Management: Offset the loss of Jammal, Don't just give up.

by 500milestoarrowhead on Sep 20, 2011 1:07 PM CDT

Now that Charles is on the shelf for the year, a roster move needs to be made. Obviously there is no single player that can totally replace JC so the standard should be whether the player is an improvement from the current Charlesless roster and/or whether there is the potential to be a significant improvement to the roster now and have the potential to remain on the roster once Charles returns.

Cox or similar is giving up

If that is a standard that is reasonable, potentially bringing back Mike Cox is insulting. What does he add to the roster? A relatively slow, but decent blocking FB, with OK hands. Is that an improvement? No. Especially not when you have on the roster a FB that is better at all of those things and is a credible powerback too.

Does this offset anything we lost when Charles got injured? Not at all.

Does he have any real upside to significantly improve? Not impossible but highly unlikely.

Practice Squad Shopping

RBs that have any potential to really add to a roster now and in the future are not retreads. They are not on the street or toiling away at their post football careers. They are on practice squads. Pioli needs to go PS shopping.

In my opinion that shopping trip begins and ends in Houston with Chris Ogbonnaya.

What does he replace that we lost with the injury to JC? Good speed, good hands, decent blocker and... he has an upside. At best, he immediately gives the Chiefs another credible running back that can run between the tackles and that can keep the chains moving and maybe more. At worst he is a better version of Jackie Battle.

Dex-Factor - he is not the replacement for Charles

To all the McCluster fans, yes Dex needs to be part of the answer with Charles out. PART of the answer. a few more touches per game, absolutely. Taking a significant portion of the carries Charles was getting in addtion to the touches he was already getting, no.

McCluster is an edge runner and homerun threat - let's not kill him by getting him hit by guys twice his weight 15 times a game running up the gut. Yes he was great in the SEC but this is the NFL guys are bigger, stronger and hit harder. My taking into account the laws of physics are not a criticism of Dex. Putting him in situations where he is going to be tackled by guys weighing 190 - 230 is going to keep him healthier and therefore more productive than getting frequently tackled by guys weighing 260 - 360. In my opinion, a ratio of rushes outside the tackles vs. inside needs to be at least 3:1. His strength is making the other guy miss not breaking the tackles.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.

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As you pointed out

Obviously there is no single player that can totally replace JC

Which means that the others will all have to step up and contribute to try and take up the slack. Which means Jones, McCluster, and McClain will all be sharing carries. Which in turn means that McClain needs someone to block for him. Hence → Mike Cox.

I’m completely fine with the move. Who else could they bring in that would actually be capable of playing immediately?

TOUCHDOWN! KAN-SAH-CITY!!!

by TheScootness on Sep 20, 2011 1:36 PM CDT reply actions

that's the question

Who else could they bring in that would actually be capable of playing immediately?

I HOPE that if Cox is coming back, that it’s McClain that will get more carries… he’s proven he CAN do it.

McClain/Jones/McCluster can still be an effective running game, as long as the blocking is good, and the offense finds a balance

by stagdsp on Sep 20, 2011 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions

kinda worried

about McClain in that regard right now. He has not looked good carrying the ball the few times I have seen him with it this season.

"You gonna pull them pistols...or whistle Dixie?"

by Aiken_Drum on Sep 20, 2011 1:57 PM CDT up reply actions

well, luckily I haven't seen a game yet this season :)

but, he looked good in preseason carrying it… and the OL has been better in the regular season than in preseason, from what I can gather…

by stagdsp on Sep 20, 2011 2:05 PM CDT up reply actions

The line has been a highlight so far this season.

I would think McClain is doing well as the bull dozer, making way for Jones and McCluster. Cox is probably depth.

"You gonna pull them pistols...or whistle Dixie?"

by Aiken_Drum on Sep 20, 2011 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions

McClain didn't look too bad against the Lions

OFC I’m only going off of 1 carry I really remember, but he gained 6 or so yards right up the middle.

I don't start arguments, I provoke thinking. -Me
Alameda Ta’amu NT/DE 2012 Draftee

by BAMFSpecialOps on Sep 20, 2011 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Cox depth?

Seriously though, I am fine with this move. Not that Pioli would not sign him if I did not approve, but it somewhat makes sense. He already knows the system and is familiar with the players and coaching staff. I do not care who they get, for piss sakes, just win one or at least show some heart and compete. My stress levels are through the roof and I don’t think I could handle an entire season of ass whuppins.

PICTURE ME SLAPPING THE TOUGHEST GUY YOU KNOW!!!

KCCHIEFSFAN72!!!!

by kcchiefsfan72 on Sep 20, 2011 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions

stags: O-Line is executing OK. Play fake is working very well - the unnoticed improvement in the protections.

Now, if only Cassel could consistently get something going with the extra time, KC would be pretty awesome on offense. I think it’s just a matter of time, but not sure they have enough time this season. Urban is NOT living up to Haley’s songs of praise.

I don’t think Albert is average, like everyone is saying. I think they’re built to play it a lot like the Giants played it Monday night. Go ahead and use the 2 backs. Against the blitz, go ahead and drop some short passes in front of the deep defenders, any time there’s a pair of ’em playing off. Any time the corners are off, go ahead and take the short smoker (not the screen), and have your big, rainjee (have to spell it wrong to make sure it sounds right)

Going with upper-2nd-shelf FAs would work much better, if Baldwin were playing and playing well. Then, I think, Urban/Breaston/Colbert/Copper would be the dagger in the heart.

