Greetings, Internet friends. It’s been a while since we chatted here. I’ve been busy lately with regular life stuff I won’t bore you with, but our newest draft class has never been far from my mind. And since I’ve gotten a couple emails from readers (friends and relatives) wanting to know my thoughts on the draft, I thought I’d put pen to paper, as it were*.

*Note: I don’t write on Mondays when Paddy and I do AA Radio Sunday. It’s an either/or. Trust me, you people don’t want to be seeing me more than once a week. 

I’m still a Poe boy; nothing has changed there. But from what I can tell, my reasons for being a Poe Boy differ from some of yours.

“He’s a Chief, let’s get behind him!” is a nice sentiment, but shouldn’t factor into objective analysis. ”Gotta trust Romeo” is something I’ve said, about this pick even, but the truth is that although our defense is on the rise, Crennel hasn’t delivered a top-10 unit yet. And in any case, I’m not in the habit of bestowing unconditional trust on men who run sports teams. You know, because I’m from Kansas City?

There are two reasons I really like this pick. The first is that it’s further proof we don’t have Scott Pioli pegged. I like that. My fear with him was always that he was too safe, or risk-averse, or, for lack of a better word, lame. Homerun swings are definitely not lame. Chicks dig the long ball, after all.

But really, I just find this to be a fascinating experiment. I have no idea how it will end. Bust? Maybe. There are concerns. Valid ones. For one thing, I always raise an eyebrow at the concept of “coaching up.” Not that coaches are unimportant, far from it. It’s just that the people already in the industry have a vested interest in the “coaching up” concept, because it assigns credit for success to them, not the players. Because of the high turnover rate among coaches and GMs in professional sports, these guys have to constantly defend their own work. ”We’re gonna coach ‘im up.” Sure. Herm Edwards used to say it, for Christ’s sake.

Still, what happens when you give a defensive coach the best athlete in the draft to fill his last remaining position of need? We’re about to find out. Poe is also a really interesting data point in the widely held belief that the Combine is overrated. Fail or succeed, and we learn a lesson.

I can understand not wanting another D-tackle. Lord knows the Chiefs have whiffed there a time or two. But Poe really isn’t that similar to Ryan Sims, or Tyson Jackson. I like to think of him as more of an Eric Downing 2.0 type.

Kidding. I don’t know what’s going to happen here, but I have this feeling Poe will make Tin Man and Dorsey look like they’re moving through water. I also think he’ll have more sacks than either, even as a rookie. The Chiefs are already referring to him as a three-down lineman. Can you imagine such a thing? A lineman picked high in the first round who doesn’t have to come out on the most important downs? It’s like we just drafted a mythical creature.

Poe excites me. I can’t say the same about the rest of the class. Cyrus Gray and DeQuan Menzie both get an early thumbs up, but it’s tough to expect too much from late-round picks before we’ve even seen them.

Jeff Allen seems like a decent pick, but I can’t help but wonder if Pioli is overvaluing Allen’s supposed versatility. The Chiefs think he can play guard, too. Couldn’t basically any tackle play guard? I mean, failed tackles move to guard all the time. Remember John Welbourn?

Crennel says they just want to play the best five linemen. I applaud that mentality. But if you draft specifically for versatility, you’re not really being flexible, are you? It seems to me most good linemen would be capable of playing a few positions well. I’d prefer to see them pick the best players, and then find a spot for them. Maybe that’s what they’re doing with Allen. But the immediate talk of versatility makes me wonder.

In the end, Allen is a solid lineman, and you can never have too many of those. We do need at least one guy who can step in and do a decent job in case of injury. This was probably a solid pick, but it didn’t wow me.

Donald Stephenson appears likely to follow in the footsteps of Donald Washington. And what I mean by that is I think they’re going to convert him to safety. I know he’s 300 pounds, but I’ve got a feeling.

Even if drafting a potential replacement for Branden Albert is sound planning, I don’t particularly like what it says. I fear Albert may be the next good player to hit the old dusty trail. But perhaps a more likely scenario is that Stephenson simply never becomes a starter.

Devon Wylie makes me wonder how many receivers we’ll carry this season. I’m going to assume D-Bowe is playing for us this year. Baldwin and Breaston are locks. Is McCluster a receiver? Does Terry Copper somehow make this team again? Are Wylie and Junior “Steinbeck” Hemingway in competition for a roster spot? Questions. Questions that need answering. I say we bring in Quinten Lawrence to mentor the whole lot of ‘em. Sure he’s a defensive back for the Dolphins now, but he’s also a former member of Todd Haley’s Core (THC). Methinks a future first-round pick could pry him away and get him back where he belongs.

Last year’s draft class is still my favorite, but to me Poe is unquestionably Pioli’s boldest first-round pick. Fortune favors the bold.  I think it was Jimmy Raye who first said that?

Poe Boys Unite

Regular readers of Arrowhead Adventures will know how much your Arrowhead Adventurer looks forward to the draft party! This year even more.

The Kansas City Chiefs organization decided to have two, one for the general public, and one for season ticket holders.

This was one party I wasn’t going to miss. As it turns out, I am very glad I didn’t.

Arrowhead Stadium remains the cheapest season ticket in the league at $250.00.  And with no license fee to boot. (I think the Vikings sell a ten dollar seat. Screw them. ) 

When Lamar Hunt built the bohemuth we call Arrowhead in the middle of a cornfield in one of the smallest venues in the NFL he did it for a simple reason. He wanted anyone who could afford dinner and a movie to be able to afford a day at Arrowhead.

A simple fact that Clark made sure remains true today. __________room to argue this provided, that’s what blogging is all about.

Entry to the season ticket holders party was free. The first string cheerleaders were there. Many current and past players were there. Free concession stand food was provided to us, all you could eat. Free first beer, two dollar drafts after that. All the soft drinks you could slosh.

Cheap Chiefs gear! Tables and tables of it! All less than twenty five bucks, most five and ten bucks! Hats, jerseys, hoodies, shirts. A gear junkies dream.

I took my photo with two of the cheerleaders! Both claimed to know about Arrowhead Addict when they saw from my shirt I was a staffer! One knew my posts! woohoo! 

I got to try on my free jersey given to all season ticket holders this year! I took my photo with Warpaint and the gal that rides that beautiful horse.

And not one single person tried to sell me anything. Not one.

