tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14862632383696579402024-03-12T22:46:20.626-05:00Kansas City Sports SpotUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-68979652858994725402012-02-21T11:47:00.000-06:002012-02-21T11:47:14.134-06:002012 Sporting KC season preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kS-ntxMFS29EOxmbSkjFDvBWcMWHIX0sThQ7PO8tVBnVIUPgikcrRK-MR38qdQHvABj454ciHuc6lbJVwWKtrb8cA9ImB4Sdfjd0WJ-k1h48C2Pl5X-5fURn4LCphGZJWAib9YIbD50C/s1600/ZUSI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kS-ntxMFS29EOxmbSkjFDvBWcMWHIX0sThQ7PO8tVBnVIUPgikcrRK-MR38qdQHvABj454ciHuc6lbJVwWKtrb8cA9ImB4Sdfjd0WJ-k1h48C2Pl5X-5fURn4LCphGZJWAib9YIbD50C/s1600/ZUSI.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> What wasn’t to like about the 2011 season? The team overcame a rough start to make it to the conference finals, young players made huge strides in development (see Bunbury, Sapong, Zusi, Myers), and the fans and players alike went crazy over the new Livestrong Sporting Park. With 2011 being as amazing as it was, the bar has been set pretty high for 2012, but management has proven its commitment to the team’s success by bringing in world class talent and creating an attacking front line that could hold their own on any stage. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">With the addition of Bobby Convey from San Jose, Sporting is potentially looking at a front three of CJ Sapong, Teal Bunbury, and Kei Kamara, with Bobby Convey and Graham Zusi playing a creator/roaming midfielder role with Roger Espinoza as the holding defensive mid in a modified 4-3-3 (really a 4-1-2-3). With an insane mixture of athleticism, finishing touch, and ability to create, this is a scary group to face for any MLS team. This is of course excluding the likes of first round draft pick Dom Dwyer (who scored a hat trick against DC in the preseason) and Soony Saad, who would both be instant starters on many MLS teams, but will likely be relegated to backup roles for most of the season barring injury.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">As scary as the before mentioned lineup could be, it has yet to be decided whether Convey will be penciled in at left wing striker or at midfielder, as he has gotten plenty of time at each during training. As for the defense, “captain throw-in” Matt Besler and the brutally physical Aurelien Collin have the center defense on lock down while Chance Myers will man the right wing after showing the type of grit and speed that a coach dreams of having in a wing defender. The left wing defender going into the season will again be Seth Sinovic, however, this marks one of the few question marks on the team as it is one of the only spots that could be improved upon in-house. If Sinovic falters, he could potentially be supplanted by the young Englishman Korede Aiyegbusi, who has had a very good camp, or the ever solid Michael Harrington.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It is hard not to be excited if you are a Sporting fan; with the opportunity to watch a full season of a team with great chemistry, a regular schedule (unlike last year), and an improved roster. It is hard not to label them the team to beat in the east, but I will refrain from doing so until they leave me no choice. In the meantime, here is to the 2012 season, and a quick congrats to Zusi on his first national team goal against panama last month.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-44184603442335306322011-10-05T00:40:00.000-05:002011-10-05T00:40:30.364-05:00Catching Up!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMksuDa9Nq3kAxv9xsypycXxXkjneT8yKiSGOWkg8NkO3gNhMW0qjQ3Bo3DK3wddSUPyZxkFIAjvJu181E8wnDWyNLeCB6_u7K5iogoIo9e4uETpvXsAU_gIE4wmAxq_SjZxIGNDN8vZa/s1600/L+ron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMksuDa9Nq3kAxv9xsypycXxXkjneT8yKiSGOWkg8NkO3gNhMW0qjQ3Bo3DK3wddSUPyZxkFIAjvJu181E8wnDWyNLeCB6_u7K5iogoIo9e4uETpvXsAU_gIE4wmAxq_SjZxIGNDN8vZa/s1600/L+ron.jpg" style="color: #3d85c6;" /></a>Sorry for the short absence Kansas City. Stuff comes up, you get preoccupied with things, you know how it goes. The main thing is I am back now! Let’s not waste any time and catch up on some Chiefs talk! The past two weeks KC has looked like they belong in the NFL again after the worst two game start to a season I have ever seen from any team in any sport. Injuries to Eric Berry, Tony Jr. (Gonzales his senior), and Jamaal Charles gave fans little hope. I don’t know how many of you listen to the Church of Lazlo on 96.5 the buzz, but if you do maybe some of you have more hope now that the curse of the Lotzi is over, if you believe in that kind of thing.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am still scratching my head a little as to why Le’ron Mcclain and Dexter Mccluster aren’t getting premier back carries. Thomas Jones has clearly hit his limit and looks far slower and less explosive than he did last year and his counterparts are a perfect thunder and lightning combo. With that said, Casey Weigman is another player who has hit his limit. While he I doesn’t make silly mistakes, he often looks overmatched and overpowered, which would lead me to believe we will be seeing more of Rodney Hudson as the season progresses. I am also shocked Jared Gaither hasn’t taken the starting right tackle spot from Barry Richardson yet.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I look for the Chiefs passing game to pick up in the coming weeks, as Cassel is a notoriously slow starter (refer to last season & his starting season with the Patriots) but picks it up in week three or four. He is even starting to notice Steve Breaston’s downfield speed opens up the middle of the field for Dwayne Bowe and Leonard Pope. Regardless, the Chiefs show life and have been competitive the last two weeks, which is all you can ask after the first two games. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-15919434095089616382011-09-03T20:42:00.000-05:002011-09-04T10:05:05.556-05:00Chargers Hype... Really, Still?<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc8reVVp9SbQxPZnn95OdxXbc1b1xqonwDKzzOsZnSAfvfD1xv6oamgzO26WAlHt-maqPBgS6Msax3_vUJ1rgs7-EnX9jcnh_Y9pfhYda7wYX8Skct_ehKRq8kL0G1CJPleQqRJ2Tbaex/s1600/tolbert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc8reVVp9SbQxPZnn95OdxXbc1b1xqonwDKzzOsZnSAfvfD1xv6oamgzO26WAlHt-maqPBgS6Msax3_vUJ1rgs7-EnX9jcnh_Y9pfhYda7wYX8Skct_ehKRq8kL0G1CJPleQqRJ2Tbaex/s1600/tolbert.jpg" /></a>Every year the Chargers are chosen by ESPN to run away with the division, make it to the Super Bowl, and have a surprise appearance by Jesus. They claim that every year they are going to “put it all together” and that they are “more motivated than ever” yet somehow every year, they underachieve. Quite frankly, it’s getting old. Now that we have a good football team in Kansas City I find it even more insane that ESPN thinks that it is a give me, especially since the Chiefs have added some key pieces this offseason. Yes, the Chargers have won the division more often than not in recent years, but that is mainly I part of the lack of competition they had within the division. It makes zero sense to me why they continue to preach the gospel of San Diego year after year. Here is the full “<a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/preview11/team/_/name/sd">five things you should know about the Chargers</a>” article from ESPN if you are interested. We will look at each “thing” and then answer the question of whether it is a valid point (or not) and why.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #3d85c6;">1. Rivers is refreshed:</b><b> </b><i>This season ought to be easy for Philip Rivers. Last year, top receivers Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd and tight and Antonio Gates were on the field together for about a quarter of a game. Jackson held out much of the season. Floyd and Gates were hurt late in the season. By the end of the year, Rivers was throwing passes to street free agents. He threw to 17 different receivers. Yet Rivers managed to throw for a career-high 4,710 yards. Imagine what Rivers will do with a healthy receiving base.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Valid?</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span>-</span> </b></span><span style="font-size: small;">I don’t know if refreshed is the word… Rivers is an elite quarterback, and having Vincent Jackson back is huge, but to say it is going to be easy for him this year is little over done. The offensive line is a little shaky with starting left tackle Marcus Mcneil missing parts of the preseason with knee surgery. Not to mention, Antonio Gates is another year older, but aside from being more susceptible to injury, I don’t see it effecting him too much.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">2. The pass rush is on:</span> </b><i>KC Joyner, the Football Scientist, expects the Chargers to bring the heat this year. The Chargers had a very respectable 47 sacks last season. They have a chance for a lot more this season. Joyner said the Chargers' 2011 opponents allowed a combined 592 sacks last season. That total ranks as the seventh most in the league. Expect the Chargers to blitz often under aggressive new defensive coordinator Greg Manusky.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Valid?</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span>– </span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;">Not even close. Yes the Chargers like to rush the quarterback and weren’t bad at it last year, however, this isn’t the same defense. They have lost starting linebacker Kevin Burnett, back up middle linebacker Brandon Siler, and outside linebacker Shawne Merriman. That is a lot of lost sacks and run stops. If you add in starting middle linebacker Stephen Cooper's torn bicep that he is going to try and play through (we know how that will go) before deciding whether he should get surgery or wait, you are in trouble. Last year was San Diego’s defense at its finest, and with a new defensive coordinator and new personnel, it is hard to be too eager this soon about the Chargers D.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #3d85c6;">3. Tolbert will be a horse: </b><i>Just because the Chargers plan to use second-year running back Ryan Mathews a lot, don't think sturdy tailback Mike Tolbert will be forgotten. The Chargers love this guy, and Mathews and Tolbert will both get a lot of carries. In fact, if Mathews' durability issues continue or if he is slow to develop, I could see Tolbert getting most of the carries. Coach Norv Turner completely trusts Tolbert and loves how hard he runs. Tolbert is a plus player in every facet of the Chargers' offense.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Valid?</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span>–</span> </b></span><span style="font-size: small;">I agree with ESPN on this one, Mike Tolbert is a horse. He is very underrated and probably deserves to be the number one back on the team after last seasons performance.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">4. Liuget is legit:</span><i> </i></b><i>It's not often that the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL adds a potentially dominant front-three player. That's exactly what the Chargers have done. They took Illinois defensive end Corey Liuget with the No. 18 pick. Liuget has been explosive, and he has been a playmaker in camp. He often gets into the offensive backfield. He is a humble player who is willing to learn. The Chargers can't wait to unleash him in their starting lineup, giving them a playmaker to pair next to standout nose tackle Antonio Garay.