Chiefs Draft

[catsfan20012002]

The latest on a possible Trent Green trade -

The Dolphins aren't offering enough. The Browns are still interested but apparently Trent has told them that he's not interested in them.

[catsfan20012002]

http://cjonline.com/stories/042707/chi_165982308.shtml

We know that the draft will be used to rebuild the Chiefs but there's evidence that the rebuilding process has already begun and it's starting off well. DE Tamba Hali and SS Bernard Pollard came in the 2006 NFL Draft and OLB Derrick Johnson came in the 2005 NFL Draft.

A good way for the Chiefs to go would be as follows:

1st - Justin Harrell/DT/Tennessee
2nd - Craig Davis/WR/LSU
3rd - Michael Bush/RB/Louisville (could we trade L.J. and/or Trent and move up in Round 1?)
5th - Chase Pittman/DE/LSU and Yamon Figurs/WR/K-State (would be perfect to replace Dante Hall)
6th - Dan Santucci, OG, Notre Dame
7th - Cameron Stephenson/C/Iowa State

We'd be lots better up front, on both sides of the ball, we'd finally have someone for the QB, whomever it is, to throw the ball to and we'd replace L.J. if we decide to trade him. Seems like a good plan to me.

Harrell will be the pick according to Mel Kiper Jr.

[jeffy]

Michael Bush won't be drafted in the third round.  He may fall to the second day.  It doesn't appear that he's recovering near as well from the broken leg as he would have hoped.

[catsfan20012002]

The surprise of the draft so far is that Brady Quinn is still available. If you look at where we are in the First Round Draft Order.....

St. Louis - Marc Bulger
Carolina - Jake Delhomme
Pittsburgh - Ben Roethlisberger
Green Bay - Brett Favre and eventually Aaron Rodgers
Jacksonville - Byron Leftwich
Cincinnati - Carson Palmer
Tennessee - Vince Young
New York Giants - Eli Manning
Denver - Jay Cutler
Dallas - Tony Romo

Maybe Jacksonville could take him but, and this is a big but, do we think it's possible for him to fall to KC at #23 or might we even consider trading up to get him IF this trade of Trent Green to Miami goes down which I've heard is close to happening?

[catsfan20012002]

With the 23rd pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.....The Kansas City Chiefs select Dwayne Bowe/WR/LSU!!!!!

Although I didn't expect them to take a WR in Round 1 I'm really happy with this pick. WR is the deepest position in this draft but we were still able to get the 2nd best WR in this draft according to most of the experts.

Bowe is big and fast. He's the kind of guy that you can throw jump balls to and he'll win those battles. He doesn't have the moves of other WR's but he'll make the first guy miss and can drag defenders down the field with him. He's also not afraid to block which will be great news for L.J.

His biggest weakness is that he didn't start playing football until his junior year of High School. His lack of experience will be less of a factor the more we throw him the ball.

Overall I'm satisfied with this pick. He'll look good next to Eddie Kennison and he'll take pressure off of L.J. and Tony Gonzalez in this offense.




 

[GoldbrickGangBoss]

I'm undecided on this pick.

I for one would like to see LJ traded. A lot of chiefs players don't like him, he sleeps thru team meetings, he wants to take too much of the salary cap increase in his pocket. Trade him while he's in his prime.

Trade Green for a fourth round pick. Actually... trade Green for a anything at all. A bag of chips. A burrito. A toaster. Anything.

I won't miss Dante Hall.

[catsfan20012002]

With the 54th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.....The Kansas City Chiefs select Turk McBride/DT/TENNESSEE!!!!!

This pick concerns me quite a bit. He was considered the 4th best DT in the draft according the the experts and that's exactly where he went.

McBride is undersized. He's 6'2" but he's not heavy enough at 277 pounds. He is very quick off the ball and has learned how to use his quickness out of the stance. He knows how to get into the backfield and disrupt the run. He gives great effort. He's very good at changing directions and played numerous positions on the DL in college.

McBride had a very productive sophomore year (33 total tackles - 8 for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries), missed much of his junior season due to injury and had a solid senior campaign (68 total tackles - 9 for loss, one sack and one forced fumble). He was Associated Press First Team All-SEC in his senior season.

This is a high risk and high reward kind of pick. He's undersized but versatile. He has the potential to be a very solid pass rusher in the NFL. 

[Andy]

chiefs were not going to go with another d-tackle with a questionable motor.  herm loves "effort" guys.  decent pick.

[J Rake]

I'm not bagging on Carl Peterson, even though he makes it really easy sometimes ... but by drafting Turk McBride, he essentially just got the clone of Eddie Freeman.

Freeman was a "high motor" guy who could play both DT/DE.

