Arguments for a Left Tackle in the 2010 Draft.

[Saccopoo]

While the vast majority of drafturbators around here think that Branden Albert is doing a remarkable job and had a great last half of the season, some people believe that adding a competent offensive left tackle would be a prudent and viable selection for the Chiefs with their first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Some supporting arguments for a left tackle:

Wes Bunting: Well, after Suh, McCoy and Berry, Russell Okung's a pretty safe pick. Sure, he might not be the sexiest of guys, but honestly Branden Albert was one of the highest rated guards I'd seen and yet he hasn't yet had the type of career because he's be a run-of-the-mill tackle. You'd be surprised how quickly that offensive line would improve if you got a legit offensive tackle in there and kick Branden Albert inside. Some good things could happen.

From Walters 2010 Mock:

Fortunately, Pioli, who is a big believer in positional value, can take Okung without sacrificing too much of his team's payroll into the left tackle position. Albert makes less than $1 million in each of the next two seasons, and was a guard at Virginia anyway.

Okung is the real deal. He could take the Chiefs' offense to the next level, though the team will ultimately struggle in the playoffs because of Cassel's limitations.

From Walters/Matt McGuire's Mock:

Russell Okung - This pick is a no-brainer and barring a huge screw-up, I think we can all be 99-percent assured the Kansas City Chiefs are handcuffed to taking a left tackle at this pick. It will be interesting to see whether it ends up being Okung, Anthony Davis or Bruce Campbell, as the battle for the No. 1 tackle spot is one of the best storylines of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Okung was the most consistent lineman in the nation this year and he will test out on a very high level athletically.

From Draftcountdown:

The Chiefs have plenty of needs and could go in a number of different directions here but their offensive line play has been particularly troubling. In fact, Kansas City ranked among the worst in the league when it comes to sacks allowed. Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung isn’t an elite prospect in the mold of Tony Boselli, Jon Ogden or Orlando Pace but he has clearly emerged as the top offensive tackle in this class and will likely be a Top 10 pick. With good size, long arms, great strength, above-average athleticism and feet as well as top-notch intangibles, Okung is just a very good all-around blocker. Okung could slide into the starting lineup at either left or right tackle for the Chiefs and any investment in keeping franchise quarterback Matt Cassel upright is money well spent.

From Mel Kiper:

I think the Chiefs could use help at safety as well, but Berry likely won't fall this far, and they'd be reaching on either of the two other safeties with first-round grades. Okung could solve two problems, making him a good value -- he could step in at LT and allow the Chiefs to move Brandon Albert to the right side. A pick that can pay immediate dividends for the Chiefs.

From Don Banks/Sports Illustrated:

If Berry should get this far, the Chiefs would be the benefactors, but Okung seems like the right fit in the right spot for Kansas City. The Chiefs have tons of needs, but in Okung they would be getting a franchise left tackle, allowing them to shift Branden Albert back to his more natural right tackle position.

It's damn near a cultural universal!

Also in opposition to people who believe that Branden Albert had a very good last four games, in the Buffalo game, he was penalized three times (tied for most in a game in 2009) and gave up a whopping five quarterback pressures. In the Cincinatti game, he was penalized twice and allow a hit on the quarterback. In actuality, taking out the fluke Denver game, which was a drive block fest as Jamaal Charles racked up a Chiefs single game rushing record, Albert did not perform well in the last quarter of the season. Yes, he didn't give up any sacks, but there were a lot of qb pressures and penalties.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Ad RB2 to that list, and maybe TE.

i added RB in my edit, and you're right about TE, i just forgot...that would make 15

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Oh contraire mon frere. Okung would upgrade the LT spot and the LG spot, thus allowing us to utilize that extra pick that we saved on a guard to be a center. (Pouncey with 2a would be entirely acceptable, though Tennant in round three/four would also be dandy.) At that point, we could turn our attention to the RT spot in the end of round 2, beginning of round 3. In a single draft, our entire offensive line would be substantially upgraded and allow us to utilize our fourth and fifth round picks (four in all) to pick up two safeties and two new linebackers - perhaps Rolle and Johnson as the safeties and AJ Edds and Micah Johnson. It's a win-win for everyone. I don't see how you could possibly complain about that. Look at it again:

1. Russell Okung
2. Maurkice Pouncey
2. Mike Johnson
3. Kyle Calloway
4. Koa Misi
5. Micah Johnson
5. Robert Johnson
5. Myron Rolle

Absolute ****ing gold of a draft.

He went full reerun while quoting mel brooks. How sinful. I don't see how drafting three olineman makes it a gold draft. Fact is, you have three people acclimating to the nfl and one person learning a new position while not upgrading his old position.
Posted via Mobile Device

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Oh contraire mon frere. Okung would upgrade the LT spot and the LG spot, thus allowing us to utilize that extra pick that we saved on a guard to be a center. (Pouncey with 2a would be entirely acceptable, though Tennant in round three/four would also be dandy.) At that point, we could turn our attention to the RT spot in the end of round 2, beginning of round 3. In a single draft, our entire offensive line would be substantially upgraded and allow us to utilize our fourth and fifth round picks (four in all) to pick up two safeties and two new linebackers - perhaps Rolle and Johnson as the safeties and AJ Edds and Micah Johnson. It's a win-win for everyone. I don't see how you could possibly complain about that. Look at it again:

1. Russell Okung
2. Maurkice Pouncey
2. Mike Johnson
3. Kyle Calloway
4. Koa Misi
5. Micah Johnson
5. Robert Johnson
5. Myron Rolle

Absolute ****ing gold of a draft.