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Valid? </span>– </b></span><span style="font-size: small;">I haven’t seen much of the guy, so I would be out of my element to say much about him. However, I do know that they aren’t starting Liuget, but instead the solid but never flashy Jacque Cesaire at end, which should say at least a little bit. While I don't doubt he will be good in time, I would be shocked to see a backup defensive lineman go all Ndamukong Sue in his first year. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">5. Spikes and Sanders are on a mission:</span><i> </i></b><i>The Chargers added veteran safety Bob Sanders and veteran linebacker Takeo Spikes to their defense. For Sanders, it's a chance to show he can still be the player who won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2007. He has played a total of nine games in the past three seasons because of injury. He has been healthy this summer, and he looks like the old Sanders. This is Spikes' 14th NFL season. He has never been to the postseason. Spikes knows this year is his best chance, and his play this summer has been inspired.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Valid?</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">–</span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> They may be on a mission, but that doesn’t mean they are good at it. Here is a fun fact: Bob Sanders has played a total of nine games in the past three seasons. He has only played more than six games in a season twice in his seven year career. It is a relatively safe bet to say that even if Bob Sanders stays healthy all year (which is very unlikely) he will be very rusty and a far less aggressive player. As for Takeo Spikes, he has no problem staying healthy, but he will turn 35 this year and isn’t even close to the same player he used to be. Don’t believe me? 2010 was the first time in his 13 year NFL career that Spikes didn’t record a single sack in all 15 games he played. So while I won’t argue that he is inspired, if you even try to talk me into believing that Spikes is an upgrade or spark at linebacker, I would call you delusional.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-73389854704402896022011-08-05T20:34:00.000-05:002011-08-07T13:18:05.252-05:00Predicting the Chiefs Depth Chart: Defense EditionIt's never too early to start trying to piece together the rotations or speculating on what the starters could look like. As of today, this is how the defense should look to start the season. One thing you may notice is how much more depth the Chiefs have compared to most seasons. Aside from Hali, you don't feel like you are in too big of trouble if you lose any one guy. The only realistic position battle that could alter the depth chart for week one is Jovan Belcher vs Brandon Siler for the strong side inside linebacker position. The guys in red are in good shape with either one, but you have two very physical players battling for a starting spot, which should be fun.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b> FS</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">K.Lewis</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b>SS </b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">E.Berry</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WILB</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">D.Johnson</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SILB</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">J. Belcher</span> </div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> CB </b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">B.Carr</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CB</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">B. Flowers</span><br />
<b> OLB</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">A.Studebaker</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OLB</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">T.Hali</span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DE</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">T.Jackson</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NT</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">K. Gregg</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DE</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">G. Dorsey</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: white;">Rotation</span>:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0H6_XdvjkPje27Pl82ddXHEW20q4qcXZ-xyTLYq8Qtp71JgJtAvQpWDkHeE2bwLuGGSlZ5ot9rtGNOkRGajc1TqLTYPF9EgzPe-AdiJw1scER2d8gP19XQh45ygnpK5VqtDtU9QG-jCv/s1600/chiefs+D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0H6_XdvjkPje27Pl82ddXHEW20q4qcXZ-xyTLYq8Qtp71JgJtAvQpWDkHeE2bwLuGGSlZ5ot9rtGNOkRGajc1TqLTYPF9EgzPe-AdiJw1scER2d8gP19XQh45ygnpK5VqtDtU9QG-jCv/s1600/chiefs+D.jpg" /></a>Nickel/Corner – <span style="color: #3d85c6;">J. Arenas</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> T. Daniels</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Safety – <span style="color: #3d85c6;">J. Mcgraw</span> <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> S. Piscitelli</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Inside Linebacker – <span style="color: #3d85c6;">B. Siler</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Outside Linebacker –<span style="color: #3d85c6;"> J. Houston</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> D. Williams</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Defensive End – <span style="color: #3d85c6;">A. Bailey</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"> W. Gillberry</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Nose Tackle –<span style="color: #3d85c6;"> J. Powe</span> <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> D.Gales</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-69408434210675014352011-08-02T16:28:00.000-05:002011-08-02T22:22:26.402-05:00Evaluating the Chiefs Free Agent Acquisitions<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Steve Breaston, WR</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvY8sIAsjo-Zppfp1fJi4bId33PkyiPILQm_C3VQX53L1VVr0EY2ageSxF7kduEnfrEkgbfENUKoKJ1TZ1iZ1oDzGzZWY0ozAZmKgW6RQLNsuQEnKAUEBhicNF_Pb3V4BOTTwbjmqGaScy/s1600/breastonKC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvY8sIAsjo-Zppfp1fJi4bId33PkyiPILQm_C3VQX53L1VVr0EY2ageSxF7kduEnfrEkgbfENUKoKJ1TZ1iZ1oDzGzZWY0ozAZmKgW6RQLNsuQEnKAUEBhicNF_Pb3V4BOTTwbjmqGaScy/s1600/breastonKC.jpg" /></a>The Chiefs got Breaston at a clearance price, primarily due to deflated numbers that come with playing with an incompetent quarterback who takes this shit serious (click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2vTzHf2tus">here</a> if you didn’t get the “serious” reference). Breaston is a speedster with above average route running ability and reliable hands. Dwayne Bowe needs a proven down field threat next to him to open up the middle of the field. Cue Steve Breaston. It is unlikely Jonathan Baldwin breaks camp as the starting receiver opposite Bowe, but he could take on that role later in the season, which would relegate Breaston to his more natural slot receiver position. Either way, Breaston is in the prime of his career and playing with a running game that terrifies opposing defenses for the first time in his career. A much needed piece at a fantastic price is always a good thing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Kelly Gregg, NT</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">O the nose tackle… the one position the Chiefs have been weak at since transitioning to the 3-4. Kelly Gregg is about as good as it is going to get for a one year stop gap. A veteran presence who has a proven track record and gloat worthy numbers. While Gregg is 34 years old, age generally doesn’t catch up to nose tackles as quickly as it does other positions (good examples of that are Sam Adams, Pat Williams, and Casey Hampton). Gregg is as smart as they come at the position and knows where to be at all times. While he is definite up-grade over Ron Edwards, he won’t do much outside of stuffing the run and clogging gaps at this point in his career.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Brandon Siler, ILB</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Very under-rated and could start for many teams in the league. Although Todd Haley plans to use him at both inside linebacker positions, he is far more suited to play strong side middle linebacker. Never really had a chance to shine playing behind Stephen Cooper in San Diego, but will have the opportunity to battle Jovan Belcher for a starting spot here in Kansas City. If nothing else, he is an excellent special teams player and a fantastic goal line specialist. With Belcher and Siler both in front of Corey Mays on the depth chart, he is left to prove his worth on special teams to keep his roster spot.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">Note-Worthy Points:</div><ul><li>Le’ron Mcclain rumors have been heating up. If he does sign with the Chiefs, it will be interesting to see what happens to Thomas Jones.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Tyson Jackson looks to be in the best shape of his career coming into camp. A possible breakout season on the way?</li>
</ul><ul><li>Brandon Carr and Tamba Hali are the only vital pieces left to re-sign and show up to camp.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Ryan Lilja was moved to from right guard to left guard following the release of Brian Waters. Jon Asamoah will take over at right guard.</li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-8804746849832199652011-07-22T13:20:00.000-05:002011-07-22T20:07:30.154-05:00Chiefs Position Battles<div class="MsoNormal">With the lockout nearing an end, it is once again okay to discuss football without mentioning the petty politics that have dominated any and all NFL talk this offseason. Without wasting any time, let’s get into the position battles we can expect to see early on in camp!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Second Wide Receiver</span></b></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Front Runner: Jonathan Baldwin </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Next in Line: Chris Chambers </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Long Shot: Verran Tucker, Kevin Curtis, Dexter McCluster</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPh8nSi2_zxqhuCBzXgFGBrdlFUOgj-Kw4z0wRwm197BV4p_44FRm8bdXQXR8mfcPmGCXMcdOZYWsncywEFtqW721TQWt4ayDJEqVdtA2zSfTfiuV72f4WyBf_WvUk3Ros_E1Re96MQBy/s1600/Chambers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPh8nSi2_zxqhuCBzXgFGBrdlFUOgj-Kw4z0wRwm197BV4p_44FRm8bdXQXR8mfcPmGCXMcdOZYWsncywEFtqW721TQWt4ayDJEqVdtA2zSfTfiuV72f4WyBf_WvUk3Ros_E1Re96MQBy/s1600/Chambers.