I know nobody likes Sorensen's cap number, but I think he's worth it -- he's starting-caliber. He picked off Brady and stopped a 4th and 1 in the AFCCG.
Armani Watts obviously is an injury concern but all safeties are injury concerns, and Watts showed well before he went down.
Jordan Lucas looks really solid.
I don't like Eric Murray so I don't care there, but we're pretty solid at safety, as much as we are any position on the defense. We don't need to spend $12m on Earl Thomas or burn a 1st or 2nd day pick on the position.
Remember the goal: the goal is to get the defense to be league-average while the offense destroys people.
Our safety position right now is league average.
Let's invest in the positions we are less than league average at: corner, passrusher, linebacker. Basically everywhere else on the defense except for safety. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
Hitchens is most likely to start, sure. By default. But the Chiefs should be looking for superior talent regardless.
Ragland is just a guy who happens to be on the roster. Don't forget that the Bills traded his ass because he didn't fit their 43. I expect he'll be replaced.
And that's a lot of "If's" you have there. IF the scheme works. IF they get the right DL. IF they're coached up. And IF all that works, these guys still haven't shown that they can be relied upon to hit the correct gap in time, or be effective in coverage.
They need talent there.
All you're saying is that you hope they can mask the stench of our LB's.
Instead of masking it, they need to infuse some talent there. Because you won't mask it against playoff caliber teams.
Hitchens is a fine player. He was good in Dallas and did everything he was asked to do. There's no reason to believe his problems last year were anything other than Sutton. He doesn't just suddenly suck as a player - that's extremely naive and short-sighted.
He's going to be on the field in both base and sub package. Ragland and Wilson will be on in base, with DOD likely in subs.
Where are you going to get this talent? More 3rd round draft picks that may or may not even be able to beat out DOD?
The LB position needs more Ben Nieman's - late round flyers and UDFA's that can compete and possibly flash.
Anybody that thinks they're going to trade up for White or sign somebody like Brown is setting themselves up to be disappointed. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Hitchens is a fine player. He was good in Dallas and did everything he was asked to do. There's no reason to believe his problems last year were anything other than Sutton. He doesn't just suddenly suck as a player - that's extremely naive and short-sighted.
Shifting all the blame on the coach is ridiculous. His play on the field was bad. Sutton can't tackle, hit the gap and win in coverage for him.
If you think these guys will magically get better because Sutton is gone, you're going to be disappointed.
Did Sutton prohibit Jones from having a good year? Did he prohibit Houston and Ford from being productive players? Does Sutton not get credit for the love this place has for DoD, Ward and Lucas?
But he gets all of the blame for Hitchens sucking shit? C'mon man....players have to play.
You act as if players flaming out in F/A is some abnormal thing. Hitchens wasn't some All-Pro, Pro Bowl player. He doesn't have some long history of outstanding success.
He was aight in Dallas. Nothing more. Trying to lame everything on Sutton is pretty short sighted.
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Where are you going to get this talent? More 3rd round draft picks that may or may not even be able to beat out DOD?
IDK, where you do you think you're going to find this amazing FS at?
You say they'll struggle to find this talent, while in the same breath touting a 4th round pick as this guy they'll struggle to replace. WTH? [Reply]
To be fair, maybe Sutton's scheme had the players thinking too much and reacting too slow. Hitchens was a beast in Dallas, always attacking, but not so much here. I'm willing to bet he didn't forget how to be aggressive.... [Reply]
Honestly im good with the whole defense, it's the perfect time to let our young guys develop. But we still have the draft and we can hit a starting pass rusher and a starting LB I can see this D in the top 20 and if that happens we are more than likely winning the SB. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
Shifting all the blame on the coach is ridiculous. His play on the field was bad. Sutton can't tackle, hit the gap and win in coverage for him.
If you think these guys will magically get better because Sutton is gone, you're going to be disappointed.
First of all, you're preaching to the choir. I spent all last year arguing with people that just firing Sutton wasn't going to make everything magically better.
