Although many of you will disagree with this post, I am just sharing today's story about Matt Cassel.

Per the Village Voice, the Broncos are still interested in acquiring Cassel:

For those of you focusing only on March Madness, the news out of Denver is that quarterback Jay Cutler is distressed that the Broncos new coach, former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, has a big lean towards Matt Cassel, New England's starting quarterback last year who was recently traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. McDaniels developed Cassell and is apparently working hard to engineer a deal that would bring him to the Broncos. No matter who in the Denver franchise tries to deny it, that would seem to be the case, or why would McDaniels be lavishing such praised on Cassel?   
 
As it's highly unlikely that any team would keep two quarterbacks of the caliber of Cutler and Cassel on their roster, it seems very likely that Cutler, who demanded a trade after meeting with McDaniels over the weekend, will soon be traveling.

I added the bold to the text to highlight that this sentence is in the present tense.

Here is a link to the entire article, posted on Tuesday March 17, 2009.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/03/a_chance_for_re.php

Obviously trading Cassel might seem like a step backwards.  Moreover, it seems like one of those silly fantasy football discussions.  Nonetheless, if McDaniels truly is interested in acquiring Cassel, the Chiefs should at least consider listening.  Who knows, maybe we can turn the 2nd round pick we just gave up into a 1st rounder or into a 2nd and a 3rd?

Perhaps this title would have been more effective?

At couple of minutes ago I checked the ratio of comments to "A true chiefs fan" post to my previous post.  It was 23 to 0.  That means that "A true chiefs fan" was infinitely more effective than I was at eliciting discussion.  Depressing.

Who was the last fullback drafted in the first round?  Where does fullback rank on the positional hierarchy?  Above long-snapper, punter and kicker, clearly.  But what about above guards?

What role does the fullback play in the new (?) Haley-Gailey offense?

What is Pioli's position on Mike Cox?

These are questions for which I would like answers.

We signed Cox as (a highly-ish rated) undrafted free-agent last year.  Cox can block (?), but can't really run/catch-and-run the ball.  How good of a blocker is Cox?  In the top-10 of FBs in the league?  To be valuable to the Chiefs, he needs to be a very good or even excellent blocker because he is not much of a runner/receiver.  It is unfortunate that better blocking metrics do not exist.  We may never really know how well Cox can block.

I suppose this is not the most exciting post.  Debating our QB situation or our LB situation seems much more interesting.  Nonetheless, fullback is a position on the team and it deserves (at least some) of our attention.

This is going to sound absurd to most of you.  If Josh McDaniels really wants Matt Cassel as his QB, shouldn't the Chiefs consider trading Cassel for Jay Cutler?  Perhaps the Chiefs have to give up a little more than Cassel.  That still seems fine to me.  Cutler has much more talent than Cassel and his hands down a much better QB.  In fact, Cutler could be the best QB in the league in a couple of years and keep his reign for a long time.  Although flipping Cassel may sound absurd, it will less so after reading this from USA Today:

http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=NFL&id=3608

Wow!  USA Today is reporting that Adam Schefter is reporting that Cassel may not stop at KC and that he is going to be flipped to a third team.

Here is the quote from USA Today, posted at 1:06pm EST:

Feb. 28, 2009 - 1:06 p.m. ET

NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports that Matt Cassel is expected to be traded to the Chiefs, but there may a third "mystery team" in play.

Schefter has softened his wording, saying the deal has been "agreed to" and "expected." Paperwork has been drawn up; Cassel will be traded. Schefter says there is now some question whether Kansas City could be his final destination. The "mystery team" is supposedly a surprise, which would seemingly rule out Tampa. That team could either swoop in or get involved in a three-way deal. Cassel is also working out a possible contract, which is probably the biggest factor in holding up this news. It's possible the Patriots agreed to trade compensation, but Cassel's contract demands are holding the deal up. If Cassel is dealt, it's safe to say the Tyler Thigpen era is over before it started. Here is a link too: http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=NFL&id=3237   This does not make a ton of sense to me, but it is what is being reported.

Is Mark Bradley really the answer at the number two receiver slot?  He was a great value last year, but I am worried about his ability to stay healthy and be productive over a whole season (even if healthy).  Check out his numbers at NFL.com:

http://www.nfl.com/players/markbradley/profile?id=BRA220941

I would argue for keeping Bradley on the roster and letting him compete for PT.  However, counting on Bradley and Will Franklin to be our #2 and #3 receivers (not necessarily in that order) seems overly optimistic.   The Chiefs need more real competition at receiver.  Perhaps Laveranues Coles, just cut by the Jets?

http://www.nfl.com/players/laveranuescoles/profile?id=COL366580

Or should we focus on drafting a player in the middle rounds?