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Breakdown</span>: Jonathan Baldwin is the front runner by default. He has raw talent, great leaping ability, and above average speed. Plus, he hasn’t squandered his opportunity to start yet, unlike Chris Chambers. Chambers had a miserable 2010 as he seemed to have lost a step on his downfield speed and apparently forgot how to secure the ball. He will most likely be given a chance to redeem himself if he looks good in camp, but if he doesn’t, don’t be surprised if the Chiefs decide to cut their losses and release him altogether. Tucker is more of special teams/fourth wide receiver player and it’s doubtful he can handle the load of a number two receiver. The only way Kevin Curtis makes the team is if all of the receivers appear incompetent. He is past his prime and doesn’t offer anything Baldwin or Chambers can't provide. Dexter Mccluster is a prototype slot receiver and Chiefs plan to keep him there unless injuries force him into the number two spot occasionally.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Fullback</span></span></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Front Runner: Mike Cox</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Next in Line: Shane Bannon</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Long Shot: Tim Castile</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmAztHL1yHfjjxPtCzCjZyNTuUvSLjpUM6TSaSl-4PXqwiLQt9qjnEnZPzevEXyqR24LuqJrObwVUO29Ecp3npbAiLmEl4AZM4CnoABrUEaUnMSgJNts7rlgJAEBiVaBHcmXUUAG9rKrs/s1600/Cox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmAztHL1yHfjjxPtCzCjZyNTuUvSLjpUM6TSaSl-4PXqwiLQt9qjnEnZPzevEXyqR24LuqJrObwVUO29Ecp3npbAiLmEl4AZM4CnoABrUEaUnMSgJNts7rlgJAEBiVaBHcmXUUAG9rKrs/s1600/Cox.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Breakdown:</span> Going into camp, Mike Cox has the most experience and is the best NFL proven blocker the Chiefs have at the position. He has decent hands and isn’t afraid to run into the baddest linebackers in the league. However, Cox is easily distracted and has been known to miss his block from time to time. If Shane Bannon puts on a show in camp and preseason, the job is his. It all depends on how he adapts to the speed and strength of the NFL. He is a brutal blocker, has good hands, and moves like a gazelle for a 275 pounder. Tim Castille probably has the best hands of the group, however, he lacks size and is terrified of contact. No matter how well you can catch, you can’t play fullback if you are afraid to block. If hands were valued over size and blocking, wide receivers would play tight end.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Nose Tackle</span> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Front Runner: Ron Edwards</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Next in Line: Shaun Smith</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Long Shot: Allen Bailey</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Breakdown:</span> It looks as if the incumbent Ron Edwards will once again be the starting nose tackle for the Chiefs. The epitome of mediocre, Edwards has done just enough to keep his spot on the team while the Chiefs have looked for an upgrade at the position for years, obviously without success. He will likely rotate with Shaun Smith at nose tackle, with the occasional glimpse of Allen “love me some raccoon” Bailey. However, Bailey will likely spend most of his time at defensive end, spelling Glen Dorsey and Tyson Jackson in non-blitzing situations.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Right Outside Linebacker</span> </b></div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Front Runner: Andy Studebaker</div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Next in Line: Demorrio Williams</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Breakdown: </span> The Chiefs have been grooming Studebaker to take over for Mike Vrabel for two seasons, and now that Vrabel has retired, it is Studebaker’s job to lose. He has played well when given an opportunity to play, giving us no reason to think he won’t be the starter in week one, but Demorrio Williams has forced himself into the picture. After Derrick Johnson beat Williams out for the starting inside linebacker spot, he never looked back, leaving Williams somewhat lost in the mix. Halfway through the season he was converted into a down pass rusher and excelled. The Chiefs will definitely take a look at Williams at ROL, as he has always had fairly good coverage skills and speed, when you add that to his newly acquired pass rushing techniques he will give Studebaker a run for his money, if nothing else.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-79883688637180392632011-07-13T12:38:00.000-05:002011-07-13T12:40:18.733-05:00How Sporting Turned it Around<div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqgXfjo0kW8JL854mjYzCgwco7ZhncH8daKn8qZmHB4B3isD1HLDK3yJK0sgXKePMLz9YePRt2smu1YEz1LGtTb7-ZWqXjQf75CwFfO9Ap3hYiiFSfD423BN8CqaOGCzRwIDmL-c5iJsy/s1600/Jimmy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqgXfjo0kW8JL854mjYzCgwco7ZhncH8daKn8qZmHB4B3isD1HLDK3yJK0sgXKePMLz9YePRt2smu1YEz1LGtTb7-ZWqXjQf75CwFfO9Ap3hYiiFSfD423BN8CqaOGCzRwIDmL-c5iJsy/s1600/Jimmy.jpg" /></a>The last Sporting article on KC Sports Spot was written in a dark time, when I, as well as many others,<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqgXfjo0kW8JL854mjYzCgwco7ZhncH8daKn8qZmHB4B3isD1HLDK3yJK0sgXKePMLz9YePRt2smu1YEz1LGtTb7-ZWqXjQf75CwFfO9Ap3hYiiFSfD423BN8CqaOGCzRwIDmL-c5iJsy/s1600/Jimmy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqgXfjo0kW8JL854mjYzCgwco7ZhncH8daKn8qZmHB4B3isD1HLDK3yJK0sgXKePMLz9YePRt2smu1YEz1LGtTb7-ZWqXjQf75CwFfO9Ap3hYiiFSfD423BN8CqaOGCzRwIDmL-c5iJsy/s1600/Jimmy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>feared the season was already over. The defense wasn’t meshing, there was no trace chemistry, and there was no consistency with the lineup or play of the team. Most fans believed there would be some sort of turn around with the opening of Livestrong Park, but few had any idea that Sporting would go on a twelve game unbeaten streak and would be sitting in fourth place in their conference. All of the sudden, Sporting has become dangerous on offense and indestructible on defense. So what happened? Surely the opening of the new stadium couldn’t be the only reason Sporting has become a monster… Could it? Let’s take a look at the pieces that have turned Sporting’s season around.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRviVw5P0lfcKfuxns8pfZ_xDk1CDqdKGdDqNO8jFEQ-7z4OzqKVzkwKHZ7E91BgskcsiFy73aoXMR0oE5RzCYu3I46MxoofafYZNfDJqVad-hKwL9ocYYqeAOMrMtkLhfnyRXIO9ppsaL/s1600/aurelien+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqgXfjo0kW8JL854mjYzCgwco7ZhncH8daKn8qZmHB4B3isD1HLDK3yJK0sgXKePMLz9YePRt2smu1YEz1LGtTb7-ZWqXjQf75CwFfO9Ap3hYiiFSfD423BN8CqaOGCzRwIDmL-c5iJsy/s1600/Jimmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Graham Zusi</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Out of nowhere, Graham Zusi went from someone who shouldn’t be starting for Sporting, to a guy who looks like he should have been on the United States Gold Cup roster. After Zusi’s two goal performance against FC Dallas in June, he has had a new found confidence. It is almost like Zusi had a revelation during that game, a revelation that gave him poise and swagger. Without a doubt Zusi has been the anchor of the offense, creating opportunity after opportunity while setting the pace of the game and maintaining outstanding control. Now that Zusi has realized how good he is, Sporting players and fans expect nothing but greatness from him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">The maturation of C.J. Sapong</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As you would expect from any rookie, C.J. Sapong started the season slowly. However, during the twelve game unbeaten streak we have witnessed a more patient and unselfish Sapong. Early in the season, as most fans can recall, when C.J. had the ball he was looking to score. No matter who was open or how many defenders he had on him, he was going to the goal. Now, we are seeing C.J. pass the ball and even wait for guys to make runs, demonstrating his playmaking skills that weren’t very prevalent early on. His unselfishness and patience has led to a rather nice chemistry between himself and Omar Bravo.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Improved play and stability of the defense</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRviVw5P0lfcKfuxns8pfZ_xDk1CDqdKGdDqNO8jFEQ-7z4OzqKVzkwKHZ7E91BgskcsiFy73aoXMR0oE5RzCYu3I46MxoofafYZNfDJqVad-hKwL9ocYYqeAOMrMtkLhfnyRXIO9ppsaL/s1600/aurelien+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRviVw5P0lfcKfuxns8pfZ_xDk1CDqdKGdDqNO8jFEQ-7z4OzqKVzkwKHZ7E91BgskcsiFy73aoXMR0oE5RzCYu3I46MxoofafYZNfDJqVad-hKwL9ocYYqeAOMrMtkLhfnyRXIO9ppsaL/s1600/aurelien+2.jpg" /></a>Who would have thought that defense would be a strength for Sporting two months ago? Not I. What had been the biggest flaw on the team has become its most consistent aspect. Aurelien Collin and Matt Besler have stabilized the middle of the defense with their skill and physicality. They complement each other nicely as the bruiser (Collin) and the brain (Besler). Roger Espinoza has come alive after being moved to his more instinctive position of defensive midfielder, which opened up the wing for Chance Myers, who is back to playing defense after a short stint at forward. Myers' focus is much improved and has been a threat bringing the ball up from the right wing. Opposite Myers, Michael Harrington has been as solid as ever playing left back. Harrington has never blown anyone away with flash, but he has a never ending motor and rarely makes mistakes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Davey Arnaud</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sadly, Arnaud is making the team better by not playing. Graham Zusi has had more freedom and touches without Arnaud dominating the ball. He has unable to adjust to the fast paced offense around him, and his defense, or lack thereof, is suspect at best.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">The scary thing is, they can be better!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sporting's offense has potential to be the best in the league. If Vermes ever decides to play two forwards up top, Sapong and Teal Bunbury could develop into one of the best striking tandems the league has ever seen. Add to that an attacking midfield of Kei Kamara and Graham Zusi, and watch out MLS.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-9537583310896162102011-07-04T14:32:00.000-05:002011-07-04T18:14:00.243-05:00Fixing the Royals Rotation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO88wc1CvN5UgP5d4KcPR6a-ncbRW_iCYCniO_I7HLuiTHyB3tMirY9wk4cr9RUD2RCzSMO-O9bDoz1F2cj2WQufViPrWkd8faXnYLydTNXVwo3HY2q8ZeP6Jifdc_j_oaUXC1J_avv3Y/s1600/Davies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO88wc1CvN5UgP5d4KcPR6a-ncbRW_iCYCniO_I7HLuiTHyB3tMirY9wk4cr9RUD2RCzSMO-O9bDoz1F2cj2WQufViPrWkd8faXnYLydTNXVwo3HY2q8ZeP6Jifdc_j_oaUXC1J_avv3Y/s1600/Davies.