2012 NFL Offseason Prospectus: Kansas City Chiefs

Perhaps no team, this side of Chicago, lost more talent to injury last season than the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite missing their quarterback and franchise running back however, the Chiefs still managed to win seven games and even make a run at the division title.

Coming off a year in which the Chiefs had double-digit wins and made the playoffs, the 7-9 finish was a disappointment for fans, but not a total loss.

Head Coach Todd Haley, whom the players had apparently tuned out, was replaced with Romeo Crennell who, in his first game as coach, beat the 13-0 Green Bay Packers.

Crennell inherited one of the most talented defensive rosters in football, but the offense remains a problem.

Jamaal Charles was establishing himself as one of the best running backs in football and was one of the most explosive at any position.A major knee injury sidetracked his development, but if he can come back and be close to 100%, the Chiefs offense immediately becomes better.

On the other side of the ball, it's scary to think how good this team would have been last year if Eric Berry had been healthy.

Even with the loss of their former first round pick, the Chiefs finished 6th in the NFL against the pass thanks to the corner player of Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr.

Carr was lost in free agency,  but this secondary still has plenty of talent to be a top-level pass defense.

Adding another safety and a nose tackle in the middle would help boost an anemic rush defense and could make this defense a terror in the AFC.

Offense
It's interesting that a team with a defensive coach spent all of its free agency money this offseason on the offensive side of the ball. Eric Winston was absolutely stolen from Houston, after the Texans inexplicably cut one of the best right tackles in the game.

Kevin Boss was signed from Oakland to try and improve the tight end position, but Boss is really just insurance in case Tony Moeaki can't get all the way back from his ACL tear.

Brady Quinn  and Peyton Hillis were signed to add depth to this team. Both are reclamation projects of sorts, and the Chiefs would probably prefer neither see major time on the field.

Receiver remains a major concern for the Chiefs with Dwane Bowe being franchised and Johnathan Baldwin hardly living up to expectations.

Unfortunately, while the Chiefs desperately need to upgrade that position, they probably have too much invested in Baldwin and Bowe, at least this season, to think about drafting a guy like Michael Floyd in the first round.

Don't be surprised, however, to see the Chiefs draft a running back in the first few rounds to pair with Charles who is at his best when he can be used in a multitude of ways. Dexter McCluster is a talented player, but Kansas City really hasn't figured out yet how to use him and he's not the kind of back you'd ideally pair with Charles.

Key Free Agents: Jackie Battle RB, Anthony Becht TE, Thomas Jones RB, Le'Ron McClain RB (signed w/ Chargers), Ryan O'Callaghan OT, Kyle Orton QB (signed w/ Cowboys), Leonard Pope TE (signed w/ Steelers), Barry Richardson OT, Jerheme Urban WR, Casey Wiegmann C

Defense
When you shut down the defending Super Bowl Champions, stopping a historic run through the regular season, it says something about the way you defend.


Kansas City has one of the best corners in the league not named Darrelle Revis in Brandon Flowers. His partner in crime, Brandon Carr was signed away to Dallas, but Travis Daniels was re-signed and Javier Arenas was a big-time playmaker in the secondary at Alabama, although he hasn't had the chance to show it in the NFL.

Tamba Hali is one of the best rush linebackers in the game and Derrick Johnson has finally shown the ability to play to his immense talents inside. Opposite Hali, Justin Houston showed flashes last year of why he was getting first round buzz and could really improve in his second season.

Getting better up the middle, whether it's a nose tackle or another inside linebacker, could go a long way in improving a rush defense that finished 26th in the league last season.

The ends in this 3-4 defensive line are both former top 10 picks, but neither Glenn Dorsey nor Tyson Jackson have been anything to write home about. The investment the Chiefs made in them may be far enough in the rear-view mirror to justify a high pick on someone like Fletcher Cox if he falls, or they could reach for a nose tackle like Dontari Poe. Either would be an upgrade over what they have.