I don't know what to make of this draft. The fact that Brady Quinn dropped so far, and the Chiefs came up empty upsets me. If you would have told me before the draft started that Bowe would go to KC, I would have been OK with it. But after seeing Quinn -- a top 3 prospect on several draft boards -- tumble into the 20's, and KC couldn't get him ... well, that's disappointing.

KC's AFC West foes all have franchise QB's: Oakland (Russell); Denver (Cutler); San Diego (Rivers).

This was a great opportunity, and Carl dropped the ball. Let's face it, the Chiefs are the oldest team in the league, and by 2009-10, they will probably be the youngest. This was a great time to groom a QBOTF, once and for all, and let him take the field with a great group of young guys surrounding him.

Instead, it will be another 30-something QB filling in, patching the hole, leading KC to 8-8, 9-7 ... maybe the playoffs ... and then they'll do it all over again.

[catsfan20012002]

We weren't gonna move up one spot to get Brady Quinn. Here we are in the 3rd Round and Trent Edwards is still available.

[catsfan20012002]

With the 82nd pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.....The Kansas City Chiefs select Tank Tyler/DT/NC State!!!!!

This is another pick that I have my concerns about. He's got character issues (you know the NFL is trying to crack down on those) and he's slow in picking up systems.

Tyler does have a good blend of height (6'2"), bulk (306 lbs) and quickness (5.3 40). He's very quick off the ball and is very good against the run because of his size. He will be able to knock offensive linemen backwards, hit the gaps hard and get into the backfield.

His strengths are his size, upper body strength and quickness. His weaknesses are his character and learning ability. This is another one of those high risk/high reward picks. So far I'd say the Chiefs are having an ok, but not great, draft. I like what Dwayne Bowe brings to the team but McBride and Tyler concern me. If they work out we could have gotten two steals though.

[Levi Wolters]

I think they would have got Quinn if he would have dropped to 23. And I would have been more than happy to get Quinn. But there was no way Carl was going to trade up to get him. Croyle is going to get every chance in the world to win the job. He's got the arm and the smarts to have success, but the Chiefs are going to build the o-line up with bricks to protect his frail frame if he's going to last.

[catsfan20012002]

McBride will probably start right away in place of Jared Allen. Bowe will get the chance to start or be the #3 WR. Apparently there was never any interest in drafting Brady Quinn.

[catsfan20012002]

They want McBride to gain 30 pounds and they want Tyler to lose 10.

[J Rake]

This is the Carl Peterson game. He's afraid to start over. He's done it the same way every year -- including his most recent 14-year playoff winless stretch since '93 -- and he'll do it for a few more till his contract runs out.

Very rarely have I wanted KC to move up in the draft, but this was one of the times they should have. And I'm not saying to Dallas at #22. The price got too steep once Cleveland went all-in. KC could have done it sooner while surrendering a similar pick as Denver did w/ Jacksonville to move up roughly five spots.

The Chiefs are the oldest team in football, and are trying to get younger. This was the time to develop a legit 1st RD QBOTF, for the next two years behind Huard, and let him take the field once he's surrounded by legitimate talent again. Or some semblance of an offensive line, at least.

Instead, it will be Brodie Croyle in a few years. I have my doubts. Again.

[J Rake]

Apparently there was never any interest in drafting Brady Quinn.

Not true.

"But I’ll tell you this: I love Brady Quinn," Peterson said. "If he is somehow available with the 23rd pick, he will be a Kansas City Chief … I don’t care how many quarterbacks we have.”

And this was not a smokescreen by Carl in any way. He had nothing to gain from saying this. Like everyone else, he simply had no idea that Quinn would fall as far as he did. The Chiefs were all over Quinn at the combine, had reps at his Pro Day, etc. There was a real, legitimate interest in him ... provided he escaped the top-10.

[catsfan20012002]

With the 148th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.....The Kansas City Chiefs select Kolby Smith/RB/LOUISVILLE!!!!!

This kid has a ton of bulk and has the ability to put even more bulk on his frame. He's got the ability to jump and move from side to side effortlessly. He's got the ability to turn up the speed as he gets into the open field and he's not afraid to hit tacklers head on. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He's going to do many things for us (catching and blocking). He can also play on special teams.

The biggest knock on this kid is that he has an injury history. He had a hamstring injury in 2004 and a knee injury in 2005. This is an intriguing prospect that will be interesting to see what we do with him in the NFL.

[Levi Wolters]

To me, it doesn't make any sense to lose one or more draft picks to move up and get a guy you started the day more than 99$ sure you'd have no chance at anyway.

They stayed at 23, kept all their picks and got an impact guy at a need position. The reality is, the Chiefs aren't going to be much better than 6-10 --probably worse-- and will be in a position to get a 1st RD QBOTF next year without blowing their load to move up.

