The Kansas City Chiefs offensive linemen have taken more than their fair share of criticism from the media this offseason. Everyone called for the head of anyone who played right tackle last year, most notably Barry Richardson, in an effort to upgrade the worst position on the Chiefs team. Thus when the team signed Eric Winston, that problem was taken care of. However, Richardson wasn't the only one taking his knocks.
Ryan Lilja has also received his share of criticism as some draft analysts wonder if the Chiefs will take David DeCastro from Stanford in the first round. He's widely considered the best guard in the draft, and it's a move that could take Lilja out of the Chiefs starting line-up. Apparently, Lilja himself realizes that 2011 was not his best year.
"I gotta play better. Last year I didn't play very well," he said in a recent interview when featured for a charitable event at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. "I gotta work hard. I gotta get better, man."
While the focus of the article is definitely about Lilja's work to help support the KC-based charity First Downs For Down Syndrome, Lilja's quote about not playing that well definitely sticks out. If Lilja can return to form, the Chiefs could afford to focus elsewhere. However, the team might have already made up its mind about adding competition along the interior which would give Lilja no choice but to step up.