A Brand New Name to Consider for the Chiefs #5 Choice
by Matt Conner on Mar 1, 2010 2:00 PM CST
in 2010 Kansas City Chiefs Draft
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PrintI've already stated my case for the position I believe the Chiefs should draft. You can read the full analysis here, but simply put, I contend that for any team dedicated to running a 3-4 defense, the Nose Tackle position is the second most important position on that football team -- besides the quarterback. Since the Chiefs have committed themselves to Matt Cassel for this next season and possibly beyond, the priority them jumps down to the second most important position.
I can hear your arguments starting already, so just hear me out. I realize that when you only win 25% of your games, you should just pick the best player available. And generally speaking, that's also a rule that works no matter how successful your franchise is. But there has to be a balance -- both between the best player available and what is best suited to your team. So even though it seems I might be reaching for a defensive tackle, I actually believe it will hold up come draft day. Allow me to convince you.
In his Combine press conference, Todd Haley seemed quite committed to Branden Albert on the left side of the line. It takes some reading in between the lines, but the second half success of the running game certainly helps. And it makes the most sense to give Albert a chance to stay focused and in shape in an entire off-season before you boot your experienced promising high draft pick to the right side. Right?
If that's the case, then the Chiefs need for offensive line help needs to come in the interior, not at the tackle spot. Or at the very least, you draft a right tackle. And that, my friends, is not something you take in the Top 5 in a draft of any year.
Read the rest after the jump:
Some people call for a wide receiver since Dez Bryant seems to be this year's diva du jour. But he wilts in front of an NCAA investigation enough to lie under pressure (leading to his famous season-long suspension). He also wilts in front of a throng of reporters (having witnessed the timid, awkward, uncomfortable response myself first-hand at the Combine). If this is the case, imagine how he handles Todd Haley's pressured coaching and practice methods. I'm sure he'll be a great receiver, but I can't imagine the Chiefs investing.
On another note, Haley spoke confidently of Bowe's ability to return well and the Chiefs should end up resigning Chris Chambers. A full season with Chambers, perhaps another free agent addition or lower round draft choice, and the Chiefs are much better off than they were a year ago. At the very least, I don't believe it to be the most glaring need on the team.
The same thing goes for a linebacker like Rolando McClain. The middle linebacker spot is to the defense what the running back is to an offense. A great player certainly can take you some amazing places, but they're also the most replaceable spot on the field. Rookies can succeed in both spots and smart, savvy veterans can also handle the role. There's a reason why you don't draft either position very high.
So while you could make a case for Joe Haden, or a pass rusher like Jason Pierre-Paul, I think it comes down to Defensive Tackle. And this, in turn, brings me to Brian Price, DT, UCLA.
Who?
Yes, I realize I'm probably the only guy putting Price in the Top 5 players in the draft. I'm the only guy linking him to the Chiefs. And so I realize that either makes me genius or stupid (read: most likely "stupid). But know, first off, that if somehow Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy are available at No. 5 OR if the Chiefs can trade up (gasp!) to get one of these guys, I absolutely believe that is the best move they could possibly make in this draft.
But the simple truth is that they won't be available. Or at least they shouldn't be. That's because if you can get a franchise tackle in today's NFL, you pay, you fight, you scramble, you search, you claw your way to get that guy and keep him. The Titans paid dearly after losing Albert Haynesworth, and the Redskins paid dearly to acquire him. (Of course, the results of the 'Skins season undermines my argument, but go with me here since I think Washington is just a screwed up franchise). Aubrayo Franklin? The Niners aren't stupid enough to let him go. Casey Hampton? Pittsburgh knows what they're doing, too.
Perhaps Scott Pioli can convince his old pal Billy Boy to trade the beloved Vince Wilfork. But here's betting that doesn't happen, no matter what prospects they grabbed in last year's draft (read: Ron Brace). And that leaves the Chiefs with the same old Ron Edwards manning the middle. I actually like Edwards a bit and he's definitely someone to keep around. But he's not the force that KC needs to really bring the defensive line, and thus the entire defense, together.
If UCLA's Brian Price played in the SEC, you'd all be cheering me by now. Actually, you'd just nod your head and say, "What's new?" But instead, the reigning Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year is practically unknown outside of his own time zone. Sure, some are slating him as a late first round draft choice, but the guy's an absolute disruptive force on the level of Gerald McCoy in my opinion. l
Need some stats to appreciate? From an interior line position, the 6'2" beast accumulated 22.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, including 7 quarterback sacks. In his three year career (the 21-year-old came out as a junior), he totaled 43.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Some great analysis on his ability at the POA (Point of Attack) can be found here by ESPN's K.C. Joyner as well. His burst is incredible. His instincts are NFL-ready. Needless to say, Price is good. Really good.
