This Year's Donnie Edwards
Last year, we counted on Donnie Edwards, along with Pat Surtain, to provide veteran leadership to a very young defense. I have always been a fan of Donnie’s, but his body just gave out on him. That is a risk you run with old players. Sometimes, their bodies give out. So, I have been thinking. Who might this year’s Donnie Edwards be, if anybody?
My nominee is Zach Thomas. Zach has had a fine career, but he has spent much of camp riding a bike. Is he in danger of being this year’s Donnie Ewards? I think so. In fact, it may be so bad he may be in danger of not making the team. If you assume we carry eight linebackers. You can write down Vrabel, D.J. and Hali as locks. Cory Mays, Andy Studebaker and (yes, he is from Maine) Jovan Belcher may have made this team. That’s six linebackers. We still have Zach, Demorrio, Turk, Money Beisel and Pierre Walters.
What do you think Addicts? Is Zach in danger of not making the team? Do you have a candidate to be this years Donnie Edwards?
Veterans in danger of not making the team in my opinion are:
Bobby Engram
August 25th, 2009 at 2:27 pmZach Thomas
Damion Mcintosh
Eric Ghiaciuc
Rudy Niswonger
Mike Goff
Tyler Thigpen
Brodie Crolye
Kolby Smith
Zach Thomas
Turk McBride
Demorrio Williams
John McGraw
Jon McGraw is a lock. Provides excellent back-up for the secondary but more importantly, he’s just too damn valuable on special teams – probably the best player on that entire unit.
August 25th, 2009 at 2:41 pmDouble D, I respecfully disagree re Mcgraw. He is no lock to make the team.
He’s a Herm Guy (his wife and Herm’s wife are friends) and I point to a special teams TD return last year where he leaped to tackle the runner and misssed completely. It was embarrassing.
He might make the team, but he is no lock.
August 25th, 2009 at 3:07 pmI think McGraw is close to a lock. Pioli and Haley have emphasized special teams, and he is the best player we have, other than Colquitt, on ST.
I also think that Zach Thomas and Engram are locks, as is Goff. Thomas and Engram as much for leadership/culture reasons as much as for playing ones. Goff has played so well over the past five years. I think he will gel if they can get Niswanger and Richardson out of there.
McIntosh and Demorrio are in deep you know what. Turk could be, too.
August 25th, 2009 at 3:19 pmWow Jeremy, Zach Thomas is in so much danger, he made your list twice!
Looks like Thiggy is out of here…YES!!
August 26th, 2009 at 8:40 amkcdan,
Has the trade with Tampa(?) been inked yet? If so, do we know yet what we’re getting for Thiggy?
Just one concern about trading Thiggy – what happens if Cassel gets knocked out for the season due to poor protection? Seems a bit risky to have Croyle in there as the backup under such circumstances.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:52 amDD – I’m hearing Jax. Sounds like the Jags have offered a 5th, but Pioli wants more.
Your concern seems legitimate, however, I think trading Thiggy while he has value is the best time to do it.
I don’t think the best answer to our protection problems, is to have a backup QB that can avoid pressure or injury more. Seems to me, this team is a 4-5 win team reguardless, and if the 60 million dollar man goes down, Pioli will be forced to take drastic steps to repair our line…instead of ‘coaching’ mediocre players to be better than they are.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:03 amJeremy said:
“Bobby Engram
Zach Thomas
Damion Mcintosh
Eric Ghiaciuc
Rudy Niswonger
Mike Goff
Tyler Thigpen
Brodie Crolye
Kolby Smith
Zach Thomas
Turk McBride
Demorrio Williams
John McGraw”
I can pretty much guarantee that Mike Goff, Brodie Croyle, and John McGraw will make the team. Brodie is what we have for a backup now. We’re shopping Thigpen, so why would we drop Brodie as well? Mike Goff will be a starter on our O-line this year, mark my words. John McGraw is one of our best special teams players
I’m pretty confident that Bobby Engram and Rudy Niswanger will make the team as well, due to the need for depth. Damion McIntosh too.
On the subject of shopping Tyler Thigpen:
I think this is a dumb move. What if Cassel goes down early? Then we have Brodie, who is almost certain to suffer some type of injury that will hold him out for several games. So if they both go down, who do we have? Matt Gutierrez?
Not only would I feel more comfortable having Thigpen available as a backup, he’d make a great wildcat quarterback. The wildcat is the thing to do right now, and it’s seeing success, so I sure hope we’re planning on utilizing it.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:31 amI like Thiggy, too. But if we NEED him this year, it’s because we failed to build the offense, again.
I tend to disagree about McBride. First, because I just like him. Second, because I haven’t seen ‘em go to the well for a veteran OLB.
I’m not sure when this “shoppin’ Thiggie” stuff started, but it didn’t penetrate my consciousness until after Gutsy-errez performed like a QB who could run the offense more like Cassel and Croyle.
A wildcat kind of QB is a nice thing, but I think they’re looking at too many people at too many other positions, and something needs to give. It makes more sense to keep the big, lumbering LB as a project player for this 3-4 in its infancy, than it does to keep a 3rd or 4th QB who is probably a longer term project for the offense that’s being created. Thiggy might be a better fit for a WestCoast offense, anyway.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:47 pmWhen asked about Engram, Haley continued to speak highly of him, but said that he told Engram that now’s not the time to be holding back and saving himself for the regular season. I think there’s a chance Engram emerges down the stretch, although the likelihood of SOMEbody from Arizona showing up at 1 Arrowhead to play WR might spell the end of ANY current WRs on the bubble. That Long kid could probably come in tomorrow and make Quinten Lawrence obsolete.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:51 pmAs for the current topic – DOH! – my gut is telling me that Thomas and Vrabel BOTH came to KC with more flexibility to use the offseason the way they wanted. They sort of “split time” with the younger players, with Vrabel skipping OTAs and Thomas avoiding a stupid preseason injury (concussion). No real reason to feel that way, but I can’t help but notice that when Vrabel wasn’t around, Thomas WAS and when Thomas wasn’t around, VRABEL was. Coincidence?
I just think we’d've heard some rumblings beyond just the dry fact that Thomas isn’t participating in contact drills, right now. And Thomas LED the defense during the early going, to get things rolling. I really think he wants to be in on the payoff.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:57 pmAwesome thoughts about Thiggy Hmills thats true you need a guy like him because you have no offensive line
August 27th, 2009 at 12:27 am