Pioli Deserves Props

[Hoover]

The NFL draft is a lot like Christmas morning. There is a lot of anticipation leading up to the big day, and when the time finally arrives to see what’s under the tree for us we can sometimes be a little disappointed.

We all remember the Christmas that we got everything we wanted. For Chiefs fans that was last year. We got a QB, WR, DBs, and LBs. Heck we even liked the more practical gifts like a Rodney Hudson. Frankly, the 2011 draft gave us a lot to play with, and we used them.

After a big year like 2011, some of you seem down. Sure we got the big present we always talk about (NT), but its’ not as cool as we thought it would be. We also ended up with some more practical gifts than we expected.

Here is how I view this draft, and to be honest I’m pretty stoked about it.

After having a draft like we did in 2011 where we seemed to hit on almost every pick, it wasn’t necessary for the Chiefs to snag additional pass rushers to sit behind guys like Hali and Houston. While we are still a little shallow when it comes to the safety position and could use some depth at center, the Chiefs are well positioned. In fact, I think the practicality of the 2012 Chiefs draft will allow them the flexibility in future drafts to aggressively seek out play makers to add to this team.

If there is one thing that I think Pioli deserves credit for, it’s rebuilding the Chiefs offensive live. While Albert was already hear when he arrived, Pioli not only filled a glaring hole at RT when he signed Eric Winston, but his last three drafts has set the Chiefs on a course to maintain a quality offensive line for years to come.

Many on this board recoiled at any suggestion that the Chiefs should use their first round pick on a lineman. After all the heated debates about the value of DeCastro, Pioli seems to agree with those who don’t want to invest first round picks on the line. Maybe instead of bitching that we didn’t have the Steelers’ draft, some of you should praise Pioli for doing exactly what you advocated for.

In the last three years, Pioli has taken four offensive linemen in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the draft. Asamoah and Hudson are now starters. Jeff Allen is going to push Ryan Lilja for a starting spot at guard, but is more likely to be seasoned for a year before finding a permanent home on the life. I know it’s sometimes hard to get excited about the offensive line, but Pioli obviously has a process that seems to be working really well.

Picking back-to-back tackles isn’t as exciting as drafting guys like Justin Houston or Javier Arenas, but it feeds a system that can produce quality linemen that allows the Chiefs not use first round picks on offensive tackles, guards, or centers. It also means that the Chiefs will not be forced to commit free agent dollars on those positions either.

We are lucky to have landed Winston this offseason. Without him there would probably be no Poe. I like how Pioli is building this team. While I continue to be frustrated about Cassel, finding a franchise QB is never easy. We have had three solid drafts under Pioli and we can already see the results. Yes we need to find a QB, but at least we are building a strong team while we continue to look for him.

[ku_jhawk23]

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

I dunno, we were healthy in 2010 and got our ass beat 30-7 by what was arguably a shitty Joe Flacco.

The offense was healthy in Week 1, minus Moeaki, and couldn't do shit against a sorry Bills defense.

Injuries are a lame excuse, especially when your GM has Tyler Palko waiting in the wings.

So the Ravens D had nothing to do with that game????

And Haley's shitty plan to start the season had nothing to do with the Bills game? It was all Pioli?

The GM had Palko in waiting because his coach insisted on it....Palko was 100% Haley. Sometimes a GM has to allow their coach some decisions. The GM went into the season planning on the starting QB making it through the year....just like every other GM assumes.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

In all these situations, you can blame the majority of the problems on a shitty QB. Especially the Tyler Palko era and especially the Baltimore playoff game.

So?

We still have a shitty QB.

That's the whole ****ing reason I think we're going to get our asses beat against real football teams with real QBs this year.

[Coogs]

Originally Posted by philfree

Up till now but while you could say the best players were from Peterson's era that may change this year to an extent. Arenas, Berry, Houston, Lewis, Hudson, Winston, Moeoki, Baldwin and ect. These guys have questions to answer but that's alot of talent.

Oh, I agree totally. And they should start to take over if we are going to contend year in and year out. And if he hit on Stanzi, then I will most definately give him his due credit!

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

There's that bar being lowered again.

The elite teams expect to win playoff games. This fan base would throw a parade for one.

"If this team wins a playoff game..."

If Pioli is the genius some of you think he is, and this roster is as talented as some of you claim it is, we should be well past the "win a playoff game" mentality.

Instead, we've racked up 7 wins in 3 years and people would be satisfied with a ****ing playoff win.

This is dumb. Good teams expect to win because they are ****ing good.

Any fan of a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game in nearly 2 decades act the same.

If Pittsburgh was on the same futility streak they'd act the same way.

Getting excited over a playoff win isn't being satisfied, its being happy we were finally thrown a bone.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by ku_jhawk23

The GM went into the season planning on the starting QB making it through the year....just like every other GM assumes.

