MORE PETRINO FALLOUT & FACTS PLUS I'LL ANSWER YOUR EMAIL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHIEFS
I've said for days the determining factor in whether Bobby Petrino could keep his job was not his affair but his hiring of Jessica Dorrell. It simply opened the University of Arkansas up to numerous legal issues. I've never minimized his extra-marital dalliances, it's disgusting, but he could have survived it. But when 159 other women applied for a job Petrino intended to give to his main squeeze all along, there's the problem. Plus Petrino managed to raise the salary for this position some $18,000 from the person who previously held it. Only three women were actually interviewed out of the 159 applicants, that's stacking the deck. The other issue that has come out today is Ms. Dorrell wasn't Petrino's first, second or third "girlfriend" since he came to Fayetteville & these facts started coming out in recent days. I think Petrino went quietly since by accepting his termination, a lot of the snooping & digging numerous press people were doing would probably cease. If he has any hope of saving his marriage, having his past drug thru the mud on a daily basis certainly won't help. Petrino issued a statement last night after Jeff Long's press conference & it contained a line that really bothered me.
"I want to thank Chancellor Gearhart, Jeff Long, the board of trustees, university administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni & fans for the opportunity to serve as head football coach at the University of Arkansas the past four years. I was not given an opportunity to continue in that position."
How many friggin' opportunities do you expect to be given considering all the lies you've told, all the lives you've disrupted & the countless hearts you've broken? He really has quite a high opinion of himself.
I need to make a correction in my recent posts. Ms. Dorrell is engaged to Josh Morgan, the strength & conditioning for the Razorback swimming & diving team. I had previously identified him as the head coach, sorry.
So where does Athletic Director Jeff Long begin in his search for Petrino's successor? Hog fans want Gus Malzahn, current head coach at Arkansas State. But he's only been in place since December & I just don't see him making this jump, at least before the season begins. Next year? A real possibility if Long goes with an interim coach for 2012. I have a lot of thoughts about Malzahn, who should have gotten the Kansas job & I'll post them tonight. But with a team with top-5 talent level, it's going to be tough to turn it over to an interim coach. If the Razorbacks start backsliding to where they were before Petrino arrived, Long will also be looking for a new job. Another consideration might be South Florida's Skip Holtz, son of former Arkansas coach Dr. Lou.
By the way, I haven't heard from any of my profanity-prone detractors from Arkansas.
The Detroit Lions need help at cornerback but I can see them approaching their first or second round selection for the position with extreme care. After three of their five 2011 draftees got arrested for pot since January, if they throw caution to the wind & draft a cornerback prospect with a history of marijuana possession, their fans & owner Wm. Clay Ford may throw GM Tom Lewand right under the bus. Two of the top-3 corner prospects, Dre Kirkpatrick & Janoris Jenkins have been popped for possession recently. The charges against Kirkpatrick were dropped after a friend admitted the pot was his, but it shows him as someone who hangs out with friends who can get you in trouble. Jenkins has real pot issues, two arrests & his dismissal from the Florida Gators for failing a drug test after the arrests. Those are just the tip of the Jenkins iceberg when it comes to knucklehead behavior. They just might go offensive tackle in round one & look for a corner in round two, one who is squeaky clean.
Former Chiefs' V.P. Phil Emery became the general manager for the Chicago Bears & he has had exactly the impact ownership was hoping for. Brian Urlacher praises Emery because he made things happen, obvious things his predecessor, Jerry Angelo, wasn't able to accomplish. They were desperate for a true NFL #1 wide receiver, he traded for Brandon Marshall. With Matt Forte as their franchise player, he signed free agent Michael Bush. He added Jason Campbell to backup Jay Cutler. Eric Weems was brought in to help in the return game & today they signed the constantly complaining OLB Lance Briggs to a new 3-year extension. Very good move by Emery, Briggs is as important to the Chicago defense as Urlacher. Now if he can just sign Forte to a long term deal, he'll be receiving straight A's all around.
The Steelers have signed former Chief TE Leonard Pope & WR Jerricho Cotchery in the past two days. Cotchery had visited the Chiefs earlier in the free agent period but he signed a new 2-year deal to return to Pittsburgh. With Hines Ward retired, Cotchery will see more playing time.
