http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...y/1155419.html
Chiefs need to draft Chase Coffman
We all have our NFL draft-day wish lists. Mine is short, just one name. Chase Coffman.
Coffman, a Missouri tight end, is not the most talented player in this weekend’s draft, or even, according the experts, one of the three or four best tight-end prospects.
He is, in my opinion, the only can’t-miss prospect.
Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin and all the other top-10 prospects may one day be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They could also be gigantic busts, the next Ryan Leaf or Charles Rogers.
Chase Coffman will not be a bust. He will catch numerous touchdown passes in the NFL. He will be a high-impact rookie, a difference-maker for some quarterback, an easy-to-exploit weapon for a creative offensive coordinator.
I want the Chiefs to do whatever is necessary to draft Chase Coffman.
OK, he’s not worth the third overall pick in the draft. If the Chiefs had their second-round pick (the one they gave up to get Matt Cassel), the top of the second round might be a bit too high for Coffman.
But if Scott Pioli trades down in the first round or moves Tony Gonzalez and/or Brian Waters for additional picks, one of those picks should be used to nab Coffman, who is projected to go between picks 45 and 90.
In the interest of full disclosure, let me inform you that I’m friends with Coffman and his dad, Paul Coffman, the old Chiefs and Green Bay Packers tight end. Chase is represented by NFL superagent Tom Condon, another friend of mine. And, finally, Chase was a college roommate of Blake May, who can best be described as my adopted little brother.
You might argue that I have bias in favor of Chase Coffman.
I’d argue that I have an immense amount of insight into Chase Coffman.
He is exactly the kind of football player Pioli and Todd Haley say they want to bring to Kansas City. He’s a natural-born competitor, a loyal soldier and a high-character individual. Because of the influence of his parents, particularly his father, Chase can handle absolutely everything that goes along with being a top-flight NFL player.
Money won’t change him. Fame won’t swell his head. And the elevation in competition won’t make him melt. He’s going to raise his game and be one of the most effective red-zone receivers in the league.
The knock on Coffman is that he’s a step too slow to be a big-time tight end. He couldn’t participate in the combine because he had surgery on his left foot in January. His 40-yard dash speed is unknown but is believed to be in the 4.8-second range.
His 40 speed is irrelevant. Coffman runs as fast as he needs to get open. He’s the Larry Fitzgerald of tight ends. Yeah, Larry Fitzgerald is the perfect analogy. The Coffmans — Chase and Paul — remind me of Big Larry and Little Larry Fitzgerald.
Big Larry raised his son to be the perfect NFL receiver, exposing him to Cris Carter, Randy Moss and the Minnesota Vikings as a child. Big Larry, a former college football player, schooled Little Larry on professionalism and the kind of work ethic it would take to make it as a pro. Big Larry raised Little Larry in the church.
The only difference between the Fitzgeralds and the Coffmans is that Paul personally knows everything you need to know about playing tight end in the NFL.
You can see Paul’s instincts every time you watch Chase play. The kid knows how to get open. He can find the creases in a zone, sit in them and move with them. And he might choose death over dropping a pass. I don’t ever remembering seeing him drop a pass at Mizzou. His hands are a gift, and they work amazingly well in traffic, along the sideline, in the back of the end zone and with a defender pulling on his shoulders and arms.
At 6 feet 6 inches and 245 pounds, Coffman is always wide open. He’s an ideal tool for a streaky passer. That probably explains the interest from the Eagles. Donovan McNabb is a streak passer. When he completes two or three passes in a row and catches a rhythm, McNabb is as good as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
Coffman can warm up any quarterback. Why not Matt Cassel?
My dream scenario would be for the Chiefs to trade down in round one and pick up a second-round pick. With their first pick, the Chiefs take Maclin, and with their second they take Coffman. Gonzalez, Maclin, Coffman and Dwayne Bowe would be an awesome quartet for Cassel to lead in the passing game.
Yeah, I know the Chiefs need toys for their 3-4 defense. I’d shop for Cassel first.
I have to agree with him :)
Sorry if re-post.
