Couldn’t help it. I am back to my “Quaker” roots, hence my choice for the title of Saturday’s effort. What we are seeking though, is what emerges as the training continues at camp, and the exploration the coaching staff employs in Preseason games. Indeed, after 2020’s chaos with… NO St. Joe… NO OTA’s… NO in person meetings, and so on. So, without Preseason testing, the Chiefs appear very comfortable with all of the players and efforts expended in Training Camp. We’ll see “form” emerge as the team develops.
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“Eidolon” is the goal. Let’s take a look at where things stand thus far, although it’s still a work in progress with a lot of fun to follow at St. Joe!
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The Buffalo – My Outlook is Extremely Positive
To make the plays work on offense, the offensive line is key and totally unheralded and I focus quite a bit of attention to these players. The public was dosed on the import of the OL in Super Bowl LV and no doubt, the fans were shocked.
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In 2021, Brett Veach deserves a crescendo of hallelujah’s for his complete restaffing and rebuilding of the offensive line — in just two months. I see Orlando Brown becoming a great leader for the linemen and a spokesman for the Chiefs unfolding as we watch camp proceed. I want to observe what another player said about the camaraderie for the group, with today’s focus from Joe Thuney:
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“The O-Line is a great group… we hang out a lot off the field, in the locker room, always talking, laughing, joking, so they’re a great group. A lot of great guys. Being out here in kind of an isolated bubble. It’s great to spend a lot of time with the guys and just keep building every day.”
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By now, you have probably gathered that I hugely supported the trade to obtain Orlando Brown, Jr.. True, and I see him as the cornerstone for the left side of the OL for maybe the next decade!
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Thuney went on to say quite a bit more, giving a nod of acknowledgment to OL Coach Andy Heck and noticed the studious rookies Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith having their noses in the playbook. This informs us that these two young players have made an impression on the veterans.
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About Joe Thuney, he’s another acquisition that I give GM Brett Veach the tip-o-the-hat for has paid a special compliment to Brown:
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“He’s great — he’s a great player…Being on the left side, playing next to him, we’re always talking about what we’re seeing out there. How we’re approaching things. Coach Heck has done a great job of giving us great coaching points and pointing us in the right direction. It’s been great playing with him.”
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In my view, the Offensive line is already gel’ing. If most of this effort is accomplished in camp and pre-season, our offensive line is going to be among the best in the NFL!
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The Linebackers
As you probably know by now, I have a special affinity for Linebacking. This year, for the first time since Andy Reid took over the helm, I am at least very comfortable with the threesome of Anthony Hitchens, Willie Gay, Jr., and Nick Bolton. I won’t subtract out other players. When Veach added Ben Niemann as a UDFA three years ago, I thought it was a great addition. His 2020 was not a good year. He had bulked up a bit and it didn’t translate to the grass. As understand it, he has lost the extra weight and his speed should be improved this season which should make him more effective on the field as the #2 behind Hitch, who has also slimmed down towards his more optimum weight of 231 (his own words).
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It’s more difficult to see those behind them because we just know far less about them. Omari Cobb, for example: I knew about him and thought he would be drafted. When he wasn’t, Veach snapped him up last year. Dorian O’Daniel has never gotten much experience or D snaps. I’ve mentioned Darius Harris due to his participation in preseason games in 2019. Let’s hope he has advanced from that point. He did get in games in 2020. Last, is rookie UDFA Riley Cole, the South Alabama invitee. His physical metrics are a high positive at 6-foot-2, 242 lbs.. He could be added to the active roster and I have heard positives coming out of camp about Cole.
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The bottom line is: the group looks strong and capable (my worry since 2016, if you’ve been following my thoughts).
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The QB and Receivers
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It’s way too early to tell, but we do have the future GOAT: Patrick Mahomes. The players on the receiving end of his passes are fun to watch so far. I have been impressed by the video recently seen. I see the whole group with a very positive view, especially newcomer Cornell Powell who I featured in a recent piece I wrote called: “Chiefs Renewed Focus on the Aerial Game.” However, there are others in this group to watch, as well as a couple of other invitees.
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Laddie and I had discussed WRs and TEs and he was very positive about Noah Gray and holds a similar view to my own about Powell. In a recent conversation, I observed that Antonio Callaway might work his way to the front group and make the 53 man roster. Thus far, he’s doing what he must in camp and making headway. I’ve also noted that Jody Fortson would make waves in camp, and he has. Noah Gray, the Chiefs 6th round (pick 162 overall) 2021 draftee, has also been garnering a ton of praise. He’s far more NFL-ready than I could ever have envisioned.