Is all of this a moot discussion?  Are we going to draft Crabtree?

More cuts are on the way.  Who are likely suspects to get the axe?  Perhaps these four will be next.

Larry Johnson - RB - $5,656,190 (2008 cap value) - no stats needed

Ron Edwards - DT - $1,850,000 (2008 cap value) - 9 tackles, 0 starts

Jon McGraw - S - $695,000 (2008 cap value) - Herm's gone

Devard Darling - WR - $1,335,853 (2008 cap value) - Carl Peterson's gone

What are your thoughts on the next round of cuts?

The Boston Herald has picked up the story about the Chiefs offering Pioli the job.  They are still citing 610 Sports, but having a real newspaper pick up the story makes it seem a bit more legit.

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/patriots/index.php/2009/01/07/report-pioli-offered-chiefs-job/

MSNBC also picked up the story.  Cites 610 Sports.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28554012/

And as the Star reports, the Chiefs are likely Pioli's only remaining suitor.

http://chiefsblog.kansascity.com/?q=node/606

I am thinking about changing my screen name to pleasepassrush.  Seriously.  "Bas's" post got me thinking more about this problem.  Improving the pass rush is the single biggest problem we face going into the offseason.  We just set the record for fewest sacks in a season.  Moreover, there is litle hope on the horizon.  There are few premium pass rushers in the draft or in free agency, and Turk, Tank, and Dorsey look like secondary-type rushers at best.

Our other problems seem much more tractable.  For example, as Bas points out, there are some solid free agent linebackers available.  I am particularly interested in Karlos Dansby (ARZ), Michael Boley (ATL), or Angelo Crowell (BUF).  The draft has some good linebacking as well (e.g., Aaron Curry or James Laurinaitis in Round 1, others later on).  Likewise, we can take a top offensive tackle prospect with the third overall pick and a second-tier QB prospect later in the draft (i.e., Rounds 2 through 5).

As far as pass rushers go, I think we are in a difficult position.  My guess is that Carolina resigns Julius Peppers (who grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina, and has played for the Panthers his whole career) and the other free agents appear to be a poor fit (e.g., Suggs is a 3-4 OLB) or not that good.  In the draft, Brian Orapko is not good value at third overall and there really isn't anyone else at defensive end that we might consider at third overall.  I suppose Aaron Maybin (Penn State) is an exception, but he is pretty small (6'4, 236lbs) so he would seem to be just be a situational pass rusher as a rookie for the Chiefs (a better fit would be an OLB in a 3-4) and he is a sophomore who may not come out in the draft.

What should the Chiefs do about the pass rush problem?  Are we two years away from even beginning to solve this problem?

According to the Wichita Eagle, the Chiefs may stick with the spread AND draft another spread QB.  Herm Edwards appears to like the spread.  Mostly because it emphasizes short high-percentage passes, an approach that cuts down on turnovers.  If the Chiefs invest in the spread, then they are more likely to draft Bradford than Stafford.  Tebow or Harrell are also possibilities.  I am becoming convinced that Colt McCoy is the real deal, but he is waiting one more year beforing entering the NFL.  This year, I would prefer we trade down in the first round and draft a linebacker or defensive end.  We could (and should!) use a 2nd or 3rd rounder on a QB.

http://www.kansas.com/264/story/626210.html

It looks like Maurice Leggett has a real chance to stick with the team.  Here's a quote about Leggett from Herm Edwards:

"You look at guys and you try to look at them for what they're worth. If they have some athletic talent, if they want to be coached, and if they're mentally tough, they've got a chance. He had all those intangibles."

Here's the link to the Associated Press story in the International Herald Tribune:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/04/sports/FBN-Chiefs-Leggett.php

Tank Tyler has disappeared.  After making 32 tackles in the first 8 games of the season, he has made 1 tackle in the last 4 games.  Is he fighting off an injury?  Have opponents been double-teaming him?  Has he given up?

NFL.com - Tank Tyler

As a point of comparison, Glenn Dorsey has been pretty steady the whole season.  Whether he is good or a bust, his stats have been similar from game to game.

NFL.com - Glenn Dorsey

Now that I look at Ron Edwards stats, it appears that Tyler has been losing playing time to Edwards.  If Tyler is losing PT to Edwards, is it because Tank is not that good?  Perhaps Gunther (or Herm) is trying to motivate Tank?

