CHIEFS REVIEW - THE OFFENSE
This is a 3-part player by player analysis of the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs. today, the offense, tomorrow the defense & part III will include a review of coaching, what the total picture looks like talent-wise & a quick listing of draftable players. And away we go.
The offense:
Center--Rudy Niswanger
His bad-snap-trip to San Diego was inexcusable. By this time in his career, Niswanger should have been an anchor to this offensive line, he's not. When you're still part of the problem instead of being part of the solution, it's time to go. I've said for three years, this guy gets stood up way too often by stronger, squattier defensive tackles. When you lose leverage, you get beat at the point of attack, how many times do you see Rudy on top of a guy he pancaked 5 yards downfield? Never, he must be replaced in the off-season. Wade Smith is the backup.
Guards--Brian Waters, Wade Smith, Mike Goff & Andy Alleman
The starters(Waters & Smith) played pretty well, especially Waters, enough to earn roster spots next season. Goff's solid career got very old very quickly this season, it's time he retired. I never saw anything from Alleman that made me think he was part of the solution.
Tackles--Brandon Albert, Ryan O'Callaghan, Barry Richardson, Ikechuku Ndukwe & Colin Brown
Mixed bag here. Albert seemed to regress under Todd Haley's Weight Watcher's obsession. After losing some 30 pounds, Albert looked unable to hold his ground too often. He gave up 9 sacks after only surrendering 5 as a rookie. He might be moved to right tackle or a guard position. He was flagged too often holding guys as they overpowered him. Maybe Haley could split the difference & let Albert put 15 pounds back on his 6' 7" frame. O'Callaghan was a mid-round player coming out of Cal that I really liked. I loved his intensity & mean streak for a right tackle. He looked better every week after his week 3 arrival. He should make the roster at minimum next season. Barry Richardson hasn't done anything to change my opinion of him coming out of Clemson, he was a huge, slow footed, non-aggressive tackle who looks like Tarzan but plays like Jane. Ndukwe was in the Alleman trade & Bill Parcells is probably still laughing about that deal. Brown, a rookie from Mizzou is about 25 pounds too heavy & absolutely unprepared to play in a pro offense, so the Chiefs did the smart thing, buried him on the injured reserve list so he could get plenty of schooling without the risk of losing him. I honestly don't know if he will ever dress for a regular season NFL game, but he'll get his chance to prove he deserves one.
Tight Ends--Leonard Pope, Brad Cottam, Jake O'Connell & Sean Ryan
After watching Tony Gonzalez for 11 years, 9 of them as a Pro Bowl performer, what remains is truly bleak. Pope is a refugee from Arizona, Haley's last stop. He looks like Lurch(from the "Adams Family" younger readers) he moves like Lurch. He catches about 50% of the throws directed his way, hardly acceptable. No run after the catch factor he is at best, a third string NFL TE. Brad Cottam was buried under Todd Haley, inactive for several games before even dressing for a game. He finally got his shot against Cleveland & he actually looked like a big time NFL TE. He ran good patterns, caught the ball with his hands in stride & made yards after the catch. Late in that game he sustained a fractured vertebra in his neck, shelving him the rest of the year. Barring trade, F/A signing or drafting a TE in the 1st round, Cottam is my choice to start the season. Jake O'Connell was our 7th round draft pick in '09. At least we didn't shell out much for a stone-handed prospect in way over his head. Sean Ryan started the season with several receptions & 2 touchdowns, it went sour quickly. I see no chance for him to return here in 2010.
Wide Receivers--Dwayne Bowe, Chris Chambers, Bobby Wade, Terrence Copper, Quentin Lawrence, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram, Lance Long & a partridge in a pear tree.
Easily the most dysfunctional part of this team, they flat out stunk up the place most of the time. Yes, Chambers made an impact after he was acquired, but dropped the game winner vs. Cleveland. He could easily return as their 3rd or 4th receiver, but sadly, I think he'll start due to an extreme talent deficiency. Dwayne Bowe was supposed to have a breakout season playing under the coach that helped Larry Fitzgerald & Anquan Boldin become such a dangerous tandem. Bowe started off on the wrong foot, coming to OTA's about 30 pounds overweight. To get Haley off his back, he used diuretics to drop the weight, then got busted by the league & suspended for 4 games. Bowe continued to drop passes & enrage his coach. He should be an excellent #2 receiver, but right now, he's a long way from there. Here's hoping Bowe can get his head out of his ass, he has a lot of talent & could be a huge part of a winning team. Wade has his moments, he did stabilize the punt return situation, he's sure-handed tho he doesn't pose much of a threat to bust a long return. Like the rest of the group, he dropped his share & made Haley crazy not extending for a long pass in a game the Chiefs lost. He's not a long term answer. Terrence Copper is mostly a punt coverage gunner, but in the Denver game they went deep to him & he caught it for a 50-yard gain. At best, Copper returns next season to do the same job. Lawrence was a 6th round draft choice & I saw little that excites me about his game, he was cut twice & resigned twice, catching but 1 pass all year. Returned a lot of kickoffs & most times he was tackled by the first guy who came close to him. Mark Bradley was cut, signed with Tampa Bay & let's hope he stays there puzzling their management as to why they signed him. Like the Chiefs had done for 2 seasons. Bobby Engram was used up when Haley brought him in before the season started, he's gone now as well. Lance Long was another ex-Cardinal Haley brought in a desperate attempt to find anyone who could catch 3 passes in a row. Long couldn't do it, plus he was close to being broken in half several times. Definitely not a keeper.