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">Currently, the Royals are looking at a rotation of Jeff Francis, Luke Hochevar, Bruce Chen, Danny Duffy, Kyle Davies and Felipe Paulino. This is not working, as their record shows. Inconsistency and lack of talent plague the current staff and something has got to change, so begins the search for the perfect five! Ace’s like Roy Halladay and CC Sabthia aren’t possible or necessary, so we must look through the bargain bin on our search. The Royals don’t need rental veterans, they need guys who can be with the team long term at a fair price. In order to do this, we need to look at the numbers over the course of multiple season, raw talent, ball parks, and consistency. The first player that meets our criteria is Josh Outman, of the Oakland A’s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Josh Outman</span> (Oakland) - Age: 26 - Throws: L </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Lowdown:</span> Josh is still very young and is only going to get better. He has played three seasons in the league, 2008, 2009, and 2011. He missed the end of 2009 and all of 2010 with Tommy John Surgery, which means he is just now coming back into full form as it normally takes around one and a half years to fully recover. He only had four starts in 2008, with a mediocre 4.56 (ironically the best ERA of any current Royals starter) but started 12 games in 2009, earning four wins with a 3.48 ERA and 53 strike outs. Most people have forgotten about Mr. Outman, since he wasn’t anywhere close to a big name before his injury and no one mentioned him during the 2010 season. Josh was called up from the minors this season and started eight games earning three wins with a 3.47 ERA, seeming to pick up where he left off before his surgery. Sadly, Outman was optioned back to the minors this week due to the A’s pitching depth. This would lead us to believe that Outman is expendable and easily had. If he can continue pitching how he has in his time in the majors this season, he makes for a fantastic talent at a great price. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Clayton Richard</span> (San Diego) – Age: 27 – Throws: L</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Lowdown:</span> Clayton has played for the Padres since the middle of 2009 and has been nothing but solid. Although he isn't a huge strikeout guy, he has excellent command of his pitches. Richard started 12 games for the Padres in 2009, winning five with a 4.08 ERA and followed that performance up in 2010 by starting 33 games and winning 14 with a 3.75 ERA. He has continued to be rock solid in 2011, starting 17 games while maintaining a 4.09 ERA. It's important to keep in mind that he has had exactly zero run support in his time with the Padres, aside from what Adrian Gonzales had given him before he bounced to Boston. He has thrived at pitcher friendly Petco Park, which we can assume would continue at pitcher friendly Kaufman Stadium, plus he would have the Royal’s hurricane of youth giving him run support. The Padres are far more worried about their lack of offense than their already legitimate pitching staff, making him attainable with some of the Royals extra pieces and rental players (take your pick of Melky, Betemit, Aviles, Kila).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">That gives us two realistic pieces to add to the staff that have been far better than anyone we have thrown out there this season. Now what to do with the current staff? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Jeff Francis</span> and <span style="color: #3d85c6;">Bruce Chen’s</span> contract are up at the end of the year, and it is safe to say that if they are not traded they will be told to walk. </span></li>
</ul><ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Kyle Davies</span> would make a fantastic long reliever coming out of the pen. He has always gone two or three strong innings before imploding and allowing five or six runs, inflating his ERA. </span></li>
</ul><ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Felipe Paulino</span> could also come out of the pen, as well as become the emergency starter if an injury occurred to anyone in the rotation.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Luke Hochevar</span> has shown enough progress and flashes of excellence that he can continue in the staff. Ned Yost and Bob McClure need to do a better job realizing when he has hit a wall and relieving him. Time after time Hochevar pitches gem’s and then proceeds to get smashed in the 6<sup>th</sup> or 7<sup>th</sup> inning.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Danny Duffy</span> will also be allowed to stay in the rotation as he is young and needs a chance to grow and get better. He can man the bottom of the rotation until he reaches his full potential.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Mike Montgomery</span> would fill out the fifth spot in the rotation. The AAA flame thrower has upper rotation stuff and although he has struggled at times this season, he has the mental focus and talent to succeed in the bigs. If Montgomery’s shaky 2011 bothers you, I would then reference Aaron Crow's minor league season from last year and compare it to his big league performance this year (5.73 ERA in 29 minor league starts last season, All Star this season). </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">The final rotation looks like this: Josh Outman, Luke Hochevar, Clayton Richard, Danny Duffy, Mike Montgomery. This, my friends, is how you make a gourmet dish out of the Wendy’s Value menu.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-61413473177783363982011-06-10T15:18:00.000-05:002011-07-04T16:19:56.771-05:00The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Sporting Kansas City<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>The Good</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-UiN17Gr1HGjFG5O2BV8jwVG-A_lFx53vX0fmyHskRVbdN_7rogrLpGbexWu4SvZN3ICPtinSJ4CLPKkvEXy06hCGKpnvWTxyJapRIFKZUsbNM24ermXqM6cb6MbJIub0tnTodIkfWvf/s1600/auvray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-UiN17Gr1HGjFG5O2BV8jwVG-A_lFx53vX0fmyHskRVbdN_7rogrLpGbexWu4SvZN3ICPtinSJ4CLPKkvEXy06hCGKpnvWTxyJapRIFKZUsbNM24ermXqM6cb6MbJIub0tnTodIkfWvf/s1600/auvray.jpg" style="color: #3d85c6;" /></a><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The strikers</span>. Even though you wouldn’t know it by looking at Sporting’s below average numbers, Sporting has shown flashes of dominant attacking ability, primarily from the very young yet very talented group of CJ Sapong , Teal Bunbury, and recently converted defender Chance Myers. Consistency still plagues this group, which is to be expected with youth and inexperience (all three are younger than 25). Omar Bravo has finally recovered from back surgery, which should help with consistency. With the return of Bravo comes better control and ball movement. It’s no coincidence that Sporting went on a five game losing streak while he was injured. Last years leading scorer, Kei Kamara, has been relegated to more of an attacking midfield role with so much young talent up top. He seems very comfortable there and has done a very good job of finding open players and getting them the ball, as well as finding some shots for himself in the process.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>The Bad</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Chemistry and careless mistakes.</span> The veterans and youngsters seem to have trouble getting on the same page while miscommunication accounts for the majority of goals given up by Sporting. Simple things such as marking and crossing continue to be a problem. Coach Vermes continues to try out new lineups to find the right combination, and with a handful of players absent from the team, while playing for their countries, that trend will most likely continue. Davey Arnaud hasn’t been the same player this season and seems indecisive and uncomfortable with the ball. The talent is there, but the team is clearly still trying to figure each other out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>The Ugly</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Defense, defense, defense.</span> Although there has been improvement as of late, managing to string together a couple of shutouts, Sporting's defense has been atrocious for most of the season and easily the biggest problem this season. Aurelien Collin has been a pleasant surprise, playing fearlessly while showing promise and stability in the middle. Unfortunately, there haven't been many other bright spots along the back four. Roger Espinoza seems to be more focused on pushing the ball up the field than marking a man, and Michael Harrington seems flat out overmatched at times. Stephane Auvray generally does a very good job at staying back and covering when needed at midfield, he seems to always be in the right place at the right time, which makes you wonder if he should be converted into a center defender and replace the corpse of Julio Cesar.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">Writers Notes: </div><ul><li>It would be fun to see an attacking tandem of Bunbury and Sapong at forward with Kei Kamara at attacking midfield.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Zusi needs more and Arnaud needs less playing time </li>
</ul><ul><li>Roger Espinoza would be a much better defensive midfielder than defender. </li>
</ul><ul></ul><ul><li>The back four should be: Harrington (left), Besler (center), Collin (center), Myers (right) </li>
</ul><br />
<ul></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-7066658652405348802011-05-23T17:21:00.000-05:002011-05-25T18:12:57.643-05:00Dear Royals: New Lineup Proposal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERp9PSWnxP22t1NIId-QoLu4v-dTEBbuf9xbAi_rBGcU-DC3JdBkah8mieDLjUpupKcNXkeTUJ3vgOkTKxCElD-MKUFG5UAIM1381Z7K0xS7A1FQg7OVizOW6_DqNYjlrfSVxBBEuzqyZ/s1600/team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERp9PSWnxP22t1NIId-QoLu4v-dTEBbuf9xbAi_rBGcU-DC3JdBkah8mieDLjUpupKcNXkeTUJ3vgOkTKxCElD-MKUFG5UAIM1381Z7K0xS7A1FQg7OVizOW6_DqNYjlrfSVxBBEuzqyZ/s200/team.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Royals have shown bursts of offense, but the search for consistency continues. With Ned Yost's recent shakeup of the lineup, going as far as trying Alex Gordon at leadoff, it would be a good time to look at what could be the best chance for production and consistency for the rest of the season.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6;">1. Melky Cabrera (CF)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>It is somewhat odd that he hasn’t been tried at leadoff yet. Melky doesn’t have the speed of Dyson or Getz, but he does have above average speed. The Melk Man is a very good contact hitter who knows how to battle pitchers. His OBP could use some work, but his clutch bat more than makes up for it.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">2. Mike Aviles (2B)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>A Prototype number two hitter. Aside from his very below average start to the season, Aviles is generally good at moving and driving in runners (as shown by his team leading 28 RBI’s). He has slightly above average speed and a surprising amount of pop in his bat.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">3. Alex Gordon (LF)</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>He has cooled down a bit from his blazing start to the season, but Gordon is still hitting a smooth .281 with a .343 OBP. He has had a knack for scoring (27) and driving in (25) runs. One of the more consistent hitters on the team so far this year.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">4. Eric Hosmer (1B)</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Handling the majors about as well as Royals fans could have hoped. Maintaining a high average (.288) and on base percentage (.348) while hitting three home runs in only 59 at bats. Had a clutch hit against the Rangers to lead off the 11<sup>th</sup> which ended up being the game winning run. He can only get better from here.