SB Nation Kansas City: All Posts by BJ Kissel

Kansas City Chiefs top remaining needs before the 2013 NFL Draft

2013-04-01T18:09:57Z

The Chiefs were one of the more active teams in free agency and did a good job of filling needs throughout their roster. The newest Arrowhead Pride YouTube video takes a look at the remaining team needs as we get closer to the draft.

Meet Anthony Fasano, the Chiefs new TE and Jamaal Charles' new best friend

2013-03-27T19:17:52Z

Anthony Fasano was the No. 53 overall pick out of Notre Dame in 2006 by the Dallas Cowboys. He spent two years in Dallas before heading to the Miami Dolphins, where he spent the last five seasons. Fasano has missed just four regular season games in his seven years in the NFL. He has 205 receptions for 2,373 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career.

Herbie Teope wrote a piece months ago on the tight ends in Andy Reid's offense and how important that position was to Reid's offensive philosophy.

"The relationship between a QB and TE is very important because of the route concepts," Detmer said. "The tight end is a big part of it because if he's not the primary receiver, he's almost always the secondary receiver. That becomes a real big deal to a West Coast offense with the TE."

Former Philadelphia Eagles QB Koy Detmer, who played under Reid for six seasons.

When you pair together how important Reid views the tight end position with the investment they made in Anthony Fasano on a 4-year, $16 million deal, it gives you an idea on how Reid must feel about Fasano. According to spotrac.com Fasano's average salary throughout the length of his deal would currently rank him No. 19 in the NFL among TEs.

Stat-based website Pro Football Focus had this to say about Fasano.

Another multi-talented tight end who is coming off a down year. He went through a rough patch midseason with six straight single-catch games. However, he has been incredibly consistent with just three dropped passes over the past three years. From 2008-2011, he ranked in the Top 6 each year in terms of run blocking. He wasn't as dominant in 2012, but that is more likely an exception rather than a new trend.

I went back and watched Anthony Fasano and the Miami Dolphins play the Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars last season. I took notes on what I saw and (thanks to Clay Wendler) I grabbed four plays from Fasano that show what he'll bring to the Chiefs offense.

1. Run-blocking

The first thing that jumped out to me while watching these games is Fasano's run-blocking ability. It's something that's been talked about since he's signed and it has been validated while watching him play. In this GIF below you'll see Fasano's ability to the seal the edge for Reggie Bush on this long touchdown run.

Left tackle Jake Long initially helped Fasano before taking on the linebacker that was shooting through the gap. There were at least a dozen plays just like this one that I saw Fasano handle his defender and move him wherever he wanted him to go. He sets the edge and gives Bush a lane to run through.

Fasano also had a few instances where defenders weren't exactly appreciative of his willingness to block through the whistle. In their defense if I was getting shoved all around the field I'd be annoyed too. Fasano would line up at fullback at times but I don't remember ever seeing him split-out in the slot. He was always in-line in a 3-point stance. Why split-out one of your best blockers?

2. Pass-blocking

In the GIF below we'll get a look at Fasano's pass-blocking ability.

The Dolphins were doing the smart thing in keeping as many guys to block as they could against the Bengals pass-rush, which finished third in the NFL last season with 51 sacks. The Dolphins kept both TEs and the running back (eight guys total) to block five Bengals rushers. What's interesting is that they left Fasano 1 on 1 against Bengals DE Robert Geathers, who has 30 pounds on Fasano.

The Dolphins' coaching staff scheming Fasano to take on a defensive end like that tells me more than anything I could take away on my own accord from the few games I watched. They obviously feel comfortable with him in that situation.

The Dolphins' coaching staff scheming Fasano to take on a DE like that tells me more than anything I could take away on my own accord from the games I watched.

Fasano did get stood up once by Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap which led to CB Nate Clements forcing a fumble in the red zone. It wasn't Fasano's guy that forced the fumble but it was the one time I really noticed Fasano struggling to move his man.

3. Pass-catching

As a pass-catcher Fasano shows very good hands and solid route-running ability. But he's not a dynamic athlete so don't expect a Vernon Davis-like season with new Chiefs QB Alex Smith, who loved throwing to his TE in San Francisco. Fasano may end up being one of Smith's favorite targets but I wouldn't start him on my fantasy football team.

Fasano has just one season with over 500 yards receiving in his seven-year career. He averaged 420 yards receiving over his five seasons in Miami. He also has just four career catches of at least 27 yards or more in those seven seasons. Compare that to Tony Moeaki who has three catches of at least 27 yards in just two seasons.

Despite not having a lot of 'big plays' throughout his career, Fasano has still managed to average over 11 yards per reception in his seven seasons. He excels in these intermediate routes and because he doesn't have that 'elite' athleticism and as Pro Football Focus had said earlier, has dropped just 3 passes the past three seasons, he has a great ability to catch passes in traffic and with defenders right there with him. He will be a solid option for Alex Smith.

4. Route-running

Fasano does a great job coming out of his route and not rounding it off on this play. He starts breaking down his feet at the 48-yard line and within a yard (47) he's already broke outside on this out-route with his head around to catch the pass and get up-field.

Solid, not flashy

Fasano is a solid pickup for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's going to help in the run game with his blocking ability and he's a safe, reliable pass-catcher for Alex Smith. Don't expect too many big plays down the field but when you see a long Jamaal Charles touchdown run there's a good chance that Fasano was doing the dirty work that goes unnoticed by most (but not AP!).

Considering Alex Smith is known for his 'check-downs' I'd say there's a good chance that Fasano has a career-best year in terms of receptions considering his best year was in 2012 with just 41 receptions.

Something else I noticed when I was watching the Eagles last season for the Nick Foles breakdown was the Eagles didn't use many double-TE formations. At least in those last games with Foles they didn't. If that carries over to the Chiefs next season how do you see the time being split between Fasano and Tony Moeaki? Maybe they split-out Moeaki and keep Fasano in-line?