Tank's decline/benching/injury surprises me a litte.  He was making a lot of tackles in the first half of the season.  Projected over 16 games, he was on pace for 64 tackles.  That is quite a lot for a defensive tackle.  Of course the fact that we were so bad against the run as a team (and allowing so many opponents' plays from scrimmage) meant that there were a lot of tackles to be made.

I still think 64 is a lot.

1. DE (early rounds) We have 6 sacks.  Clearly we need a premium pass rusher.  There are some tall, athletic guys in the draft (e.g., Michael Johnson, Brian Orapko.)  Let’s get the right one.  That is, someone who is going to come in and actually shine in his first year on the Chiefs defensive line.  (Unlike Dorsey, McBride, Tyler, Johnston.)  Mmmmm…… My crystal ball sees us starting McBride and Hali again next year and rotating this guy in on passing downs.

2. LB (early rounds)  This is our weakest position on the team.  We need two new starters to complement Derrick Johnson (a serviceable player who is never going to be “The Man”.)  One of the top LBs in the mock drafts – James Laurinaitis or Rey Maualuga – would be a great addition.  Lucking out with a mid-round pick at LB as well would be even better!

3. QB (early-to-mid rounds)  We need competition at QB.  Competition for the starting position, at least nominal competition.  Plus depth; Huard, Croyle, or both are out of here.

4. OT (early-to-mid rounds)  We need a replacement on the right side of our offensive line.  Either tackle or guard.  They are both bad, but McIntosh costs more than Jones so a new right tackle sounds good.

5. OG (early-to-mid rounds)  See above.

6. WR (mid-to-late rounds)  Bradley is a serviceable 2nd or 3rd wide receiver.  Finding a deep threat to complement Bowe and push Bradley/Franklin for serious playing time sounds fantastic.  However, it is highly unlikely this late in the draft.  Nevertheless, we can dream.  Okay, let’s be realistic: a 4th or 5th WR who makes a noticeable dent on special teams.

7. RB (mid-to-late rounds)  The Larry Johnson Era is coming toward an end.  Really, we need special teams help.

7. LB (mid-to-late rounds)  Our weakest position.  Our defense is worse than our offense.  Our special teams are really really bad.  A linebacker would help all of that.

Really, I’d like to see us trade down for a mid-1st round pick, and gain a 2nd and a 4th in the process.

DE

LB

QB

OL

Yes: DE (replacing Hali)

Yes: LB (replacing Thomas, MLB)

Yes: LB (replacing Edwards, OLB)

Maybe: OT (replacing McIntosh)

Or: OG (replacing Jones)

5 of 22

6 in defensive backfield:

Flowers 2nd season

Carr 2nd season

Leggett 2nd season

Morgan 2nd season

Pollard 4th season

Page 4th season

5 on defensive line:

Dorsey 2nd season

Johnston 2nd season

Tyler 3rd season

McBride 3rd season

Hali 4th season

5 at offensive “skill” positions:

Charles 2nd season

Cottam 2nd season

Franklin 2nd season

Bowe 3rd season

Tyler 3rd season

5 at offensive blocking positions:

Albert 2nd season

Cox 2nd season

Richardson 2nd season

Taylor 3rd season

Niswanger 4th season

Plus 6 or 7 draft picks from the class of 2009 that will make the team.

That’s at least 27 players in seasons 1 through 4.  More than one-half of the team!

Conclusion

Shooting for .500 next year is a lofty target.  Maybe five or six wins next year are realistic.  In 2010, anything is possible.  We have so many darn rookies (and 2nd, 3rd year players) this year, players who have a lot of potential (as well as some question-marks), that projecting beyond next year is pretty tricky.  God bless parity in the NFL.

Did anyone notice that Jon McGraw had a Hall of Fame type game against San Diego?

11 tackles (9 solo), a pass defended, and an interception

All of this off the bench.

(see http://www.nfl.com/players/jonmcgraw/gamelogs?id=MCG634887)

McGraw had an impressive game.  Nonetheless, I guess I wish he would get less playing time and we could get more speed on the field (that is, Dajuan Morgan).  Speed kills!  Unfortunately, Morgan is not getting it done in practice and continues to get very little playing time.

The Arizona Republic is reporting that Larry Johnson may be suspended for the remainder of the year.  Moreover, the Chiefs may cut him after the suspension ends.  I guess this possibility is not news to us, but it is interesting to see a major newspaper reporting this.  If you read the comments at the end of this article and comments elsewhere about LJ, it appears that there is a lot of animosity toward the man.  This would make it difficult for another team to want to trade for him.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2008/10/27/20081027nflfastforward1028.html?&wired

What players on waivers do you think the Chiefs should consider signing?  Who would the Chiefs cut to make room for these players?  I would be surprised if the Chiefs turned their roster over by more than 2 to 4 players.  Remember, the players on waivers are guys that teams did not think were very good!

