Kansas City Chiefs 2010 Roster Rundown
Quick-hitting one-line analysis on every key contributor for the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs.
Head Coach: Todd Haley (2nd year)
*new veteran
**rookie
Offense
Coordinator: Charlie Weiss
QB: Matt Cassel
The third-highest paid quarterback in football this year. (Seriously.) Fewer Grossmanesque turnovers and improved comfort in the pocket could make him earn at least half his money.
RB: Jamaal Charles
Has outstanding lateral agility and breakaway speed. Strictly an outside runner.
RB: Thomas Jones*
A smart, patient veteran who brings a much-needed running presence between the tackles. Will be 32 in August, but is coming off the best season of his career.
FB: Mike Cox
Allows the pocket to muddy too much in pass pro, and hasn’t proved to be a domineering lead-blocker.
WR: Chris Chambers
Re-signing him was huge (and $15 million over three years, with $5.9 million guaranteed, is a good price). He’s the passing game’s only creative playmaker.
WR: Dwayne Bowe
Time to grow up.
WR: Dexter McCluster**
Will be a great toy for Charlie Weiss. He’s a Percy Harvin-type multi-threat.
TE: Leonard Pope
Well-sized. Saw frequent action as a blocker last season. That said, third-year pro Brad Cottam is a more gifted player and should capture this job.
TE: Tony Moeaki**
Could sneak into the starting lineup given that he’s the only tight end who offers a genuine combination of receiving and blocking skills.
LT: Branden Albert
Critics needs to pipe down and consider that he’s only been playing LT for two years and has had little to no help during that time. Of course, this isn’t to say he doesn’t need to take a big leap forward in 2010.
LG: Brian Waters
Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2009. At 33, he’s still as good a player as he is a person. Lands sticky blocks on the move extremely well.
C: Casey Wiegmann*
Has been the smallest C in the NFL for the past decade but has missed only one game during that time. Nearing his end, but he wouldn’t be here if he couldn’t still be effective.
RG: Ryan Lilja*
Colts will rue the day they let him go….just like the Chiefs have rued the day they let him go six years ago.
RT: Ryan O’Callaghan
Plays too tall, gets driven in pass protection and doesn’t sustain blocks extremely well. But the Chiefs can survive with him in the lineup.
6 OL: Jon Asamoah**
Nasty third-round rookie who can play center or guard.
Defense
Coordinator: Romeo Crennel
LDE: Tyson Jackson
Watching the film, it’s inconceivable that he was drafted third overall. Has the size, explosiveness and power of a late second or early third-round pick. Miscast in this 3-4 scheme.
NT: Ron Edwards
Not a bad player, but not a true NT. Of all the Chiefs’ flaws, this one hurts the most.
RDE: Glenn Dorsey
Talent is there, but it doesn’t show in this scheme. Might move to NT in an effort to salvage his career.
4 DL: Shaun Smith*
Lazy. Still, the Chiefs may be willing to take a shot if they think he can be a plugger.
LOLB: Mike Vrabel
Veteran leadership is the only reason he has a roster spot at this point.
LILB: Demorrio Williams
Isn’t slow, but doesn’t inspire with movement skills. Hard to understand why he starts ahead of Derrick Johnson.
RILB: Corey Mays
The best linebacker you’ve never heard of. Not a dominant athlete, but when he avoids blockers, he gets to the ball carrier with great efficiency.
ROLB: Tamba Hali
A menacing, high-octane pass-rusher. If quarterbacks never slipped out of his grasp, he’d get 15 sacks every year.
5 LB: Derrick Johnson
Very fluid nickel linebacker who makes plays running in and from space.
CB: Brandon Flowers
Far from perfect, but seems to consistently improve with experience.
SS: Jon McGraw
Can missile into tackles as a run-defender. Problem is he struggles in the open field.
FS: Eric Berry**
The three-year captain at Tennessee is expected to be a star right away.
CB: Brandon Carr
Not a star (yet), but teams don’t seem to throw very often at the third-year pro.
NB: Javier Arenas**
Drafted for his return skills as much as anything. Should infuse the slot with more playmaking prowess.
6 DB: Jarrad Page
Coaching staff doesn’t like him. Calf injury last year and offseason holdout as a restricted free agent this year haven’t helped his cause.
Special Teams
K: Ryan Succop
Didn’t live down to his name – it’s pronounced “suck up” – as a rookie last season. He was 25/29 on field goals (with three of those misses being from 50-yards plus).
P: Dustin Colquitt
Opponents averaged only 7.1 yards per return against him last season, seventh fewest in the NFL.
RS: Javier Arenas**
Todd Haley called adding a returner a “must”. This second-round pick had seven punt return touchdowns at Alabama.
chiefs win
The Chiefs are headed in the right direction. However the 2011 schedule is very rough. 8-8 could be a good season. OL/DL are still big question marks.