Chiefs O-Line analysis - Page 14

milkman · 03-20-2010, 08:34 AM

Saw this posted eleswhere.
Took a quick look around and didn't see it here.
If it's repost, then that's just too damn bad.

Frankie gets to give me shit, though, if it is.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...-line-analysis

With the addition of what should be two new starters, I thought I would give you a few facts that the public is not aware of, along with some personal reflection on my part.

The Chiefs have made some positive moves this past week, but the team knows a lot more has to be done. They need a right tackle and depth.

I thought I would expand a bit and give some statistics you will rarely see anywhere.

First of all, this OL was bad last year, but that's in the past.

Lets look at the starters at this point.

BRANDEN ALBERT

Albert did not have the greatest of seasons in this year's rankings. His overall ranking was in the bottom 20 percent among offensive tackles in the league. He gave up seven sacks and 18 QB pressures playing left tackle. He was also guilty of being called for 13 penalties—that was more than any tackle in football.

I think a lot of the problem with Albert was that he played hurt. He started the year injured but was still willing to play. One would have to wonder if that in any way hindered his performance. I believe it did.

Albert is too gifted to not succeed at that position. We have not seen Albert at his best.

As a straight-ahead run blocker, at the line, he has average strength. It's when he's on the move that he is most dangerous.

At Virginia, Albert pulled frequently from his left guard position. The longer he ran, the bigger the impact. He was a BEAST when it came to blocking on the move—I mean he exploded into guys on the second level and drove them into the ground. That was the big reason for his success—his explosion on the move.

I would think that with Charles and Jones, who are better in space, Albert should find more confidence that will help him from being measured only by his ability to pass block. If healthy, he'll get a lot better. He has the feet to protect the quarterback.

One more note about Albert: Many have said that he was a natural guard in college and that he didn't play tackle because Eugene Monroe was better. That is totally untrue. The reason he played guard is because Monroe refused to. Albert made that move inside because he was an unselfish player. So before people jump to conclusions, they shouldn't speak at all unless they know the whole story.

The people involved in this falsehood were fellow divisional "bashers" not Chief bloggers

BRIAN WATERS

Waters had a very poor season as well, mostly because of aging. He ranked 20th amongst players at his position, and most of the reason he was that high was because of his excellent pass protection. For the season, he was charged with only giving up one sack. In addition, when blocking straight ahead, he opened a few holes. But his mobility is the problem at this point in his career.

His other problems? Penalties.

Like Albert, he was the most penalized player at his position in the game.

Despite those figures he's still a very good player—just not one of the best anymore.

CASEY WEIGMANN

Weigmann ranked 23rd out of the 32 starting offensive centers last year. At his age, his better years are behind him, but that doesn't mean he can't play. He was only slightly better at pass blocking than Niswanger, but he graded out much better as a run blocker.

Weigman, of course, played in a zone-blocking scheme in Denver and played extremely well these past few years, proving that he was not as washed up as the Chiefs thought. He still excels in making line calls and adjustments, and he can still pull.

Remember those classic sweeps that Priest Holmes ran under Vermeil? It was Weigmann that was the first guy down the field, not Roaf or Shields. The problem now, however, is how much does he have left?

RYAN LILJA

Well, we all know his story, so I won't repeat it. Lilja graded out at 14th at offensive guard—which is very good. It is by far the best grade of any Chief lineman last year.

Despite being 290 pounds, it is his run blocking that stood out more than his pass protection. He was in the top five out of 64 guards when it came to screen blocking—great news for the Chiefs with both Albert and Weigmann excelling in that area.

He did not give up many sacks, but you have to take into account the quarterback that was behind him all these years.

Indianapolis usually leads the NFL in pass protection, but its not because the line is that talented. It's because they have Peyton Manning. It is Manning's intelligence, ability to get rid of the ball quickly, short drops, making quick reads, and throwing the ball away that skewed their stats favorably.

Without a doubt though, Lilja will play as well as Cassel plays, which means that Cassel needs to play well.

RYAN O'CALLIGHAN

Do you really want to know? I didn't think so.

Actually I thought he did OK, but looks are deceiving. He finished 57th. He played less than 850 snaps and still gave up nine sacks and was responsible for 24 QB pressures. His run blocking was just as bad, and he got flagged a lot to boot. Its very clear with this guy—bad starter, but decent, experienced backup.

As for the backups, well, if everything was great in Kansas City most of the guys mentioned would be the backups. Niswanger provides depth at center. Ndukwe played out of position at tackle, but is really their depth at guard. After that, all bets are off.

So where does that leave the Chiefs?

They need to get a stud right tackle for sure and a few guys they can groom for the immediate future.

Many people now feel that Bulaga and Okung don't seem to fit at this point.

But they're wrong.

Both of those guys are outstanding run blockers and would be great right tackles. In addition, that player would provide depth at left tackle, should Albert get hurt. Last year, they played the season without one.

No matter how you slice it, the Chiefs now have a better line, and that's good news.

