Tough, tough loss yesterday.
I take every game with denver personally. I simply cannot deal with losing to those people. I don't care how bad we are, how good they are, or vice versa, I want to kick their ass and take names every time we line up against them.
You want to know why I love Gunther Cunningham so much? Part of the reason why I hated Dick Vermeil as head coach? Its simple. Gun went 4-0 against denver. Vermeil went 4-6, the most crippling defeat being the 2002 contest that cost us the postseason.
(Although I have always loved Vermeil's "I'm putting my perfect record up there on the line, 0-4" comment. That one has always cracked me up).
The Chiefs biggest problem right now, as I see it, is that we have noone to rush the passer. Our pass rush is a joke. Its god awful.
Jason Whitlock hit on this in his postgame column this morning, the need to draft a pass rusher.
And I couldn't help but think, why do we need to draft a pass rusher?
Isn't this something important enough to enter the free agent market and get the best available developed talent?
I don't like to compare sports ... but if you're going to look at rebuilding done right, you don't look any further than the 1990 Atlanta Braves. Bringing up Glavine, Smoltz, and Avery at the same time. Developing Ron Gant, David Justice, Mark Lemke, Jeff "Unbutton Her" Blauser. Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz did an awesome, awe-inspiring job in rebuilding that franchise.
But they still needed a third baseman.
So in the 1990 offseason, they didn't sit back and wait for the farm system to deliver (which it eventually would with Chipper Jones). They hit the free agent market and signed the best option available, Terry Pendleton.
The Braves, of course, went on to make the playoffs 14 consecutive years after that signing. Obviously continued scouting, development, and solid free agent signings (Greg Maddux) were a big reason why.
But that one signing, of Terry Pendleton, got them over the hump.
Which again, begs the question. Why are we counting on the draft to solve our pass rush problem?
I'm on record for wanting Tim Tebow in this draft. If we're going to stick with the spread offense (and we should), he's the perfect person to run it. I also think we need to find a scat back / Warrick Dunn type running back as well. But pass rusher, let's leave that to the professionals. Let's find one that's already proven himself.
Find it in free agency.
Prospective free agents, 2009 offseason:
(source: www.footballsfuture.com)
DL unrestricted: Julius Peppers, Panthers. Albert Haynesworth, Titans. Terrell Suggs, Ravens. Bertrand Berry, Cardinals. Tank Johnson, Cowboys. Shaun Cody, Lions. John Thornton, Bengals.
LB unrestricted: Ray Lewis, Ravens. Eric Barton, Jets. Karlos Dansby, Cardinals. Mike Peterson, Jaguars. Bart Scott, Ravens. Jonathan Vilma, Jets. Channing Crowder, Dolphins. James Farrior, Steelers. Carlos Polk, Chargers.
I'd target Berry and Bart Scott. The Cards won't match any decent offer because, well, they're a cheap franchise. And the Ravens will be doing everything they can to keep Lewis and Suggs, so Scott should be able to be signed away.
Sign those two, plug them into a defense with a very solid secondary already in place, and let's see what happens. At the very least, the pressure on DJ and Tamba Hali should be lessened and they should improve. (Assuming Tamba lays off the good stuff in the pregame ... allegedly ... giggity ...)
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