Costing over $65M, which ranks 1st overall in positional cap dollar expenditure, the defensive line continues to be the team's biggest money pit. This has been a theme for the past three years. The reason is clear, the Chiefs fell into a damned-if-you-do; damned-if-you-don't scenario.
Damned-if-you-do (The good draft outcome): Drafted in RD2 of the 2016 NFL draft, Chris Jones turned out to be more effective than the team imagined. Even when the team was dead last in the league at stopping the run and preventing TDs, Jones was still dominant at his position. He now has 65 career sacks (15.5 this year), 12 forced fumbles, and 33 passes defended from the interior. When the quality of D-linemen around him did not hold up, Jones stepped up and earned a nice, fat (4 yr/$80M) paycheck.
Damned-if-you-don't (The draft lacking outcome): An NFL reality... When you finish at the top of the pack, you draft last. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, EDGE rushers tend to go early. Where the draft was not able to provide, free agency did. The Chiefs outbid other teams to land Frank Clark for 5 yrs at $104M. Clark has 12.5 sacks less his last 4 years as a Chief (19.5 sacks) than he did his first 4 years as a Seahawk (36).
The Omnibus Appropriations Bill, posted to the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, will determine the fate of EDGE Andre Carter II. The Reese's Senior Bowl selection has accumulated 20 sacks, 2 INTs, 5 forced fumbles and 2 blocked kicks during his collegiate career. If the bill stalls, he could drop... providing the Chiefs a more affordable and quality option at EDGE.
If they bring in another RB then CEH is gone. And that offensive line is fucked after one injury. Reiter is trash and I'm not relying on Wylie as your backup for the OG spots. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Direckshun:
I think you can haggle over the players taken, but I actually think the positions selected make a lot of sense where they were selected.
We need ANOTHER 2nd round safety? To relegate LAST season's 2nd round safety to a 3rd safety role again?
Oh, and a 4th round RB to platoon with the guy we took in the 7th round who was popping off 5 yards/carry once we gave him the ball? Because we've not had any success at finding scrap-heap complementary RBs....
No, those are TERRIBLE positions to select there. For a team that needs DL, OL and WR help, targeting S and RB anywhere on the 2nd day (or early 3rd) is ridiculous. [Reply]
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
If they bring in another RB then CEH is gone. And that offensive line is fucked after one injury. Reiter is trash and I'm not relying on Wylie as your backup for the OG spots.
I'm a hell of a lot more inclined to rely on Wylie as a backup OG than I am a late 4th round OT as my starting RT.
Hell, I'd rely on Wylie as the starting OT before I put McClendon in there.
Which is why we have no business drafting a safety in the 2nd. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
We need ANOTHER 2nd round safety? To relegate LAST season's 2nd round safety to a 3rd safety role again?
Oh, and a 4th round RB to platoon with the guy we took in the 7th round who was popping off 5 yards/carry once we gave him the ball? Because we've not had any success at finding scrap-heap complementary RBs....
No, those are TERRIBLE positions to select there. For a team that needs DL, OL and WR help, targeting S and RB anywhere on the 2nd day (or early 3rd) is ridiculous.
Cook, in this scenario, would still be playing ~60% of the snaps. So, not ideal but it's not like you've flushed him.
I have not particularly liked what I've seen out of Cook on the field this year. I do defer to the coaching staff, however, and if they don't feel like he's ready for the S2 role, then it makes sense to make a big investment to lock that position down.
Too high for Tykee Smith and too low for Warren McClendon IMO. Just switch them I guess, and it makes a lot of sense. I honestly wouldn't mind this draft. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
Why in gods name are we wanting to replace Pacheco with "some wiggle" by blowing a 4th rounder on it?
Do we have no sense of any value here? Say you get a 25% better RB. Was that worth it at all?
It's not just about the yards on the ground. It's also about the yards in the air.
I don't particularly know if Pacheco's success on the ground has caused defenses to stay honest against the run. McKinnon was ripping off 7 yards a carry in last year's AFCCG but the Bengals kept dropping 8.
If Bigsby tests well, he's 2nd round value. If you can add a guy who can not only get the yards you need but can somehow penetrate the defense's mindset the way Pacheco has yet to do, you may finally be able to keep them honest.
Coburn is going to be a solid pickup for whoever gets him. Most of his career at Texas was filled with revolving defensive coordinators. When he finally got back to back seasons with the same system, he really flourished as a productive run stopper who has some skill getting to the passer. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Direckshun:
It's not just about the yards on the ground. It's also about the yards in the air.
I don't particularly know if Pacheco's success on the ground has caused defenses to stay honest against the run. McKinnon was ripping off 7 yards a carry in last year's AFCCG but the Bengals kept dropping 8.
If Bigsby tests well, he's 2nd round value. If you can add a guy who can not only get the yards you need but can somehow penetrate the defense's mindset the way Pacheco has yet to do, you may finally be able to keep them honest.
And then Mahomes eats.
Any time, as a DC, I can run a defense that makes Patrick Mahomes hand the ball off.....well, yeah.
What does penetrate the defenses mindset even mean? [Reply]