Pioli, Hunt, and of course Romeo addressed us. Minutes before they were to go in the room next to ours and make multimillion dollar decisions about the future of the organization. That absolutely blew me away.

They didn’t have to do that. But they cared enough to do it anyway.

And as my buddy Kent is always quick to point out, none of the “free stuff” I described is really free. 

When the cheerleaders leave, so do we!

But my point today is that Lamar Hunt and the Hunt family today have made sure that for $250, a person can get ten tickets to see the greatest NFL team in the world play in the greatest NFL stadium in the world. And be treated at the draft party like a big deal.

 But how about you gang? What did you do for the draft?

When Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli sat down with the media after the conclusion of the 2012 NFL Draft he stated that he was excited because the core of the 2012 Chiefs is now in place. He did say that in addition to undrafted free agents they were also talking with some veteran free agents so we could see some more roster additions before training camp rolls around. However, we now have a good idea at what the 2012 Chiefs will look like. So the question is, have they improved?

So today we’ll look at the roster by position and see if we’re in better shape now than we were last season.

Let’s get started….

Quarterback

Last season: Matt Cassel/Kyle Orton, Tyler Palko, Ricky Stanzi

This season: Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn, Ricky Stanzi

I know many KC fans are frustrated by the fact that Cassel is going to be the starter for another season. But the fact of the matter is that the QB situation is still better today than it was a year ago. Brady Quinn may not be great but he’s definitely better than Tyler Palko as the #2 QB and Ricky Stanzi will now have a full offseason program to help him develop. It’s not a drastic improvement, but an improvement nonetheless.

Running Back

Last season: Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster, LeRon McClain

This season: Jamaal Charles, Peyton Hillis, Dexter McCluster, Cyrus Gray

Charles being injured almost the entire season last year was a devastating blow to the position. His return upgrades the position by itself. The additions of Hillis and Gray should also be upgrades over Jones and Battle. The only question is the FB position. However, even if last year’s seventh-round pick Shane Bannon fills the role (but I wouldn’t rule out a veteran FA signing), the overall RB squad is still much improved.

Wide Receiver

Last season: Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston, Jonathan Baldwin, Terrance Copper, Jeremy Horne, Keary Colbert, Jerheme Urban

This season: Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston, Jonathan Baldwin, Devon Wylie, Junior Hemmingway, Terrance Copper, Jeremy Horne

I’m working under the assumption that Bowe will play this season under the franchise tag. I’m not sure if he’ll sign a long-term deal or not, but even if he doesn’t he should still eventually report and play hard to earn a fat paycheck from someone in 2013. Other than that we’re basically looking at the two new rookies replacing waiver wire players. Even if they aren’t huge contributors this should still be a clear upgrade. Could this be the first year of the Scott Pioli era where the WR position is so deep that special teams stand out Terrance Copper can’t earn a roster spot?

Tight End

Last season: Leonard Pope, Jake O’Connell, Anthony Becht, Steve Maneri

This season: Tony Moeaki, Kevin Boss, Jake O’Connell, Steve Maneri

Let’s see, Tony Moeaki and Kevin Boss or Leonard Pope and Anthony Becht? Not a hard call there. Although I wouldn’t mind seeing one more TE get signed and knock Jake O’Connell right off the roster, forever.

Offensive Line

Last season: Branden Albert, Ryan Lilja, Casey Wiegmann, Jon Asamoah, Barry Richardson, Rodney Hudson, Jared Gaither, David Mims

This season: Branden Albert, Ryan Lilja, Rodney Hudson, Jon Asamoah, Eric Winston, Jeff Allen, Donald Stephenson, David Mims

So obviously the inability of the Chiefs to find a use for Jared Gaither was incredibly frustrating, especially since he went to a division rival and played so well. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the offensive line is drastically improved. Wiegmann was a great leader but physically he got pushed around at the point of attack. The younger and stronger Hudson should be a clear upgrade there as long as he can make the correct protection calls at the line of scrimmage. Eric Winston replacing Barry Richardson is the single biggest upgrade any team will have at one position this season, period. Then the depth provided by this year’s second- and third-round picks should make this a hands down MASSIVE upgrade. Also, don’t be surprised if Allen replaces Lilja at some point.

Defensive Line

Last season: Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, Kelly Gregg, Allen Bailey, Amon Gordon, Wallace Gilberry, Jerrell Powe, Brendon Bair

This season: Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, Dontari Poe, Allen Bailey, Amon Gordon, Jerrell Powe, Jerome Long, Brendon Bair

This is where things get interesting. Dontari Poe is the question here. If he gets dominated by NFL linemen then this area could actually be worse off than last year. Kelly Gregg wasn’t anything special last year, but he wasn’t a liability either. Poe has the physical tools to be the most dominant force the Chiefs have had on the defensive line since Neil Smith left town. I’m also curious as to who will line up in sub packages next to Bailey. Gilberry gave KC little to no production there last season so it wouldn’t be hard to upgrade there either. I simply can’t make a call on the defensive line. This is the one area I’ll call a question mark.

Linebackers

I’ll make this simple, Demorrio Williams is gone and Brandon Siler is coming back from injury. Other than that, everything is the same.

DJ and Hali are in their prime and shouldn’t be showing signs of slowing down yet. Jovan Belcher is only 24 so if anything he should still be improving. The biggest areas of change over last year will be Justin Houston entering the season as the unquestioned starter over Andy Studebaker. With a full offseason Houston should be even better. Also, there is the possibility of Siler beating out Belcher and upgrading that position if he’s healthy. So overall, the LB core at worst should be the same with the possibility of being even better.

Secondary

Last season: Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Kendrick Lewis, Jon McGraw, Javier Arenas, Travis Daniels, Donald Washington, Sabby Piscatelli, Rashard Langford, Jalil Brown

This season: Brandon Flowers, Stanford Routt, Kendrick Lewis, Eric Berry, Javier Arenas, Travis Daniels, DeQuan Menzie, Jalil Brown, Donald Washington

Even with a downgrade from Carr to Routt, the improvement of Eric Berry over the combo of McGraw/Washington/Piscatelli/Langford that played in his place last season more than makes up for the drop off. If Menzie can play as well in the slot as many scouts say he can, then this should also be a clearly improved unit.

