Should Chiefs go to 3-4 Defense?
Ever since it was rumored that the Chiefs were interested in getting Scott Pioli I had been thinking about the possibility of the Chiefs switching to a 3-4 defense.
Scott Pioli has already proved that he can build a very solid 3-4 defense in New England and with the current state of the Chiefs defense I say now is just as good as time as any to build a 3-4.
Here is how I think some of our current players would fit into a 3-4 Defense:
Tank Tyler: Tank has the size and the strength to be a NT in a 3-4 defense (remember when Tank was drafted he benched more than anyone else at the combine). The question is whether he has the ability to play this position as NT is a very key position in the 3-4.
Glenn Dorsey: This is very interesting situation. I think that Dorsey’s ability to penetrate (shown at LSU), and especially since he does not have the size that most like in a NT, that he would make a great 3-4 DE. Now, some would say why would ‘waste’ a #5 overall pick on a 3-4 DE, and to that say I say ‘who cares’. You put your players in the best position for them to succeed. Am I saying that this is the best position for him to succeed in? No, but I’m saying that it could be.
Derrick Johnson: I think that DJ could benefit more than most if the Chiefs went to a 3-4 defense. I’m not sure if DJ would play an outside or one of the middle LB positions, but the 3-4 would definitely allow him to roam around me and get after the QB, something that he has shown flashes of.
Turk McBride: In this scenario it would appear that the Chiefs front three would consist of Tank, Dorsey, and Turk/Tamba. So whoever the Chiefs think would better fit the mold of a 3-4 DE would most likely get the nod here.
Tamba Hali: Same as Turk.
Brandon Flowers: Although Flowers was drafted to be a cover 2 corner he did enough to show me that he can hang one-on-one with almost any WR in the league. So I would not worry about Flowers whether he is in man or zone coverage.
Brandon Carr: Same as Flowers.
Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page: Page and Pollard would retain their post at their respective safety positions. In my perspective they done enough to keep their jobs on the current team (as there is no one better then them on the current roster), but not enough to not be replaced if somebody better comes along (via draft or FA).
Of course all of this is just speculation and will change once free agency and draft take place. I am of the mindset that I will trust Pioli will make the right decisions until proven otherwise. Now, with that said here is a some of what I would do to address the transfer to a 3-4 defense in FA and the draft (if the Chiefs went 3-4 of course).
3-4 Addressed in Free Agency and the Draft:
Sign Terrell Suggs: The Chiefs definitely have enough cap room to take a chance on Suggs in free agency. Suggs would add some instant credibility to the Chiefs defense and is a sack artist. We all know who badly the Chiefs needs someone who can take down the QB. He also has played big in big-time games (at least from what I saw this post-season, even baring injury and also that fact that he is a veteran who has played in big games is big). His closing speed on the QB is what really impressed me.
If the Chiefs did go to a 3-4 defense this would allow them to not worry about getting a top flight DE in the draft as well (and even more so if they signed Suggs). This would allow the Chiefs to look at drafting a MLB (Rey Maualuga from USC or James Laurinaitis from OSU ) or even Aaron Curry from Wake Forest who is being projected as in outside LB in a 4-3 or an inside LB in a 3-4.
Another option this would allow the Chiefs is draft the best available player left. Michael Crabtree anyone? Pioli had Moss in NE and we have all seen what Larry Fitzgarald has done in the playoffs this year. With Bowe and Crabtree at WR the Chiefs would be SET for years to come.
Just to add one more thing here. I am no expert on the 3-4 defense, but I do realize that with the 3-4 defense the importance of the LB position is key. So for the Chiefs to successfully run the 3-4 you have to believe the Chiefs either already have the talent at LB to can get the talent at LB to make this happen. WIth Pioli I am convinced we can indentify and get this talent on the roster.
So there it is… what do you think about the Chiefs running a 3-4 defense?
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Kansas City Chiefs Injuries halfway through 2008
(sorry I thought a picture of Croyle would be appropriate here)
The Chiefs had quite a few players come down with injuries this year so I thought I would make a list. This is just off of the top of my head so if I have forgotten anyone please let me know in the comments section below.
