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The one thing the Kansas City Chiefs should've done differently this offseason

What would it be?

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

We're almost there. Just a few more weeks until something that kind of resembles football news.

We persevere because we mailbag. Let's get right to it. Oh, in advance, this mailbag contains "Game of Thrones" spoilers. So... yeah, consider yourself warned. Also, the thing aired, like, months ago. At a certain point you need to sit down and watch the stupid thing. There are few things more insufferable than people who scream "spoilers!" more than a month after something has happened.

Anyway, what were we... right, mailbag.

I feel good about the run defense. Excuses are like opinions in that everyone has got one, but very few teams had as GOOD an excuse to struggle against the run as the Chiefs did last year. They lost their best run defender at literally every level of the defense for the majority of the season, including the absolute heart and soul of the run defense.

Mike DeVito, Derrick Johnson, and Eric Berry are the best run-defending DL, LB, and secondary player the Chiefs had. Losing just one of them is tough. Losing all of them? Downright gross.

However, even with that struggle the Chiefs AT TIMES flashed some ability to stop the run when it really counted. If you think I'm crazy, go back and re-watch the Seattle game. Once Russell Wilson was very clearly not able to do much against the Chiefs' exceptional pass defense with his arm, the defense was able to focus on Marshawn Lynch. And when it counted, they got the job done.

The issue for the defense last year is that it wasn't able to be superb against the pass AND solid against the run on the same snap. Inserting DJ and DeVito into the starting lineup is a big, big, big, BIG deal on that front. DJ on his own is a life-altering force of nature against the run who is guaranteed to have 2-3 stuffs all on his own every single game.

Do I think the run defense will be great? No idea, though with DeVito (hopefully) next to Dontari Poe and a better-than-he-ever-was-while-DeVito-was-healthy Allen Bailey, it could at least have a shot (again, with DJ manning his post again). However, all the run defense needs to be is decent. Just decent enough that it's not a glaring weakness to exploit. And I think it will be.

Well, the offseason isn't over yet, so we'll see. That said, I might have done things a little differently in the draft. I think everyone knew about my massive crush on Tyler Lockett. I would've liked for them to find a way to snag him. Other than that this was my favorite Dorsey draft so far.

One thing they did NOT do was address the center position via free agency. All due respect to Eric Kush (who I hope shows massive improvement this year) and Mitch Morse (who looks 35 and seems OK with it. I respect that), I'm just not comfortable with where the offensive line is at that spot.

Personally, I think Donald Stephenson will step up in a contract year. He strikes me as that kind of guy, frankly (not necessarily an insult, just seems like maybe a fire needs to be lit there). So I'm not TOO worried about RT. And there are enough warm bodies at right guard (and you'll remember I'm warmer on Jeff Allen than most) to get competent play there. That center position worries me though.

We saw last year how a glaring weakness on the OL can totally destroy entire game plans and limit the offense as a whole. I'd like to avoid a similar scenario. There were multiple "competent" centers on the market, and I really didn't hear much noise about the Chiefs going after them. Would've been a good move, especially with Ben Grubbs massively upgrading the LG spot.

The offensive line was my biggest worry going into last year, and unfortunately I feel the same way this year. Doing more to replace Hudson would have been my change. Other than that this was a pretty solid offseason.

Will anyone ever watch Game Of Thrones again after the season finale?

Redeyedrat

Attached to this email was this video (one of the many FANTASTIC "reaction videos" that make GoT a fun experience).

SPOILER ALERT (and seriously, c'mon. Get it done)

Yes, people will absolutely continue to watch for several reasons.

First, there's no way Jon is actually, permanently dead. No way. Not when Martin famously gave the producers rights to do a TV show after they successfully answered who Jon's mother is. It makes no sense if Jon is just some dude who dies. Anyone with half a brain can see the crumbs that have been dropped regarding Jon's central importance to the plot here (one of my complaints about Martin's actual writing is his utter lack of subtlety. It's SO obvious what's going on yet I really think he thinks it's a big secret).

Second, one more beloved character death isn't going to shake the GoT audience. If they made it through Ned's death and the Red Wedding (let alone the Mountain and the Viper), they're sticking it out to the end. Yeah, people will complain and whine and tweet how "done" they are, but it's no more real than the Cavs' fans swearing they'd "never forgive LeBron." At the end of the day people are going to want to know how it ends, and they'll tune in.

On a separate note, I was thinking as I watched (and laughed) at that reaction video. Have I ever care so much about characters in a fictitious setting that I reacted as strongly as those people do to Jon's "death?" I just can't think of a time I was so upset about a fictional character dying that I was genuinely outraged.

(thinking)

(thinking)

(thinking)

Yeah, I got nothing. t least, not as an adult. There were a few that killed me as a kid. Mufasa. That ant on "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" (man, I must've cried for an hour solid at that one). Aslan (before I realized what C.S. Lewis was doing with that).

Oh, hey, I thought of one! Remember when "Dexter" was a fantastic show? Its last couple of seasons were really, really uneven (Mrs. MNchiefsfan and I didn't even finish it). But for a time, that show was great. The season with John Lithgow guest starring as a completely deranged serial killer was particularly fantastic. When Dexter found Rita in that tub, I was about as "holy crap holy crap nonononononono" as I could be.

I know some people didn't like Rita as a character. Me, I was fond of her in that she was just a really gentle soul. She also reminded me of "Angel" (a Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff that was long one of my "man I'm ashamed I watch this" shows that I absolutely loved), so that was bonus points for her. The idea of someone as... nice as her dying like that just didn't sit right with me.

The only other "HOLY CRAP" time I can remember as an adult is the end of "Seven." Basically, no twist ending is ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER going to top that.

I'm seriously depressed now after giving this topic so much thought. Who (or what) did I miss for "moments on screen or in books that made you feel like you were sinking into an ocean of depression?" Let me know in the comments, and we'll see you next mailbag.

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