A+ draft grade for Chiefs before draft startsI gave the Chiefs an A+ for the draft before it started. Most of you know what I’m getting at. I think giving up our picks in the first, third, and fourth rounds for Orlando Brown Jr. and a fifth round pick next year is great move. Also, we received the Ravens second round pick this year and their sixth round pick next year. Why did we lose the Super Bowl? Because we didn’t have an offensive line. Brown is a two-time pro bowl left tackle and he’s only 25. You could take the picks we traded to Baltimore and try to draft a guy like that or someone that can contribute just as much to a team and the odds are you won’t pick that guy. At the end of the day, the draft is a risk. I’m all for taking a young proven pro bowl player by trading picks. With an improved offensive line, the Chiefs might be unbeatable and it’s clear Clark Hunt and Brett Veach realized this with the addition of Joe Thuney, Kyle Long, and Austin Blythe. Don’t forget that Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif will be back at guard after taking a year off to courageously help battle COVID and take care of patients. Our new rookie center Creed Humphrey is no slouch, which leads me into the guys we did pick in the draft:
Round 2, 58 – Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Round 2, 63 – Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Round 4, 144 – Joshua Kaindoh, DE, Florida State Round 5, 162 – Noah Gray, TE, Duke Round 5, 181 – Cornell Powell, WR, Clemson Round 6, 226 – Trey Smith, G, Tennessee The other glaring area where the Chiefs need help, but have improved is defense. I like taking Nick Bolton with our 1st pick in the second round. This guy has the strength and speed to make plays for the Chiefs and with second year player Willie Gay and Anthony Hitchens, the Chiefs could soon have one of the better linebacker groups in the NFL. Look for Bolton to contribute early and also look for Gay to make big strides this year in productivity. Then we go right back to the offensive line with Creed Humphrey at center. What has really stood out to me is his work ethic. Yes, he’s talented, but it appears this guy is ready to do whatever it takes, which is exactly what you need on the offensive line. His wrestling background is something that definitely contributes to his attitude. We need some tough linemen to protect Mahomes and this man fits the bill. Our last pick, Trey Smith, will play an important role and probably start at right guard on the offensive line with fellow rookie, Creed Humphrey, and Lucas Niang. Niang was picked last year out of TCU, but didn’t play last year because of COVID. I digress. Smith might have been a first round pick out of Tennessee, but he almost stopped playing due to blood clots. He might be the steal of the draft. He’s already been doing work and people are talking about him, including me. Speaking of late value, let’s talk about Cornell Powell out of Clemson. Powell didn’t do much his first four year, but last year turned it on and caught 53 balls for 882 yards. Could be a late bloomer that turns into a productive player. It’s easy to get shine at big schools like Clemson, but also easy to get overlooked with all the talent around you. Who am I most intrigued about? Noah Gray. We already have Travis Kelce and some other solid tight ends in Blake Bell and Jody Fortson, but you can never have enough weapons. I think I heard he has only dropped three balls in camp so far. Pretty impressive for anyone, especially a rookie. The young man can also fly. He ran a 4.55 40 yard dash at the combine, which is really fast for a tight end. Kyle Pitts, drafted fourth overall by the Falcons, was the only other tight end in the draft that has a faster 40. We all know what speed does. I like where the Chiefs are headed; a better offensive line, a defense that is continuing to improve, and more weapons. This team will be tough to beat. I might be bias, but right now Vegas has us at +500 to win the Super Bowl, better odds than any other team. Chiefs add more firepower to their offense in the 2020 draftDespite picking last in the first round, the Chiefs made a big time pick when they were able to draft arguably the top running back in the 2020 draft, Clyde Edwards-Helaire. As the first running back selected, the Chiefs could have picked any RB, but Edwards-Helaire stood out. He’s dynamic to say the least. He’s able to avoid guys on defense when running the ball, but can also catch it out of the backfield. Playing in the spread offense at LSU allowed him to put his pass catching ability on display. Clyde is perfect fit for the Chiefs offense. Damien Williams ended up sitting out because of COVID-19, so picking up a running back turned out to be a wise decision. Everyone is looking for Edwards-Helaire to have a huge year in the Chiefs explosive offense. Look for him to be picked up early on fantasy draft day. Here is a list of everyone the Chiefs selected during the 2020 virtual draft:
32 – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU 63 – Willie Gay Jr., OLB, Mississippi State 96 – Lucas Niang, OT, TCU 138 – L’Jarius Sneed, S, Louisiana Tech 177 – Mike Danna, DE, Michigan 237 – Thakarius Keyes, CB, Tulane Willie Gay Jr. probably has the biggest upside out of everyone the Chiefs drafted this year. Even though Kansas City took him early at 63, he could have gone lower. A suspension for academic fraud and a fight that injured Mississippi States quarterback, Garret Shrader before their bowl game contributed to him falling to the Chiefs. This is a guy that can make an immediate impact. He had the second fastest forty-time at 4.46 seconds for linebackers in the 2020 draft class along with the top broad jump for linebackers at 136 inches. Gay will make an immediate impact and it’s exactly what the Chiefs need. Kansas City’s defense improved last year under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, but is looking to get better. The ceiling is high for Willie and I think Andy Reid and his staff will him reach his full potential. Another player that can make a big difference right out of the gate is L’Jarius Sneed. This guy is a burner with a 4.37 second forty time. That was the fourth fastest time in the draft. He also jumped a 41 inch vertical, which was tied for second among safeties. Sneed will probably play corner for the Chiefs and might be plugged in immediately. He has the talent and will be a nice addition to the defense. Anybody that can come in and help the Chiefs defense get better is a win and Sneed can do that. I also like picking Lucas Niang, offensive tackle out of TCU in the third round. Providing protection for Patrick Mahomes and giving him time is important to say the least. It appears the Chiefs had another great draft. Brett Veach and Andy Reid continue to make moves that will position the Chiefs as a Super Bowl contender for years to come. |
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Here's how I feel about the Royals winning the 2015 World Series
I’ve had close to two months to reflect on the Royals World Series victory and it still seems unreal. The way we came back from being down late in eight of the games has been well documented, but it’s always worth mentioning when discussing the 2015 World Series champs. The best game, in my opinion, was the game against Houston where we, once again if you remember back to the Wild Card game in 2014, came back from four down going into the eighth. As one fan said to me at the bar a few nights ago, lightning struck twice. That game and the game the season before defined our team and the magic associated with the Royals. When you look at what the Royals accomplished with the way baseball is set up, you look to the owner, gm, and coach and have to tip your hat. It wasn’t long ago that a disgruntled fan, in Joseph Accurso published a letter in the Kansas City Star to David Glass imploring him to make some moves to help the Royals or sell the team. When we advanced in the playoffs last year, Ned Yost said in a postgame interview they have been planning this for five years. With all due respect, it almost sounded like a joke when he made that statement, but it was true. This is what David Glass and co. had set out to do. Build a team for the most part from within, bringing up players through their minor league system they had drafted or through their baseball academy, and occasionally signing key free agents. Props to ownership and management. As for the players, you guys are the ones that are most responsible for this epic World Series win. Guys not only played as well as they did last year when we went to the World Series, but actually improved. Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar and others lifted themselves to a new level. It would have been easy to get complacent after the run we had last year. Thank you for never giving up, sticking together, and playing your hardest all the time. It’s special that most of these guys have been with each other for a while, so there are relationships that go beyond the club house. When it came time to name the MVP of the World Series, it was tough to pick who deserved it most. Salvadore Perez came away with the award after batting .364 in the series, controlling the game, and playing incredible defense. My only hope is that we can keep you all together for as long as possible. I’m so proud of Edison Volquez for pitching two great games with his dad passing right before his first start of the series. Both of those performances where he gave up just three runs and two runs were special outings and played a huge part in helping us win the World Series. I’m also proud of Mike Moustakas who lost his mom earlier in the year. He played great for us through a tough time in his life. Chris Young played through losing his dad recently as well. That was a guy who kind of came out of nowhere to play an important role in the postseason. I’m proud of you Chris and I’m proud of all the other players on the Royals. No matter what happens for the rest of your lives, no one can take this away and the fact that you all are the 2015 World Series Champions. And then you have the fans. Wow. The people in Kansas City put us on the map and supported the Royals in a big way, but it’s not just what the fans did this year. It’s also the way they stuck with the team in previous years when the Royal’s weren’t rolling. Thank you to the fans for supporting the Royals and stepping up in a big way when they needed you most. My dad, a big baseball fan, put it best when we first talked after the Royals won the World Series when he said “I’m glad we won, but I don’t want this to stop, I want to keep having fun watching the Royals play great baseball.” I think that’s the way a lot of people feel and why everyone is looking forward to 2016. The support the fans have given this team really is unbelievable. You saw it at the parade. It was incredible to see the amount of people that converged upon downtown Kansas City for the day. That’s what people do in Kansas City. We are all friends and support our teams to the max and I honestly think and know that support and spirit helped this team battle and win the 2015 World Series. Thank you Royals fans. Chris Conley, Dontari Poe, and Ron Parker after setting a franchise record with ten wins in a rowRon Parker, Mike DeVito, and Mitch Morse after beating Cleveland and clinching a playoff spot |