CHIEFS SIGN ROUTT, CASTING CARR ADRIFT, THIS ISN'T HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR KANSAS CITY FANS
For more than a month I've said the Chiefs should sign CB Brandon Carr & put the franchise tag on WR Dwayne Bowe. When Chiefs' brass welcomed former Raider CB Stanford Routt to town for a look-see, I said keep Carr, he's better right now & he's 3-years younger. But in their infinite wisdom, Kansas City signed Routt on Monday & that most likely signals the end of Brandon Carr's days playing for the Chiefs. Are the Chiefs better at the cornerback position? No, they're not. Funny, when Clark Hunt was interviewed all over the place since Super Bowl week, he keeps saying "money is never a consideration, building a championship team is priority one." Then someone needs to explain this move to me, signing a lesser expensive, lesser player while allowing a better player to depart thru free agency doesn't really follow Hunt's business plan does it? Of course we'll never get an explanation as to what the hell the thinking was here, that's not the Pioli way. He'll make Romeo Crennel give some lame compliments about Routt's ability & how he makes Kansas City a better team, but we know that's not really the case don't we? Hunt talks & talks about building a champion & then on their first transaction, they do exactly the opposite. If the Chiefs don't make a competitive bid for someone like NT Paul Soliai, it should tell you all you need to know about Hunt's sincerity. Soliai would improve the Chiefs' rush defense instantly, you know like Hunt promised.
Another free agent I believe the Chiefs might consider is another Raider, quarterback Jason Campbell. He's coming off a broken collarbone that sidelined him for 12-weeks.
Baylor switched their pro day, moving it up one day to March 21st. It was originally scheduled for the 22nd, the same day as Stanford & Boise State. So RG3 will get his day in the sun one day ahead of Andrew Luck.
Prospects begin checking in Wednesday for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The actual on field workouts & drills don't begin until Friday when the kickers, punters & return men take center stage. Offensive linemen & tight ends workout on Saturday, quarterbacks, wide receivers & running backs show the stuff on Sunday. Defensive linemen & linebackers workout on Monday & defensive backs close the show on Tuesday. Before anyone works out, everyone will be weighed, measured, go thru a short medical exam including X-rays on day 1. The next day they will examined more closely by doctors, undergo psychological testing, submit to personal interviews with teams & see how many times they can press 225-pounds without stopping. Day three brings a session with the NFLPA, Wunderlic testing & more team interviews. On day four, their last at the combine, prospects run, jump, leap & do position drills.
What do we learn from the combine? It's the first time the underclassmen will come under the microscope. Many of the seniors have been examined pretty closely at the all-star games but the non-seniors in the draft system will show their stuff for the first time. Often too much is read into some of the physical workouts. Just because a guy looks great in a t-shirt & shorts, doesn't make him a great football player. The term "workout warrior" has been applicable in the past. Guys run faster, jump further or leap higher than it had been projected & they start rocketing up some draft boards around the league. Remember the game is played in pads & helmets, running a blazing forty-time should not be overrated. But some combine results just can't be ignored. Two years ago, a defensive lineman from South Florida made a good showing at the combine but what got everyone talking was the 16 back flips JPP did after he finished all of the drills. Seems like we get two or three exhibitions like that every year, that's why I watch, looking for a player to jump off the screen at me. The position drills are important tho, can receivers catch the ball with their hands & not their bodies? Do offensive tackles have quick feet, can they slide out to keep edge rushers off their quarterback? How nimble are the defensive linemen, can they avoid the trash(players on the ground) all the while keeping their eyes on the ballcarrier?
There will be several prospects at each position who show enough to justify elevating their draft status & by the same token, some players will under perform & hurt their position on many draft boards around the league. Don't get caught up in the forty-times except for the very fast or very slow. Watching a player in a game is far more important than how fast he can run forty-yards. How often do linemen run forty-yards in a game? Not very often. Speed for a cornerback is fairly important, but I'm always more interested how smoothly they can flip & hips out of their backpeddle & run with a receiver. How quickly they can close, make up ground on a receiver & how high they can leap. All of those things top the forty in importance. But the forty is the spotlight event of the combine & it garners a lot of attention. I'll give you my best perspective on all the talent on display beginning Saturday, so stay tuned.
Another free agent I believe the Chiefs might consider is another Raider, quarterback Jason Campbell. He's coming off a broken collarbone that sidelined him for 12-weeks.
Baylor switched their pro day, moving it up one day to March 21st. It was originally scheduled for the 22nd, the same day as Stanford & Boise State. So RG3 will get his day in the sun one day ahead of Andrew Luck.
Prospects begin checking in Wednesday for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The actual on field workouts & drills don't begin until Friday when the kickers, punters & return men take center stage. Offensive linemen & tight ends workout on Saturday, quarterbacks, wide receivers & running backs show the stuff on Sunday. Defensive linemen & linebackers workout on Monday & defensive backs close the show on Tuesday. Before anyone works out, everyone will be weighed, measured, go thru a short medical exam including X-rays on day 1. The next day they will examined more closely by doctors, undergo psychological testing, submit to personal interviews with teams & see how many times they can press 225-pounds without stopping. Day three brings a session with the NFLPA, Wunderlic testing & more team interviews. On day four, their last at the combine, prospects run, jump, leap & do position drills.
What do we learn from the combine? It's the first time the underclassmen will come under the microscope. Many of the seniors have been examined pretty closely at the all-star games but the non-seniors in the draft system will show their stuff for the first time. Often too much is read into some of the physical workouts. Just because a guy looks great in a t-shirt & shorts, doesn't make him a great football player. The term "workout warrior" has been applicable in the past. Guys run faster, jump further or leap higher than it had been projected & they start rocketing up some draft boards around the league. Remember the game is played in pads & helmets, running a blazing forty-time should not be overrated. But some combine results just can't be ignored. Two years ago, a defensive lineman from South Florida made a good showing at the combine but what got everyone talking was the 16 back flips JPP did after he finished all of the drills. Seems like we get two or three exhibitions like that every year, that's why I watch, looking for a player to jump off the screen at me. The position drills are important tho, can receivers catch the ball with their hands & not their bodies? Do offensive tackles have quick feet, can they slide out to keep edge rushers off their quarterback? How nimble are the defensive linemen, can they avoid the trash(players on the ground) all the while keeping their eyes on the ballcarrier?
There will be several prospects at each position who show enough to justify elevating their draft status & by the same token, some players will under perform & hurt their position on many draft boards around the league. Don't get caught up in the forty-times except for the very fast or very slow. Watching a player in a game is far more important than how fast he can run forty-yards. How often do linemen run forty-yards in a game? Not very often. Speed for a cornerback is fairly important, but I'm always more interested how smoothly they can flip & hips out of their backpeddle & run with a receiver. How quickly they can close, make up ground on a receiver & how high they can leap. All of those things top the forty in importance. But the forty is the spotlight event of the combine & it garners a lot of attention. I'll give you my best perspective on all the talent on display beginning Saturday, so stay tuned.
Routt..... the one guy who was best at keeping the other team's offense on the field, through a hold or a PI or whatever it took. Now he is wearing KC's red... I just dont understand.
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Darryll,
I'm with you, I don't understand it either. I doubt you could find a single scout in the NFL who believes Stanford Routt is better than Brandon Carr. Plenty of money to spend & we let a good one go & replace him with a mediocre corner?
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