SB Nation User Blog: TheQ

"53"

TheQ — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:28:40 -0000

From the FanPosts. -Chris

Updated 6/24/2009

Updated Depth Chart

After updating the Stock Reports, I have to tell you that I have newfound respect for what coaches go through as they try to whittle down the roster to get to 53 players. Is it the "Right 53"? Well, it is still way too early to accurately predict who will line up as a Chief next season. Training camp is still lurking, and that is where the team will truly be built. The really interesting part to me was how this highlighted the best positional battles. The picture is starting to get a little clearer. Here is my best guess as to who makes the Roster.


			R. Price		D. Morgan
			M. Brown		J. McGraw
			J. Page		B. Pollard
			*Free Safety*		*Strong Safety*

	A. Studebaker		C. Smith				P. Walters
	T. McBride		C. Mays		J. Belcher		M. Beisel
	T. Hali		D. Williams		W. Dacus		M. Vrabel
	*OLB*		D. Johnson		Z. Thomas		*OLB*
			*ILB*		*ILB*
J. Bates						D. Gales		L. Fryar
R. Colclough		B. Greenwood		D. Lokey		W. Gilberry		D. Washington
T. Daniels		A. Magee		R. Edwards		A. Boone		M. Leggett
B. Carr		G. Dorsey		TANK Tyler		T. Jackson		B. Flowers
*Cornerback*		*Def. End*		*Nose Tackle*		*Def. End*		*Cornerback*

*Wide Receiver*		*Tackle*	*Guard*	*Center*	*Guard*	*Tackle*	*Tight End*	*Wide Receiver*
D. Darling		B. Albert	B. Waters	R. Niswanger	M. Goff	D. McIntosh	B. Cottam	D. Bowe
M. Bradley		H. Taylor	W. Smith	E. Ghiaciuc	E. Harrison	B. Richardson	T. Curtis	T. Copper
T. Johnson		C. Goldberg	B. De La Puente	W. Smith	T. Washington	C. Brown	J. O'Connell	J. Webb
			D. Harris				S. Ryan
	*Slot Receiver*						T. Crabtree
	B. Engram			*Quarterback*
	Q. Lawrence		*Fullback*	M. Cassel	*Tailback*
	R. Wright		M. Cox	T. Thigpen	L. Johnson
			J. Collins	B. Croyle	J. Charles
			J. O'Connell	I. Martin	J. Williams		*KR/PR*	*Punter*
*Long Snapper*		*Kicker*			K. Smith		Q. Lawrence	D. Colquitt
T. Purdum		R. Succop			J. Battle		R. Wright
		C. Barth					D. Savage

* NOTE: Players outside the mandatory roster maximum of 53 are shown in yellow. *

A couple of hopefuls already received their pink slips this week, and I was only surprised by one name, Darrell Robertson. I thought D-Rob had an outside shot at the roster due to his time in the system, albeit brief. Gafford was an emergency fill-in at long snapper last season after Darche went down, but he still had more game experience than Tanner Purdum (Trust Pioli, Trust Pioli...). T.J. and C.J. won't be missed.

I want to stress that just because a player is listed in "yellow" does not mean that I think they will not make the roster. Only that they have their work cut out for them. Some of these battles could go either way, and it seems that a tie almost always goes to the veteran. I have to believe that Pioli is trying to change the roster to his guys, so that elevates a draft pick's stock somewhat. Of course, most of the fringe players will have to prove themselves on Special Teams. So that could also affect the final 53 if a back-up corner is a better special teamer than a back up linebacker, etc. Let's take a look at some of the better positional battles as I see it:

