Connor Barwin planning a visit with the Chiefs

[Tribal Warfare]

Barwin Adds Another Visit
by Ed Thompson of ScoutNFLNetwork.com, March 27, 2009 at 7:58am ET



Scout.com has been told that University of Cincinnati DE/TE Connor Barwin has an official visit scheduled with the New England Patriots on Friday, March 29-30, according to a source.

The visit signals a strong level of interest from New England, since they also held a private workout with Barwin on March 10.

Barwin's already had an official visit with the Buffalo Bills in March, but he has four visits planned for April already. He'll kick off his road trips with the Kansas City Chiefs on April 1st and 2nd, then he's off to Tennessee to meet with the Titans on the 5th and 6th. Then it's off to Jacksonville for a visit on the 12th and 13th followed by the Rams on the 15th and 16th.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by kcrockaholic4life

Im hoping that we take him in the 2nd if we can get a pick that high.

I really hope we can trade down and get some picks back. Being able to get Barwin would mean we somehow ended up with a late 1st or very early 2nd.

[KCrockaholic]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I really hope we can trade down and get some picks back. Being able to get Barwin would mean we somehow ended up with a late 1st or very early 2nd.

It would be nice to have a 2nd again. I bet Barwin slides just because he only had one year of production.

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I really hope we can trade down and get some picks back. Being able to get Barwin would mean we somehow ended up with a late 1st or very early 2nd.

IMO it will be in the 17- 21 range if KC selects Barwin.

[ChiefsCountry]

Barwin stood out in the Orange Bowl. He just popped out.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by bdeg

a 10'8 broadjump and a 4.47 40
He matched that shuttle, too.

Johnston's 1.51 10 yard split is really impressive though, Barwin wasn't far behind with 1.53

Barwin's ceiling is literally 'through the roof'

Someone explain to me why Maybin is a better prospect than Barwin.

I'm not high on Maybin either and also Brown for the same reason - that they operated in a pure pass rush mode all season with little technique other than a speed rush.

Barwin is an athletic freak, and dominated rushing from the DE spot in his only season there. I don't know if it was because of the lack of competition or that he was just that good. I'm just a little leary of taking a guy with absolutely no experience at the OLB spot as early in the draft as they are considering him. It's just too much of a risk with that high of a pick. If the Chiefs had multiple second round picks, maybe...but it's asking a lot to go out on a limb for a guy you really don't know about other than insane combine numbers. The draft is littered with guys like that who never pan out. Chiefs just recently with Kawika Mitchell as an example. Crazy numbers, but the guy was simply a marginal at best football player. At least to me, with three years of TE experience and his athletic ability, Barwin should have been absolutely devastating people from that TE spot, unless he had oven mitts for hands and had an epiphany about football once he was thrown over to the other side of the ball. Who knows?

I understand that getting a one dimensional player is okay, if that one dimension is rushing the passer, but they had better do it better than anyone in the NFL to justify a #3 pick, ala DT. But I think you can pick up a two down Elvis Dumervil type of player later on...maybe not this draft though. Allen turned out to be so much more than that. Lucky for the Chiefs - at least for a couple of years. I think that they looked at Johnston in the same manner. Maybe he turns it on this next season. But I don't see Barwin as anything more than a smaller version of Brian Johnston at this point - with less experience at the edge.

The real befuddlement that I have is why George Selvie was told to go back to school and work on his game, but Maybin is in the draft and is being considered a first round pick. Selvie is an absolute beast in rushing the passer, and uses a variety of moves to do so. Absolutely relentless. That's the guy that I'd love the Chiefs to look at for next years draft. Him or Germaine Gresham as Tony's replacement.

[bdeg]

I think it's ridiculous to group Brown in with Maybin and Barwin when he has the best, most well-developed pass rush moves of any rusher in this draft. And as keg has pointed out, Brown was moved around on FSU's defense. They lined him up inside on some plays, had him rush standing up sometimes, and also had him occasionally drop into coverage.

Of course, I hope you realize I don't want to take Barwin at #3, right?

Dumervil doesn't have the same long-term upside. The same natural tools. You may get the same immediate production, but you're not drafting for potential.

[Spicy McHaggis]

Originally Posted by Saccogoo

Great. Second coming of Matt Jones. Freak athlete with no experience at any position. That's a first round pick for teams that border on insanity and a sixth round pick for a smart team.

I can see why you would say that, (both guys are "potential" guys, freakish athletes, played b-ball) but it isn't a great comparison IMO. Jones hadn't played any wide out prior to the pros aside from splitting a bit of time there his freshman year. There was really no evidence to think he would turn out to be really productive as a wideout in the NFL. Barwin has at least a year of experience at DE and was productive with 11 sacks.

Jones was a third round pick or later that Jacksonville took a major chance on. Barwin has generally been viewed as a 2nd rounder and if the Chiefs select him, it will probably be in that range. Jones looked disinterested in games in both college and the NFL whereas Barwin's work ethic has been lauded as great.