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I am impressed and now believe he will be making a significant contribution as a rookie hybrid player (TE and H-Back). Gray, a Leominster HS Football grad is catching attention and the above photo is from their site. This would be great stuff for Patrick Mahomes. Nate Tice did a podcast for RGR Football about Gray. It’s a 10-minute audio that can be found here:
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Chiefs Breakdown! Noah Gray with The Athletic’s Nate Tice
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Also, Ryan Tracy did an excellent review of Gray’s collegiate film at RGR Sports YouTube Channel. You can watch that video here as well:
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I’m starting to get excited about Gray making a contribution in 2021 and it could be very unique! Gray, like Powell, had the light bulb burning bright in his last collegiate year. This remains an interesting study group of receivers. Mecole Hardman has also taken the bit and reins in his teeth. Let’s hope this comes to a fortuitous result when the season opens.
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Cornerbacks In Diapers?
This is the group about which my concern is the most focused. The Why is obvious. If you take a look at the games played for the potential front five of the group it is very limited. Here, I am referring to the following players:
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- Charvarius Ward
- Rashad Fenton
- L’Jarius Sneed
- Deandre Baker
- Mike Hughes
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Gone are all the longer-term veterans. They are talented, but it will be an unproven group of players to field in 2021.
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Topics that have arisen included signing a big name to close that gap(Xavien Howard), which would be a great addition but beyond the cost-justification level. Various other explorations by pundits, bloggers, and analysis have proposed trades. If indeed a trade is in the offing to acquire a player for the CB group, I see it occurring sometime after August 15th, after the Chiefs have had their initial looks at the young guys in a pre-season game where they will play at NFL speed against NFL competition. Such a Trade could be made as late as the day after ‘Alchemy Day’.
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Here is where I think my comfort level lies:
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- Outside CBs: Ward, Fenton, Baker, Hughes
- Slot CB: L’Jarius Sneed with Fenton or Baker behind him
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This type of grouping maximizes our best talent at the most difficult CB role with Sneed in the slot. We do have experience outside with the others, but among the first four listed above I am making the proposition that as long as Baker’s leg holds out, he will be a starter outside.
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Newcomers we Need to see Step up and in? –> BoPete Keyes.
I do have hopes for Keyes awakening during the 2021 season. Here’s his Tulane Highlight video.
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Keyes was the player that Veach traded back into the 2020 draft to bring aboard.
A look at the CB role for the Chiefs was made by Craig Stout (Stout Assessments) which provided a view of the return related to monies invested on the CB role. The teams that spend the least, but have gotten tons of mileage from their “youth movement” was the point of interest for me. The Chiefs and the Colts came out on top of that research by Stout (who also is one of the founders of KC Sports Network). The bottom line at which Craig arrives is determined by the Average Annual Expenditure on the player group and the resulting performance of those players (in that group) in games determined by DVOA essentially.
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Note: DVOA stands for: Defense-adjusted Value Over Average
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Take a look at Craig’s article about doing more with less, Here –> “Do the Chiefs Do More With Less?“
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Craing’s article provides us with a positive view of the Chiefs secondary and the CB’s in particular.
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Last Thoughts: Chris Jones
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I was certain — in my mind — that placing Chris Jones on the IDL was the best route for the Front Four on defense. However, I’m learning as things roll out. Jones reported to camp 15-20 pounds lighter than he had the previous season. I regard him as the #2 DT in the NFL behind Aaron Donald’s ranking. The value of what he brings to the table from the inside is great stuff.
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A lighter, more flexible Stone Cold Jones will have improved speed and bend, which is so crucial to the DE role. Laddie Morse and I briefly spoke about this on Thursday and he remarked that he might be having a change of heart. After all the info that I found from the last two days, I too am reconsidering what Jones could do from the edge–Maximum Mayhem is what I want to see and he may just bring that to the table, while still being versatile enough for Spagnuolo to move around as a newly minted chess piece. I truly love Chris Jones as a Chief. Remember, he was on my “to-draft list” when others doubted him.
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I have no doubts about CJ being able to set the edge. I had doubts about his flexibility. Now? I am not so sure that I was right about this. I had written that I thought moving him to the edge as a 3 down DE was a mistake. He may not be utilized that way anyway but would likely to present a threat from the outside far more than his 10% of snaps at the position as he racked up numbers in the 2020 season. I’m sure having the ability to “flex” Jones around the alignment will be beneficial to Spags, and the Chiefs. I note also that run defense by Derrick Nnadi and Jarran Reid from the interior plus the pass rush combo of Reed and Clark may just have shifted this anticipated defensive line to being far more capable of pressuring the QB and stopping the run in 2021… and Jones? He could just be the monster that we need from the edge. That would be goodness… and hopefully greatness!
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I’m thinking that this defense, overall, could well be very special in 2021.
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David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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