2012 NFL Season Preview: Kansas City Chiefs
By Editorial Staff
Kansas City Chiefs
Front Office
Owner: Clark Hunt
GM: Scott Pioli
B/B+: This once proud organization was in no man’s land. The Chiefs were not relevant and no one watched them outside their own fan base. Then owner Clark Hunt did a wise thing: he lured away Scott Pioli. Now I believe Pioli to be over rated, but nonetheless he has fan fair and has done a solid job acquiring young talent and building a playoff caliber team. Management will no longer be a problem for this organization.
Coaching Staff
HC: Todd Haley
OC: Bill Muir
DC: Romeo Crennel
B: If I was falling from the sky and had one object I could hold onto to keep me from death: it would be Todd Haley’s ego. Why does he even hire OC if he simply fires them or drives them out the door? Now I have no lost love for Charlie Weis, but do not let ego get in the way of success. Hiring Bill Muir, former OL coach, was pointless. Just run the offense Todd. Bill has no chance to replicate Weiss’ success. I love Romeo Crennel as DC. Crennell is a perfect veteran DC to help mold young talent. If they had retained Weis this grade would have been higher.
QB: C
Matt Cassel must be the happiest QB in the NFL. He is making a ton of money and does very little more than manage a game. He has decent athleticism but has no arm strength and has a tendency to make poor decisions during important games. Weis got the most from Cassell; Now that that Weis is gone it will be hard on Cassell to replicate those numbers. Backup Brodie Croyle is an okay. Average talent equals average grade.
RB: A-
Jamaal Charles is electric. He is a weapon every down he is on the football field. The Chiefs know he needs rest and have used Charles brilliantly. They use the high mileage Thomas Jones to do the dirty work. I believe Jones to have one more season left in him. After this season another power running back will be needed.
WR/TE B-
This will be a young and sometimes electric unit. Their problem is their own youth andCassel’s noodle arm. Dwayne Bowe is an up and coming FA and the Chiefs need to retain him. The newly acquired Jonathan Baldwin will be a very solid #2 target. I think Dexter McCluster will do well in the slot. At TE Tony Moeaki is a very talented at both blocking and receiving.
OL: C
At OT the Chiefs need to do better. At RT there is a big hole that I believe the Chiefs will make a hard play at Tyson Clabo. He is the type of player the Chiefs would love to acquire. Branden Albert has talent he just needs to bring it everyday. I believe one day they will move him to him more natural OG spot. At RG Ryan Lilija is solid. At center Rodney Hudson and Brian Waters and Jon Asamoah will battle it out and then the 2 left over will battle for the LG spot.
DL: C
Glenn Dorsey took a solid step forward last season. He was rotating around and using his power and speed to stuff the run game. Dorsey needs to make more big plays on passing downs. Tyson Jackson is solid but will never justify being the third selection in the 2009 draft. At NT the team hopes they received a steal in Jerrell Powe late in the draft because Ron Edwards is not getting it done. Allen Bailey is very raw but the team believes it can bring out Bailey’s potential.
LB: B+
Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson are both Pro Bowl talents. The Chiefs needs two more people to step up. At ILB Jon Belcher is okay but I expect the team to pursue ILB in FA. At the other OLB Andy Studebaker shows signs of being talented but the Chiefs drafted Justin Houston to push him.
DB: A-
Brandon Flowers is a near shut down CB. He makes big time plays and is aggressive in the run game. Brandon Carr is a rock solid CB on the other side. Carr is a FA and it is unknown if he will be back. Javier Arenas shows the ability to be either a solid starter or a dynamite slot CB. Eric Berry will very soon be the best safety in the league. FS Kendrick Lewis showed to be a steal and will form a killer duo withBerry.
Last Draft
Jonathan Baldwin is a risk. His poor attitude and work ethic is a big concern. He could be a very good WR but it is risky. Rodney Hudson also could be good but his lack of size is concerning. I think he has in the intangibles and solid strength for his size but the NFL DT are much stronger than college DT. Round 3 Allen Bailey and Justin Houston were both risky picks but their potential outweighs the risk in round 3. Jerrell Powe has the potential to be a solid NT one day. B-
Offensive/Defensive Sleepers
Dexter McCluster had a hard time his rookie year. With injuries limiting his speed he was basically useless. I think in year two if he stays healthy he will be a dominate return man and a capable slot WR. 40 receptions for 600 yards and 3 Touchdowns are likely numbers.
I believe Glenn Dorsey made huge strides last season under Crennell. I think in year two of Crennell he will make another huge stride. His ability to play all three positions on the DL is huge bonus. I think his pass rush will develop this season into 3-5 sacks.
Predictions for the Season 8-8
Chiefs had a lot go right for them last season. To expect all those breaks to happen this year is unlikely. Youthful inexperience will hurt them this year as will losing Charlie Weiss. Do not fret Chiefs fans, maybe it is a blessing to be in range to trade up for a QB in next year’s draft.