Post by lazarus on Jan 3, 2006 12:17:47 GMT -5
Posted on Tue, Jan. 03, 2006
Grading the 2005 Chiefs
JASON WHITLOCK
I can see now that I’m going to be forced into turning this into a crusade: Will Shields, Willie Roaf, Brian Waters and Casey Wiegmann deserve a Chiefs MVP trophy.
The Chiefs have been selecting a team MVP since 1979. In that time, one Kansas City offensive lineman has won the award: utility lineman Glenn Parker during the embarrassing 1998 season. Not to disrespect Parker, he was a fine player, but he doesn’t come close to comparing to Will, Willie, Waters and Wiegmann.
Those four, as a group, have been the driving force behind thingy Vermeil and Al Saunders’ record-setting offensive run the last four years.
I stumped for Waters as team MVP last year. The Chiefs gave the award to Trent Green. This year Larry Johnson won the award. He had a terrific year. But Waters deserved the award again.
He defended his crown as class valedictorian of my annual season-ending grades, edging Johnson by a point (96 to 95). This year I went old school and handed out number grades. Just five players scored 90 percent or better.
All five of KC’s regular starters along the offensive line, including John Welbourn, scored an 80 percent or better. When Roaf was healthy, Will, Willie, Waters, Wiegmann and Welbourn might have formed the greatest run-blocking front in the history of the NFL.
They deserved to be recognized by their team.
Speaking of recognition, linebacker Kendrell Bell scored the lowest grade of the semester, recording a 49 percent.
Chiefs players’ grades (the first number) reflect their performance this season. Numbers in parentheses reflect players’ rankings on the team from 1 through 54 in terms of Jason Whitlock’s preseason expectations.
A
96. Brian Waters (2): The best offensive lineman in football backed up his 2004 coming-out party with another stellar season. Waters bench-presses 600 pounds and eats defensive tackles for breakfast. This former high school running back and college tight end is a perfect blend of power and athletic ability. He’s really too good of an athlete to play offensive guard. He should be a defensive tackle.
95. Larry Johnson (7): You know why his grade isn’t perfect. He lost a half-letter grade because of the “flop” in Dallas. I’m not going to belabor it. L.J. just completed a nine-game stretch of football that we may never again see duplicated. JoPo compared L.J. to Jim Brown, and right now I can’t argue with the comparison. Johnson is now the most important player on Kansas City’s roster. How will he handle that responsibility? Will he take care of his body and prepare for the task of being the featured back for 16 games? If he does, he could set an NFL single-season rushing standard and establish himself as the best back in the game.
92. Jared Allen (6): Single-handedly beat Washington with three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, which pretty much erased my concerns that his rookie season was a fluke. If Allen dedicates himself to the weight room this offseason and adds 5 more pounds of muscle, he could elevate his play to elite level and become a 15-sack guy. His 11 sacks this season were nice. But he’s not close to reaching his potential.
91. Tony Gonzalez (3): Al Saunders didn’t call Tony’s number in the red zone this year. Tony caught just two touchdowns all season. Saunders initially had to adjust his red-zone play-calling because of Willie Roaf’s absence from the lineup. Then Saunders had to adjust because of Larry Johnson’s inability to block. Tony’s play has not slipped. In fact, his overall game went up a notch this season. He’s never had a better year as a blocker. Antonio Gates has unseated Gonzalez as the best (pass-catching) tight end in football. Gonzalez is capable of taking that title back next season.
90. Kendall Gammon (37): If you saw Ed Perry’s field-goal snap in Dallas, you know why Kendall has been a straight-A student for six years.
B
89 . Kawika Mitchell (16): Kawika brought the funk this year. He led the Chiefs in tackles (105) and played with a spirit and passion that reminded me of Donnie Edwards. He could be a Pro Bowler next year.
88. Benny Sapp (33): Could turn out to be the Dr. Dre of the “World Class Plaza Cru,” a Chiefs social club that turns out the lights at Blonde, Mi Cocina, Kona and The Drink. (If you’re not old school enough to remember the World Class Wreckin’ Cru, the group that launched Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, then you don’t get the reference.) I love Benny’s game. He’s a terrific blitzer, solid tackler and better cover corner than he’s given credit.
87. Willie Roaf (4): The best left tackle in the game proved his worth when he sat down because of a pulled hamstring. Kansas City’s offense went in the toilet. Roaf should consider playing next year at 310 pounds, about 15 pounds lighter. It wouldn’t hurt his run blocking, and it might kick his pass blocking back up to its old level. Willie gave up a couple of sacks this year. I nearly cried when I saw it.
86. Will Shields (8): He played this year about 15 pounds below his normal playing weight. He couldn’t carry the extra pounds because his back and knees hurt too much. The lighter frame hurt Shields in some pass-protection situations. His play slipped. If Shields comes back next season, I believe his play will improve because he will now know how to play without the extra girth.