"But we need more than really good for a Top 5 pick." Agreed. And there are questions. Is he a three down DT? How will be play in the 3-4? Is he stout enough to hold down the middle? I'm willing to go down with the ship on this one, and most likely I will. Who really believes this will happen? I certainly don't. My prediction is that Rolando McClain or Dez Bryant is the man.
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Not worth the reach...
Especially when late first round guys tend to fall into the second round.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
he looks like a stud
The NFLn guys were talking about him as a NT…
Its not the craziest pick I have heard
* KC now has the best coaching staff in the league
* Pioli will make at least one trade in the offseason, and 2 trades during the draft
* I'd prefer "lightning and lightning" as opposed to "lightning and thunder" when it comes to RBs
* 9-7 is a real possibility in 2010 IF the Chiefs get 4 new starters
* keep Albert at LT, upgrade the positions that NEED upgrading.C, RG, NT, S, LB
by stagdsp on Mar 1, 2010 2:06 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Pac-10 defensive player of the year?
I didnt realize they played defense in the Pac-10…
I'd rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave
check the stats
Pac-10 teams played solid in the non-conference season (not counting bowl games…ouch), and their defenses performed quite well. There is a huge misconception about Pac-10 defenses that they are soft. Just asked Tennessee when they got out-muscled by UCLA.
JK Bro, Im with you
Im an Oregon grad. Im all about the Pac-10. Conference of Champions!!! Hard to play D going against the countries best Os each week.
I'd rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave
On a different note...
I hope Pac-10 doesnt expand. Keep it how it is, with the true round robbin.
I'd rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave
OREGON GRAD!!!?
Chiefs fan!!!? Blazers fan!!!? If you were a woman I’d kiss you!!!
by ClydeTheGlyde on Mar 1, 2010 3:15 PM CST up reply actions
Well Dread What say you :)
"For what we are about to see next, we must enter quietly into the realm of genius." Scott "Young Frankenstein" Pioli
If I were a women
Id kiss me too
I'd rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave
hahhah
"For what we are about to see next, we must enter quietly into the realm of genius." Scott "Young Frankenstein" Pioli
How did you end up a Chiefs fan?
You from KC? And I agree on the expansion talks, unless they can somehow lure Texas and Texas A&M away from the Big-12.
If...
we get Antrel Rolle than Berry wont be Choice. I’d be ok with Dam Williams at 5. or Cody/Price with 2a.
Mr J
KC Chiefs Fan
i doubt Cody will be around in the 2nd round
SD will pick him up. If it came down to signing Rolle or drafting Berry then draft Berry. Build Berry in our system that way he is here for years to come.
Regardless of who the Chiefs pick at #5 overall, Whitlock will call it the worst pick in the history of the Chiefs. Heres to hoping that #5 pick runs Whitlock out of town.....
No way...
he is only 300 lbs. I think he is good and will go in the middle of the 1st, but he doesn’t fit what we are looking for. If we have to reach for NT it should be Dan Williams. I think the pick is going to be Cam Thomas in the 2nd round. He has the size, mobility, and smarts that Crennel is looking for. He is going to have some growing pains, but I think he works out in the long run. I do love the idea about trading up for Suh and I’m predicting that will happen. Our starting D-line next year should be Suh, Thomas, and Jackson. (IMO)
Draft prediction top 10 - 1. Bradford 2. Suh (Chiefs trade up) 3. McCoy 4. Claussen (trade Campbell to Carolina, trade for J Brown) 5. Okung (Detroit) 6. Berry 7. Haden 8. Campbell 9. Davis (Bills trade for Vick) 10. Morgan (Jags draft Tebow in 2nd round) 2/23/09
We've talked Dan Williams before
Price can be in the discussion. Too important of a position to not look at all possibilities.
1. Are they an upgrade over what we already have?
2. Do they have high football IQ?
3. Can they make a difference from Day 1?
4. Do they have a history of leadership?
5. Sign him up.
Price
Is more of a penetrator than Williams, who is more of a clogger.
Personally, I think he is much more of a 4-3 DT, and could be a good one. Actually reminds me a decent amount of Dorsey.
I don’t really want D. Williams, but I think he’s a much better fit, and also, probably a little better player.
Torrell Troup
Crennel had nothing but praise for this guy at the east/west Shrine bowl.. He looked very smooth and strong at the Combine..
I'm still hoping we can trade down.
Maybe even twice. First to 9-10 then to 15-19 spot. Picking Price there would not be as much of a reach. But I think if they can trade down to the 15-19 spot we’ll take Golden Tate then go for a guy like Cam Thomas in the second. And I’m starting to like Linval Joseph 6-6, 322 out of East Carolina in the 4-5th round as a development NT.