I think we’re getting close to 5/6 weeks on the thumb injury. Makes it sound like it was a fracture.

Which reminds me, stags: They say Haley lost the lockerroom. If he HAD, there would be rumors abounding in the media. Instead, it is silent on that front. If the players didn’t buy in, don’t you think Twitter would be full of 3rd-party tweets along the lines of “A guy who plays for the Chiefs said blah blah blah…” There are ZERO molehills for us to make mountains out of. That tells ME that the only thing wrong with these Chiefs is their 0 ‘n’ 2 record.

would of ≠ would've

by hmills110 on Sep 20, 2011 9:14 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

LOVE your take, mills

They totally ran into the perfect storm, I think…

Short, weird offseason, huge key injuries, bad turnovers, and up and coming opponents on hot streaks.

I think the offense will eventually come together. I am worried about the Safeties, though

by stagdsp on Sep 20, 2011 9:23 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

I agree with guys totally

It’s been painful — beyond painful. And if this continues, Haley may well lose the team. But the failures are starting with Cassel — He is blowing. And Berry was one of the most important players on the team. NO one to fill his shoes. Not even close.

You can’t blame Haley for Steve Johnson’s cut block. You can blame him for not having the team prepared and effective game plans in order.

by PrairieSchooner on Sep 21, 2011 1:10 AM CDT up reply actions

They did on defense what they did on offense last year: Add great speed to skill players in the middle of the field.

McCluster and Berry fit that. We already knew that the short path to .500 ball was speed at HB, and Berry did much the same thing for the defense, only using it for the anti-run. They returned to OL and DL this last offseason, and there’s a chance that heroics at S and HB will become less crucial. Vision might become an issue, though.

I’m fascinated with how they addressed the trenches in the offseason and flummoxed by how it’s manifesting on the field. The groupings they’re emphasizing are not the groupings I most hoped and expected to see.

But either they’re bringing their big men on D along slowly, or they just don’t think much of ’em.

Perfect storm, not so much. Just more or less expected attrition. Never good, when it happens, but if they’re building smart, maybe those safeties aren’t such a big problem. But we need to see more of the actual #1s in the trenches on D, for them to turn this around. Might be something really cool, with Houston, Sheff, and Hali all on the field at the same time, with Gilberry and Bailey. Intriguing mix of size and athleticism, but they haven’t worked it out, yet, to my satisfaction.

would of ≠ would've

by hmills110 on Sep 22, 2011 6:26 PM CDT up reply actions

My take

Cox is only useful if we’re going with a threesome of Jones, McClain, and Battle. That threesome would change the nature of our running attack…infoact, they would change the nature of our entire offense. We would become a “grind it out” offense, sort of a “3 yards & a cloud of dust” offense, but would take the heat off Cassel’s shoulders. He can at least hand off & pitch the ball. The problem is, we’d have the same problem we had when “2.7” was our feature back; the holes have to be bigger & more defined. I’m not sure our OL is up to that challenge. Ogbonnaya might be a better answer. Remember Tampa Bay’s raid on Tennessee’s PS last year?

by Special K on Sep 20, 2011 3:56 PM CDT reply actions

The raid...

…that was Blount, who rushed for a thousand yds.

by Special K on Sep 20, 2011 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions

He never made it to Titan's PS IIRC

Titans waved him attempt to get him on the PS but he was snatched up by the Bucs

I don't start arguments, I provoke thinking. -Me
Alameda Ta’amu NT/DE 2012 Draftee

by BAMFSpecialOps on Sep 20, 2011 8:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Chris Ogbonnaya.

Makes sense in so many ways. He went to UT like Charles but he knows the ZBS from the ZBS master Gary Kubiak.

The Ravens also had 12 decent rb’s. Anybody remember we flirted with Anthony Allen before the draft and then passed on him for that wasted pick from Yale? The next pick Ozzie Newsome picks up Allen, a day late and a dollar short, the story of the Kansas ity Chiefs, the same team that drafted Javarrius Williams instead of Arian Foster.

Carpe Diem

by TEXAN_CHIEF on Sep 20, 2011 5:13 PM CDT reply actions

Oh yeah I guess every team is 'a day late and a dollar short'

No one drafted Foster.

I don't start arguments, I provoke thinking. -Me
Alameda Ta’amu NT/DE 2012 Draftee

by BAMFSpecialOps on Sep 20, 2011 8:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Hey, I hear...

LJ is a free agent again. Lets bring him back and tell him for every TD he scores, we will let him spit his drink on a female fan.

by jjgray13 on Sep 20, 2011 6:35 PM CDT reply actions

you want a good back

Ask Shanahan, since 1995 through 2006 he has had 6 backs all break a 1000 yards and some cases multiple times.

1000’s rushers.

Mike Anderson – 2000, 2005 – 6th Round Draft Pick
Tatum Bell – 2006 – 2nd Round Draft Pick
Terrell Davis – 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 – 6th Round Draft Pick
Olandis Gary – 1999 – 4th Round Pick
Clinton Portis – 2002, 2003 – 2nd Round Draft Pick
Rueben Droughns – 2004 – Free Agent

by cansoko on Sep 23, 2011 1:47 PM CDT reply actions