Grade the rookies.

[Ralphy Boy]

How did they do?

Berry - B+. I was very excited about getting him and wasn't disappointed. He could have doen better but I think he was easily the best rookie safety and was as good as advertised.

McCluster C-. Could almost go with an Incomplete since I don't think they got out of him what Pioli & Haley intended when they drafted him. I'm inclined to think that he was playing injured. Not sure what the plan was for him going into the season, but it didn't work. I wasn't happy when we drafted him, but I'm not writing him off. I'll be curious to see what happens with him if Haley calls the plays next season. Could be that they just felt that they didn't want to put too much on the rookie.

Arenas - C. I expected more out of him as a return man. He didn't embarrass himself but he didn't impress.

Asamoah - Incomplete. Clearly he's talented, but he barely saw the field.

Moeaki - A. I was SO wrong about him being a wasted pick. Very happy that we have him. Still concerned that he'll have injury issues but at this point I think he was a steal.

Lewis B-. Did very well, given the spot he was drafted, but I wouldn't say he solidified his position as a starter.

Sheffield - Incomplete.

[Rain Man]

I'd rate Arenas higher than everyone else. He was a fine nickel corner, which is a hard job against slot receivers, he had great hands on punt returns, and he actually was a good returner considering he was often hit as soon as he caught the ball. I'd put him at an A-.

I'd rate Berry a little lower than most other people. He was very, very good against the run, but he still needs to improve on the pass. I'm hopeful that he will, and expect him to, but he's not there yet. Nonetheless, I'd give him a B, which is a good grade for a rookie.

McCluster doesn't get a high grade, unfortunately. I'd go with a D+. Again, he showed promise, so I'm hopeful.

Moeaki gets an A-. Awesome performance. It's hard to get an A, but he's close. A few silly mistakes, but he'll fix those.

Lewis gets a B. Good performance, but he missed some time with injuries.

Asamoah got some action and seemed to do well when he filled in. I'd give him a solid B.

I'm pretty darn happy with this group.

[Ralphy Boy]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I agree but the reason I gave him a "B" was because he missed games due to injury.

Not surprisingly, three of the four games he missed were losses.

Strange rationalization coming from a guy who gave Asamoah an A when he only started 1 game.

[Ralphy Boy]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Moeaki gets an A-. Awesome performance. It's hard to get an A, but he's close. A few silly mistakes, but he'll fix those.

I still JIMP thinking about his one-handed catch at the back of the endzone.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Ralphy Boy

I said he barely saw the field but didn't intend it as a knock on him in any way. He looked good in limited duty. Is that better? He certainly was on the field less than all of the other rookies (except Sheffield) and its hard to give him a grade based on what little we saw.

Then you weren't paying any attention to his play if you can't grade him.

[Chiefs Rool]

Eric Berry = A+
should have been a pro bowler in his rookie season, kept getting better and better throughout the season. Huge factor in our run D. We have a stud for a long time!

Dexter McCluster = D
his only moment was vs the Chargers in a downpour for a long TD, he hasn't done shit since.

Javier Arenes = C-
was supposed to be the next best thing in the return game, where was that? Ok in pass coverage I guess

Jon Asomoah = B
He seemed pretty good in limited playing time, I didn't really pay much attention to him when he was out there though.

Tony Moeaki = A
A great receiving TE, he seemed to catch everything thrown his way. He did make a lot of mistake while lining up though and caused a lot of illegal formation penalties, but he still gets an A for the awesome one-handed TD catch alone.

Kenderick Lewis = B+
he was pretty damn good and seems like a steal in the 5th round

[chiefzilla1501]

Eric Berry - A - What I care about is how the rookie closes the season, and in that playoff game, he was easily the Chiefs' defensive MVP (in my opinion... not to take away from Hali's performance).

Dexter McCluster - C - First, can people stop saying he's a RB. They need to stop forcing the ball to him. He needs to be a slot receiver, period. Flashed big play potential (many of his big plays were called back/ruined). I also think he'll benefit big time if we bring in a speed receiver.

