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2008 Team Report: Kansas City Chiefs

Quarterbacks

Starter: Brodie Croyle
Backup(s): Damon Huard, Tyler Thigpen

Starting QB: Brodie Croyle looked lost last year while compiling an 0-6 record as a starter, but he had an awful lot working against him. The Chiefs offensive line was abysmal last season, Larry Johnson was out of the lineup when Croyle was in it, and Eddie Kennison, the team's leading WR in each of the previous five seasons, never got into the swing of things after injuring his hamstring in the first game of the season. The Chiefs believe Croyle's play will improve under better circumstances, and their seven offensive draft picks this year -- none of whom were a quarterback -- should provide him with some better firepower. The addition of proven offensive coordinator Chan Gailey should also aid in Croyle's development.

Backup QB: Damon Huard won the QB battle with Brodie Croyle during last year's preseason, but he was replaced by Croyle after injuring his neck in Week 10 against the Broncos. He will enter this season as a backup, and may be the 3rd QB if Tyler Thigpen lives up to the coaches' expectations. Huard, a 12-year veteran, has spent most of his career carrying a clipboard, but finished second in the NFL in 2006 with a 98.0 passer rating while starting eight games in relief of Trent Green. Huard came back to earth last season though throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in his 10 starts. Thigpen, a seventh-round pick by the Vikings last season, was picked up by the Chiefs and saw action against the Chargers in 2007, completing two of six passes for 41 yards and an interception. The coaching staff likes Thigpen's arm strength and pocket presence.

Running Backs

Starter: Larry Johnson
Backup(s): Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles [R], Jackie Battle
Fullback(s): Mike Cox

Starting RB: Heading into 2007, Larry Johnson had produced two straight seasons with more than 1,750 rushing yards, but his 416 carries in 2006 concerned some fantasy owners. Those concerns proved to have some merit as Johnson, after holding out for much of training camp, played only half the season before succumbing to a foot injury. Johnson is a downhill runner who gets much of his yardage after contact, but his bruising running style causes him to take a lot of punishment -- perhaps almost as much as he dishes out. Larry Johnson owners will hope for an improved offensive line this season, counting an immediate contribution from rookie tackle Branden Albert. With decent blocking in front of him, Larry Johnson is a beast. Decent blocking was a rarity last season though.

Backup RBs: The Chiefs spent a third-round pick on Jamaal Charles in this year's draft. It's not the first time in recent memory that the Chiefs spent a high draft pick on a runner when they had an All-Pro already on the roster. Down the road, Charles could end up replacing Larry Johnson just as Johnson replaced Priest Holmes. For now, Charles will work to land the No. 2 RB job in Kansas City, for which he'll have to battle Kolby Smith. Charles is smaller and shifter than Johnson with a complementary running style that could provide a nice change of pace. Kolby Smith got significant playing time in the second half of the 2007 season filling in for Larry Johnson but found little running room. Smith is a big, powerful runner who has good speed for his size but lacks elusiveness. Jackie Battle, who got some playing time at the very end of the 2007 season after spending most of it on the practice squad, has been running with the 2nd unit all preseason, he could be the team's principal backup in a bit of a surprise development.

Fullback: Cox is a bruising blocker with little offensive ability beyond that of a mobile 6th offensive lineman.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Dwayne Bowe, Devard Darling
Backups: Jeff Webb, Will Franklin [R], Maurice Price

Starting WRs: Dwayne Bowe had an outstanding rookie season for the Chiefs in 2007 catching 70 passes for 995 yards and five touchdowns. Bowe is a strong receiver who will catch the ball in traffic and is an attractive target in the red zone. When Eddie Kennison injured his hamstring in Week 1, the Chiefs needed someone to make plays from the WR position and Bowe filled the void. Although it won't directly help his fantasy owners, Bowe is also a terrific downfield blocker. Expectations for Bowe to improve on his rookie campaign are high. Opposite Bowe, the No. 2 spot is wide open. The training camp battle between Devard Darling, Jeff Webb and Will Franklin, was spirited but failed to produce a clear #2. For now, Darling looks to be the other starter. Darling spent the past four years with the Ravens seeing little action. He did have one big game though with four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown last season against the Browns. While Darling has excellent speed, his biggest demerit has been his lack of consistency.

Backup WRs: Rookie Will Franklin, Kansas City's fourth-round pick this year, has an excellent combination of size and speed. While he has the stopwatch speed you'd associate with a deep threat, often he was used on shorter patterns out of the slot position at Missouri -- a role he could also settle into with the Chiefs. Jeff Webb was the Chiefs sixth-round pick in 2006. Along with Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker, Webb failed to provide much production last year; unlike Kennison or Parker, Webb will get another chance with the Chiefs. Like Devard Darling, Webb has good speed and some big-play potential, but he has yet to translate that potential into on-field production.

