FIVE STORIES TO FOLLOW IN CHIEFS' CAMP
As the Chiefs begin their last training camp in River Falls Wisconsin, I thought it was time to examine five key areas of our favorite team that are certainly in question. Positive resolution to these five problem areas could push Kansas City to a .500 record, no improvement & we're looking at another 4-12 season. Realistically, I imagine the Chiefs will solve a couple of them, maybe three, but significant improvement is essential in Todd Haley's first season at the helm.
With the exception of the home opener vs Oakland in week 2, their schedule is front loaded with playoff teams & playoff contenders, so won/loss record may not show real improvement, but their scheme, execution & effort has to be better. Back-to-back games with Pittsburgh & San Diego are the only games against winning teams, so we should see a lot of improvement. The last five games are against Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati plus the home & home with Denver, three of them at Arrowhead. Barring catastrophic injury, the Chiefs need to win at least 3 of these games, four would be better & a sweep would demonstrate they had solved some of the following.
A dependable tight end must emerge from the pack.
Five prospects go to River Falls with 2nd year man, Brad Cottam, only a slight favorite to emerge as 'the man'. Cottam looked lost last year in the passing game. He's no Jason Dunn, but he's a servicable blocker. Sean Ryan & Tony Curtis are career backups, Ryan is the superior blocker. The remaining candidates are undrafted rookies, Tom Crabtree & Jake O'Connell. Since Haley obtained Bobby Engram to play in the slot, you won't see as many 2-TE formations as the Chiefs have run in past years. One of these guys needs to step forward during the preseason & then catch at least 40-45 balls this fall, minimum.
Better safety play.
This will be solved in one fell swoop if newly acquired Mike Brown can stay on the field, free from injury. Brown was one of the 3 or 4 best safeties in the league a few years ago before back-to-back seasons on injured reserve. Jarrad Page shows good instinct & is a reliable tackler but his partner, Bernard Pollard is too often out of position & isn't a consistent open field tackler. I thought DeJuan Morgan wasn't anything more than a decent special teamers when they drafted him & last season did nothing to change my mind. John McGraw is a fine special teams player & a tough run defender, but his lack of foot speed relegates him to backup status only.
Can Tamba Hali play outside linebacker?
I honestly believe Hali can be effective rushing the passer as an outside linebacker. He has a decent first step & had 15.5 sacks his first 2 seasons in the league. My concern is can he drag 275 pounds sideline to sideline pursuing the running game. I also question his ability to play 'in space' when called upon in pass coverage. I have even less confidence in Turk McBride & the only other candidate to play opposite Mike Vrabel, Pierre Walters, is an undrafted rookie who never played without his hand on the ground.
Can they find 3 defensive line starters out of the 10 guys in camp?
Other than drafting a franchise quarterback, scouting, drafting & coaching defensive linemen has been the Chiefs' Achilles heel for nearly a decade. They've certainly mastered the 'drafting' part of the problem, wasting pick after pick on high round prospects. Other than the departed Jared Allen, a 4th round selection, Kansas City hasn't picked anyone who evolved into an effective starter. If the defense lines up primarily in the 3-4, I think Tyson Jackson could excel. Alex Magee has the physical tools & showed flashes of what is needed while at Purdue. He just wasn't very consistent. Ron Edwards or Tank Tyler at nose tackle certainly isn't the ideal situation, but it is what it is & DL coach, Tim Krumrie, is going to have his hands full all season sorting this line out. And let's not forget the largest question mark, Glenn Dorsey. Was last season's disappointing production the fault of the scheme, the coaching or was it Dorsey? I thought their use of Dorsey last year set him up to fail & as the season progressed & he didn't, I thought his effort wasn't what it should have been. So, can he play right defensive end? Can he set the edge & hold his ground in the run game? Can he tie up blockers, allowing the linebackers to make plays? Can he consistently get penetration on passing downs, the 3-4 doesn't require the ends to be the sack guys, but getting a push into the pocket is essential. Will the arrival of his former linemate at LSU, Tyson Jackson, get his motor running & keep it running? In my mind, in the 3-4, the ideal line would be LDE Jackson, NT Edwards & RDE Dorsey. Backup line would be LDE Alfonso Boone, NT Tank Tyler & RDE Magee. This, to me, is the most pressing problem to be addressed in camp.
Who will back up Larry Johnson at running back?