86. Trent Green (11): Look, I’m not big on the way thingy Vermeil pampered Green. Because of Vermeil’s pampering, Green can look like the high school kid who dates all the cheerleaders simply because he comes from a rich family. Having said that, I have a great deal of respect for Green. He put together another 4,000-yard season. Big deal. His most impressive and telling play of the season was when he threw a horrible interception late in the third quarter against the Donkeys. The DB had an easy touchdown. Green chased him down, and KC’s defense held Denver to a field goal. Green saved the Chiefs four points, and they won 31-27.
85. Sammy Knight (14): I liked what Knight added to the Chiefs. He was rarely out of position. He demonstrated good instincts for finding the football. He recorded 89 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a career-high 11 pass breakups. He made one crucial mistake. On Dallas’ 14-point-swing TD just before halftime, Knight played tight end Jason Witten on his inside shoulder. Had Knight been assignment sound and played Witten’s outside shoulder, another Chiefs safety would have provided Knight support, and Drew Bledsoe wouldn’t have been able to squeeze the pass in.
85. Keyaron Fox (29): Had Fox stayed healthy, the Chiefs would have played a lot more 3-4. Fox could wind up replacing Kendrell Bell in the starting lineup or forcing Gunther Cunningham to convert to a four-linebacker scheme.
84. Jason Dunn (30): Is a big part of Kansas City’s running game. Was one of the lead blockers on Larry Johnson’s game-winning dive against Oakland. Dunn also took on additional pass-blocking responsibilities this year when Roaf went out because of a hamstring injury.
84. Eddie Kennison (20): Eddie waited until his 10th season to play like a first-round draft pick. E.K. put together a career year (68 receptions and 1,102 yards) at age 32. It will be interesting to see how Kennison performs without Vermeil to baby-sit him.
83. Rich Scanlon (42): I’ve never seen Scanlon and Boomer Grigsby in the same place at the same time. Scanlon is Grigsby in high heels.
83. Boomer Grigsby (46): Should be a special-teams contributor for years.
83. Ronnie Cruz (50): Allegedly, he’s better than Samkon Gado.
83. Kris Griffin (55): An undrafted rookie free agent who made the roster and actually figured into the Chiefs’ plans. Too bad he got hurt.
83. Dee Brown (56): His critical TD catch iced the season-ending victory over the Bengals. Hey, I’m just impressed the guy made the team.
82. Eric Warfield (13): His play was more steady and physical than at any other time in his career. Turned up his production in run support. Only memorable poor performance was at Buffalo, but he had good position on both TD catches he gave up. Maybe the league should give EWI four games to dry out before every season.
82. Casey Wiegmann (15): Had some rough moments facing Oakland’s Ted Washington, but other than that, Wiegmann held up against most of the league’s interior tackles.
82. Tony Richardson (19): I’m guilty of taking T Rich for granted. He’s not much of a running or receiving threat anymore, but he actually might be a better blocker now than at any point in his career. With Larry Johnson’s ascension as a runner, Richardson’s ability and willingness to block will take on even more importance.
81. John Welbourn (27): Started nine games and actually did surprisingly well at right tackle. He played well against Oakland’s sack king, Derrick Burgess. If Will Shields retires, Welbourn is the answer at right guard.
80. Derrick Johnson (10): If it weren’t for Shawne Merriman absolutely tearing up the league, D.J. would look like a high-impact rookie linebacker. Johnson snagged 95 tackles and two sacks. He was nonexistent in the Dallas disaster until he held the tight end on the critical fourth-down play. Johnson had a solid rookie season. Will he be KC’s signature defensive player for the next decade? Not based on what we saw this year.
C
76. Dante Hall (12): The Human Joystick needs to let the old X-factor handle the controller. Dante produced his lowest punt-return average (6.6 yards) since his rookie year and many times hurt the Chiefs by trying to re-create the Denver return. Between Dustin Colquitt’s punting and Hall’s returns, the Chiefs surrendered a lot of field position in the punting game.
76. Eric Hicks (22): thingy Vermeil loves Eric Hicks. Chiefs fans hate him. I respect Hicks and feel that he’s not as good as Vermeil pretends and nowhere near as bad as Chiefs fans contend. Hicks’ biggest crime is he isn’t the 14-sack defensive end he pretended to be for one season (2000). He is a solid defender who is good against the run and will get you five or six sacks a season.
75. Greg Wesley (18): Every year it’s the same thing. I wonder what happened to the sure-tackling safety who reminded me of a young Steve Athingyer. That Greg Wesley vanished when Gunther Cunningham departed as head coach. I’ve now lower my expectations for Wesley, and he had a solid year. His three-interception game against Tom Brady was a highlight moment.
75. John Browning (34): Here’s the bottom line: If J.B. were as good as the Chiefs’ coaching staff proclaims, he would be ahead of Ryan Sims and Lional Dalton on the depth chart. Browning posted better numbers than Sims and Dalton combined.
