MIZZOU INKS LATE SIGNEE, 1 SPEEDY BEAVER, F/A TALK & "MOCKING" THE CHIEFS
Exactly three weeks after a National Signing Day that netted the Mizzou Tigers the #1 high schooler in the nation, wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, the Tigers got a late surprise. Early this morning Tallahassee Florida wide receiver/tight end prospect, Brandon Holifield, signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Missouri. He had previously given the University of Miami a verbal commitment, but with the ongoing Nathan Shapiro investigation by the NCAA, Holifield & a few other prep stars backed off from the Hurricanes. He told Tiger Extra reporter Dave Matter Mizzou had actually extended a scholarship offer before Miami & after he began to have reservations about the Miami program, he contacted the Tigers to set up a campus visit. "I'm excited to be part of the Mizzou football program, they just joined the SEC, the best football conference. I'm a quick learner & I want to be a Tiger." Holifield, at 6' 5" & 215, played just one season of high school football, but from what I've seen on game video, the kid has similar physical attributes to current Tiger Marcus Lucas & super-recruit Green-Beckham. Holifield is also the second Florida native to sign in this class, tight end Sean Culkin of Largo signed February 1st. Two signees from Florida is good news for Tiger fans now that they will be competing in the SEC.
Goodby H.S. Cougar wide receiver Brandon Holifield
In 2011, Oregon's Cliff Harris claimed the NCAA title of "Most Irresponsible Driver" for his 118-MPH speeding violation in a car rented for him by a football program secretary. The 2012 leader in the clubhouse goes to Malcolm Marable, a true sophomore defensive back from Oregon State. He was stopped Monday night after being clocked at 105-MPH in a 65-MPH zone. The "exceeding the speed limit 100+MPH(a new law), carries a $1,150 fine. Tacked onto the speeding violation was the usual, no proof of insurance or registration. The car doesn't belong to Marable, big surprise. He becomes the third OSU defensive back suspended in just three weeks. The speedy Beaver played in all 12-games as a true freshman, mostly on special teams & as a kickoff returner. What has happened to Mike Riley's program?
Tom Martinez, Tom Brady's quarterback guru, died Monday of a heart attack while undergoing kidney dialysis. The 66-year old former coach had been on the transplant list for the past two years. Brady had been a student of Martinez's since he was 12-years old & always considered him as his only QB coach. The two were very close & Martinez's death will be a blow to Brady both professionally & personally.
Brady & QB guru Tom Martinez
Pete Prisco of CBSSorts.com listed all 32-teams & the unrestricted free agents best suited to fill their needs. The guy most mentioned, 4-times, should give us some insight as to just how over-priced he's become. I'm speaking of course of Chiefs' cornerback Brandon Carr. Prisco has him as the #1 choice for Carolina, Dallas, Green Bay & Oakland. IMO, the Detroit Lions have to be in this conversation as well. It appears Carr will receive offers in the $10-12 million-per-season range, which is more than Brandon Flowers currently makes playing for K.C. Scott Pioli said yesterday the team wants Carr back if they can get together on a price. If that price is more than they gave Stanford Routt & less than they're paying Flowers, I don't see a chance in hell he'll stay with the Chiefs. I think Pioli is talking in the $8 million range & who could blame Carr for taking another offer if it means $8-12 million more over the life of the deal? Pioli talks about "dollars invested at a position." According to the media blitz the Chiefs are currently waging in an effort to show they're not cheap, they have nearly $20 million invested in their defensive backfield. They have $21.3 million invested in a very ordinary defensive line & $24.9 million going into their linebacking corps. That's $66 million on defense versus $33.9 million on offense. The sad part of all this is the defense isn't even a top-10 defense. The line is full of underachievers & aging veterans. After paying the special teamers & some incentive cash, they have about $37 million to spend this season. I sincerely hope they spend a chunk of it to either sign or franchise WR Dwayne Bowe & pursue Miami nose tackle Paul Soliai. The 28-year old Samoan strongman is the antithesis of what a nose tackle should be, able to hold his ground & command a double-team on nearly every snap. His addition would improve the Chiefs' run defense immensely from day one. When I watched Miami this past season, I always focused on offensive left tackle Jake Long & Soliai, I marvel at their physicality & superior toughness to play their respective positions. He won't come cheaply, but players of Soliai's caliber, under 30, is going to cost a lot of money, but the payoff is huge. By the way, in Prisco's post, he has the Chiefs' best match as Soliai, just like I've been saying for quite sometime.