Running backs--Larry Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Kolby Smith, Dantrell Savage, & Mike Battle.
With one notable exception, Jamaal Charles, this position is depth-less, is that a word? The Chiefs have a budding start in Charles but they need at least one productive back behind him so they can keep his carries to something around 25 touches per game. Charles is very tough but his upright running style could beat him down quickly. He has the quick feet & breakaway speed to make him a major weapon for the Chiefs' offense. LJ is gone, about 3 years too late, the rest of the running backs are not NFL backs by any stretch of the imagination.
Fullbacks--Mike Cox & Tim Castille
Neither are runners, both have fair pass catching skills & Cox is a decent lead blocker. Not a must position for the off season, but one that could use an upgrade at some point. Lead blockers are a dying breed, too bad Carl Peterson let the best one we ever had, Tony Richardson, go over $200K 5 years ago. By the way, he's still going strong & in the playoffs again, leading another 1,000-yard rusher.
Quarterbacks--Matt Cassel, Brody Croyle & Matt Gutierrez
The jury's still out on the starter & a lot of questions remain regarding Cassel. Here's what we know so far, Croyle & Gutierrez aren't NFL starting quarterbacks. Croyle in a pinch could start a game, but he's never going to threaten the starter. Gutierrez is way behind Croyle, he is the definition of a clipboard holder. Cassel had his moments, but considering the pathetic receiving corps he had to work with & how little practice time they shared, I'm going to give him a pass. He will need to up his completion percentage & that's tied to his receivers, as they improve, he should improve. Even if Charlie Weis is able to come in here & work some real magic with Cassel, I honestly don't think he's any better than 16th, 17th in the league. The $60 million price tag that Cassel carries tells me he should be better than middle of the pack & I don't think he is.
Placekicker--Ryan Succop
"Mr. Irrelevant" was a rousing success. After the last 5 years of 'placekicker roulette', they finally got it right. At least it appears that way. Succop kicked 25 of 29 & only missed once from inside 50-yards. If he can duplicate that, say for the next 2 seasons, then we know we have our kicker for the next 10-years. His kickoffs were decent, not a boomer, but acceptable.
Tomorrow: the defense.
The offense:
Center--Rudy Niswanger
His bad-snap-trip to San Diego was inexcusable. By this time in his career, Niswanger should have been an anchor to this offensive line, he's not. When you're still part of the problem instead of being part of the solution, it's time to go. I've said for three years, this guy gets stood up way too often by stronger, squattier defensive tackles. When you lose leverage, you get beat at the point of attack, how many times do you see Rudy on top of a guy he pancaked 5 yards downfield? Never, he must be replaced in the off-season. Wade Smith is the backup.
Guards--Brian Waters, Wade Smith, Mike Goff & Andy Alleman
The starters(Waters & Smith) played pretty well, especially Waters, enough to earn roster spots next season. Goff's solid career got very old very quickly this season, it's time he retired. I never saw anything from Alleman that made me think he was part of the solution.
Tackles--Brandon Albert, Ryan O'Callaghan, Barry Richardson, Ikechuku Ndukwe & Colin Brown
Mixed bag here. Albert seemed to regress under Todd Haley's Weight Watcher's obsession. After losing some 30 pounds, Albert looked unable to hold his ground too often. He gave up 9 sacks after only surrendering 5 as a rookie. He might be moved to right tackle or a guard position. He was flagged too often holding guys as they overpowered him. Maybe Haley could split the difference & let Albert put 15 pounds back on his 6' 7" frame. O'Callaghan was a mid-round player coming out of Cal that I really liked. I loved his intensity & mean streak for a right tackle. He looked better every week after his week 3 arrival. He should make the roster at minimum next season. Barry Richardson hasn't done anything to change my opinion of him coming out of Clemson, he was a huge, slow footed, non-aggressive tackle who looks like Tarzan but plays like Jane. Ndukwe was in the Alleman trade & Bill Parcells is probably still laughing about that deal. Brown, a rookie from Mizzou is about 25 pounds too heavy & absolutely unprepared to play in a pro offense, so the Chiefs did the smart thing, buried him on the injured reserve list so he could get plenty of schooling without the risk of losing him. I honestly don't know if he will ever dress for a regular season NFL game, but he'll get his chance to prove he deserves one.