Right Outside Linebacker:One of my favorites battles. We theoretically have two converted 4-3 DEs that may or may not be able to adjust to playing upright as a Linebacker. I am assuming that Vrabel is playing the LOLB, so if Hali has a starter's spot, it has to be at ROLB, and we all remember his struggles adjusting to the right side last year. If Turk is having the same kind of troubles, I am sure they might look at Beisel, Walters, or Studebaker as possibly being a starter here. To me, this one is wide open.
Right Defensive End: This position has a great big ole spotlight on Mr. Glenn Dorsey. Excuse me, Defensive End Glenn Dorsey. I am still getting used to that. Rookie Alex MaGee will probably get a lot of playing time here, or win the position outright. The thing that sticks out to me about our D Line is that they seem to be interchangeable parts. Most all of them could play all 3 line positions in a pinch, and that is a really good thing. I actually think there will be a good competition between Greenwood, Gales, Gilberry, and Lokey for the last spot on the D line. We have to have some depth here, so I went with Greenwood.
4th and 5th Cornerback: OK, raise your hand if you are pulling for Maurice Leggett. OK, now raise you hand if you are pulling for Daniels, Colclough, or Washington. We know that Flowers and Carr are in, so I see these 4 guys vying for 3 positions. Should be a good one.
4th and 5th Wide Receiver: Hayley loves Wide Receivers, so could he keep 6? I doubt it. But we should see plenty of 3 WR sets, so 5 seems about right. I thought the Chiefs were fairly aggressive trying to find some new blood at this spot. Not sure if they hit the jackpot, but mark my words, this will be one of the best camp battles on the team. At this point, it is really difficult to know who will separate themselves from the pack. Not sure why, buy I have a feeling that Copper will beat out Webb. Engram plays the slot, and Lawrence makes the team at returner to give us our "Pseudo Sixth" Receiver.
Back-up Interior Lineman: This problem area has really stuck in my craw for a couple of years now. The only new guy we are looking at inside is a guy who looks about equal to Niswanger on paper. And with Waters and Goff our Elder Statesman on the O line, we really need some guys to show well. I think Wade Smith makes the team because of his versatility, so that leaves Ghiaciuc, Harrison, De La Puente, and Washington fighting for the last spot.
Right Tackle: This position battle really got me thinking, that if Colin Brown does well at Right Tackle, why not at least try the big-bodied Richardson at Left Tackle? I know what you all are thinking. What about Herb? Well Herb has good enough feet to play the left bookend, but he was less than spectacular when he got a chance at RT and RG last season. To make this roster, you need to be able to play more than one line position, and why not keep the 4 biggest and baddest (no pun intended) Tackles you have? Either way, there is no way they keep more than 4 Tackles, so this will be the end of the road for either Taylor, Richardson, Brown, or even McIntosh.
Tight End: This position was described as a wide open one the other day, and with Tony G gone, why wouldn't it be? 6'7" Brad Cottam apparently is showing that when it comes right down to it, he really doesn't have much actual playing experience. This deficiency has opened the door for others such as Tony Curtis and Sean Ryan to step forward. 7th Round Draft Pick Jake O'Connell is wearing #45. Could this mean he is being looked at to play Fullback/H Back/Tight End? For now, this perceived versatility gets him the nod.
Quarterback: I almost didn't put this down as a camp battle. But Hayley said that everyone will get a chance, so Thigpen gets his. I do think that Cassel will win this job, but it makes me feel a heck of a lot better that we have a guy like Thigpen at the #2 spot. The real battle could be whether or not Brodie comes back strong and healthy. Otherwise, we could be "Ingled" again. It could happen.
3rd Running Back: I have no idea if the new regime holds any loyalty to Kolby Smith, or thinks that Jackie Battle has loads of potential. So I think their shiny new pick, Javarris Williams, makes the roster in a little bit of an upset. I have some thoughts that the team may want to keep O'Connell as an H Back and possibly use Williams in a back up role at TB and FB. This strategy may open another roster spot for a young LB or WR.
Kick Returner: Lawrence, Wright, and Savage seem to have the best chance at being our returner this season. This has been in need of a serious upgrade ever since the day Dante Hall was traded to St. Louis, but honestly the Chiefs didn't go out of their way to upgrade this position. Wright could surprise and snag this spot because of his experience as a returner.
Kicker: Succop's name kind of makes me laugh. But I guess I better get used to it, because I think his stronger leg, and Mr Irrelevant Status will elevate him over last year's incumbent Connor Barth.

I want to wish all of our potential Chiefs good luck in winning a spot! Trust me when I tell you that I am not obsessed with the depth chart! I am only obsessed with all things Chiefs! And obviously there are lots of good positional battles for us to watch and see who will be a Chief in 2009. The decisions behind the making of this depth chart were really tough ones, and now I know what Scott Pioli was saying when he talked about finding the "Right 53". It is much harder than it looks.

