Chiefs: A Green Eggs and Ham Approach, Part II – This is the conclusion of my article, Chiefs: A Green Eggs and Ham Approach, Part I, and as I noted in Part I, it became more complicated as I dug through the players, the positions of need or exposure where a draft pick or free agent signing would resolve a problem or strengthen a position group. This section completes the view of the existing roster players and how Brett Veach can address position groups that need to be strengthened.
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Running Amock – Sam?
What else is on the Menu? Who Knows, Were this goes?
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RB#1 – Glyde RB#2 RB#2 Darrell Williams
RB#3 Draft/UDFA/Free Agent? RB#4 – Darwin Thompson
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I do Not like it, Sam I AM
But I Doubt the Chiefs have a Draft Pick in 2021’s Effort
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The TE Room is not much improved, if at all, and not likely to be in 2021. We are not going to get a #2 TE who more closely approximates the offensive threat of Travis Kelce. Facts are facts and that will be one.
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TE#1: Travis Kelce TE#2: Blake Bell TE#3: Nick Keiser TE#4/Hybrid: Jody Fortson
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And then… maybe a Draft Pick, but I doubt it. Fortson can add the threat for this season.
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WR’s Green Eggs Sunny Side UP?
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The Chiefs have two #1, over the top, vertical WR’s. I can see the opportunity for a trade in that case. At the same time, with Sammy Watkins not signed, the Chiefs do not have an “X” WR either. I really like Hardman, but gaining another Top 100 pick might be the better play. Still, I can really see the importance of drafting the “X” receiver and making sure that this player is NFL ready. My choices would be Amon Ra St. Brown, Tylan Wallace, or Dyami Brown. It will require working out the picks and positions of the draft.
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The reason for this is due to Sammy Watkins being released to Free Agency. It could be that Veach made clear to Sammy what was possible and what was not. Sammy may be testing the water, but will find that the market price has dropped considerably. Most followers are done with Sammy, but I still love the player, despite the injury problems in 2020. [Note: see my mocks below where I do address top WR’s]
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WR#1 – Hill WR#1A – Hardman WR#3 “XWR” Draft Pick WR#4: Pringle WR#5? From Existing Roster
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A Look at the Defensive Ends!
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I am not one who is so confused as to be critical of Frank Clark, or even Taco Charlton. 2021 is Taco’s prove it year. He does or doesn’t. Point is? He played well until injured last season. He is solid enough to be considered a starter at the very least.
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From in-house, UDFA DT Tim Ward has shown us glimpses of his ability. I think this is how the Chiefs roll in 2020, with Tim Ward getting more involved. That said, the Chiefs have interviewed Melvin Ingram. Don’t know if that eventually results in a move or not, but it wouldn’t hurt. Hey Brett Veach: don’t waste this one if the right player is out there in the draft. Chris Jones has now been around five years. A run stopping, pass rushing fiend is what we need and the Chiefs were inept at pressuring the QB from inside in 2020. Below I have the 4 basic DE’s and show a potential for a Draft Pick.
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LDE: Taco Charlton RDE: Frank Clark DE#3: Mike Danna DE#4 – Tim Ward
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A RDT Draft Pick?
Sam! Serve It up with an Extra Egg? – The DT’s
Need? –> a RDT. Chris Jones is the LDT, so a Draft Pick is a strong possibility.
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Depth DT’s: Derrick Nnadi Tershawn Wharton Khalen Saunders
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Khalen showed us very little in 2020. I was disappointed. I show the biggest exposure Inside of all the thoughts about the DL. We need a Pass Rush threat to mirror what Chris Jones does. That threat which was diminished in 2020 and the Super Bowl. This was why having Melvin Ingram come to town was the right kind of player to add to the mix. However, he left KC without a contract.
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Sam? A LB on the Side Please!
Linebackers – this of course, has been my biggest bugaboo since 2016. At the time, I was harping on drafting DJ’s eventual replacement. Then he suffered two Achilles Tendon injuries in a row and was gone. Veach brought in Ragland first and then Hitchens, but neither were the multi-faceted player that DJ was. I dearly miss him.
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Anthony Hitchens – MIKE Willie Gay, Jr. – WILL Draft Pick! Depth LB – Ben NIemann
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Other LB’s on the Roster? Darius Harris flashed in 2019’s preseason games. I thought Omari Cobb would be a drafted player, so when Veach signed him I was pleased. He hasn’t had an opportunity yet. Nor has Emmanuel Smith.
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Darius Harris Omari Cobb Emmanuel Smith
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As shown, I see a LB as a high priority in the 2021 draft. I do think that the Chiefs will make this come to fruition. The Top LB’s in the draft will be gone. A lot of talk is spread around about Nick Bolton of Missouri. Dylan Moses, out of Alabama, is mentioned a bunch, but neither of these players, in my view, fits well as one of my top 3 picks. My reasoning is:
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- Football IQ
- Speed
- Lateral Pursuit (sideline-to-sideline)
- Pass Coverage Skills
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Here is my list of LB’s with the more capable fits named first. It won’t match the experts, of that I am certain. I doubt Zaven Collins is available by pick 2 in round 2.