Last season we watched a parade of ineffective runners. I think Johnson will have a decent year, something like 1,200 yards. But LJ isn't an effective pass receiver & he's almost always been a liability as a pass blocker, so he comes out of the game often on 3rd down & in obvious passing situations. So an effective 'change of pace' back must be identified in camp. They must be durable, they must be a willing & effective pass blocker & catching the ball is paramount. Kolby Smith is coming off knee surgery & runs tentatively in the open field. Jamaal Charles broke more 80-yard runs than anyone in University of Texas history, unfortunately that ability didn't translate to the next level last season, I can't recall him breaking a single tackle. Dantrell Savage barely weighs 180 pounds, so if he doesn't make it as a kick returner, he has zero chance of being on the 53-man roster. Jackie Battle is slow out of the blocks & has never been a 3rd down back. In my mind, that leaves rookie Javarris Williams. The squatty, bowling-ball back with the low center of gravity, caught 58 passes at Tennessee State, he is durable, starting 43 games. He ran for over 4,300 yards in those 43 games, so he has been productive. He doesn't fumble & has shown himself to be an alert, functional blocker. But all those stats were against inferior competition & he played in a very unsophisticated offense that relied more on athleticism than scheme. Still, if this young man comes into River Falls with an "all-out, I've got nothing to lose" kind of attitude, he could be the answer.
For those of you who expected me to include the offensive line here, I'll explain why I didn't. Brandon Albert has a year of experience & will only get better. Brian Waters, a 4-time Pro Bowl performer, shows no signs of diminishing skills & his dust-up with Todd Haley last March will probably die a quiet death if the media will stop asking both of them about it. Damion McIntosh made the move from left to right tackle last season & I think he'll play better in '09. Newly acquired, Mike Goff, should have another good year at right guard, possibly two, regardless, he's a major upgrade from Adrian Jones. The center position might be very competitive in camp. Returning starter, Rudy Niswanger might just be ousted by ex-Bengal free agent, Eric Ghiaciuc. Niswanger certainly has the smarts to play the pivot, but his height is accentuated by a long-waisted body type & he's somewhat underpowered, allowing shorter, stronger D-linemen to out-leverage him fairly consistently. Ghiacuic, a 4-year starter in Cincinnati, might be able wrest the starting spot away from Niswanger. If not, a significant upgrade will be needed next year. I think this line will play better than last season with lower sack totals provided Matt Cassel doesn't hold the ball too long as he did in New England. Tyler Thigpen was also guilty of this last year & was the cause of many of the sacks the line surrendered. Their run blocking should provide Johnson with better holes, Goff has always excelled in this part of the line play. The depth should be slightly better as younger players are brought into the fold with expectations of starting in their future.
With the exception of the home opener vs Oakland in week 2, their schedule is front loaded with playoff teams & playoff contenders, so won/loss record may not show real improvement, but their scheme, execution & effort has to be better. Back-to-back games with Pittsburgh & San Diego are the only games against winning teams, so we should see a lot of improvement. The last five games are against Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati plus the home & home with Denver, three of them at Arrowhead. Barring catastrophic injury, the Chiefs need to win at least 3 of these games, four would be better & a sweep would demonstrate they had solved some of the following.
A dependable tight end must emerge from the pack.
Five prospects go to River Falls with 2nd year man, Brad Cottam, only a slight favorite to emerge as 'the man'. Cottam looked lost last year in the passing game. He's no Jason Dunn, but he's a servicable blocker. Sean Ryan & Tony Curtis are career backups, Ryan is the superior blocker. The remaining candidates are undrafted rookies, Tom Crabtree & Jake O'Connell. Since Haley obtained Bobby Engram to play in the slot, you won't see as many 2-TE formations as the Chiefs have run in past years. One of these guys needs to step forward during the preseason & then catch at least 40-45 balls this fall, minimum.
Better safety play.
This will be solved in one fell swoop if newly acquired Mike Brown can stay on the field, free from injury. Brown was one of the 3 or 4 best safeties in the league a few years ago before back-to-back seasons on injured reserve. Jarrad Page shows good instinct & is a reliable tackler but his partner, Bernard Pollard is too often out of position & isn't a consistent open field tackler. I thought DeJuan Morgan wasn't anything more than a decent special teamers when they drafted him & last season did nothing to change my mind. John McGraw is a fine special teams player & a tough run defender, but his lack of foot speed relegates him to backup status only.
Can Tamba Hali play outside linebacker?
I honestly believe Hali can be effective rushing the passer as an outside linebacker. He has a decent first step & had 15.5 sacks his first 2 seasons in the league. My concern is can he drag 275 pounds sideline to sideline pursuing the running game. I also question his ability to play 'in space' when called upon in pass coverage. I have even less confidence in Turk McBride & the only other candidate to play opposite Mike Vrabel, Pierre Walters, is an undrafted rookie who never played without his hand on the ground.