Special Teams

The three key special teams specialists (Colquitt, Succop, and Gafford) are all returning. Gone is special teams coordinator Steve “So what if they blocked one field goal, I’m sure it won’t happen again” Hoffman. The Chiefs STs haven’t exactly set the world on fire the past couple seasons so an improvement shouldn’t be that difficult to come by. Devon Wylie could add some playmaking ability to the return game. Much like the LB core, special teams at worst should be the same, with the possibility of there being a clear upgrade.

Overall

So after looking at the entire roster, here is where we stand: Six areas are better off than they were last season (QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, and the secondary). Two areas are at worst the same and possibly improved (LB and ST); the DL is the one area that is still a question mark (and even it could be much improved if Poe pans out). I don’t know about you, but all in all, I’d call that a pretty productive offseason. Bottom line is that the Chiefs have either added or are getting back from injury WAY more talent than what they are losing. I mean, which group would you rather have?

Kyle Orton, Tyler Palko, Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones, LeRon McClain, Keary Colbert, Jerheme Urban, Leonard Pope, Anthony Becht, Barry Richardson, Jared Gaither, Casey Wiegmann, Kelly Gregg, Wallace Gilberry, Demorrio Williams, Brandon Carr, Jon McGraw and Sabby Piscatelli

or

Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn, Jamaal Charles, Peyton Hillis, Cyrus Gray, Devon Wylie, Junior Hemmingway, Tony Moeaki, Kevin Boss, Eric Winston, Jeff Allen, Donald Stephenson, Dontari Poe, Jerome Long, Brandon Siler, Stanford Routt, Eric Berry and DeQuan Menzie

The really exciting thing is that despite the fact that KC was hammered by injuries and giving regular playing time to Tyler Palko, Barry Richardson, Thomas Jones, and Sabby Piscatelli, they still finished 7-9 and were one win away from the playoffs. With this improved roster ,every KC fan should be eyeing not only the division but finally breaking the streak of no playoff wins.

We may not always agree with the individual moves that Scott Pioli makes, but the overall talent level of the Chiefs roster has done nothing but improve since he took over as GM. If you went back and compared today’s roster with the roster when Pioli took over, the difference would be staggering.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for training camp to get here.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jan 9, 2011; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) is sacked by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (52) during the 2011 AFC wild card playoff at Arrowhead Stadium. Baltimore won the game 30-7. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

The date is Jan. 9, 2011. The place is Arrowhead Stadium. The final score was Ravens 30, Chiefs 7. The total yards in the game were equally lopsided, 390 to 161. That game was definitely an eye opener. The young, upstart Chiefs were coming off a surprise 10-6 season where they won the division. Chiefs fans were on cloud nine. That is, until the Ravens sent us all crashing back to Earth. Despite having a lot of young talented play makers like Jamaal Charles, Dwayne Bowe, Tamba Hali, and Eric Berry, the Chiefs were no match for Baltimore in the trenches. Both the offensive and defensive lines were manhandled by the physical Ravens team.

Now fast forward to the Chiefs’ 2012 draft class.

Round 1 – NT – Dontari Poe – 6’3″ 346 lbs
Round 2 – OG – Jeff Allen – 6’4″ 307 lbs
Round 3 – OT – Donald Stephenson – 6’6″ 312 lbs

I know it’s not flashy. I know it’s not the specific players that most of us would have picked. I know many of you are frustrated with KC’s approach to this draft, but the fact of the matter is that this draft class is exactly what KC needs in order to compete with the big dogs in the NFL. We need to be able to go toe to toe in the trenches. Our skill players (okay, minus the quarterback) are more than good enough:

Jamaal Charles
Peyton Hillis
Dexter McCluster
Dwayne Bowe
Jonathan Baldwin
Steve Breaston
Tony Moeaki
Kevin Boss

Tamba Hali
Derrick Johnson
Justin Houston
Brandon Flowers
Stanford Routt
Eric Berry
Kendrick Lewis
Javier Arenas

We have guys that can make plays on both sides of the ball. If you compare those skill position players to those of other teams that have made playoff runs without an elite QB like the Jets, Ravens, and 49ers, you can make a strong case that KC’s skill players are just as good or better. The difference is that those teams have been dominant at the line of scrimmage. They set the tone. “We’re in charge.” “We’re the stronger team.” “We’re the bully and we’re going to push you around and there isn’t anything you can do about it.”

On Jan. 9, 2011 the Baltimore Ravens were the bully and the Kansas City Chiefs weren’t strong enough to stand up to them. Then, during the offseason, the Chiefs didn’t really do anything to remedy the problem. Yes, they drafted Rodney Hudson and Allen Bailey, but Hudson barely saw the field last year and Bailey only played on passing downs. In the starting base formations the only changes were swapping out Brian Waters for Jon Asamoah and Ron Edwards for Kelly Gregg. I love Asamoah, but he wasn’t a big enough physical upgrade over Waters for there to be a HUGE improvement with the rest of the OL remaining the same. The same can be said for Gregg: he may have been better than Edwards, but he wasn’t physically dominating at the line of scrimmage. We like to blame last season on the injuries, but those first couple of games we got dominated by teams like Buffalo and Detroit and part of that was because we weren’t strong enough up front.

I don’t know if each of the Chiefs’ first three draft picks this year will work out. For all we know they could either all bust or all three become Pro Bowlers (can there be Pro Bowlers if there is no more Pro Bowl?). That having been said, even though these players as a whole aren’t exciting, and even though Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson aren’t names that most fans recognize there selections signal that the Kansas City Chiefs are tired of being pushed around up front. It signals that they recognize that to win games with a good defense and a strong running game you MUST win the line of scrimmage. That’s why I’m okay with these picks.

If you’re not, I suggest you remember Jan. 9, 2011. I suggest you remember the Ravens game.

There seems to be a lot of misconceptions and–dare I say–anger afloat concerning the Chiefs first round draft pick NT Dontari Poe. I think the biggest misconception in currency is that the only reason Dontari Poe got 1^st round attention is because he posted eye-popping combine numbers.  Put differently, because he performed so strongly in Indy, he was immediately labeled a “Workout Warrior,” and as a result, drew upon himself greater scrutiny, was assumed suspect for performing so well, and thus became increasingly relegated by many into the “destined to be a bust” category in typical knee-jerk, mob mentality fashion.