A couple of more points regarding Routt vs. Carr. Carr started from the 1st game of his rookie season. He's started all 64-games since he was drafted in 2008. Routt has started just 53-games in his 8-year career. Routt led all NFL defensive players last season with 18-penalties, Carr was flagged just 5 times, with 2 being declined. Routt surrendered 8 touchdown passes, Carr just 3. I've already told you the difference in their ages, 29-26. Peter King of SI.com & NBC Sports, said Routt has a huge upside as he hasn't received the same quality coaching that Emmitt Thomas & Otis Smith will provide in Kansas City. I sure hope King's onto something, because the apparent difference in the two is disturbing to Chiefs' fans. The one & only good thing about Carr going elsewhere is the Chiefs will receive a compensatory draft pick next year & I could see it being a selection at the end of the 3rd or 4th round. Compensatory picks are awarded by the league for the loss of a free agent. The better the player & bigger the contract, equates to a better compensatory pick.
Unless the Chiefs sign a free agent quarterback, I mentioned Jason Campbell yesterday, the competition at this position Pioli talks about will have to come from the draft. I'm keeping a close eye on Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden & Arizona State signal caller Brock Osweiler. These are the type of QB prospects I could see Pioli drafting. Weeden stands as a late-2nd, early 3rd round pick with me. Osweiler, late 4th, early 5th.
Since we're on the verge of the combine, I guess it's time for another Chiefs' mock draft. I'm going to continue in my dream world of Paul Soliai becoming a Chief & for the sake of discussion, let's say they sign Jason Campbell as well. Dwayne Bowe will be designated as the franchise player. On Friday the coin toss to decide whether Kansas City or Seattle will get the 11th selection or the 12th will take place.
1. Jonathan Martin--offensive tackle--Stanford
Two-time All-PAC-12 first team. Thirty-six starts, extremely smart & a very reliable run blocker, one of the best in this draft. The only thing I don't like about this pick is I think he's the 3rd best tackle & taking the 3rd best anything within the top-12 picks isn't a good thing unless we're talking quarterbacks.
2. Kelechie Osemele--guard--Iowa State
Played left tackle for the Cyclones but he looked better inside at the Senior Bowl. Great run blocker, a real mauler with size, 6' 5" & 333. Started 43 games for Iowa State. Appeared winded on long drives, so conditioning should be improved.The offensive line really needs 3 new starters IMO, left guard, center & right tackle. Last year's 2nd pick, Rodney Hudson appears to be the new center & Ryan Lilja just gets overpowered too often. I don't need to comment on Barry Richardson right?
3. George Iloka--safety--Boise State
Another spot on the Chiefs' depth chart with zero depth. Can you say Jon McGraw & Sabby Piscatelli? Iloka is big(6' 3" - 223) & fast for this position. He hits with enough pop to make receivers look for him when they come over the middle. Solid run support, fills quickly going downhill, but will occasionally miss a tackle.
4. Michael Egnew--tight end--Missouri
Finding depth at this position is a must, Leonard Pope & Jake McConnell are both free agents, not that K.C. would want either of them back. With Tony Moeaki coming back from injury & his inability to stay on the field during his days at Iowa, one or possibly two tight ends will be brought in. Egnew has excellent hands & is totally fearless going across the middle. Run blocking from a 3-point stance will be something new, but he's shown he could handle everything asked of him at Mizzou. Very big upside, Egnew might not last this long.
5. Robert Turbin--running back--Utah State
Tough, physical inside runner with excellent feel for the cutback & gets the most out of every carry. Short at 5' 9" but his 216-pounds makes him tough to knock off his feet. Excellent pass receiver, caught 11 TD's at Utah State. Ran for over 1,500-yards as a senior. Not a name familiar to most, but if you've seen him play, you know how productive he can be.