BP
Being a UCLA grad, I can tell you that BP is the real deal. Is he a top 5 pick? I don’t think so…and it hurts to say that. The biggest knock on him is that he doesn’t have great stamina. I think he played about 70% of our defensive stats, while a guy like Suh played well over 90%. I agree with kcsno56…BP is a master penetrator and will be a great 4-3 DT.
This is all back into the "what is a NT?" debate - not a debate about reach
Again, if Suh isn’t considered big enough to play NT then either is this guy. If this guy IS big enough, then we should try to get Suh instead. I guess I’ve been convinced by the arguments on this site that neither is big enough for what we want/need.
Air Cassel - approved for takeoff
"We couldn't beat the Chiefs, but we damn near killed their horse."
-- Madden
Suhs value as a NT has nothing to do with his size.
And everything to do with the fact that if you use him as a NT you are wasting his biggest assets and skills.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
i'll tell you what though
whoever number 8 is in that picture is in for a hurting! He prolly didnt even know what hit him!
Regardless of who the Chiefs pick at #5 overall, Whitlock will call it the worst pick in the history of the Chiefs. Heres to hoping that #5 pick runs Whitlock out of town.....
Why reach 20 picks to try to fit someone in at NT?
If Pioli keeps doing that he’ll keep drafting in the 3-5 range every year because he’ll be ignoring other glaring holes on the team and passing over BPA that would still fill a position on need. Price or Wiliams or any rookie NT isn’t going to take the Chiefs to a Superbowl win next year. Best case scenario is for Suh to fall to #5.
BP vs Berry
Even if Edwards is who we keep at NT, my money is on Berry to be overwhelmingly more of an impact for the Chiefs…and Berry is a true top 5 pick.
The future is ours KC Chiefs fans!!!!!
N. Gift
we have to upgrade NT
im alright with keeping Edwards, but not for an every down player. We need someone via draft, FA to step in and compliment Edwards.
Regardless of who the Chiefs pick at #5 overall, Whitlock will call it the worst pick in the history of the Chiefs. Heres to hoping that #5 pick runs Whitlock out of town.....
If you think Brian Price can play NT, then Dorsey can play NT just as well in my uninformed opinion
and he’s already on the roster
agreed
The future is ours KC Chiefs fans!!!!!
N. Gift
by giftedchiefsfan on Mar 1, 2010 2:41 PM CST up reply actions
disagree
Dorsey is more of a speed/quikness guy not a power guy.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
Pioli wouldn't touch Bryant
and after this week’s combine showing (or lack thereof) hopefully he won’t draft McClain either
D.J. #56 - Pay The Man & Play The Man
The only thing more lame than mock draft's is the sarcasm font.
by KansasCityShuffle on Mar 1, 2010 3:02 PM CST reply actions
Bryant is getting a horrendous rap lately ... and from the looks of it, deservedly so
and seems to be not at all the kind of player/person we want …
I still want Okung (and based on Haley’s point about how versatile Albert and Waters are, he MIGHT be sending a message … or not)
"I shall conquer untruth by truth" - Mahatma Gandhi
Whitlock Rocks!
hi, Mo!
5 minutes!!!
Id be all for this...
If they gave us their second round pick too.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
Good combine coverage, Matt
but your shit is out there when it comes to writing column’s. The Tebow column took the cake but this one you’re just stabbing in the dark. It’s as if you’re assessing any player that could possibly fit within our scheme that’s projected to be in the 1st round and then picking the most obscure. There’s no way in hell Price is selected fifth overall by ANY team.
D.J. #56 - Pay The Man & Play The Man
The only thing more lame than mock draft's is the sarcasm font.
by KansasCityShuffle on Mar 1, 2010 3:11 PM CST reply actions
+1
Although my favorite was the Claussen could be a Chief one.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
Tick, tick, tick,tick.......
Can’t wait till the fat lady (or coach) sings.
"It aint what happens it's how you react to it that makes all the difference." I'm sure it was somebody wiser than me that said it first. I coach girls softball and use that line all the time.
Tomorrow the article title will be the same
but it will be Hayden as topic of discussion.
I’m intrigued by Okung, Berry, Hayden with first pick. 2nd round picks:Cody, Tate, Weatherspoon, or Pouncey. If we can get any 2 of those players I’d be happy camper.
But FA/trade could add Bolidn or Antrel Rolle too. 7-10 days and I think things will be more clear.
Mr J
KC Chiefs Fan
COLLOSAL FAIL
no way brian price is the pick, and no way he should be. You explained the reasons yourself by listing all his impressive pass rushing numbers. This guy is not a NT. Not even close. Try adding 30 more pounds to that guys frame, NOT HAPPENING.
http://www.redandgoldrundown.com/
by Vancouver Chiefs fan on Mar 1, 2010 4:09 PM CST reply actions
You didn't mention the one and only important thing about taking Price
where does he play? He would fit a 3-4 end more than a nose tackle, so no this isn’t the pick. If you said we should pick Dan Williams at 5 I could buy that, but Price isn’t a NT
I'm not against the theory of Price.