It gives the Chiefs options on offense considering the defensive personnel packages with the Chiefs offense having two TE's will have to be heavy.

More from BJ Kissel:

Dion Jordan / Ziggy Ansah / Jarvis Jones
Sean Smith
Dunta Robinson
Dee Milliner
Alex Smith
West Coast Offense
Geno Smith

Could the Chiefs take Dion Jordan, Ziggy Ansah or another pass rusher in the 2013 NFL Draft?

2013-03-20T20:18:39Z

The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the more active teams in free agency so far this off-season, reaching deals with TE Anthony Fasano, WR Donnie Avery, DL Mike Devito, CBs Sean Smith and Dunta Robinson, OL Geoff Schwartz and S Husain Abdullah.

More: Recently updated Chiefs draft interests page Beware of Pac-12 pass rushers

These moves have put the Chiefs salary cap situation at the forefront of discussions about the team right now. During the past few years it was always being discussed how much available space there is in the context that they weren't spending enough money. Now it's a different story as the team seems to be pushing the cap heading into next season. There's reportedly around $5 million in space available right now. That's barely enough to sign their rookies so unless something else changes the Chiefs are done spending.

Obviously that can change with an extension for or the trading of LT Branden Albert. Or an extension with QB Alex Smith.The other big cap situation right now is with OLB Tamba Hali.

The thing about Tamba is...

(Things are about to get uncomfortable for those who believe Tamba is above criticism.)

Tamba Hali is due a base salary of $12.5 million next season and is a $15.5 million cap hit, which is the highest in the league among linebackers.

It's true that Hali's base salary drops significantly over the next two seasons as he's currently signed through the 2015 season. He's due base salary's of $6.25 million in 2014 and $6.75 million in 2015. But he's also due roster bonuses of $2 million in each of those seasons as well. His cap number then in 2014 and 2015 doesn't drop as significantly because of those roster bonuses as he's $11.5 million against the cap in 2014 and $12 million against the cap in 2015. Hali will still have one of the six highest cap numbers among DEs and LBs in the NFL in 2014 as contracts currently stand.

That's the money side of the equation. Let's talk briefly about his play on the field.

Back in 2010 Hali ranked as Pro Football Focus' No. 1 OLB according to Pass Rush Productivity. That takes into consideration more than just sacks. It quantifies how often you're rushing the passer on passing plays as well as hurries, knock downs, sacks, etc... Therefore if you're a team like the Chiefs last season that weren't thrown on a whole lot and were behind most of the time it wouldn't negatively affect your productivity numbers.

In 2011 Hali ranked No. 8 in pass rushing productivity and No. 9 last season according to this very same formula that had him ranked as the best in the NFL in 2010. It was after that 2010 season that Hali signed his five-year, $57 million deal. This isn't just simply looking at his sack numbers that have dropped from 14.5 to 12 to just 9. These productivity numbers take a lot more into account than that and they're showing a decline.

Is this formula perfect and without fault? No, but it's consistent over those years and it's unbiased. Chiefs fans loved to use those numbers when Hali was dominating back in 2010 and while ranking in the top 10 certainly isn't bad, it's not living up to his current contract situation.

By no means do I think the Chiefs should trade or cut Tamba Hali right now. Fact is the Chiefs have no depth at that position behind Houston and Hali and they need to address it at some point during this draft. If Hali continues to decline next season, which given his age you should expect to happen, the Chiefs would be wise to plan for the future before their hand is forced.

This draft isn't just about next year but about three years from now.

So that's that on Tamba. Now, if we're thinking that the Chiefs could reasonably select a pass rusher at the top of next month's draft, let's take a look at who could be in play for the Chiefs at No. 1. I'm talking about Oregon's Dion Jordan, BYU's Ziggy Ansah and Georgia's Jarvis Jones.

A likely scenario if the Chiefs do decide to go with one of these players is that they'll take a year to develop while getting situational looks that fit their skill-set. If Hali doesn't have a great year and the young player is ready to take over in 2014 then you can make that decision at that point. The point is to give the Chiefs options at the position they don't currently have.

This draft isn't just about next year but about three years from now. What puts them in the best position at these different spots down the road? What I like about each of these players is they bring something to the table more than just their pass-rush.

Dion Jordan - Oregon

Dion Jordan stands at 6'6 and 248 pounds. NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah lists Julian Peterson as his NFL comparison. When looking at his tape it's easy to see why Jordan didn't have some of the eye-popping numbers you'll see from some of the other prospects. Because Jordan was such a great athlete and could play out in space Oregon would move him around quite a bit.

In this GIF below you'll see Jordan split-out on a wide receiver in the slot.

Oregon would consistently put Jordan out in space like this. There'd be other plays where he's one of just three down-lineman being asked to get after the QB on a 3-man rush. This is the kind of versatility you'd be getting from having Jordan on the field and it's for this reason I believe Jordan would have a role on the Chiefs defense next season with Tamba Hali on the field also.

Hali is strictly a pass-rusher and doesn't bring much else to the table in coverage or rush defense so if we're talking about adding another OLB and we want him on the field as a rookie, he's going to have to be able to bring another element to the defense.

When scouting or evaluating pass-rushers you'll always hear the term 'bend' as to how well the player 'bends' around the edge. It's not about the competition or the specific scheme in the defense right here. It's about having the physical ability to get 10 yards up-field, dip the inside shoulder and accelerate through that re-direction.

The play above is why people are so high on Dion Jordan as a pass-rusher at the NFL level.

Jordan displays this athletic ability while getting after the passer but also while reading the run and charging down the line of scrimmage. He's also much more physical than he gets credit for because of his slender build.

I've also seen some comparisons around here to Vernon Gholston because of the tag 'athletic specimen' or whatever. Gholston didn't have the fluidity in space or 'bend' that Jordan has and I don't think it's a close comparison. Gholston was a weight-room hero that looked like Lattimer from 'The Program' and Jordan is a slender 6'7 'glider'.