74. Samie Parker (21): Still plays too soft. Drops too many passes. He didn’t have the season everyone anticipated. His numbers were just OK — 36 catches, 533 yards and three TDs. Next year will determine his NFL fate.
75. Patrick Surtain (5): The comparison is totally unfair, but I don’t have to be fair. Surtain had to fight the Law when he signed with KC, and the (Ty) Law won. My Ty led the NFL in interceptions with 10 and earned a berth on the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Anyone out there still think Ty Law didn’t deserve the money? Anyone think he’s too old to be a big-time corner? Surtain had an adequate season, picking off four passes. But in terms of bringing a physical presence, emotional leadership and big plays, Surtain finished well short of Ty Law.
74. Gary Stills (38): Reduced this year to being solely a special-teams player. G Stills had a good year in kick coverage, but he’s also a big part of the return game. KC’s special teams weren’t very special this year.
74. Lawrence Tynes (36): Throw away the two misses in Buffalo and the critical miss in Dallas, and Tynes had a good year. Unfortunately, those two losses destroyed the season. L.T. still has lots to prove before KC fans will be comfortable with him.
74. Jimmy Wilkerson (39): I’m not ready to give up on Wilkerson. He showed a few flashes late in the season. He might be a three-technique defensive tackle in the right 4-3 scheme. You put Wilkerson opposite a Ted Washington-type in the interior, and he might make a few plays.
74. Chris Horn (44): Besides Tony Gonz- alez, Horn has the best hands on the Chiefs. For a brief moment this season, Horn became Trent Green’s go-to target on third and 5.
73. Dewayne Washington (47): Started against the Oakland Raiders and actually played a respectable game
.
73. Todd Collins (48): Unbelievable. T.C. has been with the Chiefs since 1998. He’s becoming an institution. About the only thing that gets less use in Kansas City is Bob Gretz’s backbone.
72. Shawn Barber (49): Why does Barber get a passing grade? Because compared with Kendrell Bell, Barber looks like the second coming of Lawrence Taylor.
71. Damon Huard (53): Has thrown one pass in his last five NFL seasons. Does a nice job with KC’s scout team. Being an NFL third-string QB might be the best job in sports.
D
68. Priest Holmes (1): Suffered the potentially career-ending injury/illness called “Willie Roaf-string.” It’s a debilitating virus known to afflict Chiefs running backs when Roaf’s hamstrings keep him on the sidelines. The cure for “Willie Roaf-string” is a crock pot of gumbo and six weeks of rest. Averaging just 3.8 yards per carry while battling the illness, Holmes decided he couldn’t shake “Willie Roaf-string,” placed himself on injured reserved and spent the season vacationing in Los Angeles and San Antonio. No word yet on how Holmes plans to deal with KC’s new virus called “Big Johnson.”
67. Lional Dalton (23): A pleasant surprise in 2004, posting four sacks and several tackles for loss. This year he returned to low-impact form and has again put his NFL future in jeopardy. Winner of the Marcus Spears best-interview award. Dalton has a great personality.
66. Kevin Sampson (24): Celebrated his one start (against Philly) and the bye week a little too much and wound up in a New Jersey hospital. He was supposed to be KC’s right tackle of the future. We’ll have to wait until next season to find out.
65. Carlos Hall (28): Was advertised as a pass-rushing threat by Gunther Cunningham. Hall was never fully healthy and never much of a pass-rusher. Put up Ryan Sims-type numbers: 13 tackles in 14 games. He sacked one quarterback all season.
64. Marc Boerigter (45): It feels as if it’s been 10 years since Marc LaChapelle-rigter scored eight touchdowns and had everyone fantasizing that he might be Kansas City’s deep threat. Bo played in just 10 games this season and is now below Chris Horn on the depth chart.
62. Ed Perry (57): Life as an NFL long snapper isn’t glamorous, and no one cares who you are until you screw up. Perry blew the snap on a would-be game-tying field goal in Dallas.
61. Jordan Black (26): Started 10 games, and the KC coaching staff is pretty high on I-65, the historic route Buffalo Bills soldiers traveled to Trent Green on a bloody mid-November day. What I-65 did during his 10 other starts pales in comparison to the Buffalo sneak attack he ushered in during a crippling 14-3 slaughter.
60. Alphonso Hodge (51): Made the team and never touched the field. He played in the MAC, and I always cut guys from my conference a little slack.
F
59. Chris Bober (41): Let’s see, couldn’t beat out long snapper Ed Perry or I-65.
59. Dustin Colquitt (25): Only Green Bay’s B.J. Sander had a worse punt average than Dusty’s 39.4. Frank Ganz’s solid coverage unit helped boost Colquitt’s net average to an almost-tolerable 35.2. He had success in one area — dropping punts inside the 20. He did that 27 times. It was an unsuccessful rookie year for KC’s third-round pick.