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3as7VxJhrJQOLLiBIoYoC1c9nyJp2vz-7kBarCjgbtgMJCPvWqHUaEfRHP9iR5vDqx30uJzfzDVoRXEHrme-e9CW4ukkFPebbL7Kyd3x4ACfv_Uov4-y7sSTDrS8ss_KwnesGGwW-afGX/s1600/frenchy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3as7VxJhrJQOLLiBIoYoC1c9nyJp2vz-7kBarCjgbtgMJCPvWqHUaEfRHP9iR5vDqx30uJzfzDVoRXEHrme-e9CW4ukkFPebbL7Kyd3x4ACfv_Uov4-y7sSTDrS8ss_KwnesGGwW-afGX/s1600/frenchy.jpg" /></a>5. Jeff Francoeur (RF)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>The best overall hitter on the team this season. Has hit a whopping nine home runs while maintaining a solid .282 average. Francoeur would provide some much needed insurance to Hosmer that would allow him to see better pitches.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.75in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">6. Billy Butler (DH)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Best pure hitter on the team, however, has struggled with runners in scoring position up to this point. Butler has a near .400 on base percentage but still hits into far too many double plays. Statistically hits better when he doesn’t bat cleanup.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"> 7. Wilson Betemit (3B)</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Fantastic bat to have hitting 7th. Betemit would hit in the middle of the lineup for quite a few teams. He has only hit two home runs, but made up for it by hitting 13 doubles. Yost can’t be mad at a .379 OBP from the seven spot. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">8. Brayan Pena/Matt Treanor (C)</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Both Pena and Treanor have hit for a terrible average. They are producing behind the plate, so their offensive production can be overlooked for now, but it would be nice for at least one of them to heat up a little bit.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">9. Alcides Escobar (SS)</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Gives the Royals some speed to work with at the bottom of the order, but not much else. He makes up for his lack of offense by doing far more than the average shortstop on defense. Expected to eventually produce on offense to solidify his spot in the lineup and prevent him from being the next Tony Pena Jr. </div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">* This of course is excluding Chris Getz. The order changes slightly with him inserted in place of Betemit or Aviles. Getz would most likely move to the 8th or 9th spot, pushing the catcher up to 7th. </div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="color: #3d85c6; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-15516232785265095132011-05-10T10:03:00.000-05:002011-05-14T19:38:50.920-05:00What happens to Kila Ka'aihue and Clint Robinson? Who gets next call up, Montgomery or Duffy?<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMzeCfQGH86AlyQ_bgv_v2lCxVCXuFHycbleUPnWpjPJo93YhnFY5_VFkHHel_0TKbNBXHpbyWq8N-ZlW-jI0Op5Ebba3GlFHTxL1X3g261vxlkQz1o83Y-yjYcKzIMMroBQ_z2YhmN5a/s1600/hos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMzeCfQGH86AlyQ_bgv_v2lCxVCXuFHycbleUPnWpjPJo93YhnFY5_VFkHHel_0TKbNBXHpbyWq8N-ZlW-jI0Op5Ebba3GlFHTxL1X3g261vxlkQz1o83Y-yjYcKzIMMroBQ_z2YhmN5a/s1600/hos.jpg" /></a> Eric Hosmer’s arrival to the big leagues raises a lot of questions. Questions like what happens to Kila Ka’aihue and Clint Robinson? and who will be the next minor leaguer we see brought up? The Ka’aihue/Robinson situation is an interesting one. Hosmer was torching the minors, hitting 3 home runs with 15 RBI’s and batting .439. While he was getting all of the attention, Clint Robinson was casually hitting 8 home runs with 22 RBI’s and batted .313. This is the same Clint Robinson who impressed during spring training this year. These are the numbers of a guy who needs to be in the majors. The problem is he doesn’t play a position other than DH and there is no room on the roster for him. Kila, sadly, is back at AAA now also and it is going to be a miracle to see him get regular playing time again. With Hosmer only being 21, and Billy Butler just turning 25, it’s safe to assume that first base and DH are going to be taken care of for awhile, leaving no room for minor leaguers to come up. So what to do? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">It is safe to say Kila will be traded at some point, because even if he is converted to an outfielder, there is nowhere for him to go with Gordon manning left, Lorenzo Cain being the future at center, and Wil Myers eventually handling right. Baring any injuries to Butler or Hosmer, the same will most likely happen to Robinson, unless he pulls a Ryan Shealy and becomes a career minor leaguer. Now that we have sorted that out.. who will be the next minor leaguer that get brought up?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"> My guess would be Mike Montgomery. He was clearly ready in spring training and continues to dominate the minors. Danny Duffy is the other possibility, but Montgomery is said to be more “major league” ready. The other option is Mike Moustakas, but why bring him up now with Betemit and Aviles swinging hot bats? If one of the two gets hurt or traded, expect to see Moustakas. If you would have asked me at the start of the season “who will be the first minor leaguer up?” I would have said Lorenzo Cain without hesitation. However, Melky, Gordon, and Francoeur have all played unbelievably well in all aspects of the game. Not to mention Dyson’s legs proving themselves worthy of a roster spot. Now, I am starting to doubt we see Lorenzo Cain at all this season, unless either Melky or Francoeur get traded.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Overall, this is a good problem to have, and not one this organization has had in awhile. Too many good players at a position is always a good thing. If nothing else, the Royals can get something for them at the deadline (pitching perhaps?) either way, you can’t argue how fun it is watching a promising Royals team competing, even though it is still May.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-29429226696929176772011-04-29T15:33:00.000-05:002011-05-03T19:39:39.823-05:00Newest Kansas City Chief Jonathan Baldwin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03d-IVM6GABf93xbXQPYQyPM0yLPwGuPWpz2fixUR2if8nk-kHUviTc9Q6MAuXBb42DCT-6yCTgn9ac59zwEKlS1hUVPG80Ty9yDrakVFexw_Aaa5KFLNpeHmoJlOmad8wJh7kmD2tRIC/s1600/Baldwin+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03d-IVM6GABf93xbXQPYQyPM0yLPwGuPWpz2fixUR2if8nk-kHUviTc9Q6MAuXBb42DCT-6yCTgn9ac59zwEKlS1hUVPG80Ty9yDrakVFexw_Aaa5KFLNpeHmoJlOmad8wJh7kmD2tRIC/s1600/Baldwin+2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WbzuT2K0B68?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you are like me, you haven't seen much, or even heard much about Jonathan Baldwin until yesterday. Just from what I can gather from scouting reports and his game tape, he seems to have solid hands and isn't afraid to go over the middle. At 6'4 he is another big target and has above average speed (4.49 40 time). I'm not real sure how good his route running is or how well he can block, but I guess we will find out! More to come....</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-6946402519177519152011-04-20T15:29:00.000-05:002011-04-21T09:42:49.114-05:00Royal Surprises: What is Different About 2011?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> How fun has it been to watch Kansas City Royals baseball this season? Most fans can probably agree that this is the most fun to watch team Kansas City has had in well over a decade. This is due to a number of things falling into place, one of the most important and overlooked being the chemistry. It seems as if this year’s team genuinely enjoys playing together and just loves playing baseball. That aspect has been missing for a number of years. Thanks to the perfect combination of eager rookies, passionate veterans, and a collection of players who just needed a vote of confidence, the Royals have found that “we deserve to win every game” attitude. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Credit must be given to guys like Jeff Francoeur and Matt Treanor, who were acquired this off season. Treanor has handled the younger pitchers unbelievably well and has showed no fear while being run over multiple times in plays at the plate. Oh yeah, and there was that walk off home run, no big deal. Jeff Francoeur has always played well without trade rumors and the harsh criticisms of media swirling, but as soon as he hits a slump and no longer feels comfortable, he loses himself. Kansas City and Dayton Moore have provided that stable and easy atmosphere for him so far, but it will be interesting to see how he handles his first slump.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVv6E07l96rks0aa1fuKq32hbT6qQPPc7enF5sI-0MqbuzEWCbd84Fh4spFCytHM6luha7nlQuvQkvDJIbTGazbdl0t7dE39ZpRjd3WZLhjLCZ-mI9wISNRuHs1vhA7KXbLaiZPXfKrCV/s1600/bruce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVv6E07l96rks0aa1fuKq32hbT6qQPPc7enF5sI-0MqbuzEWCbd84Fh4spFCytHM6luha7nlQuvQkvDJIbTGazbdl0t7dE39ZpRjd3WZLhjLCZ-mI9wISNRuHs1vhA7KXbLaiZPXfKrCV/s1600/bruce.jpg" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> The real surprises of the young season are the emergence of Alex Gordon and the “Puerto Rican Sensation” Bruce Chen. Gordon seems to have finally figured it all out. Watching the way he carries himself in the batters box, on the field, and even during interviews, you can tell he finally has that swagger that he has been missing. The swagger that says “I am really good, you know it and I know it”. Many people called Bruce Chens 2010 a fluke, but he is quickly putting that to rest with his great command and control. More importantly he has been consistent, which is the hardest thing to do to be a good major league starting pitcher.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Not to go unnoticed is the sensational rookie relief trio of Tim Collins, Aaron Crow, and Jeremy Jeffress. Obviously we can assume there will be times this season where they will struggle, but they have done an incredible job getting the ball to Joakim Soria so far, who has oddly enough been the most inconsistent pitcher in the Royals bullpen. Billy Butler isn’t getting the credit he deserves due to his reduced defensive role and being the only player worth noting the past two seasons. Even though Billy is playing as well as he ever has; now that the team is winning the attention is going to be put on the new faces that are contributing.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The season is young, but this team has been very fun to watch and have given fans hope that this year could be different. If nothing else, it's fun to watch the Royals compete past the first Twins series (which seems to be the one that starts the down hill spiral every year). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Honorable mention:</span> Alcides Escobar’s spectacular defense and highlight reel throws. Chris Getz showing that he can in fact hit a baseball out of the infield. Melky Cabrera’s weight loss paying dividends. Ned Yost, for giving the team a chance to win by being aggressive on the base paths.