Who Can The Chiefs Live With?

I'd love to see all four upgraded, but if I had to rank them in order I'd go WR and NT tied at 1, followed by C, and then RT. Here's the thing about the NT. Our ILBs both excel at getting to the ball carrier in space. However, they both are very weak at shedding blockers. So when the NT doesn't draw a double team that leaves an OG free to drive DJ or Belcher out of the play. If the team has a good blocking FB following through the hole then there goes the other ILB and now the RB is into the secondary and probably picking up a first down. An upgrade at NT that constantly must be double teamed would allow the ILBs to roam and make plays. This would allow us to stop the run without crowding the line of scrimmage. This would put more defenders in the middle of the field where we have been picked apart time and time again. I really feel a dominant NT would dramatically change our defense. I just don't know if there is one out there to go get. Great article Merlin.

Big Ron needs help, but i'd be fine with him starting next year so long as we find someone to actually rotate with him. For WR, i kinda want to see us make a trade, i think either Justin Gage or Nate Washington of the Titans could come pretty cheaply, and both are solid #2 receivers. For our top pick, i would like to see either a C or a RT, depending on what Weigmann does. If he wants to come back, i'd be fine with that and say draft a RT, if he decides to retire then our top pick should go toward a center.

Good article. Can Weigman play in '11? Up to him and Haley. Richardson can fill in well enough and has an upside (as opposited to T Jackson, who is beginning to be looked on as a bust). For support at WR, we need to look at free agents, not every stiff off the street and dump what is on roster. As for the draft, do not see OL or WR with first pick, see NT (not from LSU, please). After that a C would be nice, then LB for strength and special teams, and maybe a QB sleeper. Skip S and TEs this year.

Not too concerned about upgrading the interior O line this year, but if we can get some value in the middle rounds it would be a good thing. We must get another WR and ASAP. I like the idea of picking up a proven talent via FA rather than squandering a 1st round pick on one. I am also in favor of getting a stud NT.

I agree with you on wide receiver and right tackle. Meanwhile, flip your opinions on center and nose tackle and that's where I sit. I like Wiegmann but he was getting shoved around towards the end of the season. At 37 years old I'm not sure if he can be adequate for another season. However, Edwards seemed to do okay this year. Not great, but at 31 I'm more willing to believe he's got some left in the tank. To list those 4 positions in order of necessity I would go: 1) Wide Receiver 2) Center 3) Nose Tackle 4) Right Tackle Mind you that's not what round they should be drafted in, but how necessary that one is drafted.

I think we need to get a center in the draft, but am ok with Wiegmann starting another year. Same goes for Barry Richardson. We NEED another WR and stat. Like free agency. A gamble on a rookie WR, even in the 1st round, won't cut it. Bring in Larry Fitz please. The rest is ok for now but we should no doubt be building depth through the draft to back these guys up.

Merlin, Spot on pionts, but I would love to see a fresh young center added to this team.

Honestly I could even live with Sweet Ron for another year. I'm beginning to suspect Pioli might not be as obsessed with the NT position as we all assumed he'd be. Maybe it isn't actually all important? I don't know, I think for this defense I'd be more likely to keep trying to find guys like Sweet Ron and Perv Smith for the line. No more high draft picks. Please God. We've seen what a 1st pick can do if you use it somewhere else on the defense (Berry, Hali, DJ). More of an impact. Go bargain basement for the line. I like Wiegmann, but he gots to go. Too old, not strong enough, no longer quick. I've been wanting the chiefs to draft a center ever since Wiegmann left the first time. I also don't want Richardson starting. Would be totally cool with picking Paddy's boy Costanzo. Might as well have some fun with it. Receiver. Uh, yeah. New blood please.

Merlin - I think you pegged it. I agree with all of your points. The one position that really bothers me is DE and Tyson Jackson. Would a very good to great prospect in the draft here be the ticket? Granted, popular opinion is that D line personnel take a few extra years to develop, but I can't decide if we have seen enough out of this guy to say that he is on schedule or not.

Excellent Article. We can live with all of those players expcept the wide receivers. They all have to go. IMO. Ron Edwards is underappreciated but he does need help.