Press Tent: Video: Tiger Woods practice round at Bethpage

TheQ — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:23:13 -0000

Press Tent: Video: Tiger Woods practice round at Bethpage

Sorry if this has already been linked here.

Whiteshirt Stock Report

TheQ — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:03:05 -0000

↓

D. Savage

↓

J. O'Connell

↑

J. Williams

↑

J. Williams

↔

J.Battle

↑

M. Cox

↔

K. Smith

Fullback

↑

J. Charles

↔

R. Wright

↓

Roc Johnson

↓

I. Martin

↑

Q. Lawrence

Tailback

↓

B. Croyle †

↔

C.J. Jones

↑

T. Thigpen

↔

B. Engram

↓

T. Crabtree

↑

M. Cassel

Slot Receiver

↔

J. O'Connell

Quarterback

↔

R. Wright

↑

T. Johnson

↓

J. Collins

↓

D. Harris

↔

Q. Lawrence

↔

T. Copper

↔

S. Ryan

↑

C. Brown

↔

T. Washington

↔

W. Smith

↔

B. De La Puenta

↓

C. Goldberg

↔

C.J. Jones

↓

D. Darling

↑

T. Curtis

↑

B. Richardson

↑

E. Harrison

↔

E. Ghiaciuc

↔

W. Smith

↔

H. Taylor

↓

J. Webb

↑

D. Bowe

↑

B. Cottam

↔

D. McIntosh

↔

M. Goff

↔

R. Niswanger

↑

B. Waters

↑

B. Albert

↑

M. Bradley

Wide Receiver

Tight End

Right Tackle

Right Guard

Center

Left Guard

Left Tackle

Wide Receiver

Who's hot and who's not? (Don't call it a comeback DTR, I've been here for year-sz Version.)

As an equal opportunity poster, I felt obligated to give the Offense their due, and make a guesstimate of the Offensive depth chart. For those of you who seem to be horizontally challenged, please set your SBNation to Wide. There was a ton of stuff in this chart, and you will have trouble viewing it all in the narrow format. I have to admit, I had a lot of fun making these charts, and trying to decide upon where guys fit, or how they are performing, by trying to gleam bits and pieces of information from all the wonderful folks here at Arrowhead Pride. Amazingly enough, it seems as if the starters on our Offense are already set. Most of the roster prognostication deals mainly with depth, and the wide receiver group. The wide receiver competiton is probably the best position group battle of the bunch. Check out Connerman's nice take on the state of the WRs. They definitlely have more questions than answers. And as always, Shout Out if you see it any different...

I must start with the Quarterback position for two reasons: it is the most important positon on your football team, and this position has our most prized offseason acquisition in Matt Cassel. I have felt the rumblings of the staunch Thigpen supporters in many a comment on AP, but quite frankly, how can you NOT be excited about Matt? I am not saying that he is a world beater yet, but he is by all current accounts a great leader, hard worker, and a very accurate passer. Bones is great, but there was many a game last year that I looked upon my TV in disgust as a Thigpen pass went sailing high. Tyler is athletic and plays with a ton of heart, but some clipboard seasoning might do him some good. Brokie is still a capable #3 if he can overcome the injury bug. Along with Ingle Martin, this is one of the deepest position groups on the offense.

The tailback position is not the strength it once was, but it is solid and has a few different types of running backs that we can utilize. LJ is apparently "stuck" with us, because we can pay him the most money. But that's ok because we can use him well in our new offense. We will pass to set up the run, and this should bode well for Johnson as he should see some big holes in opposing defenses late in games. Charles will definitely see more work in a Reggie Bush like role this season, and Kolby Smith is an adequate fill-in RB if he can stay healthy. But I think that he will be pushed for his roster spot this season by Javarris Williams. Williams was touted as a dark horse who could surprise at the next level. I would not be surprised to see him win the #3 spot because of his versatility, and the fact that he is one of Pioli's guys. As for Jackie Battle, last year he was slightly on the radar because he did so well in training camp. Well, he is running with the first team again, but what should we take from that? Probably nothing. Savage will likely only earn a roster spot if he can beat out Quinten Lawrence at the returner position.