Please allow me to at least set the record straight on this one. Well before Dontari Poe made noise at the NFL Combine, the consensus view held that he was the best Nose Tackle prospect in this draft and almost universally assumed to be a 1st round draft candidate.  In other words, the Combine did not transform Dontari Poe into a 1st round pick. It merely underscored an already popular sentiment that Poe’s physical impressiveness (is that a word?) combined with his elite speed and athleticism all pointed to a well-founded belief that Poe possessed the right tools to be a dominating force in the NFL. In this respect at least, Poe is not unlike a lot of 1^st round prospects: either you believe or you don’t.

For the record, I had Poe as the Chiefs’ 1st round draft pick in the mock draft that I posted way back on March 15^th, well before the Combine.  I’m happy and proud to admit that I’ve been on the Poe bandwagon ever since and fully expect to see him develop into a very scary, disruptive force under the talented guidance of Romeo Crennel and co. Add to that with the fact that Crennel was absolutely gushing about landing Poe, which highly suggests to me that Romeo Crennel is going to make it his personal mission to see that Poe succeeds. To that end, I think we can all agree that Crennel is anything but an idiot when it comes to identifying defensive talent and especially when it comes to coaching defensive linemen. Crennel now has his guy, so I say let’s respect what RAC brings to the party and embrace this pick until given reason to feel otherwise.

Nose Tackle has been the most pressing need for the Chiefs defense ever since they converted to the 3-4 scheme. In my opinion, Poe’s size, strength, and quickness fit very closely to what you look for in a zero technique. I know it’s been said a million times over, but for this position, the ability to occupy multiple blockers and collapse the pocket is way more important than just racking up tackles and sacks. In other words: don’t let Dontari Poe’s lack of stats and lack of post-season recognitions convince you that he won’t be put in a position do exactly what he needs to do to make the Chiefs’ defense once again feared by all.

I also think that Crennel responded to the “lack of production” argument in a very direct and comprehensive way. He pointed out that Poe, while at Memphis, was asked to be a “jack of all trades,” essentially playing/covering all positions on the DL and was thus never really put into a position where he  could be the master of one. This simply confirms what I already believed about Poe’s college football experience. He worked under multiple coaches within an inferior, talent-deprived league without any kind of real support around him or meaningful guidance above him. The situation and opportunity for Poe has now taken a dramatic turn for the better. Have faith.

On a slightly different level, I also find this pick absolutely fascinating and it says a few things to me.

First off, Scott Pioli is not cut entirely of “game tape” cloth when it comes to the NFL draft, as many seem to believe.  On the surface at least, it would seem that in Poe’s case, that “game tape” was barely a consideration (unless position versatility became the deciding factor, but I rather doubt that to be the case). While one can find examples of Poe flashing greatness, there is not really some great body of work one can point to. Again, I have to go back to what I just I said – Pioli and Crennel’s evaluation suggest that they must see in him an Indy racer that, to date, has only been taken out in a quiet cul-de-sac by a student driver.

Secondly, whether you love it or hate it, this selection is anything but boring. It is, echoing the words of Big Matt, a “swing for the fences” approach by Pioli. I don’t see how anyone can’t help but love that. As much as I personally wanted Poe to be the selection, I didn’t actually think it would happen because I figured that despite Poe’s high upside, his apparent lack of college level production would ultimately dump him into Pioli’s “way too risky” bin. This pick now tells me that Pioli indeed has some real gambler in him; this pick, were it to fail, will no doubt put Pioli’s neck square on the chopping block.

Thirdly, Scott Pioli must really respect Romeo Crennel’s knowledge of the game, ability to develop talent and overall input when it comes to player assessment. I just have a hard time seeing this pick as happening without RAC saying, in a very large way, “that’s the one guy I want.” I am sure we’ll probably never know if, given the choice between Kuechly and Poe, which the Chiefs’ would have preferred, but Crennel’s enthusiastic response to this pick seems to suggest that Poe was quite likely the Chiefs’ number one target going in, at least as far as realistically obtainable players go.

Additional reflections on the draft so far:

I was really surprised to see 4 QBs taken in the first round, but I at least understand the reasoning behind those moves.

I was equally surprised to see only 4 WRs in the 1^st round. Back in March, because this position was far and away the most in need for teams around the league, I predicted that 6 would be off the board by the end of the 1^st round. Albeit the fact that 4 1^st rounds WRs is (I believe) more than we’ve seen in recent years, it is a(n upward) trend that I fully expect to see continue for the foreseeable future.

I’m really excited about our 2^nd round prospects. The available day two talent in this year’s draft seems quite good.  Moreover, round 2 seems like a can’t-miss opportunity for the Chiefs to upgrade the roster in a significant way.  Indeed, coming away with any of the following players, in no particular order would put a big smile on my face:

WR Stephen Hill

WR Reuben Randle

WR Mohammed Sanu

C/G Peter Konz

OT/G Cordy Glenn

G Amini Silatulo

CB Janoris Jenkins

TE Dwayne Allen

TE Coby Fleener

That’s my Double Take Addicts.

What’s your take?

Well, round 1 of the 2012 NFL Draft is in the books and the KC Chiefs have filled arguably their biggest need by drafting NT Dontari Poe. There are plenty of other posts up where you can debate the Poe pick, so I’ll stay away from that conversation for now. Let’s turn our attention to where the Chiefs may go with their second round pick. Before we look at what prospects are available, I want to take you back in time.

Remember our 2010 playoff loss to the Ravens? Remember how the Chiefs were physically manhandled at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball? Well, say what you want about Dontari Poe, but at least he has the potential to help in that department. But what about when we’re on offense? Most fans (especially those that wanted David DeCastro to be our first round selection) would like to see the Chiefs upgrade at LG, where Ryan Lilja was physically pushed around against bigger and stronger opponents. Scott Pioli is on record as saying that upgrading the offensive line was a major focus for this offseason. Singing Eric Winston was huge, but I think we can all agree that there is more work to be done.

