SBNation.com User Blog: truechief10

2013 AFC Draft Grades

truechief10 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:13:52 -0000

2013 AFC Draft Grades

We can talk all day how Baltimore let too many people go in the offseason, but when you can draft like the Ravens do, it doesn’t matter all that much. Elam will fill in right away and should give them just as much as an aging Reed gave them the last couple of years. Brown is just another stud LB that fell to them. They get some depth on both sides of the line as well. Don’t sleep on Mellette the WR, he fell to the 7th round but can contribute at some point

Buffalo Bills B

It’s hard to knock the Manuel pick too much, but he’s a guy that could have been taken later. This QB class was so weak that him being taken first is like being the tallest midget, doesn’t count that much. I think Woods at WR is better than people think. Goodwin is another WR to give them someone to throw to other than Stevie Johnson. Meeks has some value in the 5th round for sure. They get the bump since they took their guy at QB and were one of the few teams willing to take a few risks when other teams went safe.

Cincinnati Bengals B+

People love the Bengals draft but I don’t really get it. Don’t get me wrong there is talent in these draft picks, but I think there were better players for them to take. Really don’t get the Eifert pick at TE since that wasn’t a need with 1st round pick. The Bernard pick at RB another guy who is good, but there were better RBs there. Hunt is a stud though and was a great pick at the end of the 2nd round. Williams will get a shot at safety which could turn into a great value there as well. I grade on starters and future starters and there could easily be 4 here, but I think they could look back and see that there were better options.

Cleveland Browns D+

Hard to really get excited about this draft. 2nd round pick who was used on Josh Gordon last year, and no 4th and 5th round picks really hurt this team. They did get Bess from Miami with the 4th round pick, so there is value there, but this team needs more talent. Mingo just doesn’t impress me enough to take at number 6. He might just be added to the list of failed LSU defensive lineman. Biggest disappointment has to be though that they didn’t at least take a chance on one of the fallen QBs. This draft could have been salvaged with taking a backup QB.

Denver Broncos B

Broncos are in such a win now mode, maybe even more than the Dolphins. Manning only has a few years left so they need everything they can right now. I think they got 2 starters with Williams on the defensive line and Ball will be a starter at some point at RB. I think they might get a knock though because they didn’t address a pass rusher till the 5th round after Dumervil walked because of a fax machine. Dysert will be interesting to watch as he has some talent and get to sit behind Manning for at least a year.

Houston Texans B

I think there are a couple of schools of thought. Take the best player available or take a player of need and almost everyone will say take the best player on the board. I think though that you can throw that out the window when you are a team that has this window of opportunity to win it all, you draft a need. Hopkins I don’t think is going to be a great WR but it was the only glaring need for this team. Montgomery also has huge value taken at the end of the 3rd round. Swearinger might be one of the hardest hitting DB in this draft which fits well with this team. This team probably has 3 starters from this draft but Hopkins needs to be decent right away for them to deserve a better grade.

Indianapolis Colts C

This team is built around a QB and probably always will. They did need a RB, some WR help, OL would be nice and that was just on the offensive side of the ball. DE is a need but Werner is a guy who played with a lot of pass rushers at FSU so I’m not sure if they are going to be great individually. I think Thornton who is a third round guard could come in and start quickly, but this team will probably only get 2 starters from this draft and maybe some depth.

Jacksonville Jaguars B-

I don’t think I’ve seen a team with the second pick run up that fast with their pick to get Joeckel. The problem is they don’t NEED a LT. They have one, but Joeckel is their future. They have a lot of other problems and they took care of one with Cyprien with their secondary a mess. I thought they should have taken a chance on one of the QBs since they have one of the biggest question marks. Denard Robinson has talent and speed but I don’t think that they have enough different looks in their offense to really get him the ball to be effective. I think this team has 3 starters from this draft but only because of how bad this team really needs playmakers so they get a B with the slightest margins.

Kansas City Chiefs C+

We didn’t know till the pick was in they were going to draft Fisher but they got their guy. He will be there for 10 years. Kelce has a ton of talent and Reid will love having a 2 TE set. Nico Johnson will probably get a chance to start right away at ILB and so will Commings at safety. I wasn’t impressed with the end of draft with no QBs taken and also the botched Albert trade that never happened. They could have used a 2nd round pick. Also Davis as RB in the 3rd will be forever referred to as a waste of a pick. This team has at most 4 potential starters from this draft but more likely 2 with Alex Smith also added as we can see now has great value since the QBs were viewed as 4th round talent by most NFL teams. You just expect more out of a team picking from the top 5 every round.

Miami Dolphins C+

A team that this offseason has reeked of desperation added that to the draft with taking a raw Jordan and then adding some help in the secondary with Taylor I think will give them a better defense. They could be just as much to blame for the trade not going through for Albert which now leaves them without a LT going into the season. A team that is all in, just didn’t pick the right time to start winning games, they have a ways to go, so this all in is just bad timing right now.

New England Patriots C

Honestly surprised with this draft. I didn’t see any wow factor and I think the Patriots even though got 5 of the first 102 picks just didn’t do what they usually do which is find great value with each pick and plug them in. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt but a couple of these defensive players will have to step up this year for this to be a successful draft. Logan Ryan is the guy who I think will be able to step in and do that, but raw is a term you could use for almost of all of these picks.

New York Jets B-

I’m not sure if it’s enough to save Ryan’s job but it was a good draft. Milliner will step in day one and make an impact. Richardson on the DL will be a work in progress but gives them some help soon. Geno Smith is obviously the biggest question mark. This is probably the best and worst place for Geno. Best because he will get to sit but probably not for long, but worst because if he isn’t good quickly, Jets fans will turn on him. They then went to take 3 offensive lineman in a row so one of them will work out and my bet is on Winters from Kent State. Could see him on the right side. They also get Chris Ivory for a 4th round pick. That just keeps adding onto the average RBs on their team.

Oakland Raiders D+

Honestly it was like Al Davis was picking these guys from the grave. Hayden is a great story, but there is a chance he won’t be able to even want to play football after his literal near death experience. They then take a tackle who didn’t even understand football as he grew up in England with their 2nd round pick. Moore has some talent at LB and so does their 4th round QB in Wilson so there is a chance this works out for them, I’m just thinking that history is not on their side.

Pittsburgh Steelers A

So there were a lot of people that were wondering how you replace Harrison, Mendenhall and Wallace. Easy, you use your first three picks and just plug and play for half the cost. Jarvis Jones will make an immediate impact and is perfect for the Steelers. Bell is that typical Steelers RB who runs with some power and could start. Wheaton could be as fast as Wallace and will stretch the field. Then at Thomas the safety out of Syracuse who is great value in the 4th round could see some action this year if there are injuries. Add to that Landry Jones who will sit and wait behind Big Ben, I think they won the draft.

San Diego Chargers C

An interesting draft that I think could either be a hit or a huge bust. I don’t think Fluker is a LT so it will be interesting to see where he sticks. Te’o had to go somewhere and he ended up in a place that needs him and he will be asked to just go get the guy with the ball. Allen gives Rivers some much needed help at WR. The problem is that I think there are only 3 possible future starters on this team and they could all fall flat. That is what scares me from giving them a good grade.

Tennessee Titans C+

I’m not a fan of taking a guard with the top 10 pick but there just wasn’t much there for them to take at that point. Hunter is a boom or bust type of player that will make this draft a lot better if he works and if Locker takes some steps forward. The rest of these picks were safe and will need some time to develop to really get any production out of them. The Titans need playmakers right now on defense so these young guys will get tested quickly.

2013 AFC Draft Grades

Baltimore Ravens A-

Buffalo Bills B

Cincinnati Bengals B+

Jacksonville Jaguars B-

Kansas City Chiefs C+

Miami Dolphins C+

New England Patriots C

New York Jets B-

Oakland Raiders D+

Pittsburgh Steelers A

San Diego Chargers C

Tennessee Titans C+

1st Pick Could Be Worth Less and Less Everyday

truechief10 — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 00:55:37 -0000

Geno Smith is a hot topic. Not just here at AP, we know there isn’t a story that goes up where his name isn’t in it in the comment sections. Around the league the realization and simple economics is kicking in where the demand is higher than the supply. In the top 10 here are a list of possible options for the Chiefs to trade with and how this number is shrinking. My thought was to hold onto the pick as long as we could and sell the pick to the team that gets the most desperate. But with recent events, we might lose all negotiating power real soon.

Jacksonville Jaguars

This is the team that I think ultimately takes Geno. This would be fine by me, but we have to convince the Jags that there are other teams interested. If there isn’t interest outside of the Jaguars to take Geno then they will just wait for us to pick and give up nothing. If there are other suitors, they have to step up to the plate and match the offer to take Geno.

Oakland Raiders

Another team that has the possibility but if they trade for Matt Flynn I don’t see them then trading up to take Geno as well. If they just release Carson Palmer, they might but I don’t see them just cutting him without a backup option. Also both parties might be hesitant to work together on a deal being in the same division.

Philadelphia Eagles

A team that has shown a lot of interest in Geno but still has options at QB. I think this is the perfect spot for the Chiefs because they can still get a top LT or DE if they choose and gather picks as well. I’m not sure that the Eagles have genuine interest but let’s just hope they do for the sake of driving up the price.

Cleveland Browns

I haven’t seen the Browns really that interested in Geno even though they do have QB questions. If there is interest they are keeping that close to the chest. They have Brandon Weedon who is entering his second year and put up almost identical numbers to Ryan Tannehill who people thought did a fine job last year. The difference is that Weeden is 5 years older but still the Browns I don’t think just start over already.

Arizona Cardinals

Here’s where things start shaking up a little. With Kolb out, the Cardinals have an instant hole. If Palmer is released the Cardinals could very well be in line to pick him up. This would be another blow to the Chiefs as this would mean another team is off the board to raise the price.

Buffalo Bills

I would have thought the Bills would have shown more interest in Geno. Maybe just didn’t like him or maybe just not letting on yet, but not a lot of news. They recently though have added Kevin Kolb which doesn’t mean they won’t want Geno, just that they might be satisfied to have decent veterans and play the hot hand. Buffalo hasn’t really taken to many chances at QB in recent years so I don’t see them making some big move with Kolb signing now.

New York Jets

Maybe the last hope for the Chiefs to trade this pick. The Jets have shown interest and could use a face of the franchise lift not only for the organization but for the fans. If they trade Revis they might feel more free to trade a few picks to trade up. I read though that the Jets are more positioning themselves to gather picks for next year rather than trade them. Hoping for a lot for Revis and possibly compensation picks might be their strategy.

When you break it down, you have three teams that have real interest in Geno if a few pieces fall into place. You have to hope that either the Eagles or Jets have enough interest to get a bit of a bidding war up for Geno. While I think there is still plenty of value with the first pick and it only takes one team to get real interested, I think this trade would be better made sooner rather than later.

Brandon Lloyd?

truechief10 — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 01:25:26 -0000

Brandon Lloyd?

Recently released by the Patriots. He's from Kansas City. Should the Chiefs be interested?

Why Alex Smith Makes Sense Plus Predictions

truechief10 — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 01:16:41 -0000

So the news has broken that San Francisco has a trade in place to part ways with Alex Smith. All parties are backing off but we have seen this dance before. We understand that the Chiefs have been interested since day 1 in Smith but this won’t become official till 3/12. I was going to write a post that actually fits in with this, but so many people on here have been talking about how it’s Geno or no one. My point is simple and it’s this; if Reid and Dorsey think Geno is the guy and fits in for their system, they will draft him. If not, then they will find someone that does and that will not be with the first overall pick. It’s that simple.

Geno Smith wasn’t the guy. So Reid needed to find someone that fits and everyone else is more or less considered a project QB. Alex Smith fits in with what Reid needs in a QB. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and has a decent completion percentage, something that is crucial in a west coast offense. While last year with Smith completing 70.2 percent of his passes isn’t going to happen again, Smith has been consistently improving his completion percentage over the years. Smith will have a similar team as far as talent on offense. A solid offensive line that is run first, a pass catching TE that can stretch the field along with a big WR with Bowe or Baldwin. We will add a speed guy I’m sure with Reid at the helm to go along with McCluster who I’m sure will be better utilized now.

Now this is going to talk some of your down from the ledge. For those who wanted Geno Smith I understand completely. To be honest I wanted it to work out as well. Having a young QB who leads us all the way is the dream, but if Reid didn’t think he would work, then that’s where the dream will end. Alex Smith isn’t the QB of the future. He’s a place holder most likely for the 2nd pick in the 2nd round who I will predict later on. Smith gives us the chance to start winning now and improving this team while being able to develop our future with a REAL prospect at QB. This is someone who will be expected to challenge for the starting job next year.

Now for my predictions.

Free Agent and Draft Predictions

I’ve been doing my research like many of you on Andy Reid and seeing what we can expect from our first offseason with the new coach. Now I’m sure that not all of you are going to agree with what I’m saying, but just hear me out and give it a second to think about and sink in before you dismiss it.

Starting with our free agents

Brandon Albert –Signs Long Term Deal

I would say he gets 4-5 years with about $40 million with about $25 guaranteed or somewhere in that ballpark. He’s an above average tackle and will play even better with stability on offense for once.

Dwayne Bowe- Released

Well he’s a free agent, so we just don’t resign him. We have a big WR and that’s plenty for Reid. Bowe wants a ton of money, and Reid wants a fast WR, simply put, he’s probably not coming back.

Matt Cassel –Cut

We paid most of the big time money that he is owed and it just didn’t work out. We tried, probably for too long, but number 7 will be worn by someone else next year.

Brady Quinn- Released

Not coming back and might not get signed by a team next year. Doesn’t fit in Reid’s system I think, so probably back to ND for him to be a coach of some sort.

Glenn Dorsey- Released

We are sticking with the 3-4 and Dorsey just isn’t going to fit with what we want there. Best of luck to him, just hope he can stay healthy

Dustin Colquitt-Signs

Punters don’t usually leave, plus he has been one of the few consistent bright spots for the team. Sad, but true.

