Take a step back from the Eric Berry Kool Aid

You talk about front 7 needing to get it done, but if half of ‘em are needed to cover receivers because your secondary can’t, then they’re not doing their job of pressuring the QB and run-stuffiing, because you need 2 hats for every one of the opposition’s hats in the pattern.

EVERY time KC sent the blitz in the last 10 years, there was ALWAYS somebody open on a hot route, because KC could not afford to come up and press people. Pollard was useless in this regard. What KC needs is people who can frickin’ COVER, and I am NOT talking about LBs.

So what we’ve seen is soft zone behind virtually every blitz KC put together. This always left somebody wide open in the “shallows” of which you have often spoken.

Our (2) corners are pretty good, especially against WRs who are 6’1’’ or below, because they can bully the smaller WRs at the line. But year in and year out, all offenses have to do is field more than 2 WRs and they obtain an instant mismatch that forces KC to pull in its horns and back off, leaving the LBs in analysis paralysis, afraid to blitz, but needing to honor the play fake, and then take an extra beat getting into the proper drops.

If ALL we were talking about was a good centerfielder, your comments are totally on the mark. But what we HOPE we’re seeing in this Eric Berry kid, is someone who can come up and do some press coverage, as needed. Someone whose mere presence doesn’t SHOUT at the opposition that we’re planning on backing off the instant the offense lines up with a 3-man bunch formation in the slot.

I’m personally starting to have my doubts about Berry’s overall ability to bring this, because I’m questioning his speed is really elite, and whether his upper-body strength/technique is such that he can convincingly tangle with big WRs at the line. The strength aspect is underreported, but is one of the keys to the success of Hasty in years past and Revis (and even Flowers) in the present. THIS is the sort of thing that’s valid to question in MY book, but if he IS a guy who can single-cover, then you can’t predict what KC’s plans are on defense, simply by their personnel package or pre-snap formation.

This frees the front 7 to do their thing without hesitation, which was our ILBs’ biggest issue last season, imo. Better coverage backs give the LBs one or three less decisions to make, which means they can play with a whole lot less hesitation.

In MY book, you fix the front line (better NT, continued development of Dorsey and Jackson at the DE spots) and add at LEAST one more DB who can single-cover or at least come up and PRESS at the line. If you get better at LB, well, all the better, but the LB’s success flows from the linemen’s ability to dominate the opposing OL and from the ability to WIN more of those 1-on-1 matchups in space (at least long enough to strike home with the rush).

MY first priority for this D is to get more stout at LOLB and NT, first – to side Jax and Dorsey. I think this can be done lower in the draft than the 1st (mainly because I’m not sold on any NTs in the 1st in 2010). I think both Jax and Dorsey will more than hold their own if this gets done Personally, I like that Graham kid or some ’tweener like him (pass rush plus stout against the run).

My next priority is convincing coverage guys, and not guys who are under 5’10’’, unless they have a REAL Darrell Green streak (strong AND the fastest guy on the field). This kind of talent isn’t often to be had outside of the 1st.

This all being said, I’m having my doubts that Berry is all THAT good. If he’s dominant, he’s worth it. If he’s just a good safety, then I’m with you. I still would want to spend higher than most, here, would want to spend on DB, because of the importance of the 1-on-1 matchups in space, where a step slow or an inch short can be decisive on a given play.

I don’t disagree with the build from the lines out philosophy. I have said numerous times that if there was a NT worthy of the #5 pick I would be all for that. There just isn’t though, and I think it would be a mistake to reach for a d-line position in the top five picks two years in a row.

Next, the o-line, it does need to get better. However, I believe in Albert and O’Callaghan as our tackles. That just leaves C and RG to upgrade and we can improve those spots through FA and picks in rounds 2-4. Not to mention that the earliest Pioli has ever drafted an o-lineman is pick 32.

So what that really leaves us with (assuming we can’t trade down) is McClain vs. Berry. Now you can take that same argument you are using about safeties in the top five picks and apply it to ILBs in the 3-4. I like McClain, he would be my second choice after Berry. I just happen to believe that Berry is more of an elite player. I know the comparison is getting old (and I’m not just repeating what others have said) but when I watch Berry he really does strike me as very similar to Ed Reed. I’m tired of watching the Chiefs give up drives late in games where we just get picked apart. Flowers is great, but he’s the only d-back we have that other teams have to gameplan around. I want someone out there who is going to go make a play when the game is on the line. It’s a passing league right now and if you can’t stop the pass you’re not going anywhere.

