Nose Tackle, Dexter McCluster and The Chiefs Future

He can be a dynamic playmaker. My feeling is he was hampered by injury and by not having a defined role on the team. Everyone wanted a piece of his time. It’s a matter of do you want to be good at a lot of things, or great at a few? He has the athleticism and speed to be dominant in the NFL, he just lacks the savvy, I think that will come.
It’s also easy to second guess the pick, folks have been doing it for years. You could have taken Elway or Marino, you took Blackledge. I still think Scott and Todd went into the draft wanting to select for character and speed over positions of need. Face it, the 2009 Chiefs were slow as the 7 year itch and it was addressed in the draft. We can’t get where we want to be in one year, probably can’t in two, but I trust we will get there.

I have been thinking about our lack of pressure up the middle all year. How many times did a QB run up the middle after dropping back to pass or he saw the open dump off to the running back. We have outstanding pressure on the outside and I believe we would double our sack production if there was a constant force up the middle.

The Chiefs knew this already heading into the 2010 draft. Ron Edwards had served as the answer before, and the Chiefs lone response was to sign future fullback Shaun Smith to bolster the position.

To say that Pioli/Haley “knew” anything about how they felt about Ron Edwards after one year in the 3-4 system and that signing Smith wouldn’t have any impact on the improvement of our d-line is a stretch. I would guess that in viewing the game film this year, we might not see any draft picks made to bolster the d-line again! Considering how well our run defense was, and the fact that it was made pretty clear that Pioli/Haley felt that if they could improve the secondary (Berry, Arenas, Lewis), that more sacks would come from our current roster, which they did. (Granted they were mostly from one player, but regardless…). Pressure up the middle might not have been as present as it might have been if we had drafted a NT in the 2nd, but again, considering the run defense this year, it’s hard to fault what the team did.

The middle of both of our lines, Center and NT/ILB does need some improvement from depth and competition, but to have made the decision to go that direction over what they did in 2010 would have been a mistake, IMO.

Seems they went for the fancy windows and roof shingles, before the foundation. Thats ok, it worked. This year the foundation ( O Line and D line ) will be poured.

I have never had a problem with the McCluster pick. He will be a dynamic playmaker for this team, just needs to find a place in our offense. I’d like to see him used more in the wildcat, in which he was lethal for Ole’ Miss in college.

I always questioned the pick of Arenas, when there was a mammoth NT by the name of Terrence Cody still on the draft board. I will always compare those two players through out their careers. I personally think it would have been easier to find a nickel corner / return man later in the draft. I seem to recall a forced fumble by Cody in the playoffs, what did Arenas do in that game???

IF there was one that was a good fit, in the right place in the draft.

But, as much as we like to 2nd guess, there wasn’t a “gaping hole” at NT. Ron and Shaun held it down pretty well, overall.

Anyone who thinks McCluster wasn’t a need is kidding themselves. This team was terribly slow and the return game was aweful (remember Wade/Lawrence)

I like the Dex, I would have liked a NToTF, but I think we’ll get one this year.

Part time WR / part time RB / Part time KR or
Full time NT.
IMO I think full time NT would have been better.

But that’s just me.

But that’s just me.

Terrance Cody may have been a better pick in hindsight but I don’t think McCluster was a bad one.

We probably won’t see as much production out of McCluster as we would want until we fix the second receiver position. McCluster is a great in the slot for speed mis-matches, but if there is a quick linebacker on him for a short route or a safety on him for a deep one, he doesn’t have the size to compete for the ball in man-to-man coverage. The way the Ravens were able to take Bowe out of the game was with one CB and S help over the top. That leaves them plenty of d-backs and linebackers to cover both McCluster and Moeaki.

A #2 receiver forces the defense to play their safeties more honestly. They’ll have to do a lot more genuine cover-2’s and cover-3’s to protect the whole field instead of just rolling zone coverage/deep zones over the top of Bowe. That, in turn, makes more pass defense play further down the field, opening more holes in zones underneath and making whoever is covering McCluster play off a little to compensate for his speed or play up on him and potentially get burned. It also increases the probability that Cassel can formation shift into mis-matches for McCluster.

