LB Jesus and his Apostles rejoice

[Tribal Warfare]

Curry, Raji among minicamps' stars
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

The first weekend after the draft is always the biggest for minicamps.

Twenty-six teams held either full or rookie camps to orient their draft choices and get a read on how they did over the two-day draft in New York City. It's hard to make conclusive judgments on selections. Players aren't allowed to wear pads. No hitting is allowed. Rookies' heads are swimming with the overload from the new playbook being thrown at them.

Still, any time you can put 26 coaching staffs on a field with new players, things can be learned. Here are eight things we learned from this weekend.

1. Mark Sanchez is destined to be the starting quarterback of the New York Jets in Week 1. Politically, the Jets did the right thing by having offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer say Kellen Clemens was ahead of Sanchez. Clemens is entering his fourth season. He has eight NFL starts. He should be ahead of Sanchez. But anyone doubting Sanchez' ability to win over the coaching staff and Jets fans is wearing a blindfold. Sanchez showed everyone at the minicamp that he can make all the throws. More than that, he showed leadership. The story of how he got a good portion of the offense together at the hotel Thursday night to go over the playbook is a classic example of how Sanchez's head might be more important than his arm. It's pretty clear what direction the Jets are heading. Head coach Rex Ryan is going to try to run the ball 35 times a game in order to give Sanchez light throwing days during the regular season. Of all the draft choices working this weekend, Sanchez was probably the biggest winner.

2. Matthew Stafford isn't going to be rushed into service as the Detroit Lions' starter. General manager Martin Mayhew concluded the Lions' minicamp by saying he trusts Daunte Culpepper as a starter and he'd like to sign a veteran backup. The Lions' roster isn't like the Jets. The Lions are coming off an 0-16 season, and they don't have the offensive line or two-back combination to run the ball 35 times a game. Despite playing only 16 games as a collegian, Sanchez was supposed to be more prepared to play earlier in the NFL than Stafford. Minicamp proved that. Stafford unleashed incredible throws, but he's still a work in progress. That's not to say Stafford won't play this season. The plan is for Stafford to work with the coaching staff. When he's ready, he will play. The Lions are handling Stafford's entry into the NFL the right way.

3. Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora wasted no time making Aaron Curry his starting strongside linebacker. Curry was one of the stars of the Seahawks' minicamp. He's 15 pounds heavier than traded linebacker Julian Peterson, but he moves so well and has such a natural instinct for moving to the ball. Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu marveled at how naturally Curry fits into the defense during his first weekend. With Curry, Tatupu and Leroy Hill, the Seahawks have one of the best linebacking corps in football.

4. The Washington Redskins have a completely different plan for first-round choice Brian Orakpo than some people expected. At the Redskins' minicamp, Orakpo was used as the starting strongside linebacker. The plan is for him to blitz from the strong side on first and second downs. On passing downs, he will line up at right defensive end next to Albert Haynesworth, the former Tennessee Titans star who appeared dominating at his first Redskins camp. Orakpo was drafted to rush the passer. The surprise is that he won't just be doing it from a defensive end position.

5. Linebacker Shawne "roidman" Merriman served notice that he plans to be a dominating force again this season for the San Diego Chargers. "Lights Out" knows the spotlight is on him. He missed all but one game of the 2008 season because his knee needed surgery. He also knows management is looking at him with a judgmental eye. The Chargers drafted Larry English as a possible replacement if Merriman doesn't come back and dominate. Merriman is in the last year of his contract. English, though not tall, showed a relentless pass-rushing style. He's not ready to unseat Merriman, who questions those whom he said questioned his "football-hood."

6. The Carolina Panthers liked what they saw from second-round choice Everette Brown, who cost them a 2010 first-round pick to acquire in a trade. Coach John Fox knows the importance of getting a pass rush, and Brown showed he can help. Everyone noticed his first step and how he can get an edge on a blocker with that first step. One of the knocks on the pass-rushers of this draft was their lack of height compared to previous crops. For whatever reason, scouts feel more comfortable using first-round choices on pass-rushers who stand 6-foot-4 or taller. On the Panthers' official roster Brown is listed as 6-1, but he showed he can get around blockers. Julius Peppers wasn't at the minicamp because he hasn't signed his franchise tag. He probably will miss a good portion of training camp, but management feels he will be there for the regular season. In the meantime, the plan is to develop Brown as a rusher.