Any Chiefs who has had an injury this season (missed time and/or listed on an injury report):
Donnie Edwards
Branden Albert
Nap Harris (former Chiefs with Vikings now)
Brodie Croyle (IR)
Damon Huard (IR)
Patrick Surtain
Brandon Flowers
Kolby Smith (IR)
Tamba Hali
Turk McBride
Glenn Dorsey
Jamaal Charles
Dustin Colquitt
Demorrio Williams
Will Franklin
Jarrad Page
Jean-Philippe Darche (IR)
Weston Dacus
Maurice Price
Dimitri Patterson
Erik Walden
J.P. Foschi
Derrick Johnson
In case you don’t believe this the official Chiefs Injury reports can be found by clicking the link.
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Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week
From the Official Site of the Chiefs
- The National Football League informed the Chiefs on Wednesday that LB Derrick Johnson has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in Week Four of the 2008 NFL regular season. This marks the first time Johnson has earned this distinction, becoming the first Chiefs linebacker to win this honor since LB Mike Maslowski took home AFC Defensive POW accolades in Week Eight of 2002.
I would just like to say congrats to DJ! You deserve it man, now makes us proud and continue to produce the rest of the year!
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Good job DJ! Vote Derrick Johnson for Defensive Player of the Week
DJ played like a mad man this week and it is being recognized.
Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson is up for the GMC Defensive Player of the week. He had 6 tackles, a pass defended, an INT, and a forced fumble. To vote for him and watch a video click here.
I’m just passing this along trying to get DJ as many votes as possible. If you think he deserves it please do the same.
Go DJ!! It’s ya Birthday!
Remember Denver… you can’t beat our Johnsons!
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What’s up with the Chiefs Linebackers?
In what some would call one the stronger points of the Chiefs defense in years past, the Chiefs seem to be struggling to field a set of linebackers. Of course they have DJ (Derrick Johnson), but once you get past him it seems to be a little slim for the pickings at the moment, and this is partially due to injuries.
Former Pro Bowl LB Donnie Edwards is still fighting off a hamstring issue, an issue that slowed him last year. The Chiefs have actually come out and said that Donnie was playing hurt some last year and it might have hurt the team because his injury didn’t allow him to practice with the team.
MLB Napoleon Harris has missed a lot time this preseason with what is reported as a sore knee. But even so he was replaced at MLB on the depth chart by Pat Thomas early in camp which leads me to believe that even when Harris is healthy and comes back it could be in a backup role. What does that say about the former first round choice, getting beat out by a relative unknown? Hopefully it says more about Thomas than Harris.
And in the latest news Chiefs linebacker Demorrio Williams suffered a hand injury in practice Tuesday that will keep him out of Saturday’s preseason game at Miami and could cause him to miss next week’s preseason finale against St. Louis. This is a pretty big blow especially since reports from River Falls were very positive about him.
And injuries notwithstanding, here are the rest of the Chiefs LB’s:
Wes Dacu
Steve Octavien
Oliver Hoyte
LeRue Rumph
E.J. Kuale
In the past Herm has kept seven LB’s on the team. Of these mentioned who do you think will be on the team? DJ, Demorrio Williams, Pat Thomas and Donnie Edwards are shoe ins, but then who? The backups will need to be able to play special teams as well, which makes you wonder about the future of Napoleon Harris, but (and I don’t have the numbers in front of me) I’m sure the Chiefs won’t cut him this year because I bet they would have to take a decent hit on their salary cap to do so.
Makes you wonder if the Chiefs will try to scoop up a LB on the waiver wire the day after the final NFL cut.
What do you think? Are the Chiefs set at LB for now or do they need to make a move to get someone?
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Chiefs’ Johnson hates the “R” word
Jeffrey Flanagan has had some pretty good blog post lately. His latest talks about Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson and how he doesn’t like the word “rebuilding”.
Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson doesn’t even like to hear the word “rebuilding.”
“It’s a college word,” he told me. “You rebuild in college, you build programs.
“But in the NFL, there’s too much at stake. Derrick JohnsonThere’s a sense of urgency. You can develop young guys, but you have to win.
“No matter how young you are, you got veteran guys who want to win. You think Tony Gonzalez wants to hear about rebuilding? You win the way Indianapolis does or Green Bay. You develop as you’re winning.” - Flanny’s Blog
I think DJ makes a good point. You can use whatever word you want to discrube “rebuilding” but it still happens and it happens almost everywhere. We just need to determine if the Chiefs are one of the teams that can be competitive while they are “building”
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