The fullback spot has had little press so far this season other than the blurb about Mike Cox bowling over some defenders. That is good to hear, because I am not sure that Mike's history with Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey will be enough to keep his spot on this roster. I think it will, but I found it interesting that the Chiefs traded back up to draft Tight End Jake O'Connell. I think they view him as an H Back type player that is versatile enough to play multiple positions, which is completely in-line with the Pioli philosophy. Williams also has the size to get a look here, which also increases his shot at the 53 since he could play both FB and TB. The Chiefs are not likely to keep more than 5 total RBs so...just saying. This might be one to watch.

The offensive line seems to be set at starter with McIntosh, Goff, Niswanger, Waters, and Albert. But the only acsending player here is Albert. Niswanger is young, but he will be challenged by Ghiaciuc and Wade Smith. I think Wade Smith did a good job filling in last season when Jones was injured, and it says a lot that he is playing with the 1st team at Left Guard while Troubled Waters is MIA. Goff is a welcome addition, but he will not likely be in KC for very long. McIntosh is our starting right tackle for now, unless young guns Richardson and Brown can push him for playing time. You can tell by all the sideways arrows that most of these guys could go either way. I am really hoping that this is the season that we see at least one of our young lineman assert themselves and win a starting spot on this line. Edwin Harrison, Tavaris Washington, Barry Richardson, Brian De La Puenta, Herb Taylor, ....somebody?

The wide receivers will be battling it out for the next 2 1/2 months or so, and I am looking forward to this as much as any other roster battle on the offense. I think we can all say that Bowe's spot as #1 is already assured, and Bradley and Engram should fall in right behind him. But neither one of them is without risk. Bradley's troubles have always been his lack of availibililty on the football field, and Bobby Engram is reaching the magical age of 36, where all receivers get a 6th gear so they can still get open. Uh, sure they do. I will say that Engram is a quality receiver who never let me down in Fantasy Football two years ago. That has to count for something? I would then slot Devard Darling and Jeff Webb as the 4th and 5th receivers on the roster, followed by Copper, Jones, Lawrence, Johnson, and Wright. Somebody also has to be Engram's heir apparent to the slot receiver, so a lot of these guys will get a look there. Best chance to break into the 53 as a WR: Copper or Jones. I think Lawrence makes it as our returner.

Considering that most of the starter spots are already spoken for, I am a little surprised there is so much to discuss in regards to the '09 Chiefs offense and the state of the depth chart. But the real success of this unit, like it or not, is riding on the arm of #7. Make no bones about it.

Redshirt Stock Report

TheQ — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:57:07 -0000

From the FanPosts -Primetime

Who's hot and who's not?

With our first mandatory Mini-Camp in the books, it is time to re-shuffle the deck and see where we are at with our new 3-4 defense. Let me first apologize to all the 4-3 Under advocates out there. It is obvious that we will run a lot of different looks with Pendergast in charge, but it is also true that we are learning and setting up in the base 3-4 in the Offseason Training Activities. I have updated an earlier version of our guesstimated depth chart using the 3-4, and moved some people who I thought would originally play another position, such as Turk McBride and Derrick Lokey. I also removed one of last season's 7th round draft picks because he was cut (new rule in Kansas City, come to camp in shape. Period.) I have no idea how close I got to the real thing, or if a depth chart even exists at so early a stage, but I find it interesting to speculate on it nonetheless. I have noted if someone's stock is on the rise, could go either way, or is on the decline. Feel free to Shout Out if you see it another way...


			↓	R. Price	↓	R. Price
			↔	J. McGraw	↔	D. Morgan
			↑	J. Page	↑	B. Pollard
				*Free Safety*		*Strong Safety*
							↔	P. Walters
	↑	A. Studebaker	↓	C. Smith			↔	D. Robertson
	↔	T.McBride	↓	C. Mays	↓	J. Belcher	↑	M. Beisel
	↑	T. Hali	↔	D. Williams	↔	W. Dacus	↑	M. Vrabel
		*OLB*	↑	D. Johnson	↔	Z. Thomas		*OLB*
				*ILB*		*ILB*
↓	J. Bates			↓	T. J. Jackson	↔	D. Gales	↓	L. Fryar
↔	R. Colclough	↑	B. Greenwood	↑	D. Lokey	↔	W. Gilberry	↔	D. Washington
↑	M. Leggett	↑	A. Magee	↓	R. Edwards	↑	A. Boone	↓	T. Daniels
↑	B. Carr	↔	G. Dorsey	↑	T. Tyler	↑	T. Jackson	↑	B. Flowers
	*Cornerback*		*Def. End*		*Nose Tackle*		*Def. End*		*Cornerback*