I also believe that our need at safety is much greater then ILB. I think a rotation of Williams, Mays, and DJ can be respectable (not great). However, the current safeties we have are not even respectable. Now I do know that Berry played SS mostly in college. I however believe that his size and skill set translate better to FS then SS in the NFL. I would start him at FS and move Page with his bigger frame and weaker coverage skills to SS.

I think between the improvements the o-line made last year combined with bringing in some new faces via FA and draft picks (rounds 2-4) it will be much better this year. I also believe that with Dorsey and Jackson improving we are a solid NT away from being solid against the run. So I think the “insides” of our team our being addressed and improved. This team is still short on big time, game changing talent. Therefore I have decided that I want an elite playmaker in the secondary where we have a glaring hole more then I do an upgrade at ILB where I see the hole as not as glaring.

I don’t think this reasoning means I don’t understand football. I have just surveyed the options available and prefer a different course of action.

There’s been 12 DB’s taken top 10 since 2002 and only 7 LB’s. It’s not that uncommon. A fair share of those 12 were at the safety position. I agree that you build from the lines out but there’s no hard rule that you have to use your top pick to do so until you’re stacked. We obviously have a GM who’s not afraid to go against conventional grain.

We have a ton of needs so following conventional value seems like an act of lunacy in this case. What are we to do? Draft a LT when we don’t need one? Draft another DT who doesn’t fit the 34? Draft another DT who would make a fine 34 DE when we don’t need another one? Reach like hell for and NT when we can get one later down the line? I’m not saying I have the slightest idea what Pioli and Co. are going to do, but I just don’t see any scenario above playing out.

Going LB is no less a reach than going S IMO. The argument that you HAVE to go QB, O-line or D front-7 first doesn’t make much sense to me if the caliber prospect in any of those areas doesn’t match a particular area of need for us. Especially when we can get a high quality prospect much later than 5th overall that does fit the bill.

Admittedly, I wouldn’t have minded McClain at all at #5 until I found out he has Crohn’s disease. It’s going to have a major negative impact on his career, so for any other area of need, drafting that high? Berry makes the most sense to me.

You get a good defensive front 7, Mike Brown will look like an allstar. We’d have too much pressure on the QB to make that perfect pass. All he would have to do is wait and see the field.

urlacher, Lewis, willis, etc

reed, polamaulu, etc with a #5 pick?

none of that matters. cf Tyson Jackson.

how much time did cassel spend running for his life the last 6 games?

tell me, how bad was new englands o-line? i believe cassel got sacked more there than he did here. perhaps the line isn’t as much the problem as the qb is.
perhaps gailey’s lack of protection schemes and a complete change in offensive playbook/game plan contributed. perhaps having a featured running back that couldn’t even average 2.7 yards had a lot to do with it.

got news for you, no matter how great your are in the trenches, if your running back can’t even get 2 1/2 ypc, and the whole defense knows that 3rd and 25 is coming each offensive possession, guess what happens? they blitz like hell. they control the game and can do whatever they want. doesn’t matter whether you’re sporting a pro bowl offensive line LT thru RT. we faced 3rd and long almost every possession almost all season until we got rid of johnson and picked up chambers.

at least thigpen had TG to throw to. imagine cassel with TG to throw to.

so i’m sorry, but i don’t see how it is completely the line, and mainly Albert’s fault that we
1) have a qb who holds onto the ball too long (Not just in KC, look at his stats in NE).
2) had -2.7 running behind them, killing the offensive running game.
3) had tight ends who couldn’t block or catch
4) had receivers who couldn’t catch
5) had minimal pass protection at the beginning of the season (thanks to gailey)
6) had an inferior offensive playbook/game plan (thanks to gailey)

as for the D, yeah the offense was better, but it didn’t exactly help the defense stay off the field at all. add in a more time controlling offense, + a year in the new system + weis + crennel and we’ve already vastly improved things.

Some of us, here, just think Albert isn’t the weak link and none of this year’s draft class impresses as being an instant upgrade. If I believed any of ‘em were, I’d be all about Okung, Bulaga, and the like.

and not factoring in the 1-on-1 cover skills – the crossover to corner (even if on a limited basis).