Free Agent Signings

QB- JaMarcus Russell

Do you remember a former number 1 overall pick that was out of football because he was in trouble with the law and made his comeback? That’s right it was Vick and even though we have much debate over Vick, there is no question that Vick had his moments. There are only a handful of coaches in the NFL that can get the most of their QB and I believe Reid is one of them. Russell is one of the few low risk high reward guys out there. In the NFL anymore you pay and pay a lot for high reward, almost no matter what the risk, but this will come cheap, kind of like Vick did with the Eagles. If anything he’s worth a look.

WR- Mike Wallace

Steelers aren’t really interested in paying him and Reid of course loves those fast guys. It seems too good to be true, but for Reid this is his idea of money well spent.

DE- Randy Starks

He could fill in for Dorsey right away. He’s a big guy at 6’3 305 who can actually get to the QB on occasion with 32.5 career sacks. At 29 years old he is durable and would be an upgrade on the line.

LB- Barrett Ruud

This really isn’t a sexy signing by any means but this guy used to be the stuff back in TB 2 years ago. He then got lost in the shuffle with the Texans but he’s a guy who at the very least is going to come in and compete for that starting job.

First 3 Rounds

Swap 1st round pick with Jets for Darrelle Revis (9th overall)

The Jets aren’t a simple fix away from contending, but in New York you can’t say the R word (rebuilding) without being fired. So taking a QB seems like progress in the right direction and it probably is, but picking 9th you can’t even guarantee that you will be taking the second best QB in this draft. The Chiefs don’t make a big splash in free agency so they have money to spend. Revis gives the Chiefs a top secondary in the league along with being able to keep their first round pick. You might need to sweeten the deal but trading down from the 1st to 9th spot is worth 1650 in value or what is equivalent to the 5th or 6th overall pick. While this year it might not be worth as much, if the Jets fall in love with a top QB, they will be on the phone. Also a quick note, Reid loves CBs so he would be all over this deal.

1st round pick (9th overall)-S-Kenny Vaccaro

He’s hands down the best safety in the draft. He’s big and versatile and can fill in right now at the FS spot. Kendrick Lewis is good for depth but he’s not great to start week in and week out. Vaccaro nails down the secondary and probably means we have the best secondary ever in KC history.

2nd Round-QB-Matt Barkley

I know there has been a lot written about how finding a second round QB and making him your franchise QB doesn’t work. I would agree with you, with all the stats and history, but getting a first round QB is far from a sure thing as well. I wrote a piece a couple of months ago with these statistics. From 2002-2010 26 QBs have been taken in the 1st round. Only 10 of those QBs have worked out. 10/26 means a 38% success rate. Obviously getting one in the second round is even less, but we can’t say that everything is fixed with a first round QB. People say that this QB class is weak, but that’s a misnomer. It’s weak at the top, it is actually very deep. There are a number of talented QBs is in this class, but they need to put it all together. Barkley needs time to develop but he fits in the WCO and Reid’s system very well where accuracy is very important which will key in on Barkley’s strengths. I’m not a big Barkley fan by any means, but he does fit into the system and should still be there early in round 2.

3rd Round-OL Travis Frederick

I love getting OL in the 3rd round, provided that we have a 3rd round pick. Interior linemen usually don’t go early so you can get a top guy in the mid rounds. Frederick started a lot of games at Wisconsin plus gives the Chiefs more depth on the line. With Lilja retiring the line could at least use another body to compete in camp and be the next man up. You can never have too many linemen waiting in the wings and Frederick is the perfect guy to groom to take any of the 3 interior positions.

Now for my predictions.

Free Agent and Draft Predictions

Starting with our free agents

Brandon Albert –Signs Long Term Deal

Dwayne Bowe- Released

Matt Cassel –Cut

We paid most of the big time money that he is owed and it just didn’t work out. We tried, probably for too long, but number 7 will be worn by someone else next year.

Brady Quinn- Released

Not coming back and might not get signed by a team next year. Doesn’t fit in Reid’s system I think, so probably back to ND for him to be a coach of some sort.

Glenn Dorsey- Released

We are sticking with the 3-4 and Dorsey just isn’t going to fit with what we want there. Best of luck to him, just hope he can stay healthy

Dustin Colquitt-Signs

Punters don’t usually leave, plus he has been one of the few consistent bright spots for the team. Sad, but true.

Free Agent Signings

QB- JaMarcus Russell

WR- Mike Wallace

Steelers aren’t really interested in paying him and Reid of course loves those fast guys. It seems too good to be true, but for Reid this is his idea of money well spent.

DE- Randy Starks

LB- Barrett Ruud

First 3 Rounds

Swap 1st round pick with Jets for Darrelle Revis (9th overall)

1st round pick (9th overall)-S-Kenny Vaccaro

2nd Round-QB-Matt Barkley

3rd Round-OL Travis Frederick

Poll

Which of these projections would you most like to see come true

Albert signs long term

43 votes

Mike Wallace is our number 1 WR

17 votes

Revis for 1st round picks swapped (9th overall)

41 votes

Matt Barkley taken in the 2nd round

10 votes

111 votes | Poll has closed

Slow Clap for the Fans

truechief10 — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:22:28 -0000

Yesterday for the first time in the last couple of months I was proud to be a Chiefs’ fan. Wake up this morning and I still feel the same way. I have been a Chiefs’ fan since I was old enough to figure out to cheer for the team in red. I have been mortified and embarrassed just to watch this team this year. For the first time though this year I was happy to watch a Chiefs’ game and see the frustration of our great fans played out in a way that civil but clear and to the point: We need change and it better happen in a big way.

Kansas City fans this year have been dumped on. The booing Robinson Cano in the Home Run derby was I thought amazing. Did they take it a little too far, maybe. Honestly I think it would have stopped if he had just hit a home run. Instead he fueled it with every out. But I saw passion. Something I haven’t seen from Royals’ fans since that magical 2003 season, where we stayed in first place for a couple of months. Then we have the cheering for the Matt Cassel injury. Another thing that would have gone under the radar if Winston would have kept his mouth shut. I’ll defend Kansas City till I die and I will defend the fans, because I’m right there with you; I’m frustrated, but let’s stay civil.

Now I’m not from the Save Our Chiefs movement nor have I given a dime. I have not even gone to a game this year. I don’t think that makes me any less of a fan though. I lost my job and disposable income is tight, but I work where I can and I love my Chiefs. I also love coming here and sharing my frustrations with all of you. I know that not everyone is a fan of these movements and think that flying the banners and wearing black to the stadium isn’t going to do anything. Yesterday though was the perfect storm for the fans. No matter what side of the coin you are on, you have to admit, a statement was made.

Now I was on Arrowhead Pride while watching the game and I was on Twitter most of the day. These are just estimates and I would like my fellow fans to help me out but I thought that the stadium was about 60-65% full. I know the Chiefs are telling us what the number was for paid tickets but the estimates that I have heard was about 65%. I thought that the number of people wearing black was probably 40-45%. Now I could be real off on that number but I’m reading from the Kansas City Star it looked like 50/50 at times.

Then you have the whole ordeal of the flyers being passed out that said Fire Pioli and that early in the day they were being confiscated by security. Then word got out on twitter that people were going to be kicked out if they were seen with that sign in the stadium. After the twitter explosion, they stopped taking the signs and fans were able to take them in. Now I’m sure that there were some people upset about the signs being taken from them, but for the most part this story is about how the Chiefs’ organization is so mismanaged that they decide to take away these signs, got scared from the backlash and then let fans take them in. Then try to cover it up saying that they weren’t taking the signs away at any point when they clearly were.

Fans cheered when they should have cheered and booed when they should have booed. It was a well organized protest that watching fans walk out before half time could not help but get the owner’s attention. Now whether he does anything about it or not I’m not sure. Personally I think he makes all of these moves at the end of the year so that he can get ticket holders to renew because there is “change” happening. If he makes moves now, it might get lost or quickly forgotten. Now I will say this to the fans; this is not worth taking to the next level. Let’s not get nasty where the organization or the media make us fans to be the bad guy. Wearing black to the games or flying the banners over the stadium is up to you and still shows our displeasure with the team. I think that if we start throwing things onto the field or start lighting things on fire we have lost everything that we have worked hard for. We are the best fans in the game, I truly believe that, which means that we can get mad and boo and share our feelings but let’s not take it too far.

Go Chiefs!

Pioli's Dirty Little Secret

truechief10 — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:00:38 -0000

Me telling you that Pioli protects information isn’t news. In fact we just call that the "Patriot Way" and go on because that’s just how they do it. But what if it’s for a different reason? Now take this as being 85% serious. I’m going to take these instances and exaggerate some of my points to a ridiculous conclusion but at least chew on it and consider it.

Pioli was signed as GM on January 13th, 2009. Herm Edwards was the coach at the time. Actually Herm Edwards was the coach for the next 10 days under Pioli. It then took another 10 days after that to get Todd Haley. In fact the Chiefs were the last that year to make a coaching change and hire a new coach. Maybe the reason that Herm wasn’t fired quickly and a coach wasn’t brought in sooner is because he doesn’t know how to evaluate a coach. To be honest I think he wanted Josh McDaniels or Eric Mangini and when he couldn’t get them to follow him he didn’t really know how to evaluate the next head coach. I think he thought that the Patriots just follow each other and he was making another franchise like the one he just came from. Why wouldn’t they just jump on board? Maybe this was an early sign.

The trade for Cassel was a decent move at the time. The problem though was that he was married to him for no apparent reason. He was trying to recreate the only thing that he knew which was the Patriot Way. Bringing in discarded Patriot's players speaks to the one way thinking that Pioli had. Then the draft came that year and it was a disaster. Now it wasn’t a great overall player draft and trading down was harder with the old CBA but I’m not thinking impossible. What we thought for sure when Pioli signed on was someone who could get the most of out of the draft as far as number of picks. To my knowledge I remember one year when we moved down in the first 2 rounds since Pioli was here. I personally think that the draft is overvalued in many ways but I do believe in strength in numbers or limiting risk as it were and Pioli couldn’t recreate what Bill Belichick made famous. In fact now that we have seen 4 Pioli drafts, it is pretty obvious who was pushing the buttons, pulling the triggers and setting the sights in New England. Pioli was probably just lucky to be in the room at the time.

Pioli said that it’s just smart business to draft a QB every year. You can never have too much talent at the QB position. Not that I am going to hold him to that, but when you have drafted one in the last 4 years which was in the 5th round, isn’t exactly sticking to plan. Now I think Pioli manages a little scared. He doesn’t take big risk, only hires people he knows, and doesn’t admit mistakes. It could be that he has no idea how to evaluate a QB or develop one. If there was ever a time to get a couple of young QBs and see if there was something of a future for any of them it was these last two years. If Pioli does pick QBs though he has to admit at some point he is wrong with Cassel and if that QB doesn’t work out then he apparently isn’t the draft guru that he perceives himself to be. Good teams continue to look for options when one isn’t working and we probably have been the least creative team when he comes to finding a QB the last 4 years.

This week we see Stanford Routt released. Some reports say there was something that happened in the locker room while other people say that it was just time for a change. To me this reeks of a move made to appease the fans. The problem was that it was wrong move. Releasing though not very good, the second best CB on the team makes no sense from a financial, short term or long term sense. There is not a young CB on the team who is in need of playing time. There isn’t some great depth at the position. If there was a fight in the locker room it probably is because the team is 1-7 and the coach is losing this team. Instead Pioli makes Routt this week’s scapegoat and puts the label "change" on it.

Then we come back to Todd Haley who we will see Monday. The story came out that Haley was paranoid because he thought his office and phone was bugged. Employees were made to turn the shades in their offices during practice and he lectured everyone about the candy wrapper in the hallway. One could say that he micromanages but I think he just doesn’t know what he’s doing. Maybe he thinks as GM it also means he is in charge of the electric bill and wants the shades down to keep the cost lower. And maybe he thinks that part of his job includes custodian work. Or maybe he was never really a good GM at any point from when he started, to what will hopefully be his last year. He’s throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something sticks. Fake it till you make it. His secret is out; he isn’t a good GM. Never was and probably never will be.

Overvaluing the Draft

truechief10 — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:02:35 -0000

So we all are expecting a top draft pick from the Chiefs this year. This has us salivating over a top QB coming in and saving the day. Looking at the QB class for this year and I’m sure that there will be some movement here and there but really there are 3 Top QBs so far. Geno Smith, Matt Barkley and Tyler Wilson. We all think that Barkley is not the right fit here, so that leaves us with 2 possible QBs as of right now that are worth a top 8 pick. The problem is what happens if the Chiefs win a couple of games. What happens if we end up 4-12, 5-11? We might not be in a position to draft one of those two QBs. Would you then like to reach for a QB like a E.J. Manuel , Tyler Bray or Aaron Murray all which we aren’t sure will even enter the draft at this point. Taking one of them just so we have "change" even though their ceiling might be no higher than let’s say a Matt Schaub or Tony Romo or Michael Vick. If that’s the best that they are going to do and history shows that they won’t even come close to that which I will show, then why not just go get one of those guys?

Schaub will be a free agent at the end of the year and the Texans I’m sure will do anything they can to keep him, but they are tapped out when it comes to space with only 2.3 million in cap space (second lowest amount in the league). Romo and Vick, which if one of those teams doesn’t make the playoffs their QB situation will at least be a hot topic and they will be entertaining the idea. For argument sake, let’s say we ended up with the 6th overall pick. The Cowboys or Eagles are around 20th. We trade down 14 spots. To do that they would have to give up a late first round draft pick to move up that many spots or their QB. We could then use that pick to take a guy like E.J. Manuel, Tyler Bray or Aaron Murray.

Taking a top QB puts all of our eggs and one basket and with the talent that we have on our team that is ready now, we don’t have a couple of years to wait before it is past us. This way though we cushion the blow and eliminate some of the risk by taking a young QB, but giving him time to develop. I will show you how risky it is to actually take a QB in the first round and how often it doesn’t work out.