The Safety position probably comes in with the least amount of controversy, as our returning starters should earn their spots and keep improving with more playing time. I feel like Page and Pollard are still acsending players with bright futures. Morgan is more of a question mark this early in his career, and McGraw is a better locker room presence and leader on special teams. UDFA Price will find it difficult to earn a spot. There has also been a "hint" of signing veteran Safety Mike Brown, and I say if you can upgrade your team in any way, go for it.

Can we really be deep at Cornerback? For one of the most critical positions on the football field, it is amazing that we seemingly have so much depth. With the "Big Three" of Flowers, Carr, and Leggett leading the way, this position group is set. I think a lot of us also have high hopes for physically gifted Donald Washington, who may find himself on the field a lot ,either as a nickel back or special teamer. But I will temper my expectations for this season since he has yet to participate in any offseason work. Coclough is a guy who has never realized his potential, and I don't see that changing much this season. Daniels will contribute mostly on special teams if he makes the 53, and our two UDFA will likely be gone by Sept 2.

The defensive line group is a bunch of guys who could play inside or outside, the trick is finding out which one they do best. It is pretty obvious to me why Pioli felt the need to spend the first two draft picks this year on guys who project as 3-4 defensive ends. How could you argue that Jackson and Magee's stock is not rising? These two look to play an important part of our defense this year. The biggest question mark is, and will continue to be, whether or not Dorsey can be an effective starter at the end position? That question will likely not be answered until the season starts. A lot of people wish we had drafted Raji with our #3 overall pick instead of Jackson because of the high value the 3-4 places on Nose Tackles. But I believe that Pioli knew exactly what he was doing, and Tank will be fine. Edwards is a big body that can be a decent back up at the nose, but at this point in his career I see him as descending. Boone might actually see some time here as well. It has been interesting to me that young guys like Greenwood and Lokey have been playing with the second team. It is definitlely too early to read anything into that, but I think it goes to show that there is opportunities to earn a roster spot for these young guys as they are getting a chance to prove themselves.

And finally the linebackers. We all should have seen the switch to the 3-4 defense coming as soon as we saw Pioli signing every able-bodied linebacker he could find. I really like the veteran signing of Zach Thomas, but at his age I don't think we should expect Patrick Willis like production, but we can expect Ray Lewis like leadership. Mike Vrabel has to been seen as huge upgrade, but once again we are looking at a guy in the twilight of his career. Luckily, we have Monte Beisel to back him up. Derrick Johnson has all the talent in the world, I will leave it at that. And the Tamba Hali Experiment (as he shall forever more be called) is fascinating to say the least. Along with converted defensive end Turk McBride, he will be trying hard to learn to play in space. I have to say that it doesn't make me feel great that Demorrio Williams and Wes Dacus are the back up ILBs. These two could not find much playing time last year, even as bad as our LB unit was, so I have to question our depth. Robertson, Studebaker, and Walters could all make a name for themselves in training camp. I am really looking forward to seeing those training camp battles for sure.

It wasn't a huge surprise to me that the defense appears to be off to a better start this off season, as it is usually easier for the defense to be aggresive early in the season as the offense works on their timing and continuity. But considering that last season our Defense was ranked 31st in the league, I will take what I can get. I also noticed that we currently have only one rookie starter in Jackson, so this defense cannot use youth as an excuse. I am excited to see all the "Ups" on this defense, but it is too early to say how good this unit can really be. It usually does not help to be in the first year of changing systems, coaches, etc. Any improvement over our #31 rank will be considered a success, but something tells me that is not what this unit is shooting for. Zach didn't sign with us because he thought we "might" be ok, and Vrabel has too much championship experience for some of it not to rub off. If you look at all the high draft picks that we have playing along the line, you would think this is a top ten defense. Well, just maybe, it is time to start playing like one.

