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DE: Tamba Hali, 3rd yr, Kansas City Chiefs
Excellent run-defender who now gets a shot at more sacks playing on the right side.

DT: Amobi Okoye, 2nd yr, Houston Texans
Amazing natural power; could one day reach the level of a Warren Sapp.

1. San Diego Chargers

Injuries potentially pose major problems. Still, this team is loaded and this division, unequivocally, is not.

2. Denver Broncos

How many damaged free agents does this team have to sign before realizing they’re setting themselves up for mediocrity?

3. Oakland Raiders

Talent isn’t lacking, but the organization is a mess.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

Roughly half of their starters should be backups. That’s the nature of the rebuilding beast.

Click cont. to see All AFC West Team

Look Chiefs fans, it’s not going to be fun, okay? But understand, it’s part of life. Everyone goes through it at some point. The Germans went through it after World War II. Your friends all went through it after their first major breakup. Heck, the Florida Marlins go through it every few years. It’s called rebuilding, and it’s what your favorite team is doing right now.

The worst part of any rebuilding project is the sucker punch that precedes it. No one ever sees it coming. The Germans didn’t foresee the bombing of Dresden. None of your friends predicted the last big fight. And the Marlins….well, okay, the Marlins usually do foresee it, as their rebuilding projects are often triggered by a World Series title. But they’re weird like that.

Chiefs fans, take solace in knowing that you’ve already survived your sucker punch. It came last year. It must have hurt. Your team snuck into the playoffs in ’06, then began the ’07 season 4-3. That’s when the fortress fell, as Kansas City lost nine straight. A lot of the experts were surprised the fall didn’t come sooner. But you, Chiefs fans, you seemed surprised that it even came at all.

1.) Jared Allen                  DE     TRADE         6-6          270       4    Chiefs         Vikings

Contract:  6 yrs, $78 million with incentives ($31 million guaranteed)

Traded with a 6^th round pick in ’08 for a 1^st round pick, two 3^rd round picks and a 6^th round pick

The Hope: The high-motor Allen builds on his league-leading 15.5-sack performance from a year ago.

The Caveat: The Chiefs labeled Allen an “at risk” player, thanks to is two DUI’s while in Kansas City.

The Reality: Without approving drinking and driving, the fact of the matter is Allen already served a two-game suspension and has been a model citizen over the past year and a half. His legal woes are behind him. On the field, he may very well…

NFL.com recently published a list of all the rookie free agent signings for 2008 (view it here).

Few fans realize how many good players in the league today were once rookie free agents. Just take a look at this All Undrafted Team. It’s stunning.

(starters in bold)

QB: Tony Romo, Dal   Jake Delhomme, Car   Jeff Garcia, TB

RB: Willie Parker, Pit   Dominic Rhodes, Ind   Marcel Shipp, Ari  

FB: Tony Richardson, NYJ

WR: Drew Bennett, Stl   Mike Furrey, Det   Hank Baskett, Phi

WR: Wes Welker, NE   Eric Parker, SD  

TE: Antonio Gates, SD   Mark Campbell, NO

OT: Jason Peters, Buf   Tom Ashworth, FA

  G: Brian Waters, KC   Ryan Lilja, Ind   Jason Whittle, Buf

  C: Jeff Saturday, Ind   Casey…

For those of you who did not see the HBO reality show Hard Knocks last summer, be assured that the behind-the-scenes look at the Kansas City Chiefs training camp was indeed every bit as good as people say. It was insightful, authentic, and entertaining.

What stuck with me was the behavior and mindset of Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. To say the 26-year coach – who has had stints with five different teams, including a previous one with Kansas City in which he was the head coach from ‘99-’00 – is a hardnosed throwback would be an understatement. Cunningham’s nose grades somewhere between Corundum and Diamond on the Mohs scale.…

Ask yourself, What does a mid-first-round draft pick need to do in his career in order to be successful? Would leading the league in sacks at 26 years old be sufficient return on such an investment? Nine GM’s out of 10 would tell you Yes (the other GM would tell you he’s on crack).

This is what gives me reservations about Kansas City’s trade of All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen to Minnesota. The entire goal of the draft is to find players like Allen. Trading the proven product for unknown draft picks is one of football’s highest forms of gambling. Of course, the operative piece here is the “s” at…