Remember the Giants losing two of their tight ends during the Super Bowl? Both went down with knee injuries, ACL tears & both Jake Ballard & Travis Beckham were expected to begin the season on the PUP list. Now I doubt Ballard will play in 2012 as he not only had his ACL repaired but his knee was so torn up, he required microfracture surgery, which requires a lengthy rehab separate from the ACL physical therapy. It's a fairly new procedure that creates microscopic fractures in the surrounding bone which stimulates the stem cells in the bone marrow & actually regrows cartilage. It's a fairly painless procedure but requires time for it to regenerate the cartilage.
DavyB wants to know "What are the deepest positions in this draft?"
Davy, all the offensive positions with the exception of center & tight end(worst in years) have good depth into the middle rounds. Guard might be the best in at least a decade. The defensive line is also very good into the middle rounds. Safety & linebacker, not so hot. Cornerback is slightly above average.
JJJ69 emailed this question "You keep talking about guard Decastro like he's all-pro already. Is he Will Shields good?"
Two points before I talk about Stanford's David DeCastro, one, Will Shields is one of my 5 favorite Chiefs of all-time. Two, coming out of college, even tho he won the Outland Trophy, Shields was not highly thought of, the Chiefs drafted him in the 3rd round. There were doubts as to his pass blocking ability coming from an option offense at Nebraska. That said, as a draft prospect, DeCastro is rated much higher than Shields. Like Shields, DeCastro is very cerebral, as smart as they come. Like Shields, he's not an overwhelming physical talent, decent athlete, but not one who wows everyone at the combine. But like Shields, he's an elite tactician, every skill required to play this position DeCastro possesses. He's easily the best prospect at the guard position in a decade, maybe more. He has the same all-pro potential we saw out of Will Shields game after game, year after year. Last night on ESPNU, they showed the 2010 USC-Stanford game. I watched it all over again just to see DeCastro & WR Chris Owusu. The Trojans had this fearsome front-7 on defense & on every snap, DeCastro took whoever he was assigned, completely out of the play. His footwork is amazing, like a 5-year all-pro interior lineman, like Will Shields. Yes, there were plays his hand placement wasn't great & others where he had to lunge to hit his man. But the bottom line was the guys he was blocking never made a tackle. What more do you want? Coming out for the draft as a junior, DeCastro started every game at Stanford, 39-straight.
KCKrissy wants to know "Is there a real possibility the Chiefs would trade-up to draft Ryan Tannehill?"
Krissy, I sincerely doubt it. To trade-up into Minnesota's spot at #3 overall from their 11th place in round one, would be extremely expensive. It could alter not just this year's draft, but next year's as well. Look what the Redskins gave up to move from #6 into St. Louis' spot at two. If the Chiefs were set everywhere except at quarterback, I'd say take a shot, but to mortgage their future to such an extreme(multiple #1 picks plus another 2nd or 3rd) just doesn't make sense to me. Scott Pioli can build on the progress he made in free agency with 4 or 5 really sound draft choices. Except for nose tackle, I don't believe they have any gaping holes, they do however have positions that could be upgraded substantially thru the draft. With only 19 starts at quarterback, I think Tannehill would take a while to groom. With a solid draft, the Chiefs are close at enough positions, they could realistically contend if Matt Cassel can play a lot of mistake-free football. But longterm, I'd rather have another QB.
WaltT emailed this question "Are there any good free agents still out there who could help us?"
Yes Walt, I believe there are a handful who could help bridge the next season or two. But no long term contract-types IMO. C/G Jason Brown, nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, RG/RT Vernon Carey & RB Jackie Battle could all be possibilities.
58DT4ever asks "I keep seeing LB Luke Kuechly slotted for the Chiefs in mock drafts. Is replacing Jovan Belcher a major priority? He seemed good to me.