I'd love to see all four upgraded, but if I had to rank them in order I'd go WR and NT tied at 1, followed by C, and then RT.

Here's the thing about the NT. Our ILBs both excel at getting to the ball carrier in space. However, they both are very weak at shedding blockers. So when the NT doesn't draw a double team that leaves an OG free to drive DJ or Belcher out of the play. If the team has a good blocking FB following through the hole then there goes the other ILB and now the RB is into the secondary and probably picking up a first down. An upgrade at NT that constantly must be double teamed would allow the ILBs to roam and make plays. This would allow us to stop the run without crowding the line of scrimmage. This would put more defenders in the middle of the field where we have been picked apart time and time again. I really feel a dominant NT would dramatically change our defense.

I just don't know if there is one out there to go get.

Great article Merlin.

Big Ron needs help, but i'd be fine with him starting next year so long as we find someone to actually rotate with him. For WR, i kinda want to see us make a trade, i think either Justin Gage or Nate Washington of the Titans could come pretty cheaply, and both are solid #2 receivers. For our top pick, i would like to see either a C or a RT, depending on what Weigmann does. If he wants to come back, i'd be fine with that and say draft a RT, if he decides to retire then our top pick should go toward a center.

Good article. Can Weigman play in '11? Up to him and Haley. Richardson can fill in well enough and has an upside (as opposited to T Jackson, who is beginning to be looked on as a bust). For support at WR, we need to look at free agents, not every stiff off the street and dump what is on roster. As for the draft, do not see OL or WR with first pick, see NT (not from LSU, please). After that a C would be nice, then LB for strength and special teams, and maybe a QB sleeper. Skip S and TEs this year.

Not too concerned about upgrading the interior O line this year, but if we can get some value in the middle rounds it would be a good thing. We must get another WR and ASAP. I like the idea of picking up a proven talent via FA rather than squandering a 1st round pick on one. I am also in favor of getting a stud NT.

I agree with you on wide receiver and right tackle.

Meanwhile, flip your opinions on center and nose tackle and that's where I sit.

I like Wiegmann but he was getting shoved around towards the end of the season. At 37 years old I'm not sure if he can be adequate for another season.

However, Edwards seemed to do okay this year. Not great, but at 31 I'm more willing to believe he's got some left in the tank.

To list those 4 positions in order of necessity I would go:

1) Wide Receiver
2) Center
3) Nose Tackle
4) Right Tackle

Mind you that's not what round they should be drafted in, but how necessary that one is drafted.

I think we need to get a center in the draft, but am ok with Wiegmann starting another year. Same goes for Barry Richardson.

We NEED another WR and stat. Like free agency. A gamble on a rookie WR, even in the 1st round, won't cut it. Bring in Larry Fitz please.

The rest is ok for now but we should no doubt be building depth through the draft to back these guys up.

Merlin,
Spot on pionts, but I would love to see a fresh young center added to this team.

Honestly I could even live with Sweet Ron for another year. I'm beginning to suspect Pioli might not be as obsessed with the NT position as we all assumed he'd be. Maybe it isn't actually all important? I don't know, I think for this defense I'd be more likely to keep trying to find guys like Sweet Ron and Perv Smith for the line. No more high draft picks. Please God. We've seen what a 1st pick can do if you use it somewhere else on the defense (Berry, Hali, DJ). More of an impact. Go bargain basement for the line.

I like Wiegmann, but he gots to go. Too old, not strong enough, no longer quick. I've been wanting the chiefs to draft a center ever since Wiegmann left the first time.

I also don't want Richardson starting. Would be totally cool with picking Paddy's boy Costanzo. Might as well have some fun with it.

Receiver. Uh, yeah. New blood please.

Merlin - I think you pegged it. I agree with all of your points. The one position that really bothers me is DE and Tyson Jackson. Would a very good to great prospect in the draft here be the ticket? Granted, popular opinion is that D line personnel take a few extra years to develop, but I can't decide if we have seen enough out of this guy to say that he is on schedule or not.

Excellent Article. We can live with all of those players expcept the wide receivers. They all have to go. IMO.

Ron Edwards is underappreciated but he does need help.