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-33442724355455318502011-04-12T17:05:00.000-05:002011-04-19T21:21:58.475-05:00What's Wrong With Mike Aviles?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JrIm-kL-0E7DpO_SvXgjC2T7o38U5Vq1yQQv7wMTxYaWHR__uZ9Kn5ZzQnQZ5-MGPgkPNZvmnkWgswaDhwk8wCGxLHOioLw07ZdegvlIcsu_9Bwn76gOL9wtazHaM1i2tZCSngmPxQXR/s1600/aviles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JrIm-kL-0E7DpO_SvXgjC2T7o38U5Vq1yQQv7wMTxYaWHR__uZ9Kn5ZzQnQZ5-MGPgkPNZvmnkWgswaDhwk8wCGxLHOioLw07ZdegvlIcsu_9Bwn76gOL9wtazHaM1i2tZCSngmPxQXR/s320/aviles.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Mike Aviles ended last season on a hot streak, he had a very good spring training, and hit a home run in the first game of the season. All signs point to a good year right? Not so much. Aviles is 2 for 21 on the season, one of those hits being his home run on opening day. Not only has Aviles not hit well, he has walked a measly one time and has played atrocious defense. So what is wrong with Mike Aviles? The answer could be a number of things depending on how we look at it. In 2008 and 2010 Aviles batted over .300 in more than 400 plate appearances. In 2009, and so far in 2011, Aviles has hit under .200. You might be asking “what in the world can we take from that?” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">One theory is that Mike Aviles in uncomfortable starting the season as an everyday player. In his productive seasons, Aviles has come to the team at least a month after it has started. He was called up in 2008 from the minors, coming to a losing Royals team with low expectations. In 2010 Aviles came to the team from the minors after missing the majority of 2009 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, also to a losing team with low expectations. However, in 2009 and 2011 Aviles was penciled in as a starter and had big expectations to produce everyday. There are many players who don’t handle that kind of pressure very well, and Aviles could be one of them.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Another theory is that he is uncomfortable both on the field and at the plate. It is a season of firsts for Aviles, he is playing 3<sup>rd</sup> base and batting leadoff for the first time in his career. Aviles has made numerous fielding errors, and they could be killing his confidence as a hitter. A lot of the time when a player is struggling in one aspect of the game, he starts second guessing themselves as a whole and it gets in their head.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If Wilson Betemit continues to swing a hot bat and plays solid defense at 3<sup>rd</sup>, Aviles might be held to a utility role. Even if Aviles makes it back to the everyday lineup, he needs to bat farther down in the order to take some of the pressure off. If he continues to struggle at 3<sup>rd</sup> and Betemit goes cold maybe the powers that be should consider calling up Moustakas a little early, especially if the team keeps winning. Regardless, the team is winning, Betemit is playing very well, Chris Getz is batting over .300, and Jason Kendall still isn’t back from the DL. All of which calls for celebration.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-88799647813721167642011-04-04T14:27:00.000-05:002011-05-10T16:13:20.748-05:00Power Rankings: Royals Players After First Four Games<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">1.</span>Jeff Francis</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Showed ace-like stuff in his first start for the Royals. He played seven innings of one run baseball and corrected his few mistakes early. Let’s hope he gives the Royals more of the same for the rest of the season.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">2. </span>Kila Ka’aihue</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Walk off home run to get the first win of the season, no errors, and hit a deep shot to drive in two RBI’s that would have been a home run in just about any other park.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">3. </span>Joakim Soria</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Joakim is being Joakim. He pitched in all three of the Royals wins and already has a win and a save on his 2011 record with a 0.00 ERA.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">4. </span>Matt Treanor</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Whoa who saw that coming? Treanor had two crucial plays at the plate that he handled with ease and then hit a walk off home run in extra innings. Fans were already growing tired of Jason Kendall, but if the Treanor/Pena combo keeps rolling it is going to be even harder to welcome Kendall back with open arms.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">5. </span>Jeff Francoeur</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Francoeur has found a way to drive in four RBI’s in his first series as a Royal while maintaining a solid average. He looks very comfortable batting sixth behind Ka’aihue. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">6. </span>Alex Gordon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Gordon is hitting with confidence batting .316 with an on base percentage of .350. You can’t ask for much more at this point.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">7. </span>Billy Butler</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Billy leads the team with five runs and hit a crucial home run in game four of the series against the Angels. The early home run is a good sign as it usually takes Billy a lot longer to hit his first home run.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">8. </span>Aaron Crow</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">He is making Ned Yost and Dayton Moore look like baseball geniuses for keeping him on the team as a reliever instead of sending him back to the minors. Even though it's early, Crow looks like a polished veteran.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">9. </span>Chris Getz</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">His bat has shown signs of life! Getz helped the Royals get the win in game three with a two RBI performance. Defense is never an issue as Getz and Escobar have shown great chemistry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">10. </span>Melky Cabrera</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Bruce Chen owes him one after he made the beautiful double play to bail him out. Melky also has hit a home run and stolen a base. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">11. </span>Luke Hochevar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> He didn’t look like an ace, but he did keep the Royals in the game and pitched fairly well overall. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">12. </span>Tim Collins</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Collins has been very strong and has shown amazing control and bite on his pitches. Fans should feel a little more at ease with the bullpen situation after watching Collins and Crow pitch so well. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">13. </span>Alcides Escobar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Escobar is a defensive beast at shortstop but looked very uncomfortable at the plate in the first four games.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">14. </span>Mike Aviles</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">The new leadoff hitter has a solo home run but made a couple crucial errors at third base, showing that he hasn't fully adjusted to his new position.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">15. </span>Wilson Betemit</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Clutch hit that tied the game in the ninth inning of game four.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-35547090905559948612011-03-30T16:01:00.000-05:002011-04-01T12:30:31.163-05:00Opening Day! Questions and Concerns From the Offseason From the offseason to the start of Spring Training there were many questions and concerns about the 2011 Royals. It is safe to say the majority of fans considered 2011 a lost season and anticipated the 2012 team and the raw talent of Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, and Mike Montgomery. However, spring training went far better than anyone could have hoped for. It seems as if Royals fans have become a little more perky and excited for opening day as well as the 2011 team in general after watching spring training, and they have every reason to be. It would be hard not to be after watching the potential of so many younger players being reached, even if it is only spring training.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here are just a few of the bigger questions and concerns that fans were talking about before spring training started and my not seem as concerning after spring training.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxPDLj-2I3DwFHrPt-nRZq53YjpR1-h6uDxXMKGTOkDz0RbDPKp-aUk_wWNhlaJAbe4A919QLePhXKfq9mUpLUPNKr2PalgsPNAmTMzH7uAQGP4yB_zqeRINmy9Ku6AiwDv-HSQzyrILC/s1600/Kila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxPDLj-2I3DwFHrPt-nRZq53YjpR1-h6uDxXMKGTOkDz0RbDPKp-aUk_wWNhlaJAbe4A919QLePhXKfq9mUpLUPNKr2PalgsPNAmTMzH7uAQGP4yB_zqeRINmy9Ku6AiwDv-HSQzyrILC/s1600/Kila.jpg" style="color: #3d85c6;" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Question/Concern:</span> “Why did the Royals sign Jeff Francoeur and Melky Cabrera? They are no better than who we already have. Damn Daytons Atlanta connection…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Now:</span> Melky is in the best shape of his career and dominated in spring training hitting an insane .468 with an on base percentage of .471. Melky also played incredibly solid defense and flashed some speed which earned him the second spot in the batting order. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Jeff Francoeur has gotten hot towards the end of spring training, mashing a couple home runs while picking up a some RBI’s in the last few games. Jeff looks genuinely happy to be in Kansas City and seems to be a very good person to have to in the locker room, not to mention his gold glove caliber arm he has displayed over spring training. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Question/Concern:</span> “Our bullpen is still the worst in baseball, we didn’t change anything… get ready for another long season of losing late in games”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Now:</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> </span> Although no big names were picked up, getting Jeremy Jeffress in the Greinke trade was huge. He can be erratic at times but a 23 year old who can throw 100 mph that comes out of the pen is not easy to find. Tim Collins developed far more than anyone imagined before spring training started. The 5’7 Collins is the only lefty in the pen and has shown wicked movement on his breaking balls.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Sean O’Sullivan returns as the long reliever/back up starter and is a very solid option if a starter gets hurt or in trouble early in games. Aaron Crow is another case of developing way ahead of schedule. Crow, a life long starter, will unexpectedly begin the season in the pen for Royals after showing that he has gained control of his fastball and has the ability to strike out major league level hitters after struggling in AA last season. He also has been rumored to be dating Ke$ha, yes the one with a dollar sign, who is sadly more popular than any Kansas City Royals player. Fancy that.