What? That's ****ing stupid. It's ****ing lunacy for a team to go into the year with no suitable backup QB. Why the **** do you think the 49ers went and got Steve Young even when they had Joe Montana?

[ku_jhawk23]

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

Why don't you go do some ****ing research on the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, or the 1990 New York Giants, who both had their starting quarterbacks go down at key moments and still won the Super Bowl.

Hostetler took over for Simms, and Kosar only played in a few games for Aikman, but the Cowboys won their division by ONE game, and if Kosar hadn't won a game during the regular season, the Cowboys would have been a wild card instead of the #1 seed.

Do I even need to bring up Rich Gannon?

Having a viable backup quarterback is an important part of any team that's competing for a championship.

I've done plenty of reasearch dumbass....Neither of those teams did what they did because of their backup. They did so because of the supporting cast. That is what Pioli is building. Pioli came to KC with the worst foundation possible. It isnt built in a year.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

So?

We still have a shitty QB.

That's the whole ****ing reason I think we're going to get our asses beat against real football teams with real QBs this year.

I think Cassel has proven that with a good supporting cast, he can play the "don't **** up" game against bad teams. And there will be a few games here and there against average teams where he'll play well enough not to lose. I think this team is talented enough to support Cassel to a 6-7 win season against a good schedule. Not that we should be happy about that.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Dave

This is dumb. Good teams expect to win because they are ****ing good.

According to some, Pioli has constructed a Super Bowl-caliber roster.

So are we good, or not?

What's dumb is making excuse after excuse for winning 21 games in 3 years.

[ku_jhawk23]

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

What? That's ****ing stupid. It's ****ing lunacy for a team to go into the year with no suitable backup QB. Why the **** do you think the 49ers went and got Steve Young even when they had Joe Montana?

cherry picking luck is great.....I can name many more good teams that faltered with a below average backup than you can name teams that thrived with a backup.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Coogs

I'm not following you at all. Pioli has filled in the pieces around what he inherited, but bottom line, you can make the case that the best players on this team were indeed inherited. Charles, Bowe, Hali, DJ, and Flowers. And to a bit lesser extent Albert, Dorsey, and Colquitt.

One could follow that up easily with

"DJ, Dorsey and Hali weren't very good. Piolis coaches turned things around for them.

Thanks Herm for Charles, Bowe and Flowers."

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

According to some, Pioli has constructed a Super Bowl-caliber roster.

So are we good, or not?

What's dumb is making excuse after excuse for winning 21 games in 3 years.

We are good.

Except for the QB. And that one miss is enough to turn us from a Super Bowl calibre team to a 6-8 win team.

So no, we don't have a Super Bowl calibre roster. But one move changes that.

[patteeu]

This is as good a thread as any to post this.

I'm listening to the PFW podcast, a NE Patriots' focused web radio program, done on the third day of the draft. They're really upset with the Patriots' 2nd round pick, Travis Wilson (multipurpose DB from Illinois). Apparently this was way before the draft prognosticators predicted he'd be taken. The interesting part of it is that they're saying that if Belichick wanted a flexible DB, he should have taken Alabama's DeQuan Menzie (the guy the Chiefs got in round 5) with that pick.

They went on to talk about guys they might like to see NE take in the later rounds. They didn't mention too many (maybe 8 guys or so), but they mentioned both Devon Wylie (Chiefs 4th round pick) and Cyrus Gray (Chiefs 6th round pick).

FWIW

[ku_jhawk23]

Originally Posted by patteeu

This is as good a thread as any to post this.

I'm listening to the PFW podcast, a NE Patriots' focused web radio program, done on the third day of the draft. They're really upset with the Patriots' 2nd round pick, Travis Wilson (multipurpose DB from Illinois). Apparently this was way before the draft prognosticators predicted he'd be taken. The interesting part of it is that they're saying that if Belichick wanted a flexible DB, he should have taken Alabama's DeQuan Menzie (the guy the Chiefs got in round 5) with that pick.

They went on to talk about guys they might like to see NE take in the later rounds. They didn't mention too many (maybe 8 guys or so), but they mentioned both Devon Wylie (Chiefs 4th round pick) and Cyrus Gray (Chiefs 6th round pick).

FWIW

You are not allowed to bring sanity to a CP thread

[Hammock Parties]

Even Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards had the sense to go get a guy like Damon Huard.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by ku_jhawk23

I've done plenty of reasearch dumbass....Neither of those teams did what they did because of their backup.

You are an idiot. A Tyler Palko-level QB wasn't going to do what Hostetler did that year for NY. Bernie Kosar was a very good QB, and Jimmy Johnson went on to write about what a huge part of their SB team he was that year.

Those teams were prepared in the event of a disaster.

Last year the Chiefs were woefully unprepared and unless Ricky Stanzi magically is amazing or Brady Quinn starts shitting tiffany cufflinks, we are ****ed again.