But it's not rebuilt yet. We'll see where they are after draft days.

(Props to HG at HoTC)

**BossChief** · 03-22-2010, 12:57 AM

To me, the closest comparison to him is Marshall Yanda from Baltimore that went to Iowa as well. I think they are very similar players.

take it for what its worth.

Mecca · 03-22-2010, 12:59 AM

And he's playing guard...and not even starting.

**BossChief** · 03-22-2010, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

And he's playing guard...and not even starting.

he started 9 games last year. He was moved to guard because Oher fell to them and they already had Gaither, they wanted him on the field and found a spot for him.

**SAUTO** · 03-22-2010, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

I'm already tired of reading this oh he had a kid with his sister shit, that story is already played out.

HUH? that doesnt scream "red flag" to you?

Chiefnj2 · 03-22-2010, 07:57 AM

People need to stop taking profootballfocus as some word of gospel. It's a nice site that brings some nice info and discussion points, but it goes to far to say Waters is ranked as the 20th best player at his position. A lot of statistics are subjective - like sacks. Stats Inc., used by the NFL has Albert as giving up 9 sacks, profootballfocus has it as 7.

I know cfbstats.com (college football) has a really odd interpretation of "pressures".

I'd like to see one article from 4-5 years ago on Monroe and Albert in college. I don't believe for one second that Monroe "refused" to play a certain position. That's not how it generally works in college football, especially at a university that churns out OL.

Hammock Parties · 03-22-2010, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

People need to stop taking profootballfocus as some word of gospel. It's a nice site that brings some nice info and discussion points, but it goes to far to say Waters is ranked as the 20th best player at his position. A lot of statistics are subjective - like sacks. Stats Inc., used by the NFL has Albert as giving up 9 sacks, profootballfocus has it as 7.

So do you have some evidence that Waters isn't the 20th best player at his position, other than "I want him to be, because I like Brian Waters and I am a Chiefs homer!"

Waters sucked ass last year.

Chiefnj2 · 03-22-2010, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

So do you have some evidence that Waters isn't the 20th best player at his position, other than "I want him to be, because I like Brian Waters and I am a Chiefs homer!"

Waters sucked ass last year.

I'm saying their grades and analysis are subjective. They can only guess on certain plays as to who screwed up if they don't know the scheme or play design.

Hammock Parties · 03-22-2010, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

I'm saying their grades and analysis are subjective. They can only guess on certain plays as to who screwed up if they don't know the scheme or play design.

Law of averages comes into effect over 16 games.

Considering their grades reflect what a great many here saw on the field, they have credibility.

milkman · 03-22-2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossChief

Barry Richardson will never be the player that Kyle Calloway will be.

Mark it down buddy.

Barry Richardson got benched for a red shirt freshman his senior year, didnt he?

Barry Richardson may never be the player that Kyle Calloway will be, but it won't be due to talent.

Richardson is far more athletic and talented.

The benching goes back to the problem he has always had.

Lack of motivation.

If someone could ever light a fire under his ass, he'd be a stud.

milkman · 03-22-2010, 08:08 PM

And for you Iowa homers, I'm sorry that your boy looks like Herman Munster.

seaofred · 03-22-2010, 08:16 PM

You shouldn't have to light a fire under an NFL players butt. If you do, I don't think they well ever be worth anything.