I will go from 2002-2010. The quarterbacks taken in the last two years it is hard to tell right now if they are going to be a franchise QB or not. I listed the QBs taken in the first round and those that are just even decent QBs I listed as a success.

2002- David Carr, Joey Harrington, Patrick Ramsey. Just a bad class. 0/3

2003- Carson Palmer, Byron Leftwich, Kyler Boller, Rex Grossman. I’ll give Palmer, but that’s not saying much to my standard 1/4

2004- Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, J. P. Losman. Probably the best QB class in the last decade. 3/4

2005- Alex Smith, Aaron Rodgers , Jason Campbell. I’m including Smith just because he’s turned a corner of not throwing the ball to the other team every other drive. 2/3

2006- Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler. Bad misses with the first two 1/3.

2007- Jamarcus Russell, Brady Quinn. Wow bad. 0/2

2008- Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco. Both good picks. 2/2

2009- Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman. I’m not counting Sanchez or Freeman because both could be replaced at the end of the year. 1/3

2010-Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow. Not counting either since Bradford has shown me nothing. 0/2

If you add it all up its 10/26 or 38%. Getting one in the second round doesn’t seem to be the answer either as in the same time frame the number is 0/10. Kevin Kolb is the best QB in that group.

So while it would be nice to have a new and exciting young QB here, we are taking a big risk. It might be possible to get a QB who might not be winning multiple playoff games every year, but it at least gives us a chance to win now while developing a QB. Drafting a top QB doesn’t fix everything. It does give us hope which I would welcome but just because we have hope doesn’t mean that we have success. Getting a proven QB while drafting one late in the 1st round I think gives us the best chance to win next year but doesn’t jeopardize us long term.

2002- David Carr, Joey Harrington, Patrick Ramsey. Just a bad class. 0/3

2003- Carson Palmer, Byron Leftwich, Kyler Boller, Rex Grossman. I’ll give Palmer, but that’s not saying much to my standard 1/4

2004- Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, J. P. Losman. Probably the best QB class in the last decade. 3/4

2005- Alex Smith, Aaron Rodgers , Jason Campbell. I’m including Smith just because he’s turned a corner of not throwing the ball to the other team every other drive. 2/3

2006- Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler. Bad misses with the first two 1/3.

2007- Jamarcus Russell, Brady Quinn. Wow bad. 0/2

2008- Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco. Both good picks. 2/2

2009- Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman. I’m not counting Sanchez or Freeman because both could be replaced at the end of the year. 1/3

2010-Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow. Not counting either since Bradford has shown me nothing. 0/2

If you add it all up its 10/26 or 38%. Getting one in the second round doesn’t seem to be the answer either as in the same time frame the number is 0/10. Kevin Kolb is the best QB in that group.

Why is Pioli Still Here?

truechief10 — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:45:16 -0000

Week 6 and I don’t think any of us could have imagined it being this bad. This was the team that was supposed to compete for the division right? Like did a bunch of guys go down with an ACL injury and they just put someone else in their uniforms? I doubt it. I like facts. I like numbers. The facts are that this team is bad. Really bad. We will play the Browns and Raiders twice and we will see if we are the worst team in the league. If you are talking about being the worst team in the league, the QB, head coach and GM should all be looking over their shoulder for that pink slip. Let’s see what has happened since Pioli has been here.

He will turn our team around. Well we will start with the record 4-12, 10-6, 7-9, 1-5. Or overall 22-32. That’s bad. You can say well we made the playoffs. That is more and more looking like a fluke. A little lucky, an easy schedule, maybe even the guys that were already here were hitting their prime. Any way that you look at it, it looks like we are regressing from that playoff year two years ago.

He will bring in a top head coach. Two head coaches, two flops. Todd Haley probably held this team together more than we thought. Romeo is getting outcoached every single game. How many shots do you get at hiring coaches? Jeff Fisher was apparently here for 20 minutes before he threw up the deuces. Maybe that’s not true, but Manning didn’t even want to come here for a meeting so what does that tell you.

He’s a drafting genius. Well that’s what we heard when he came here. Instead we have a lot of lackluster play from our draft classes. First round picks include Tyson Jackson, Eric Berry, Jonathan Baldwin and Dontari Poe. Now there is still hope for pretty much all of those players, but they aren’t the impact players we expected them to be. Berry isn’t a bust, but he might be the 5th best player on a defense that is allowing 30.5 points per game. It’s not like Pioli has drafted complete bust every pick, but there isn’t much to show for it. The best players on this team are probably in this order, Jamaal Charles, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Brandon Flowers, Brandon Albert. Yes, these guys have had time to develop and maybe one day there will be a few guys who come around but no one minus Justin Houston is really surging to be a top 6 player on a team that is 1-5. Which leads me to my next point.

This team has so much talent on here. Really? I mean yes, I think we are better than the 1-5 record shows but really talented teams don’t lose their games by an average of 16.4 points. To be honest that should be closer to 20 points but we got a few garbage touchdowns in the fourth quarter in at least 3 of those games. People will say that oh well a good coach and we could win games. Well if that is the case then we should trade our first round draft pick for a good coach because there won’t be a player minus maybe a quarterback that can overcome more than a 2 TD difference.

For those of you who still want Pioli (who most of you have probably stopped reading) I will say this. Why? Is it because you don’t like change? Things could get better or things could be worse? You are spending your money, time and energy on a team that you hope just for hope sake that the Chiefs figure it out when management has done nothing but be an embarrassment. Where are we going to find another GM in week 6? It doesn’t really matter at this point. What is Pioli going to do to this roster that will turn this year around? You can just live without a GM for the year especially when the team is in the process of playing for the first overall pick. Start recruiting for a new GM now. So why should we want Pioli here? Are you scared? That’s the way that Pioli manages this organization. Scared. He gets players and coaches that he is familiar with because he doesn’t want to do anything that’s not the Patriots way. Don’t take big risks and if you are wrong don’t admit mistakes, it shows weakness.

Do you really want the guy who has not proved himself to pick a QB to be picking one in the first round? Then surround that QB with coaches that will develop him when he hasn’t proved he can find a head coach to lead this team. Hunt should make it clear to this organization and the fans that Pioli wasn’t brought here to rebuild this franchise twice.

Time to blow it up, sorta

truechief10 — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 03:04:21 -0000

Football is a brutal sport. Just not for the players, but for the GMs, coaches and oh yes us as fans. Four short weeks ago we were dreamers. Now we dream of something else. Maybe our biggest dream is the day we see Matt Cassel no longer on the roster. Our issues go deeper than that though. All four games this year we have been beat early and beat badly. This suggest the coaches are getting out game planned. I'm not going to sit here and tell you guys what you already know, but I will tell you what I think we should do next year.

Pioli needs to go. He hasn't drafted particularly well. He hasn't hired good coaches. He doesn't bring in big free agents or maybe can't get them. I know at the time this was brought up to death, but remember Peyton Manning didn't even want to meet with this team. You think that was because Denver had a crazy talented team? No, it’s because Pioli is a dictator and big time players don't want to be told to pick up the wrapper in the stair well. I've said this before but if you are going to be unconventional you better be right. There is a fine line between thinking outside the box and being crazy. Well it's not working so maybe he is just crazy.

Sorry Romeo you have to go too. Like I said at the top, we are getting beat early every game so far and that tells me that you just aren't ready for the other team's first punch. 3 of the 4 opening drives this year have gone for a TD. Not just scored, but have given up a touchdown. I love Romeo as a defensive coordinator. I rank him right there with Wade Phillips as a guy who is great at what he does, but not as a head coach. I have a solution for head coach, possibly. If the Eagles don’t make the playoffs this year, Andy Reid won’t be coaching there. I think Reid is a great coach who had been solid year in and year out. What I think he does better than anything is develop a QB. Think about it, Donavan McNabb was there for nearly a decade, then Kevin Kolb somehow earned them a king’s ransom and then brings in Michael Vick, who was more or less left to be what Tim Tebow is to the Jets and gives himself a solid QB. Now Vick isn't doing great this year, but he is getting more out of Vick now then Atlanta ever did.

Matt Cassel can’t stay as QB. He just can’t and as long as Pioli is here, he will always give him a shot. Just like Dayton Moore with the Royals will give Jeff Francoeur start after start even though he is statistically the worst player in baseball. This is the perfect time to draft a QB.

Tank this year or just keep doing what we are doing, get a big time QB with a new GM, a new head coach and use the talent already here to build this team. A new GM and new coach will be able to draft a QB to get behind and start the franchise with that. Just like Atlanta did with Matt Ryan, they had talent on the team, but then drafting a QB is what defines you as a GM and a coach.

2012 AFC Preview

truechief10 — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:38:40 -0000

2012 AFC Preview

AFC East

New England Patriots

The evil genius that is Bill Belichick has a simple message, but how he does it is so ahead of the curve. Score more points than the other team. How he does that is always changing meaning that he can never be completely stopped. Think about their WRs; Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Julian Edelman are all about the same WR. They run good routes, have good hands and are quick. Their big TE are used in the red zone and their running backs are used as an extra blocker. The defense is young and has some talent, but their biggest goal just has to put pressure on the QB to force turnovers. They aren’t going to be shutting out teams but that isn’t necessarily the goal. It’s more bend don’t break. There isn’t that much competition this year in the East so it is theirs to lose as always.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills are decent in about every area. They aren’t really great at any position, they might not even be good at any aspect, but they’ll do enough to win some games. They might have an advantage at RB with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller being a good duo, but Ryan Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson are fortunate to have Chan Gailey as their coach who has given this team some direction and promise on offense. Mario Williams obviously the prize of the free agent pool takes care of a huge need which is getting to the quarterback which they ranked near the bottom in sacks last year. The Bills need to stay healthy as they don’t have much depth, but have enough talent and what looks like an easy enough schedule to win a few games this year.

New York Jets

Forget Hard Knocks. The Jets need their own reality show. It has everything you could want. The dreamer in Rex Ryan, the crazy guy in Antonio Cromartie, the fights which is everyday at camp, even sex appeal with Tim Tebow taking off his shirt. Enough about the new reality show coming soon to Fox Timmy and the Jets though. Antonio Cromartie told reporters that he was the 2nd best WR on the team. He might be the second best offensive lineman on this team the way they are blocking. The Jets got their number one running back in Tim Tebow, even drafted a blocking WR in Stephen Hill (didn’t know that was a thing) and forgot that needed guys to block for them. Their defense is still rock solid and they continue to add little pieces here and there, but there might be games that their defense outscores their offense.

Miami Dolphins

Quick quiz. Name the last Dolphins QB to throw for more than 20 TD in one year. Dan Marino would be correct back in 1998. To say the bar at QB is set pretty low for Ryan Tannehill would be like saying Bob Saunders is injury prone. Another quick note on the WRs Tannehill will be throwing to this year. Minus Brandon Marshall who is no longer on the team, Brian Hartline was second on the team in receiving yards. Yikes. Best of luck to you Tannehill. Reggie Bush who was handled with kids gloves last year has some help at RB with Daniel Thomas. The defense is decent for the Dolphins ranking 6th best in points allowed. Don’t get too excited though as they were only 15th best in total yards and the loss of Yeremiah Bell and their DT Kendall Langford, means this team is in full blown rebuilding mode.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers

It might have finally dawned on someone in Pittsburg that maybe the reason why your 6’5 240 built like a linebacker QB is constantly hurt might be because he is running for his life on every play. Their first two picks were on the offense line and while this will help the injury to David DeCastro was just bad luck. This line is still young and Big Ben will still be watching his throws from his back more often then he likes. If fireworks on the field aren’t enough I’m sure there will be plenty from Todd Haley the new offensive coordinator on the sideline. Haley likes to run the show and the ball but he’s going to need some consistency from a RB while Mendenhall recovers from a torn ACL. Something that will shock everyone I’m sure that this defense is good. They have had a top 5 total defense for 5 years in a row. After awhile it must just get boring being that good.

Baltimore Ravens

Really they could be first in their division like last year. Every year you hear that this is the last hurrah for these guys and they better do it this year or it will never happen again. Apparently Ed Reed and Ray Lewis never get this memo. The only reason I don’t have them ahead of Pittsburg is Terrell Suggs got in touch with his inner Bron Bron and might miss the entire season because of hurting himself playing basketball. They lost a little bit in free agency, but they did have a good draft and they continue to just keep turning out good OLB at every turn. Joe Flacco needs to take the next step and become a winning QB and not just a game management QB. While turning around and handing the ball off to Ray Rice will be his main job, he will still need to come up in the clutch to continue deep in the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals

The surprise team of last year is coming back with a lot of young talent. They have their franchise QB, they have their star WR, a good offensive line and a defense that plays more as a unit then individuals. This team could very soon take over as the pride of the AFC North, but I don’t just see it this year. The combo of Green-Ellis and Bernard Scott isn’t particularly frightening and Dalton did falter against good teams last year. There is a lot to like about this team, but one thing that I don’t like is how their schedule shapes up at the end of the year. Last five games are @SD, DAL, @PHI, @PIT and BAL. I don’t know who didn’t slip a $5 bill to the guy making the schedules but this team better win early if it wants a chance at another playoff spot.

Cleveland Browns

Every year I talk about how few WRs there are on this team and every year I point out the same bad numbers. This year’s token WR is Greg Little. He led the team with 61 receptions for 709 yards and 2 TD. I’m pretty sure there was TEs for the Patriots who had better games then Little’s season, but what does management do to fix the issue? Get a 28 year old rookie QB of course! It couldn’t be the fact that the Browns haven’t had a WR with more than 900 yards in a season since 2007. The defense is the only thing holding this team together as they finished in the top 10 last year in total defense. All four wins last year were where the opponent was held under 20 points. If there is any silver lining to this team, it’s the fact that Trent Richardson should give the defense a break and help an offense that only averaged 13 points per game.

