SB Nation User Blog: pleaseblock

Tank Tyler has disappeared

pleaseblock — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:34:03 -0000

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.

The FUTURE: From Albert to the Two Tylers

pleaseblock — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:29:48 -0000

Draft needs

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.

Free agent signings

New starters

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

Youth development (after this season)

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.

Jon McGraw is on FIRE!

pleaseblock — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:52:45 -0000

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.

LJ done for season?

pleaseblock — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:08:02 -0000

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

waiver pickups

pleaseblock — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:23:55 -0000

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!

Jimmy Williams, CB released by Falcons

pleaseblock — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:14:03 -0000

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."

Maurice Leggett

pleaseblock — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:32:34 -0000

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

Devard Darling's background

pleaseblock — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:18:04 -0000

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.)

Brandon Carr interview

pleaseblock — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:18:38 -0000

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