7. Even though Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy plans to have Ryan Pickett as the starting nose tackle, it's pretty clear the 3-4 defense is being built around first-round choice B.J. Raji. The former Boston College star didn't disappoint. For a while, Raji was practicing as the first-team nose tackle and second-team defensive end. He moves well for his size. He also seemed to fit in well with his teammates.

8. The Philadelphia Eagles' draft for offense looked even better on the field because fifth-round choice Cornelius Ingram did well over the weekend. The 245-pound tight end is coming off ACL surgery, yet caught the ball well and moved well on the field. He left camp with the thought that he could be in the playing mix this year. The team is also cautiously optimistic about the first-year impact of first-round draft pick wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Head coach Andy Reid warns it might be hard for Maclin to match DeSean Jackson's 62-catch rookie season because Maclin comes from a spread offense. Jackson played in more of a West Coast offense at Cal. Reid said the intermediate routes are different in the spread because spread receivers run downfield or break shorter routes. Fortunately for the Eagles, Maclin seemed to pick up the intermediate routes well over the weekend.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

If highlights aren't good enough for you, go on the corner and blow 20 illegal immigrants to raise the $19.99 for full access to the entire 2008 season.

I already pimped your mamma' to the curb, bitch; I'm sure she'll raise the green in 10 years or so.

[BigRock]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

FINALLY, the Chiefs were in a position to grab a young QB to develop and instead, they again chose the "safe" option

They didn't, though. For Pioli, trading for Cassel is FAR more of a risk than drafting a rookie.

Pioli has put it all on the line with this move. He has to be right that Cassel will be better, or at least just as good, as Stafford and Sanchez. And someone will say we never had a shot at Stafford, but nobody knew if he was going #1 back when the Cassel trade went down. By making the trade, Pioli passed on both rookie QBs. He had to think Cassel was a better option than both of them.

If Pioli is wrong, and he couldn't get a proper read on a QB who was right there in the Pats' system for 3-4 years, he will have shattered his credibility with the Chiefs fanbase with his very first roster decision. That's a big-time roll of the dice.

The only thing that even remotely makes Cassel "safe" is that his track record (one season in a proven system with an all-galaxy WR to throw to) makes him slightly less of a risk than a rookie with no track record at all. But that's practically splititng hairs. Some people act like we traded for Bledsoe or Pennington, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Cassel is nowhere close to a guarantee on the field. Trading for him was a huge gamble by Pioli in terms of credibility and reputation. I have never understood the notion that Cassel somehow represents the safter path.

If he busts, it's game over.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by BigRock

They didn't, though. For Pioli, trading for Cassel is FAR more of a risk than drafting a rookie.

Pioli has put it all on the line with this move. He has to be right that Cassel will be better, or at least just as good, as Stafford and Sanchez. And someone will say we never had a shot at Stafford, but nobody knew if he was going #1 back when the Cassel trade went down. By making the trade, Pioli passed on both rookie QBs. He had to think Cassel was a better option than both of them.

If Pioli is wrong, and he couldn't get a proper read on a QB who was right there in the Pats' system for 3-4 years, he will have shattered his credibility with the Chiefs fanbase with his very first roster decision. That's a big-time roll of the dice.

The only thing that even remotely makes Cassel "safe" is that his track record (one season in a proven system with an all-galaxy WR to throw to) makes him slightly less of a risk than a rookie with no track record at all. But that's practically splititng hairs. Some people act like we traded for Bledsoe or Pennington, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Cassel is nowhere close to a guarantee on the field. Trading for him was a huge gamble by Pioli in terms of credibility and reputation. I have never understood the notion that Cassel somehow represents the safter path.

If he busts, it's game over.

I agree with 90% of what you've stated here. Well done.