Just like the RT upgrade of Eric Winston over Barry Richardson, Kuechly could be nearly as dramatic. Please don't confuse an inside linebacker rated this highly with Ray Lewis. He's not much of a hitter, he's more like the 49ers' Patrick Willis, a tackling machine. In three seasons at Boston College, he started 37-games & recorded a staggering 532 tackles. He doesn't miss many tackles plus he gets excellent pass drops, therefore he could stay in the game on 3rd down. Kuechly has superior instincts, he arrives at the point of attack before the ball does. He's 15-pounds heavier & faster than Belcher, plus he sheds blocks better. Adding Kuechly to starters Hali, D.J. & Justin Houston could give the Chiefs one of the top-3 linebacking groups. With a line-clogging nose tackle in place, they would be even more effective. Adding Kuechly without a real nose tackle wouldn't mean nearly as much, keep that in mind. Beside Belcher, the Chiefs also have high hopes for Brandon Siler, who was on injured reserve from training camp last year. He might be able to surpass Belcher on the depth chart, but in no way is he in Kuechly's league.
TonytheTiger wants to know "why is there such a diverse opinion on Poe(Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe)?"
Because before the combine, Poe wasn't anywhere near first round consideration. He blew up the combine with his speed, quickness & strength, Poe was the name on everyone's lips. Unfortunately, if you look at his game film, he's almost invisible. A good nose tackle is normally not a high impact player, they don't make a lot of tackles or sacks. What the good ones do is to clog the interior running lanes by not allowing themselves to be blocked off their spot. They should routinely require a double team & even with that, they should be able to stand their ground. Candidates are normally in the 6' to 6' 2" 315-350-pound range with a big, heavy butt & thighs, creating a low center of gravity. They need to have a powerful upper body to stack & shed blockers. Poe fills the bill of the physical requirements but he has shown to be easily blocked, often by one man & he simply doesn't stand his ground. Poe shows poor techniques once the ball is snapped. I don't know if he was poorly coached or this is the real Dontari Poe. What I do know is even if Romeo Crennel can reach this kid & coach him up, he's a long way from being what the Chiefs need him to be. I'd prefer one of 3 other nose tackles that should be available in rounds 2, 3 & 4. Washington's Alameda Ta'amu(6' 2" 336), Alabama's Josh Chapman(6' 1" 316) & Baylor's Nick Jean-Baptiste(6' 1" 335). All have shown way more lane-clogging, run-stuffing play than Poe.
The Chiefs have another private visit scheduled. It is with Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones. I'll admit I saw him play only two games over the past two seasons, watching the 'Cuse is like Chinese water torture. I know he's undersized for a 3-4 DE at just 270-pounds & he is underpowered as well, needing a lot of weight room work. I thought he played hard, competed on every snap, but he needs 20-pounds of bulky muscle to play at the next level IMO.
If your email wasn't answered, please understand I tried to consolidate similar questions to condense the post. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at rich@richsfootballreport.com
"I want to thank Chancellor Gearhart, Jeff Long, the board of trustees, university administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni & fans for the opportunity to serve as head football coach at the University of Arkansas the past four years. I was not given an opportunity to continue in that position."
How many friggin' opportunities do you expect to be given considering all the lies you've told, all the lives you've disrupted & the countless hearts you've broken? He really has quite a high opinion of himself.
I need to make a correction in my recent posts. Ms. Dorrell is engaged to Josh Morgan, the strength & conditioning for the Razorback swimming & diving team. I had previously identified him as the head coach, sorry.
So where does Athletic Director Jeff Long begin in his search for Petrino's successor? Hog fans want Gus Malzahn, current head coach at Arkansas State. But he's only been in place since December & I just don't see him making this jump, at least before the season begins. Next year? A real possibility if Long goes with an interim coach for 2012. I have a lot of thoughts about Malzahn, who should have gotten the Kansas job & I'll post them tonight. But with a team with top-5 talent level, it's going to be tough to turn it over to an interim coach. If the Razorbacks start backsliding to where they were before Petrino arrived, Long will also be looking for a new job. Another consideration might be South Florida's Skip Holtz, son of former Arkansas coach Dr. Lou.
By the way, I haven't heard from any of my profanity-prone detractors from Arkansas.
