Pre Training Camp Gut Feeling Report
It’s been well documented that this time of the year, not only for Chiefs fans but any fan of the NFL, is a notoriously slow time for news, views and articles . So I am reaching here a little with this article but it should get a discussion going of some kind, and that’s the whole point. Right?
I am going to give you my opinion of what the offense, defense and special teams are going to be like this upcoming season. Not based on fact, not statistics, nothing legitimate except for my gut. That’s right, I’m going to give you a “Pre-Training Camp Gut Feeling Report“ on how the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs are going to look if they played tomorrow.
OFFENSE
My gut tells me Brodie Croyle will have a respectable year. Tom Bradyesque? No, let’s not kid ourselves here. But I honestly believe Brodie will play well enough to be the starting quarterback going into the 2009 season. LJ will hopefully get back on track, however, that will be impossible if the biggest question mark going into the offseason doesn’t prove to be fixed-the offensive line. I believe Branden Albert will be a solid left tackle, I don’t know if he will get the national attention Joe Thomas did last yeart as a rookie, but I can see Albert holding down the fort for Brodie’s blind side and doing it very well, maybe even surprisingly well to some. The rest of the offensive line changes? Let’s be honest, and it’s been the battle cry of all Chiefs fans out there-”They can’t be any worse“. Amen.
D Bowe will continue to excel and Tony Gonzalez will be Tony Gonzalez-at least for another year. The rest of the WR’s I’m not so sure about, I don’t even know who they will be. Hopefully a couple of the remaining step it up in training camp and define themselves as the number 2 and 3 receivers-they will have to if the Chiefs are to be successful this year. I’m also pretty excited to see what Brad Cottam can do. I don’t care if he catches a single pass, I just want to see him destroy DB’s and LB’s on the opposing team.
Overall I think the Chiefs surprise a lot of people this year around the NFL, many have already predicted them to finish below .500 and I can see why, but this is Brodie’s third year he has a firm understanding now of what it’s like to stand in a NFL kitchen and take the heat-especially after last season offensive line woes. IF the O-line can put it together and provide running lanes for LJ, then Brodie will be OK, if the line is like last season and allows Croyle to get hammered play in and play out then the Chiefs are done.
DEFENSE
Ok, I know what’s on your mind. Glenn “Catfish Gumbo, Swamp Thing, Tiger, whatever” Dorsey. Can I just go on record here and say that if we must give Mr. Dorsey a nickname, I’m going with my own- Glenn “Kansas City Kajun” Dorsey. That’s right, I spelled “Cajun” with a “K”- I’m crazy like that. Now, back to the show. I believe Glenn will struggle the first 6-8 games, but not like a Ryan Sims kind of struggle. Just a trying to feel out exactly what’s going on here, I’m thinking too much kind of struggle. What I’m trying to say is Glenn will have a much better second half than first half of the season. As I stated in last weeks article, I believe the D Line will struggle as a whole for a little while, I really do. Why? Because of my gut man, that’s why. Moving Hali, no legitimate left defensive end going into camp, a rookie and 2nd year player in the middle. I’m nervous about that, aren’t you?
The linebackers I believe is where the defense will shine this year. Gunther is in control of the linebackers this year as well as the defensive coordinator, that can only be a plus. I’m going to state if right now, right here, Derrick Johnson will be a pro bowler this year. He has grown and improved every year he has been in the league. This is the year of the Derrick, write it down and put it on your fridge. I’m excited to see the defensive backfield this year as well, maybe two rookies at cornerback. I said maybe, so don’t beat me up too bad, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened. Would you? Bernard Pollard has to step it up this year, a second round pick and he still isn’t the clear cut favorite to start this year. He needs to have a great training camp or he might find himself not only out of a starting role, but out of a job come next offseason.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Thank God Eddie Drummond is gone. You talk about awful. Eddie was good at one thing-running 30 yards east to west to go 1 yard north to south. Now, I will have to say that the blocking was not good, which could have caused some of the problem. But, returning punts takes a certain amount of impromtu ability to be effective and break a return wide open when it looks like nothing is there, Eddie didn’t have that. If the blocking wasn’t perfect, Ed was dead in the water. The kicking game was just as bad last year, starting with the failure of Justin Medlock. The Chiefs tried to find someone to kick the ball through the up rights with little success. This year the Chiefs will have a competition for the kicking job-my money is on Connor Barth.
So there you have it, a brief look at what I feel the Chiefs will do this year. I’m not making any win/loss predictions yet, that will come after training camp breaks.
Pretty solid assessment I think. The one thing I would quibble with is Dorsey. I think the time frame for when he starts playing well will be determined in large part by when he signs. If he signs before camp, I could see him starting and playing very well week 1. If he misses a week or two of camp, he will maybe struggle the first half like you said. If he were to miss most of camp however, he might not start a game until midseason.
I just think camp is too important for rookies. We must pray CP doesn’t play his games with Dorsey’s agent.