So it makes sense that the Chiefs may consider going offensive line with their 2nd round selection. Well it just so happens that, due to a few players sliding down a bit, there appears to be some good offensive line value there at the top of the second round. Here are some of the OL prospects that are still available:

OT – Jonathan Martin – Stanford
OT/OG – Cordy Glenn – Georgia
C/OG – Peter Konz – Wisconsin
OT – Mike Adams – Ohio State
OG – Amini Silatolu – Midwestern State
OT – Bobby Massie – Mississippi
OT/OG – Kelechi Osemele
OT – Zerbie Sanders – Florida State

All of those players have been regularly mocked anywhere from the mid-first to mid-second round. With only 11 picks before the Chiefs are on the board, there is a great chance that an offensive lineman will be available for KC that offers great value at the #44 slot. Two players to keep an eye on are Peter Konz and Amini Silatolu because they could both be eventual replacements in the starting lineup over Ryan Lilja. I think Cordy Glenn and Kelechi Osemele are also going to be very good players, but I worry that they may be a better fit for a power run blocking scheme then the Chiefs zone system.

Regardless, for Chiefs fans hoping for OL help in this draft, it appears that there will be players available at #44 that can fit the bill.

The 2012 NFL Draft is just hours away.

I was hired as the senior editor of Arrowhead Addict back in December of 2009. After running the site throughout the offseason, I was granted credentials to the NFL Draft and for the first time ever, AA was represented in Radio City Music Hall. I was fortunate enough to speak with Eric Berry just hours before he became a Chief. It was the most fun I’d ever had and I got to enjoy it all with the readers of AA.

Since that day in 2010, AA has become a large, thriving community. We had a blast last year with our draft coverage and this year should be even better. We’ll be having a live thread to discuss all the action, which will sit in the popular section most of the weekend. Keep it parked here tonight and throughout the weekend to enjoy the action with the other Addicts.

Now, on to business. This has been one of the toughest draft seasons yet as far as determining what the Chiefs are going to do. It could be an obvious choice like DeCastro or Kueckly or a surprise like Tannehill or Weeden.

It is time for me to finally make my official prediction for tonight. KC’s first round selection will be…

Dont’a Hightower, LB Alabama

I believe the Chiefs will trade back to #14 with the Dallas Cowboys. In return, I think the Chiefs will pick up a 3rd round selection and will give Dallas, in return, their 5th. The Chiefs slide back just a bit and take Hightower. The Cowboys snag Barron.

And for my seven-round Chiefs Mock:

1. Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama

2. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

The Chiefs trade up from #44 to #36 in a deal struck the night before with the Tamba Bay Buccaneers. In return the Chiefs give Tampa #44 and #107 in the 4th round.

Pioli knows he needs a QB. He likes Weeden’s experience and thinks he has an accurate passer that will be ready to step up if/when Matt Cassel fails.

3. Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa

The Chiefs snag Dwayne Bowe insurance with McNutt who will come endorsed by Pioli’s boy Kirk Ferentz. If the Chiefs can manage to re-sign Bowe, they’ll be a lot deeper at WR.

3. Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn

Mosley is the perfect pickup in this slot. He’s a raw talent with a ton of potential. He excelled in run blocking in Auburn. Pioli will love that he played and progressed so quickly. He gets the time he needs to learn behind Branden Albert and Eric Winston. Should Albert depart in free agency, Pioli will have options. At the very least, the Chiefs will get depth they desperately need at tackle.

6. Coryell Judie, CB, Texas A&M

With Peyton Manning coming to Denver, Pioli wants to continue to pump talent into his secondary. With no decent safety talent available, he snags Judie.

7. Lamont Bryant, TE, Morgan State

Pioli loves tight ends.

7. Sean Cattouse, SS, California

The Chiefs snag some safety depth with Cattouse.

All right, Addicts. I’ve gone on the record. Now it’s your turn. We’ve just about an hour to go. It is time to put up or shut up. No bragging later if you don’t weigh in!

Well KC fans, draft day is finally here. All the speculation, all the scouting reports, all the rumors, all the mock drafts, now we finally get some real answers.

But before pick #11 goes on the clock, I have a bit of advice for KC fans.

Be prepared for ANYTHING.

I know that some fans have their heart set on a certain player. The top two names you here people clamoring for are David DeCastro and Luke Kuechly. They are both great players. They both make sense. They both would make the team better. Will I be surprised if one of those two are the pick? No, not at all. But here’s the thing, I also wouldn’t be surprised a bit if LSU DT Michael Brockers was the pick. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the latest rumor that came out yesterday, Mark Barron, was the pick. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if they traded back either.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think anyone who is putting all their hopes on one certain pick are setting themselves up for disappointment. There are just so many different ways they could go. I listed 4 players above and didn’t even mention my personal favorite, Fletcher Cox. Then there are the “risk/reward” picks like Ryan Tannehill and Dontari Poe. I may not think KC is going to pick them, but if they did I wouldn’t fall out of my chair.

I also know that they could pick somebody that no one has even mentioned yet. If they do trade back then the options become even more wide open.

I was trying to think about what percentage of chance I think odds makers would put on the Chiefs #11 pick. Would it look something like this?

DeCastro 20%
Kuechly 20%
Trade Back 15%
Barron 10%
Brockers 10%
Cox 10%
Poe 5%
Tannehill 5%
All Others 5%

We could debate all day about the exact numbers, but you get my point. Even if you’re a fan of the Chiefs drafting one of the most likely guys like DeCastro, that would still mean there’s an 80% chance that they don’t draft the guy you want.

You want to really make your head hurt? How about the fact that thus far Scott Pioli has always had the Chiefs’ first round pick in for a private work out and the only players on that list above that we know worked out for the Chiefs are Brockers, Poe, and Tannehill.

So buckle up KC fans because anything could happen tonight. Regardless, you know you can tune in here to AA for all your draft coverage and analysis. Happy Draft Day everyone!

FanSided is proud to announce that the innovative and fascinating new NFL Draft site Draft Pulse has joined the fastest growing independent sports blog network on the internet.

What is Draft Pulse?

This is not your usual draft tracking tool, there are no expert opinions/panels; everything you see is based on popular opinion. That’s right it’s all about listening to the masses.

We are tracking all of the prospects in the 2012 Combine / Draft across multiple media. Every time a prospect is mentioned in context with an NFL team a relationship is created. These relationships are the foundation of this tool and is used for all of the outputs, especially so for the Mock Draft.

The Mock Draft takes all the NFL teams and the prospects most talked about and then orders them from most to least. Then in true Draft fashion each team picks based on their list, if the prospect has already been picked the next best option is selected.

Additionally we are doing some sentiment analysis on every comment to generate a media reception indicator.