That #2 WR, in what I envision, could bolster McCluster’s efficacy if he were at least 6’0" or taller, had a decent vertical, and enough speed to occasionally burn a guy in man-to-man coverage. We basically need a dude who can make a defense pay for leaving him on an island so they have to be comprehensive with safety zone coverage. Obviously, this season Chambers couldn’t fill that role.

but he isnt quick. He really cant make people miss in the open field, hes had what seems like hundreds of chances to get past a guy but he either fumbles or gets ankle tackled. Sometimes he’ll have space down the field on a route, but drop the pass. Also he isnt strong. His weaknesses just strongly outweigh his strengths. In our offense I think Golden Tate would have been the more feasible pick at slot. The reason why im so dissapointed with Dex is…he was the most hyped rookie wideout during the offseason. But Dex Bryant, Mike Williams, and a bunch of other receivers made immediate game changing impact on their teams and besides one return, he did not make much of an impact. I hope he’ll have Desean Jackson esque offseason progression. We strongly need it or thats just another hole to fill.

Also getting a true #2 WR could open things up.

it’s always “easy” to look back an say “maybe if …” and wonder, but that’s not possible to go back and change … I wondered myself at the time, and have since (given the limited production we’ve seen from Dex, his limited use by Haley, et al) could we have done better adding to the line, O or D … at this point, looking back, I’d have to say yes

I’ve always felt that the game is won or lost in the trenches, along the line … and as you noted, Matt, the Ravens with Ngata (and other teams this past year) have proven that with ease … I’m a firm believer in finding and drafting young talent for the line, either side, both sides … we have Asamoah waiting in the wings, and perhaps one or two others (Darryl Harris, maybe?) but the fact is we need more … Smith was (I thought) originally signed to be “the answer” at NT but ended up playing DT as much or more than the center of the line, and that’s worrisome … we need that prototypical NT and more athletes at SOLB aand SILB who can cover as well as stuff the run

on offense we need the linemen for the future … C and RT very soon, and I’d imagine (at least hope) that those OLine and DLine needs are addressed in the upcoming FA and Draft … if not, things could be looking difficult, because while talent like Dex is nice, the team must find a way to utilize that talent, and a QB who’s running for his life or flat on his is unable to find even the fastest of athletes

Looking back at that draft it appears there really wasn’t a great one available anyway. I think we scored on those two picks for the long term and we’ll have more drafts and free agency periods to get the right guy at NT.

I think McCluster will still pan out. I bet he is worked into more plays next year.

anyways, this is my dream scinereo

Free agent moves

NT….. Holoti Nagata…at any frickin price if he falls from the ravens
OLB…Lamar Woodley….Kinda like geting a proven Von Miller with experience
WR…Breaston….If Larry Fitz is available this year all bets are off..trade a 1st and 3rd

draft
1st ….Jake Locker….if he falls…I know its controversial..but we need to be grooming a QB
2nd…Wisinwiski….trade up with the 2nd and 3rd…and maybe a 5th pick

let the scouts work magic on the 4th-7th picks.

I think a pull like that would be AWESOME…maybe better than last years draft/pick up

The most controversial is the QB…I think Cassel is the right rebuilding QB but not the franchise QB a Super Bowl bound team needs.

The up side with the Locker pick is this…if Cassel performs next year….and Locker turns out to be the real deal….You might be able to get a 1st outa Cassel then plug Locker in for the next year….The Locker deal is the only move that might..might net us another 1st round pick in 2012 if Cassel has a banner year.

I dont know why the Cassel apologist always jump all over me.

I have never called for Cassels immediate replacement.

I have always said we need a potential franchise QB to be groomed so as to hedge or bets on Cassel for the next few years.

To get a QB ready you should really groom him at least a year. Lets say Cassel doesnt pan out in 2013…then we get a QB in 2014 (I guarantee not the caliber of Locker)…groom him in the 2014 season…then play him in 2015 for his rookie outing….its a LONG lead time.

That doesn’t mean it couldn’t be better. I still say we need line help, both sides, and linebacker and WR could use some help,. too.

DMC wasn’t a bad pick, but maybe we coulda done better there.

But the team across the board could stand to get better in 2011

but DMC does not make people miss. The phrase “make people miss” is for someone who does it on a consistent basis. Not he jukes a guy or breaks a tackle every 8 games. Eric Berry has broken more tackles and juked more people than McCluster this season.