58. William Bartee (43): There was a lot of concern coming out of training camp that Bill Bartee wouldn’t be able to keep his interceptionless streak alive. His move from corner to safety produced an exhibition interception. But by mid-September, Bartee was in regular-season form, and he never came close to stealing a pass. His Ripken-esque streak is now at six seasons and 87 games.
57. Dexter McCleon (32): Known as “Cover 2” on the Plaza because of his ability to be spotted at multiple Plaza nightclubs on any given evening, Dex was relegated to “quarter” corner by the end of the season. It basically means if he were worth a quarter, he would’ve played in the dime and nickel packages.
57. Ryan Sims (17): After averaging less than a tackle per game in 2004, Sims deserves credit for knocking down eight ball carriers in six games this season. He’s making progress. Was rumored to have been an integral part of a key fourth-down stop against the Donkeys, which is why he came close to getting a passing grade.
55. Jerome Woods (31): Hasn’t been spot- ted in a Chiefs game-day uniform since drawing midseason assignment of stopping San Diego tight end Antonio Gates. A.G. went for 10 catches, 145 yards and three TDs on that sunny California day. Fearing that other NFL tight ends would want Woods to testify in their games, Gunther Cunningham placed “Romey” in a witness-protection program.
54. Junior Siavii (35): Proved that his rookie season was no fluke. Siavii has no intention of being a professional football player. He followed his much-talked-about, nine-tackle rookie season with a six-tackle sophomore season that Chiefs defensive coaches won’t soon forget.
52. Kris Wilson (40): Chiefs coaching staff predicted that Wilson would be a major matchup problem for opponents, and they were right. Linebackers or defensive backs rarely covered Wilson as he stood along the sideline. Wilson has three catches for 33 yards in two seasons.
49. Kendrell Bell (9): Should have suspected there was a problem when Larry Johnson was spotted dominating Bell in training-camp blocking drills. Bell’s arthritic shoulders rendered him useless for much of the season. Missed far more tackles than he made. You can argue that Bell would perform better in a 3-4 scheme. Your argument would be false.
No grade. Will Svitek Inc (52): Couldn’t spot him in a police lineup with members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
No grade. Jeremy Parquet Inc (54): Could be O.D.B. for all I know.
FRONT OFFICE AND COACHES
87. Carl Peterson: It’s funny that I’m ready to wash my hands of King Carl when he had one of his best seasons as a GM. I can’t deny that Peterson passed most of my tests. He signed a couple of good free agents, drafted Derrick Johnson, and Larry Johnson blossomed into a superstar. But Carl chose the wrong free-agent corner (Surtain over Law), and Kendrell Bell was a bust. Plus, after 17 years shouldn’t Peterson have graduated to something else?
70. thingy Vermeil: Gets extra-credit points for retiring and saving me the displeasure of calling for the removal of a coaching legend. Had a bad year. The Chiefs had the tools to win 12 games. Vermeil didn’t push the right buttons with this particular group of players. There was just too much love and not enough discipline. He should have cut down the length of his practices and demanded that his players make off-the-field sacrifices. More time in the “tub” and less time in the “club,” and the Chiefs would be in this year’s playoffs. The problems started in training camp and just carried on throughout the season. Andy Reid outcoached Vermeil in week four, rallying the Eagles from an 18-point deficit. Vermeil’s offensive coaches blew the Buffalo game. Vermeil didn’t have the Chiefs ready to play against the Giants. The bottom line on Vermeil: His No. 1 priority in Kansas City was proving he was more of an offensive genius than Mike Martz. If he won a Super Bowl while proving that point, he was cool with that. If not, as he said Sunday, “Carl will win one sooner or later,” and Vermeil will be sipping wine in Napa Valley while we wait.
78. Gunther Cunningham: You take away KC’s performance against the Giants, and I really don’t have a problem with Cunning- ham’s performance in 2005. The defense improved and showed flashes of being solid. Injuries to Keyaron Fox and Kris Griffin limited Gunther’s options. Had Fox or Griffin stayed healthy, Kendrell Bell probably would have been benched. I’d like to see Cunning- ham return and finish the job he started.
83. Al Saunders: Lost a few points for his role in the Buffalo disaster. Other than that, I only have small complaints about Al’s 2005 season. Loved the game he called in Dallas. The Cowboys have an outstanding defense, and Saunders had the Chiefs moving up and down the field. I thought that was his best work. Saunders’ play-calling in the red zone could be questioned. After seasons of scoring 62, 63 and 57 touchdowns, the Chiefs somehow managed to cross the goal line just 46 times this season. Hmm. The Chiefs averaged a league-high 387 yards per game, 5.8 yards per play and possessed the ball the third most in the league, but scored the fewest TDs of the Willie Roaf era. The Chiefs kicked 10 more field goals than in 2004. Al didn’t call Tony Gonzalez’s number enough in the red zone.
