Re: Bury The Hatchet ~~~ The 2008 Kansas City Chiefs Official Team Thread
KC Star reporter paints a pretty bleak picture, offensively anyway:
Be prepared to be bored watching Chiefs’ offense
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
RIVER FALLS, Wis. | More from the department of obvious training-camp observations: Offensively, the Chiefs are going to be boring and bad.
Whew, that’s a rough combination. Seriously, get ready for it. Kansas City’s 2008 offense might make the KC-playoff offense that couldn’t cross the Indy 50 look like the Magic Johnson-Showtime Lakers.
Hey, I’m not complaining or railing against Herm Edwards and his new offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey. They’re taking the necessary steps to build a playoff-caliber, ball-control offense.
I’m just trying to warn you that Arrowhead Stadium might not be a family-friendly environment for women and children. Drunk and sober men will cuss this offense repeatedly throughout the season.
The pieces just aren’t in place, and Herm and Chan know it. On Friday, Gailey met with the media and said absolutely as little as possible about his offense. Mostly, he whined about needing to get all of his players on the field at the same time. When I talked with Edwards, he was concerned about the durability of right tackle Damion McIntosh, who is struggling with a knee that swells.
“He has to stay on the field,” Edwards moaned.
The Chiefs are trying to build a solid offensive line around all-pro guard Brian Waters. It’s going to take a magician. Branden Albert, the rookie left tackle from Virginia, will eventually be a good player. Gailey said Albert can be “great.”
That’s down the road. Depending on the seriousness of the foot injury he suffered Thursday, Albert’s 2008 progress could be slowed. Everything to the right of Waters is a total mystery.
Center Rudy Niswanger is a former undrafted free agent. Right guard Adrian Jones is a former backup tackle. McIntosh is old and beat up. It’s going to take two years to build this line.
This line has an outside shot at being mediocre if Albert turns in a rookie-of-the-year-like performance. Waters is going to be a beast. He’s still steaming about last season when people whispered that his play slipped. Waters is in the best shape of his career. His grandmother got diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, and the entire Waters family changed their diet to support her.
“No fried foods for me,” Waters said. “And I don’t drink as much.”
The result is a leaner frame. Waters isn’t much lighter on the scale, but he’s carrying less fat.
“He’s having his best training camp,” Edwards said.
So if Albert is really good as a rookie, maybe the Chiefs can run left the way they used to behind Waters and Willie Roaf.
Without a consistent running game, Gailey’s offense falls flat and Larry Johnson mopes.
Even if Brodie Croyle is the second coming of Tom Brady, he doesn’t have the necessary supporting cast to power a dangerous passing game. The Chiefs don’t have a No. 2 receiver. Devard Darling has the title. The problem is he has no résumé. He posted a career-best 18 receptions last year for the Baltimore Ravens.
KC’s No. 3/slot receiver is Missouri grad William Franklin, KC’s fourth-round draft pick. Franklin looks the part, has the necessary speed, but he’s unproven and never demonstrated consistent toughness while at Mizzou. A rookie slot can be dangerous when he’s playing opposite two high-level veterans. Franklin won’t enjoy that luxury.
Brodie is going to lock in on Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez. Dumping the ball to Johnson isn’t a great option because he’s not a great receiver and he’s a terrible blocker. Priest Holmes was terrific with screens because you could never key in on when the Chiefs planned to throw him the football.
Again, KC’s best option out of the backfield in passing situations will be an unproven rookie, Texas’ Jamaal Charles. Everyone loves Charles, particularly his explosiveness and acceleration. He could be a wonderful third-down back, a big-play receiving threat.
On offense, the Chiefs are an expansion team. Really. They have three proven, big-time veterans who might be just past their prime — Waters, Gonzalez and Johnson — and one second-year player who has shown flashes of goodness (Bowe).
They will pray for production from every other position. You can’t count on it. You can’t even really expect it. It’s a recipe for three-and-outs, a formula for some frustrating Sundays.
Chiefs fans, you’re going to be tested this season. It’s the price of rebuilding. Remember, we wanted this.
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