AFC South

Houston Texans

I think this is the most complete team in the NFL right now. They have a solid QB, maybe the best RB, a top WR and a defense that surprised everyone. The only thing standing in their way is staying healthy. The biggest problem last year was when they turned to a 3rd string rookie QB and he didn’t pass with flying colors. Who knew? Here’s a little fun fact. Andre Johnson played only 7 games last year and was the leader WR that is still on the team. Owen Daniels led the team last year in receptions and yards which were not that impressive with 54 and 677 respectively. The Texans need to find another option in case Johnson does go down again this year. Their defense ranked second last year in total yards and I don’t know if they are going to put up the same kind of numbers but this is a contender this year if the main pieces stay healthy.

Tennessee Titians

The Titians were a bit of a surprise last year. Finishing 9-7 was a good year for a team that struggled on offense as much as they did. Let’s look at the players. Jake Locker is taking over at QB who he had to battle out in pre-season against a not so impressive Matt Hasselbeck. Kenny Brit is coming off an ACL injury and has had 8 run-ins with police since he was drafted in 2009. Chris Johnson wanted a huge contract last year, got a really good one and then took every game just to get over the 1,000 yard mark. That leaves Kendall Wright who is their first round pick from Baylor at WR who might give them a spark since he has homerun ability. Since the Titans didn’t make many offseason moves they will have to rely heavily again on the defense which was top 10 last year in points allowed. They will be happy with a wildcard spot but their main focus is to develop Jack Locker.

Jacksonville Jaguars

A lot of people thought that Blaine Gabbert played scared last year and there were times that it looked like he was about ready to put in his two weeks’ notice after some of those games. Who wouldn’t be scared though when your leader in reception yards was Marcedes Lewis with 460 yards? No, that wasn’t a misprint. 460 yards led the team last year in receiving yards. To put it in even more perspective Maurice Jones-Drew nearly had as many total yards as everyone combined who caught a ball last year. Justin Blackmon and Laurent Robinson will at the very least give Gabbert someone competent to throw to. But hey, if Gabbert does decide that football just isn’t his thing they always have nearly acquired Chad Henne to get everyone’s hopes up and then crush them the next drive.

Indianapolis Colts

This might sound strange, but I thought that Indianapolis made the wrong decision by letting go of Manning and drafting Andrew Luck. I understand that Luck is once in a decade talent, but you might be able to get first round draft picks for the next decade considering what the Redskins gave for RGIII. There are so many holes on this team it’s hard to know where to start. We don’t know if Donald Brown is worth anything at RB, the WRs could be a bit frustrating for Luck, the offensive line is alright, but that needs some improvement. The defense is always a concern and Mathis and Freeney aren’t getting any younger (31 and 32 respectively), their secondary is a mess. So just to sum it up, they need a lot of help, but Luck distracts from that, he is going to be that good.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs

No, they haven’t looked very good in the preseason, but their new coach Romeo Crennel doesn’t get out coached on the defensive side very often. If you think there is much game planning going into preseason games, you haven’t watched many preseason games. The team is back and healthy, but they have to stay that way. Their starters though can give both offensive and defensive coordinators migraines. Having to game plan against Jamaal Charles, Dexter McCluster, Dwayne Bowe, even Peyton Hillis looks like he has some legs back. On defense it doesn’t get much easier with Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Eric Berry and Brandon Flowers all play makers. Matt Cassel can’t win many games himself but shouldn’t be asked to either. The biggest difference for why the Chiefs get the nod here is the ease of schedule compared to the rest of the division. It’s not a cake walk, but some very winnable games.

San Diego Chargers

This team probably has the best team to win the division. What they don’t have is a coach competent enough to get them there. The team hasn’t been to the playoffs in the last two years and they have had the best team in the division both of those years. Phillip Rivers has to be one of the most persuasive speakers to have been able to save Norv Turner’s job. There is no reason to think that a switch went off in his head where he now realizes that he needs to be a better coach. Their biggest problem is turnovers. Phillip Rivers is a great QB, and can make average WRs look like Pro Bowlers, but when the pressure is on, he Romo’s it. Romoing: Definition: Finding new ways to singlehandedly lose a football game. The team as always for what seems like the last decade has had plenty of talent, but they need to put it all together if they want to make a serious run this year.

Denver Broncos

What? I thought they were just handed a playoff spot when they signed Peyton Manning. People thought this team might be one of the favorites to win a Superbowl. The biggest difference though for Manning might be his environment. He goes from playing in a dome for at least half a year to Denver where the temperatures get around 0 and snow is almost as common a Mark Sanchez interception (he threw at least 1 interception 12 out of 16 games). Also Manning’s stats outdoors aren’t exactly out of this world. Granite, they were road games, but a career 148 TDs to 96 Int. Additionally you have a less than stellar offensive line, little depth at WR and on defense with DJ Williams one of their best playmakers will be suspended for the first 6 games. Their schedule to is brutal were they could actually start 1-5 (Pittsburgh, @Atlanta, Houston, Oakland, @New England and @San Diego). Yikes.

Oakland Raiders

The streak is alive! If you read last year’s AFC preview I made the point that Oakland has not had a QB throw for more than 15 TD’s in one year since 2005 with Kerry Collins. I think with Palmer that streak might finally be broken….maybe. Palmer is going to throw a lot but to his own WRs is another question. Maybe I don’t have enough confidence in Palmer but it has been several years since we’ve seen a good Carson Palmer. The biggest wild card is Darren McFadden. This guy is probably the most talented RB in football; we just haven’t seen him long enough to give him that title. He is entering his 5th year in the NFL (doesn’t seem that long) but he’s only had 553 total rushing attempts. He is really their only chance of this team being relevant this year in order to have a balanced offense otherwise expect Palmer running after the other team a lot.

2012 AFC Preview

AFC East

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South

Tennessee Titians

AFC West

NFL Draft Grades

truechief10 — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:09:22 -0000

AFC Draft Grades

Baltimore Ravens B+

OLB Courtney Upshaw, G Kelechi Osemele, RB Bernard Pierce, G Gino Gradkowski, FS Christian Thompson, CB Asa Jackson, WR Tommy Streeter, DE DeAngelo Tyson

The Ravens play the draft a lot like the Patriots do. If you don’t love a guy, trade back and get some more future picks. The Ravens don’t have huge glaring needs and so they are able to fill holes. Upshaw will probably turn into a double digit sack guy, just because the Ravens drafted him and they know how to get the most out of their pass rushers. Osemele is a good enough athlete on the line that he can play many different spots for them which will give them some great depth on a thin line. Also Pierce will be a great back to help Rice stay fresh late in the season.

Buffalo Bills B+

CB Stephon Gilmore, G Cordy Glenn, WR T.J. Graham, ILB Nigel Bradham, DB Ron Brooks, T Zebrie Sanders, ILB Tank Carder, G Mark Asper, K John Potter

The Bills have plenty of holes so as long as they don’t draft two QBs, they were going to have a solid draft. I thought Gilmore was a bit of a reach but they needed a CB badly and he will start right away. Glenn was a great pick for them as they needed help on the line. I don’t know if he will be able to start for them at LT but there is little doubt that he will at least contribute quickly even if it is just at RT. I think Bradham is a project but will be starting for them in the next couple of years.

Cincinnati Bengals A

CB Dre Kilpatrick, G Kevin Zeitler, DT Devon Still, WR Mohamed Sanu, DT Brandon Thompson, TE Orson Charles, CB Shaun Prater, WR Marvin Jones, SS George Iloka, RB Dan Herron.

With a little help from the Raiders, the Bengals took advantage to fill their needs and they took care of their two biggest needs with the first two picks. I think that Kirkpatrick is a great fit for them. Zeitler will definitely help their run game that could use a boost. Still can start for them opening day as they could use some help up front. This defense is ready to make some huge strides with these pieces. Also Sanu is a great pick up to line up on the other side of Green and moving Shipley in the slot where he will be most effective.

Cleveland Browns C-

RB Trent Richardson, QB Brandon Weeden, OT Mitchell Schwartz, DT John Hughes, WR Travis Benjamin, ILB James-Michael Johnson, T Ryan Miller, ILB Emmanuel Acho, DT Billy Winn, CB Trevin Wade, RB Brad Smelley

I have never seen a team panic as much as the Browns. I don’t know what the Vikings said to them, but the fact that they traded multiple picks just to swap picks and get the same guy that they would have gotten anyway is just beyond me. I think Richardson is a great pick, but just no composure. Then drafting Weeden is strange at best. He could have been taken in the second round and oh yeah, he is 29 years old. The picks of Hughes and Benjamin make little sense. Hughes is there for depth but won’t even get a chance to start unless there is an injury and Benjamin is no different of a WR then Cribbs or Norwood at WR. More head scratching moments than anything during this draft.

Denver Broncos C

DE Derek Wolfe, QB Brock Osweiler, RB Ronnie Hillman, CB Omar Bolden, C Philip Blake, DE Malik Jackson, LB Danny Trevathan

This draft is a little strange to grade. Did they address some needs? Yes they did, but the players that they chose were chosen before higher ranked players. Wolfe will be a pick that will be questioned for awhile. Osweiler is a project at QB but having Manning there will help. They just have to hope that Manning is ready to go or Osweiler will get a rude awakening. Hillman is another pick that was taken I think earlier with other good RBs still on the board. Like I said their needs were addressed, but just because I need to take a shower and instead I jump in a pond, doesn’t mean that I am now clean.

Houston Texans B-

DE Whitney Mercilus, WR DeVier Posey, G Brandon Brooks, C Ben Jones, WR Keshawn Martin, DE Jared Crick, K Randy Bullock, T Nick Mondek.

A mixed bag if there was ever one in the NFL draft. I like Mercilus but I’m not sure that that was a big need for the Texans. Posey I think will be a development WR which is alright, but should be able to contribute at least some. Their best picks come later in the rounds with Crick a great value pick and Jones will be starting for them very soon and playing for a long time at center. The Texans added value, but I’m not sure that they are going to see huge strides from their rookies like that they last year.

Indianapolis Colts B+

QB Andrew Luck, TE Coby Fleener, TE Dwayne Allen, WR T.Y. Hilton, DT Josh Chapman, RB Vick Ballard, WR LaVon Brazill, G Justin Anderson, LB Tim Fugger, QB Chandler Harnish

Drafting Luck is always a great start. Getting one of his number one targets in Fleener was a smart idea and will make Luck feel a little more comfortable. Chapman I think is a great value in the fourth round to start rebuilding an aging defensive line. Where I think they went a little off was in the 3rd round when they got Allen another TE and WR Hilton who I think will have to get some good coaching and I’m not sure is going to develop very quickly with a rookie QB no matter how good Luck is. What will push this to an A is if Ballard can prove to be a decent RB that was taken in the 5th round.

Jacksonville Jaguars D+

WR Justin Blackmon, DE Andre Branch, P Bryan Anger, OLB Brandon Marshall, CB Mike Harris, DT Jeris Pendleton

Over the last 7 years, only 3 WRs have been taken in the top 5 picks, Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green and now Justin Blackman. If you miss it looks really bad. He more reminds me of Michael Crabtree, underwhelming. They needed to take a chance to prove to themselves that Gabbert was not just the worst pick for them. They did take Branch which was a big need for them at DE which is why they got the plus in the D. They choose a punter, which is fine, but they did in the 3rd round. It’s like convincing the new guy in fantasy football that you have to take a kicker early in the draft. This however is real life and the buy in is a little more than $20.

Kansas City Chiefs B-

DT Dontari Poe, G Jeff Allen, G Donald Stephenson, WR Devon Wylie, CB DeQuan Menzie, RB Cyrus Gray, DL Jerome Long, WR Junior Hemingway.

I keep going back and forth on the Poe pick. I came up with this. What else were the Chiefs supposed to do? Yes they could have traded down, but they might not have gotten to get their man. Poe was the best NT by far in the draft and with the Chiefs that being their only glaring need, you might as well take the best one. The rest of the draft looks like adding depth. Jeff Allen will probably move to guard which will probably take over for Lilja next year. Stephenson is a project on the offensive line. Wylie is fast and can spread the defense a little bit. Overall this wasn’t a flashy draft, but adds much needed depth.

Miami Dolphins B-

QB Ryan Tannehill, OT Jonathan Martin, DE Olivier Vernon, TE Michael Egnew, RB Lamar Miller, Josh Kaddu, WR B.J. Cunningham, DT Kheeston Randall, WR Rishard Matthews

Everyone is going to mark them way down for taking a QB this high who has no business going in the top 10, but at some point if you’re the Dolphins you have to take a chance and so Tannehill is that chance. Jonathan Martin is a steal in the 2nd round and will give whoever starts at QB a little protection. Lamar Miller is a great pick for needed depth at RB since Thomas hasn’t proved much yet. For a team that needs a lot more pieces, there was small holes that were filled and not other glaring holes.

New England Patriots A-

DE Chandler Jones, ILB Dont'a Hightower, SS Tavon Wilson, DE Jake Bequette, DB Nate Ebner, CB Alfonzo Dennard, WR Jeremy Ebert.

Whenever I want a team to draft someone, the Patriots take him instead. Jones will give them great pass rush that is much needed. Hightower is going to join Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes which is just scary at LB. Wilson also will give them some needed depth in the secondary that they so much needed last year. This was a strange draft though for the Patriots as they did not have any 4th or 5th round picks. That is the only thing that is keeping them out of the high A grade is the unusual lack of picks.

New York Jets B-

DE Quinton Coples, WR Stephen Hill, OLB Demario Davis, DB Josh Bush, RB Terrance Ganaway, OT Robert T. Griffin, SS Antonio Allen, WR Jordan White.

Coples does some good things for the Jets that will help them on the defensive line. I don’t know that Coples will give them a lot of help on their more major need which is getting after the quarterback. Stephen Hill was taken I heard so he could block downfield for the run game. Getting a WR in the second round just so he can block seems like a bit of a reach and he is a project at WR. Davis does give them some versatility at LB that is much needed.

Oakland Raiders C+

G Tony Bergstrom, OLB Miles Burris, DE Jack Crawford, WR Juron Criner, DT Christo Bilukidi, LB Nathan Stupar

You have to grade the Raiders for what they gave up and when you don’t have first or second round picks, it hurts your future for sure. Since Palmer is looking a little lost in Oakland, giving up a first round pick seems high for all the holes they have. Bergstrom does give them depth on the offensive line and possibly starts quickly at right tackle. Criner might surprise a few people at WR as he was taken in the 5th round.