Grading the 2005 Chiefs
JASON WHITLOCK
I can see now that I’m going to be forced into turning this into a crusade: Will Shields, Willie Roaf, Brian Waters and Casey Wiegmann deserve a Chiefs MVP trophy.
The Chiefs have been selecting a team MVP since 1979. In that time, one Kansas City offensive lineman has won the award: utility lineman Glenn Parker during the embarrassing 1998 season. Not to disrespect Parker, he was a fine player, but he doesn’t come close to comparing to Will, Willie, Waters and Wiegmann.
Those four, as a group, have been the driving force behind thingy Vermeil and Al Saunders’ record-setting offensive run the last four years.
I stumped for Waters as team MVP last year. The Chiefs gave the award to Trent Green. This year Larry Johnson won the award. He had a terrific year. But Waters deserved the award again.
He defended his crown as class valedictorian of my annual season-ending grades, edging Johnson by a point (96 to 95). This year I went old school and handed out number grades. Just five players scored 90 percent or better.
All five of KC’s regular starters along the offensive line, including John Welbourn, scored an 80 percent or better. When Roaf was healthy, Will, Willie, Waters, Wiegmann and Welbourn might have formed the greatest run-blocking front in the history of the NFL.
They deserved to be recognized by their team.
Speaking of recognition, linebacker Kendrell Bell scored the lowest grade of the semester, recording a 49 percent.
Chiefs players’ grades (the first number) reflect their performance this season. Numbers in parentheses reflect players’ rankings on the team from 1 through 54 in terms of Jason Whitlock’s preseason expectations.
A
96. Brian Waters (2): The best offensive lineman in football backed up his 2004 coming-out party with another stellar season. Waters bench-presses 600 pounds and eats defensive tackles for breakfast. This former high school running back and college tight end is a perfect blend of power and athletic ability. He’s really too good of an athlete to play offensive guard. He should be a defensive tackle.
95. Larry Johnson (7): You know why his grade isn’t perfect. He lost a half-letter grade because of the “flop” in Dallas. I’m not going to belabor it. L.J. just completed a nine-game stretch of football that we may never again see duplicated. JoPo compared L.J. to Jim Brown, and right now I can’t argue with the comparison. Johnson is now the most important player on Kansas City’s roster. How will he handle that responsibility? Will he take care of his body and prepare for the task of being the featured back for 16 games? If he does, he could set an NFL single-season rushing standard and establish himself as the best back in the game.
92. Jared Allen (6): Single-handedly beat Washington with three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, which pretty much erased my concerns that his rookie season was a fluke. If Allen dedicates himself to the weight room this offseason and adds 5 more pounds of muscle, he could elevate his play to elite level and become a 15-sack guy. His 11 sacks this season were nice. But he’s not close to reaching his potential.
91. Tony Gonzalez (3): Al Saunders didn’t call Tony’s number in the red zone this year. Tony caught just two touchdowns all season. Saunders initially had to adjust his red-zone play-calling because of Willie Roaf’s absence from the lineup. Then Saunders had to adjust because of Larry Johnson’s inability to block. Tony’s play has not slipped. In fact, his overall game went up a notch this season. He’s never had a better year as a blocker. Antonio Gates has unseated Gonzalez as the best (pass-catching) tight end in football. Gonzalez is capable of taking that title back next season.
90. Kendall Gammon (37): If you saw Ed Perry’s field-goal snap in Dallas, you know why Kendall has been a straight-A student for six years.
B
89 . Kawika Mitchell (16): Kawika brought the funk this year. He led the Chiefs in tackles (105) and played with a spirit and passion that reminded me of Donnie Edwards. He could be a Pro Bowler next year.
88. Benny Sapp (33): Could turn out to be the Dr. Dre of the “World Class Plaza Cru,” a Chiefs social club that turns out the lights at Blonde, Mi Cocina, Kona and The Drink. (If you’re not old school enough to remember the World Class Wreckin’ Cru, the group that launched Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, then you don’t get the reference.) I love Benny’s game. He’s a terrific blitzer, solid tackler and better cover corner than he’s given credit.
87. Willie Roaf (4): The best left tackle in the game proved his worth when he sat down because of a pulled hamstring. Kansas City’s offense went in the toilet. Roaf should consider playing next year at 310 pounds, about 15 pounds lighter. It wouldn’t hurt his run blocking, and it might kick his pass blocking back up to its old level. Willie gave up a couple of sacks this year. I nearly cried when I saw it.
86. Will Shields (8): He played this year about 15 pounds below his normal playing weight. He couldn’t carry the extra pounds because his back and knees hurt too much. The lighter frame hurt Shields in some pass-protection situations. His play slipped. If Shields comes back next season, I believe his play will improve because he will now know how to play without the extra girth.