Key Free Agents: Jovan Belcher ILB (re-signed w/ Chiefs), Brandon Carr CB (signed w/ Cowboys), Travis Daniels (re-signed w/ Chiefs), Wallace Gilberry DE, Kelly Gregg NT, Jon McGraw S, Sabby Piscitelli S,

Draft Targets

Needs: WR,NT,S,TE,OL,RB
Round 1 (Pick 11): Luke Kuechley ILB Boston College (Pos. Rank: 1, Overall Rank: 10)

Is this the safe choice? Maybe it is, but that doesn't make it a bad choice. Romeo Crennel has already failed as an NFL head coach which puts more pressure on his run in K.C. He needs to add solid player to his roster with this pick, preferably one without much risk. And let's not pretend like Kuechley isn't an elite-level prospect. He's a top 10 talent, with outstanding instincts and leadership skills. He flashed better-than-expected athleticism at the combine and people who think he doesn't have enough "upside," proabably haven't watched him play. Kuechley could follow the Zach Thomas playbook in the right defense: a tackling machine with great awareness and leadership, despite not possessing elite athleticism. Getting a corner like Dre Kirkpatrick might make sense here too, especially with Peyton Manning heading to the AFC West.

Round 2 (Pick 44): Lamar Miller RB Miami (Fla.) (Pos. Rank: 4, Overall Rank: 44)

In a perfect world, a physical back would be here to pair with Jamaal Charles' dynamic, big-play ability. Miller is a home run hitter, but isn't a consistent between the tackles runner. He does have good balance and burst, but his vision is mediocre and he has to get lucky in order to pick more up than is blocked. Perhaps that has to do with the fact he was only a one-year starter at Miami and with some experience he'll get better. He certainly has the athletic talents to be a starter in the NFL if his feel can improve. Kansas City has interest in some of the quarterbacks in this draft and Brandon Weeden could get a look here too.

Round 3 (Pick 74): Markelle Martin S Oklahoma State (Pos. Rank: 3, Overall Rank: 75)

I love this pick for the Chiefs to pair Martin with Eric Berry. Berry is a physical safety who loves to hit and make big plays. Martin is more of a deep safety who uses his ball skills and range to make plays in the defensive backfield. Martin was, for much of the year, considered the top safety prospect in the class, although his play trailed off due to some nagging injuries. As a playmaker, Martin has few piers in this defensive back class, although he's not suited to playing slot receivers in man coverage. He's better reading and reacting where he can use his speed to make plays. Martin and Berry would also make a pretty pulverizing safety duo with both looking to knock guys out coming across the middle.

Overall

This wouldn't be a sexy draft for the Chiefs, but it would be an effective one. Kuechley is a guy who can start for this defense for the next decade and Martin, if he can stay healthy, can be an excellent starter as well. Miller, assuming the Chiefs can keep Charles, may not be a starter on this team, but has the talent to be a starting-caliber player particularly behind an offensive line that got a lot better with Eric Winston. The value (0) isn't outstanding, but it's above average and would fill needs at three critical positions. If Charles can't come back 100% to start the season, having a player like Miller would be important to providing balance for this offense, even if he's not a long-term starter. Martin and Kuechley both could be Day 1 starters.

Final Thought

It's hard to know what will happen in the NFC West because we don't know how good the Broncos can be with Peyton Manning, nor do we know what state the Chargers and Raiders really are in as we head into 2012. Kansas City has as much talent as any of those teams and probably has the best defense of that group. If you told me the Chiefs would win the division and make the playoffs, I wouldn't be surprised. Likewise, if you told me they'd go 5-11 and finish last, I also wouldn't be surprised. The AFC West is truly up for grabs and the Chiefs, just a season removed from winning a division title, have as good a chance as any to take it down again. If the Chiefs are healthy, they might just be the best team in the West. Making a few key moves and adding the right pieces in the draft could solidify their standing as a playoff team, while failing to do so could topple them from the standings. This is one of the more enigmatic teams in the league as we enter 2012.