Combine Winners and Losers

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Chiefs=Good

By picking Okung we squander another chance to pick up a top of the line playmaker. Those chances dont come around every ****ing year and despite the recent picks the chiefs have had, unless we totally skull **** our picks (somewhat like last year ) we are not going to be picking this high again soon.

The only squandering to be done is to miss out on the premier left tackle in a draft. THAT's the chance that doesn't come around very often, because those guys are gone by pick 10, especially ones with the experience and intangibles and high level of play that you are getting from a guy like Okung. Playmakers are always available in the mid to late first round, especially at positions like safety, linebacker, tight end, running back, corner, etc. The three most important positions on the football field are, in order, QB, Rush End, and Blindside Protector. If you have a chance to take the best at one of those positions in a draft, you take it unless you have a top five guy at that position there already on your team.

I agree that Eric Berry has all the intangibles, and looks to be an excellent prospect, but he's not going to do as much for this team as Okung would in terms of providing high level of play at one of the top positions of need and importance. Safety is a luxury pick, and in passing on high level players at core positions for high level players at secondary positions is what will cost this team in the long run. And I'd even argue that Okung matches Berry in terms of physical abilities and intangibles and on-field production relevant to his specific position.

If Okung is off the board, I'd have no problem with the Chiefs taking Berry. They would be stupid not to. But if Okung is on the board, they'd be stupid taking the elite safety over the elite left tackle. However, like I've said, I seriously doubt that they get the opportunity to draft Okung as I don't see how any of the three teams in front of the Chiefs pass on him, especially when one considers that there will most likely be a run on OT's in the first round this year dropping the talent level at that position in the subsequent rounds substantially, while there will still be excellent prospects at safety in the second and subsequent rounds.

I really think that it is going to come down to Bulaga and Berry. If that's the case, I'd much rather have Berry.

u dont take Okung because its a need (btw i dont believe it is, cause i think Albert will be fine), u take the value pick e.g. Berry, Clausen. Thus getting a true playmaker. After all its a playmakers league.

It's not a playmaker league. It's having a very good quarterback, and protecting that quarterback league. It's having a defense that can pressure a quarterback without relying on blitzing. If you have those three things, you have a chance to win every single game. A good quarterback with good protection will beat a defense with elite level players at coverage positions like safety and corner almost every time.

Ur argument is basically saying "Lets draft John Tait, when we have a chance to have a franchise qb or an Ed Reed type saftey..."

Not at all. If you don't have a franchise level quarterback and have the opportunity to draft one, you draft one over every other position. If you have the opportunity to draft an elite rush end (and I mean ELITE) and you don't have one, you take him. And if you have the opportunity to take that elite left tackle and you don't have one, you take him.

And since you mention Ed Reed, there is a reason why he was picked at #24, Polamalu at #16, Bob Sanders in the second round - they are safeties. Guys like that are going to be there, and the Chiefs, once they build their core and give themselves a chance to get better, will have the opportunity to spend first round draft choices on that type of luxury pick. That's what makes good teams great - that they have solid players at the core positions and then supplement their teams with those "playmakers" at luxury positions. You don't build a team the other way around. (Raiders and Matt Millen's Lions are perfect examples of this - having highly skilled "playmakers" at secondary positions while ignoring the core.)