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Around SBN: My First Fight: Diego Sanchez

Could The Chiefs Handle An Offensive Line Injury?

Let's play "What if?" for a second. The Steelers just lot their starting right tackle for the season with the recent news of Willie Colon's torn right Achilles tendon getting out. Not that there's ever a good moment for news like this, but there are certainly levels of bad timing and this is one of them. While getting news like this heading into the regular season would be even worse, this still comes at a key moment: most player acquisitions are finished.

The draft is over. Few free agents are left. The ability to pick-up a starting caliber player really doesn't exist outside of a trade at this point, or else you believe in the remaining free agents at the position like Flozell Adams or Levi Jones. While those might be able to fill in just fine, it leaves me wondering if the Chiefs could saddle such a loss. What is the ability of the current Chiefs roster to handle a (probable) injury of some sort -- and specifically along the offensive line?

It's here that I'm quite pleased as a Chiefs fan. This off-season has been a fine one, indeed, in terms of restoring confidence along the line. Sure, it doesn't match the glory days of a few years ago when we seemingly had Pro Bowlers at every position along the front five. But given the recent state of things, the Chiefs are actually sitting fairly pretty.

Star-divide



If a center were to go down to injury, we have two guys in house with lots of starting experience from last year alone in Casey Wiegmann and Rudy Niswanger. The guard position could similarly handle the loss of a starter -- to Ryan Lilja or Brian Waters for example -- since Jon Asamoah should be a nice young talent in camp to go alongside holdover vets like Ike Ndukwe and Colin Brown. The tackle position is the most limited with starters Branden Albert and Ryan O'Callaghan entrenched while Ndukwe and Barry Richardson can also fill in.

If the Chiefs experience an injury like Colon's, it seems the area most ready to handle it would be along the interior of the line and especially the center position. If a tackle goes down, it might be something the team would have to address from the outside.

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Injury to Off.line

I hope we don’t have to put that to a test !

by 65tosspowertrap on Jun 29, 2010 12:46 PM CDT reply actions  

Our DB Corp is pretty deep.

I know that you're afraid... you're afraid of us. You're afraid of change. I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it's going to begin.

by R2J_24 on Jun 29, 2010 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions  

I think the Dline could

We just have so many young players. I think in another year we will have depth at most positions. Right now we have it they are jsut too young

by groundedchevy on Jun 29, 2010 1:17 PM CDT up reply actions  

TE

The tight end position could probably take a hit. No one is a stand out against the other two.

by chiefsandhawks on Jun 29, 2010 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions  

Hopefully, it doesn't happen.

I’m not 100% that our starting unit will be very good. So, I sure as hell don’t want to find out what would happen if we have to plug in back-ups.

10 + wins in 2010. Chiefs SHOCK the NFL!!! Mark it down.

by Scott B. on Jun 29, 2010 1:03 PM CDT reply actions  

I want to say yes except at the LT position...

Part of me wants to believe that Richardson can still make for a really good tackle and maybe if the opportunity arose for him this would be the year it clicked.

"Success is never ending, failure is never final."

by GenericBrand on Jun 29, 2010 1:08 PM CDT reply actions  

Behold an offensive linemen prospect in free agency...

JaMarcus!

Other Arenas wish they could be like Arrowhead Stadium and when rivals think they are going to be fine on an island of Flowers, they will get hit by what feels like a Carr. Ultimately, they will never be able to eat a Berry ever again.

by worc on Jun 29, 2010 1:19 PM CDT reply actions  

Lets not find out...

but we know the DBs are deep. DT is thin. LB depends on who goes down, if it were hali then we may hurt more than any other LB position. WR looks thin but depends on how Run DMC and Urban fit in. Injuries are a scary thingg, lets hope we dont have to go thru tht

Football Then Hockey 7 days a week...

by Akr_Baby on Jun 29, 2010 1:22 PM CDT reply actions  

OG or OC.... yes

LT or RT… NO

seriously need to figure out the depth at OT

this should be the most exciting Chiefs team in years! Most all major needs filled with playmakers, and the league's best coaching staff... 10-6?

by stagdsp on Jun 29, 2010 1:24 PM CDT reply actions  

We do have time to see what the depth looks like

Rule 49. " Think and talk positive football off the field." Hank Stram

by Steve_Chiefs on Jun 29, 2010 6:04 PM CDT up reply actions  

I 2nd that.

I know that you're afraid... you're afraid of us. You're afraid of change. I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it's going to begin.

by R2J_24 on Jun 29, 2010 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions  

I think Berry would be a far better QB than OL.

