Kansas City Chiefs Draft Recap: Arrowhead Addict Interview

Patrick Allen, a fellow fansider at www.arrowheadaddict.com answered some questions for me about the Chiefs and their draft.

1). What are the Chiefs needs after the draft?

In my opinion, their needs are almost exactly the same as they were before the draft. WR, C, T, NT.

The two I’ve taken off are OLB and QB. They addressed QB issues by taking Ricky Stanzi and with Cameron Sheffield, Justin Houston and Andy Studebaker. They should be ok there.

With the rest of the positions, while the Chiefs did address WR, C and NT, these are rookies we are talking about. To expect a bunch of rookies to walk in every year and take over starting spots is foolish and I don’t think the Chiefs are fools. They could stand to continue to address these areas in free agency if it ever happens. I would like to see some veterans brought in at all of these positions to stabilize things because these rookies have never played a down.

2). You went to the draft this year? How was the experience at Radio City Music Hall this year?

The first night was terrible. The draft is great fun but as a media member it was hell because the internet was down the entire night. I could have done better work from home. The frustration spoiled things for me but the NFL sorted it out for the last two days.

As for the fan experience I think it is top of the line. The NFL makes sitting around for hours and hearing names called interesting. There are all sorts of activities for the fans and I would recommend that every NFL fan try to do it at least once.

3). Did it surprise you the Chiefs took Ricky Stanzi, a player Larry McDaniel (www.withthefirstpick.com) has compared to Matt Cassell?

Not at all. I was nearly 100% sure the Chiefs were going to take a QB. I figured they snag one somewhere from the 3rd round on. I love the pick and I think they got him at the perfect time. Cassel has improved but the league teaches us every year it is foolish to put all your eggs in one QB’s basket. If Cassel gets hurt or sees a decline in play the Chiefs have a viable, long term option available. Smart management by Pioli.

4). Did the Chiefs make the right call with Jon Baldwin in the first round?

I have no idea. Talk to me about halfway through the season. I think they made the right call in taking a WR in the first round because I see it as their biggest need. Todd Haley knows WR’s and his work with them speaks for itself so if he thinks he can coach Baldwin up then he is probably right. Every draft pick is a risk. Like I said, I like the pick now. We’ll see.

5). What was the Chiefs Best pick this year?

I think it was Justin Houston. The kid has first round talent and I don’t think the Chiefs took his character concerns lightly. Could it come back to bite them in the rear? Sure. But they took Houston in the 3rd round. They won’t be into him for a lot of money and he represents pure value. If they had taken him in the first round I would say they were nuts but the third? As I said, all draft picks are a risk. The Houston pick, in my opinion, could turn out to be remembered as one of the best in this draft.

6). What was the Chiefs worst pick?

Chiefs Nation isn’t a fan of the Gabe Miller pick. I don’t think people have as much problem with Miller as a player but a lot of folks seem to think the Chiefs could have gotten him much later and maybe even as an UDFA.

I don’t really have a strong objection to any of the picks. Pioli goes bargain hunting in the later rounds and I think that is a smart move.

7). Rank the drafts in the division from best to worst in your opinion.

1. Chiefs/Broncos
2. Raiders/Chargers

I don’t think I can come up with a 1-4 list. I think the Donkeys and the Chiefs had pretty solid drafts but I can’t tell you which is better at this point. I think the Chiefs and Donks had better drafts than the Chargers and Raiders but again, hard for me to separate them. I’m leaning Raiders though.

8). What do the fans of the Chiefs think about the draft?

Chiefs fans gave the draft a B in our AA poll. After the Baldwin pick, this was a pretty meat and potatoes draft for the Chiefs. They stocked up on lineman, linebackers and depth. Not a ton of exciting picks but picks with huge payoff potential. I’d say Chiefs Nation is cautiously optimistic.

9). Considering how the Chiefs drafted this year, based on their current roster how many wins do you think can ball park the chiefs for this year?

Ball park? I’d say a floor of 6 and a ceiling of 11. This is a touch schedule for the Chiefs and a lot of factors will decide how well they handle it. I can’t see them winning any less than 6 games but I have a hard time seeing them win more than 10 or 11 either. Based on the schedule, I thin a 10 win season would be an improvement on the 10 win season from 2010 because the quality of the wins would be better. If the Chiefs can win 10 or 11 in 2011 I think they will likely win a playoff game.

10). Anything else to add about the Chiefs and/or the draft?

Not really. Free agency is going to be very, very important for the Chiefs. If they can add some quality veteran free agents they could do some serious damage next year. If their rookies don’t pan out, they have a poor free agency or they get hit with a major injury, they could take a step back in 2011 but the arrow is definitely pointing up. There is a lot to be excited about for Chiefs fans.

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