Chiefs 2-14 Chiefs see better days ahead

xbarretx · 01-11-2009, 10:11 AM

good to have something positive being said about us.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...e.3792d98.html

2-14 Chiefs see better days ahead

Edwards sees reason to be optimistic after getting 70 starts from rookie class

01:26 AM CST on Sunday, January 11, 2009

When coach Herman Edwards looks at his 2008 Kansas City Chiefs, he doesn't see a 2-14 team.

He sees a team with a future.

For six consecutive seasons, the Chiefs were one of the oldest teams in the NFL. But as their players aged, their stock as playoff contenders diminished. The Chiefs slid from a 13-3 team in 2003 to a 4-12 team in 2007.

So the Chiefs made an organizational decision to get younger in 2008. Kansas City drafted a league-high 12 players last April, and Edwards made the commitment to put them on the field

It was painful at times to watch. The Chiefs were steamrolled by Atlanta (38-14), shut out by Carolina (31-0) and crushed by Tennessee (34-10) in the first half of the season.

But by the end of the year, the young Chiefs were competitive. They lost by a point to AFC West champion San Diego in December. Then AFC East champ Miami needed a touchdown in the closing minutes to avert an upset.

The Chiefs kept 11 of their 12 draft picks, and another finished the season on injured reserve. Seven of the draft picks started a staggering 70 games – 26 more than any other team. The average age of their starting lineup dropped from 28.9 years in 2007 to 25.2 in 2008.

Four of the picks – first-rounders Glenn Dorsey (defensive tackle) and Branden Albert (offensive tackle), second-rounder Brandon Flowers (cornerback) and fifth-rounder Brandon Carr (cornerback) – became season-long starters.

AP
Rookie Brandon Flowers became a season-long starter at cornerback for Kansas City.
View larger More photos Photo store "Something good is going to come out of all this," Edwards said. "I know that, and I think the players know that, too."

Here's a team-by-team review of the 2008 draft based on rookie productivity, plus updated grades from The Dallas Morning News based on first-year achievement. The number of rookie starts and starters weighed heavily in the grading process.
*then theres lots of charts after the article comparing them to the rest of the nfl and such.*

01-11-2009, 10:11 AM	Topic Starter
xbarretx The Freeze! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Prosper, TX (DFW) Casino cash: $9765000	2-14 Chiefs see better days ahead good to have something positive being said about us. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...e.3792d98.html 2-14 Chiefs see better days ahead Edwards sees reason to be optimistic after getting 70 starts from rookie class 01:26 AM CST on Sunday, January 11, 2009 When coach Herman Edwards looks at his 2008 Kansas City Chiefs, he doesn't see a 2-14 team. He sees a team with a future. For six consecutive seasons, the Chiefs were one of the oldest teams in the NFL. But as their players aged, their stock as playoff contenders diminished. The Chiefs slid from a 13-3 team in 2003 to a 4-12 team in 2007. So the Chiefs made an organizational decision to get younger in 2008. Kansas City drafted a league-high 12 players last April, and Edwards made the commitment to put them on the field It was painful at times to watch. The Chiefs were steamrolled by Atlanta (38-14), shut out by Carolina (31-0) and crushed by Tennessee (34-10) in the first half of the season. But by the end of the year, the young Chiefs were competitive. They lost by a point to AFC West champion San Diego in December. Then AFC East champ Miami needed a touchdown in the closing minutes to avert an upset. The Chiefs kept 11 of their 12 draft picks, and another finished the season on injured reserve. Seven of the draft picks started a staggering 70 games – 26 more than any other team. The average age of their starting lineup dropped from 28.9 years in 2007 to 25.2 in 2008. Four of the picks – first-rounders Glenn Dorsey (defensive tackle) and Branden Albert (offensive tackle), second-rounder Brandon Flowers (cornerback) and fifth-rounder Brandon Carr (cornerback) – became season-long starters. AP Rookie Brandon Flowers became a season-long starter at cornerback for Kansas City. View larger More photos Photo store "Something good is going to come out of all this," Edwards said. "I know that, and I think the players know that, too." Here's a team-by-team review of the 2008 draft based on rookie productivity, plus updated grades from The Dallas Morning News based on first-year achievement. The number of rookie starts and starters weighed heavily in the grading process. then theres lots of charts after the article comparing them to the rest of the nfl and such.
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