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Ok, everyone is looking for their football itch to be scratched with the training camp just around the corner. Especially Kansas City Chiefs’ fans, who have nothing going on but the Barbeque this holiday weekend. There are so many answers that need answering with this organization. Why did Brandon Flowers end up in San Diego? Who is going to help Dwayne Bowe do anything offensively in the air this year? Why is Eric Berry not already a Free-Safety? Did they do enough in the Draft to make this team competitive enough in a Peyton Manning-ran AFC West? So many questions, but let’s start off with Flowers.
This explosive Corner was one of the hottest to come out of the 2008 NFL Draft. Sports Illustrated even called him an “opportunistic cornerback with solid ball skills”. The former Virginia Tech standout had a pretty solid six-year stint with the Chiefs, posting 374 Tackles, 17 INTs and 90 passes defended. However it still was not enough to keep the Chiefs from releasing him. NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora even said he was
“…a misfit in Bob Sutton’s press-man scheme”.
Apparently he was getting burned up and down the field last year, by opposing receivers. Don’t shed any tears for this new San Diego Charger though, as he just signed a 1-year, 5-million dollar deal. You can almost guarantee with him staying in the division, he is going to have his release from the Chiefs on his mind, at least twice in the upcoming season. Now having discussed Flowers lets move on to a player who is still with the organization in Dwayne Bowe.
Honestly, I believe even in as great of a season that the Chiefs had, Bowe went to sleep on the 2013 NFL season. If you’re the number one target in any organization and you can’t get more than 673 yards and 5 TDs on the season, something is very wrong. However this is not just about him; other than Jamal Charles, Bowe has a very weak supporting cast. Hopefully someone will step up to help bolster this tantamount group of receivers. The team obviously did not think it was a concern as they went into a draft that was bountiful at the receiver position and decided to pass on ALL of them. I do not know why I am shocked. Kansas City always goes DE, first-round. Last season was the exception when they just couldn’t pass on Central Michigan OT, Eric Fisher. This year Kelvin Benjamin was still on the board at pick 23 and they passed on him for DE Dee Ford. Now the team has to look to Donnie Avery, Kyle Williams, and A.J. Jenkins to support Bowe. It has to be hard to be a Chiefs fan.
Another question that had me scratching my head is Eric Berry. Rumors were flying all over that he could be traded earlier in the Off-Season. In my opinion, Berry is the best Safety in the game right now and his leadership is one of the reasons the Chiefs are where they are defensively as of late. However, my question was about his position not where he’d be spending the 2014 NFL season. He has a nose for the ball that is similar to a former ball-hawk that used to play for the Baltimore Ravens in FS Ed Reed. (I don’t count Reed’s tenure with the Houston Texans or the New York Jets, because he’ll always be a Raven to me.) You can tell an in-the-box type Strong Safety from a FS by the way they attack the ball in the air. SSs go for the hit and FSs go for the pick. Berry believes he can transition over easy as he had this to say to the Kansas City Star when asked about the potential position change “I’m pretty much ready for whatever comes my way,” Berry said.
“I feel like I can handle it”.
That Secondary will be even more dangerous with the change. Andy Reid just needs to make it happen.
This team had a very impressive turn-around in 2013 from a lack-luster 2012 and should have gone deeper into the playoffs but somehow they let Andrew Luck’s fight out-duel their physical prowess. I look forward to seeing Arrowhead Stadium light up with something to cheer for again. Lets hope Andy Reid can put together an encore performance following such a stellar 2013.
Jermaine Lockett is the CEO and a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on twitter and like us on Facebook.
