9/5 sk: I know I missed the TE position. In my defense ... hell I don't have one. So ... Tony Gonzalez: his production depends on our ability to find a 2nd WR. If he's the 2nd option behind Bowe in the passing game, his numbers will be down again. If Darling or Franklin can step up and be credible, he'll be back to 85 catches, 900 yds, 8 TDs. Brad Cottam, I like a lot. Solid 3rd round draft choice. Sorry about that. Hopefully it doesn't happen again.
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My position by position look at our 2008 Kansas City ... Chiefs!
(listed in order of depth chart order according to kcchiefs.com/depth_chart/)
QB: Brodie Croyle; Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard. Whatever you think of Brodie, he has to start. We have to know by the end of this year if he is our quarterback of the future, or if we're still in the market for one. I hope Chiefs fans give him a chance. What I don't understand is why Huard is 3, and Thigpen is 2, on the depth chart. If (or when) Croyle goes down, why would you have your proven veteran QB as the emergency QB instead of the backup? Seems like a mistake to me.
RB: Larry Johnson; Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles, Jackie Battle, Dantrell Savage. If LJ is healthy, and it appears he is, I expect a return to a top ten back status. Both versions of team tito are basing their postseason hopes on LJ's return to the top 10. Especially version uno. Smith and Charles provide solid backup options. Smith isn't really quick, but he hits the hole well and certainly kept our running game afloat in LJ's absense last fall. Charles is one of many rookies and 2nd year guys who should see significant playing time. He's got speed, and will be a valuable 3rd down back with his receiving abilities, I think. Battle and Savage are special teamers, but both could see some playing time in blowouts.
FB: Mike Cox. Our first real fullback since Tony Richardson was reaching the Pro Bowl every year. Cox played for Chan Gailey at Georgia Tech, has a solid knowledge of the offense. Hope this one works out, but I think we'll be seeing a lot of one back / three wideout sets this fall.
WR: Dwayne Bowe, Devard Darling; Will Franklin, Jeff Webb, Maurice Price. Bowe had a tremendous rookie season, making an immediate impact. Something that stands out as even more impressive when you realize how awful our offense was in the 2nd half of the season. Darling is a free agent refugee from the Ravens ... and hasn't done anything to really stand out so far. I liked the pick of Franklin last April, and I think he'll be a solid 3rd receiver to begin the season. I also expect that if he's healthy, he'll force us to use a lot of 3 wideout sets just to get him on the field, or he'll replace Darling in the lineup. Jeff Webb you'll see in the 4 wide, and Price is a special teamer.
OL: Brandon Albert (LT), Brian Waters (LG), Rudy Nizwanger (C), Adrian Jones (RG), Damion McIntosh (RT); Wade Smith (guard, center), Herb Taylor (tackle), Barry Richardson (tackle), Brian de la Puente (guard). On paper, this unit has issues. I expect some struggles early on, as you have three guys all starting for the first time in this league.
Albert has yet to play a down in the preseason or his career, yet is slated to start at LT Sunday. Yeah, that's a positive. Waters I have no concerns about, he's been one of the best in the league this decade. Nizwanger has looked good so far at center. Adrian Jones beat out a solid player in Wade Smith, so that's good to see. McIntosh, I don't get it. He's beat up, he's routinely been beat by the rush, I would think by week 6 or 7 that either Herb Taylor or Barry Richardson would be starting.
Taylor started all preseason at LT and looked decent. I'd argue he should be starting at RT on Sunday over McIntosh. Wade Smith is exactly what you want in a veteran backup: he can play multiple positions, he almost never gets beat, and you can count on him to step into the starting lineup if injury dictates, and not be concerned about a drop in performance. Richardson was a 6th round pick this spring, but the Chiefs are very high on him, as am I. I know nothing about de la Puente, but I'm guessing if he sees significant playing time on the line this fall, we've got serious, serious issues.
