Chiefs Teicher: Chiefs rookies Allen, Stephenson get in line - Page 5

Coogs · 05-13-2012, 08:58 AM

Chiefs rookies Allen, Stephenson get in line

The Chiefs would rather have draft picks Allen and Stephenson sit and learn this season.

By ADAM TEICHER

The Kansas City Star

Chiefs offensive linemen Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson were side-by-side at this weekend’s rookie camp, and the team hopes they will be that way for years to come

The Chiefs unveiled at their weekend rookie camp what could be the left side of their future offensive line. Jeff Allen, their second-round draft pick, was the left guard while Donald Stephenson, their third-round choice, was next to him at tackle.

It’s not a reach to believe both players could someday be starting in those spots for the Chiefs. The incumbents, left guard Ryan Lilja and left tackle Branden Albert, are heading into the final season of their contracts.

The Chiefs just hope that someday won’t come this year. They would like Allen and Stephenson ready to play in case of injury to a starter, but would rather for now they sit and learn.

“All things being equal,” coach Romeo Crennel said, “I’d rather have veterans everywhere.”

Even without Allen and Stephenson, the Chiefs will have a couple of new elements on their offensive line. Rodney Hudson, a second-round draft pick last year, will take over from Casey Wiegmann at center. Eric Winston was signed as a free agent to play right tackle.

Lilja, Albert and right guard Jon Asamoah were starters last year. The Chiefs appear in no mood to tinker any more with their offensive line.

“With that position group, the more they work together, the more they will jell,” Crennel said. “I think everybody knows that. The sooner you can get the guys that you have working together, the better chance they have to jell. They will jell because the nature of that group is that they like to hang out together, they like to do things together. But you’ve got to keep them together to make that happen.”

That’s particularly important for the Chiefs, who are getting younger on the offensive line. Among the five starters, Lilja is the oldest at 30 and the only one over 28. Hudson will be in his first year as a starter, just as Asamoah was last year.

Lilja, who once helped the Colts win a Super Bowl, qualifies as a veteran. But having joined the Chiefs only in 2010, he’s not a long-timer in the sense of Wiegmann or Brian Waters, who was released by the Chiefs last summer.

“We’ve got some of the core guys that have been here for a couple of years,” Albert said. “I’ve been here four-plus seasons, Ryan’s been here (two)-plus seasons. So it is kind of hard, but right now is the most important stage of developing our offensive line, the continuity and getting things together. We work together and as we move into (offseason practice) and minicamp and training camp, hopefully everything comes together with the new young guys that are coming in and the new free agents, that we all come together and get things going.”

For now, Allen and Stephenson figure in as depth, though soon it could be more than that.

“Basically come in, work hard, come in with the mind-set that you want to learn and get better every day,” Albert said when asked what advice he would have for his new teammates. “You’re going to have your struggles here and there and you’re going go through hard times, you’re going to hit a rookie wall but keep fighting and go to the right people for the right advice and keep striving to be the best player you can be.”

The rookie camp is just the start. The Chiefs aren’t in full pads and contact is minimal, so the Chiefs will have to wait until training camp to get a better gauge on how advanced their rookie linemen are.

“The good guys aren’t even here,” Crennel said. “When they start going against the good guys and have the pads on, we’ll see if they can hold their own. At that time, we’ll begin to have an indication.”

Allen played tackle in college at Illinois but will likely be a guard with the Chiefs.

“I felt comfortable but it’s a lot different than tackle,” said Allen, who missed Saturday’s practices to participate in graduation ceremonies at Illinois. He was scheduled to return today. “You’ve got to be less patient. It’s definitely a process. We all just got the playbooks yesterday. We were in the books last night. You’ve got to take the time to study so you can come out and play fast.

“The tempo was really fast and everyone is a really great player, so you know you have to pick it up a few notches.”

Stephenson was at home, and not just at tackle. He’s from the Kansas City area, having attended Central High and then Blue Springs before moving on to college at Oklahoma. He was a two-year starter at tackle for the Sooners.

