Dogg rates the draft

I watched Jack Harry blow a gasket on the teevee last night about this draft. And the big take-away I got from his rant is that Jack Harry needs a valium. He was really upset that there were no "fireworks". That somehow he expected Scott Pioli to come in and set his hair on fire, strip naked, cover himself in cool whip and drive a bulldozer through the Arrowhead parking lot -- or something. 

Scott Pioli gave me sort of what I expected. He picked lots of players I didn't know much about, and only one player that didn't surprise me -- kick returner/wideout Quinten Lawrence. Pioli has never been known for fireworks. Spying perhaps. Not fireworks. Pioli has made his bread-and-butter by finding guys that were not splashy - often in the late rounds - who quietly become pro-bowlers.  So, for now, I'm willing to give this draft class the benefit of the doubt. 

What did they get? Let's start with need areas:

Defensive end was a clear need - Check - first two picks are huge, Richard Seymour-style DE's

Offensive line was a need - Got one of them, too. A big fat, slow, white one. 

Kick returner - You betcha. Possibly one of the best values in this draft. 

Receiving tight end - Consider it done. Tony G he ain't, but who is?

Mr. Irrelevant - Found maybe the most irrelevant guy on the board! In fact, when interviewed after the draft, his mom said, "Ryan who?" 

(You all recall the last "Mr. Irrelevant" to wear the red and gold? That's right - the ONLY Mr. Irrelevant to ever play in a Pro Bowl - and the finest woman in the history of the NFL - Ms. Bill Kenney.)

And you can't look at this draft without including the second round, where they got Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel in trade for that pick.

Was it splashy? No. Did they wheel-and-deal, and pick up 20 more picks? No. But they did a competent job of filling a few of the myriad holes shot in the hull of this sinking ship, by the previous administration. 

And they still have a lot of cash to shop the free-agent market. 

Overall, the Dogg says, it looks like a B- effort. But there's no real way to know until you see these guys don the pads and start making contact.  

WIth the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, The Kansas City Chiefs pick...

LSU Defensive End Tyson Jackson

Raise your hand if you saw that one coming. 

Although, apparently Kiper and a couple of other started basically the night before mentioning Jackson's name, nobody I know of had this on Pioli and Haley's radar. However, it makes perfect sense, when you think about it. If KC is going 3-4, this pick just made Glenn Dorsey's day. Dorsey can now play nosetackle, where he belongs -- and he has his old college roomie next to him. 

What is there to like about the big guy? For one thing, he's very fast and agile. For another, he can play inside or outside, meaning he's a threat to rush up the gut, the same as around end. He has an extraordinarily long wingspan, and huge hands. He's known as a nasty block-shedder, with a lighting quick burst. He could be another Neil Smith -- he's even from New Orleans, like Neil. Let us hope. 

I think it was a reach, but Pioli has proven even a lot of really smart people wrong on draft day before. This is clearly a "wait and see" pick.  

UPDATE: The Kansas City Star this morning gives us some insight into this kid. It seems that -- again in the Patriots mold -- they are looking for reliable, "character" players. A quiet young man who's nightlife involved Wednesdays and Sundays at his Baptist church. Further, he played along side Glenn Dorsey at LSU. Along with center Rudy Nuswinger, and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs have their own little bayou posse going on. If that gives them the success LSU has experienced in the past few years, I'm good with that.  

DOGGITYBLOG BREAKING NEWS

hiefs trade Gonzalez to Atlanta
The Kansas City Star

Tight end Tony Gonzalez, a 10-time Pro Bowler and fan favorite in Kansas City, has been traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a second-round selection in the 2010 draft.

“On behalf of my family and the Chiefs, I want to thank Tony for his time in Kansas City,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. “Over the last 12 seasons, Tony has been one of the finest players in Chiefs history, and he will always be remembered as a member of the Chiefs. His play on the field speaks for itself – he holds almost every major NFL record for tight ends, and he is arguably the best to ever play his position. We wish him the best in Atlanta.”

Gonzalez did not show up for last weekend’s minicamp at Arrowhead Stadium and has expressed interest in being traded several times since last season.

“From an organizational as well as personal standpoint there are mixed emotions,” said Scott Pioli, Chiefs general manager, in announcing the trade. “I have the highest personal and professional respect for Tony and consider him to be a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.”

Gonzalez owns NFL career records for tight ends with 916 receptions, 10,940 receiving yards, 76 receiving touchdowns and 26 100-yard receiving games, totals that are the highest of any player in Kansas City history in all categories. He played in 188 regular-season games for the Chiefs, meaning only guard Will Shields (224), kicker Nick Lowery (212) and punter Jerrel Wilson (203) played in more games.

Gonzalez earned 10 Pro Bowl berths as a member of the Chiefs, the highest total of any tight end in NFL history. He became just the fifth player and the first tight end in league history to produce 11 consecutive seasons with 50 or more catches in 2008.