"This post makes the baby jesus weep"

This is one of the times I wish ROR was still here, he would have a field day with this thread and it would be fun to watch.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

He went full reerun while quoting mel brooks. How sinful. I don't see how drafting three olineman makes it a gold draft. Fact is, you have three people acclimating to the nfl and one person learning a new position while not upgrading his old position.
Posted via Mobile Device

Four linemen. We are completely revitalizing and upgrading the single worst position as a group in this theoretical draft. At the same time, we are upgrading and improving our linebacking corps and safeties. I don't see how there can be a single complaint with this proposed draft by anyone. Everybody gets what they want, and the Chiefs get immensely better immediately. We get our WR in 2011. We get the best LT, G, C and one of the best RT prospects, along with a quality pass rusher and big thumper in the middle, and two new, athletic, fundamentally sound safeties.

I think it's absolutely brilliant.

[Mecca]

I'm still enjoying this thread because I think the Chiefs will have Charles Brown as their top OT.

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Four linemen. We are completely revitalizing and upgrading the single worst position as a group in this theoretical draft. At the same time, we are upgrading and improving our linebacking corps and safeties. I don't see how there can be a single complaint with this proposed draft by anyone. Everybody gets what they want, and the Chiefs get immensely better immediately. We get our WR in 2011. We get the best LT, G, C and one of the best RT prospects, along with a quality pass rusher and big thumper in the middle, and two new, athletic, fundamentally sound safeties.

I think it's absolutely brilliant.

How dense can one person be? Do you have uranium for a skull?
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[Mecca]

Also Kyle Calloway will be lucky to go in the 3rd at this point.

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I'm still enjoying this thread because I think the Chiefs will have Charles Brown as their top OT.

I have to think they are pleased with alberts improvement, versatility, and maleability. If they take brown, it will be for depth and they can't reach for depth, imo.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

I have to think they are pleased with alberts improvement, versatility, and maleability. If they take brown, it will be for depth and they can't reach for depth, imo.
Posted via Mobile Device

I'm not putting anything past these guys, they've already shown they really could careless about the players they inherited.

[Coogs]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Everybody gets what they want

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Oh contraire mon frere. Okung would upgrade the LT spot and the LG spot, thus allowing us to utilize that extra pick that we saved on a guard to be a center. (Pouncey with 2a would be entirely acceptable, though Tennant in round three/four would also be dandy.) At that point, we could turn our attention to the RT spot in the end of round 2, beginning of round 3. In a single draft, our entire offensive line would be substantially upgraded and allow us to utilize our fourth and fifth round picks (four in all) to pick up two safeties and two new linebackers - perhaps Rolle and Johnson as the safeties and AJ Edds and Micah Johnson. It's a win-win for everyone. I don't see how you could possibly complain about that. Look at it again:

1. Russell Okung
2. Maurkice Pouncey
2. Mike Johnson
3. Kyle Calloway
4. Koa Misi
5. Micah Johnson
5. Robert Johnson
5. Myron Rolle

Absolute ****ing gold of a draft.

Holy ****.

[Nightfyre]

I think the biggest problem with our oline is cassel. He got put on his back more than 40 times behind the pats oline. Meanwhile, charles was the best back in the league for half a season. Hmmm.
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[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Oh contraire mon frere. Okung would upgrade the LT spot and the LG spot, thus allowing us to utilize that extra pick that we saved on a guard to be a center. (Pouncey with 2a would be entirely acceptable, though Tennant in round three/four would also be dandy.) At that point, we could turn our attention to the RT spot in the end of round 2, beginning of round 3. In a single draft, our entire offensive line would be substantially upgraded and allow us to utilize our fourth and fifth round picks (four in all) to pick up two safeties and two new linebackers - perhaps Rolle and Johnson as the safeties and AJ Edds and Micah Johnson. It's a win-win for everyone. I don't see how you could possibly complain about that. Look at it again:

1. Russell Okung
2. Maurkice Pouncey
2. Mike Johnson
3. Kyle Calloway
4. Koa Misi
5. Micah Johnson
5. Robert Johnson
5. Myron Rolle

Absolute ****ing gold of a draft.

Eeewwwww. That's not good, dude. At all. The O-line play improved sooooo much by the end of the year. Albert is not the problem. Cassel is. The lack of playmakers is also the problem.

Even when Cassel had time to throw the ball he still couldn't find a target. A better QB will make that line look ass-loads better. Just look at what JC did for the o-line.

I want Clausen. But that won't happen. So fix the D. Gimme Berry of McClain in the 1st. Another playmaker at 2a, and a Center in 2b.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

I think the biggest problem with our oline is cassel. He got put on his back more than 40 times behind the pats oline. Meanwhile, charles was the best back in the league for half a season. Hmmm.
Posted via Mobile Device

This. Cassel Sucks. Hopefully Wies drafts his boy and starts him right away.

Clausen may be a rook, but at least he can hit a wide open target.....

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

I think the biggest problem with our oline is cassel. He got put on his back more than 40 times behind the pats oline. Meanwhile, charles was the best back in the league for half a season. Hmmm.
Posted via Mobile Device

I would say that's debatable. He was only sacked 15 times in the last 8 games, as opposed to 27 in the first 7. And he was dropping back a bit per game more the second half of the year than the first. I'd say a lot of factors played into the first half of the year, ranging from problems with the blocking scheme, installing a new offensive system, total lack of a running game, and so on.

I would also go on to say that while the line did improve to a degree, it was not as drastic as Charles' performance would seem to indicate. Because much of the time he was making yards on his own (in a way I don't think anybody expected him to, at his size; he showed an amazing capacity for running through contact). In the passing game, even in the second half of the year, the "protection" was often a turnstile, especially in the middle. The play of the center and guards was not very good a lot of the time.

Which is separate from the fact that Cassel was making mistakes on his own late in the year, even on the occasions when the blocking was there...