Kobe Bryant's maturity, defensive discipline keys to NBA Finals - Ian Thomsen - SI.com

TheQ — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:49:15 -0000

Kobe Bryant's maturity, defensive discipline keys to NBA Finals - Ian Thomsen - SI.com

I thought this was an interesting Finals preview. Sorry if this has already been linked on this site.

Where's the Rush? (Cruel Summer Edition)

TheQ — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:41:50 -0000

From the FanPosts. -PT

Long, Cruel indeed! I absolutely cannot wait for Football season to begin! Know this, you will forget this post, but you will not be able to get that song out of your head! :)

As Memorial Day Weekend approaches, I thought I would ask a question that I asked last season: Where is our Pass Rush going to come from? Somewhere in the locker room at One Arrowhead Drive I am sure there is a sign that reads "Sack Artist Wanted, All Applicants Welcome". 10 Sacks. That is the final total from a miserable 2008 season. 10 whole sacks. You have to get to #106 before you see a Chiefs player even listed in the Sack Leaders from last season, and that is Tamba Hali with 3. You would think some of our D lineman could have tripped into opposing QBs more times than that? By contrast the Dallas Cowboys led the NFL with 59 sacks and one of their players had twice as many as the whole Chiefs team (Demarcus Ware had an impressive 20 sacks). We all realize how important this stat, or lack thereof, is in the game of football.

Last season I felt that the serious lack of putting ANY pressure on opposing quarterbacks severely affected our abilitly to close out games. How many times were we leading, or in a game, only to watch the other team come back and win? Heartbreaking! If we could have made it just a little more difficult on those guys, we might have been able to steal a few of those contests. Favre, Brees, and Rivers all notched a win against us because they could sit back in the pocket and pick us apart. I know Mr. Pioli realizes this, but besides picking up Mike Vrabel in the #7 trade, who on our current roster will be an upgrade in this area? Will our new scheme help us notch more sacks? Or is the somewhat improbable Peppers to KC trade still a possibility? None of these seem like a lock to provide solid answers at one of our biggest weaknesses.

Looking at the roster doesn't exactly instill great confidence that this season will be much better, although it could hardly be worse. Here are some career sack numbers for some of the veterans currently on the roster:

Zach Thomas

20.5 career sacks

Mike Vrabel

55 career sacks

Tamba Hali

18.5 career sacks

Ron Edwards

13.5 career sacks

Alphonso Boone

12.5 career sacks

Derrick Johnson

12 career sacks

Monty Beisel

4.5 career sacks

Turk McBride

1 career sacks

Glenn Dorsey

1 career sacks

Brian Johnston

0 career sacks

Tank Tyler

0 career sacks

Best Hope: Mike Vrabel and Tamba Hali. As the roster stands right now, these two stand the best chance of leading the team in sacks in '09. They are also our current 1st Team OLBs, and both have experience rushing the passer. Are they quicker, faster, stronger than some of the young guys on the roster? Who knows? But they definitely know what it takes to get it done. It is interesting to note that the most accomplished guy, Vrabel, accumulated 22 of his 55 sacks in just two seasons, and averaged 3.3 sacks over his other 10 NFL seasons. Tamba Hali has regressed every season of his professional career and seems to struggle with knee and foot problems that hamper his pass rush abilitly. You could also add Tyson Jackson to this list based solely on his #3 overall draft status, but I don't think he will be asked to be a pass rusher as much as we would like. 4-5 sacks would be a great rookie season for T.J.

Biggest Question Marks: Glenn Dorsey, Turk McBride, and Derrick Johnson. We have all talked about whether or not Dorsey can play the 3-4 Defensive End position. If he cannot, what are we going to do with him? He swears he can do it, but I want to see it to believe it. Turk is getting a look at OLB even though I feel he is better suited to play the end position. I am not sure if he can play without his hand on the ground, and if he can, how fast can he make the transition? D.J. has got the physical attributes to get after the QB, but moving him to ILB should regulate him to a partime blitzer. You could argue that there is a whole lot of other question marks on this defense, and you would be right. But I feel these three can contribute to our sack totals, I am just not sure if they will.

