Overheard at the NFL Combine

by Chris Thorman on Feb 19, 2009 3:48 PM CST in 2009 Draft Comment 21 comments

Obviously, I'm not at the NFL Combine this week in Indianapolis. But courtesy of NFL Draft Scout, we're able to get a hold of some media transcripts, dig through them and pull out the parts related to the Kansas City Chiefs.

This list is neither comprehensive nor particularly telling of what the Chiefs are going to do in the draft. It's not uncommon for the players at the combine to talk with upwards of 20 NFL teams.

Here you go.

Ohio St. OT Alex Boone

Have you talked to Kansas City?

Yes. Very nice guys. I enjoyed talking to them. They just talked about tackle. It was kind of a get to know you, going over plays and schemes.

Virginia OT Eugene Monroe

On former teammate Branden Albert:

We talk on the phone every week. I ask him how he's doing, not just in football, but we have a good relationship.

How did Branden handle going 2-14?

In speaking with him I could tell he wasn't satisfied with the way things were going, but he's just going to keep working to improve things. I'm very proud of him. I've seen the work that he put in - even coming out of high school, nobody knew who he was, so to be drafted in the first round.

I felt that watching his game and working with him for three years together, he showed me how to get to a similar level.

Baylor LT Jason Smith

Talked to Kansas City?

No, I haven't. I talked to the Cincinnati Bengals last night. I didn't talk to Kansas City, I didn't talked to Detroit. I guess they don't want me. (laughing)

More on the team interviews Weds. night:

We had kind of an open deal last night where all the teams, if they wanted to talk to you they could. Detroit didn't talk to me, the Rams didn't talk to me. Neither did the Chiefs. So I guess they didn't want to talk to me.

Ole Miss OT Michael Oher also spoke with the Chiefs last night, as did Tennessee State offensive tackle Cornelius Lewis and Georgia Tech offensive tackle Andrew Gardner.

***

I'm sure there are more interviews to be reported (or not reported) but here's at least an initial taste of who we're talking to (or not talking to) at the NFL Combine this week. Don't get thrown off by the high number of o-linemen the Chiefs spoke with. Special teams players, kickers, offensive linemen and tight ends were the first to arrive yesterday.

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I go back and forth

between Stafford, Curry, and Monroe as to who I want drafted @ #3. But I think I’ve made up my mind this week in that I want Monroe. Scouts are projecting him as the best tackle out of the class and his relationship w/ Albert only makes things sweeter

I don’t know why they bothered talking with Oher. He may be dropping, but not as far as Round 2

by KansasCityShuffle on Feb 19, 2009 4:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

It makes NO sense to draft a T #3

None whatsoever. We have our LT. Its not worth having that much money tied up in bookend tackles (especially given the state of our D). You don’t draft a RT in the top 10 (unless you have a left handed QB). You don’t draft a G in the top 10.

by Sudden on Feb 19, 2009 4:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

They are probably going to talk to all sorts of players that are projected to go later

If Stafford doesn’t fall to them they will no doubt be working hard on a trade down (maybe even a trade up from the 2nd round).

The thing thats pretty clear though is that they are going to be drafting a Tackle at some point.

by ChiefDJ on Feb 19, 2009 4:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This has been so well covered here's its getting old

If we drafted an OT at #3 ostensibly he wouldn’t be playing RT. The fact Albert is so good he can play LT doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be looking to upgrade the ENTIRE line. Albert’s draft spot and contract are in line with a RT so we wouldn’t be tying up as much money as one would think in bookend tackles. Monroe by a lot of accounts is better than Albert too so in some regards it does make sense to draft a T #3

by KansasCityShuffle on Feb 19, 2009 5:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

a T @ #3 makes more sense...

than a QB you ain’t pretty confident will start in his 1st 2 years, and perform at a high level in the same slot (or however you want to define a non-bust).

If you have to spend #3 money, better to get /some/ value in return for the money. That being said, there may be better /values/ at #3, and if so, we should grab one. I’m getting to a place in my head where I believe that BPA is misleading, and that BVA (best value avaiable) should control the decision.

Still, I’ll defer to the professionals, since I know the limits on my ability to evaluate rookie talent, esp. at QB. I’m just saying that #3 money for a QB (using that because that’s probably the iffy-est position to evaluate) who busts out is a bigger waste than getting a RT who excels, for “too much money for the position”. In the latter, you’re wasting /some/ of the money, but for the former, you are wasting /all/ of it.

All things considered, I think the Chiefs would be better-served to trade down, even if they gave up a litte (not a lot!) value to do so. If the buzz is anything to go by, none of KC’s possibilities are unquestionally a great value at @ #3, and perhaps not even a good value.

Well, we’ll see.