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My Choice for drafting a LB would be: LSU’s Jabril Cox
Jabril Cox – LSU Cameron McGrone – Michigan Pete Werner-OSU Nick Bolton-MissoouriJamin Davis-KEntucky
Chazz Surrat – UNC Dylan Moses – Alabama
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Maybe it’s just me, but, I think Veach has to consider a LB to become the “Two’s Complement” to Willie Gay, Jr.. My choice is torn between Cox and McGrone. To be quite truthful between these two? McGrone is a better choice for aerial defense ability, but a bit undersized. Cox comes out of the SEC and a top program. We’d be fortunate to get either player. Two more LB’s that I really like are Pete Werner and Nick Bolton. Hitchens will be the MIKE for at least 2021, but the next man we should be acquiring is the perfect fit with Willie Gay, and bringing him along in 2021, just as they worked Gay into the role in 2020. Veach can ace this selection on a LB rounds 1-3.
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The need for a corner in the draft is continual to build and train players. This draft should do the same thing. I can truly see DeAndre Baker as the #1 Slot CB coming into his own in 2021. In this view then, I would want an OCB with length, a missing physical attribute among the players on the roster.
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OCB#1 – L’Jarius Sneed OCB#2 – Charvarius Ward OCB#3 – Deandre Baker
OCB #4 – draft Pick with length – the missing ingredient
Slot CB #1 Rashad Fenton Slot CB#2 – Bopete Keyes
Other Possible CB’s? Chris Lammons Rodney Clemmons
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Sam’s Safeties!
I can see the need for a draft pick and we’re going to need to replace Dan Sorensen on the roster. When? Maybe not 2021, but he is in his 8th season. Hard to believe. If Armani Watt’s talent has not developed from his first season and the core muscle injury, that is another consideration as well. For now? We have the players in house.
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SS/Hybrid – Tyrann Mathieu FS/Center field – Juan Thornhill FA#3 Armani Watts SS/Hybrid Daniel Sorensen
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Sam I AM? Are We Close to Wrapping it Up?
The Specialists
Harrison Butker (PK) Tommy Townsend(Punter) James Winchester (Long Snapper)
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So it is a wrap. The more I dug into it and played with it, the more difficult it became to consider the possibilities. Then it expanded even further.
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Would You, Could You, Sam I AM?
2 Mock Examples
If I could have something similar to these Mocks, I would be pleased enough to say I stuck a thumb in the pie and pulled out several “Plumbs.” I tried to cover as many of the team needs and obtain players who I felt would immediately make an impact as deep as I could in each example. All were done using FIrst-Pick. Two different approaches to the draft.
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Mock Example One:
Round 1 Pick 31: Greg Newsome, CB, NWern – had Newsome for an early Interview
Round 2 Pick 31: Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State – or Amon Ra St. Brown, Dyami Brown
Round 3 Pick 30: Cameron McGrone, OLB, Michigan – my 2nd Choice for OLB next to Gay
Round 4 Pick 31: Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa – doubt Brown will be last to round 4
Round 4 Pick 39 (COMP): Jacoby Stevens, FS/SS, LSU – Safety to be trained
Round 5 Pick 31: Mustafa Johnson, DL, Colorado – later in the draft DT to mix it up
Round 5 Pick 37 (COMP): Austin Watkins, WR, UAB – a good hand WR who fits
Round 7 Pick 30: Mark Webb, CB, Georgia – always thinking CB, good late choice
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Mock Example Two: focusing on the OL, a trade-back
Round 2 Pick 6 (CINN): Liam Eichenberg OT, Notre dame – plug-and-play LOT
Round 2 Pick 31: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC – X – WR or Tyan Wallace, Dyami Brown
Round 3 Pick 5 (CINN): Jabril Cox, OLB, LSU – Cox, top pick at OLB opposite Willie Gay
Round 3 Pick 30: Drake Jackson, OC, Kentucky – my new #2 OC
Round 4 Pick 31: Jacoby Stevens, Safety, LSU – get a#4 Safety, w/ Sorensen in Hybrid
Round 4 Pick 39 (COMP): Sadarius Hutcherson, OG, South Carolina – adds OL Depth
Round 5 Pick 31: Daelin Hayes, DE, Notre Dame – opportunistic rusher, sets the edge
Round 5 Pick 37 (COMP): Khyiris Tonga, DT, BYU – adds DL depth
Round 7 Pick 30: Trill Williams, CB, Syracuse – has a high ceiling, good addition at CB
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Sam I Am, Bring me the Check Please!
You get a nice tip!
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I don’t know of course how this all turns out, but I had fun laying it out. The choices of players and mocks may be totally absurd, but might actually bear some semblance to reality, even if the players are not the same. This became an oddly difficult task to address and lengthy to boot, so it became a two part work. Impossible to do with brevity, or without levity (I’ll leave that up to you), at least for me.
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David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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