Peterson does.

Amobi Okoye seems like a damn fine prospect at DT

No shit, this crossed the line months ago

My thoughts too.

Besides the Chargers analysis, this is just another Captain Obvious article.

Don't you realize that you are talking to Mr. the sky is always falling at Arrowhead?? The only good answer is that which results in a negative outcome for the Chiefs.

...Fire Carl!


That is all.

I'm on the "Bring Back Donnie Edwards" bandwagon, thats the best part of the whole read.

While Edwards would certainly bring some much-needed leadership to this D, I don't want him back. Our LB group is actually one of the brighter spots on this team. I think we should stick with the youth in Fox and Griffin to replace Bell at OLB.

Use the FA $ for impact players at weaker positions (O-line, WRs).

We have 1 LB.......

You make a very good point W5.

I used to think that but now I'm not so sure.

Bell sucks, Fox is shaky, Mitchell is overrated and the only stud is DJ.

There are at least two more legit first-round DTs: Baraka Atkins and Marcus Thomas.

Atkins is slotted in the top 10-15 picks in a lot of the mocks I've seen...

Agreed. Don't reach!

You forgot firing Goonther

You've gotta be kidding me. NOT ONE person made a poop reference. This is some gold stuff right here.

We've got that Japanese guy.

Oh wait...he's starting in New Orleans now.

Kawika Mitchell has regressed from '05, and that may be the result of a scheme change.

Regardless, if Patrick Willis is on the board, and he's the best player available, thta's the guy I would want.

There are only one or two positions on this team that couldn't be upgraded.