Why Mitch Morse is the Chiefs best hope at right guard

Dec 7, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Zach Fulton (73) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Chiefs 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Before I get to Mitch Morse and why Chiefs fans should be hoping he wins the right guard spot, let me just close out my thoughts on Jeff Allen and Zach Fulton. I think both of those two players could fill the position. They are both young enough to grow as players and are capable of performing better going forward than the PFF grades that are listed above. That having been said, I think they both have major flaws that will prevent either of them from ever becoming above average players at the position.

For Jeff Allen it is a lack of power at the point of attack. Allen is fairly athletic and moves pretty well in space, but in his previous seasons playing on the interior he showed a real problem dealing with powerful defensive tackles. While it may not have been as extreme as Mike “Roller Skates” McGlynn, he was often driven into the backfield by powerful defenders. While players can work out and improve technique I have yet to see Allen show the strength needed to anchor on the interior.

For Zach Fulton it is the opposite problem. Fulton is a powerfully built lineman that on looks alone appears perfect for the position. The problem for Fulton comes when he’s on the move. Fulton is incredibly stiff and has problems latching onto defenders if they aren’t lined up right in front of him at the snap. While Fulton rarely finds himself overpowered and driven into the backfield he did have problems picking up stunts and blitzes at times. Some of that can be improved with experience, but agility is something that is hard for 316 pound lineman to develop. Usually you either have it or you don’t.

If you could combine Allen and Fulton’s best attributes you could build yourself an All Pro offensive guard, but individually I think the ceiling for both of these players is that of an average at best NFL starter. While an average starter would certainly be preferable to a bad one, I think the Chiefs need to set their aim a little higher than that.

That brings us to Mitch Morse.

Next: The Morse Man