I totally agree, our number one need is a dominant NT. I haven’t seen how the prospects have performed at the combine, but Price at number 5, I still feel would be a reach, no matter how bad we need to fill the position. There are some potential lower picks that may be as good, or maybe better. Of course Dan Williams is a big name, and I don’t think he will be available in the 2nd round, but there is Price, Odrick, from Penn State, Cam Thomas, from North Carolina and a guy that Crennell saw at the East / West Shrine game, and liked, Torrell Troup, from Central Florida, and some others. Even Cody lost 16 lbs., for the combine, but I still think he is a risk, with the weight issues, and is likely a 2 down NT anyway. NT is in demand, as 13 teams use it as their base defense, and some more use hybrids, or an occassional 3-4, but the draft is also fairly deep, and I think we have the staff to grab a very solid player in the 2nd round, or maybe even later. I think we still grab a Berry or McClain, unless, with some luck we can get McCoy, as we fill needs, plus get the BPA, or trade down to maybe get Dan Williams, and a good O-lineman, safety, or LB. I think with FA rapidly approaching, we will get an idea of Pioli’s intentions. I don’t believe in using a first rounder on a WR or RB, as we have seen, so many gems are found in later rounds, and WR is a position that generally takes a 2 or 3 year learning curve. I would like to grab a Nate Burleson or Kevin Walters, in FA, and grab a later round WR, as a project player.
I think you are right that Price would be a reach
I think the best move is to draft the best defensive player on the board (McCoy, Suh, or Berry) depending who is on the board or trade back and grab Dan Williams. If we can’t trade back, I think we will draft Cam Thomas in the 2nd.
Odrick is being looked at as a 3-4 DE by the way.
I'm not impressed with McClain
He looks slow to me and isn’t very intimidating and isn’t that big of a hitter. He’s smart but that’s about it.
Berry is the choice to make here, if he’s gone, trade down.
Linvale Joseph
how come nobody gives this guy some love??? great size, speed, and he was very productive at East Carolina. Cody and Williams will be gone in the first round, maybe as high as #5, but if not Cam or Linvale are good options in round 2. i’m also starting to fall off the Bryant bandwagon with all of his drama, Haden is starting to look real good to me.
I'm very late to the conversation and didn't have time to read all the posts above
but I’ll add my two cents in anyway (my appologies to everyone to took the time to post. No disrespect).
I’ve been screaming it from the hilltops for months now that KC should take a NT with their first pick and here’s why:
1) Keep in mind how many teams are now switching to a 3-4. Also keep in mind that Pioli knows better than anyone how pivotal the NT position is. You can be that guys like Williams, Cody and Thomas will probably not make it into the second round. I can’t see the donkeys, chargers, bills and a few other teams passing on the MOST important part of their defense. Once one team picks a NT in the 1st round, I expect teams to start making a run on NT.
2) Take a look at the areas that the Chiefs to address: Interior O-line, WR, safety, LB, TE and RB (amongst others). All but the line are VERY deep this year!
To continue
3) KC’s second round picks have them perfectly positioned to address the interior O-line: Walton, Ducasse, Iupati, Pouncey, etc.. Most of these guys will be available where we pick in the second round allowing us to build and focus on other areas in the rest of the draft.
In short, if we can address the NT position (in my opinion, Williams is the best NT prospect in this draft from the film I’ve seen) in the first round, we can really score at the other areas of need THIS YEAR without having to get into FA.
Just my humble opinion.
I think this is a pretty good analysis
I would not be upset with taking Williams at 5. I would rather get Suh (I think he can be a NT, but I’m almost positive he’ll be gone), but if not Williams would be a key to our defense for years. Hopefully if we go with Williams we are able to trade back a couple of spots (this could happen if Bradford or Clausen are still there at 5) and pick up another 2nd or 3rd rounder. Then we can get interior line, WR, and other positions that are easier to fill in the later rounds.
It would be cool to see Pioli play the draft that way
Start the run on NTs by taking one at #5. Maybe four NTs get grabbed in the first by every new 3-4 GM who thinks Pioli’s smarter than them, then we still have Pouncey, Tate, Nate Allen et al sitting there in the second. Suckers! :P
The path to Victory is made of losers.
ughhhh the offseason can be so uneventful sometimes
Would ya like a free NANAA!
by Jazzy Megalodon on Mar 2, 2010 12:47 AM CST reply actions
PheeeuuuueeeeeeeeEEE!
What a shame. Making the effort to type such a long post…just to be wrong on all points. And obviously so at that. I have to wonder what your smoking. Sorry, jmho.
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