Babb:Chiefs’ draft focuses on future instead of quick fixes

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs’ draft focuses on future instead of quick fixes
This time around, the Chiefs’ draft selections reflect the team’s focus on the future.
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

More than three years after Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli arrived in Kansas City, his team entered this year’s draft facing something new.

When Pioli was hired in January 2009, the team he inherited had gone 2-14 a season earlier and faced holes at most every position group. If the direction of the franchise was to turn any time soon, Pioli and the Chiefs would need to be near-perfect in evaluations, selections and signings during free agency and the draft.

Now, with most of the heavy lifting complete as the rebuilding begins its fourth year, the team no longer required perfection from its top decision-makers. The Chiefs could spend this draft focusing on depth and upgrades for the future.

“We’re certainly in a different place than where we were,” Pioli said.

When the Chiefs selected Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe in Thursday’s first round, they addressed their only glaring need — and added perhaps the only rookie who will be expected to start as a rookie.

Second-round offensive lineman Jeff Allen likely will be a backup swing blocker in his first season, but he could give the Chiefs options if veteran guard Ryan Lilja, 30, begins to hit the wall. Fourth-round receiver Devon Wylie adds a new weapon alongside — or in place of — Dexter McCluster, and sixth-round running back Cyrus Gray could give the team an additional rusher alongside Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis.

“We put ourselves into a situation where we could look for the best athlete available,” coach Romeo Crennel said Saturday. “In the later rounds, you can reach a little bit today and not feel as bad about it.”

The Chiefs did that by eliminating holes during free agency, particularly when they added right tackle Eric Winston. That upgraded a weakness of the past two seasons and made nose tackle the team’s only must-address position for the draft. The Chiefs wasted no time, selecting Poe at No. 11 overall.

Crennel insisted Thursday night that the top pick won’t necessarily begin the season as the starter. But considering the team’s only other nose tackle, second-year lineman Jerrell Powe, played only seven snaps in 2011, Poe is expected to be in the opening-week starting lineup.

Still, Pioli said Saturday that it would be unwise to count out Powe, a sixth-rounder last year, saying he had reported in good shape to the team’s offseason program.

“One of the concerns about big guys in general is when they go away for a couple months and they come back, you never know what they’re going to look like,” Pioli said. “And he came back, and he looks good. … What’s happened here now is: We’ve got a lot of competition.”

Nowhere is that more visible than along the offensive line. The Chiefs didn’t take a big-name blocker, avoiding the first-round temptation of Stanford guard David DeCastro, and likely didn’t bring in an immediate starter. Allen has never played guard but will be seen as a versatile blocker who, barring an injury to a starting tackle, will find his way into the starting lineup soonest at guard.

Another lineman, third-rounder Donald Stephenson, who played at Blue Springs, is a developmental tackle with a high ceiling but little experience. He played two seasons at Oklahoma and will likely need time to adjust to the NFL’s demands. But if he reaches his potential quickly, Stephenson could give his hometown team options when veteran left tackle Branden Albert’s contract expires after this season.

After three years of chasing must-start prospects — the Chiefs spent the 2009 draft selecting pieces to play the 3-4 defense (Tyson Jackson), the next year upgrading an aging safety corps (Eric Berry) and slow kick return unit (Dexter McCluster), and last year addressing various needs — the team downshifted over the past three days. It focused on the future.

“If you have a need,” Crennel said, “you get stuck sometimes in a draft because the value is too low for a position, and you shouldn’t take it.

“And then when you take it, you get in trouble because you’re just not taking the value. So, I think by what we’ve been able to do is put ourselves in position to truly take the value on the board.”

What the Chiefs didn’t get, though, was another quarterback to compete with Matt Cassel or to challenge Brady Quinn and Ricky Stanzi as the team’s backup. Pioli passed on developmental quarterbacks such as Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson (third round to Seattle), Arizona’s Nick Foles (third round to Philadelphia) and San Diego State’s Ryan Lindley (sixth round to the Cardinals).

“We do have a young kid that we took last year that we feel good about,” Crennel said of Stanzi, a fifth-rounder in 2011, “and so we’ll have to feel good about whoever we look at, that he will have a chance to compete with Stanzi, or he has to be better than Stanzi, which might be tough at this point.”

Pioli said the Chiefs’ newcomers would still be expected to contribute immediately. But for the first time since the rebuilding began, the pressure to alter the franchise in a single draft seems to be behind the Chiefs.

“There really are no guarantees about whether these guys will be great players or not,” Crennel said. “Only time will tell that, but we feel good about them.”

[jspchief]

Now, with most of the heavy lifting complete as the rebuilding begins its fourth year, the team no longer required perfection from its top decision-makers.

[TEX]

Still NEED A QB -that is why Piole FAILS. It's THE # 1 issue holding the Chiefs back.

[boogblaster]

QB needed .. I'd really like to see the kid get alot of pre-season snaps ... he's had a year to study the play-book .. I really think if given a chance his arm could be a real weapon for us .. As far as the draft we didn't do too bad .. Plus we signed afew FA and we'll pick up afew un-drafted youngsters ...

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by milkman

I don't agree with the whole thought process.