Ziggy Ansah - BYU

Ziggy Ansah is a rising prospect that really made a name for himself on the national stage after his performance at the Senior Bowl game down in Mobile. Despite only playing football for just a couple of years and not even being considered a starter for BYU at the start of last season, Ansah's 6'5, 270 pound frame combined with his athleticism has people buzzing about him.

I talked with a few guys down in Mobile that were having a serious debate as to whether Ansah would be better suited as a 5-technique defensive-end or a rush LB in a 3-4 defense. That's basically debating whether he's Tyson Jackson or Tamba Hali. How athletically gifted must a guy be that's considered a top 10 pick that is being considered for BOTH of those spots?

Ansah brings a physicality to the run that Jordan wouldn't bring on the defensive line. He's not the player out in space that Jordan is but you could line him up anywhere along the defensive line and even stand him up and bring him off the edge if you wanted.

In this play you'll see Ansah shoving the RT fairly easily as he pursues the RB down the line. (In all actuality I think his shove of the OL made him show even more athleticism to make up the ground on the angle caused by the OL stumbling) That's a 270 pound man, folks.

You won't find players much more 'raw' than Ansah but it's plays like this one above that show you what he's capable of from an athletic standpoint.

Another thing I didn't expect to see from Ansah when I sat down to watch was great awareness out on the field. He hasn't played football for all that long and I therefore I didn't expect to see plays like the one below.

Ansah fights through the double-team only to recognize the screen being set up right at him. Once he finally gets 'daylight' to the QB he feels the back trying to slip to the flat and shows fantastic athletic ability to change directions and blow up the play. This is great awareness and a good display of high 'football IQ' for a player considered very 'raw'.

Strength to fight through a double-team? Check. High motor to stay with the play and get the sack? Check. Physicality to bring the QB down with authority? Check.

Jarvis Jones - Georgia

Jarvis Jones is a player that most draft analysts have been talking about for the past couple of years. Georgia is one of the few programs in college football that run a base 3-4 defense. Jones has benefited from playing the same role that current Chiefs OLB Justin Houston had played during his time at Georgia. He's constantly lined up as the pass-rushing OLB and he's almost exclusively being sent after the QB every play. He very rarely drops into coverage and isn't moved around nearly as much as Jordan or Ansah.

Jones is simply asked to get after the QB and that's what he does. His 28 sacks over the past two seasons are eye-popping when compared to Jordan and Ansah's statistical production.

As you can see in this GIF Jones is set up in a two-point stance as the rush LB and simply beats the OT around the edge. Jones was VERY good at going for the ball during the film that I watched. He's the very definition of a 'play-maker'.

Jones was constantly coming off the edge and is known for his ability to bring down the QB. He's also not unwilling to take on blockers in the run game like the GIF below shows.

Jones meets the pulling guard behind the line of scrimmage initiates contact and makes a play. Not the greatest display of footwork by the guard but you see Jones' willingness to take-on blockers and make a play in the run-game.

My only hesitation with Jones is I'm not sure where you play him on the field if Hali is there as well. Jordan and Ansah both showed the versatility to move around the defense and in Jordan's case to be lined up head-on the slot receiver and in Ansah's case to line up as a 5-technique DE and stuff the run.

That's not to say that Jones couldn't be moved around but he wasn't moved around enough at Georgia for me to think he could have a specific role next season with Hali and Houston on the field as well.

In conclusion...

It was widely reported when Andy Reid and the entire Chiefs defensive staff went up to Oregon's pro day to check out Dion Jordan ( and maybe Kiko Alonso, too). It's also been reported the Chiefs have worked out Ziggy Ansah as well and I'm before the draft comes in about five weeks we'll hear the Chiefs are talking to Jarvis Jones as well.

All three of these players have some question marks around them. Jordan will probably need to gain a little weight from his most recent listing of 248 pounds and has a minor shoulder injury that will need to get checked out. Jones has the 'spinal stenosis issue' that some believe has been fully checked out but could easily remain an issue for others. Ansah hasn't played football all that long and only has one year of production.

If the Chiefs don't completely pigeon-hole themselves into having to take an OT with that first pick -- trading Albert would all but guarantee it -- then OLB could be a move they could make. Tamba Hali's contract situation and recent decline in productivity along with the current lack of depth at the position would make a lot of sense.

The Chiefs would seem to be tipping their hand early if they were to enter the draft without Branden Albert on the roster.

Which of these three guys do you think makes the biggest impact as a rookie and which do you think would fit best on the Chiefs defense next season? I'm going with Jordan.

Thanks again to Clay Wendler for making the GIFs.

The Sean Smith breakdown: Chiefs new CB has the size, physicality to compete

2013-03-19T13:11:16Z

Once the Kansas City Chiefs made it official by signing former Miami Dolphins CB Sean Smith the conversation turned to how Smith would fit with new defensive coordinator Bob Sutton's defense. This 'attacking' defense as it's been described would require physical defensive backs that can knock receivers off their routes and disrupt the quarterbacks' timing.

Is Sean Smith that guy?

I watched Sean Smith play against the Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars last season to answer that question.

More breakdowns from BJ: Dunta Robinson Alex Smith Geno Smith

Strengths: Size, football IQ

Sean Smith's strengths as a player have a lot to with his size and strength as a person. He's listed at 6'3 218 pounds, and for a cornerback that's pretty freakin' big. He uses that size to his advantage in press-man coverage at the line of scrimmage to shove receivers off their routes.

"I think, by far, my press game at the line of scrimmage is probably one of my top strengths," Smith told the local media. "I'm a very big, physical dude. I have long arms and I just love jamming wide receivers off the line because it definitely helps our pass rush. That will be one, and then the other is just my football IQ. I think I'm a very smart individual. I always know what is going on. I know my assignment and just giving guys tips throughout the game and trying to help the team get better is something I take pride in."

In this GIF below you'll see an example of that size and strength on display.