“It’s faster,” Stephenson said. “I expected that. The mental part of it has increased. It’s the NFL. It’s going to be tougher. So I have to be tougher and I have to be smarter.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/12...#storylink=cpy

Titty Meat · 05-13-2012, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

Because drafting a ****ing guard at #11 overall is the most ****ing stupid waste of a draft pick, and only a ****ing moron, like you you ****ing dipshit, can not understand that.

You, and your ilk are all a bunch of ****ing idiots who are ****ing clueless.

JFC, ****ing morons.

Would you have drafted Poe over DeCastro?

milkman · 05-13-2012, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Would you have drafted Poe over DeCastro?

I said before the draft that the one guy that would piss me off the most at #11 was DeCastro, so the answer is yes.

Poe pissed me off, and I said that he was among the top 3, but DeCastro was my number 1 hate pick.

In58men · 05-13-2012, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

Because drafting a ****ing guard at #11 overall is the most ****ing stupid waste of a draft pick, and only a ****ing moron, like you you ****ing dipshit, can not understand that.

You, and your ilk are all a bunch of ****ing idiots who are ****ing clueless.

JFC, ****ing morons.

Saccopoo · 05-13-2012, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossChief

they were "considered the best at their respective positions" by who?

Answer: Saccapoo

I'm a big Chapman fan, but I'm not privy to his actual medical reports that show how playing a year with a torn ACL will effect his ability to recover fully from the injury after surgery.

Alameda is way overrated. He got neutralized by single blocks a lot and I never saw him as a guy you could even think about as "the best at his respective position"

Powe fell due to his disability and his lacking abilities to be "scheme diverse"

Poe rose up boards because of his extremely rare physical tools and by whatever the guys saw on film. We felt strongly enough about him that we passed on moving down in the draft because we didn't think he would still be there.

Basically, the people that are better than everyone else at assessing DL talent fell in love with him and that means more than some Internet knowitalls (that didn't watch a single game of Poes) not liking the pick.

I would have rather stayed away from a NT this draft and see what we had in Powe. Gordon was more than serviceable last year backing up Gregg and next years draft class has potentially three or four legit first round NT talents in it.

And you are correct - I didn't watch a single Memphis game this past season. But just trying to correlate his size/strength/speed with competition faced and the resulting numbers...something doesn't add up. I just hope this doesn't end up being a Kawika Mitchell situation for the Chiefs.

And both Ta'amu and Chapman were more highly regarded than Poe prior to his post-Combine meteoric rise. There is no argument about DeCastro. He was head and shoulders above every other guard in this draft. (That being said, I liked Hudson better coming out of college than I did DeCastro, but Hudson fell due to his size and arm length. Personally, I would have rather had DeCastro at this point post draft as he would have provided the most immediate upgrade to the team as they were moving Hudson inside all along. With the rookie salary cap in place, the positional value as it relates to draft pick status doesn't necessarily relate as it once did.)

And I've already said that I would have been happy to ride out 2012 with Powe and Gordon. I think Powe is going to surprise people this year. He's prototype for the position, especially in this particular scheme, and plays the position correctly - gets under the pads and drives with leverage. Maybe Poe was simply a Ngata type thing where he moves to the outside and takes advantage of his freakish athleticism as it relates to his mass/size if they don't resign Dorsey. I don't think he's necessarily long enough to play the five tech, but...eh.

They could have/should have waited until next year to look at potential NT's, but it is what it is. We've got Poe, Allen and Stephenson as our cornerstones of the 2012 draft class and that's not going to change. We'll see how it ends up.

I just don't understand the thought process behind it and hope that there will be some accountability if this class ends up like the 2009 one (as well as the rumors of Pioli's tyrannical machinations in the officeplace).

Saccopoo · 05-13-2012, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

This is one of the stupidest posts ever written on drafting. Congratulations on that, I guess.