Second, in the case of Hitchens, we have AMPLE evidence of him playing well before he got to Kansas City. His play last year was anomalous for his career. There HAS to be an explanation for that. He didn't just magically land in KC and start sucking. You act like he's never been able to do those things and that's just flat out false.
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
IDK, where you do you think you're going to find this amazing FS at?
You say they'll struggle to find this talent, while in the same breath touting a 4th round pick as this guy they'll struggle to replace. WTH?
There are a half dozen FS that are good value at anywhere from 28 to 63 and another half dozen CBs. There really aren't ANY middle linebackers there. The MLB class is almost the opposite of the DB class - very top heavy with very little depth.
It's about getting value out of the draft. This defense has needs at every level and the chances of them finding DL and DB help in the first 3 rounds is MUCH greater than finding an upgrade at LB. That's just the long and short of it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tmax63:
Currently I see the Chiefs needing a CB and pass rusher/DE with 2 of the 1st 3 picks and an interior OL with the 3rd if the draft was tomorrow and they still have cap space to play with. That's a long ways from where they were.
Which means we'll be going TE, RB, G, WR with our first 4 picks lol [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
First of all, you're preaching to the choir. I spent all last year arguing with people that just firing Sutton wasn't going to make everything magically better.
Second, in the case of Hitchens, we have AMPLE evidence of him playing well before he got to Kansas City. His play last year was anomalous for his career. There HAS to be an explanation for that. He didn't just magically land in KC and start sucking. You act like he's never been able to do those things and that's just flat out false.
There are a half dozen FS that are good value at anywhere from 28 to 63 and another half dozen CBs. There really aren't ANY middle linebackers there. The MLB class is almost the opposite of the DB class - very top heavy with very little depth.
It's about getting value out of the draft. This defense has needs at every level and the chances of them finding DL and DB help in the first 3 rounds is MUCH greater than finding an upgrade at LB. That's just the long and short of it.
His play in Dallas wasn't spectacular. It was serviceable and he did some things well. Some of you argue like he was an All-Pro. His body of work was "Good Starter". And that stuff can end at any time.
F/A's not working out in their 2nd destination is not uncommon at all. That very well may be what we're seeing here.
And i'm not stuck on MLB. I'm looking at the position group as a whole. They need a talent infusion at the entire position group.
You can't tell me that they can find a 4th round pick that everyone loves, but can't find a guy with 4 picks between rounds 1-3. That makes no sense.
You either believe they can find talent (like a DoD, apparently) or not. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
His play in Dallas wasn't spectacular. It was serviceable and he did some things well. Some of you argue like he was an All-Pro. His body of work was "Good Starter". And that stuff can end at any time.
F/A's not working out in their 2nd destination is not uncommon at all. That very well may be what we're seeing here.
And i'm not stuck on MLB. I'm looking at the position group as a whole. They need a talent infusion at the entire position group.
That's absolutely fair. I've never suggested Hitchens is an All-pro. For sure, I agree he's a "good starter". But then I have to ask - who do you want that is better than a "good starter"? I don't see any available free agents that are clear upgrades at this point and the two guys in the draft that are blue chip prospects are probably untouchable due to draft position.
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
You can't tell me that they can find a 4th round pick that everyone loves, but can't find a guy with 4 picks between rounds 1-3. That makes no sense.
You either believe they can find talent (like a DoD, apparently) or not.
Actually, I was one of the few DOD detractors last season. I wasn't impressed at all. My issue, again, is finding a CLEAR-CUT improvement over him. What you just suggested was basically shotgunning picks, which to me is a complete waste of value. With the depth at DL, CB, and S in this draft class, throwing away draft picks in an attempt to find a possible upgrade at LB is wasteful and wrong.
I guess in a nutshell, it comes down to this. I absolutely AGREE with you that this team could use upgrades at the LB position.
Where we part ways is whether or not said upgrades are even available, let alone feasible. I see a bunch of day 2-3 guys that might be decent and might end up being the next DOD. I don't see any 1st or 2nd round LB prospects that are for sure upgrades over what they have, barring the guys that won't even be there when the Chiefs pick. And it appears the Chiefs have no intention of signing a free agent starting LB, if there is even one available. [Reply]