Smith is set up to the inside of Raiders receiver Denarius Moore on this play so Moore should have known pre-snap that getting an inside release on the bigger, more physical Smith wasn't going to be the best plan. In any case Carson Palmer has to take the sack and you can see how Smith's physical presence at the line of scrimmage altered Moore's ability to get open quickly or stay 'on time' with his route.

Sean Smith to the Chiefs: A scouting report

I charted Smith's coverage against the Cardinals and the Raiders and I found it interesting that against the Oakland Raiders Smith was in press coverage just 32 percent of the time. Some times he'd fall off in zone and others it'd be strictly man to man defense underneath but it was just less than 1/3 of the time. The rest of the time he'd be off 5-10 yards in off-man or dropping into zone.

But against the Cardinals he was pressing 61 percent of the time. He spent most of his day against the Raiders following Denarius Moore around the field and Larry Fitzgerald when they played the Cardinals.

In this GIF above you'll see Smith up on the line of scrimmage against Larry Fitzgerald.

Smith shows the athletic ability to stay with Fitzgerald out in space and keep his eyes on Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb at the same time. This shows great awareness to be able to pick up the QB and read his eyes while giving ground and staying with the receiver. He makes a great play on the ball and picks up the INT.

"I think I'm a very smart individual. I always know what is going on." -Sean Smith

Another one of Smith's strengths is an ability to disguise his looks. One thing you didn't see from the GIF above is that Smith had originally been in off-coverage when Kolb scanned the field pre-snap. Smith slid up quickly before the snap and Kolb never looked back over there until right before he released the ball. At that point it was too late.

Weaknesses: Too physical?

One of Smith's biggest strengths also leads to one of his biggest weaknesses. Smith is big and physical with receivers and tends to get too physical with them and draws the flag. Smith picked up a couple of pass interference calls in the games I watched and it's something that comes with the territory of playing a lot of press-man coverage.

The GIF below shows one of those physical plays. This time Smith is in off-coverage and it's a coin-flip on whether the referee should throw the flag.

While Smith doesn't have elite change of direction speed out in space going side-to-side he does break out his backpedal well. You can see that above as he hops the route. But as he comes in he's skating a pretty thin line of defensive pass interference.

There were a handful of plays just like this one and sometimes they were called and sometimes they weren't. In any case it goes without saying that while you might blow up a few plays from the start because of good press coverage and physical play, you'll get a few penalties as well. They go hand in hand.

The other negative that comes with press coverage is you tend to occasionally get beat and when you get beat in press coverage it generally goes for a big play. In Smith's game against the Cardinals there were two times that Larry Fitzgerald beat his press off the snap and Smith didn't have a chance a half second into the play.

In this GIF you'll see that Fitzgerald got Smith leaning outside and 'boom' it was over. The only shot the Dolphins had on that play was for LB Karlos Dansby to disrupt that throwing lane. As soon as Fitzgerald planted that right foot to cut inside that play was a positive for the offense.

I'm not sure I'd define it as a weakness but Smith doesn't provide much in run defense from what I saw in these games. He's not a liability when asked to tackle but he doesn't seem to go out of his way to do it. With his size I thought I'd see more from a physicality standpoint in tackling a ball carrier.

The 'fit' makes a lot of sense

I really like what John Dorsey had to say about Smith being a 'perfect fit' in Bob Sutton's defensive philosophy.

"[Defensive coordinator] Bob Sutton's scheme is about 85-percent press man, and we think Sean's the type of physical corner who fits the defense perfectly," Dorsey told Peter King.

During those four games it was obvious that Smith was much better in press than he was in off-coverage. That's not to say that he was bad but the few times he was beat are completely off-set by the number of plays he blew up and drives he finished simply by using his size and strength to disrupt the play.

Smith would seem to complement the Chiefs other big free agent signing in the defensive backfield, Dunta Robinson, very well. Robinson looked more comfortable in zone coverage keeping everything in front of him while Smith would rather punch, jam and then turn and run with the receiver from the looks of it.

The combination of those two players plus Brandon Flowers give the Chiefs some versatility with this new 'attacking' defense. It should give Sutton options with different ways to bring pressure while moving around three solid CB's.

Maybe this will help free-up Eric Berry a bit too. That couldn't possibly be a bad thing.

Thanks again to Clay Wendler for making the GIFs.

Thoughts on a more aggressive defense? Even if it means a few more pass interference calls and possibly big plays?

More from BJ

Dunta Robinson breakdown

The case for Dee Milliner at No. 1

The case for Alex Smith

The case for Nick Foles

The case for a safety

The case for Arthur Brown

Dunta Robinson is versatile, gives Kansas City Chiefs multiple options

2013-03-12T12:38:54Z

The Kansas City Chiefs came into this off-season with a couple of needs in the defensive backfield. The No. 2 CB opposite Brandon Flowers was a position that needed to be addressed as well as someone to fit at free safety with Kendrick Lewis.

The news of former Atlanta Falcons CB Dunta Robinson signing a three-year deal with the Chiefs started the conversation on whether he'd be the No. 2 CB or mix in at safety. Some have said his contract isn't "starter money" which is making others wonder if he's destined for another position, like safety.

But what kind of player is he? What are his strengths? Weaknesses? Below is a break down of what I saw from Robinson after reviewing his games against the Chiefs, Broncos, Redskins, Panthers and Lions from last season.

Meet the former top 10 pick

Robinson was the No. 10 overall pick from the Houston Texans back in 2004 and started at RCB from day one. He was later the first player to be franchised by the Houston Texans and proceeded to hold-out all of training camp that year (2009). He signed his tag a week before the season began and in his first game against the New York Jets he famously wrote the words, 'Pay me Rick' on his shoes which was directed at Texans' GM Rick Smith. Robinson was fined $25k for wearing the shoes.

Robinson hit free agency in 2010 and signed a six-year, $54 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons. He was released two weeks ago and just three years into his six-year deal with the Falcons.