Pittsburgh Steelers A

G David DeCastro, OT Mike Adams, OLB Sean Spence, DT Alameda Ta'amu, RB Chris Rainey, WR Toney Clemons, TE David Paulson, CB Terrence Frederick, G Kelvin Beachum

I almost have them at a perfect A+. Maybe the only thing is that they didn’t address any depth in the secondary which could have used a guy, but that’s nit picking. DeCastro is a steal at 24. The guy could be the best guard in the last decade. Mike Adams gives them a tackle that will help probably first game. Spence is a great project that Tomlin loves to keep replenishing the system. The fact that Ta’amu was taken in the 4th round is crazy. Also don’t sleep on Rainey who can spell Mendenhall a little bit this year.

San Diego Chargers B-

OLB Melvin Ingram, DT Kendall Reyes, FS Brandon Taylor, TE Ladarius Green, G Johnnie Troutman, C David Molk, RB Edwin Baker.

I love Ingram and his athletic skills, but I don’t see how he fits in the 3-4. He will be playing OLB and I think he might get run over during running plays. Reyes will give some flexibility in the defensive line which was needed and Taylor is a straight athlete in the secondary. Green is an interesting pick at TE. I think that he will need some coaching and figure out how he fits into this offense but I think they are trying to take a guy and hope Gates coaches him up.

Tennessee Titans B-

WR Kendall Wright, OLB Zach Brown, DT Mike Martin, CB Coty Sensabaugh, DE Taylor Thompson, FS Markelle Martin, DE Scott Solomon

Wright is a hugely overrated. He is a fast WR, but needs a gun slinger at QB like he had with RGIII. Like Vick or Newton or Brees, but not Hasselbeck or Locker. Special teams does not matter as much since returns are almost pointless now. Having said all of that Brown, Martin and Sensabaugh are players who probably won’t start right away but will continue to replenish the defense pot that the Titans have taken pride in.

NFC Draft Grades

Arizona Cardinals B+

WR Michael Floyd, CB Jarnell Fleming, OT Bobby Massie, G Senio Kelemete, CB Justin Bethel, QB Ryan Lindley, OT Nate Potter

You have to take into consideration the Kolb trade with a 2nd round pick. That has had mixed results, and if Kolb came out and did a great job, this would have been an easy A, but this is an overall solid draft. Floyd went right where he was supposed to at 13th and gives them plenty of options now for Kolb. Fleming is great value at round 3 and probably plays nickel for them this year. Massie is probably the best value that they got with the 4th round selection and much needed help on the offensive line. They definitely went offense heavy which is right where they needed to go.

Atlanta Falcons B-

C Peter Konz, OT Lamar Holmes, FB Bradie Ewing, DE Jonathan Massaquoi, SS Charles Mitchell, DT Travian Robertson

Again, if you are grading the draft you have to take into account what players were used for what picks and with Julio Jones taking a first round pick away from this one, it takes away from the value as he didn’t produce right off the bat like 2 first round picks should. This was headed toward a C, but they get Knoz in the second round who is the best center in the draft. He might be moved to guard, but a versatile player non-the-less. The Falcons went safe for most of the picks, but Massaquoi might have the most upside in the later rounds.

Carolina Panthers B

ILB Luke Kuechly, G Amini Silatolu, DE Frank Alexander, WR Joe Adams, CB Josh Norman, P Brad Nortman, DB D.J. Campbell

I think Kuechly was an interesting pick for them. I think they have bigger needs then at LB, but no doubt the guy can play. Silatolu is a good guard who probably can step in day 1 and contribute. I think Adams is a complete steal and the big WR that is much need for Cam Newton. This grade goes up if they addressed their biggest need which was DT. Thought Cox would have been perfect for them, but either way, the Panthers will take whatever they can get on defense.

Chicago Bears B

OLB Shea McClellin, WR Alshon Jeffery, FS Brandon Hardin, TE Evan Rodriguez, CB Isaiah Frey, CB Greg McCoy

People are really loving this draft. I like it, but don’t love it. The reason the Bears continue to have one of the best defenses year after year is because they draft well in the early rounds with defensive people like McClellin who continues to get talent in their LB core. Culter has to be thinking, you got to be kidding me with finally getting Marshall and now getting Jeffery. It will seem like Christmas for him now with competent WRs. Rodriquez is the bigger Hester with him being able to line up as a TE, RB, or FB. When he is in the game you better be ready for anything. What kept them from an A was no offensive linemen taken even though that could have been their biggest need.

Dallas Cowboys B+

CB Morris Claiborne, DE Tyrone Crawford, OLB Kyle Wilber, DB Matt Johnson, WR Danny Coale, TE James Hanna, LB Caleb McSurdy

The fact that they traded up to get Claiborne was genius. They get their number one need and get the best player at his position. The rest of the draft is iffy but they add depth for the front 7 with Crawford and Wiber. It was a need based picks, but it’s hard to imagine that they will be replacing any starters any time soon, but does get them depth. Watch Hanna, the TE they picked in the 6th round, as a sleeper.

Detroit Lions B+

OT Riley Reiff, WR Ryan Broyles, CB Dwight Bentley, OLB Ronnell Lewis, OLB Tahir Whitehead, CB Chris Greenwood, DB Jonte Green, OLB Travis Lewis

I love the Reiff pick. I thought that was one of the best of the draft for pure value and need. Then things got a little interesting. Broyles is a little bit of a project, but what better way to coach a guy up then already having the best WR in the game. Bentley was just a much needed player who probably starts for them quickly. The Lions took 3 CBs, not that they don’t need them, but I don’t see any of them becoming stars, but just role players who can fill in and add depth.

Green Bay Packers A

OLB Nick Perry, DT Jerel Worthy, CB Casey Hayward, DT Mike Daniels, DB Jerron McMillian, OLB Terrell Manning, OT Andrew Datko, QB B.J. Coleman

I think the Packers look at the draft now like the Steelers do. Take the guy you like and in a position that is of need and it probably works out more times than not. Perry makes a great pick as a pass rusher in the first round. They also take Worth in the second round which wasn’t sexy, but great value. Hayward probably starts for them very soon at corner because of his ball skills. Also, possibly the biggest steal of the draft is Datko an OT from FSU was a preseason first round pick before getting injured this year.

Minnesota Vikings A

OT Matt Kalil, SS Harrison Smith, CB Josh Robinson, WR Jarius Wright, TE Rhett Ellison, WR Greg Childs, CB Robert Blanton, K Blair Walsh, OLB Audie Cole, DE Trevor Guyton.

The Vikings get a bump just because they punked Cleveland so bad convincing them to trade spots with them to draft Richardson. Kalil is the best OT in the draft, and address a big need. Harrison Smith is I think underrated even though he was taken in the first round will start right away. Robinson who is a CB from UCF gives them another defensive player who probably starts day 1 for them. The only thing that would have given them the A+ is addressing depth for their front 7 before round 7, but that’s small compared to everything else.

New Orleans Saints C-

DT Akiem Hicks, WR Nick Toon, DB Corey White, G Andrew Tiller, OT Marcel Jones

They spent this year’s first round pick on taking Ingram from last year. They had their 2nd round pick taken away from Goodell because, well Goodell spun his punishment wheel and it landed on getting their 2nd round picks taken away. Ingram hasn’t worked out great, plus Hicks has a lot to prove before he can get some playing time. We might be seeing the end of the Saints reign NFC South.

New York Giants C+

RB David Wilson, WR Rueben Randle, CB Jayron Hosley, TE Adrien Robinson, OT Brandon Mosley, OT Matt McCants, DT Markus Kuhn

Unless there is a top end talent at RB, I don’t like taking one in the first round. Wilson is good, but RBs are not needed as much and especially with Bradshaw not losing his job anytime soon, Wilson is a compliment at best. Randle is a big WR who will be good in the redzone, but again, not their biggest need. They needed some interior offensive lineman and LB help that was not addressed.

Philadelphia Eagles A-

DE Fletcher Cox, ILB Mychal Kendricks, DE Vinny Curry, QB Nick Foles, CB Brandon Boykin, OT Dennis Kelly, WR Marvin McNutt, G Brandon Washington, RB Bryce Brown

Philadelphia fell into the perfect storm of getting great value at needed positions. Fletcher is a great piece for Andy Reid to use. I say that Kendricks starts for them at MLB right away. Foles is a great project for them at QB. Honestly, I could see them using him like Kolb where he comes in when Vick gets hurt and then everyone that doesn’t have a QB wants him. Boykin will be great for depth at CB for them also. Safety wasn’t addressed though which makes it an A- instead of a solid A.

San Francisco 49ers C-

WR A.J. Jenkins, RB LaMichael James, G Joe Looney, OLB Darius Fleming, FS Trenton Robinson, OT Jason Slowey, DE Cam Johnson

Maybe they need a D, this draft just doesn’t make much sense. They take another WR with one of their picks and it’s not even one that was highly rated. LaMichael James was a great college player, but don’t count on him being anything special. Honestly Cam Johnson could be their most productive player on this team who was taken in the 7th round at DE. San Francisco added speed which is a good start, and maybe they were looking for players who could strike quickly, but it seems like an odd draft and not what their team is right now which is control the ball and play defense.

Seattle Seahawks D

OLB Bruce Irvin, ILB Bobby Wagner, QB Russell Wilson, RB Robert Turbin, DT Jaye Howard, LB Korey Toomer, CB Jeremy Lane, SS Winston Guy Jr., DT J.R. Sweezy, DE Greg Scruggs

I just don’t know what Seattle was thinking. Bruce Irvin? Russell Wilson? I mean they are good college players, and they might be decent pros, but where they drafted them you have to scratch your head. Wagner gives them so much needed help in the MLB position. They did fail to get a pass rusher which many could argue was their biggest need. They did have 10 picks so maybe they are playing a game of numbers.

St. Louis Rams A+

DT Michael Brockers, WR Brian Quick, CB Janoris Jenkins, RB Isaiah Pead, CB Trumaine Johnson, WR Chris Givens, G Rokevious Watkins, K Greg Zuerlein, LB Aaron Brown, RB Daryl Richardson

The Rams turned the 2nd overall pick into nearly half a team. They will be getting picks for nearly ever from the Redskins plus they kept trading back in the first round and still wound up with Brockers. Quick gives them help at WR, Jenkins is a crazy dude, but can play a heck of a CB. Pead will give Jackson some time off at RB. That was just in the first 2 rounds! The Rams are going to build a Fisher like team and they certainly did that with this draft.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers B-

SS Mark Barron, RB Doug Martin, OLB Lavonte David, ILB Najee Goode, CB Keith Tandy, RB Michael Smith, TE Drake Dunsmore

I think the Bucs addressed their needs but didn’t get the best value that they could have. Barron is a solid safety and Martin will help their run game, but both 1st round picks hurt them with the rest of their depth in other areas. David will fit in well with their defense and fills a much needed need at LB. The Bucs did so much in free agency that they were just filling in the rest of the gaps that they couldn’t throw money at during free agency.

Washington Redskins B+

Robert Griffin III, G Josh LeRibeus, QB Kirk Cousins, OLB Keenan Robinson, G Adam Gettis, RB Alfred Morris, OT Tom Compton, DB Richard Crawford, DB Jordan Bernstine

RGIII is the most excitement in Washington since, well, probably ever. They took a chance and spent a lot to get him and they did. We will judge this pick for years, but right now it looks promising. They gave him some line help to maybe buy him some protection with Leribeus. Cousins is just a complete head scratcher with drafting another QB, he has to feel like there is little future for him. I think Robinson gets some playing time pretty quickly with his physical play. Also the RB Morris seems like he is going to fit really well in the one cut and go style that Shanahan runs.

AFC Draft Grades

Baltimore Ravens B+

OLB Courtney Upshaw, G Kelechi Osemele, RB Bernard Pierce, G Gino Gradkowski, FS Christian Thompson, CB Asa Jackson, WR Tommy Streeter, DE DeAngelo Tyson

Buffalo Bills B+

CB Stephon Gilmore, G Cordy Glenn, WR T.J. Graham, ILB Nigel Bradham, DB Ron Brooks, T Zebrie Sanders, ILB Tank Carder, G Mark Asper, K John Potter

Cincinnati Bengals A

CB Dre Kilpatrick, G Kevin Zeitler, DT Devon Still, WR Mohamed Sanu, DT Brandon Thompson, TE Orson Charles, CB Shaun Prater, WR Marvin Jones, SS George Iloka, RB Dan Herron.

Cleveland Browns C-

Denver Broncos C

DE Derek Wolfe, QB Brock Osweiler, RB Ronnie Hillman, CB Omar Bolden, C Philip Blake, DE Malik Jackson, LB Danny Trevathan

Houston Texans B-

DE Whitney Mercilus, WR DeVier Posey, G Brandon Brooks, C Ben Jones, WR Keshawn Martin, DE Jared Crick, K Randy Bullock, T Nick Mondek.

Indianapolis Colts B+

QB Andrew Luck, TE Coby Fleener, TE Dwayne Allen, WR T.Y. Hilton, DT Josh Chapman, RB Vick Ballard, WR LaVon Brazill, G Justin Anderson, LB Tim Fugger, QB Chandler Harnish

Jacksonville Jaguars D+

WR Justin Blackmon, DE Andre Branch, P Bryan Anger, OLB Brandon Marshall, CB Mike Harris, DT Jeris Pendleton

Kansas City Chiefs B-

DT Dontari Poe, G Jeff Allen, G Donald Stephenson, WR Devon Wylie, CB DeQuan Menzie, RB Cyrus Gray, DL Jerome Long, WR Junior Hemingway.

Miami Dolphins B-

QB Ryan Tannehill, OT Jonathan Martin, DE Olivier Vernon, TE Michael Egnew, RB Lamar Miller, Josh Kaddu, WR B.J. Cunningham, DT Kheeston Randall, WR Rishard Matthews

New England Patriots A-

DE Chandler Jones, ILB Dont'a Hightower, SS Tavon Wilson, DE Jake Bequette, DB Nate Ebner, CB Alfonzo Dennard, WR Jeremy Ebert.