There is truly nothing else like Draft Pulse on the net. The formula is still being tweaked and the site will become more and more accurate over time but for now, it is certainly a new tool worth exploring. When checking in on the Chiefs, you can also get all the latest headlines because the KC page is powered by Arrowhead Addict!

Let’s take a look at some of the players being mentioned in conjunction with the Chiefs using Draft Pulse! The following are the players that have been mentioned the most in conjunction with the Chiefs. Remember, this doesn’t claim to make any predictions if a team will take these players. It tracks the buzz around the player and the team. The fact of the matter is, we don’t really know how this will turn out because nobody has ever done anything like it. Is there a relationship between the buzz around a player and a certain team? Can it be used to predict how the draft might shake out?

As of right now, Tannehill has been mentioned more in conjunction with the Chiefs than any other prospect in the draft with 627 relationships created.

The player with the second most mentions is guard David DeCastro. DeCastro has 318 relationships created.

Andrew Luck has been mentioned quite a bit in conjunction with the Chiefs with 183. Unfortunately, most of those mentions likely came when there was an actual chance of Luck landing in Kansas City.

Dontari Poe is next up with 174 mentions. The buzz on Poe has cooled a bit as of late as more and more folks question his college game tape. But have the Chiefs cooled on him? Were they ever high on him to begin with?

Luke Kueckly has 166 mentions with the Chiefs. He is a popular player being mocked to KC in mock drafts. While the top of the draft is expected to go Luck, RGIII, Kalil, outside the top 10, things break apart a little bit. There are a number of players slated to go in round 1 being mentioned with the Chiefs.

One name I haven’t heard a ton about on AA is Jonathan Martin, OT out of Stanford. He’s got 98 mentions with KC.

Despite having both Eric Winston and Branden Albert, there has been a lot of buzz about the Chiefs and OT Riley Reiff. Reiff is expected to be available when the Chiefs pick at #11.

As the buzz around Poe has cooled, the buzz around DT Michael Brockers has begun to heat up. He now has 47 mentions with the Chiefs.

As you might expect, the buzz numbers are a lot lower for prospects expected to go outside the first round. Still, is there is any correlation to the pre-draft buzz to the post-draft class?

Later, we’ll look at a seven round Chiefs mock using Draft Pulse. Stick around.

All right, Addicts, the 2012 NFL Draft is about upon us and most of us die hard fans can’t wait to see who the Kansas City Chiefs will pick. I thought about doing another mock draft. I thought about just doing a Chiefs only mock where I just picked each of the team’s picks, but I wanted to do something that got you guys involved in the process too. So here’s what I came up with. I’m going to give you a multiple choice Chiefs mock draft.

Here’s the deal, there are no write-in votes. I picked the prospects that I have heard the Chiefs are interested in, think make sense for KC, or that I just personally like (hey, it’s my post) and provided a quick 1-2 lines to describe that prospect. That way, even if you haven’t studied up enough to come up with your own seventh-round draft pick you can now still take a shot at it. Now it’s up to you to piece together the best possible draft using these options. Just post your results in the comments below.

FYI – I have six possibilities for the first pick and five for the second. From then on, I stuck with four choices per pick. The choices are in order from the highest to lowest rated under Walter Football’s Consensus Rankings.

Let’s get started.

Round 1 – Pick #11

A – Fletcher Cox – DT – Mississippi
Best DL prospect in the draft. Could rush the passer from day one and eventually become a starting 3-4 DE.

B – Luke Kuechly – ILB – Boston College
Kuechly is a tackling machine and far and away the best LB in the draft, but word is that the Chiefs haven’t even done a private work out with him.

C – David DeCastro – Guard – Stanford
DeCastro is described as being the safest pick in the draft and a surefire Pro Bowler, but is a guard worth the #11 pick?

D – Michael Brockers – DE/DT – LSU
Brockers is probably the guy on this list that the least number of fans really want. I’m also convinced he may be the most likely to be picked.

E – Dontari Poe – DT – Memphis
We all know the story, no production on the field but a freak athlete for his size.

F – Ryan Tannehill – QB – Texas A&M
The Chiefs need a franchise QB, but is Tannehill too big of a risk?

Round 2 – Pick #44

A – Doug Martin – RB – Boise State
Martin is an every down back that has drawn comparisons to Ray Rice and Maurice Jones-Drew

B – Kevin Zeitler – OG – Wisconsin
The #2 guard behind DeCastro should be on the board when KC picks in round two.

C – Amini Silatolu – OG – Midwestern State
Not as polished and ready to play as Zeitler, but he’s nasty and has more upside.

D – Brandon Weeden – QB – Oklahoma State
Some feel that KC is a good fit for this “older prospect” since their team is ready to win right now.

E – Alameda Ta’amu – NT – Washington
This may be a little high for Ta’amu, but if the Chiefs really want this proven run stuffer they may have to reach for him here.

Round 3 – Pick #74

A – Brock Osweiler – QB – Arizona State
Osweiler would take more developing, but if the Chiefs don’t draft Tannehill or Weeden then Osweiler could be in play here.

B – Jared Crick – DT – Nebraska
Bit of a poor man’s Fletcher Cox in that he could rush the passer early and maybe develop into an every down player.

C – Trumaine Johnson – CB – Montana
Johnson has some real upside and would probably go higher if there weren’t several second round CB prospects.

D – Brandon Taylor – S – LSU
The Chiefs BADLY need safety depth. Do you want Piscitelli back? DO YOU!?!?

Round 4 – Pick #107

A – Ben Jones – C – Georgia
Good developmental center prospect that the Chiefs have shown interest in.

B – Josh Chapman – NT – Alabama
A proven 3-4 NT who is tough as nails.

C – Marvin McNutt – WR – Iowa
Sure-handed wide receiver from one of Pioli’s favorite schools.

D – Robert Turbin – RB – Utah State
A big bodied back that has the ability to play on every down.

Round 5 – Pick #146

A – Kheeston Randall – DT – Texas
Athletic 3-4 DE prospect who excels at taking on multiple blockers.

B – James-Michael Johnson – ILB – Nevada
In my opinion, the best “thumper” ILB in the draft after Dont’a Hightower.

C – Vick Ballard – RB – Mississippi State
A tough between-the-tackles runner.

D – Christian Thompson – S – South Carolina State
This small school safety prospect has the size and speed to succeed and could be a great special teamer from day one.