Darkhorse Candidates: Brian Johnston and NewChief91 Pierre Walters. Calm down all you Greenwood, Gales, Robertson, and Studebaker fans! I gotta go with my gut here, and I like Johnston in the situational pass rusher role. He has some serious speed, and if he worked hard this offseason, he could find his way to the QB quite a few times. Mr. Walters has great size for an OLB, and has some College sack stats to back up this pick. Out of the slew of undrafted prospects, I like him the best. I think it is this picture of him that sells it:

via cdn3.sbnation.com

He is quite the imposing figure on the football field. Keep in mind, that some of our starters are getting a little long in the tooth, and some of these young guys may see playing time sooner than you think. Go get'em Pierre!

Besides personnel, I do think that scheme will increase our sack total this upcoming season. The 3-4 typically disquises blitzes and coverages a little better than the 4-3, and causes opposing Quarterbacks to think twice about where the rush is coming from. But frankly, I am not overly optimistic about Clancy's ability to command a championship caliber defense. Yeah, defensive rankings are overated. Not.

If we hope to be successful next season, we must be able to generate pressure on our opponents. I don't think we will be like the New York Giants, but I am hoping that we at least double our sacks from last season. So here are my keys for success this season: the Front 7 on Defense, anybody who can get 7 sacks, and Matt Cassel (#7). The Lucky Sevens. Sounds easy enough!

Go Chiefs!

Oklahoma Drill: Right Defensive End

TheQ — Sun, 10 May 2009 17:54:19 -0000

Who Wants it?

There seem to be a few open positions on the roster this offseason. One of the best competitions looks to be at the right defensive end spot. There are many things a coaching staff can look at to decide the starters on a team, but in my opinion the Oklahoma Drill is one of the best! I am unsure if this last vestige of toughness will be utilized in Kansas City this offseason, but it sure does fit the m.o. of the new look Chiefs.

Coach Haley is trying to build a tougher, more physical ball club. One that will not shy away from contact or finesse the opposition. He has also mentioned that each and every position is wide open for competition, so that should lend itself to some heated camp battles! When I played, we called this drill the Meatgrinder! It was by far one of the meanest, most physical, and demanding drills I ever took part in. And I loved every minute of it! This is how we decided if you were starter material, or you were just going to sit and watch the cheerleaders on the sidelines.

One guy who would have excelled at this drill (J.A.) is no longer in K.C., and his pass rush went with him. For a team that set a record for futility last year in sacks, Pioli and company have put a premium on upgrading the Defensive End position. It was obvious when we drafted Tyson Jackson #3 overall that we intend to do just that. From what I have read, Tyson will lock down the LDE position, while our 3rd round pick, Magee will get a look at the RDE. But there are a few other players who may have something to say about that. Guys who have spent time as 4-3 Ends or Defensive Tackles are going to be pushing for a starter's spot somewhere on this line. I will not get into which scheme we will be utilizing (4-3 Under/Over/Through the Woods/Whatever), but I am curious as to who will be our starting Right Defensive End come September. It is in these positional battles that we will build the '09 Chiefs!

Let's take a look at the players.

Alex Magee was drafted #67 overall in this year's draft and is the youngest player (22) on the roster. Magee's strengths seem to be that he is big enough and athletic enough to play a true 3-4 end at 6'4" and 295 lbs., and big enough and versatile enough to play inside at the nose tackle position. If Magee does not win the RDE position outright, he will undoubtedly provide much needed depth along our D line.

Turk McBride is currently a huge question mark as to where he will end up in our new defense. He worked out with the linebackers at mini-camp, but my guess is they will try him again at the RDE position. At 6'4" 285 lbs. Turk seems to have the size to play end in the 3-4 or 4-3. I like Turk, and think he will find a spot somewhere. But I don't think the new coaching staff has any warm, fuzzy feelings for these guys that we have come to know, so I am not expecting too much.

Bryan Johnston is an interesting possibility. At 6'5" 276 lbs., this guy ran a 4.66 forty at the Combine last year. That is fast for a big man. His height and long arms are also a big advantage when playing the DE position, and if he improved his strength and conditioning this offseason, I think he could be one of the "surprises" this year. I know it's early, but Johnston could shine in our new D.

Bobby Greenwood (6'6" 278 lbs.) and Dion Gales (6'-5" 259 lbs.) are both college defensive ends that look to be training camp fodder. But both seen to be versatile lineman who may make the roster on special teams. Gales could also get a look at OLB (I have also seen him listed at 6'7" 288 lbs, so not sure which is accurate?). We will throw these guys in the Meatgrinder and see what happens!