New York Jets B-

DE Quinton Coples, WR Stephen Hill, OLB Demario Davis, DB Josh Bush, RB Terrance Ganaway, OT Robert T. Griffin, SS Antonio Allen, WR Jordan White.

Oakland Raiders C+

G Tony Bergstrom, OLB Miles Burris, DE Jack Crawford, WR Juron Criner, DT Christo Bilukidi, LB Nathan Stupar

Pittsburgh Steelers A

G David DeCastro, OT Mike Adams, OLB Sean Spence, DT Alameda Ta'amu, RB Chris Rainey, WR Toney Clemons, TE David Paulson, CB Terrence Frederick, G Kelvin Beachum

San Diego Chargers B-

OLB Melvin Ingram, DT Kendall Reyes, FS Brandon Taylor, TE Ladarius Green, G Johnnie Troutman, C David Molk, RB Edwin Baker.

Tennessee Titans B-

WR Kendall Wright, OLB Zach Brown, DT Mike Martin, CB Coty Sensabaugh, DE Taylor Thompson, FS Markelle Martin, DE Scott Solomon

NFC Draft Grades

Arizona Cardinals B+

WR Michael Floyd, CB Jarnell Fleming, OT Bobby Massie, G Senio Kelemete, CB Justin Bethel, QB Ryan Lindley, OT Nate Potter

Atlanta Falcons B-

C Peter Konz, OT Lamar Holmes, FB Bradie Ewing, DE Jonathan Massaquoi, SS Charles Mitchell, DT Travian Robertson

Carolina Panthers B

ILB Luke Kuechly, G Amini Silatolu, DE Frank Alexander, WR Joe Adams, CB Josh Norman, P Brad Nortman, DB D.J. Campbell

Chicago Bears B

OLB Shea McClellin, WR Alshon Jeffery, FS Brandon Hardin, TE Evan Rodriguez, CB Isaiah Frey, CB Greg McCoy

Dallas Cowboys B+

CB Morris Claiborne, DE Tyrone Crawford, OLB Kyle Wilber, DB Matt Johnson, WR Danny Coale, TE James Hanna, LB Caleb McSurdy

Detroit Lions B+

OT Riley Reiff, WR Ryan Broyles, CB Dwight Bentley, OLB Ronnell Lewis, OLB Tahir Whitehead, CB Chris Greenwood, DB Jonte Green, OLB Travis Lewis

Green Bay Packers A

OLB Nick Perry, DT Jerel Worthy, CB Casey Hayward, DT Mike Daniels, DB Jerron McMillian, OLB Terrell Manning, OT Andrew Datko, QB B.J. Coleman

Minnesota Vikings A

OT Matt Kalil, SS Harrison Smith, CB Josh Robinson, WR Jarius Wright, TE Rhett Ellison, WR Greg Childs, CB Robert Blanton, K Blair Walsh, OLB Audie Cole, DE Trevor Guyton.

New Orleans Saints C-

DT Akiem Hicks, WR Nick Toon, DB Corey White, G Andrew Tiller, OT Marcel Jones

New York Giants C+

RB David Wilson, WR Rueben Randle, CB Jayron Hosley, TE Adrien Robinson, OT Brandon Mosley, OT Matt McCants, DT Markus Kuhn

Philadelphia Eagles A-

DE Fletcher Cox, ILB Mychal Kendricks, DE Vinny Curry, QB Nick Foles, CB Brandon Boykin, OT Dennis Kelly, WR Marvin McNutt, G Brandon Washington, RB Bryce Brown

San Francisco 49ers C-

WR A.J. Jenkins, RB LaMichael James, G Joe Looney, OLB Darius Fleming, FS Trenton Robinson, OT Jason Slowey, DE Cam Johnson

Seattle Seahawks D

OLB Bruce Irvin, ILB Bobby Wagner, QB Russell Wilson, RB Robert Turbin, DT Jaye Howard, LB Korey Toomer, CB Jeremy Lane, SS Winston Guy Jr., DT J.R. Sweezy, DE Greg Scruggs

St. Louis Rams A+

DT Michael Brockers, WR Brian Quick, CB Janoris Jenkins, RB Isaiah Pead, CB Trumaine Johnson, WR Chris Givens, G Rokevious Watkins, K Greg Zuerlein, LB Aaron Brown, RB Daryl Richardson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers B-

SS Mark Barron, RB Doug Martin, OLB Lavonte David, ILB Najee Goode, CB Keith Tandy, RB Michael Smith, TE Drake Dunsmore

Washington Redskins B+

Robert Griffin III, G Josh LeRibeus, QB Kirk Cousins, OLB Keenan Robinson, G Adam Gettis, RB Alfred Morris, OT Tom Compton, DB Richard Crawford, DB Jordan Bernstine

Chase Coffman

truechief10 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:19:40 -0000

I know that this is a little old, but the signing of Chase Coffman I think is a good deal. Freeman and Coffman are best friends. He was his best man at his wedding so this could be a solid move since these guys have good chemistry.

My Picks for Free Agency

truechief10 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:07:59 -0000

We all know that free agency starts tomorrow even though it feels like we started years ago with the Manning saga. While Manning I believe is one crafty SOB, I will not even address him because who knows what he is going to do till he actually signs his contract. After studying the draft and free agency the last couple of weeks, here are my picks and why.

QB- Kyle Orton

Not loving the idea, but here's the thing. He's the best out there that isn't named Manning. Pioli promised a battle and well unless Stanzi is taking night classes on how to be a starting NFL QB, Orton is about all that is out there. We know Orton, I won't say any more.

RB- Mike Tolbert

So Tolbert already said he is done in SD. The last "back-up" RB to come out of SD was Darren Sproles, the other, Michael Turner. RBs that come out of SD are good. Tolbert is big, he knows the end zone like it's his summer home and we need that.

WR- We have the killer B's and the rest is just filling in the blanks. Whoever we get, if its anyone, will be filling in the holes.

TE- John Carlson

If he hadn't missed the 2011 season because of a shoulder injury, he would have probably been getting a lot more attention. The guy is 28 and can catch the ball. 137 catches in 3 years and that's what we need on our team for the right price. Oh ya and he's 6'5 and 250 pounds.

OL - Ben Grubbs, 1st round pick RT

I actually like Grubbs more than Nix for a couple of reasons. One, is that he is so solid in the run blocking and second, he doesn't want the most money ever for a guard. The guy can play and the Ravens want to keep him, but with all of their free agents, someone will have to go, and hopefully Grubbs is one of them. The first round pick I believe is taken on a T. I'm thinking Riley Reiff or Jonathan Martin. They put him at RT and develop him to eventually move to the left side.

DE- We have two LSU underachievers that are making a ton of money. Maybe we pick up a guy here or there for depth, not banking on anyone to improve the position.

DT - Paul Soliai

I'm tempted not to put Soliai here just because the last time we were all over Franklin it didn't work out. Soliai makes a lot of sense though and I just have to have some faith that this is our prize FA addition. Maybe this is the missing piece to bring us to the next level on defense.

LB- Jameel McClain

McClain doesn't break the bank and he provides us with some depth and maybe some competition at ILB. Also think Tank Carder in the 3rd rounder if this area isn't addressed during free agency.

Secondary- Abram Elam, 2nd Rd CB

Elam provides some depth at Safety which is needed and CB in the second round. Would love to get Alfonzo Dennard but I think Jayton Hosley has plenty of potential. Plus our last CB from VT worked out alright.

QB- Kyle Orton

RB- Mike Tolbert

WR- We have the killer B's and the rest is just filling in the blanks. Whoever we get, if its anyone, will be filling in the holes.

TE- John Carlson

OL - Ben Grubbs, 1st round pick RT

DE- We have two LSU underachievers that are making a ton of money. Maybe we pick up a guy here or there for depth, not banking on anyone to improve the position.

DT - Paul Soliai

LB- Jameel McClain

McClain doesn't break the bank and he provides us with some depth and maybe some competition at ILB. Also think Tank Carder in the 3rd rounder if this area isn't addressed during free agency.

Secondary- Abram Elam, 2nd Rd CB

Conspiracy Theory

truechief10 — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:35:01 -0000

What if Manning is blowing smoke here while his agent is running around towns getting deals done. Jim Trotter tweeted that there is a "mystery" team that is making a serious offer that isn't named Denver, Arizona or Miami. Play along with me for a minute if that team is KC.

Manning visits Denver first, gives the media and Denver more time to think and now what is happening....news that Tebow is gone if they get Manning. Denver is banking they get Manning because if they don't, they have an upset young QB in Tebow. What is Manning is just ruffling up the feathers of the Chiefs main competition? Stirring the pot to cause a little dysfunction.

Yes it might be far-fetched but if there was ever a player that could figure it out, it would be Peyton Manning.

We have heard a lot about Denver, Arizona and of course Miami seems to be staying in the talks but his agent, Tom Condon, has not been at any of these meetings. Now I'm not in the middle of the sports agent world, but I've read a few books and I have a hard time believing that Manning has had any money talks without his agent there. What if Manning is blowing smoke here while his agent is running around towns getting deals done. Jim Trotter tweeted that there is a "mystery" team that is making a serious offer that isn't named Denver, Arizona or Miami. Play along with me for a minute if that team is KC. Manning visits Denver first, gives the media and Denver more time to think and now what is happening....news that Tebow is gone if they get Manning. Denver is banking they get Manning because if they don't, they have an upset young QB in Tebow. What is Manning is just ruffling up the feathers of the Chiefs main competition? Stirring the pot to cause a little dysfunction. Yes it might be far-fetched but if there was ever a player that could figure it out, it would be Peyton Manning.

Why Are We Not Being Considered?

truechief10 — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:05:36 -0000

I know we can only trust "experts" as far as we can throw them, but why aren't the Chiefs being considered more of a player in the Manning sweepstakes? It seems that if Miami and Arizona are "big players" than why not KC? We have just as much as both of those teams if not more in some areas. Is there something underneath the surface that Manning is turned off by that we are overlooking?

Where We Are At With Haley

truechief10 — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:34:03 -0000

I’ll give you a little philosophy background of what I consider myself to be as a fan. When someone is brought in, or traded or signed, no matter if I think it was a good idea or bad idea or if I’m just indifferent, I’m always accepting of it. My thinking is, well it happened, you can’t change it, you might as well support it and see if it works out. I think there is a certain amount of trust that we as the fans have to give our team’s management that they are indeed doing what is best for us as fans. Now how long we give management, depends on how many times they have betrayed our trust. With all of that being said, that brings me to Todd Haley.

Am I Todd Haley’s biggest supporter? No, I can’t say you will be seeing me running his fan club anytime soon. But am I going to be at arrowhead with pitchfork and fire if he loses against the Steelers. No, I won’t be doing that either, so I am your classic, on the fence guy. It’s a hard place to live sometimes, on the fence. Your opinion can change from week to week, so when I see that, I just have to look at the facts. If you guys have any other opinions about Haley, feel free to share, but I’m just trying to lay it all on the table and in the end see where we stand.

The Good:

Well let’s start out with a positive note. The obvious being that he led the Chiefs to a 10-6 record last year with the division win and a big turnaround. Another being that players respect him. I say respect because they want to fight and play hard for him, but he isn’t there buddy. Not a lot of buddy buddy coaches are very successful. Those that are successful usually get their respect and loyalty from their players because he pushes them to be the best. He also has developed a nice base of WRs. Something that has been lacking in Kansas City for a long time. A little trivia for you. Who was the last WR to post more yards (1162) than Bowe in one season for the Chiefs. If you guessed Derrick Alexander in 2000, then you would be correct. Haley does know how to develop a group of WRs.

The Bad:

Haley has an overall record of 18-24 in the regular season. Nope, that’s not great. Yes he did take a team that was on the bottom for many years and made them competitive at times, but being 6 games under .500 and potentially more when this season is over isn’t going to win any awards. Here is a question that popped into my head today. When was the last time the Chiefs won a game, they probably should have lost? Like going into the game you thought, everything has to work perfectly for us to get a win against this team. I’m going to take out the division games because we see those opponents twice a year every year and we seem to just split those anyways. I’m talking about a team that comes in that is playing well, a playoff caliber team and the Chiefs beat them. I say there is none from this year and I can’t justify any from last year. (Only 3 teams were .500 or better that we won against). The last game was 2009 when we played the Steelers and won in OT.

Another thing is the preparation going into the games. It seems sometimes that there was none. The average margin of defeat this year is 24 points. That is just a crazy number and that means that we aren’t an Eric Berry or Jamal Charles away from competing, we need a lot more help.

Conclusion:

Well this is where I need you guys. Maybe Haley comes out and wins two out of the next four games and I can point to these games as signature wins that the team can build on for next year, but when your last great victory came in 2009, maybe that isn’t the makings of a great coach. Maybe he doesn’t know how to game plan against teams that are more talented that his team is. Or maybe he has had too much adversity with injuries to produce a competitive team this year. Which side of the fence do you camp on?

The Good:

The Bad:

Conclusion:

Poll

Where do you stand with Haley

I'm giving him another year

97 votes

Deciding at the end of the year

49 votes

Want him out after Sunday's loss

17 votes

Don't ask me questions, I still have food coma

4 votes

167 votes | Poll has closed

Where is the love?

truechief10 — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:41:09 -0000

Every Sunday after the game, I come here and look at the comments of the game. The first two weeks, there was plenty to complain about and plenty of us that did. I come on here though after the game today and there is a lot of hatin’ going around. Some people are optimistic, but we need all the good news we can get at this point and guys a win is a great thing! Now here is my take on the biggest complaints that I see on here. This isn't final, I'm not God, I don't have all the answers, but this is what is logical in my head, so if you like to discuss please keep it civil, but this is my thinking.