Why?

Saccopoo · 05-13-2012, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

link?

Quote:

Maine DE/LB Jovan Belcher (6-1 3/8, 243) ran a 4.90 and 4.88 40-yard dash, 4.25 short shuttle and 7.07 three-cone drill. Belcher recorded a 30-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot broad jump and 19 bench press lifts.

243.

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/29/hofs...hold-pro-days/

Saccopoo · 05-13-2012, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

Because drafting a ****ing guard at #11 overall is the most ****ing stupid waste of a draft pick, and only a ****ing moron, like you you ****ing dipshit, can not understand that.

You, and your ilk are all a bunch of ****ing idiots who are ****ing clueless.

JFC, ****ing morons.

Dude...swallow a Xanax.

My point is that they took a guard with their high second rounder. And the guy wasn't even a guard. If they were planning on taking a guard that high, then they should have just taken the best guard in the draft.

whoman69 · 05-13-2012, 03:23 PM

How about we simplify the argument. Which helps the team more:

DeCastro/Chapman

or

Poe/Allen

?

ChiefAshhole20 · 05-13-2012, 03:24 PM

I'd be much more pissed if we went into the season at NT with Gordon, a 6th round pick (Powe) and a 4th round pick (Chapman) rather than Gordon, Powe, and a 1st round pick (Poe). This means they realize that NT was a problem and addressed it, which gives me hope for a new QB next year

whoman69 · 05-13-2012, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoman69

How about we simplify the argument. Which helps the team more:

DeCastro/Chapman

or

Poe/Allen

?

Feel free to substitute Ta'amu for Chapman.

Pasta Little Brioni · 05-13-2012, 03:26 PM

I'll take the guys they drafted and see how they pan out.

Just Passin' By · 05-13-2012, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Why?

Several reasons, including players you're pimping as if they're your personal whores not being drafted until the 4th round or later.

milkman · 05-13-2012, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Dude...swallow a Xanax.

My point is that they took a guard with their high second rounder. And the guy wasn't even a guard. If they were planning on taking a guard that high, then they should have just taken the best guard in the draft.

Carl Nicks, the best guard in the league right now, is a converted college tackle.

Who gives a **** if they drafted a tackle to convert to guard, other than you?

There is absolutey no justification for pissing away a#11 overall pick on a guard.

**RealSNR** · 05-13-2012, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Well there you have it.

Saccopoo · 05-13-2012, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

Carl Nicks, the best guard in the league right now, is a converted college tackle.

Who gives a **** if they drafted a tackle to convert to guard, other than you?

There is absolutey no justification for pissing away a#11 overall pick on a guard.

It's the same as pissing it away on a two-down hole plugger.

I wouldn't have done either.

My only argument was that they took one in the second. Ain't much of a difference at that point.

And I don't give a shit if they drafted a tackle to play the guard spot. Probably could have had an All-Pro at guard in Albert if they moved him back inside. It's the fact that they took one in high in the second and DeCastro was, theoretically, the best guard prospect in a decade. If you plan on taking one with your high second rounder, it's not that big of a deal just to pull the trigger on the better guy one round earlier.