Tight Ends

Starters: Tony Gonzalez
Backups: Brad Cottam [R], Mike Merritt [R]

Tony Gonzalez has been a top fantasy TE for the past decade. He was one of the few bright spots on the Chiefs offense last season, while leading all tight ends with 99 receptions and 1,172 receiving yards. At 32 years old, Gonzalez has a reputation for keeping himself in excellent physical shape. He has done a remarkable job of staying healthy throughout his career missing only two games in 11 seasons. He is an athletic tight end with excellent hands who shows savvy in getting open against different defensive looks -- including more than his fair share of double-teams. Gonzalez owns records for most receptions and most touchdowns by a tight end in NFL history. Brad Cottam was the team's third-round pick this season. He runs very well (4.6 speed) for such a tall specimen and has decent hands, but he had trouble staying healthy in college. He doesn't have a wide base and seemed to have trouble getting leverage in his run-blocking at the Senior Bowl. As a result, he may end up being a better receiver than blocker, although he had only 20 catches in his four-year college career. Rounding out the TE depth chart is another rookie, seventh-round pick Mike Merritt. Merritt is a classic blocking tight end. He is a strong, physical blocker who, if he makes the team, will likely see action in goal-line packages.

Place Kicker

Nick Novak : The Chiefs headed into the year with a three-way competition for the job. Billy Cundiff had done well on kickoffs; however his field goal percentages were below average (63.2%, 79.3%, 76.9%, and 62.5%) during his four years as a placekicker in the NFL. He was the first one to be cut, reducing it to a traditional two-way competition; between Nick Novak and Connor Barth. Novak won the job with a more consistent camp, a bit of a surprise to many. Novak showed promise during his rookie season; however he made only 5 of 10 (50.0%) field goals in his second year and was released by Washington after six games. Also, he does not have a very strong leg. After some success during the Dick Vermeil years, Kansas City slipped to 16th in Herm Edwards first year in 2006, and then plummeted to 31st last year scoring only 78 points.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Kevin Robinson; B.J. Sams; Jamaal Charles; Jeff Webb

Last year, Eddie Drummond did not pan out trying to fill the big shoes of Dante Hall. This year will feature a competition for the return specialist role. Sixth round draft pick WR Kevin Robinson scored three TDs on kickoffs last year for Utah State. He averaged 29.3 yards on 43 kickoff returns. The other primary candidate is free agent acquisition DB B.J. Sams. He had a stellar rookie year in 2004 and a solid follow-up in 2005. He was doing very well once again in 2006 (30 returns, 25.7 avg.) up until a fractured ankle sidelined him for the final four games. Injury struck again in the 2007 season opener as a torn knee ligament ended his year. Two rookies are also working on on returns. Third round draft pick RB Jamaal Charles did not handle any returns at Texas, but has the speed to make it worth giving him a try. WR Jeff Webb (10 returns, 20.4) is still available as a backup.

Punt Returners: Kevin Robinson; B.J. Sams; Jeff Webb; Jamaal Charles

Kevin Robinson scored twice on punt returns last year, once in the regular season and again in the East-West Shrine Game. His 18.9 yard average was number one in the NCAA. Although Sams handled both KRs and PRs for the Ravens, he is better on punt returns. In 2006 he averaged 10.6 yards on 29 returns before his injury. Jeff Webb is better suited to kickoff returns, although he practiced punt returns in the past. The Chiefs typically ranked in the top half of the league in fantasy returns during the Dick Vermeil and Dante Hall era. Last year they ranked 28th.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Damion McIntosh, LG Brian Waters, C Rudy Niswanger, RG Herbert Taylor, RT Branden Albert [R]
Key Backups: Wade Smith, Adrian Jones

Commentary coming soon.

Team Defense

There were two things that the Chiefs defense did well last season, sack the QB and defend the pass. So why not trade the league's sack leader for draft picks and jettison their best corner? The rebuilding process is now in full swing and the club has made a number of changes on the defensive side. Glenn Dorsey was considered the best player in the draft by many and the Chiefs believe he will be the anchor of the defense for years to come. Second-round pick Brandon Flowers got a first-round grade from many experts and will be plugged in at corner immediately. Surprisingly, rather than Turk McBride, it appears that Alfonso Boone, who was a productive defensive tackle last year, will inherit the ominous task of filling Jared Allen's shoes, and free agent Demorrio Williams brings added speed and athleticism to the LB corps. Top to bottom, the Chiefs have assembled a pretty talented group of young players, with the key word being young. They are taking some chances but if all goes according to plan, this could be a very good unit over the next few years, however, this season there will be growing pains. Dynasty owners might want to tuck them away for safe keeping but everyone else should be looking elsewhere.