Todd Haley

We all know that his contract is up after this year. I put at least some of the blame on him for the slow start. Maybe the biggest part of last year's success was the lack of mistakes the team made. We didn't turn the ball over, and the defense tackled well plus forced turnovers. We didn't do any of that in the first two weeks. Maybe the lockout is to blame, but over the last 3 games, it seems that those days are behind us. Now of course we have to talk about the spat with Matt Cassel. Many people we saying that yelling and calling out your players isn't the way to do it, but let's give Haley this, yelling at his guys is his style and who says that's bad? He's done it before and that's just the way he coaches. There are many different ways of coaching that have worked. Parcels coached with fear, Tony Dungy was a players coach, Bill Bellicheck is an Xs and Os guy, but they all have their place and they have all had success. Now don't quote me as saying that Todd Haley is the next...I'm just making the point, all coaching styles have their place, because each has had success.

Matt Cassel

Our favorite player on here!!! Alright, I'll be the first to admit. The guy isn't Tom Brady here. I'm not his biggest fan. He does have some head scratching moments. Having said that, I don't think he deserves the persecution that he deserves. So I'm going to take the middle road. Yes, the first two games were bad. He 1 TD to 4 INT. Since then though, 7 TDs to 1 INT. Because of that, we are 2-1 in the last three games and it goes back to what I said about Haley, if you don't have the most talent around your team, you have can't turn the ball over and you have to play good, smart football. Yes, the defenses that he played were not greatest, but he still had a 102 passer rating against SD and when 6 of your games are against SD, Oakland and Denver, its not like we are playing the Jets or Steelers defense week in and week out. If Cassel limits his turnovers, which he has proven he can do, we at least put ourselves in a position to win the game most days.

Scott Pioli

I'm hearing a lot of buzz about how Pioli is to blamed. I'm rather confused. Have we already forgotten about the Peterson days when we would take a step forward, we end up taking two steps back. We keep pointing to the drafts and saying well we missed on him and we took him to early. Here's a quick news flash....not every pick is going to turn out. I know its crazy, but if you end up with 2 starters in the draft, you count that as a success and move on. In the first draft, Pioli didn't have all year to scout his players and while I'm not going to give him a straight pass on that draft, I understand if that wasn't our best draft. We do have two starters from that draft (Jackson and Succop) for now, but then look after that. Last year we took 7 players, 4 of which are starting (Berry, Asamoah, Moeaki, and Lewis) and 2 of them are regular contributors (Arenas and McCluster). Yes, we are lacking a little in depth, but we have to remember that this was a 4-12 team 2 years ago. It takes some time to build that. With this last draft, we can at least see some of that with our Center of the future, possibly our next pass rusher in Houston, our backup QB in Stanzi and our project DT with Powe.

All in all, we lost possibly our best defensive player and best offensive player at the start of the year, and we are 2-3 going into the bye week. If we can fix the snail slow start that we seem to have in the 1st half going into the bye week, we can possibly start looking competitive even without our best players sidelined.

Todd Haley

Matt Cassel

Scott Pioli

2011 NFC Preview

truechief10 — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:50:01 -0000

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles

To be honest, I’m not buying into the hype that the Eagles are a dream team or even are going to deep it in the playoffs. I think that the entire division is overrated, but we are talking about the Eagles. If people think that Vick will have the same season as last year, please share whatever you are smoking. I think that he will have a decent year, but if he gets frustrated, it all just seems to go downhill. I think the team will be able to play enough defense and have enough big offensive games to make the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys

I think that the Cowboys offense is going to be deadly. The only question is going to be the offensive line, but when you get to put Romo, Austin, Bryant, Felix Jones, and Witten, who the heck are you going to guard? The biggest problem is that the defense is led by the other clown in the NFL, Rob Ryan. Why someone hasn’t made a reality show about the Ryan family has to be the biggest oversight in the galaxy. The Cowboys have talent on defense, but they usually aren’t disciplined so maybe Ryan will scare them enough to make the tackle.

New York Giants

Here’s where fantasy meets reality. I used Eli Manning last year for my starting QB on my fantasy football team and had no problem doing so. In reality, he throws a lot of interceptions and just overall turns the ball over much more than you would like. That though is the same for the entire team as Bradshaw and Jacobs also have trouble holding onto the ball. On the other side, the defense doesn’t cause a lot of turnovers and that could be a problem. I think that this will be the last hurrah for Tom Coughlin. He was never really beloved by Giants fans, and I don’t think they are going to take to kindly missing the playoffs once again.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins were a hot topic last year manly because of the problems that McNabb and Haynesworth caused. Though they dumped them on other teams, the Redskins problems didn’t go away in the slightest. The only thing they have going for them is that their running game could actually give them a couple of first downs a game, because God knows they aren’t going to get many with Beck or Grossman. You can’t feel too confident when Rex Grossman is aggressively trying to win a starting job. On the other side, the defense is good enough to keep them in some games, but when you have teams in your division that are offensive heavy, it might be a tough year for the Redskins again.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers

People forget that this team is more than just a run and gun team. Yes, Rodgers is going to throw the ball around a lot, but he gets two big weapons back, one being his running game with Ryan Grant. They also get back their top TE in Jermichael Finley, so believe it or not, this team could be even better. They didn’t lose much and while it is really difficult to repeat a championship, with their defense as good as it is and the upgrade with a couple of weapons, who knows if we are looking at the beginning of a dynasty.

Detroit Lions

I think this comes with a clause. Stafford has to stay healthy for at least most of the season. This team has enough weapons on offense and defense for them to finally stop blackmailing their fans just to get them to come to the games. I think the defense still has holes. The biggest being that the secondary still can’t cover anyone longer than 3 seconds. So they have to hope that the defensive line gets to the quarterback before everyone is open.

Chicago Bears

I can just hear it now. How could this team get worse? They added a few pieces and they had a great season last year. I guess this is more of a gut thing, but it doesn’t seem like Chicago can put together two good seasons in a row. In fact, since 2006, the Bears have had a winning year every other year. Lance Briggs might have seen this stat this week and decides now that it might be a good time to get out of there. If you’re the Bears don’t you just laugh and tell him to wait till next year? I mean who decides one week before the season starts that oh I forgot to tell you guys, yeah, I want to play for another team. Plus on the other side of the ball, I trust the offense as much as I trust the stock market. Because whether you are investing in GM or putting the ball in Cutler’s hand, you are gambling.

Minnesota Vikings

It’s hard to imagine that McNabb’s situation actually improved as far as more weapons than last year. The problem is, that while his weapons might have improved, where he finished in the standings most likely won’t. At the very least, AP won’t have his career go in the tank quite yet because McNabb is still better than Christian Ponder would have been this year, or might ever be to be honest.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints

The Saints will have to rely on their offense probably more than ever to get them to the playoffs. The defense right now is going to be searching more than Arian Foster is for a new PR manager. For goodness sakes, Turk McBride is going to be their starting right defensive end. I’ve seen McBride play, it’s not pretty. One thing that I actually think helps this team is that they don’t have to now answer the Reggie Bush saga that seemed to continue every year. Replacing him with Sproles you don’t really lose anything and couple that with an improved backfield with Ingram and you don’t mind putting all the pressure to score early and often.

Atlanta Falcons

Falcons’ fans, I hope you enjoyed that 13-3 year last year because I don’t think you’ll see that again this year. Last year, they won so many close games that it was just a matter of time that they lost one of those which they did early in the playoffs. I think in order for this team to take the next step Matt Ryan is going to have to step up and be a big time QB. He needs to makes steps to be a Brady or Rivers or Manning. I’m not saying he needs to put up those kind of numbers but he has so many weapons right now that he needs to take charge and lead this team. If he does, I will be eating my words about the 13-3, if he doesn’t and stays the QB that he is, which is still a top end QB, they will end up losing some of those close games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I’m not really buying that this is an up and coming team. I think they are a classic 8-8 team. I think that Josh Freeman is a decent QB, but I’m not as big of a fan as many people are. Yes he had a heck of a year, but I don’t think we see those numbers from him this year. Also the defense is going to be tested and tested hard this year having to play some top end offenses. If the Bucs can come out of those games with some wins, I might be a believer, but as of right now, I think they are more a one year wonder.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers said they are planning on spending some money to improve this team. They did the right thing by keeping their own guys, but then pretty much stopped there. Their big acquisition was acquiring Greg Olsen from the Bears. Yes he does provide a need, but what happened to spending money? Also, I can’t stress how much I believe that Cam Newton is going to struggle this year. I will count it a huge success if he throws as many TDs as INTs. It is obvious now there was no real battle for the starting QB spot after he had a 42 percent completion percentage. As long as he knew what color jersey they were wearing that day and threw somewhere close to that player, he was getting the job.

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers

Why not? If you can give me a reason not to put them here and who else should go here, I’d love to hear it. This team was supposed to run away with this division last year and they didn’t, so now with pressure off of them, all they need to do is win maybe 1 more game then they lose and hello playoffs. This team actually has a good offense. Alex Smith really just has to get out of his own way and not screw up royally and this team should win some games. The defense is interesting enough to force people to actually plan against them unlike other teams in this division.

St. Louis Rams

This team is young and could win some games or they are young and could lose some games. The schedule for them looks at least challenging if not difficult in some stretches this year so they are going to need to create an identity to rely on. I think one thing they could get behind is getting to the QB with Long and Quinn on either side of the defensive line. They did get Bradford some help with Sims Walker but I’m a little surprised that they didn’t spend more to really put themselves in a better position in this weak division.

Arizona Cardinals

This offense was so lethargic at times last year it was difficult to watch. Any QB that was put in looked like they were throwing a dead fish around. With Kolb though they at least have a chance to move the ball more than 2 yards at a time. This also opens up the running game with former first round pick Bennie Wells. This offense might surprise a few people, but this defense might leave more of a sour taste in your mouth. They allowed the third most points per game in the league last year and they didn’t really get much better.

Seattle Seahawks

I think that Matt Hasselbeck held this team together more than people know. If Tarvaris Jackson is seriously getting consideration for this team’s starting QB position, it’s going to be a long year. Even if he has the best weapons in the league, he still isn’t going to put up very good numbers. The Seahawks better ask for their Madden entry in the 12th man to keep being loud even if they don’t get much help from their QB because they are going to need all the help they can get this year. But hey, it’s the NFC East. It’s a magical land where subpar teams make it in the playoffs.

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

2011 AFC Preview

truechief10 — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:16:47 -0000

AFC East

New England Patriots

Let’s just start with the easy one. This team came out in their pre season games and looked so much better than any other team in the league (until Detroit). I think that the first couple of games might be decided by who has the best chemistry and worked together the best, and the Patriots win that award. They are also hungry. They bring in a lot of talent from free agency and trades on both sides of the ball. How is it that the loudest, and most headline grabbing people in the league (Ochocinco and Haynesworth) somehow are model citizens when joining the Patriots? Maybe Spygate was the least of everyone’s concerns and the NFL should look into if Belichick knows witchcraft instead.

N.Y. Jets

Here’s the problem with a team that is run by a guy who is more or less fit for the circus or the Jerry Springer show, the team follows your lead. At some point, this team is going to implode. Sanchez has already admitted that he is half retarded by thinking he was going to fight Rex Ryan. Has he taken a good look at him lately? Is there a donut that this man hasn’t declined? Just say no, to food that is Rex, just say no.

Buffalo Bills

I personally think that Chan Gailey might be a genius. That is on the offensive side of the ball that is. He takes very average QBs and gives them jobs for the next 5 years. Do you think that Tyler Thigpen would even get an invite from a CFL team if it weren’t for the 2008 season when he was one of the top fantasy football players the last 6 weeks of the year? I’m going to answer that question, heck no and now he is doing it again with Ryan Fitzpatrick. With the first four picks of their draft going defense, they are giving themselves a chance to win some games this year.

Miami Dolphins

Let give you a little glimpse of a Sunday for a Dolphins fan. They wake up, put on their Dolphins jersey, sit on their couch and pray to the Dan Marino gods that this is the week that Chad Henne puts it all together and he starts out with an interception and they want to throw him under the bus that the team came on. Then he comes back and has a drive that looks something of a pro bowler and there is a speck of hope. Then they lose the game and for an entire week, they wonder if now Matt Moore is in fact a better QB and a simple answer to that is, well probably not. And that is what the week is life for a Dolphins fan. Sigh, well at least the weather can take some of the pain away, oh wait.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers

Can someone tell me the last time that the Steelers made a big time acquisition in free agency or trade? Do they get everyone from the draft? It’s amazing how great they do in the draft to get play makers time and time again. This defense is still so good and Big Ben will have an entire season to be a part of the offense. This biggest question will be, can the offensive line give Ben enough time to find someone. I know they like to pound it down your throats, but they need Ben to as always lead this team.

Baltimore Ravens

After a year of people picking the Ravens to win the Super Bowl (myself included) not many people are talking about this team and rightfully so. The defense is getting old and besides Suggs, they don’t have a consistent pass rusher. Flacco will have to step up and be a top 10 QB this year for this team to be in the Super Bowl hunt. I’m not saying that it’s impossible, but he has to make use of every weapon that he has. Maybe the most important thing is Lee Evens who was acquired in a trade. If he can give them a couple of big plays, this could be a different offense.

Cleveland Browns

I’m not sure if there was a team that I wasn’t emotionally invested in that I wanted to get a WR as bad as the Browns. Was there no one that they liked? Sims-Walker? Sidney Rice? Steve Smith? Some guy that looks like he might be able to catch a ball? I mean, it’s kind of sad to think that Colt McCoy might have to throw to the same group as last year whose best WR caught 36 passes last year. This team is a couple of players away from actually being competitive, but I don’t think this is the year.

Cincinnati Bengals

This might be the easiest division to predict. Mostly because you have the great (Steelers) the good (Ravens) the average (Browns) and the ugly (Bengals). This team really is miles away from being good. So bad that you have a QB that still might be in his prime that would rather retire than stay on this miserable team. They have a very average defense, a RB that is probably done after this year and every other position is young and so you give them the benefit of the doubt that they can actually stay on the football field and learn from pervious Bengals and stay out of jail.