86. Trent Green (11): Look, I’m not big on the way thingy Vermeil pampered Green. Because of Vermeil’s pampering, Green can look like the high school kid who dates all the cheerleaders simply because he comes from a rich family. Having said that, I have a great deal of respect for Green. He put together another 4,000-yard season. Big deal. His most impressive and telling play of the season was when he threw a horrible interception late in the third quarter against the Donkeys. The DB had an easy touchdown. Green chased him down, and KC’s defense held Denver to a field goal. Green saved the Chiefs four points, and they won 31-27.
85. Sammy Knight (14): I liked what Knight added to the Chiefs. He was rarely out of position. He demonstrated good instincts for finding the football. He recorded 89 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a career-high 11 pass breakups. He made one crucial mistake. On Dallas’ 14-point-swing TD just before halftime, Knight played tight end Jason Witten on his inside shoulder. Had Knight been assignment sound and played Witten’s outside shoulder, another Chiefs safety would have provided Knight support, and Drew Bledsoe wouldn’t have been able to squeeze the pass in.
85. Keyaron Fox (29): Had Fox stayed healthy, the Chiefs would have played a lot more 3-4. Fox could wind up replacing Kendrell Bell in the starting lineup or forcing Gunther Cunningham to convert to a four-linebacker scheme.
84. Jason Dunn (30): Is a big part of Kansas City’s running game. Was one of the lead blockers on Larry Johnson’s game-winning dive against Oakland. Dunn also took on additional pass-blocking responsibilities this year when Roaf went out because of a hamstring injury.
84. Eddie Kennison (20): Eddie waited until his 10th season to play like a first-round draft pick. E.K. put together a career year (68 receptions and 1,102 yards) at age 32. It will be interesting to see how Kennison performs without Vermeil to baby-sit him.
83. Rich Scanlon (42): I’ve never seen Scanlon and Boomer Grigsby in the same place at the same time. Scanlon is Grigsby in high heels.
83. Boomer Grigsby (46): Should be a special-teams contributor for years.
83. Ronnie Cruz (50): Allegedly, he’s better than Samkon Gado.
83. Kris Griffin (55): An undrafted rookie free agent who made the roster and actually figured into the Chiefs’ plans. Too bad he got hurt.
83. Dee Brown (56): His critical TD catch iced the season-ending victory over the Bengals. Hey, I’m just impressed the guy made the team.
82. Eric Warfield (13): His play was more steady and physical than at any other time in his career. Turned up his production in run support. Only memorable poor performance was at Buffalo, but he had good position on both TD catches he gave up. Maybe the league should give EWI four games to dry out before every season.
82. Casey Wiegmann (15): Had some rough moments facing Oakland’s Ted Washington, but other than that, Wiegmann held up against most of the league’s interior tackles.
82. Tony Richardson (19): I’m guilty of taking T Rich for granted. He’s not much of a running or receiving threat anymore, but he actually might be a better blocker now than at any point in his career. With Larry Johnson’s ascension as a runner, Richardson’s ability and willingness to block will take on even more importance.
81. John Welbourn (27): Started nine games and actually did surprisingly well at right tackle. He played well against Oakland’s sack king, Derrick Burgess. If Will Shields retires, Welbourn is the answer at right guard.
80. Derrick Johnson (10): If it weren’t for Shawne Merriman absolutely tearing up the league, D.J. would look like a high-impact rookie linebacker. Johnson snagged 95 tackles and two sacks. He was nonexistent in the Dallas disaster until he held the tight end on the critical fourth-down play. Johnson had a solid rookie season. Will he be KC’s signature defensive player for the next decade? Not based on what we saw this year.
C
76. Dante Hall (12): The Human Joystick needs to let the old X-factor handle the controller. Dante produced his lowest punt-return average (6.6 yards) since his rookie year and many times hurt the Chiefs by trying to re-create the Denver return. Between Dustin Colquitt’s punting and Hall’s returns, the Chiefs surrendered a lot of field position in the punting game.
76. Eric Hicks (22): thingy Vermeil loves Eric Hicks. Chiefs fans hate him. I respect Hicks and feel that he’s not as good as Vermeil pretends and nowhere near as bad as Chiefs fans contend. Hicks’ biggest crime is he isn’t the 14-sack defensive end he pretended to be for one season (2000). He is a solid defender who is good against the run and will get you five or six sacks a season.
75. Greg Wesley (18): Every year it’s the same thing. I wonder what happened to the sure-tackling safety who reminded me of a young Steve Athingyer. That Greg Wesley vanished when Gunther Cunningham departed as head coach. I’ve now lower my expectations for Wesley, and he had a solid year. His three-interception game against Tom Brady was a highlight moment.
75. John Browning (34): Here’s the bottom line: If J.B. were as good as the Chiefs’ coaching staff proclaims, he would be ahead of Ryan Sims and Lional Dalton on the depth chart. Browning posted better numbers than Sims and Dalton combined.