The Detroit Lions need help at cornerback but I can see them approaching their first or second round selection for the position with extreme care. After three of their five 2011 draftees got arrested for pot since January, if they throw caution to the wind & draft a cornerback prospect with a history of marijuana possession, their fans & owner Wm. Clay Ford may throw GM Tom Lewand right under the bus. Two of the top-3 corner prospects, Dre Kirkpatrick & Janoris Jenkins have been popped for possession recently. The charges against Kirkpatrick were dropped after a friend admitted the pot was his, but it shows him as someone who hangs out with friends who can get you in trouble. Jenkins has real pot issues, two arrests & his dismissal from the Florida Gators for failing a drug test after the arrests. Those are just the tip of the Jenkins iceberg when it comes to knucklehead behavior. They just might go offensive tackle in round one & look for a corner in round two, one who is squeaky clean.
Former Chiefs' V.P. Phil Emery became the general manager for the Chicago Bears & he has had exactly the impact ownership was hoping for. Brian Urlacher praises Emery because he made things happen, obvious things his predecessor, Jerry Angelo, wasn't able to accomplish. They were desperate for a true NFL #1 wide receiver, he traded for Brandon Marshall. With Matt Forte as their franchise player, he signed free agent Michael Bush. He added Jason Campbell to backup Jay Cutler. Eric Weems was brought in to help in the return game & today they signed the constantly complaining OLB Lance Briggs to a new 3-year extension. Very good move by Emery, Briggs is as important to the Chicago defense as Urlacher. Now if he can just sign Forte to a long term deal, he'll be receiving straight A's all around.
The Steelers have signed former Chief TE Leonard Pope & WR Jerricho Cotchery in the past two days. Cotchery had visited the Chiefs earlier in the free agent period but he signed a new 2-year deal to return to Pittsburgh. With Hines Ward retired, Cotchery will see more playing time.
Remember the Giants losing two of their tight ends during the Super Bowl? Both went down with knee injuries, ACL tears & both Jake Ballard & Travis Beckham were expected to begin the season on the PUP list. Now I doubt Ballard will play in 2012 as he not only had his ACL repaired but his knee was so torn up, he required microfracture surgery, which requires a lengthy rehab separate from the ACL physical therapy. It's a fairly new procedure that creates microscopic fractures in the surrounding bone which stimulates the stem cells in the bone marrow & actually regrows cartilage. It's a fairly painless procedure but requires time for it to regenerate the cartilage.
DavyB wants to know "What are the deepest positions in this draft?"
Davy, all the offensive positions with the exception of center & tight end(worst in years) have good depth into the middle rounds. Guard might be the best in at least a decade. The defensive line is also very good into the middle rounds. Safety & linebacker, not so hot. Cornerback is slightly above average.
JJJ69 emailed this question "You keep talking about guard Decastro like he's all-pro already. Is he Will Shields good?"
Two points before I talk about Stanford's David DeCastro, one, Will Shields is one of my 5 favorite Chiefs of all-time. Two, coming out of college, even tho he won the Outland Trophy, Shields was not highly thought of, the Chiefs drafted him in the 3rd round. There were doubts as to his pass blocking ability coming from an option offense at Nebraska. That said, as a draft prospect, DeCastro is rated much higher than Shields. Like Shields, DeCastro is very cerebral, as smart as they come. Like Shields, he's not an overwhelming physical talent, decent athlete, but not one who wows everyone at the combine. But like Shields, he's an elite tactician, every skill required to play this position DeCastro possesses. He's easily the best prospect at the guard position in a decade, maybe more. He has the same all-pro potential we saw out of Will Shields game after game, year after year. Last night on ESPNU, they showed the 2010 USC-Stanford game. I watched it all over again just to see DeCastro & WR Chris Owusu. The Trojans had this fearsome front-7 on defense & on every snap, DeCastro took whoever he was assigned, completely out of the play. His footwork is amazing, like a 5-year all-pro interior lineman, like Will Shields. Yes, there were plays his hand placement wasn't great & others where he had to lunge to hit his man. But the bottom line was the guys he was blocking never made a tackle. What more do you want? Coming out for the draft as a junior, DeCastro started every game at Stanford, 39-straight.
KCKrissy wants to know "Is there a real possibility the Chiefs would trade-up to draft Ryan Tannehill?"