Robinson's first game last season with the Falcons was against the Kansas City Chiefs and he was primarily used as the nickel CB. Obviously the season-ending injury to Falcons CB Brent Grimes in this game had a big impact on Robinson's role as he split out as the RCB for the rest of the season. Based on what I saw against the Chiefs and Dexter McCluster it's probably a good thing he split out the rest of the season. I'll get into that later in the post.

Robinson finished 2012 with 80 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception for the Falcons. His 80 tackles is the 4th best of his nine-year career thus far and highest total since 2006.

High football IQ

Despite getting older Robinson hasn't seemed to have lost a step in his closing ability on ball carriers. He's a sound tackler and does well out on the edge. While his quickness and agility (get into that in weaknesses) aren't what they once were, he isn't often beat deep.

This GIF shows you a pretty good example of Robinson flying into the play on run support. He recognizes the play quickly and shows good closing speed to beat the block and get to the ball carrier.

Robinson is a much better zone CB than he is in man to man. He does a great job recognizing run vs pass and has the closing speed to help against the run both because of willingness and recognition.He is not a press man-to-man cover CB, he'll line up in press coverage only on third down but bail out as soon as the ball is snapped. He spent most of last season (in the five games I watched) playing off while disguising man and zone coverage. This is something he was VERY good at. While in coverage he was very good at understanding route combinations and passing receivers off throughout the Falcons zone coverage.

In this GIF you can see Robinson's ability to recognize route combinations in his zone. Peyton Manning and the Broncos run the 'smash' concept where they're looking to get the ball in the corner to Stokely. It's not just about his ability to read Manning but the way he anticipates the route coming to his area. Robinson consistently showed this level of football IQ in zone coverage.

He was great at reading QB's eyes and coming up and making plays in the running game while in zone coverage. It's these reasons why I think the idea of moving him to safety are out there as an option. He spent almost all of his time in coverage with the receivers in front of him and I never once saw him completely out of position. His willingness to play the run and recognition skills would serve him well in that role while not having to run stride for stride throughout a wide receivers entire route.

I like how Robinson squared up to the receiver as soon as the ball was snapped, then opened up as the receiver in his zone was about to pass through and then hopped the pass in the flat. I'm curious if Manning's key was how Robinson was positioned. As soon as he opened up Manning could have thought he was dropping to give depth or run with the outside receiver.

He does well blitzing off the edge and does a good job of not selling it before the snap. I saw three different times he was brought and each time he didn't tip his hand so the QB could recognize where pressure was coming from. He also does well in run support on the backside of the play and diverting any end-around/reverse back inside. He didn't always make the play but he kept the ball carrier from getting outside and held his containment.

Not a nickel corner?

The one glaring weakness I saw from Robinson in this game can be settled into one simple football description: Post-corner-post route. That route probably keeps Robinson up at night.

This is the route that gave Robinson the most trouble. If it wasn't for William Moore coming across and making a play this was a touchdown. The post-corner-post route is in a scouting report somewhere and you WILL see someone run this route on him next season. I saw this same route twice in those five games and they both should have been touchdowns. The other time was against Panthers WR Steve Smith. (In all fairness these are the ONLY plays I saw him get burned like this.)

I also saw issues with Robinson playing Dexter McCluster in the slot. It wasn't the post-corner-post route from DMC but it was multiple moves out in space.

As you can see from this GIF that Robinson is lined up as the nickel CB against Dexter McCluster in the slot. It didn't take but three moves from McCluster before Robinson was on the ground. This isn't where Robinson was best suited from what I saw and therefore, in my opinion, not a shoe-in for the Chiefs nickel role. Any safety spot that gets him off the line of scrimmage and keeps his body square with his eyes on the QB is where he would thrive.

While he's good against the run in the open field he's not a guy that I would leave in the box in a role like what we saw from Eric Berry last season.

Robinson can't be asked to play man to man coverage against these types of routes. He'll struggle in that role. There were other times that Robinson seemed to be playing too soft of coverage for my liking. He was always right there but if the throw was on time and accurate then he wasn't going to be knocking the ball down. Without knowing the specific scheme or responsibility on each play it's hard to determine exactly what they're being asked to do.

While he's good against the run in the open field he's not a guy that I would leave in the box in a role like what we saw from Eric Berry last season. Obviously Chiefs DC Bob Sutton will bring a new scheme but you won't see Robinson consistently lining up in the box and shedding blockers against the run. If a blocker gets their hands on him he's most likely not going to be involved in stopping the run on that play. But if you see a swing pass to the flat there's a good chance Robinson will fly in and take down the ball carrier.

Robinson gives the Chiefs options

Robinson's ability to recognize run vs pass would serve him well at safety. He has the athletic ability to cover a lot of ground and get there in a hurry. I wouldn't feel comfortable sticking him on a wide receiver for any elongated period of time because of what we saw on those multiple-move GIFs above. But if the Chiefs 'attacking defense' with Bob Sutton will be built around the zone-blitz then I would feel really good about Robinson playing any DB spot on the field.

He does well reading the QB and his eyes are on the QB as he 'feels' what the WR is doing. He wouldn't be a terrible option as the No. 2 CB but there are holes to his game that lead to giving up big plays. While at safety he wouldn't be exposed to these multiple move routes in the same manner than he was at RCB or in the slot.

I don't want to see Robinson lined up in the nickel.

It's for these reasons that I don't want to see him lined up in the traditional 'nickel' spot either, which many people are saying right now. He'd basically be asked to cover smaller, quicker receivers that will almost assuredly run multiple-move routes. If asked to cover a zone or even with man-coverage for a short amount of time is where he'd be best in my opinion.

As NFL offenses continue to be 'passer-friendly' it makes sense the Chiefs would try and add as many quality DB's as possible. Robinson isn't the savior to the defense but he has the skills and experience to be a great addition to an already-talented positional group.