And Barwin doesn't have a coke problem.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by Spicy McHaggis

Jones was a third round pick or later that Jacksonville took a major chance on. .

Jones was a first round pick.

[bdeg]

Hey, don't repeat me on that 11 sacks, I checked and it was 10.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by bdeg

I think it's ridiculous to group Brown in with Maybin and Barwin when he has the best, most well-developed pass rush moves of any rusher in this draft. And as keg has pointed out, Brown was moved around on FSU's defense. They lined him up inside on some plays, had him rush standing up sometimes, and also had him occasionally drop into coverage.

Of course, I hope you realize I don't want to take Barwin at #3, right?

Dumervil doesn't have the same long-term upside. The same natural tools. You may get the same immediate production, but you're not drafting for potential.

I agree that Brown is better, at this point, than Maybin and Barwin, and does present a player with the potential for immediate production over these two players.

If the Chiefs are looking for that OLB/edge rusher, it comes down to him, Orakpo, Clint Sintim, or Larry English - all who are beasts off the edge and who have shown skills in other facets of the game (something that seems to be the knock on guys like Maybin and Barwin). I know that there are some on this board who aren't high on Orakpo, but he looks to be the guy with the most upside in this group. Big, and could get bigger. Fast, and is immensely strong. This is a guy who would be able to be a full game three down rush end. I'd personally take Orakpo over Brown by a hair based on Orakpo's size and strength. Both are quality players. However, I think that you could get Sintim or English later on in the first round/beginning of the second round and get about the same level of player - maybe more. English played at a smaller school, so his numbers are probably a little more inflated than the others, but he did it year in and year out and is a physical specimen - even more so than Orakpo. However, I think Sintim is the most well rounded of the four and might have the most productive long term future of all of them.

Another one to consider is Paul Kruger, but he's more of a 4-3 DE than a 3-4 LB or 3-4 DE. Absolute monster that never gives up and plays sideline to sideline. One man wrecking crew that looks to be the modern day equivalent to, say, Howie Long. Big frame and carries his weight well on it. He was impossible to stop one on one in the MWC, and every team basically ran the opposite direction from him. Destroyed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and I really regret that Andre Smith pussed out and didn't show for their matchup.

[bdeg]

I don't think Orakpo has the athleticism, the elite first-step, or the ability to use his hands to shed blocks necessary to make it as a 3-4 OLB. You can point to bad coaching, but he hasn't shown me enough improvement in his time at Texas for me to want to take him in the top 15. I think he'll end up as a 4-3 left end in 5 years. I'm impressed with your analysis of Kruger, I wasn't that impressed with his #'s, but I'll have to check him out more.

English I like a lot, and I see flashes of quickness. Gotta love the long-term productivity. Very physical player.

Sintim plays with great technique. I think he'd probably make the easiest transition to a 3-4 OLB. He's grown on me a bit recently, but something bugs me a little. I didn't watch a whole game of his unfortunately so I have to go off highlight tapes. Maybe it's that he's getting fatigued but he just doesn't seem to always be as explosive as he can be.

[Spicy McHaggis]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Jones was a first round pick.

I know, I was just stating prior to the draft he was widely considered about a 3rd round value. I was shocked that the Jaguars spent a first on him.

[bdeg]

I like when Utah lined up with 3 linemen, Kruger had to be double-teamed and still got to the QB. At 6'4 I wonder if he couldn't add 30 lbs and be a monster 3-4 DE in a couple years. I think he might have the athleticism to play 3-4 OLB, they dropped him into coverage occasionally, and he can obviously fight through blocks. You're right he probably fits best in a 4-3.

It's really frustrating not having any picks in the range of where all of these players will go, makes me think we're going to trade down even more.

[rockymtnchief]

Nice to finally hear a few others who've noticed Simtin. I've mentioned him in other threads and got little or no replies. I was hoping to get him in the 2nd round. Then the big trade changed all that.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by kcrockaholic4life

most of us dont speak douchebag either, but we put up with you.

It doesnt matter when Vrabel was drafted, im talking about Barwins projected NFL skills. Ive seen my fair share of Barwin, and he is very much like Vrabel. Even all the "experts" will tell you Barwin is a lot like Vrabel, and ive seen some call him a "Vrabel clone".

Okay, n00b, there is a little thing called "Ignore". If you don't like getting shit slung in your face for ridiculous comparisons, use it.

It absolutely matters when Vrabel was drafted because it took him nearly 5 years to figure how to play in the NFL and that was with his second team. So are you comparing him to Vrabel when he was drafted or Mike Vrabel 8 years after he was drafted?

Originally Posted by kcrockaholic4life

Somebody needs to block you from the draft forum until you learn a thing or two about the players in this years draft.

And you need to go **** yourself, Dickhead.