74. Samie Parker (21): Still plays too soft. Drops too many passes. He didn’t have the season everyone anticipated. His numbers were just OK — 36 catches, 533 yards and three TDs. Next year will determine his NFL fate.
75. Patrick Surtain (5): The comparison is totally unfair, but I don’t have to be fair. Surtain had to fight the Law when he signed with KC, and the (Ty) Law won. My Ty led the NFL in interceptions with 10 and earned a berth on the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Anyone out there still think Ty Law didn’t deserve the money? Anyone think he’s too old to be a big-time corner? Surtain had an adequate season, picking off four passes. But in terms of bringing a physical presence, emotional leadership and big plays, Surtain finished well short of Ty Law.
74. Gary Stills (38): Reduced this year to being solely a special-teams player. G Stills had a good year in kick coverage, but he’s also a big part of the return game. KC’s special teams weren’t very special this year.
74. Lawrence Tynes (36): Throw away the two misses in Buffalo and the critical miss in Dallas, and Tynes had a good year. Unfortunately, those two losses destroyed the season. L.T. still has lots to prove before KC fans will be comfortable with him.
74. Jimmy Wilkerson (39): I’m not ready to give up on Wilkerson. He showed a few flashes late in the season. He might be a three-technique defensive tackle in the right 4-3 scheme. You put Wilkerson opposite a Ted Washington-type in the interior, and he might make a few plays.
74. Chris Horn (44): Besides Tony Gonz- alez, Horn has the best hands on the Chiefs. For a brief moment this season, Horn became Trent Green’s go-to target on third and 5.
73. Dewayne Washington (47): Started against the Oakland Raiders and actually played a respectable game
.
73. Todd Collins (48): Unbelievable. T.C. has been with the Chiefs since 1998. He’s becoming an institution. About the only thing that gets less use in Kansas City is Bob Gretz’s backbone.
72. Shawn Barber (49): Why does Barber get a passing grade? Because compared with Kendrell Bell, Barber looks like the second coming of Lawrence Taylor.
71. Damon Huard (53): Has thrown one pass in his last five NFL seasons. Does a nice job with KC’s scout team. Being an NFL third-string QB might be the best job in sports.
D
68. Priest Holmes (1): Suffered the potentially career-ending injury/illness called “Willie Roaf-string.” It’s a debilitating virus known to afflict Chiefs running backs when Roaf’s hamstrings keep him on the sidelines. The cure for “Willie Roaf-string” is a crock pot of gumbo and six weeks of rest. Averaging just 3.8 yards per carry while battling the illness, Holmes decided he couldn’t shake “Willie Roaf-string,” placed himself on injured reserved and spent the season vacationing in Los Angeles and San Antonio. No word yet on how Holmes plans to deal with KC’s new virus called “Big Johnson.”
67. Lional Dalton (23): A pleasant surprise in 2004, posting four sacks and several tackles for loss. This year he returned to low-impact form and has again put his NFL future in jeopardy. Winner of the Marcus Spears best-interview award. Dalton has a great personality.
66. Kevin Sampson (24): Celebrated his one start (against Philly) and the bye week a little too much and wound up in a New Jersey hospital. He was supposed to be KC’s right tackle of the future. We’ll have to wait until next season to find out.
65. Carlos Hall (28): Was advertised as a pass-rushing threat by Gunther Cunningham. Hall was never fully healthy and never much of a pass-rusher. Put up Ryan Sims-type numbers: 13 tackles in 14 games. He sacked one quarterback all season.
64. Marc Boerigter (45): It feels as if it’s been 10 years since Marc LaChapelle-rigter scored eight touchdowns and had everyone fantasizing that he might be Kansas City’s deep threat. Bo played in just 10 games this season and is now below Chris Horn on the depth chart.
62. Ed Perry (57): Life as an NFL long snapper isn’t glamorous, and no one cares who you are until you screw up. Perry blew the snap on a would-be game-tying field goal in Dallas.
61. Jordan Black (26): Started 10 games, and the KC coaching staff is pretty high on I-65, the historic route Buffalo Bills soldiers traveled to Trent Green on a bloody mid-November day. What I-65 did during his 10 other starts pales in comparison to the Buffalo sneak attack he ushered in during a crippling 14-3 slaughter.
60. Alphonso Hodge (51): Made the team and never touched the field. He played in the MAC, and I always cut guys from my conference a little slack.
F
59. Chris Bober (41): Let’s see, couldn’t beat out long snapper Ed Perry or I-65.
59. Dustin Colquitt (25): Only Green Bay’s B.J. Sander had a worse punt average than Dusty’s 39.4. Frank Ganz’s solid coverage unit helped boost Colquitt’s net average to an almost-tolerable 35.2. He had success in one area — dropping punts inside the 20. He did that 27 times. It was an unsuccessful rookie year for KC’s third-round pick.