We are solid at most starting positions, but if one goes down, and he is replaced by a developmental project, then that position is ****ed.

We are at the point where depth should be the focus of many of the picks, but we should be focusing on guys that are ready to compete now.

Exactly.

You know how you get quality depth?

By drafting the best player available.

Worst case scenario is that you've just drafted quality depth.

Best case is that one of your starting 22 became a backup.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by milkman

I don't agree with the whole thought process.

We are solid at most starting positions, but if one goes down, and he is replaced by a developmental project, then that position is ****ed.

We are at the point where depth should be the focus of many of the picks, but we should be focusing on guys that are ready to compete now.

Wow what a shock, you are spewing Fat Scott's talking points that the Chiefs don't have any immediate needs to fill on the roster.

Teams like the NY Giants don't have immediate needs and can afford to draft strictly for depth in the early parts ot he draft.

Teams like the Chiefs who are coming off a 7-9 season and set the franchise record for fewest points scored per game don't have that luxury.

[InChiefsHeaven]

No matter what, last year's injuries will be blamed for the ineptness of the offense, not the personel we have. THat's just how they are going to look at it. Charles, Moeaki, later Cassell's injuries give the FO room to say that once they all come back we'll be in 2010 playoff shape. Maybe, maybe not, but this is the LAST year for Cassell to suck. It just has to be.

DOESN'T IT??

[Hammock Parties]

“We’re certainly in a different place than where we were,” Pioli said.

This ARROGANT COCKBITE.

Thinks he's accomplished SO MUCH in three years.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

This ARROGANT COCKBITE.

Thinks he's accomplished SO MUCH in three years.

Am betting Pioli is banking off of the 2010 season for his accomplishment and the return of JC, EB & TM. That's where he thinks in his mind even with POS Matt Cassel we can be a continder. We didn't have depth along the O-line nore manny positions, but have had chore players that went down.

One of the biggest disapointments I've had is "Tank" Tyler, had he been able to be effective and stay with the team at DT our defense would have been killer. He had all the qualities exept staying awake and you can't sleep at the wheel driving a car lol.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

This ARROGANT COCKBITE.

Thinks he's accomplished SO MUCH in three years.

You really have an innate ability to read way too much into anything and blow it up into an epic drama queen episode.

He thinks he has accomplished so much? You get that from that quote?

The team he took over sucked ass but had some talent on board. I know we have Matt Cassel, we all know it, but even as your dumb ****ing ass has stated over and over, we are only a QB away from having a contender.

So are we not in a different spot than where we were?

[whoman69]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

No matter what, last year's injuries will be blamed for the ineptness of the offense, not the personel we have. THat's just how they are going to look at it. Charles, Moeaki, later Cassell's injuries give the FO room to say that once they all come back we'll be in 2010 playoff shape. Maybe, maybe not, but this is the LAST year for Cassell to suck. It just has to be.

DOESN'T IT??

No/Scott Pioli

[philfree]

Originally Posted by milkman

I don't agree with the whole thought process.

We are solid at most starting positions, but if one goes down, and he is replaced by a developmental project, then that position is ****ed.

We are at the point where depth should be the focus of many of the picks, but we should be focusing on guys that are ready to compete now.

I agree but I think we got some players who will be ready to compete and contribute right away.

They'll work hard to have Poe starting at NT by the start of the season and Davis doesn't have to start but he'll compete with Lilja to be the starter. He wil be a starter one day soon.

Menzie could come in and start just like Arenas did but again he doesn't have too and he'll get playing time in subs and STs.

Wylie will immediately compete to be the return man.
Our RBs are still thin so Gray will have a good chance to get some carries. He could end up a steady in the rotation if he does well.


We drafted for depth but we didn't just draft a bunch of backups.

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by milkman

I don't agree with the whole thought process.

We are solid at most starting positions, but if one goes down, and he is replaced by a developmental project, then that position is ****ed.

We are at the point where depth should be the focus of many of the picks, but we should be focusing on guys that are ready to compete now.

who is a developmental project? you do realize Jeff Allen is a projected STARTING NFL talent on on much shittier teams he would be a DAY 1 starter?

here he is 2nd string swing blocker emergency case scenario. OR if he is that good as projected, he comes into camp, shits on people and they HAVE to start him. He is not a project.

the other lineman is a little more of a project, but again Jeff Allen is ahead of him. So for 6th and 7th lineman it's not bad.

As for the fast turd WR or Cyrus Gray, those guys are literally going to compete just to make the team better, it would take 2-3 injuries for them to get significant playing time. Gray and Wylie's skillsets could push McCluster to inactive duties on Sunday

and Menzie is the best safety depth we've seen in two years from day 1. He's better than Sabby and McGraw before even stepping onto the field.

[O.city]

Menzie and Thorpe are going to press our backup safeties. I love the thorpe signing.

[mcaj22]

you cant knock the safety depth this year compared to last.

at least it's a bunch of young players, who are faster and have potential. I'd rather that than then shitty veterans like Sabby and McGraw who are slow, take bad angles and have hit their ceiling years ago and are on the downside.

[BossChief]

This team is gonna be really exciting to watch once Stanzi takes over as it's starting quarterback.

That fifth round pick is gonna make Pioli look like a genius.