03-20-2010, 08:34 AM
milkman Dumbass! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Leading the Marty bashing Casino cash: $10029395	O-Line analysis Saw this posted eleswhere. Took a quick look around and didn't see it here. If it's repost, then that's just too damn bad. Frankie gets to give me shit, though, if it is. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...-line-analysis With the addition of what should be two new starters, I thought I would give you a few facts that the public is not aware of, along with some personal reflection on my part. The Chiefs have made some positive moves this past week, but the team knows a lot more has to be done. They need a right tackle and depth. I thought I would expand a bit and give some statistics you will rarely see anywhere. First of all, this OL was bad last year, but that's in the past. Lets look at the starters at this point. BRANDEN ALBERT Albert did not have the greatest of seasons in this year's rankings. His overall ranking was in the bottom 20 percent among offensive tackles in the league. He gave up seven sacks and 18 QB pressures playing left tackle. He was also guilty of being called for 13 penalties—that was more than any tackle in football. I think a lot of the problem with Albert was that he played hurt. He started the year injured but was still willing to play. One would have to wonder if that in any way hindered his performance. I believe it did. Albert is too gifted to not succeed at that position. We have not seen Albert at his best. As a straight-ahead run blocker, at the line, he has average strength. It's when he's on the move that he is most dangerous. At Virginia, Albert pulled frequently from his left guard position. The longer he ran, the bigger the impact. He was a BEAST when it came to blocking on the move—I mean he exploded into guys on the second level and drove them into the ground. That was the big reason for his success—his explosion on the move. I would think that with Charles and Jones, who are better in space, Albert should find more confidence that will help him from being measured only by his ability to pass block. If healthy, he'll get a lot better. He has the feet to protect the quarterback. One more note about Albert: Many have said that he was a natural guard in college and that he didn't play tackle because Eugene Monroe was better. That is totally untrue. The reason he played guard is because Monroe refused to. Albert made that move inside because he was an unselfish player. So before people jump to conclusions, they shouldn't speak at all unless they know the whole story. The people involved in this falsehood were fellow divisional "bashers" not Chief bloggers BRIAN WATERS Waters had a very poor season as well, mostly because of aging. He ranked 20th amongst players at his position, and most of the reason he was that high was because of his excellent pass protection. For the season, he was charged with only giving up one sack. In addition, when blocking straight ahead, he opened a few holes. But his mobility is the problem at this point in his career. His other problems? Penalties. Like Albert, he was the most penalized player at his position in the game. Despite those figures he's still a very good player—just not one of the best anymore. CASEY WEIGMANN Weigmann ranked 23rd out of the 32 starting offensive centers last year. At his age, his better years are behind him, but that doesn't mean he can't play. He was only slightly better at pass blocking than Niswanger, but he graded out much better as a run blocker. Weigman, of course, played in a zone-blocking scheme in Denver and played extremely well these past few years, proving that he was not as washed up as the Chiefs thought. He still excels in making line calls and adjustments, and he can still pull. Remember those classic sweeps that Priest Holmes ran under Vermeil? It was Weigmann that was the first guy down the field, not Roaf or Shields. The problem now, however, is how much does he have left? RYAN LILJA Well, we all know his story, so I won't repeat it. Lilja graded out at 14th at offensive guard—which is very good. It is by far the best grade of any Chief lineman last year. Despite being 290 pounds, it is his run blocking that stood out more than his pass protection. He was in the top five out of 64 guards when it came to screen blocking—great news for the Chiefs with both Albert and Weigmann excelling in that area. He did not give up many sacks, but you have to take into account the quarterback that was behind him all these years. Indianapolis usually leads the NFL in pass protection, but its not because the line is that talented. It's because they have Peyton Manning. It is Manning's intelligence, ability to get rid of the ball quickly, short drops, making quick reads, and throwing the ball away that skewed their stats favorably. Without a doubt though, Lilja will play as well as Cassel plays, which means that Cassel needs to play well. RYAN O'CALLIGHAN Do you really want to know? I didn't think so. Actually I thought he did OK, but looks are deceiving. He finished 57th. He played less than 850 snaps and still gave up nine sacks and was responsible for 24 QB pressures. His run blocking was just as bad, and he got flagged a lot to boot. Its very clear with this guy—bad starter, but decent, experienced backup. As for the backups, well, if everything was great in Kansas City most of the guys mentioned would be the backups. Niswanger provides depth at center. Ndukwe played out of position at tackle, but is really their depth at guard. After that, all bets are off. So where does that leave the Chiefs? They need to get a stud right tackle for sure and a few guys they can groom for the immediate future. Many people now feel that Bulaga and Okung don't seem to fit at this point. But they're wrong. Both of those guys are outstanding run blockers and would be great right tackles. In addition, that player would provide depth at left tackle, should Albert get hurt. Last year, they played the season without one. No matter how you slice it, the Chiefs now have a better line, and that's good news. But it's not rebuilt yet. We'll see where they are after draft days. (Props to HG at HoTC)
Posts: 70,769

03-22-2010, 12:57 AM	#196
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $-1715912	To me, the closest comparison to him is Marshall Yanda from Baltimore that went to Iowa as well. I think they are very similar players. take it for what its worth. __________________ Dreams do come true... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=1407
Posts: 47,901

03-22-2010, 12:59 AM	#197
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-672950	And he's playing guard...and not even starting.
Posts: 115,346

03-22-2010, 07:57 AM	#200
Chiefnj2 In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Casino cash: $6654388	People need to stop taking profootballfocus as some word of gospel. It's a nice site that brings some nice info and discussion points, but it goes to far to say Waters is ranked as the 20th best player at his position. A lot of statistics are subjective - like sacks. Stats Inc., used by the NFL has Albert as giving up 9 sacks, profootballfocus has it as 7. I know cfbstats.com (college football) has a really odd interpretation of "pressures". I'd like to see one article from 4-5 years ago on Monroe and Albert in college. I don't believe for one second that Monroe "refused" to play a certain position. That's not how it generally works in college football, especially at a university that churns out OL. __________________ Mismanaging the clock.
Posts: 22,541

03-22-2010, 08:08 PM	#205
milkman Dumbass! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Leading the Marty bashing Casino cash: $10029395	And for you Iowa homers, I'm sorry that your boy looks like Herman Munster. __________________
Posts: 70,769

03-22-2010, 08:16 PM	#206
seaofred Wish I had something clever... Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Trout fishing capital USA Casino cash: $1985333	You shouldn't have to light a fire under an NFL players butt. If you do, I don't think they well ever be worth anything. __________________
Posts: 1,665