Defensive Line

Starters: LDE Alfonso Boone, NT Ron Edwards, DT Glenn Dorsey [R], RDE Tamba Hali
Backups: DT Tank Tyler, DE/DT Turk McBride

Starting DL: The Chiefs pass rush took a major hit with the trade of Jared Allen to the Vikings. The team hopes that first round pick Dorsey will bring Warren Sapp like production to the undertackle role to take some of the sting out of Allen's loss. Hali didn't make the second year leap the team hoped for last season, but he should continue to be a very solid all-around strong side end. With Allen gone and the Chiefs choosing to address other needs early in the draft, the Chiefs will move Boone into an every down role at end. Boone was a pleasant surprise in his first season as a starter after playing only sparingly in Chicago. Effective against the run, Edwards should again help anchor the middle.

Backup DL: Tyler has a promising future at the nose if he can continue to improve. The Chiefs may not lose much when he rotates in for Boone. McBride is well into the doghouse after a disappointing rookie season. Instead of moving into the lineup at end after Allen's trade, McBride apparently now finds himself in a minor rotational role behind Dorsey and Boone.

Linebackers

Starters: LOLB Derrick Johnson, MLB Napoleon Harris, ROLB Donnie Edwards
Backups: LB Demorrio Williams, LB Johnny Baldwin, LB Pat Thomas

Starting LBs: Many observers suggest that the team was unhappy with the play of Harris in the middle last year and foresee a shuffling of last season's linebacking unit after the signing of former Falcon OLB Demorrio Williams in free agency. The team has been careful to say that all three spots are up for competition, but the primary battle will be between Harris at MLB and Williams at ROLB. If Harris proves himself a more physical and reliable option in the middle during offseason workouts, Williams will be left to compete with Edwards for the outside linebacker job opposite Johnson. If Williams impresses in space or Harris falters, the team will likely move Edwards inside to replace Harris. Johnson's role on the strong side is safe; he quietly had a very productive 2007 and is the Chiefs' best backer. Edwards struggled through a hamstring injury during the second half of last season, the third year in a row he's battled a leg injury of some kind. He doesn't have the range or cover skills he once had, but can still be productive in the right situation.

Backup LBs: Williams could well win the starting ROLB job in camp. He is a rangy, athletic player with above-average coverage skills who fits well in the Tampa-2 like 4-3 preferred by Herman Edwards. Baldwin was signed late last preseason after being released by Detroit. Still a project, Baldwin has all kinds of athletic ability but may not have the instincts or natural cover ability to survive in Edwards' scheme. He'll contribute on special teams and continue to learn behind the veterans ahead of him on the depth chart.

Defensive Backs

Starters: LCB Tyron Brackenridge, SS Bernard Pollard, FS Jarrad Page, RCB Patrick Surtain
Backups: CB Brandon Flowers [R], CB Dimitri Patterson, S Greg Wesley, S DaJuan Morgan [R], S Jon McGraw

Starting DBs: The Chiefs are well into a youth movement in the secondary. Safeties Pollard and Page pushed out veterans Sammy Knight and Greg Wesley last season. Pollard wasn't as effective in space as the team had hoped but continued to show a knack for making physical plays against the run and contributing on special teams. The team expects another step forward this season. Page had a relatively quiet second season after a promising rookie campaign, but brings an impressive combination of cover skills and run support ability. After electing not to re-sign veteran Ty Law, the Chiefs are left with a number of unheralded talent to compete to start opposite lone remaining vet Patrick Surtain. Brackenridge, one of two college free agent signings last year to make the roster in the secondary, saw playing time toward the end of last season and was a slight favorite to win the job this preseason before the Chiefs grabbed Brandon Flowers in the draft. Brackenridge's lack of speed (even on a team likely to use a lot of zone coverage) and questionable ball skills will make it difficult to hold Flowers off for long.

Backup DBs: Flowers is a great fit for the Kansas City scheme and it is only a matter of time before he becomes the Chiefs' best cornerback. Patterson will compete for the third corner job. Wesley has been the subject of trade rumors since last offseason, but remains on the team as a valuable veteran presence, though his physical ability and cover skills aren't what they used to be. With third rounder and all-around talent DaJuan Morgan now on the roster, Wesley may be released this summer. McGraw will have to continue his solid special teams play to fill out the back end of the roster.

Last modified: 2008-08-31 08:49:41