The Chiefs added a quality player in Robinson and whether or not they add another CB (hopefully they do) it's an improvement that gives the Chiefs options throughout the rest of the off-season and heading into the draft.

Thanks again to Clay Wendler for creating these GIFs.

Chiefs 2013 Free Agency: What's Next for Kansas City after Whirlwind of Bold Moves to Start Offseason

2013-03-06T01:13:50Z

From SB Nation Studios: The Kansas City Chiefs are slowly but surely taking the necessary steps to improve on 2012's dismal 2-14 campaign. Re-signing Dwayne Bowe and Dustin Colquitt, as well as giving Branden Albert the franchise tag was a nice start, but a lot more work lies ahead for John Dorsey and Andy Reid. BJ Kissel of Arrowhead Pride thoroughly analyzes the Chiefs roster and how they might go about filling their remaining holes.

The case for Dee Milliner: This is why the Chiefs should take him No. 1 overall

2013-03-05T14:40:47Z

The 2013 NFL draft is coming up and the Kansas City Chiefs currently hold the No. 1 pick, which has brought on discussion of quarterbacks, left tackles and defensive lineman. Now we're going to switch our focus to another need for this team: cornerback.

More: Complete coverage of RED MONDAY What does this mean for the No. 1 pick?

It was recently pointed out that there's never been a cornerback taken No. 1 overall in the draft. That's definitely something to consider when discussing the Chiefs options with the No. 1 pick but there's always a chance the Chiefs could trade down a few spots and take a cornerback. Or they could just take him at No. 1 overall.

The top cornerback in the 2013 NFL Draft is Alabama's Dee Milliner. He's consistently 'mocked' to the Detroit Lions at No. 5 but that could be changing here over the next few weeks.

A position of need

The Chiefs answered two HUGE questions this off-season by reaching a five-year deal with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and using the franchise tag on Branden Albert. Not to mention also reaching an agreement with punter Dustin Colquitt.

The Chiefs now desperately need to address the No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Brandon Flowers. This is where Dee Milliner fits in with this team. I've long said the Chiefs should address this No. 2 cornerback position in free agency. There are plenty of good options available there. But if the Chiefs haven't addressed the position before the draft in April then Milliner should be getting a good look.

Milliner earned unanimous All-American accolades following Alabama's National Championship season. He was a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski award which goes to the nation's top defensive player, and also for the Jim Thorpe award, which goes to the nation's top defensive back.

He would join former Alabama teammates and defensive backs Javier Arenas and DeQuan Menzie if he came to Kansas City.

The athleticism to do it all

Milliner has an elite blend of size, strength and speed for a NFL cornerback. He stands at 6'1 199 pounds and just recently ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. It's this same size and speed combination that made him one of the most sought after high school recruits in the nation before signing with Nick Saban and Alabama.

NFL Combine: Milliner solidifies top 10 spot

Milliner uses that size and strength to his advantage with his ability to play press coverage. Most of his snaps at Alabama last season were in press and he has the lateral quickness and hips to adjust to easily adjust to inward routes. Slants, posts, square-in's aren't much of an issue for Milliner from an athletic standpoint. His change of direction and 'fluidity' are elite.

The GIF below shows an example of this ability on a quick slant route against Michigan.

Once the receiver plants his outside foot to come inside on the slant you can see how quickly and fluid Milliner opens his hips, drops his left foot and accelerates off his back foot to stay right with the receiver and get his hand inside the throwing lane.

"...willingness to be physical in run defense..."

Milliner also possesses a willingness to be physical in run defense which isn't always the case with cornerbacks. The ability to run stride for stride with world class athletes without touching them is one specific trait for cornerbacks that makes them so valuable. Not many people can do that and it's why they get those healthy contracts. But then to get physical in run defense ... that's something else. He's not a big time thumper but as you can see from this play below he's not afraid of contact either.

You can see Milliner at the top of the screen going at it with the wide receiver before he gets in to help clean up the play on the Michigan running back. Flying to the ball, not giving in and having a definitive interest in run defense is displayed on this play from Milliner.

He displays very good read and reaction skills from route combinations to reading play-action and run defense in the six games that I watched from him last season. You could say that he possesses a high 'football IQ'. He rarely is caught out of position and is always around the ball.

The question marks

It's common knowledge among NFL draft experts that Milliner will need to learn to back pedal when he's up in coverage. It's not something he's asked to do at Alabama and is a cause for concern for some.

Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) shares his thoughts on Milliner's weaknesses.

Currently he struggles to turn and run with WRs. That's something the Alabama system doesn't teach. Poor backpedal masked by strong press coverage skills. He's not as physical of a tackler as many might assume, either.

The back pedal issue is something that each NFL team will have to determine on their own and how likely they think it is that Milliner could develop these skills within their specific defensive scheme. It's not as if he doesn't have the athletic ability to do whatever is asked of a cornerback in the NFL. But considering a player with a very high pick in the first round that has questions regarding something he was never asked to do in college is tricky.

"It's not as if he doesn't have the athletic ability to do whatever is asked of him."

Another issue that I noticed while watching his tape is that he has a tendency to lunge at ball-carriers at times. At least three times in these games I saw him try and 'arm tackle' a ball-carrier in the open field. Most of the times they were bigger backs and he just left his feet as opposed to driving through the offensive player.

This GIF below is part bad-angle and part bad-form.

Something I noticed in the National Championship game as well is that Milliner would tend to face-guard receivers down the field. Specifically, two plays against Notre Dame standout tight end Tyler Eifert. I also saw it a few other times when he was caught trailing the receiver that he'd never get his head around. Obviously it's something he got away with in college but won't be allowed to do in the future.

Just because he hasn't done it, doesn't mean he can't do it

The clips shown above are just what they are, a single play. I've noticed a few times while doing these posts that these examples are blown up to be more the rule than the exception and vice versa. I'm not trying to show highlight reels of all of these players but rather a look at what they do well and where they struggle from my observations. The proportions of good plays to bad plays aren't necessarily indicative of the proportions of their play throughout the season.