58. William Bartee (43): There was a lot of concern coming out of training camp that Bill Bartee wouldn’t be able to keep his interceptionless streak alive. His move from corner to safety produced an exhibition interception. But by mid-September, Bartee was in regular-season form, and he never came close to stealing a pass. His Ripken-esque streak is now at six seasons and 87 games.
57. Dexter McCleon (32): Known as “Cover 2” on the Plaza because of his ability to be spotted at multiple Plaza nightclubs on any given evening, Dex was relegated to “quarter” corner by the end of the season. It basically means if he were worth a quarter, he would’ve played in the dime and nickel packages.
57. Ryan Sims (17): After averaging less than a tackle per game in 2004, Sims deserves credit for knocking down eight ball carriers in six games this season. He’s making progress. Was rumored to have been an integral part of a key fourth-down stop against the Donkeys, which is why he came close to getting a passing grade.
55. Jerome Woods (31): Hasn’t been spot- ted in a Chiefs game-day uniform since drawing midseason assignment of stopping San Diego tight end Antonio Gates. A.G. went for 10 catches, 145 yards and three TDs on that sunny California day. Fearing that other NFL tight ends would want Woods to testify in their games, Gunther Cunningham placed “Romey” in a witness-protection program.
54. Junior Siavii (35): Proved that his rookie season was no fluke. Siavii has no intention of being a professional football player. He followed his much-talked-about, nine-tackle rookie season with a six-tackle sophomore season that Chiefs defensive coaches won’t soon forget.
52. Kris Wilson (40): Chiefs coaching staff predicted that Wilson would be a major matchup problem for opponents, and they were right. Linebackers or defensive backs rarely covered Wilson as he stood along the sideline. Wilson has three catches for 33 yards in two seasons.
49. Kendrell Bell (9): Should have suspected there was a problem when Larry Johnson was spotted dominating Bell in training-camp blocking drills. Bell’s arthritic shoulders rendered him useless for much of the season. Missed far more tackles than he made. You can argue that Bell would perform better in a 3-4 scheme. Your argument would be false.
No grade. Will Svitek Inc (52): Couldn’t spot him in a police lineup with members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
No grade. Jeremy Parquet Inc (54): Could be O.D.B. for all I know.
FRONT OFFICE AND COACHES
87. Carl Peterson: It’s funny that I’m ready to wash my hands of King Carl when he had one of his best seasons as a GM. I can’t deny that Peterson passed most of my tests. He signed a couple of good free agents, drafted Derrick Johnson, and Larry Johnson blossomed into a superstar. But Carl chose the wrong free-agent corner (Surtain over Law), and Kendrell Bell was a bust. Plus, after 17 years shouldn’t Peterson have graduated to something else?
70. thingy Vermeil: Gets extra-credit points for retiring and saving me the displeasure of calling for the removal of a coaching legend. Had a bad year. The Chiefs had the tools to win 12 games. Vermeil didn’t push the right buttons with this particular group of players. There was just too much love and not enough discipline. He should have cut down the length of his practices and demanded that his players make off-the-field sacrifices. More time in the “tub” and less time in the “club,” and the Chiefs would be in this year’s playoffs. The problems started in training camp and just carried on throughout the season. Andy Reid outcoached Vermeil in week four, rallying the Eagles from an 18-point deficit. Vermeil’s offensive coaches blew the Buffalo game. Vermeil didn’t have the Chiefs ready to play against the Giants. The bottom line on Vermeil: His No. 1 priority in Kansas City was proving he was more of an offensive genius than Mike Martz. If he won a Super Bowl while proving that point, he was cool with that. If not, as he said Sunday, “Carl will win one sooner or later,” and Vermeil will be sipping wine in Napa Valley while we wait.
78. Gunther Cunningham: You take away KC’s performance against the Giants, and I really don’t have a problem with Cunning- ham’s performance in 2005. The defense improved and showed flashes of being solid. Injuries to Keyaron Fox and Kris Griffin limited Gunther’s options. Had Fox or Griffin stayed healthy, Kendrell Bell probably would have been benched. I’d like to see Cunning- ham return and finish the job he started.
83. Al Saunders: Lost a few points for his role in the Buffalo disaster. Other than that, I only have small complaints about Al’s 2005 season. Loved the game he called in Dallas. The Cowboys have an outstanding defense, and Saunders had the Chiefs moving up and down the field. I thought that was his best work. Saunders’ play-calling in the red zone could be questioned. After seasons of scoring 62, 63 and 57 touchdowns, the Chiefs somehow managed to cross the goal line just 46 times this season. Hmm. The Chiefs averaged a league-high 387 yards per game, 5.8 yards per play and possessed the ball the third most in the league, but scored the fewest TDs of the Willie Roaf era. The Chiefs kicked 10 more field goals than in 2004. Al didn’t call Tony Gonzalez’s number enough in the red zone.