NSLU: When Eleven Really Means Twelve

NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED:

When Eleven Really Means Twelve

 ・ by David Bell

It’s Eleven Days until the day of the 2018 NFL Draft, even though the Kansas City Chiefs don’t pick until draft-day two. Most fans remain passively optimistic in awaiting the outcome. Most fans, except the really rabid ones, such as those who haunt the various halls occupied by lunatics, pundits, player analysts, Fantasy Football crazies and occasionally, some really insightful football people at NFL.com who come up with at least a reasonable facsimile of what will actually occur during Round One on April 26th.

How Things Fell Together This Offseason – beginning with the trade of Alex Smith
One of the rarest of trades occurred in the spring, even before the official beginning of the NFL Season – the Chiefs traded Alex Smith and in return received a “gem” of a cornerback – the top rated Inside Corner of the NFL in 2017.
It was a foregone conclusion that Alex Smith would be gone before the OTA’s began and then… he was. What stands out about this is the fact that Alex Smith not only had career numbers in 2017 but that his numbers were among the leaders in the NFL. It is rare that you see a QB traded away after such a stellar year but in this case, he was hearing footsteps coming quick behind him – and the feet making the noise behind Smith were those of Patrick Mahomes – KC’s Heir Apparent QB, and hopefully franchise “savior.” However, the reader must await the season opener and a full season of 17 weeks and 16 games to determine if John Dorsey’s move to trade up in the 2017 draft was a work of brilliance or not.

Brett Veach, the new GM, pulled the strings and made the trade happen. He received a great value in return when the Redskins sent Kendall Fuller to the Kingdom in the exchange. You might say that Brett Veach has made numerous moves since taking over the reins of the front office at Arrowhead One. He is a quiet man, apparently deliberate and not adverse to taking risks as evidenced by other trades and acquisitions that have occurred since he stood next to Clark Hunt, and was introduced as John Dorsey’s replacement.

An Offseason Move of… Losing Trouble
The next thing we found Mr. Veach to have done was the trade of Marcus Peters to the Los Angeles Rams. This also brought a huge uproar though it did bring another immediate 4th round pick and a 2019 2nd. It is likely we will not know until 2019 just how great the return was when this trade is analyzed. My point? Brett Veach has taken bold actions to create the team roster of his vision. The players have to buy in and thus far, it appears that they have done so – to a limited point. With these two trades we will know a lot more about their success down the road a piece. What other moves were made that have great import?

The Downshift – obtaining two Inside Linebackers
For 2017, after taking over, Veach made a trade to bring a 2nd round Inside Linebacker to town – Reggie Ragland. He followed up this year, again prior to the start of the NFL year, by releasing KC’s long time favorite ILB, Derrick Johnson (DJ). This move was countered by another, picking up Anthony Hitchens from the Cowboys. In two succinct acquisitions, and the three related releases (DJ, Ramik Wilson, and Kevin Pierre-Louis), and the GM, in the short time, has led the Chiefs and provided the Kingdom with a pair of brand-new, Inside Linebackers. To these two we can add Terrance Smith, who must have moved up the ladder since the Chiefs season ended. Then there is Ukeme Eligwe who was a draft pick in John Dorsey’s last draft.

An absence in the process is, a true Nose Tackle, since the departure of Dontari Poe. However, Veach did make a move to solidify the position weakness when he signed NT Xavier Williams. I think this to be a good move. I cannot say what Veach and the scouting staff are looking for but can only make assumptions now. Maybe Veach and Co. believe this is a solution in and of itself. More likely they will be adding a crucial component with another signing or at this point, by drafting a NT in the 2018 draft. So this is just a part of the remedy or added depth. It may be a move in the right direction but, only time and player performance will tell us whether or not this is true.

There’s No Starting Free Safety in the House
It is true and most followers of the Chiefs and Arrowheadone.com in particular, are aware of the daunting tasks facing the football club. The released starting FS Ron Parker and the team has not yet acquired a replacement. Thus, if you are adding things up, the team now has need of two starters in this draft in order to cover a huge exposure. It would not surprise me in the least if the plan is to find a starting safety and one additional player to add to the player mix.

“Two Thing to do When Cornered….”
The trade of Marcus Peters and the acquisition of Kendall Fuller in two separate transactions gives evidence that Veach knows that he has a big problem with a porous secondary. Steven Nelson has played fairly well as the Slot Defender. Fuller can and is apparently being depended upon to take one outside Corner position. Brett Veach also signed CB David Amerson to further add to the repertory of players who will comprise the cornerback group. Most observers are cautiously optimistic about the corner back situation but I am confident they are saying under their breath that it is crucial for Veach to make the right selection of an outside corner back in the upcoming draft.

If you are now adding things up, that is three top needs for player acquisitions in the draft and it will be difficult to fulfill these needs when no first round pick is available.

Straight On ‘Til Morning
Most have no idea how all this can be covered in a single draft. It is my view that 2 of the three can be obtained if the scouting effort has done it’s deed and due diligence. They know what is needed and here I have not even addressed the position of Outside Linebacker (OLB). Most know that I feel that this is probably not going to get resolved but this week Ladner Morse published an article on a player who is not in the spotlight –Wisconsin OLB Leon Jacobs. The more I see of him, the more I think Jacobs should or could be a later round pick. I think I can add another consideration  or two: Hercules Mata’afa (Washington) – he would be a transition prospect from DL to OLB and this is just my guess that he might develop outside. There is an earlier selection of the right size with speed and that is Lorenzo Carter (Georgia).

For me? I have the top three needs in front of that so I haven’t mocked it that way. I haven’t the skill to say that either is possible. The former, would be another OLB in training and the Chiefs have Tanoh Kpassagnon. Carter has all the ear-marks to succeed but do the Chiefs think he is a fit for KC? Who knows, maybe the old cartoon character, Bullwinkle, can pull a grizzly NT out of hat for Rocky the Squirrel. That would be icing on the cake as long as CB and FS were covered for example.

2018’s Portend of the Future?
In Eleven Days, the NFL Draft takes place in Dallas, Texas. In this case? Eleven really Means Twelve since the Chiefs don’t have a round 1 pick. We will have to live with that.

David Bell

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