Here's a GIF showing Milliner's ability to get into the backfield and make a play against the run.

Milliner recognizes the play, beats the block and makes the tackle in the backfield. While the end result is positive, I'm still not thrilled about him leaving his feet to make the tackle the way that he did. The awareness and read/reaction are fantastic on this play though.

Best free agents: Offense Defense

As far as his ability to turn and run with a wide receiver. It's not like he can't do it but a matter of getting better and doing it more consistently. Especially out of a back pedal. The GIF below shows him opening up and running with a receiver down the sideline in the National Championship game. Many of you will remember this play.

Milliner runs stride for stride with the receiver and puts himself in perfect position on the receivers back hip to make a play on the ball. He also stays with the receiver throughout the entire route.

'Great fit' with the Chiefs

As far as how Milliner would fit within the Chiefs defense ... I actually think he'd be a great fit. New Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has said that he wants to run an 'attacking' defense. (Although I think most DCs say this). But he wants to bring pressure from anywhere and everywhere. Having cornerbacks that can press and get up on the line of scrimmage to disrupt timing and routes is key to this style of defense.

"I actually think he'd be a great fit."

There's no point in consistently bringing pressure if the QB can easily get the ball out quickly to a receiver with a free release and the separation to make a big play. Milliner can get up in a receivers face and alter the timing and route of a play within a short distance, but also the speed to stay with a receiver down the field.

Like ALL NFL prospects he's not perfect or without questions and room for development. But Milliner fills a need and would fit well within our defense in my opinion.

It's not a penalty if it's not called, right?

A special thanks to Clay Wendler for creating these GIFs and the guys at draftbreakdown.com for providing much of the game film.

Dee Milliner will become a much more popular name associated with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 1 after these recent moves by the Chiefs. They could still conceivably take an offensive lineman or defensive tackle at the top pick but it's not quite as definitive as before in my opinion. Especially with free agency still on the horizon.

Keep reading:

John Dorsey isn't messing around

Chiefs fans, today was a good day

This totally changes the No. 1 pick

John Dorsey: Bowe's deal was 'one of the first items on our agenda'

More Dorsey: Colquitt is elite

Albert, Chiefs weren't close to a deal ... but they'll continue talking

The case for Alex Smith: This is why the Chiefs should make the trade

2013-02-26T17:58:28Z

It's only fair that after I wrote up a post on Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles last week that I do the same for San Francisco 49ers QB Alex Smith this week. I mean, they've both had 'rumors' out there the Kansas City Chiefs could be interested in trading for them so I wanted to know more about the guys that could be under center for the Chiefs next season.

The case for Nick Foles Geno Smith Tyler Wilson

I went back and watched Alex Smith's games against the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals from last season. I picked those games because they were two of his better games and his two worst games of the season. Smith started eight games in 2012 and had 13 touchdowns to just five interceptions in those games. Four of his five interceptions on the season were against the Giants and Seahawks. which means I saw a good amount of the bad based on his overall season.

With a little help from Clay Wendler we've got some GIFs to illustrate some of these points as well.

Why do the Chiefs need Alex Smith?

If you're looking for a gunslinger then Alex Smith is not your guy. He's methodical, safe, calculating, whatever term you want to use that doesn't come with the negative connotation of 'game manager'. The ball seemed to be where it was supposed to be when it was supposed to be there.

Many Chiefs fans are against the idea of a 'retread' QB and not drafting our own quarterback of the future. I don't believe that bringing in Alex Smith would keep the Chiefs from finding a young QB to groom. It doesn't make sense. The Chiefs need two new QBs and Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn will most likely not be on the team next season. I have long thought that Alex Smith, Nick Foles, Matt Moore, Matt Flynn or Matt Hasselbeck would be on the team next season to pair with a draft pick.

More: Everything we know about Alex Smith

The Chiefs need someone with starting experience that could play right away if needed as one of those two new QB's. Whether that's any of the guys listed above or not. Andy Reid and company are going to want to think of the future while trying to show an immediate upgrade on the offensive side of the ball next season.

The Chiefs need someone with starting experience.

Contrary to popular belief trading for Alex Smith doesn't mean the Chiefs won't draft Geno Smith. But if the Chiefs don't draft Geno Smith then it's not because we traded for Alex Smith. That's the beauty of the No. 1 pick. If they don't take Geno Smith then he wasn't their guy. Plain and simple.

I just want to see an emphasis put on upgrading the position. However they determine that best. Isn't that what we've ultimately been wanting all of this time? Not just trying to sell us that Brady Quinn was actual 'competition' for the starting spot. We knew that was rubbish. I can hear you all now yelling 'retread, Retread, RETREAD!', and that may be true, but it doesn't mean they have to like Geno Smith or any QB in this draft. It's naive to think that Andy Reid and John Dorsey aren't aware of the importance of the quarterback position. Putting all of your cards on whether Reid and Dorsey know what they're doing because of their opinion on ONE player is ridiculous in my opinion ... and I'm a Geno fan.

Jamie Squire Getty Images Sport

Strengths: Accurate, does the little things well

Simply put. Alex Smith knows what he's doing on a football field. The nuances that quarterbacks go through that go unnoticed to most fans but make all the difference in positive plays and negative plays are things he does well.

I would say that he's an accurate passer in that he's always throwing the ball to the right guy at the right time. I think that bores most fans because they want to see the big throws down the field. That's not Smith. But you also won't be pulling your hair out because he missed a wide-open receiver or didn't properly go through his progressions. He does have a tendency to sail passes a bit that make it hard for receivers, especially backs out of the backfield, to turn up-field after catching the ball. He's not missing on these passes but you'd like to see a little bit better on some of those throws.

For anyone saying that Alex Smith is Matt Cassel you're not paying any attention to pocket presence, which is one of the top characteristics you look for in a QB, among other things. Alex Smith is calm in the pocket, even in the face of a blitz. It's one of the things that jumped out most to me about Smith on tape was how well he moved his feet within the pocket. Whether it's going through progressions or avoiding pressure he shows a good ability to always have his feet right.

