Morning Update (San Diego Steroid Edition)

by Chris on Apr 16, 2008 7:00 AM CDT in Article Updates

Here is the KC Star article PVChiefsfan mentioned in the diaries. Lots of snark there.
Hashmarks -- "And the odds are increasing that McFadden will be too much for Davis to pass up."
If the Chiefs need a corner back, why not Lito Sheppard?
From East Coast Sports News -- "Brandon Albert - The Virginia guard is projected to play left tackle and will be picked with one of the top 10 picks of the draft...the Chiefs at #5, the Patriots at #7, the Ravens at #8, and the Bengals at #9 will be his likely landing spot...Albert is being viewed as a better prospect than Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady."
Albert may be a better pro prospect than Clady but why is this conclusion being reached now and not months ago?
Arrowhead Addict has a couple of different views on the Kansas City Chiefs schedule.
Check out the strength of schedule in 2008. The easiest schedule? The Patriots, of course.
How is Seattle at Arizona in Week 17 a "can't miss" game? Oakland at Kansas City in Week 1 is at least as good as that.
This guy is apparently quite angry about the high number of mock drafts that are published on the Internet. He thinks they're useless because hardly anyone (if anyone) will predict the first round correctly. I think they're useful because it informs you about players you might have otherwise never heard of and because if you're not hung on up on getting each pick right, you're going to learn a lot. Especially with the format we've been using here. I mean of all of the things to be angry about...mock drafts?
Bending the rules to draft Brandon Albert?
WPI also has thoughts on the '08 schedule.
Go figure. Another San Diego Charger linebacker suspended for steroid use.

After looking over the Kansas City Chiefs' schedule , we've gotten a relatively easy draw. As easy at it looks though, with the talent of this team at the level that it is, are you really confident that there are a few "can't lose" games? I'm not. In fact, I don't think this team is currently capable of assuredly beating any NFL team.

Virginia guard Brandon Albert is officially the hot ticket in the draft over the last two weeks. He's gone from a mid to late first round projection to discussions about the Chiefs seriously considering him at the #5 spot. This is the time to get hot, that's for sure.

Make sure you check out that San Diego Tribune article about the writer angry at mock drafts. It's oddly entertaining.

I'll be back in a bit with the Atlanta Falcons mock draft pick.

0 recs | Comment 12 comments

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Lito Sheppard

If they can get him for a 2nd day draft pick I'd say do it...but I wouldn't go higher than a 2009 fifth rounder for him. Maybe a fourth. He's 27 (which is getting old for the speed positions) and he's injury-prone. And, as Edwards pointed out, there are Cover-2 cornerbacks available in the draft. And I'd wait until after we see how this draft shakes out.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Apr 16, 2008 8:24 AM CDT 0 recs

I really think

we should pass on this and use the draft for a CB or two. As good as he "once" was, I don't think he is going to ever be the player he once was before the injury bug. "Law" My two cents is to draft. But I do agree with UCrawford as how to get him if it came to that.

by Lanier63 on Apr 16, 2008 8:36 AM CDT 0 recs

Brandon Albert

And I know that Albert seems to be an increasingly popular choice with Chiefs fans, but I honestly think he's got all the makings of a horrible draft pick. He's only started two games at tackle in college so his attractiveness at that position seems largely a factor of nobody having seen enough to pick apart his flaws. Most of the time he played guard, which is rarely a position you want to draft that highly. And drafting him because he's got a "NFL body" for the tackle position seems like a sure recipe for trouble...we don't have much of an idea of how good or how consistent his technique is at tackle (because we haven't seen enough of him to know). If we don't have an available offensive tackle we can draft at this position I'd much rather they went to work on the defensive line (where we've got plenty of issues at DT and could possibly use a top DE if negotiations with Jared Allen go south). If Jake Long is selected in the first four picks, a top defensive line talent is going to be available.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Apr 16, 2008 8:36 AM CDT 0 recs

Schedule (pronounced in the British style)

Two annoying things about the schedule.

An away game for Thanksgiving! Why else would I travel to KC in November?
The Patriots strength of schedule! It isn't just the weakest by a little bit, it seems to be weak by a long way looking at the numbers. How is this schedule thing worked out? I thought it was meant to be balanced so that weaker teams had an even chance not the other way round?

Blame my wife!

by sir eccles on Apr 16, 2008 8:56 AM CDT 0 recs

RE

Only a couple of games are scheduled because of your previous year record. It really doesn't matter that much anymore.

It does help the Patriots to play the Bills, Dolphins and Jets twice.

by Chris on Apr 16, 2008 9:02 AM CDT up 0 recs

Doh

Forgot the Pats have a weak ass bunch of divisional opponents.

Blame my wife!

by sir eccles on Apr 16, 2008 10:00 AM CDT up 0 recs

Albert

The only reason he is only recently coming up the charts is because only recently have people been looking at him seriously as a Tackle prospect.

As you all know, a players position in a mock draft is determined by where the person running the mock perceives teams have a need, and then puts the most highly ranked player he has listed at that position in that slot. So since someone has Clady listed as the 2nd best Tackle in the draft and the Chiefs need one, they have Clady going to us at #5. But if the Chiefs take someone else, Clady falls all the way down to #13 with the Panthers. So how highly a player is ranked in a mock draft is completely relative to where the mock author perceives there is a need for that players position.

Brandon Albert has been viewed as the best Guard in the draft for months. No team was viewed as a need for a Guard (and being late enough in the draft to justify a Guards salary) until the Steelers with the #23 pick. That's why Albert has been in the 20s all along.

But the longer we look at the players available to us at different stages, our outlook changes. Clady and Otah are very unappealing choices at #5 overall. Neither of them have what it takes to A) Make an immediate impact or B) have the physical AND MENTAL make up to some day develop into an elite Left Tackle.

Albert has been spoken of as a Tackle prospect from day 1, but looked more at as someone you maybe draft as a Guard and then tinker around with to see if he can play Tackle.

But if you compare Albert to Clady & Otah, even though he did not play the position much in college, the football skills are there. The intelligence, the athletic ability, the work ethic are what you look for in an elite Left Tackle that cannot be taught to someone that doesn't have them.

So yes, Albert has not played alot of Left Tackle in college (though he did play it in High School) and there is risk associated with his selection that he might fail at that position. But can't the same be said of players that ARE viewed as solid Left Tackle prospects (Robert Gallary)?

Alberts physical and mental make up (forget about position) are light years ahead of Clady and Otah. He has taken the position he was given and made the most of it. If he can do the same at Left Tackle, we could end up with another Willie Roaf. And if he fails, at worst we get another Will Shields.

by DJ on Apr 16, 2008 9:25 AM CDT 0 recs

Careful

He is a great college guard, but there is NO way we can predict him to be the next Will Shields. Regardless of how great Alberts may end up being, I think we may go DT. Let's get the #1 defense in the league back in Red & Gold so we can scare the shit out of the Faders and Donkeys

by PVChiefsfan on Apr 16, 2008 9:41 AM CDT up 0 recs

DT

I'm almost certain the Chiefs are taking Dorsey or Ellis. Ellis is an obvious target, but he is the only guy you don't really hear the Chiefs making a big deal about.

I think they want Dorsey and if he fell to them they would take him. After Dorsey, they would be willing to trade down with just about anyone offering a decent deal and at that point they would take Albert (probably even if they only moved down to #7 with the Pats).

However, if they find themselves stuck at #5 without the chance to trade down and Dorseys gone, I think they take Ellis.

by DJ on Apr 16, 2008 9:47 AM CDT up 0 recs