Can they find 3 defensive line starters out of the 10 guys in camp?
Other than drafting a franchise quarterback, scouting, drafting & coaching defensive linemen has been the Chiefs' Achilles heel for nearly a decade. They've certainly mastered the 'drafting' part of the problem, wasting pick after pick on high round prospects. Other than the departed Jared Allen, a 4th round selection, Kansas City hasn't picked anyone who evolved into an effective starter. If the defense lines up primarily in the 3-4, I think Tyson Jackson could excel. Alex Magee has the physical tools & showed flashes of what is needed while at Purdue. He just wasn't very consistent. Ron Edwards or Tank Tyler at nose tackle certainly isn't the ideal situation, but it is what it is & DL coach, Tim Krumrie, is going to have his hands full all season sorting this line out. And let's not forget the largest question mark, Glenn Dorsey. Was last season's disappointing production the fault of the scheme, the coaching or was it Dorsey? I thought their use of Dorsey last year set him up to fail & as the season progressed & he didn't, I thought his effort wasn't what it should have been. So, can he play right defensive end? Can he set the edge & hold his ground in the run game? Can he tie up blockers, allowing the linebackers to make plays? Can he consistently get penetration on passing downs, the 3-4 doesn't require the ends to be the sack guys, but getting a push into the pocket is essential. Will the arrival of his former linemate at LSU, Tyson Jackson, get his motor running & keep it running? In my mind, in the 3-4, the ideal line would be LDE Jackson, NT Edwards & RDE Dorsey. Backup line would be LDE Alfonso Boone, NT Tank Tyler & RDE Magee. This, to me, is the most pressing problem to be addressed in camp.
Who will back up Larry Johnson at running back?
Last season we watched a parade of ineffective runners. I think Johnson will have a decent year, something like 1,200 yards. But LJ isn't an effective pass receiver & he's almost always been a liability as a pass blocker, so he comes out of the game often on 3rd down & in obvious passing situations. So an effective 'change of pace' back must be identified in camp. They must be durable, they must be a willing & effective pass blocker & catching the ball is paramount. Kolby Smith is coming off knee surgery & runs tentatively in the open field. Jamaal Charles broke more 80-yard runs than anyone in University of Texas history, unfortunately that ability didn't translate to the next level last season, I can't recall him breaking a single tackle. Dantrell Savage barely weighs 180 pounds, so if he doesn't make it as a kick returner, he has zero chance of being on the 53-man roster. Jackie Battle is slow out of the blocks & has never been a 3rd down back. In my mind, that leaves rookie Javarris Williams. The squatty, bowling-ball back with the low center of gravity, caught 58 passes at Tennessee State, he is durable, starting 43 games. He ran for over 4,300 yards in those 43 games, so he has been productive. He doesn't fumble & has shown himself to be an alert, functional blocker. But all those stats were against inferior competition & he played in a very unsophisticated offense that relied more on athleticism than scheme. Still, if this young man comes into River Falls with an "all-out, I've got nothing to lose" kind of attitude, he could be the answer.
For those of you who expected me to include the offensive line here, I'll explain why I didn't. Brandon Albert has a year of experience & will only get better. Brian Waters, a 4-time Pro Bowl performer, shows no signs of diminishing skills & his dust-up with Todd Haley last March will probably die a quiet death if the media will stop asking both of them about it. Damion McIntosh made the move from left to right tackle last season & I think he'll play better in '09. Newly acquired, Mike Goff, should have another good year at right guard, possibly two, regardless, he's a major upgrade from Adrian Jones. The center position might be very competitive in camp. Returning starter, Rudy Niswanger might just be ousted by ex-Bengal free agent, Eric Ghiaciuc. Niswanger certainly has the smarts to play the pivot, but his height is accentuated by a long-waisted body type & he's somewhat underpowered, allowing shorter, stronger D-linemen to out-leverage him fairly consistently. Ghiacuic, a 4-year starter in Cincinnati, might be able wrest the starting spot away from Niswanger. If not, a significant upgrade will be needed next year. I think this line will play better than last season with lower sack totals provided Matt Cassel doesn't hold the ball too long as he did in New England. Tyler Thigpen was also guilty of this last year & was the cause of many of the sacks the line surrendered. Their run blocking should provide Johnson with better holes, Goff has always excelled in this part of the line play. The depth should be slightly better as younger players are brought into the fold with expectations of starting in their future.
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