In this clip against the Buffalo Bills you'll see a good example of how Smith moves his feet to set himself up for an accurate pass touchdown pass. Accurate passes have more to do with your feet than they do with your arm.

Smith slides to the left when Bills DL Kyle Williams gets past the OL on the stunt. Smith quickly resets his feet and delivers an accurate pass over the underneath CB and away from the safety for a touchdown.

Alex Smith is very good at play-action. It helps to have the offensive line and running game the 49ers have with Frank Gore and company but either way he's very good selling the run.

Alex Smith is very good at play-action.

He's athletic enough to maneuver around the pocket and run a little bit if he is forced out of the pocket. He's far from any kind of running quarterback but he's more athletic than what we've seen in Kansas City over the past four years.

Smith does throw accurate passes seen as 'darts' within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage. These are accurate and on time. Whether it's a hook route to Randy Moss sitting in a zone or a post to Vernon Davis these passes have enough on them to fit through windows.

Another one of those nuance plays that Smith does well that most people won't notice is how he uses his shoulders to manipulate defenders. The GIF below shows a good example of Smith doing this against the New York Giants.

Smith moves the Giants LB with his initial read and his eyes and then the shoulder-fake creates more space to help complete that pass. Or at least try and give his receiver more space to make a move after the catch. It's a small example of doing the 'little things' to help make a positive play. Maybe this pass would have been completed without it but you don't see all QBs doing these types of movements. It's a nuance he possesses that displays an overall ability to play the position at a high level.

Alex Smith's weaknesses: big plays down the field

Smith's weaknesses start and end with his arm strength and the ability, or lack thereof, to push the ball down-field. With this said about his arm strength there weren't many times I saw a play that he could have made with better arm strength. He just didn't attempt many passes like that. The GIF below shows a completed pass but it's your quintessential 'NFL throw' with below-average arm strength.

You can see that he gets his feet right on this 'far-hash to outside the numbers throw'. Which is something you will hardly ever not see him do, but you'll also see that while he gets about everything behind the throw that he can it barely gets there.

Smith has to be perfect with his feet, timing, rhythm and reads in order to make these kinds of passes down the field. He does a good job of making up for the fact that he doesn't have a great arm by being good at all of these other things. But it still ultimately limits your offense from an explosive standpoint.

Smith is not great at throwing on the run and that's saying it nicely. He needs to stop and get his feet set if he's going to deliver an accurate pass. It's not that he's not athletic and it's not that he can't maneuver around the pocket, set his feet and deliver an accurate pass, it's that he cannot throw the ball on the run any more than a simple dump off to a running back. It's the opposite of what I saw with Nick Foles in the last breakdown. He was actually very good and accurate throwing on the run across the middle and even outside the numbers.

One of the bad interceptions I saw from Smith in these games was against the New York Giants and Prince Amukamara. The 49ers went play-action and snuck Frank Gore into the left flat. Randy Moss was split-out left and ran a deep post. Delanie Walker originally went in motion and settled left, then ran the wheel route up the left sideline. The Giants were in cover 3 and Amukamara had deep 1/3 responsibility on the play side of the field.

Either Alex Smith thought Amukamara would settle on the wheel before it broke up-field or Randy Moss didn't run his route wide enough to the sidelines to suck Amukamara into the middle of the field when he broke in for the post. In any case it was an easy interception for the Giants and looked like a bad misread for Smith as Amukamara was sitting right there on the wheel route and didn't let Walker get behind him at any point.

Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports

Should the Chiefs do it?

When it comes to Alex Smith I'll say my feelings on the idea of trading for him are completely dependent on the compensation needed to get him. If you ask a 49ers fan they think it's a second rounder and if you ask Chiefs fans they hope it's a fifth.

He's the best semi-available option for the Chiefs, a QB who will help you win the most games next season. A mid-late round pick as compensation for Smith doesn't keep the Chiefs from using another higher pick on a quarterback of the future. It's the draft pick that I'm most concerned with and not necessarily which vet they bring in out of that group I listed above.

Niners Nation: Release? Trade? To who and for what?

Alex Smith simply knows how to play the quarterback position and does all of the little things well that you'd ask of him. He's not the most physically gifted quarterback in the NFL but over the past two seasons he's completed 64 percent of his passes with 30 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. Numbers don't always give you the whole story but that's good. He's 19-5-1 under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco.

If you're willing to say that Alex Smith is similar to Matt Cassel because of their career numbers are you willing to say that Geno Smith and Colt McCoy are similar players as well? Either you use numbers or you don't. Geno Smith is better than Colt McCoy and Alex Smith is better than Matt Cassel. Watching them actually play the game shows you both of those things.

The GIF below shows his ability to make a play down the field without having to display superior physical skills. He recognizes one-on-one coverage on the play-action play down the field. Once he notices the cornerback has his back turned and isn't watching the ball it's a simple back-shoulder, stop route. This leads to an easy touchdown.

I wouldn't mind it one bit if the Chiefs traded for Alex Smith because you'd know they'd still be looking at drafting someone. It's the development of that player that really interests me. That's not to throw away next season or anything that would happen with Alex Smith at QB because he has shown capable of winning games at the NFL level. But he's not a long-term answer.

He's not a long-term answer.

Even if he signs some kind of an extension if traded which would make sense. It'd be interesting to look at what that would do to the Chiefs cap situation next season and how that contract is structured. Cutting Cassel would count as $3.95 million against the cap.

Smith could come in and win games for the Chiefs next season and trading for him wouldn't have any affect on who the Chiefs could draft in April.

The Chiefs were getting two new QBs all along.

More coverage:

Branden Albert speaks: "It's not all about the money"

Steve Breaston to Steelers?

Predicting Bowe, Albert's future

Chiefs trying to trade No. 1 pick

All we know about the Alex Smith rumors