AFC South

Houston Texans

Offense isn’t a problem with this team. Especially with the finding of Arian Foster that finally gives this team a consistent running game. The problem is finding someone, anyone, who can guard a WR or get to the QB or even tackle. The Texans probably couldn’t get any worse, so they changed to a 3-4 defense led by Wade Phillips. They aren’t really built for a 3-4 defense yet, but with the talent they already have, they will create some opportunities to at the very least force some turnovers. This could be the year that they finally reach the playoffs for the first time maybe not because they are so much better but that the division is much weaker than usual. And that is because….

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning might not be ready and every game that he misses, could very easily be a lose. I think that this could very well be a 10-6 team, but if Manning misses the first two games, this could be an 8-8 team and even if he does come back, we can’t guarantee that he will be ready to play. This might be the first time that Colts fans can see what life might be life without Manning. Plus even if Manning is 100%, the defense is especially bad and with Bob Sanders gone, he can’t give them his token one game a year.

Jacksonville Jaguars

I’m not sure how this team went 8-8 last year and I don’t think the team got any better this year. I think that Blaine Gabbert will be a good QB. The problem though is that he and Colt McCoy might have to get group therapy session going since their best targets are TEs and their RBs might be a better option to throw to, rather than the people they actually pay to catch the ball. If the defense can get to the QB more often (they only had 26 sacks last year) they might be able to keep games close and win a few games they otherwise wouldn’t before.

Tennessee Titans

This team is so far away from being relevant, it’s not even funny. They cut their starting QB, their top WR is in trouble with the law and might be missing some games, and their star RB wants to get paid like he is going to be playing forever. Yes, he’s a good RB but if the Titans were smart, they would get what they could out of him and just start over. There just isn’t that much to get excited about unless you are really itching to see Jake Locker get rocked week after week, but hey, to each their own.

AFC West

San Diego Chargers

Norv Turner can’t screw up this much talent two years in a row can he? How this man could not get the number one offense and number one defense into the playoffs is amazing. Really, the Chargers have to put it all together soon, because these stars aren’t getting any younger. They might be flying a little under the radar, but this is still a good team, the biggest question is the coaching. A guarantee, if this team doesn’t make the playoffs, it’s a mass firing or leaving from this team.

Kansas City Chiefs

Watching them in the preseason, I almost bumped them down, but I thought about who was in the rest of the division and thought otherwise. Yes, this team somehow got younger, by drafting 4 potential week 1 starters. A couple of things that means is that this team had a lot of holes to fill, but also they drafted well, which is exactly what Pioli is known for. To think that the Chiefs will improve their record from last year is wishful thinking, but I think an 8-8 or 9-7 record actually would mean this team improved because they had to win against some talented teams. Watch out for the defense, because they could be crazy scary.

Oakland Raiders

Let’s play a game. Who was the last QB to throw 15 TDs for the Raiders in one season? If you guessed Kerry Collins in 2005 you would be correct. Yes, it has been 5 years since someone threw just 15 TDs and I’m not even going to pretend like the streak is most definitely over this year. It also doesn’t help that Louis Murphy is your number one WR. The Raiders better hope that the defense is still the rock that they have grown accustomed to or it could be back to the cellar.

Denver Broncos

Is anyone else just so tired of hearing that Tim Tebow might not be backup quarterback this year, that he is the 4th best QB on the team, and that he might not make the team. Are they just doing this to make sure people don’t forget them as an NFL team? This team lacks so much talent, they should put Tebow out there at any position just to make sure that people know that Josh McDaniels didn’t suck the entire team dry of talent. Has there ever been a coach in the history of football that has done so much damage in such little time?

AFC East

New England Patriots

N.Y. Jets

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South

AFC West

Best Time Out EVER!!!

truechief10 — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 16:41:30 -0000

Did anyone else see the timeout used by Haley after the BS roughing the passer to yell at the official??? I for one loved it! On a side note, that was about as busch league as it gets yesterday with the officiating. Hopefully we won't see them in the playoffs.

The NFL 2010 Outlook - Post Draft

truechief10 — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:21:28 -0000

The NFL 2010 Outlook - Post Draft

Buffalo Bills
With three running backs now at their disposal, did anyone think about who was going to throw the ball? And since Chan Gailey was able to nearly make a Pro Bowler out of Tyler Thigpen, shouldn’t they at least be looking at JaMarcus Russell?

Miami Dolphins
Quite possibly the loudest offseason with the signing of Karlos Dansby and the trade for Brandon Marshall, but then the quietest draft as five out of their eight picks were either defensive linemen or linebackers. Still, an effective draft.

New England Patriots
What’s scary is that with the Patriots scouting and four out of the first 62 draft picks, it almost can’t be a bad draft. Especially when you draft your greatest need at corner in the first round, and give Brady another weapon in the second and then draft the playmaker Spikes with your third 2nd round pick.

New York Jets
So the Jets bring in LT, Cromartie, draft a cornerback in the first round, and draft the number one player coming out of high school three years ago (RB McKnight). It looks like it has become clear what the game plan is; don’t let the other team pass on you, and keep it out of Sanchez’s hands.

Baltimore Ravens
Already a good team last year, it is suddenly a Super Bowl favorite. Bringing in Boldin was huge and gives Flacco a legit person to throw to. As well as stealing linebacker Kindle and defensive tackle Cody in the draft, this team can quite possibly run the tables this year.

Cincinnati Bengals
A team that could quite possibly have been a fluke last year added some pieces with tight end Gresham and the highly talented but not so motivated defensive end Dunlap. The team has to continue pursuing the goal they have had for several years now - win more games than number of players arrested on the team.

Cleveland Browns
The only thing saving the Browns at this point is the hope that Holmgren knows what he’s doing. Colt McCoy has to be thrilled he gets to start, but has to be disappointed that the team’s idea of improving the receiving corps (their "best" receiver caught 34 catches last year) was to not draft a wide receiver until the 6th round.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The idea that the Steelers could become "America’s Team" would be more likely if their fan base wasn’t as torn as Americans are on Obama. The general feeling is to get rid of Big Ben; a further parallel to the "America’s New Team" movement.

Houston Texans
The Texans continue to tease us by letting us think we can trust them to get to the playoffs this year. They have a good team on paper, but can’t for the life of them win a big game. Once again, this year could be no different. Also, the Texans might be a little worried with holdout Andre Johnson about to start his own ‘Pay the Man’ campaign here pretty soon if he doesn’t get a new contract.

Indianapolis Colts
It is always a good sign when you are drafting from the bottom of the first round, but the problem is that you have to continually replace talent with less talented guys. The Colts always find a way to do it and continued to do so in this year’s draft. The only problem looks to be that as they try to rebuild the line this season, it should be interesting to see how Manning handles getting sacked a few times a game.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Oh, this was an ugly offseason, and made absolutely no sense. There were needs all over the place and the Jags decided to spend their first four picks in the draft on defensive lineman. Their big offseason signing was Aaron Kampman who is a good, but a defensive lineman. Say it with me now, "There are other positions, coach."

Tennessee Titans
The Titans, after a terrible start, won their last 8 out of 10 games and gave people in Tennessee another reason to cheer for Vince Young. Young shows he is a winner; he has won wherever he goes. The Titans need a winner since it was otherwise such a quiet offseason. We will have to wait and see if their first round pick Morgan will be the next freak in Tennessee.

Denver Broncos
Maybe McDaniels is going to play a different type of offense that no one has ever seen before, but why do you draft Tebow when you just traded for Quinn and have Orton?? Still, all three combined at this point are not as good as Cutler was. This was also a mistake because they passed up the best wide receiver on the board at the time (Dez Bryant). This kind of reminds me of another team in this division. Move over Al Davis, there is a new idiot in the AFC West.

Kansas City Chiefs
There were so many holes in this team that it was hard to start in one place. It was clear that they needed playmakers, and this is exactly what they got with their first three picks. The front office also made good offseason acquisitions, giving Cassel and running backs a good offensive line. The Chiefs might not win the division this year, but they certainly are going to be fun to watch.

Oakland Raiders
This year’s draft picks couldn’t possibly have been the work of Al Davis; it was too logical. Oakland picked the best linebacker in the draft, which was a good start. Subtract the Jamarcus Russell disaster and add Jason Campbell who has more weapons in Oakland than in Washington. Also, some good offensive linemen were taken in the draft; the Raiders might not totally be terrible.

San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are trying to find the next LT. They might be disappointed that Matthews will probably not be LT, but he is probably a decent running back. The problem becomes that this defense is the same and not getting any younger. Couple that with the fact that Turner doesn’t have a clue what to do with a talented football team (let alone a talentless team), and this could signal the decline of the Chargers.

Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys always have more talent than most teams know what to do with. Take their best offensive players from the last five years, and add another talented player in Dez Bryant and you have a scary offense. Add to that two good picks on defense and the only question marks are the offensive linemen. If people can stay healthy, cross your fingers. (Just not your pinky finger, if you’re Romo.)

New York Giants
If your team was continually picking up their jock straps last year, you might be the New York Giants. It makes sense that their first four picks were on defense. What makes little sense is when they take their first round strong 3-4 defensive end and think maybe they can turn him into a linebacker – probably making him even worse at that whole tackling thing.

Philadelphia Eagles
Well Eagles fans, you got your wish and drove McNabb right out of town. Now you’re left with Kevin Kolb…ouch. He might still be good; he has plenty of tools around him and will get the ball a lot more since the first 5 picks were on defense. It’s going to be most interesting to see how many of those 13 draft picks actually work out.

Washington Redskins
There must be a sign posted on the front lawn that says, "We take all running backs nearing social security," because that’s what it looks like when you have Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker. And then they bring in Westbrook for a visit! McNabb has to be thinking about retiring after the next season.

Chicago Bears
The coaching staff and front office is just trying to keep their heads above water before the plug is pulled on them. This is sure to be another subpar season; Cutler still has no one to throw the ball to, and even Forte won’t be able to find a hole to run through. The Bears might have to ask if the defense can score a few more times to help out the crappy offense.

Detroit Lions
It seems as though the Lions have been picking from the draft’s top ten as long as they have been playing on Thanksgiving Day. We all hope this maybe the year they get out of the cellar. It might have happened already if the Lion’s defense could get to an opposing quarterback before he figures out that everyone on his team is open. Sometimes it’s like no one is even trying to cover the receivers downfield.

Green Bay Packers
I picked this team last year to make the playoffs after winning just 6 games the year before. They didn’t disappoint - winning 11 games - but Rogers is still picking teeth off the ground after getting sacked 50 times last year. That in mind, the pick of offensive lineman Bulaga in the first round probably has Rogers going to the general manager and personally thanking him for saving his career. Let’s see if this puts Green Bay over the edge.

Minnesota Vikings
As much talent as the Vikings have, the biggest challenge is to keep the people you have and add depth. With the fate of Brett Farve’s decision riding on whether the Southern Mississippi baseball team makes the college world series, the Vikings probably have a few umpires on the pay role as well this season. This is what they did when Chester Taylor stepped out from under Peterson’s shadow and left Minnesota - the Vikings got Toby Gerhart to replace him, which is an improvement. However, there was no improvement at quarterback. On a side note: Colt McCoy would have been a good pick in a later round, but the Vikings straight up stole fourth round pick Griffen - he is second round talent.

Atlanta Falcons
The 2008 Falcons’ eleven win season was a fluke. In 2009, they did win nine games, which was better than expected, but still kept them out of the playoffs. After a draft that added depth to the roster and nothing special, this team could wind up the same place as last year. It’s a little unfortunate since they really need a playmaker on defense. Weatherspoon is solid, but not the playmaker they need. They will be missing the playoffs this year and wondering what ever happened to that magical 2008 season.

Carolina Panthers
Last year the Panthers had one playmaker on the team: Steve Smith. Now they have someone to actually throw to him. Clausen has to be one of the biggest steals in the draft. On top of that, Carolina added some solid pieces as they picked up a big wide receiver in LaFell and also a slot wide receiver. Sadly, after that, Carolina’s draft was rather poor, getting another quarterback and a linebacker who doesn’t fit in their system at all.

New Orleans Saints
The biggest obstacle for the Saints is that they live or die depending on whether they can create momentum. If they get on a roll, they can’t be stopped. So it’s good that they picked a corner in the first round for those times that they need a stop on defense. The Saints also took a very talented tackle in the second round which helps protect the man who turned this organization around (Drew Brees).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This team needs weapons on offense, but instead they waste their first two picks on defensive tackles. This is fine if you didn’t have needs in almost every other area and a second-year quarterback who needs some help. Don’t think that Benn is going to be that answer. No offensive line means that Freeman will be picking himself off the ground several times a game or running after the other team once they intercept the ball.

Arizona Cardinals
We will get to see how special Warner really was when Leinart takes over. He has even less to work with now that Boldin is gone and the best player on defense went elsewhere. It remains to be seen if the Cardinals can win their division. It won’t take much; the division is so bad that eight wins could do it.

San Francisco 49ers
This is the team that everyone needs to look at and consider for making the playoffs. They did some great things in getting Ginn for peanuts, practically. San Francisco also got a great safety in the second round with Taylor Mays, and two offensive linemen in the first round which will help get this offense going. The only question is whether Alex Smith can put this all together and just not mess it up. There are enough quality players around him that he doesn’t have to try and win the game by himself anymore.

Seattle Seahawks
Here is another team that might have taken enough steps to throw in its hat into the field of mediocrity which is known as the NFC West. Seattle had a great draft and added some depth at running back. With head coach Pete Carroll at the helm, this team has a chance – yes, a chance - to make the playoffs. But then again, that pretty much applies to every team in this heinous division.

St. Louis Rams
Oh wait, that chance might not be available for the Rams, who are, kindly put, rebuilding. They have started well with a new quarterback, a good offensive line and one of the better running backs in Steven Jackson who finished 2nd in the league in rushing yards behind Chris Johnson. However, the big problem on offense is that there is no one to catch the ball, which could spell trouble for Bradford in his first year. At least until they figure out they don’t want the next Cutler on their team – a quarterback with great talent, but no way to show it off.

The NFL 2010 Outlook - Post Draft