July 7th, 2008 at 5:40 amI also think if Dorsey gets signed on time, that it won’t take him 7-8 games to adjust to the NFL…maybe 3-4. But even if he is misses a lot of camp, I can’t see him not starting Week 1 – I’d hate to see him get thrown to the wolves, but I think it would happen.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:14 amI also think Dorsey’s REAL nickname is Swamp Thing
Enjoyed the piece, Steven!
July 7th, 2008 at 9:29 amNice piece Steven. Thanks for the read.
I disagree with you on Tamba Hali. I think he will have his best year. He is moved to the side that best exploits his non-stop motor. Not as much run stuffing on the his new side. I predict 10 sacks easily for Hali. Four forced fumbles too. Jared who?
Go Chiefs!
July 7th, 2008 at 10:15 amOK:
- Glenn Dorsey’s nickname (if he must have one) is “Bayou Bruiser”. I thought we’d already established this. However, I would also accept Kansas City Kajun. That is pretty krazy.
- Speaking of the defensive line, It’s pretty much the one thing I’m not worried about at all.
- I would be more concerned about Page losing his job than Pollard (though I love both of them!). Not only is Pollard a more solid safety, but his important presence on special teams is undeniable.
- Brodie’s the guy. Don’t question it, believe it.
- I certainly hope this is a Pro-Bowl year for Derrick Johnson.
- I wish we’d drafted a kick-returner.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:51 amWe did draft a kcik returner
July 7th, 2008 at 12:46 pmYou’re kidding me with the talk of Pollard being canned next offseason, right? Tell me, how many blocked punts did he have last season alone? Mmmhmmm. He will make the team even if he is the 8th rated safety, because he’s our ST Ace, much like Gary Stills was for a long time, before he got shipped to the Ravens.
Let’s be honest- Glenn Dorsey’s REAL nickname is whatever the Chief’s players and/or personnel deign to give him.. I still like Bayou Bruiser, or even Doomsday Dorsey, over Swamp Thing, but that’s just me.
We can’t expect our safeties to make an Ed Reed type of transition to the NFL, it normally takes players awhile to light things up, let’s let the S’s get a chance to shine (more than they already have) before we talk about moving/cutting them, please?
And personally, as for Cottam, I think the kid will be injured and miss most of the year. He only started 7 games in a 4 year college career.. Not awe-inspiring. If you want to see the owning of LB’s in the blocking game, look no farther than Mike Merrit.
And yes, we will be FAR better on at LEAST one of the three phases of the game, Special Teams. We absolutely stunk last year. A kick returner, a solid kicker, better blocking, and one of the best punters in the game should help fix that up. Better O-line, better secondary, a fully revamped ST.. The ‘08 Chiefs may surprise you. Well.. Maybe not you, who is reading this, and is an avid Chiefs’ fan. But the casual spectator will be stunned at the Chiefs next year.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:27 pmGlenn Dorsey’s nickname can be whatever, just as log as it is not “flop” of “Ryan Sims”
July 7th, 2008 at 2:45 pmIt’s too bad Jared got a deal elsewhere.. would have been something to see the Bayou Bruiser alongside the KC Boozer. Whew, good times.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:38 pmBayou Bruiser alongside the KC Boozer. Ha! I like that.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pmSwamp Thing and Wild Thang. Oh well, we still have Tamba “Black Mamba” Hali (OK, Kobe, I stole your nickname…you stole it first from Kill Bill) and T-N-T.
July 7th, 2008 at 4:07 pmThere are to many unknowns to have a gut feeling yet.
The Chiefs know starters for TE,RB,1WR,1G,1T(r),QB:
1DE,1DT(r),2LB,1S,1C(r). My count is 12 known starters. That is one more than half the team. Is that a positive or negative? Well it can only get four games worse than last year.
Even though I’m very on board with the youth movement, I simply can’t get a good take on this team. I’m of the mind that there will be ups and downs, with the rare quarters where all 3 phases work together and maybe win a couple. But then again the team could gel quickly and win 11.
Could we wait and see if Dorsey deserves
July 7th, 2008 at 10:25 pma nickname before we crown him “SwampBruiserKagunBayouMambaDorseyThing”?
Hear about Tony saving the guy’s life in a restaurant? Crazy stuff. A badass football player, and now a ‘hero’. Jason Witten who?
July 7th, 2008 at 11:07 pmDrummond is a good example of how speed can’t be the only asset of a KR/PR…world class speed, high school elusiveness.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:17 pmDrummond didn’t even look that fast to me…maybe it was because he ran straight into a pile of people before he got up to full speed…
July 8th, 2008 at 12:09 pmTo be fair, Drummond was a good kick returner in Detroit. It’s not really his fault the Chiefs’ special teams can’t block.
July 8th, 2008 at 3:05 pmHe got hurt and lost his speed/ability. Come on now, it wouldn’t matter who was blocking for that guy. Thats why he has no job now….
July 8th, 2008 at 3:27 pm