6. Dominique Hamilton--defensive end--Missouri
Has improved significantly every season. Missed half of his junior year with a broken leg. Gets his hands up & blocks a lot of passes. Right size for a 3-4 DE at 6' 5" & 310. Very consistent against the run & makes a lot of tackles for a lineman because he stays low, bends at the knees & uses good leverage. His best football is ahead of him.
7. Chris Owusu--wide receiver--Stanford
Lotta "ifs" with this selection. Will he last this long? Will his three concussions the past two seasons allow him to pass the tougher NFL physical? I expect him to be one of the most scrutinized players of the 327 prospects at Indianapolis. Some teams have already dropped him from their draft boards, but if Owusu is there when the Chiefs use their last pick, take a gamble & draft him. He has excellent speed, catches the ball well, runs good routes & his a very smart receiver.
Goodby H.S. Cougar wide receiver Brandon Holifield
In 2011, Oregon's Cliff Harris claimed the NCAA title of "Most Irresponsible Driver" for his 118-MPH speeding violation in a car rented for him by a football program secretary. The 2012 leader in the clubhouse goes to Malcolm Marable, a true sophomore defensive back from Oregon State. He was stopped Monday night after being clocked at 105-MPH in a 65-MPH zone. The "exceeding the speed limit 100+MPH(a new law), carries a $1,150 fine. Tacked onto the speeding violation was the usual, no proof of insurance or registration. The car doesn't belong to Marable, big surprise. He becomes the third OSU defensive back suspended in just three weeks. The speedy Beaver played in all 12-games as a true freshman, mostly on special teams & as a kickoff returner. What has happened to Mike Riley's program?
Tom Martinez, Tom Brady's quarterback guru, died Monday of a heart attack while undergoing kidney dialysis. The 66-year old former coach had been on the transplant list for the past two years. Brady had been a student of Martinez's since he was 12-years old & always considered him as his only QB coach. The two were very close & Martinez's death will be a blow to Brady both professionally & personally.
Brady & QB guru Tom Martinez
Pete Prisco of CBSSorts.com listed all 32-teams & the unrestricted free agents best suited to fill their needs. The guy most mentioned, 4-times, should give us some insight as to just how over-priced he's become. I'm speaking of course of Chiefs' cornerback Brandon Carr. Prisco has him as the #1 choice for Carolina, Dallas, Green Bay & Oakland. IMO, the Detroit Lions have to be in this conversation as well. It appears Carr will receive offers in the $10-12 million-per-season range, which is more than Brandon Flowers currently makes playing for K.C. Scott Pioli said yesterday the team wants Carr back if they can get together on a price. If that price is more than they gave Stanford Routt & less than they're paying Flowers, I don't see a chance in hell he'll stay with the Chiefs. I think Pioli is talking in the $8 million range & who could blame Carr for taking another offer if it means $8-12 million more over the life of the deal? Pioli talks about "dollars invested at a position." According to the media blitz the Chiefs are currently waging in an effort to show they're not cheap, they have nearly $20 million invested in their defensive backfield. They have $21.3 million invested in a very ordinary defensive line & $24.9 million going into their linebacking corps. That's $66 million on defense versus $33.9 million on offense. The sad part of all this is the defense isn't even a top-10 defense. The line is full of underachievers & aging veterans. After paying the special teamers & some incentive cash, they have about $37 million to spend this season. I sincerely hope they spend a chunk of it to either sign or franchise WR Dwayne Bowe & pursue Miami nose tackle Paul Soliai. The 28-year old Samoan strongman is the antithesis of what a nose tackle should be, able to hold his ground & command a double-team on nearly every snap. His addition would improve the Chiefs' run defense immensely from day one. When I watched Miami this past season, I always focused on offensive left tackle Jake Long & Soliai, I marvel at their physicality & superior toughness to play their respective positions. He won't come cheaply, but players of Soliai's caliber, under 30, is going to cost a lot of money, but the payoff is huge. By the way, in Prisco's post, he has the Chiefs' best match as Soliai, just like I've been saying for quite sometime.
