State of the Franchise - That was interesting edition

Eric Berry is a Chief!!!!  And some other interesting players too


The finally came and went, and the Chiefs, while making some interesting choices, did not disappoint.  After weeks of weeks of conjecture related to how "Pioli thought #5 was too high to draft a safety," and "it's not good positional value," etc., etc., the when it came down to it, Berry was the man and the Chiefs made the selection.

The theme of this draft seemed to be playmakers.  Whether that be on offense, defense or special teams, the Chiefs made a point to get players that can make plays on the field, none moreso than Berry.  And that's where we'll start with Eric Berry.  I absolutely LOVE this pick. Never have I ever been so excited about a player the Chiefs drafted.  Berry is a legit playmaker and will do nothing but improve the Chiefs 31st ranked defense.  Berry is a ridiculously talented football player and beyond all that he is a standup man off the field as well.  The Chiefs had the chance and knocked this one out of the park, as I hoped they would..

The Berry pick was what needed to happen.  What followed I am not exactly sure how good I feel about it, but I know I definitely do not feel bad.

With their next pick in the 2nd round, the chiefs selected Dexter McCluster, diminutive running back from Ole Miss.  This pick absolutely surprised me, but I immediately liked it, although it does raise some questions.  I watched McCluster a few times and came away impressed.  He seemed every bit as tough and versatile as Heisman Winner Mark Ingram.

McCluster was used in every way possible and when his name came up in pre-draft talk I often thought to myself "man, it would be awesome to have him, we just have too many other needs right now," which is why this move is so perplexing.  McCluster will help the team, no doubt, but could this pick have been more valuable used on somebody else?  Linval Joseph?  Sergio Kindle?  Somebody else on defense?  All could have been viable options, but the Chiefs wanted to improve their speed and get some playmakers and after getting one on defense with their first pick, they got another one with their second.

Word on the street is Todd Haley and Charlie Weis are developing offensive sets with Jamaal Charles, Dexter McCluster, and Thomas Jones all on the field at the same time.  That is pure insanity for a defense.  I envision McCluster in the wildcat, Charles and Jones on either side, and you have any option, McCluster with the jitterbug moves, Charles with the one move and go speed, and Jones with the straight ahead style.  This thought makes me really like this pick.

The next pick I am more of a fan of than most other people are.  Matter of fact, I called for this very pick over two months ago.  I knew the emphasis Haley and Pioli place on special teams and the return game and that with Javier Arenas being one of the best, if no the best, in college football he was definitely on the teams radar.  Arenas will come in and return kicks and punts and immediately make an impact on the game.  It is very possible that Arenas could make the difference in 2-4 games this season.  The Chiefs have not had a gamebreaker in this role in a while and now they finally have one.

Let me tell you what most people are not talking about that I think is a distinct possibility.  Arenas is known for his hard work and character (voted team captain and to the "all practice team"), so he is not going to only make himself known as a returner.  No, Arenas will work his tail off to ensure he sees the field as a cornerback.  He already has the nickel corner position locked up and is reportedly the best blitizing cornerback in the draft.  However, beyond all this, it is the Jeff Report's belief that Arenas will push Brandon Carr for the starting spot when the year begins.  The knock on Arenas was that he is slow for a corner (ran in the 4.6's-4.7's I believe), but he has all the other skills necessary.  He makes up for his lack of speed with smarts, good recognition, and good ball hawking skills, and he plays faster than his 40 time will show.  Don't be surprised to see him opposite Brandon Flowers in the starting role sometime next season.

The next pick in the 3rd round was John Asmoah, G - Illinois.  This pick I like because it just makes sense.  Many people had Asmoah rated as a second round talent and the Chiefs were able to nab him in the third.  Some people questioned the pick with the presence of Brian Waters and the signing of Ryan Lilja.  However, I do not.

The problem the Chiefs are in now is that they never built depth and looked to the future at sustained excellence.  That is what is great about Pioli's methods, he knows it will take time, but if you keep drafting good players eventually you will fill all your holes, won't have any, or will have so many good players you can overcome them all.  This is where the Chiefs are headed and picks like this will take them there.  When Waters retires or him or Lilja goes down, Asmoah is there to pick up the slack and will be ready to take over the starting role in short time.  Nice pick here.

The next few picks I will give short analysis on:

3rd round:  Tony Moeaki - TE - Iowa - Tight end with a lot of upside.  Good pass catching and blocking tight end, but I question the necessity of the pick.  My least favorite pick of the Chiefs.

5th round:  Kendrick Lewis - S - Ole Miss - Not sure why they went with another safety here.  Does this mean the writing is on the wall for Jarrad Page?  Is this the kind of player they are get to be Jon McGraw type?  Brilliant on special teams and spot duty in the secondary.  Perhaps, I am curious to see how he is used, especially after passing on Cam Thomas with this pick.  This one may not be  my least favorite, but it is the most perplexing.

5th round:  Cameron Sheffield - DE/OLB - Troy State - I like this pick.  Besides the fact that Osi Umenyiora and Demarcus Ware both are solid pass rushers from Troy, we need help at DE/OLB.  Vrabel is getting old and Tamba Hali can't do it all by himself.  I think this is a somewhat developmental prospect that will learn behind Vrable and Hali and take over for Vrabel when he retires.  I actually like this pick and hope it works out.

Overall grade:  B.  This grade (like all drafts) is obviously incomplete but I put it in the B to B+ range.  I like the majority of the picks and think they serve some needs but I think there are some holes still left to fill that could have been filled in different spots with different players.  Why pass up on Sergio Kindle in round 2?  Why pass on Cam Thomas in round 5?  These would have made the draft slightly better overall.  That being said, I love the draft and am as excited for new players as I have ever been.  Eric Berry and Dexter McCluster excite me the most and I think Javier Arenas has the potential to be a solid contributer on D and the return game to endear himself as a fan favorite.  Asmoah provides some much needed depth and youth at O-line and I love that pick.  The rest of the picks are developmental projects which is what you should pick with rounds 5-7 picks.

I am pleased with how they drafted and my complaints aside, these new players have me so excited for the season I can't hardly describe.  With the acquisitions we have already made (Lilja, Wiegmann), these drafts picks, possible further acquisitions (John Henderson?) and additions to the coaching staff (Charlie Weiss, Romeo Crennell) this is a very exciting time to be a Chiefs fan and this team is being built the right way.  Oh yeah, and we start the season with the new Arrowhead on Monday night in prime time.  Can't wait for September 13.