[catsfan20012002]

They're definitely in rebuilding mode, and have been for a few years, as I stated yesterday:

"We know that the draft will be used to rebuild the Chiefs but there's evidence that the rebuilding process has already begun and it's starting off well. DE Tamba Hali and SS Bernard Pollard came in the 2006 NFL Draft and OLB Derrick Johnson came in the 2005 NFL Draft".

[catsfan20012002]

With the 160th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.....The Kansas City Chiefs select Justin Medlock/K/UCLA!!!!!

Here we go with the infamous "Character Issues" flag because of a felony D.U.I. charge in 2005. He does have good leg strength, shows good range and can connect on field goal attempts outside 40 yards. He is accurate and doesn't miss many field goal attempts inside 40 yards but he did tend to miss big kicks in big games at big times. He gets excellent distance on kickoffs.

Just like yesterday's picks I'll say that this is one of those picks that may or may not work out. If he can keep his character issues in check we could have a pretty good kicker for years to come.

[catsfan20012002]

With the 196th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.....The Kansas City Chiefs select Herb Taylor/OT/tcu!!!!!

He's got great quickness, lateral movement and burst off the ball. He has good footwork. He loves to play football and will work from Day 1 when he gets to KC.

Much like some of our other picks he needs to get bigger. He's only 6'3" and 296 lbs. He does have great footwork (as I said earlier) but the strength in his legs, so that he can hold his blocks, needs to improve.

This kid is a steal as long as he gets bigger because of his love of the game and work ethic.

[catsfan20012002]

With the 231st pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.....The Kansas City Chiefs select Michael Allan/TE/WHITWORTH!!!!!

He's another one of those TE's that has a basketball background so that means that he can go get the ball at its highest point. He's great at using is body to shield defenders and is willing to go into traffic to make catches. Has great hands. Can be lined up at a lot of different places in the formation. He's great at picking up yards after contact but he could afford to get a little bigger (6'6" 255).

He's not very explosive and doesn't always run the best routes. He's not one to make defenders miss so he could be more of a possession type TE. He needs to work on his blocking because he doesn't get very low when he hits people.

He was First Team All-NWC in 2004 and 2005 and was a First Team Division III All-American in 2006. He needs to develop his size, hands and speed but has a ton of upside. This concludes the Chiefs portion of the 2007 NFL Draft. This draft won't "Wow" anybody but if we hit on the majority of these prospects this could be a very solid draft class.

[J Rake]

Carl Peterson is a leaf. He just goes in whatever direction the wind blows. He has tried winning with offense, and he has tried winning with defense. He has tried winning with veterans, and has tried winning with youth. He has been aggressive in free agency, and he has been passive. He has tried to move up in drafts, and he has tried to move down. He has traded away draft picks, and he has acquired extra ones.

There is nothing Carl Peterson hasn't tried. The result? Zero playoff wins in the last 14 years ... the third-longest streak in the NFL next to the Lions and Bengals. The Cardinals have won more recently. So have both expansion teams. The other four teams from the original AFC West -- the Broncos, Chargers, Raiders and Seahawks -- have all been to the Super Bowl since the last time KC won a playoff game in '93. I'm tired of it.

Post Chester McGlockton-era, Carl has mastered the salary cap. I'll give him credit for that. But he is a poor evaluator of talent, he has no vision, and it's time for somebody else to give it a try. I'm sick of making excuses for the guy. I've heard them all. He had me convinced that the '02 draft was a good one. None of those players are on the current roster. In fact, only two players from the '98 to '02 drafts -- Greg Wesley and Ryan Sims -- are still on the roster. That number might be down to zero after June 1.

This was a chance for the Chiefs to finally get a franchise QB, and like it or not, that's the only thing Carl has yet to try. Nothing else has worked, so maybe this would have. Had the situation not come up, and Quinn was drafted 3rd as most people expected ... we might not be having this discussion. But Quinn did fall, and Carl sat on his hands.

It makes me mad that he was able to re-establish himself with KC's fan base in '03. That was a flawed team. The Chiefs rode the easiest schedule in NFL history (and a bunch of lucky Dante Hall runbacks) ... to a 13-3 season. Outside of that, he hasn't done anything without Marty. Carl would be a great GM in Detroit. They'd be thrilled with 7-9, 9-7 and the occasional backdoor playoff berth. I'm not.

[Levi Wolters]

No, you're not thrilled.

But the majority of the fan base is. You rattled off the consecutive seasons without a playoff win. How about the consecutive seasons of a sold-out Arrowhead? That's the name of the game for Carl. As long as people keep coming, the franchise keeps making money. As long as the franchise keeps making money, Carl will have a job.

That's why he has never went after the QBOTF. A QBOTF will take time to develop, on average more than one season. And when a QB has to develop on the fly, the team, more often than not, struggles. When the team struggles, the fans quit coming. When the fans quit coming, the franchise quits making money. When the franchise quits making, the GM is the first to go. That's why he's played the free agent game so well. It's the easiest way to stay above average, keep the fans coming and, most importantly, keep his job.

