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Over the last three months nearly to the day, the Kansas City Chiefs new regime has given the ax to 33% of former GM Carl Peterson's 2008 draft picks. The players were drafted to fit Herm Edwards' Cover 2 defensive scheme and his brand of offense.
Here's the rundown on whose been released from the 2008 draft class:
- February 24th TE Michael Merritt: 'All this for a little bit of weed?'
- April 13th WR Will Franklin: Rumored to be out of shape
- April 21st KR Kevin Robinson: Injury/production concerns
- May 27th OLB/DE Brian Johnston: Might not have fit the 3-4
Here's a quick glance at who was drafted, who is gone and who is still here.
| Pick | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Status |
| Round 1 Pick 5 (5) | Glenn Dorsey | DT | 6'1" | 297 | ??? |
| Round 1 Pick 15 (15) (From Lions) | Branden Albert | OG | 6'6 | 309 | Starter |
| Round 2 Pick 4 (35) | Brandon Flowers | CB | 5'10 | 189 | Starter |
| Round 3 Pick 10 (73) (From Broncos through Vikings) | Jamaal Charles | RB | 5'11 | 200 | #2 RB |
| Round 3 Pick 13 (76) (From Lions) | Brad Cottam | TE | 6'8 | 270 | 1st year starter |
| Round 3 Pick 19 (82) (From Vikings) | DaJuan Morgan | S | 6'0 | 205 | ??? |
| Round 4 Pick 6 (105) | WR | 6'1 | 214 | Waived 4/13 | |
| Round 5 Pick 5 (140) | Brandon Carr | CB | 6'0 | 207 | Starter |
| Round 6 Pick 4 (170) | Barry Richardson | OT | 6'7 | 320 | ??? |
| Round 6 Pick 16 (182) (From Vikings) | WR | 6'0 | 190 | Waived 4/21 | |
| Round 7 Pick 3 (210) | DE | 6'5 | 276 | Waived 5/27 | |
| Round 7 Pick 32 (239) (From Giants) | TE | 6'3 | 270 |
Waived 2/24 |
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The Question Marks
DE Glenn Dorsey: How will he react to a position change?
My take: The position change is a tad overblown in my opinion but still needs to be answered. The move to defensive end likely won't highlight Dorsey's strengths but it's a key part of the 3-4 and could still be used in that capacity.
TE Brad Cottam: Can he be the starter after Tony Gonzalez's departure?
My take: We saw very little of Cottam in 2008 in the role he'll be asked to play in 2009. This is an unknown at this point.
S DaJuan Morgan: What can he offer?
My take: He appeared in 15 games for the Chiefs last season and totaled 14 tackles. He's also a complete unknown at this point. When he was selected, it was largely attributed as a "value" pick (as in he was rated much higher on the Chiefs board).
OL Barry Richardson: Can he contribute?
My take: He's got the size to contribute but the word on him coming out was he lacked the technique. He's still on the roster, which I guess is a good sign, but so is Damion McIntosh and he's got 10 times the salary as Richardson.
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33% of the 2008 class is GONE.
By my count, only four players have definitive roles on the team (Albert, Flowers, Charles and Carr). That's not meant to say Dorsey won't be on this team in two years but he's yet to show he can play the position he's being asked to play. Same with Cottam. So it's only fair to label them as question marks right now.
The 2008 class was lauded as the best in 20 years for the Chiefs by a lot of folks. Though that title could still come to fruition, the new regime isn't hesitant about getting their guys in there.