05-13-2012, 08:58 AM
Coogs In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Northern Kansas Casino cash: $1034349	Teicher: Chiefs rookies Allen, Stephenson get in line Chiefs rookies Allen, Stephenson get in line The Chiefs would rather have draft picks Allen and Stephenson sit and learn this season. By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star Chiefs offensive linemen Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson were side-by-side at this weekend’s rookie camp, and the team hopes they will be that way for years to come The Chiefs unveiled at their weekend rookie camp what could be the left side of their future offensive line. Jeff Allen, their second-round draft pick, was the left guard while Donald Stephenson, their third-round choice, was next to him at tackle. It’s not a reach to believe both players could someday be starting in those spots for the Chiefs. The incumbents, left guard Ryan Lilja and left tackle Branden Albert, are heading into the final season of their contracts. The Chiefs just hope that someday won’t come this year. They would like Allen and Stephenson ready to play in case of injury to a starter, but would rather for now they sit and learn. “All things being equal,” coach Romeo Crennel said, “I’d rather have veterans everywhere.” Even without Allen and Stephenson, the Chiefs will have a couple of new elements on their offensive line. Rodney Hudson, a second-round draft pick last year, will take over from Casey Wiegmann at center. Eric Winston was signed as a free agent to play right tackle. Lilja, Albert and right guard Jon Asamoah were starters last year. The Chiefs appear in no mood to tinker any more with their offensive line. “With that position group, the more they work together, the more they will jell,” Crennel said. “I think everybody knows that. The sooner you can get the guys that you have working together, the better chance they have to jell. They will jell because the nature of that group is that they like to hang out together, they like to do things together. But you’ve got to keep them together to make that happen.” That’s particularly important for the Chiefs, who are getting younger on the offensive line. Among the five starters, Lilja is the oldest at 30 and the only one over 28. Hudson will be in his first year as a starter, just as Asamoah was last year. Lilja, who once helped the Colts win a Super Bowl, qualifies as a veteran. But having joined the Chiefs only in 2010, he’s not a long-timer in the sense of Wiegmann or Brian Waters, who was released by the Chiefs last summer. “We’ve got some of the core guys that have been here for a couple of years,” Albert said. “I’ve been here four-plus seasons, Ryan’s been here (two)-plus seasons. So it is kind of hard, but right now is the most important stage of developing our offensive line, the continuity and getting things together. We work together and as we move into (offseason practice) and minicamp and training camp, hopefully everything comes together with the new young guys that are coming in and the new free agents, that we all come together and get things going.” For now, Allen and Stephenson figure in as depth, though soon it could be more than that. “Basically come in, work hard, come in with the mind-set that you want to learn and get better every day,” Albert said when asked what advice he would have for his new teammates. “You’re going to have your struggles here and there and you’re going go through hard times, you’re going to hit a rookie wall but keep fighting and go to the right people for the right advice and keep striving to be the best player you can be.” The rookie camp is just the start. The Chiefs aren’t in full pads and contact is minimal, so the Chiefs will have to wait until training camp to get a better gauge on how advanced their rookie linemen are. “The good guys aren’t even here,” Crennel said. “When they start going against the good guys and have the pads on, we’ll see if they can hold their own. At that time, we’ll begin to have an indication.” Allen played tackle in college at Illinois but will likely be a guard with the Chiefs. “I felt comfortable but it’s a lot different than tackle,” said Allen, who missed Saturday’s practices to participate in graduation ceremonies at Illinois. He was scheduled to return today. “You’ve got to be less patient. It’s definitely a process. We all just got the playbooks yesterday. We were in the books last night. You’ve got to take the time to study so you can come out and play fast. “The tempo was really fast and everyone is a really great player, so you know you have to pick it up a few notches.” Stephenson was at home, and not just at tackle. He’s from the Kansas City area, having attended Central High and then Blue Springs before moving on to college at Oklahoma. He was a two-year starter at tackle for the Sooners. “It’s faster,” Stephenson said. “I expected that. The mental part of it has increased. It’s the NFL. It’s going to be tougher. So I have to be tougher and I have to be smarter.” Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/12...#storylink=cpy
Posts: 21,676

05-13-2012, 03:24 PM	#69
ChiefAshhole20 Starter Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Houston, TX Casino cash: $10005862	I'd be much more pissed if we went into the season at NT with Gordon, a 6th round pick (Powe) and a 4th round pick (Chapman) rather than Gordon, Powe, and a 1st round pick (Poe). This means they realize that NT was a problem and addressed it, which gives me hope for a new QB next year
Posts: 575

05-13-2012, 03:26 PM	#71
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $3428880	I'll take the guys they drafted and see how they pan out.
Posts: 69,312