Until the fans realize that this --an above average football team that will never have a horrible season but will never compete for a Super Bowl-- is what Carl is feeding them, and make a statement with their wallets, then it will continue to go on and on and on....

No use getting mad at Carl. He's doing his job. The ownership --yep, Clark, the ball's in your court now-- needs to decide if the Chiefs are going to be content with a full stadium and an average football team, or a team that's going to play for a Lamar Hunt Trophy and more.

[J Rake]

See, I'm not of the belief that he's simply in it "just to make money." I think he wants to win, it's just that he doesn't know how.

He has the whole Hunt family drinking the Carl Kool-Aid. He has more job security -- and has had it since the Montana/Allen years -- than any GM. Lamar would NEVER have fired him, under any circumstance. Clark won't either. He has had the freedom to take on a rebuilding project ... he's just been unwilling.

It's never been a matter of Carl trying to keep his job -- he's never worked into the final year of his contract. At least this one -- three years left -- is up in 2009. Then somebody else can take a crack at it.

EDIT: Matt Millen has more job security

[Levi Wolters]

You think he had the freedom?

I've always been of the belief that once the Chiefs tasted glory, in the form of consistent winning seasons and playoff appearances, they wouldn't ever deviate from their plan of maintaining consistency by filling holes via free agency to keep the momentum...but never anything too risky that might send the team spiraling for a year, two or three.

The reason is right across the parking lot. The Royals won. They won a lot in the 80s. But once they dipped, the crowd quit coming. Kansas City is a small market, and the sports fans are going to follow who is winning, because they can't afford to do both. The Royals won in the 80s, and the attendance showed it, while the Chiefs barely filled up the lower deck. Everything reversed in the 90s.

The Hunts knew the Chiefs couldn't risk losing the crowd again, so I don't think Carl was ever given the freedom to rebuild at the risk of losing the crowd and the money.

Let's assume Dayton Moore's plan works, and the Royals youth produces, and they start winning next year and contend for the division in 2009. The Chiefs, on the other hand, decide to go the youth route and take back-to-back 4-12 seasons on the chin while rebuilding. Where do you think the KC fans will be in 2010?

Can the Chiefs risk that? A lot of people believe Kansas City is a baseball town, and fans are itching to get back to The K.

[J Rake]

I'm not disagreeing with you. No Carl Peterson debate can ever have a winner/loser ... but let's keep Kansas City out of it. This is a two-sport town -- it's not Philly or Chicago -- and it can certainly support its pro teams.

Look around the league: the NFL is not what it was in the early 90's, or even in the late 90's, for that matter. Attendance is up across the board. Only one team filled its seats to less than 90 percent capacity last season (Buffalo) ... every other team, regardless of wins and losses, is right where it has been over the last decade.

There's so much parity in the league that teams will sell tickets whether they are a Super Bowl contender, or if they are "rebuilding for the future." Either way there's excitement. Every franchise has a chance to pull a New Orleans. There's always hope, even if it's false hope (KC).

[catsfan20012002]

Great job of drafting character guys Chiefs.....

“Tank” Tyler was arrested two years ago in Raleigh, N.C., for striking a police officer and also charged with being intoxicated and disruptive in a public place.

He eventually pleaded down to disorderly conduct.

Fifth-round kicker Justin Medlock recently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drunken driving in California. He received three years of probation and was ordered to pay a $1,220 fine.

[catsfan20012002]

Randy Covitz's Draft Grade:

B minus

1 (23)   Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
2 (54)   Turk McBride, DT, Tennessee
3 (82)   DeMarcus Tyler, DT, N.C. State
5 (148)   Kolby Smith, RB, Louisville
5 (160)   Justin Medlock, K, UCLA
6 (196)   Herbert Taylor, G, tcu
7 (231)   Michael Allan, TE, Whitworth

Give credit for not reaching for a defensive player with the 23rd pick and taking Bowe. Smith adds to the intrigue at running back. McBride, Tyler and Taylor fill holes, but failing to land a corner was big. Medlock gives Lawrence Tynes needed competition.

[coitus]

what became clear was that brady quinn was not a top 10, let alone top 5, pick on any nfl team draft boards.  every year there's one or two players that demonstrate how out of synch draft experts can be with nfl teams, and this year it was quinn. 

the reality is that nfl teams had quinn rated more or less on par with beck/kolb, with not enough of a difference between the two to warrant moving into the top 10 to secure him.  cleveland finally moved up 14 spots to pick him, but only after the asking price had plummeted.

the chiefs had an ok draft.  nothing spectacular, but i don't think herm has ever really shook the world with his draft selections.  it's undeniable that the chiefs have significantly upgraded the front 7 on defense, and it's also undeniable that there's still free agent work to be done to shore up the ol and depth at cb.