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Question/Concern:</span> “Will Alex Gordon finally contribute on offense after moving to the outfield? Will Kila Ka’ahue produce now that he is going to be in the majors full time?” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Now:</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> </span> Gordon started slowly and most people gave up on him, then he got very hot and hit six home runs, collected 21 RBI’s, and batted .343. Now there is talk of him hitting over 30 home runs and battling .300 this season. While those are unreal expectations, it is a very good sign that he is healthy and seeing the ball, and maybe most importantly, he is confident. It is very likely that he will have a career year if he stays healthy, but an all star appearance might be a little farfetched.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Kila has shown the ability to hit with some serious power this spring. The Hawaiian Punch cranked seven home runs while batting .397. Don’t expect him to continue to hit for an average, but his power is for real. He has played better defense than Billy, winning the first base job (although he will see time at DH too). The same goes for both Gordon and Ka’ahue. The talent is there, they have proven that much, but actually putting it together in the regular season has yet to be seen.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Wrap Up: </span>Yes all of this is just spring training, but it is a good sign none the less. Spring training has eased the fans and given them something to look forward to this year. A lot will be answered this year. Best of luck to the team in their first series of the year against the Angels, starting March 31st at Kaufman! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-85786933069169112232011-03-17T21:19:00.000-05:002011-05-03T19:37:28.628-05:00New Complex, New Uniforms, and... Chad Ochocinco?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyblnT4GmJmdf64dPOtboZSV7DpKa29vA2qRB-SHw9mKqVfYN1Iovfe0ZIyJOVPVd2ZgP_nnAqaGiIDljZsE3SEBrRcEnbtr6BHiUQHc8TDt9-9lJl5dexOREBw0Izhqtxorcwr2n-H6c/s1600/Ochocinco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyblnT4GmJmdf64dPOtboZSV7DpKa29vA2qRB-SHw9mKqVfYN1Iovfe0ZIyJOVPVd2ZgP_nnAqaGiIDljZsE3SEBrRcEnbtr6BHiUQHc8TDt9-9lJl5dexOREBw0Izhqtxorcwr2n-H6c/s1600/Ochocinco.jpg" /></a>Everyone knew this season was going to be different for Sporting Kansas City. First, the team finally has somewhere to play where they can feel at home rather than being relegated to sharing a tiny baseball field with Kansas City’s semi-pro baseball team. At the new Livestrong Sporting Park, not only will the players feel at home, but they will play at one of the nicest and most modern soccer complexes in North America. Second, the team re-branded in the offseason, changing from the Wizards and getting more of a “soccer” name in Sporting Kansas City, as well as sexy new Uruguay-like uniforms. Then of course came the personnel changes, losing fan favorite and Captain Jimmy Conrad in the draft, trading midfielder Jack Jewsbury, drafting CJ Sapong, and signing Mexican legend and former Guadalajara forward Omar Bravo. Yes sir, this season was going to be very different than any other soccer season in Kansas City, but something was still missing… but what? If two weeks ago someone had said Chad Ochocinco, you would have probably giggled and shrugged it off, but seriously, he is the missing piece, just maybe not in the way you thought. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">No one is expecting Chad Ochocinco to be Lionel Messi, but if he can contribute at all as player (I would assume at forward or midfield), then by all means Sporting Kansas City should sign him. We know he has the leg and the athleticism from watching him kick a field goal in the NFL when Shayne Graham was injured (If you haven’t seen it you can watch here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRdP6HdtTd8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRdP6HdtTd8</a>) but his knowledge of the game and foot skill are questionable. Not only would he provide depth, but with Ochocinco comes an entire fan base. With no NFL games to watch, what do you think all of those NFL, Bengals, and sports fans will be watching? It would give Sporting KC more publicity and nationally televised games as well as more jersey and ticket sales. Overall, it is good for the organization and the MLS, if he can hold his own.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It is indeed a new era for Kansas City soccer. Because Ochocinco is so big in the United States, this move could end up getting more people to watch the MLS than the David Beckham arrival. Of course none of this applies if the NFL ends the lockout, but for now, Ochocinco is trying out for Sporting Kansas City, no not the Chiefs, but Sporting Kansas City. Now comes the real question, if Chad makes the team will he wear number 85? </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-58773730292323800032011-03-05T15:18:00.000-06:002011-03-05T15:23:10.344-06:00Position Battles: Royals Spring Training<div class="MsoNormal">We are getting closer and closer to the regular season and the position battles are becoming much clearer. With spring training wrapping up soon it is a good time to take an in depth look at the position battles and how they are most likely going to play.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Fourth Outfielder battle</span>: Ned Yost has let it be known that the starting outfielders will be Alex Gordon, Melky Cabrera, and Jeff Francoeur for at least the first two or three months of the season and then he will reevaluate them from there. That is unless Lorenzo Cain hits three home runs every game from now until the season starts, but we will just assume he won’t and that he will be optioned to the minors to start the season as planned. So now the battle for the fourth outfielder spot lies between Mitch Maier, Gregor Blanco, and Jarrod Dyson.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maier has put on a clinic so far this spring batting .667 with four stolen bases in four attempts. Every spring Maier makes your eyes light up a little bit but he can never seem to get those numbers to even remotely transfer to the regular season. Gregor Blanco has batted a modest .286 this spring stealing one base in one attempt while Jarrod Dyson has batted a very below average .167 stealing one base in one attempt. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Fourth Outfielder winner</span> – It’s a tie. No one in this group has much power and everyone is an above average defensive outfielder so it will come down to options. This most likely means the Royals will keep both Maier and Blanco, because they are out of options, and send Dyson back to the minors.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Starting Pitcher battle:</span> Luke Hochever, Jeff Francis, Kyle Davies, and Vin Mazzaro are all pretty much locks. Hochevar is a former number one pick and is expected to try and take over the vacant Ace role for the Royals with Greinke gone. Francis is out of options and signed a one year contract to revive his career and is possibly the most accomplished starter on the Royals staff. it’s a make or break year for Davies, who has shown flashes but has been very inconsistent throughout his career. Luckily for him he is a favorite of Dayton Moore’s. And then we have Vin Mazzaro who is young and has gotten better every year he is been in the league. Not to mention the Royals gave up fan favorite David Dejesus to get him. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That leaves the veteran Bruce Chen and the young gun Sean O’Sullivan fighting for the final starting spot. Chen shockingly was the Royals best starter last season, and when healthy has been a very solid starter his entire career. It is very exciting to see if Sean O’Sullivan, who the Royals traded Alberto Callaspo for, can put it all together and be legitimate Major League starter. He has the stuff to do it and is still only 23, but he can be very erratic at times.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJJRDsNAOuwMXkZoo5Z6vPS-6WHV0YSJAUJbHUGuDmFFdgev3dxfoMiMBMhBZrX4XPx1C5Tc2w56U3qSMgTY3ka5y31BIe1r90oTDjI_h_-wtW_XGUMVrrO5CHZH-3LZSfljAISqrEIaP/s1600/chenpena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJJRDsNAOuwMXkZoo5Z6vPS-6WHV0YSJAUJbHUGuDmFFdgev3dxfoMiMBMhBZrX4XPx1C5Tc2w56U3qSMgTY3ka5y31BIe1r90oTDjI_h_-wtW_XGUMVrrO5CHZH-3LZSfljAISqrEIaP/s1600/chenpena.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Starting Pitcher winner –</span> To start the year, Bruce Chen will most likely be the starter and Sean O’Sullivan a reliever. The pitching staff is very young and any sort of veteran leadership and stability is needed, which is why Chen will probably start in the rotation. O’Sullivan has relief experience and will start the year in the bullpen, but will most likely be the first person called on to start if anyone goes down with an injury. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Catcher battle:</span> Jason Kendall is out until at least May recovering from shoulder surgery, which opens the door for Brayan Pena and Lucas May. Brayan Pena has shown some power when given an opportunity to play, but his defense has been suspect a lot of the time. He lost twenty pounds this off season and won best defense catcher in the Dominican Winter League, which should give Royals fans some hope. Lucas May is a converted outfielder the Royals acquired from the Mets organization. He hasn’t had much Major League experience but according to his minor league statistics, he has a little pop but doesn’t have much plate </div><div class="MsoNormal">discipline.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Catcher winner:</span> Brayan Pena. He has more major league experience and the Royals want to see what he can do with regular playing time. He has shown he can hit, but if his defense has really improved and the team is doing well when Kendall gets back, who knows? Maybe he will stick as the starter for the rest of the season. Lucas May will most likely be the back up, or at best be in a time share with Pena. When Kendall gets back he will probably get lost in the shuffle with Manuel Pina and Salvador Perez, being younger and more talented, coming up in the organization.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-72082251494635715982011-02-25T12:58:00.000-06:002011-02-25T13:38:18.592-06:00Q&A with Sporting Kansas City's Kei Kamara<div class="MsoNormal">I got the opportunity to talk with Kei Kamara on the phone yesterday (from Arizona) and ask him some questions. Very cool guy. Enjoy!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZe7ydnrt_HcOBZghi2F2qI3loU1n-EX4xulziR4kxSdQY0hZua6SUPstHtDfxA7MpdBl3g7xj3J-k5y_TQi4i3Go6_tyAzJoSvzrN0Eonq_C-wZUx1aHXOBd7w_qZzbKF0z_hEAAT9bm/s1600/kei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZe7ydnrt_HcOBZghi2F2qI3loU1n-EX4xulziR4kxSdQY0hZua6SUPstHtDfxA7MpdBl3g7xj3J-k5y_TQi4i3Go6_tyAzJoSvzrN0Eonq_C-wZUx1aHXOBd7w_qZzbKF0z_hEAAT9bm/s1600/kei.jpg" /></a>KCSS: How is Arizona treating you?<br />