Two candidates I found in a cursory search are Roydell Williams (WR, Titans) and Calvin Lowry (WR, Titans.) 

Williams is a fourth-year player (a starter last year) who is coming back from an ankle injury.  The Titans cut him because it is not clear whether he can contribute a ton this year (there was talk of putting him on IR) and because his Titans contract was going to expire after this year.  The Chiefs could sign him to a multi-year deal and see how he recovers.  I am not saying that he is the second coming of Bowe, but he has contributed in this league and did attend college in Lousiana!

Lowry is a third-year player who was a part-time starter (both at free and strong safety, 11 games total) last year and seemingly a pretty good special teams player his first year.  He is not that big (5'11 200lbs), but he is fast (4.49) and defended 10 passes last year (Jarrad Page only defended 6 in 16 starts and Bernard Pollard defended 7 in 15 starts.)

Let us know what you think about waiver pickups!

The Falcons released Jimmy Williams, a cornerback drafted in the second round of the 2006 draft.  Apparently, he is a Cover 2 corner and the Atlanta defense was not a good fit.  Maybe KC is the right fit?  Here is the excerpt from Bucky Brooks' column on CNNSI.COM: (Note: Make sure you always include a link to the story you're quoting. Thanks! -Chris)

"The Falcons' decision to release CB Jimmy Williams caps a surprising fall for the third-year pro. Williams, the Falcons second-round pick (No.37) in the 2006 draft, was once viewed as a "can't miss" prospect by several scouts prior to his senior season. Although Williams fell down draft boards due to an inconsistent senior year and questionable attitude, many observers expected Williams to develop into an impact player with the Falcons. "He had all of the tools to be a quality starter," said an AFC scout who scouted Williams as a collegian. However, Williams never appeared to be a great fit in the Falcons' scheme as a corner, and his move to safety was deemed a failure after he struggled to make the proper checks and adjustments in the back end. "He is a press or cover-2-type corner, but they never used him in that way," said an AFC scout. "They asked him to do things that were never his strengths, and the move to safety was bound to fail because never possessed the intangibles to handle the responsibilities associated with being the leader in the secondary. He is not capable of making calls and setting the defense -- that's too much information for him to process."

Interestingly, the defensive system that Mike Smith prefers should've been a great fit for Williams. As a corner in a Cover-2 defense, Williams would have few responsibilities in coverage and his size would make him an imposing run defender on the edge. Unfortunately, Williams failed to take advantage of the opportunity by reporting to offseason workouts overweight, and his series of unexcused absences from the workouts led to his eventual dismissal after plunging down the depth charts. Williams may get another chance to make a team, but for him to reach the potential that so many scouts had predicted for him, it is essential that he finds the right fit."

Undrafted free agent Maurice Leggett out of Division II Valdosta State University appears to be the frontrunner in the race to be the dime back (i.e., 4th corner; after Surtain, Flowers, Carr).

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/06/20/roster_unknown_maurice_leggett/

For background info, here's a scouting profile:

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/profile.php?pyid=73039

Here's an article about his blocked kick in the national championship game:

http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20071216/NEWS/712160343

I just read that Devaughn Darling, Devard Darling's twin brother (and teammate at Florida State University), passed away in 2001 due to complications from sickle cell anemia.  You can read more about this at the following links:

http://www.asonefoundation.org/

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/pac10/2002-07-30-focus-darling_x.htm

After Devaughn passed away, Devard transferred to Washington State.  This entire experience must have been pretty tough for him.  Although I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, this experience may have provided him with additional inner fortitude.  Of course all of this transcends football and I am a little embarrased to focus on the football component.  Nonetheless, this information may be relevant for forecasting what type of player he may become.  (My apologies if this story was already discussed on this site.)

Here's an interview with 5th round pick Brandon Carr, CB Grand Valley State.  He says everything one would hope from a good prospect  and even a bit more.  Here are a couple of excerpts:

TheFootballExpert.com:  Describe your game in three words or less.

Brandon Carr:  Smart, technician, battler

TheFootballExpert.com:  What is the one thing you will most miss at college?

Brandon Carr:  Fellowshipping with various different cultures of people.

My apologies if someone already posted this. 

http://www.thefootballexpert.com/brandoncarrinterview080001.html