The disagreement lies in the fact that you've denied the fact that Cassel isn't the "safer" choice. The only reason he is considered "safer" is that he's been in the NFL for four full seasons and he's played in 16 games (with 15 starts).

In many people's eyes (and I daresay, the overwhelming majority of Chiefsplanet members), he's safer than Stafford or Sanchez because neither have played in the NFL.

Which IMO, is a ridiculous argument. But you're right.

If Cassel busts, so does Pioli.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by BigRock

They didn't, though. For Pioli, trading for Cassel is FAR more of a risk than drafting a rookie.

Pioli has put it all on the line with this move. He has to be right that Cassel will be better, or at least just as good, as Stafford and Sanchez. And someone will say we never had a shot at Stafford, but nobody knew if he was going #1 back when the Cassel trade went down. By making the trade, Pioli passed on both rookie QBs. He had to think Cassel was a better option than both of them.

If Pioli is wrong, and he couldn't get a proper read on a QB who was right there in the Pats' system for 3-4 years, he will have shattered his credibility with the Chiefs fanbase with his very first roster decision. That's a big-time roll of the dice.

The only thing that even remotely makes Cassel "safe" is that his track record (one season in a proven system with an all-galaxy WR to throw to) makes him slightly less of a risk than a rookie with no track record at all. But that's practically splititng hairs. Some people act like we traded for Bledsoe or Pennington, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Cassel is nowhere close to a guarantee on the field. Trading for him was a huge gamble by Pioli in terms of credibility and reputation. I have never understood the notion that Cassel somehow represents the safter path.

If he busts, it's game over.

I don't think he'll "bust", and I've said already that he gives us a faster start out of the gate.
The question is; does he excel beyond game manager and give us a truly exceptional quarterback that you can absolutely count on to make something special happen when you desperately need it to happen?
Or are we looking at Green 2.0 as Stafford and/or Sanchez excel past that benchmark, assuming they can do so?

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Raised On Riots

I don't think he'll "bust", and I've said already that he gives us a faster start out of the gate.
The question is; does he excel beyond game manager and give us a truly exceptional quarterback that you can absolutely count on to make something special happen when you desperately need it to happen?
Or are we looking at Green 2.0 as Stafford and/or Sanchez excel past that benchmark, assuming they can do so?

see the end of the jets game(and please no b.s. about the loss, he did EVERYTHING he could to win that game, they never got the ball in ot) BTW that game has been on NFLN at least 3times since the trade, and the INDY game (another loss where gaffney drops a PERFECT pass for a TD) will be on sunday if you want to watch cassel(not his best game but like i said gaffney drops a PERFECT td pass that would have made the game a W

[Simply Red]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

if you killed yourself, no one would care...just saying

really? Odd. I feel the same about you.

... just sayin'

[Jethopper]

Our Currrrrrrrrrry... is an awesome Curry... he reignsssssssss from heaven above. With glooooooooory power and love our Curry is an awesome Curryyyy

[doomy3]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

I'll make this simple for you, because you are a damn inbred reerun with half a dozen missing chromosomes. There is an organization called the NFL. They have a website called NFL.COM. On nfl.com you can look up every single game last year. They have highlights of every single game last year. If you wanted to watch a QB who played last year, you could go to nfl.com and look at last years scores and highlights. Hint: Matt Cassel played for the Patriots. After you look at the video, die.

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

If highlights aren't good enough for you, go on the corner and blow 20 illegal immigrants to raise the $19.99 for full access to the entire 2008 season.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

see the end of the jets game(and please no b.s. about the loss, he did EVERYTHING he could to win that game, they never got the ball in ot) BTW that game has been on NFLN at least 3times since the trade, and the INDY game (another loss where gaffney drops a PERFECT pass for a TD) will be on sunday if you want to watch cassel(not his best game but like i said gaffney drops a PERFECT td pass that would have made the game a W

I get that, and I'll try to watch these games before camp.