The Chiefs should debut some sort of wacky formation that uses Cassel, McCluster, Charles, Jones, AND Berry against the Chargers.

by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jun 29, 2010 11:47 PM CDT up reply actions  

Let's give old Glenn Dorsey a shot at RT.

He’s explosive off the ball and can use his hands well. He could probably match up step for step with the left ends in the west.

by chiefsandhawks on Jun 29, 2010 1:37 PM CDT reply actions  

Seriously though, if we were to have a tackle go down then I think we would be scrambling a little.

I take comfort in knowing that our cap room is massive and roomy and that we would have the funds and flexability to pick up someone decent if needed…. assuming there will be someone on the market at the time of the injury. That kinda goes for all positions.

Word.

by BigRedChief on Jun 29, 2010 1:37 PM CDT reply actions  

I just take comfort in knowing...

That nothing brought up by us here would be news to Pioli, Haley & Co.

10 + wins in 2010. Chiefs SHOCK the NFL!!! Mark it down.

by Scott B. on Jun 29, 2010 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions  

we have lots of cap room since there is no cap this year...

The only players I hurt with my words are the ones who have an inflated opinion of their ability. I can't worry about that.
Bill Parcells

Knowledge is confidence. And confidence lets you play fast.
Bill Parcells

by kcguy on Jun 29, 2010 9:03 PM CDT up reply actions  

Hope it doesnt happen

but RT would be the only position that I would worry about a little bit.

Are we the team to beat in 2010? I sure think so! Go Chiefs.

by jrcnc on Jun 29, 2010 1:53 PM CDT reply actions  

Not the OT position.

I think the interior line is pretty deep.

2/3 of the Earth is covered by water. The rest is covered by Eric Berry.
I guess now we KNOW how Pioli feels about safeties that high... hahahaha

by Red N Gold Beast on Jun 29, 2010 2:17 PM CDT reply actions  

id be ok with the o-line

As long as asomoah was gonna be playin for the injured person so we can see how he plays I don’t no if he can play tackle

by Dakota23 on Jun 29, 2010 4:07 PM CDT via mobile reply actions  

I could only see us being ok at G.

I really don’t see any depth at T. I personally think O’Callahan is still a year away from being a starting caliber player. And C? I really don’t think I can handle another season of Niswanger ending up further in the backfield than Cassel. Maybe he’ll make some improvement this season now that he’s competing with Weigmann, but I’m not holding my breath.

"You can't be fat and fast too; so lift, run, diet, and work." ~ Hank Stram

by citadelchief on Jun 29, 2010 6:18 PM CDT reply actions  

I hate this thread

No Chiefs will be hurt all year….NONE

by diehard_31 on Jun 29, 2010 6:19 PM CDT reply actions  

Agree with the majority: Don't feel real good about OT depth.

With limited action in ‘09, and a full year under Haley’s strength-and-conditioning people, I think a 100% healthy Ndukwe might surprise.

I just ain’t eager to put this particular theory to the test.

I felt there was good value at OT in the 2nd round for OT, and Chiefs could’ve found a guy who could play RT and RG at a high level, depending on level of need as to which.

by hmills110 on Jun 29, 2010 8:18 PM CDT reply actions  

I bet it was a RT we were considering along with McCluster and Arenas

and the lineman was the one that was off the board by the time we picked Arenas – but I like the McCluster pick more than a RT, and evidently Pioli and Haley did too.

Ryan Succop will be the kicker for the AFC in the 2011 Pro Bowl

by PVChiefsfan on Jun 29, 2010 8:40 PM CDT up reply actions  

There was only 1 offensive lineman taken between DMC and Arenas, Zane Beadles, a guy who’s projected to play Guard. I seriously doubt if he was a target of the Chiefs.

by dablueguy on Jun 29, 2010 10:46 PM CDT up reply actions  

We could handle an O-line injury a helluva lot better this season than last.

We actually have some depth. How much depends on how a few guys have developed. Colin Brown, Nkuywe, Richardson, 2 veterans and a rookie C/G. Nkuywe actually held down the RT spot fairly well for a couple of games. Haley has made some positive comments about Barry Richardson, and still has some hope for him. Colin Brown is still a question mark, but he certainly has the size, and was activated to play Tackle, as a backup, for a game last season. I guess we will see what we have to work with, but I feel alot better about our overall O-line than I did at the beginning of last season. I think alot of us felt that was our weakest area, this time last year.

There once was a man from Nantucket......Nevermind.

by Racyman on Jun 29, 2010 9:32 PM CDT reply actions  

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