Javier Arenas - B+ - I don't know that he was toasted in the Ravens' playoff game. I think the defense we played put a guy like him in a really tough spot. We can't rush the passer and that makes his job really difficult. As a return man, he's been adequate at best. As a Nickel Back, he was good pretty much all season long and should get significantly better as our pass rush improves.

Jon Asamoah - B - For a non-starter, got quite a bit of time. I certainly hope he figures more prominently in the mix next year.

Tony Moeaki - A+ - Very high on this pick and surprised to see him get B's and B+'s from many of you. The guy has been a solid receiver but also an absolutely phenomenal blocker. I think he's one of the biggest reasons we were so successful running the ball this year.

Kendrick Lewis - A - I think Dane's point earlier in the year is interesting--was he injury prone because Ole Miss got let out way too late? Possibly. He needs to stay healthy, but frankly, there's just no way you can give less than an A to a fifth round who gets any rookie playing time, let alone who becomes a solid starter

Cameron Sheffield - Incomplete

Verran Tucker - A- - Undrafted rookies aren't supposed to make the roster. Thought he played very well on Special Teams and I think he could become a solid enough #4 receiver for this roster.

Corey Greenwood - B+ - Again to the undrafted rookie thing... this guy was an absolute psycho on special teams.

[Micjones]

Berry: B-

Struggled mightily in pass coverage to start the season, but settled down in that department (over the last half of the season), became an asset and a ballhawk-in-the-making. Berry was stout against the run all year and brought a physical brand of play to this defense. Even proved he can get to the QB when given the opportunity.

McCluster: C-

Showed flashes throughout the year of big play ability, but wasn't able to make them in any consistent way. Proved to be the Chiefs most dangerous returnman, but that isn't saying much. Needs to play smarter next season and learn to be a quick "decision-maker" as well as runner. His absence over a third of the season didn't help.

Javier Arenas: C+

Pretty average returnman, but made some great plays defensively. He proved the game wasn't too big for him as a defender and that he has a place on that unit.

Jon Asamoah: B-

Played well when called upon to sit in for injured starters. Struggled a bit in pass protection, but proved to be every bit as valuable as a run blocker. Definitely figures into the Chiefs future along the Offensive Line.

Tony Moeaki: B+

Came in and proved early on that he wasn't afraid of coming behind the best Tight End the league has ever known. Great hands. Proved he can run after the catch. Is able to get separation. He could stand to be more consistent, but 45+ catches (6 of 20 yards or more), 500 receiving yards and 3 TD's from a rookie pass-catcher is nothing to sneeze at. Impressive campaign.

Kendrick Lewis: B

May very well have been the Chiefs most consistent Safety this season. Was impressive in pass coverage and was able to make quite a few big plays. Kid seems to be in the right place on a regular basis. Played like a veteran at times this year. Could stand to be a more physical defender, but he has time yet to grow.

Verran Tucker: B

Made a couple plays offensively, but not enough to prove he's worthy of serious consideration there next year. His biggest contribution to this football team was probably on Special Teams. Definitely figures into the Chiefs future.

Jeremy Horne: Incomplete

Cameron Sheffield: Incomplete

[Rasputin]

Wish that they didn't put Arenas on ST as much and let him consintrate on nickle. Would have loved to see Berry return a few instead.

I'm stoked about all the rookies this year. McCluster is going to be a work in progress, yes easily the most disapointing one of the bunch but he is young enough an athletic enough that he can learn and become a major contributer as soon as they find his niche' . I'm not disapointed in what his future can hold for us yet. I like McCluster and wait for him to be the guy we want him to be. I don't want to see him get held out to dry by the dang QB and get drilled, & killed, that would give him a short career. McCluster can be a game changer, we just got to learn how to best use him.

I want to say this about Kendrick Lewis. He was a big part of allowing Eric Berry to do the things Eric Berry was doing. I think he was a compliment to Eric Berry and deserves recognitition for that, he was the Robin to the Batman.

Tony Moeki, if only Tony Gonzo could have had a rookie season like that wow, nice start!

We are a much improved team with this draft class.