If the O-line isn't built up, a rookie QB is gonna look bad next season. If the O-line is a lot better, Thigpen will win more next season.
QBs drafted in the top 5, back to 2001:
Michael Vick, David Carr, Joey Harrington, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Alex Smith, Vince Young, JaMarcus Russell, Matt Ryan. How many were worth that high a pick? You decide.

by Bleedingredandgold on Feb 19, 2009 5:44 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

+1

none of KC’s possibilities are unquestionally a great value at @ #3

that’s always the case – there are always questions. It could be argued that either Curry or Crabtree are as good as it gets at #3, but I’m not totally convinced of that. Good points.

current Chiefs roster + 1 premiere LB FA + Crabtree + defensive draft = CONTENDAHS

"at least we don't need a punter"

by nayjevin on Feb 20, 2009 12:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You've got it all wrong...

Monroe would play LT and Albert would play LG, which would mean we drafted our LT at 3rd overall pick this year and Albert, our LG, was taken 17th overall last year.

So, no one is drafting Monroe to play Guard or Right Tackle, as you put it.

The fact of the matter is, this pick would make a great deal of sense. How often do you get to draft a LT and a LG in back-to-back seasons, who are both 1st round talents and who both started side-by-side for three years together in college?

This would give the Chiefs the BEST “left side” in football for the next DECADE. And, when your talking about creating a pass heavy offense under a new coach, with a young QB and young WRs, it makes PERFECT sense.

by BigRedOne on Feb 19, 2009 11:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I tend to think #3 is too high for Monroe

but you make a good argument

current Chiefs roster + 1 premiere LB FA + Crabtree + defensive draft = CONTENDAHS

"at least we don't need a punter"

by nayjevin on Feb 20, 2009 12:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If Albert became the RT

we wouldn’t have drafted a RT in the top 10 – we grabbed him at 15

by PVChiefsfan on Feb 20, 2009 7:33 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Boone is going to be a problem child

I hope Oakland drafts him

by KansasCityShuffle on Feb 19, 2009 4:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Just b/c we didn't talk to Jason Smith

doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t want him…

Could this just be teams trying to throw other teams off of his scent and not revealing how they feel about the guy?

The Chiefs don’t talk to him b/c they might think the Rams want him and the Rams don’t talk to him b/c they don’t want the Lions taking him and making him this years Jake Long.

Just like last year I think the Rams, Falcons, and Chiefs were all salivating at the fact that the Dolphins might pass on the best OT (Jake Long) in the draft and the same thing could be going on this year. Supposedly Jason Smith has the best feet and is very athletic as he is a converted TE. He is the #1 OT on many peoples lists.

by JZChiefsfan on Feb 19, 2009 4:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Man

has he sure shot up the draft boards

by KansasCityShuffle on Feb 19, 2009 5:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Michael Ohrer is a great story

Read the book called Blindside by the same guy that wrote Moneyball. I think the author is Michael Lewis. The book is about the evolution of the Left Tackle in the NFL and how the rush OLB (Lawrence Taylor) changed the whole game. The other part of the book is about Michael Ohrer and his long journey to Ole’ Miss. Best book I’ve read in a while.

To be the man you got to beat the man!!!!

by Major Tom on Feb 19, 2009 7:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Major Tom is right about The Blind Side.

Michael Lewis is a great writer. They are making Moneyball into a feature film, not sure how that will work at all. The Blind Side is the best football book I’ve read since Friday Night Lights. By the way, the tv series version of FNL is totally kick ass. I recommend it highly.

by Rev. Slappy on Feb 19, 2009 11:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The Blind Side is also being made into a movie

Sandra Bullock is the mother of the family he joins. Search “Sandra Bullock” and it’ll show up in the comments.

by Joel Thorman on Feb 22, 2009 3:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Has anybody else noticed Eugene's guns???

He looks like he is smuggling rocks inside his arms…thats some crazy definition for such a large man. I think his right bicep could start at guard for the Chiefs next week…

I guess growing up with a name like Eugene you better have some cannons like that….

"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week."

by bigbe on Feb 19, 2009 11:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Holy crap

that was the funniest post I’ve read all week – you made my Friday, man!

“smuggling rocks inside his arms”…hilarious

by PVChiefsfan on Feb 20, 2009 7:35 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

All comedy aside...

He is a serious specimen…add his relationship to Albert and i think we may have a quality pick even if we move Branden to the RT spot, god knows he is a good enough athlete to play anywhere on the OL. (probably the same from Eugene). I’ve always thought that chemistry is the most important thing with OL. I had dinner with Tim Grunhard earlier this year, who is a great guy, and we reminisced about the great OL the Chiefs used to have. Him, Shields, Szott, Alt, Parker, i’m sure i’m forgetting a few…i can’t remember who all played together but one thing Tim talked about was how the OL was always “tight”. They stuck together off the field and on. Now i’m not so sure that Branden and Eugene’s personal relationship would really factor into Pioli’s analysis but I think that it would be a great pick if we could move down a bit (and our MLB/DE’s are already taken). Those two guys “growing up” in the NFL together with Brian Waters as a surrogate father (and herb taylor as their little brother) would be a huge step in the right direction for our OL.

"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week."

by bigbe on Feb 20, 2009 10:15 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs