for an against each of these priorities. We’ve already got a vote for the offensive line. I’d like to know why that is a higher priority than pass rush.

Pretty easy for me…we’re about to set an NFL record for our futility. Please address it in the first round. More and more teams pass and the successful ones (NE, PIT) are using a form of the spread offense at times which means we gotta get to the QB quick.

I understand the offensive line argument. We need help badly. But just from a logistical standpoint, why reach on a guy in the 1st round when the same or similar talent can be had 20 picks later?

If we can’t get a pass rush, we lose! Thing is, who on the line do we replace?

Coaching has alot to do with why our studs are duds.LOL
Put Dorsey on another team and he has 2-3 sacks.

There are just too many holes.

The defensive and offensive lines should be of equal priority, high picks with either should be a priority. My own preference would be that the Chiefs go o-line if an elite tackle is available, since it’ll be tough to win next year without a pass-rusher but tough to win for many years if our QBs keep getting hurt behind our Swiss cheese o-line (because it usually takes 2 full seasons to develop a quarterback whereas pass rushers often come on strong in their second season).

A defensive team leader.

The Chiefs will not be a .500 or better team next year, without signing a defensive starter who produces, in free agency.

we don’t lose our first two games next season. Herm’s teams get off to a slow start and then have to catch up.

but honestly, I wouldn’t be upset if we broke all the “rules” and drafted a RT in Round 1, going after a DE in Round 2.

Adress at least one in free agency and draft one high. Defensive end and Linebacker are huge needs that can improve this defense dramatically. We need AT LEAST TWO. I think one objective that I would have included in this group is “do not ignore free agency”.

But it’s good to see a consensus about our #1 priority next season.

The Draft will probably dictate our picks more this year than last even. Rey Maualuga (ILB USC) would be our personal favorite as a long-term impact player to toughen up the soft gooey center of our defense. Also, seems to be a character type guy and between Donnie (assuming he’s still around), Tony, Page and Herm there’s some good Cal-NFL influence to help him develop.

That said, if Orakpo’s still there we pretty much have to take him. Chris Long is having a solid year on a god awful Rams team, so hopefully Orakpo + Dorsey would do some damage, hopefully.

Then we say O-line, O-line, O-line, people forget this is why we are where we are right now. This is why the Damon Huard experience delayed the all too literal ‘busting’ of Brodie Croyle. If you can’t trust your o-line Brett Favre can’t save you.

People are all jazzed about Joe Flacco & Matt Ryan but the concept that either has single-handedly ressurected their respective teams is a media fiction. Michael Turner, Roddy White, Ray Lewis, Reed, and Derrick Mason all deserve a lot of the credit.

Matt Leinart is still riding the bench and Brady Quinn is out for the season after what we’d call a pretty middle of the road performance.

The 3rd & 4th rounds will be huge for the Chiefs this year as far as filling up a roster with players who can compete for jobs against what we currently have at o-line and the linebacking corp.

It’s been mentioned en passant in other posts, but I want to emphasize it. You can’t blitz without good LBs, and I don’t think a pass-rusher will be enough. I’d rather get top-flight help there, and hope to get lucky at DE later, than reach. BPA-wise, though,, I’ll take a DE if the golden opportunity drops in our lap.

Bottom line, however, is to get a player that allows the D to get sacks, and disrupt their O – getting too focused on picking the nexst Jared Allen will screw us for good and all next season. Personally, I don’t care where in the front 7 we draft/FA, s’long as it puts a helmet on the QB on a regular basis. The advantage of getting LB help is that it will help us on our run D – hasn’t anyone noticed that the running game is where we’re getting torched? A young JA-type won’t help much there, unless he’s /also/ a run-stuffer. JA wasn’t, at least, not at first.

Worst idea up there is a 1st-round pick at QB, unless the guy has “Super Bowl winner of the Future” tattooed on his forehead. None of them win SBs the first year, so with a new QB we’d be taking a step back next year. 2nd round at most -develop Bones & the new guy, let them compete, learn and challenge each other – maybe 3rd, depending on BPA & all that.

As for the ArrowSpread Offense, I surely hope that Chan and Tyler spend some time hunkered down in the off-season, and build a playbook that he can run that /evolves/ from what he’s been doing this season. Hopefully one that makes best use of the talent we already have, but with enough flexibility to make room for any new talent we can pick up. Especially if it gives Bones a level of autonomy that he can excel with – a bit like Peyton Manning, perhaps, with a higher tempo, less huddling, more reaing the D, that kind of thing.

Finally, the real obvious need is O-line help. A deep-threat WR won’t be helpful if the O-line can’t keep Thiggy off his back for more than 3 seconds, so anyone who believes that we need WR help more than O-line help is delusional.

I personally hope we don’t forget the offensive line early in the draft. This has been an issue for 3 seasons and it is really holding the offense back from being really good. It is still hard for me to stomach that we need so much defensive help when we have been spending a ton of our 1st day picks on But it is impossible to argue against needing a quality Defensive End. Are there any options at DE in Free Agency that would be a little less expensive than Peppers or Suggs? (Suggs has been playing in that 3-4 for a long time, could he adjust to our D anyway?).