Tight Ends--Leonard Pope, Brad Cottam, Jake O'Connell & Sean Ryan
After watching Tony Gonzalez for 11 years, 9 of them as a Pro Bowl performer, what remains is truly bleak. Pope is a refugee from Arizona, Haley's last stop. He looks like Lurch(from the "Adams Family" younger readers) he moves like Lurch. He catches about 50% of the throws directed his way, hardly acceptable. No run after the catch factor he is at best, a third string NFL TE. Brad Cottam was buried under Todd Haley, inactive for several games before even dressing for a game. He finally got his shot against Cleveland & he actually looked like a big time NFL TE. He ran good patterns, caught the ball with his hands in stride & made yards after the catch. Late in that game he sustained a fractured vertebra in his neck, shelving him the rest of the year. Barring trade, F/A signing or drafting a TE in the 1st round, Cottam is my choice to start the season. Jake O'Connell was our 7th round draft pick in '09. At least we didn't shell out much for a stone-handed prospect in way over his head. Sean Ryan started the season with several receptions & 2 touchdowns, it went sour quickly. I see no chance for him to return here in 2010.
Wide Receivers--Dwayne Bowe, Chris Chambers, Bobby Wade, Terrence Copper, Quentin Lawrence, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram, Lance Long & a partridge in a pear tree.
Easily the most dysfunctional part of this team, they flat out stunk up the place most of the time. Yes, Chambers made an impact after he was acquired, but dropped the game winner vs. Cleveland. He could easily return as their 3rd or 4th receiver, but sadly, I think he'll start due to an extreme talent deficiency. Dwayne Bowe was supposed to have a breakout season playing under the coach that helped Larry Fitzgerald & Anquan Boldin become such a dangerous tandem. Bowe started off on the wrong foot, coming to OTA's about 30 pounds overweight. To get Haley off his back, he used diuretics to drop the weight, then got busted by the league & suspended for 4 games. Bowe continued to drop passes & enrage his coach. He should be an excellent #2 receiver, but right now, he's a long way from there. Here's hoping Bowe can get his head out of his ass, he has a lot of talent & could be a huge part of a winning team. Wade has his moments, he did stabilize the punt return situation, he's sure-handed tho he doesn't pose much of a threat to bust a long return. Like the rest of the group, he dropped his share & made Haley crazy not extending for a long pass in a game the Chiefs lost. He's not a long term answer. Terrence Copper is mostly a punt coverage gunner, but in the Denver game they went deep to him & he caught it for a 50-yard gain. At best, Copper returns next season to do the same job. Lawrence was a 6th round draft choice & I saw little that excites me about his game, he was cut twice & resigned twice, catching but 1 pass all year. Returned a lot of kickoffs & most times he was tackled by the first guy who came close to him. Mark Bradley was cut, signed with Tampa Bay & let's hope he stays there puzzling their management as to why they signed him. Like the Chiefs had done for 2 seasons. Bobby Engram was used up when Haley brought him in before the season started, he's gone now as well. Lance Long was another ex-Cardinal Haley brought in a desperate attempt to find anyone who could catch 3 passes in a row. Long couldn't do it, plus he was close to being broken in half several times. Definitely not a keeper.
Running backs--Larry Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Kolby Smith, Dantrell Savage, & Mike Battle.
With one notable exception, Jamaal Charles, this position is depth-less, is that a word? The Chiefs have a budding start in Charles but they need at least one productive back behind him so they can keep his carries to something around 25 touches per game. Charles is very tough but his upright running style could beat him down quickly. He has the quick feet & breakaway speed to make him a major weapon for the Chiefs' offense. LJ is gone, about 3 years too late, the rest of the running backs are not NFL backs by any stretch of the imagination.
Fullbacks--Mike Cox & Tim Castille
Neither are runners, both have fair pass catching skills & Cox is a decent lead blocker. Not a must position for the off season, but one that could use an upgrade at some point. Lead blockers are a dying breed, too bad Carl Peterson let the best one we ever had, Tony Richardson, go over $200K 5 years ago. By the way, he's still going strong & in the playoffs again, leading another 1,000-yard rusher.
Quarterbacks--Matt Cassel, Brody Croyle & Matt Gutierrez
The jury's still out on the starter & a lot of questions remain regarding Cassel. Here's what we know so far, Croyle & Gutierrez aren't NFL starting quarterbacks. Croyle in a pinch could start a game, but he's never going to threaten the starter. Gutierrez is way behind Croyle, he is the definition of a clipboard holder. Cassel had his moments, but considering the pathetic receiving corps he had to work with & how little practice time they shared, I'm going to give him a pass. He will need to up his completion percentage & that's tied to his receivers, as they improve, he should improve. Even if Charlie Weis is able to come in here & work some real magic with Cassel, I honestly don't think he's any better than 16th, 17th in the league. The $60 million price tag that Cassel carries tells me he should be better than middle of the pack & I don't think he is.
Placekicker--Ryan Succop
"Mr. Irrelevant" was a rousing success. After the last 5 years of 'placekicker roulette', they finally got it right. At least it appears that way. Succop kicked 25 of 29 & only missed once from inside 50-yards. If he can duplicate that, say for the next 2 seasons, then we know we have our kicker for the next 10-years. His kickoffs were decent, not a boomer, but acceptable.
Tomorrow: the defense.
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