A couple of more points regarding Routt vs. Carr. Carr started from the 1st game of his rookie season. He's started all 64-games since he was drafted in 2008. Routt has started just 53-games in his 8-year career. Routt led all NFL defensive players last season with 18-penalties, Carr was flagged just 5 times, with 2 being declined. Routt surrendered 8 touchdown passes, Carr just 3. I've already told you the difference in their ages, 29-26. Peter King of SI.com & NBC Sports, said Routt has a huge upside as he hasn't received the same quality coaching that Emmitt Thomas & Otis Smith will provide in Kansas City. I sure hope King's onto something, because the apparent difference in the two is disturbing to Chiefs' fans. The one & only good thing about Carr going elsewhere is the Chiefs will receive a compensatory draft pick next year & I could see it being a selection at the end of the 3rd or 4th round. Compensatory picks are awarded by the league for the loss of a free agent. The better the player & bigger the contract, equates to a better compensatory pick.
Unless the Chiefs sign a free agent quarterback, I mentioned Jason Campbell yesterday, the competition at this position Pioli talks about will have to come from the draft. I'm keeping a close eye on Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden & Arizona State signal caller Brock Osweiler. These are the type of QB prospects I could see Pioli drafting. Weeden stands as a late-2nd, early 3rd round pick with me. Osweiler, late 4th, early 5th.
Since we're on the verge of the combine, I guess it's time for another Chiefs' mock draft. I'm going to continue in my dream world of Paul Soliai becoming a Chief & for the sake of discussion, let's say they sign Jason Campbell as well. Dwayne Bowe will be designated as the franchise player. On Friday the coin toss to decide whether Kansas City or Seattle will get the 11th selection or the 12th will take place.
1. Jonathan Martin--offensive tackle--Stanford
Two-time All-PAC-12 first team. Thirty-six starts, extremely smart & a very reliable run blocker, one of the best in this draft. The only thing I don't like about this pick is I think he's the 3rd best tackle & taking the 3rd best anything within the top-12 picks isn't a good thing unless we're talking quarterbacks.
2. Kelechie Osemele--guard--Iowa State
Played left tackle for the Cyclones but he looked better inside at the Senior Bowl. Great run blocker, a real mauler with size, 6' 5" & 333. Started 43 games for Iowa State. Appeared winded on long drives, so conditioning should be improved.The offensive line really needs 3 new starters IMO, left guard, center & right tackle. Last year's 2nd pick, Rodney Hudson appears to be the new center & Ryan Lilja just gets overpowered too often. I don't need to comment on Barry Richardson right?
3. George Iloka--safety--Boise State
Another spot on the Chiefs' depth chart with zero depth. Can you say Jon McGraw & Sabby Piscatelli? Iloka is big(6' 3" - 223) & fast for this position. He hits with enough pop to make receivers look for him when they come over the middle. Solid run support, fills quickly going downhill, but will occasionally miss a tackle.
4. Michael Egnew--tight end--Missouri
Finding depth at this position is a must, Leonard Pope & Jake McConnell are both free agents, not that K.C. would want either of them back. With Tony Moeaki coming back from injury & his inability to stay on the field during his days at Iowa, one or possibly two tight ends will be brought in. Egnew has excellent hands & is totally fearless going across the middle. Run blocking from a 3-point stance will be something new, but he's shown he could handle everything asked of him at Mizzou. Very big upside, Egnew might not last this long.
5. Robert Turbin--running back--Utah State
Tough, physical inside runner with excellent feel for the cutback & gets the most out of every carry. Short at 5' 9" but his 216-pounds makes him tough to knock off his feet. Excellent pass receiver, caught 11 TD's at Utah State. Ran for over 1,500-yards as a senior. Not a name familiar to most, but if you've seen him play, you know how productive he can be.
6. Dominique Hamilton--defensive end--Missouri
Has improved significantly every season. Missed half of his junior year with a broken leg. Gets his hands up & blocks a lot of passes. Right size for a 3-4 DE at 6' 5" & 310. Very consistent against the run & makes a lot of tackles for a lineman because he stays low, bends at the knees & uses good leverage. His best football is ahead of him.