Round 6 – Pick #182

A – Hebron Fangupo – NT – BYU
Probably the last draftable NT prospect.

B – Jeff Fuller – WR – Texas A&M
A big possession WR.

C – Brandon Lindsey – OLB – Pittsburgh
A developmental pass rush prospect.

D – James Hanna – TE – Oklahoma
He wasn’t a huge part of the Sooners offense but he has looked great in workouts.

Round 7 – Pick #218

A – Bradie Ewing – FB – Wisconsin
Besides playing FB for a run heavy offense he was also the Badgers’ special teams player of the year.

B – Adam Gettis – G – Iowa
It’s Iowa, Pioli loves Hawkeyes and they’re known for their offensive linemen.

C – Quinton Saulsberry – C – Mississippi State
NFL Draft Scout calls him a poor man’s Rodney Hudson and the best interior line prospect that no one seems to be talking about.

D – Jordan White – WR – Western Michigan
Not an overly athletic player but when you have 140 receptions and 17 TDs in a season you’re doing something right.

Round 7 – Pick #238

A – Chris Galippo – ILB – USC
A possible late round ILB prospect who could play ST and possibly challenge Belcher if he continues to develop.

B – Brandon Bolden – RB – Mississippi
Good, all-around back who has been compared to former Rebel BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

C – Kellen Moore – QB – Boise State
Small for a QB and didn’t look good at the Senior Bowl but you can’t argue with his college production.

D – Winston Guy – S – Kentucky
Tackling machine and great special teamer.

So there you go, Addicts, time for you to take the Chiefs draft pick quiz and see if you can assemble the perfect draft group. I’ll get things started by giving you both what I THINK the Chiefs will do and what I WANT them to do. This is what I think the Chiefs WILL do, not necessarily what I want them to do.

1. D – DT – Brockers
2. C – G – Silatolu
3. D – S – Taylor
4. B – NT – Chapman
5. B – ILB – Johnson
6. D – TE – Hanna
7A. D – WR – White
7B. D – RB – Bolden

Here’s what I would prefer:

1. A – DT – Cox
2. D – QB – Weeden
3. D – S – Taylor
4. B – NT – Chapman
5. B – ILB – Johnson
6. D – TE – Hanna
7A. C – G/C – Saulsberry
7B. D – RB – Bolden

Now it’s your turn, Addicts, take the quiz and post your picks in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!

Last week I presented all the Pro-DeCastro Chiefs fans with a Contingency Plan in case the Chiefs decide to pass on the elite guard prospect in this month’s NFL Draft. This week I set out to do the same for Uber-LB prospect Luke Kuechly. Unlike last week when I stated that the OG draft class was very deep in 2-4 round prospects, the ILB pool in this draft is relatively small.

That got me thinking about positional depth in this year’s draft and just where the best value may lie for the different positions. So before I present you with some ILB options in case we don’t draft Kuechly, let’s take a second and look at the positional depth for all the positions.
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If you polled 100 die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fans who they would like to see their team take in the 2012 NFL Draft, you would get several different answers. A lot of fans would like to see the Chiefs trade back, but assuming the Chiefs stay put, the number one vote getter right now is probably Stanford OG David DeCastro. DeCastro is the most hyped OG prospect to come out in a decade. If he ends up being anything less than an annual Pro Bowler he will not have lived up to expectations. Assuming he can live up to those lofty expectations, any team would be well served to draft him. That includes our very own KC Chiefs.

That having been said, I’m here to try and prepare some of you DeCastro die-hards for the possibility that the Chiefs may pass over the top-rated OG prospect. What’s more, this may not only be a strong possibility, but it might be the smart thing to do. Now let me be clear, I’m not doubting DeCastro’s greatness. I’m not questioning what a strong addition he would be and how it could give us a top 5 offensive line for years to come. If the Chiefs draft DeCastro, I’ll be happy with the pick. The question isn’t if DeCastro is a great pick, he clearly is. The question is, is he the BEST pick for KC?

I don’t think he is.
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The 2012 NFL Draft is now less then a month away. Now that the Combine and initial wave of free agency are behind us I thought it was time to get another mock draft out there. You can see my first mock HERE. Like my first mock, I decided to take this mock up to the Chiefs’ second round pick. So I guess you could call it about one and a half rounds. This time around I didn’t add any new trades. I did change things up quite a bit from the first go round. As always, feel free to tell me where I’m off base.

Also, for more great mock drafts, be sure to visit DC Pro Sports Report (home of the original mock draft database), Walter Football and Hail Redskins.

1. Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck
QB – Stanford

There may be some buzz out there about RG3 challenging Andrew Luck for the top spot, but I just don’t see that happening. I think Luck’s experience in a pro style offense and a greater injury concern with Griffin make Luck the smart pick here. The question is, will there be enough of a team left in Indy to help him succeed right away?

2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis)
Robert Griffin III
QB – Baylor

No one can ever accuse Dan Snyder of being afraid to pull the trigger. I still can’t decide if the small fortune of picks they coughed up to get RG3 was another example of Snyder overpaying to the point that it will cripple his team or the best investment he’s ever made. I think RG3 will be an absolute star. The problem is I see him having injury issues similar to what Mike Vick has dealt with throughout his NFL career.

3. Minnesota Vikings
Matt Kalil
OT – USC

The Vikings choose to protect Ponder’s blind side instead of getting him a #1 WR in Justin Blackmon. I actually think they may try to convince a team to trade up to get Tannehill if the hype on him continues to grow, but I don’t think they’ll get any offers that would be worth it. In the end, their need for a LT and the fact that Kalil is a near can’t miss makes him the pick.

4. Cleveland Browns
Ryan Tannehill
QB – Texas A&M

I don’t think Tannehill has any business being drafted this high. That having been said, we know the Browns wanted RG3, so they’re on the market for a QB. In the end I think they’ll reach for him here. If for no other reason then I think the Dolphins would really like to draft him and since it’s clear that Stephen Ross is destined to miss out on every single major acquisition he sets his sights on Tannehill has to be off the board before pick number 8.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Trent Richardson
RB – Alabama

If I was in charge of the Bucs I would take Morris Claiborne, but I don’t think that’s what the Bucs will do. Greg Schiano was a solid college football coach, but the only reason he was a big enough name to get an NFL gig is because his one great 11-2 season back in 2006 put him in the national spotlight. Why was that team so successful? He had a special talent at running back named Ray Rice that carried them on his back. I’m betting he tries to do the same thing in TB with Richardson.