DL: Turk McBride (LE), Tank Tyler (LT), Glenn Dorsey (RT), Tamba Hali (RE); Alfonso Boone, Ron Edwards, TJ Jackson, Brian Johnson. Here's where the youth movement will first be felt. All four starters are draft picks from the Herm era. McBride and Tyler struggled last year, but have looked acceptable in the preseason so far. Dorsey is the number one pick from this April, and a player many felt was the best player in the draft. He has to deliver, pretty much from day one, for the Chiefs to be competitive. Because Hali is decent, but he's not Jared Allen. But, if Dorsey can draw the double team because of being a force in the middle, Hali does have the capability to beat a tackle one-on-one and generate the pressure. Boone and Edwards are both solid veteran backups who'll rotate in for 20-25 plays a game. They won't screw up, and they can start if need be. I'd be lying if I said I knew anything about Jackson or Johnson.
LB: Donnie Edwards (L), Pat Thomas (M), Derrick Johnson (R); Demorrio Williams, Napoleon Harris, Erik Walden. This is definitely not a position of strength for the 2008 Chiefs. Edwards is pretty much at the end of his career. If there was any other options, I would guess they'd be starting. The fact that there aren't speaks volumes about the (lack of) depth we have at this position. Pat Thomas won the job in the middle with a solid camp and preseason. Here's hoping he continues to elevate his level of play. DJ is what he is: a servicable outside linebacker who isn't spectacular, but isn't a liability. He really needs to take a gigantic step forward this fall for the Chiefs to be competitive. Williams is the only backup likely to see significant playing time at this point. Harris may not make it to Sunday, if other options become available in the cuts other teams are making. Walden was signed yesterday, and I'll be honest, I know nothing about him.
CB: Patrick Surtain (L), Brandon Flowers (R); Brandon Carr, Dimitri Patterson, Maurice Leggett. Surtain has been solid in his three seasons in the Red and Gold, but you have to think this is his final season here. Brandon Flowers was a 2nd round draft pick this April, and has been very solid so far. Brandon Carr had a great preseason and will see significant playing time this fall, possibly pushing Surtain to the bench at some point. Patterson and Leggett will contribute to special teams.
S: Bernard Pollard (S), Jarrad Page (F); DaJuan Morgan, Jon McGraw. Another area where every significant contributor is a Herm / Bill Kuharick pick. Bernard Pollard had a good 2007 season, and is one of the best in the league at rushing the punter. Page also has made a name for himself, and hopefully he can step into the starting lineup and continue his growth. Morgan and McGraw both had solid preseasons, and will push for playing time if Pollard or Page struggle.
K: Nick Novak. I've said it before, and I will say it again: if you are going to play Herm Edwards' style of play, you have to have a stud kicker. Automatic on anything inside of 40. 90% inside of 45. We haven't had this yet. Tynes was up and down. Medlock was all down. Rayner was up and down. Carney was solid inside of 40 ... but had no range outside of 40. Novak has range, and in preseason he was accurate. Now it has to show up in the regular season, something that hasn't happened so far in his career.
P: Dustin Colquitt. One of the three or four best punters in the league. There's no reason to believe this won't continue. Especially since he's likely to get a lot of practice this fall.
Snapper: Jean-Philippe Darche. Had a solid 2007. No reason to believe he won't continue to be solid in 2008.
Returner: BJ Sams / Dantrell Savage. I'd like to think that there is no way he can be worse than "Cut" Ed Drummond was last year. You'd like to think "Cut" Ed Drummond was rock bottom. But I saw little to nothing in preseason to feel confident about our return game. Mental mistakes galore. Fumbles. Poor cuts and decision making finding the seam. This area has to improve dramatically, in a hurry.
Overall: I am "senselessly optimistic". I really like the makeup of this defense, and the fact that its so young. It will grow together, and ideally be held together, over the next 4-5 years. The defense honestly reminds me of 1997, when we pushed Donnie Edwards, Reggie Tongue, and Jerome Woods into the lineup and let them sink or swim. Same philosophy with this defense, play the kids and see what they can do.
On offense, yeah, there's going to be some struggles. You'd expect that with a young QB starting his first full season under center, and a patchwork OL in front of him. Croyle's going to make mistakes, he's going to look awful at times. But the running game looks good so far. And if we can run the ball, it takes a ton of pressure off of Brodie.
Only 5 days until Kickoff 2008! Woo! Too bad that usually means the end of my favorite season as well ...
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