What Do The Kansas City Chiefs Have In New LB Charlie Anderson?

Just so long as they never let him play in a real game.

he was on the team last year, and seemed to play well in the preseason…

but, this was an opportunity to add someone to the roster that can help, at least on ST.

Walters is still there, and hopefully developing

We needed better than street value linemen and thats what we got but given an offseason they were replaced. I still don’t mind the move because we did what we needed to do when we NEEDED to do it.

I noticed Monday night that Hali was moved to the strong side a few times, giving Demorrio (and anybody else?) some snaps in Hali’s regular spot. In those situations, they probably would prefer Hali back on the weak side and a BIG, EXPLOSIVE PASS RUSHER on the strong side. IMO, Hali at LDE was a quick fix when everybody else they tried from there was worse, and that’s what I always think when he’s put on that side. He’s still very good, but really deserves to rush from the back side with a solid pass rusher opposite him at that LOLB spot. Seeing Hali back on that left side on a regular basis would signal to me that they can’t get anybody else who can attack from there, and they can make do on the right side. But the backside rusher NEEDS a guy on the front side who flat gets up the field into the teeth of the O-Line (rather than just racing around the outside every play – more shortest-path-to-the-QB stuff, which Hali can also bring.

This is not to overlook what I think caused Rivers to blow that timeout on MNF, which was the pre-snap shuttle to the strong side that Hali made. I think Rivers expected somebody in HIS formation to adjust to this shift, and they didn’t. This was in line with my belief that Hali is the only real playoff caliber rush OLB the Chiefs currently have. I love the obvious things Crennel thinks to do, to provoke a reaction. Little things like that can cost your opponent the untimely timeout, no? I think Demorrio’s OK as a quick-fix to get some dynamism from that rush OLB spot, but he looks a helluva lot better against #2s in preseason from that spot than he did in regulation, Monday night.

Personally, though, I’d rather see Gilberry on that strong side a little more often, with pure up-the-field responsibilities (pass rush/run) and one of Vrabel, Studie, DJ behind him to cover the TE. Just have Gilberry rough up the TE on his way up the field, with the LDE trying to take a chunk out of the RT. You wouldn’t want him dropping into zone until after you get a sack or at least a knockdown by other tactics, when the dropback has surprise in its favor. Right now, the blitz from that spot IS the changeup, based on the bulk of preseason and Game 1 in preseason.