What I'm saying here, is that Cassel's experience which made him a better choice than an unproven rookie on draft day, becomes his deficit once those rookies begin their careers assuming they don't bust.
If Sanchez and Stafford are not busts, and we know that Sanchez is going to start from day 1 this year while Detroit eases Stafford in to his role, do you really look forward to facing either of those guys when they hit 27 years old with all that NFL playing time under belt?

There's a definite trade-off here, that's all I'm saying. Of course at that time, we'll hopefully have traded Thigpen off to someone who's in desperate need of a starter and will have drafted an understudy of our own, and one that we will all love, respect, and agree on!

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Jethopper

Our Currrrrrrrrrry... is an awesome Curry... he reignsssssssss from heaven above. With glooooooooory power and love our Curry is an awesome Curryyyy

Our Currrrrrrrry is an awesome Curry-HE SAVES!!!!!

[doomy3]

Originally Posted by Raised On Riots

I get that, and I'll try to watch these games before camp.

What I'm saying here, is that Cassel's experience which made him a better choice than an unproven rookie on draft day, becomes his deficit once those rookies begin their careers assuming they don't bust.
If Sanchez and Stafford are not busts, and we know that Sanchez is going to start from day 1 this year while Detroit eases Stafford in to his role, do you really look forward to facing either of those guys when they hit 27 years old with all that NFL playing time under belt?

There's a definite trade-off here, that's all I'm saying. Of course at that time, we'll hopefully have traded Thigpen off to someone who's in desperate need of a starter and will have drafted an understudy of our own, and one that we will all love, respect, and agree on!

Sanchez doesn't scare me one bit. I think he will be a good, game manager type of QB. Nothing to be scared of though.

Stafford, however, may be the best QB in the league at that point. He also could be out of the league in 4 years. He is the ultimate boom or bust prospect, IMO.

But the fact remains that we didn't have a chance to draft him anyway, so it really doesn't matter. This thread is like Mecca constantly whining because the Chiefs didn't draft Antonio Cromartie when he wanted him to. Doesn't matter that Cromartie was picked before the Chiefs had a choice, it's much easier to just be pissed about it and say "I told you so."

[Jethopper]

PRAISE HIS NAME!

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by doomy3

Sanchez doesn't scare me one bit. I think he will be a good, game manager type of QB. Nothing to be scared of though.

Stafford, however, may be the best QB in the league at that point. He also could be out of the league in 4 years. He is the ultimate boom or bust prospect, IMO.

But the fact remains that we didn't have a chance to draft him anyway, so it really doesn't matter. This thread is like Mecca constantly whining because the Chiefs didn't draft Antonio Cromartie when he wanted him to. Doesn't matter that Cromartie was picked before the Chiefs had a choice, it's much easier to just be pissed about it and say "I told you so."

In retrospect, we never had an ice cube's chance in hell of drafting either of them once Pioli signed his contract and unpacked his bags.
If we were sitting at 2 instead of 3, maybe.
But even then I doubt it.

[doomy3]

Originally Posted by Raised On Riots

In retrospect, we never had an ice cube's chance in hell of drafting either of them once Pioli signed his contract and unpacked his bags.
If we were sitting at 2 instead of 3, maybe.
But even then I doubt it.

Many people on here knew this, at least for the last month or so. But, those people were called reeruned on here because Cassel hadn't signed a long term contract by people who actually expected the Chiefs to draft Sanchez. There was absolutely no chance of that, and for some reason no one wanted to understand this. Instead, people like you said "Just wait until draft day when we draft a REAL QB," and acted like you knew something.

Now you have "retrospect."

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by doomy3

Many people on here knew this, at least for the last month or so. But, those people were called reeruned on here because Cassel hadn't signed a long term contract by people who actually expected the Chiefs to draft Sanchez. There was absolutely no chance of that, and for some reason no one wanted to understand this. Instead, people like you said "Just wait until draft day when we draft a REAL QB," and acted like you knew something.

Now you have "retrospect."

You quoted the important part of the post, yet you didn't seem to get it. Once again; in retrospect, we had no chance in hell of signing either of them once Pioli became GM, because his mind was already made up long before the combine, and BEFORE the Cassel trade*

*That's the important part.