There could be some others who will end up lining up at the RDE, but I am unsure who they might be. We may see some Defensive Tackles such as Dorsey and Boone getting a look over here if we end up utilizing the 3-4, so there are a lot of possibilities. No doubt this is an important position in our defense, and we need someone who is mean enough and tough enough to handle it. My guess is that Magee will be the guy, with others like Turk and Johnston coming in during obvious passing downs. Training Camp is right around the corner. Let the Meatgrinder begin!

Poll

Who do you think will be our starting Right Defensive End this season?

Alex Magee

91 votes

Turk McBride

36 votes

Brian Johnston

26 votes

Bobby Greenwood

2 votes

Dion Gales

3 votes

Other

20 votes

178 votes | Poll has closed

Coach among injured after storm rips through Cowboys' practice field

TheQ — Sat, 02 May 2009 22:49:42 -0000

Coach among injured after storm rips through Cowboys' practice field

Depth Chart Preview

TheQ — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:54:21 -0000

I was sitting here bored on a rainy Saturday, and I was trying to make sense of all the players we currently have on the roster. I love this time of year because of a the new faces and new possibilities! I am not sure where some of these guys will project or where they will compete for a roster spot, but this is my best guess.

I would love some feedback on projected starters, or if you see I misplaced a player in the wrong position. A lot of players, such as the DEs and LBs will be looked at for different positions along the front 7. The interesting thing to me, is that Pioli seems to love players that can play multiple positions, so do you see any potential Troy Brown players on there? (Hint: Mike Vrabel!) Do you see any diamonds in the rough? Or who do you think will definitely be cut come September? Here we go, the search for the "Right 53" begins!

			R. Price		R. Price
			J. McGraw		D. Morgan
		C. Smith	J. Page		B. Pollard
		D. Williams	*Free Safety*	J. Belcher	*Strong Safety*
		C. Mays		W. Dacus
	B. Greenwood	D. Johnson		M. Beisel		A. Studebaker
J. Bates	W. Gilberry	*Will Backer*		Z. Thomas	D. Gales	P. Walters	L. Fryar
R. Colclough	B. Johnston	T. J. Jackson	A. Boone	*Mike Backer*	D. Lokey	D. Robertson	D. Washington
M. Leggett	T. McBride	A. Boone	R. Edwards		A. Magee	T. Hali	T. Daniels
B. Carr	A. Magee	G. Dorsey	T. Tyler		T. Jackson	M. Vrabel	B. Flowers
*Cornerback*	*Def. End*	*Under Tackle*	*Nose Tackle*		*Def. End*	*Sam Backer*	*Cornerback*


*Wide Receiver*	*Tackle*	*Guard*	*Center*	*Guard*	*Tackle*	*Tight End*	*Wide Receiver*
M. Bradley	B. Albert	B. Waters	R. Niswanger	M. Goff	D. McIntosh	B. Cottam	D. Bowe
B. Engram	H. Taylor	E. Harrison	E. Ghiaciuc	B. De La Puente	B. Richardson	T. Curtis	D. Darling
T. Copper	C. Goldberg	T. Washington	W. Smith	D. Harris	C. Brown	S. Ryan	J. Webb
C.J. Jones						J. Collins	R. Wright
Q. Lawrence						J. O'Connell	T. Johnson
			*Quarterback*			T. Crabtree
		*Fullback*	M. Cassel	*Tailback*
		M. Cox	T. Thigpen	L. Johnson		Chiefs '09
		J. O'Connell	B. Croyle	J. Charles
		J. Williams	I. Martin	K. Smith
*Long Snapper*	*Kicker*			J. Williams		*KR/PR*	*Punter*
T. Gafford	C. Barth			J. Battle		Q. Lawrence	D. Colquitt
T. Purdum	R. Succop			D. Savage		D. Savage

Go Chiefs!

Updated Depth Chart 5/9/09

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Broncos will workout QB Sanchez in Los Angeles "

TheQ — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:58:43 -0000

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Broncos will workout QB Sanchez in Los Angeles "

I almost hate to post this things, but this would seem to be crucial DRAFT INFO!