7. Chris Owusu--wide receiver--Stanford
Lotta "ifs" with this selection. Will he last this long? Will his three concussions the past two seasons allow him to pass the tougher NFL physical? I expect him to be one of the most scrutinized players of the 327 prospects at Indianapolis. Some teams have already dropped him from their draft boards, but if Owusu is there when the Chiefs use their last pick, take a gamble & draft him. He has excellent speed, catches the ball well, runs good routes & his a very smart receiver.
Hi Rich,
Our favorite time of the year is here. Robert Turbin is a good back, but I'm not overly impressed with his vision and ability to set up his blocks. For what the Chiefs need in the backfield, I like the talents of Mississippi St.'s Vick Ballard. I think Ballard has met up with stiffer comp, and runs with more burst and aggressiveness. Ballard also has less mileage on his legs as opposed to Turbin.
Looooove to see the Miss St. back in a Chiefs uni.
Reply to this
John,
You know I completely respect your opinion, over the years we've agreed on more prospects than not. This is one of the few times I have to disagree with you.
Ballard does not have less mileage on his legs, counting his two seasons as a starter at Gulf Coast Community College, he has 797 carries to Turbin's 565 at Utah State. Turbin has proven to be the better pass receiver as well, 67-receptions & 11 TD's to Ballard's 30 & 2. Over the past two seasons, Ballard has 379 carries to Turbin's 456, but like you said, Ballard's carries have been against superior competition, which means he probably got hit a lot harder game to game.
Granted, stats don't tell the whole story & Ballard has faced tougher competition the past two seasons, but I'm stuck on Ballard's 797 carries, that's a helluva lot for a college back.
I agree Ballard is a more explosive runner, but I think we'll see on Sunday Turbin is the faster back. I could be wrong & if so, I'll come clean Sunday night. I'm more interested in the 10-yard splits.
Considering neither would start ahead of Jamaal Charles & they're probably looking at most 10-12 carries per game, either would fill that slot well IMO. But if Charles were to go down early in the season again, I prefer Turbin for the fewer carries & better receiving skills.
Want to know the real truth? Outside of Trent Richardson, the back I like best in this draft would be Doug Martin of Boise State. Versatile, tough as hell, excellent receiver & kick returner. He breaks a lot of tackles as well, but he'll be long gone before KC starts looking for a backup runner.
Want to know something else about the Chiefs? Their fans haven't been too wild about their SEC draft picks over the past few years. Berry, Kendrick Lewis & Houston look to be players, but Bowe's been a pain in the ass, Dorsey, TyJax, Arenas, Cottam & McCluster have all been disappointments. It's one reason their salary structure is so lopsided to the defense, they selected some stiffs with premium picks under the old CBA & they're paying dearly for it now. Plus they still don't have a decent defensive line.
Reply to this
See Rich; this is why I love sharing "tape talk" with you. Regarding carries and workload, I tend to almost dismiss JUCO wear-n-tear. Just as you upped the premium on the quality of hits Ballard received against tougher defenses while at Miss St, I discount the banging at the JUCO level. Probably shouldn't, but I do. Good points on Turbin and I agree with your assessment on him. I just see a nastier game out of Ballard, and I appreciate how he is almost always moving forward as he is brought down. Like you, I figure either back would be in for 12-14 touches a game. Unlike you, I prefer the more rugged compliment Ballard brings opposite Charles.
There is no doubt about Doug Martin... he would also be my number one RB grab. But unless Pioli shoots for Martin early, there's no shot at him. Martin reminds me of Pierre Thomas.
As for the team drafting SEC talent, we can't stop going back to that well just because the fearless leader tends to call out the wrong names, or call names out far too early in the draft.
You've been dropping Jason Campbell's name as a possible QB reserve. Campbell's past experience with QBC Zorn wasn't a happy one in DC. The play-calling system was a complete cluster-yak (you know what I mean) and Campbell was exasperated by season's end. Any thoughts on Pioli taking a hard look at TB's Josh Johnson? But if I were a betting man, and given the "gotta have history" with a player, I'd say that Chad Henne is on his way to KC for a reunion with his former Miami OC, Brian Daboll.
Rich, time to break it down. Let's get to it!
Reply to this