Krissy, I sincerely doubt it. To trade-up into Minnesota's spot at #3 overall from their 11th place in round one, would be extremely expensive. It could alter not just this year's draft, but next year's as well. Look what the Redskins gave up to move from #6 into St. Louis' spot at two. If the Chiefs were set everywhere except at quarterback, I'd say take a shot, but to mortgage their future to such an extreme(multiple #1 picks plus another 2nd or 3rd) just doesn't make sense to me. Scott Pioli can build on the progress he made in free agency with 4 or 5 really sound draft choices. Except for nose tackle, I don't believe they have any gaping holes, they do however have positions that could be upgraded substantially thru the draft. With only 19 starts at quarterback, I think Tannehill would take a while to groom. With a solid draft, the Chiefs are close at enough positions, they could realistically contend if Matt Cassel can play a lot of mistake-free football. But longterm, I'd rather have another QB.
WaltT emailed this question "Are there any good free agents still out there who could help us?"
Yes Walt, I believe there are a handful who could help bridge the next season or two. But no long term contract-types IMO. C/G Jason Brown, nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, RG/RT Vernon Carey & RB Jackie Battle could all be possibilities.
58DT4ever asks "I keep seeing LB Luke Kuechly slotted for the Chiefs in mock drafts. Is replacing Jovan Belcher a major priority? He seemed good to me.
Just like the RT upgrade of Eric Winston over Barry Richardson, Kuechly could be nearly as dramatic. Please don't confuse an inside linebacker rated this highly with Ray Lewis. He's not much of a hitter, he's more like the 49ers' Patrick Willis, a tackling machine. In three seasons at Boston College, he started 37-games & recorded a staggering 532 tackles. He doesn't miss many tackles plus he gets excellent pass drops, therefore he could stay in the game on 3rd down. Kuechly has superior instincts, he arrives at the point of attack before the ball does. He's 15-pounds heavier & faster than Belcher, plus he sheds blocks better. Adding Kuechly to starters Hali, D.J. & Justin Houston could give the Chiefs one of the top-3 linebacking groups. With a line-clogging nose tackle in place, they would be even more effective. Adding Kuechly without a real nose tackle wouldn't mean nearly as much, keep that in mind. Beside Belcher, the Chiefs also have high hopes for Brandon Siler, who was on injured reserve from training camp last year. He might be able to surpass Belcher on the depth chart, but in no way is he in Kuechly's league.
TonytheTiger wants to know "why is there such a diverse opinion on Poe(Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe)?"
Because before the combine, Poe wasn't anywhere near first round consideration. He blew up the combine with his speed, quickness & strength, Poe was the name on everyone's lips. Unfortunately, if you look at his game film, he's almost invisible. A good nose tackle is normally not a high impact player, they don't make a lot of tackles or sacks. What the good ones do is to clog the interior running lanes by not allowing themselves to be blocked off their spot. They should routinely require a double team & even with that, they should be able to stand their ground. Candidates are normally in the 6' to 6' 2" 315-350-pound range with a big, heavy butt & thighs, creating a low center of gravity. They need to have a powerful upper body to stack & shed blockers. Poe fills the bill of the physical requirements but he has shown to be easily blocked, often by one man & he simply doesn't stand his ground. Poe shows poor techniques once the ball is snapped. I don't know if he was poorly coached or this is the real Dontari Poe. What I do know is even if Romeo Crennel can reach this kid & coach him up, he's a long way from being what the Chiefs need him to be. I'd prefer one of 3 other nose tackles that should be available in rounds 2, 3 & 4. Washington's Alameda Ta'amu(6' 2" 336), Alabama's Josh Chapman(6' 1" 316) & Baylor's Nick Jean-Baptiste(6' 1" 335). All have shown way more lane-clogging, run-stuffing play than Poe.
The Chiefs have another private visit scheduled. It is with Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones. I'll admit I saw him play only two games over the past two seasons, watching the 'Cuse is like Chinese water torture. I know he's undersized for a 3-4 DE at just 270-pounds & he is underpowered as well, needing a lot of weight room work. I thought he played hard, competed on every snap, but he needs 20-pounds of bulky muscle to play at the next level IMO.
If your email wasn't answered, please understand I tried to consolidate similar questions to condense the post. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at rich@richsfootballreport.com
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