6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington)
Justin Blackmon
WR – Oklahoma State

The rise of RG3 in this draft was the best thing the ever happened to the St. Louis Rams. Not only did they score a slew of future draft picks, but one of the two players that they would have taken had they stayed put is still on the board at #6 (the other being Matt Kalil). Blackmon will give Sam Bradford the #1 WR he desperately needed last season.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars
Melvin Ingram
DE – South Carolina

The Jags have been looking for someone to rush the passer for what feels like forever. Many people have Quinton Coples going to Jax in this spot, but I think his work ethic issues combined with strong workout performances by Ingram may have knocked Coples off his perch as the top pass rushing DE. If St. Louis were to pass on Blackmon to take Morris Claiborne the Jags would jump at the chance to take the top WR in the draft.

8. Miami Dolphins
Quinton Coples
DE – North Carolina

I think the Dolphins would like to take Tannehill here, but like I said before it appears the Dolphins may never get their first choice of anything ever again. For some strange reason they’ve also decided that they want to run some 4-3 looks now on defense. That will mean they need another pass rushing DE. Coples has all the talent to pair with Cameron Wake to make an elite pass rushing duo. The question is if he will live up to his talent.

9. Carolina Panthers
Morris Claiborne
CB – LSU

In the surprise of the draft so far the Panthers are ecstatic to find that one of the five most talented players in the draft is still available at pick #9. Claiborne is a true #1 CB and with how awful the Panthers pass defense was last year there is no way they let him slide any further. The Panthers were probably planning to draft a DT here, but that will have to wait for now.

10. Buffalo Bills
Riley Reiff
OT – Iowa

The Bills OL last year was really bad and to date they have yet to resign Demetrius Bell their best OT. If Chan Gailey’s offense has any chance to succeed they have to go with the best tackle on the board and that is Reiff. I’m actually not that high on Reiff as a LT, but he would still be an improvement over any tackle on Buffalo’s roster assuming they don’t bring Bell back.

11. Kansas City Chiefs
Fletcher Cox
DT – Mississippi

The draft has set itself up perfectly for Chiefs fans thus far. Dontari Poe, David DeCastro, and Luke Kuechly are all still available……and the Chiefs pass on them all and draft a non-NT defensive lineman. Thousands of Chiefs fans will curse Scott Pioli, throw their remote controls at the TV, and swear that they are never watching a Chiefs game ever again. The pick makes ZERO sense, right?

Well as I described HERE, I think it makes perfect sense. Scott Pioli isn’t drafting someone who is 6’4″ with short arms, plays too tall, and has unimpressive game tape to be his 2-gapping NT. It just isn’t happening, I don’t care how good his combine was. And although DeCastro and Kuechly are Pioli-esqe type of players, I think the positions that they play have good value picks available in the mid rounds. Plus they already have starting caliber players (although not spectacular) on their roster at those positions. What they don’t have is someone who can apply pressure up the middle and Pioli has a track record of drafting defensive line in the first round. So most Chiefs fans will HATE this move right up until they watch Cox push Manning, Rivers and Palmer out of the pocket and into the waiting arms of Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in attendance at QB Ryan Tannehill’s Pro Day taking place today, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

Other teams Josina reports are in attendance are the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks.

Tannehill has been projected to be the third best QB in the draft and could go anywhere from #4 to the Cleveland Browns to late int he first round.

Tannehill just threw for teams a few minutes ago and the reports from various sources on Twitter indicated that he completed 40 of his 41 passes with one WR drop. These Pro Days are designed to make the QB look good. The plays are all scripted, on the QB’s home turf with receivers he feels comfortable with.

If the Chiefs like what they see, they can choose to bring Tannehill in for a private visit and workout. That is when they’ll be able to get a serious look at him in an unpredictable environment.

This doesn’t necessarily indicate that the Chiefs will try to move up to select Tannehill but since he is a player that very well could be on the board when they pick at #11, it is wise for the Chiefs to do their due diligence.

Updated: According to Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout, the Chiefs, Eagles and Browns all have private workouts scheduled with Tannehill in College Station.

After Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, the QB widely believed to be the third best option in the 2012 NFL Draft was Landry Jones.

Only now, Landry Jones won’t be in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The QB released a statement today explaining that he has decided to remain in college for one more season.

“I want to accomplish the goals that I set before I got here, and there is still a lot more to do,” Jones said. “I want to make sure I’ve exhausted every effort in that area. And I want to be a senior. I enjoy being at OU and with my teammates and look forward to graduating with the guys that were in my class when I got here. … It would be a great honor to play in the NFL and that goal will still be there when I finish at Oklahoma.”

This means that teams desperate for help at QB will be even more desperate come draft day.

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The Kansas City Chiefs will hold either the 11^th or 12th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Baylor QB Robert Griffin III is expected to be the second player selected, behind Stanford QB Andrew Luck, who is widely expected to be taken by the Colts with the #1 overall pick.

The St. Louis Rams, who already have QB Sam Bradford, hold the second pick. Since the Rams aren’t likely to take RGIII, they will probably be entertaining offers from a number of teams that will want to move up to select him.

The Vikings, picking third, have QB Christian Poncer and probably won’t be selecting RGIII either. However, if a team wants to ensure they won’t be leapfrogged, they need to move up to #2.

Cleveland, picking at #4, is the real Wild Card. They have a QB Colt McCoy who they got in the third round of the 2009 draft. If the Browns aren’t thrilled with McCoy and they want to move up to take RGIII, they have the fire power to do it. The Browns own the 4^th pick in the first round, as well as a spare first rounder acquired from the Falcons when Atlanta traded with the Browns in last year’s draft to select Julio Jones. Cleveland owns nine 2012 selections as of right now, including two fourth rounders.

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Addicts, while we all hope that there is NFL football this season, one thing is certain. There will be college football this season. My heart belongs to the Chiefs, so I always watch football with an eye towards who the Chiefs might be interested in. As much as I like Branden Albert and Barry Richardson, I can not see the Chiefs winning a Super Bowl with them as the bookend tackles. We may see Albert slide inside to guard, or you can see Richardson moved to a backup, swing tackle role. Either way, we could easily see a new player at a starting tackle position.

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