<div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Kei: Man its Warm, Its great!. I hear Kansas City is freezing right now though..</div><br />
KCSS: Yeah its actually snowing right now so you should feel lucky you are missing out. How was your offseason?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: It was really good. I got to split time being here in the states and in Africa, where I’m from.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: What are your goals for the team in the upcoming season?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: Be better than last year. We just have to keep getting better every year. The organization is doing everything they can to make us, the players, as comfortable and happy as they can and we want to go out there and win for them and fans, who are always coming out and showing us support. If we just keep getting better and winning, we will eventually win the MLS cup</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: Last year you had your best season as a pro, what are your individual goals for this season?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: I just want to build on last year, I had 10 goals last year, I want more than that this year.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: What was like not only playing against Manchester United last summer, but also scoring a goal?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: It’s one of those things you dream about when you are little. Everyone is Sierra Leone made a huge deal about it and were still talking about it last time I went back, they made it a kind of a big deal. I had a shirt on under my jersey, so I was planning on scoring, and luckily I did.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: What do you like to do when you are not playing soccer? Do you have any Hobbies most fans don’t know about?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: Yeah I love video games, especially FIFA, but I like to play all kinds of different games. Besides video games, I love to play volleyball. There are some cool places in Kansas City that I have found to play at, but yeah definitely sand volleyball.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: Do you have a favorite restaurant in Kansas City?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: I like going to the local Chipotle, but besides that I would have to say La Bodega</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: I agree, La Bodega is pretty delicious, are you a fan of Tapas?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: O for sure! You never think those little plates of things can full you up, but you always leave stuffed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: What do you think of the new Sporting KC jerseys? Do they fit your style?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: Man I have to say I really liked the Wizards jerseys… I looked good in the all white. But you know, it’s a new team, new name, and its always good to wear new things.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: Okay Kei last question and then I will let you go. I talked to Coach Vermes and he said he wanted to try you at defense, how do you feel about that?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: (starts laughing)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: I am just messing with you Kei, sorry I had to do it </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: (still laughing) Coach just walked by me and if you would have asked me that one minute sooner I would have put that on speaker phone. He is always joking around about putting me on defense. I told him maybe when I’m in my 30’s.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d85c6;">KCSS: Alright Kei I will let you get out of here, but thanks for your time and good luck this season!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kei: Hey no problem man, and thank you!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-30141265272465995852011-02-19T23:52:00.000-06:002011-02-20T21:25:42.577-06:00Plaxico Burress an option for Chiefs?<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6ZCn_Our6BUdadF_Mq5SwBPkxjihrY0JsggEjHANIrCOdCS1q18g0m1rFo9YVa8iFqXJl5Wxff93-XdZPps1xseQkyOiOiJSwRKH2_tOU0cb6od2oc_IqEVMlzcvMex7qYioCmrG8kG0/s1600/plax+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6ZCn_Our6BUdadF_Mq5SwBPkxjihrY0JsggEjHANIrCOdCS1q18g0m1rFo9YVa8iFqXJl5Wxff93-XdZPps1xseQkyOiOiJSwRKH2_tOU0cb6od2oc_IqEVMlzcvMex7qYioCmrG8kG0/s1600/plax+pic.jpg" /></a>Plaxico Burress gets out of jail on June 6, 2011. That is less than four months away and before the Chiefs leave for training camp. The Chiefs happen to be in need of a proven wide receiver that they could get at a fair price. Do you see where this is going? This is one of the most interesting stories that I see picking up steam the closer we get to summer. The Chiefs will undoubtedly be looking for a wide receiver to complement Dwayne Bowe, and while they will probably target receivers like James Jones, Steve Breaston, Steve Smith (Giants), etc… they will all come at a price. The three receivers I have mentioned have all been very productive in the NFL the past two seasons and are all at least relatively young and still getting better, which means they will be looking for pretty hefty contracts. Now I would love for Kansas City to get any of the three receivers I have listed, even if it requires a good amount of money to do it, but what if we could get a receiver who has proven he can play at a Pro Bowl caliber level and has even won a Super Bowl, at a fraction of the price?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Burress will be 33 when he gets out of Jail, so he won’t be the wide receiver of the future for Kansas City, but for two or three seasons Burress could give the Chiefs very good production. Can you imagine Dwayne Bowe, Tony Moeacki, Jamaal Charles, and Plaxico Burress running around the end zone on 3<sup>rd </sup>and 5? Plax has always been a goal line threat with his height (12 receiving TD’s in 2007), which you can never have too much of. It would also bring the Chiefs a lot of extra media coverage because God knows America loves an underdog story, and you know Burress will be on his best behavior because he doesn’t want to mess up his last shot at playing in the NFL. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Reports are that Burress is in great shape and has been lifting and running the entire two years he's been in Jail. Maybe this is a crazy idea, maybe he has lost his ability, maybe he would be a distraction, but then again maybe he regains his Pro Bowl caliber talents and when paired with Dwayne Bowe, strikes fear into the eyes of opposing secondary's. It is worth a shot to at least meet with him and bring him in for a workout, see what the guy is all about, and see if he could be a simple and cheap fix to the Kansas City Chiefs Wide receiver problem. It’s something to think about….</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-16974472996708371992011-02-15T19:01:00.000-06:002011-05-10T16:08:15.740-05:00Fantasy Baseball: Relevant Royals<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueUA_y00fz1xD-E0aOjtNiASP7d1C-DyihThjfRK6c_ndcIKGHmnfkPpj0LUn7f6uKZ4mbJLljHCMNS2dpi3aVB2Hgb2EmuV25rwEktLdTnkW-PYPQ3PdyT4uA8gMRA9TL3R1myp1XMES/s1600/billy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueUA_y00fz1xD-E0aOjtNiASP7d1C-DyihThjfRK6c_ndcIKGHmnfkPpj0LUn7f6uKZ4mbJLljHCMNS2dpi3aVB2Hgb2EmuV25rwEktLdTnkW-PYPQ3PdyT4uA8gMRA9TL3R1myp1XMES/s1600/billy.jpg" /></a></div>Fantasy baseball starts soon and now is a good time to take a look at 2011’s Fantasy Relevant Royals players. We will look at this years must have’s. Potential sleepers, and gambles. With many new acquisitions and loads of youth and prospects there is a lot to discuss. Now that Zach Greinke has been traded to the Brewers and Gil Meche has retired, there is a vacant Ace role available for the taking. When it comes to everyday players, much has changed since the opening day roster of the 2010 season (thankfully). Only 2 of 9 starters from 2010 are returning as (projected) starters again this year (including DH), those players being Billy Butler and Chris Getz. But without further adieu… </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Must Have’s – Billy Butler (1B/DH), Joakim Soria (Closer)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Breakdown: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Unfortunately there are only two “Must Have’s” this year. To qualify as a “Must Have” a player has had to have been productive enough to have proven themselves worthy of being owned in nearly every fantasy league. Currently, Joakim Soria is the 75<sup>th</sup> rated player and Billy Butler is 87<sup>th</sup> according to ESPN’s early rankings. Soria has proven to be one of the most consistent and dominant closers in baseball. The only catch on Soria is that he has gotten hurt and missed time at some point in each of the last 3 seasons. With 43 saves and an ERA under 2.00 last season, if you are the type who looks for saves early, Soria is your guy.<br />
<br />
Butler has been expected to breakout with power the last two seasons, and while he hasn’t done that, he has hit for an incredible .318 and continues to be at the top of the league in doubles hit. Butler is bound to hit for more power eventually, but if you need a 1B or Utility player who hits for a high average and is RBI dependable, or if you just have faith and think that Butler is going to swat 30+ home runs this year, he can be had at a fair price. Side Note: If you are in a league that counts OBS (On Base Percentage) Butler should be moved up a few spots from the 87<sup>th</sup> that he is at now due to his outstanding pitch selection. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Potential Sleepers – Kila Ka’aihue (1B), Alcides Escobar (SS), Alex Gordon (OF), Lorenzo Cain (OF)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Breakdown:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Kila Ka’aihue will be getting consistent at bats and an opportunity to play consistently for the first time in his young career. He has huge potential for power and could hit anywhere between 20-35 home runs and should also be a good source of RBI’s. We have such a small sample size of Ka’aihue in the major's that it’s hard to see what his average is going to look like, but based on what we do know and his minor league stats, he should be somewhere between .255 -.265. Cain is an interesting case because he isn’t guaranteed a starting spot since he has plenty of options (to the minors) left and Melky Cabrera was originally signed to start in center before they made the trade bringing in Cain and Escobar. If Lorenzo Cain does win the starting Center Field job expect him to hit at the top of the order and produce Denard Span-like numbers.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">I feel like every offseason the Royals fan base has gotten hyped up over Alex Gordon thinking that he was finally going to breakout and reach his 1st round potential, and unfortunately it never happened. Most fans have lost that expectation for Gordon after multiple years of being let down. However, with Gordon's move to the outfield and lowered expectations to produce, maybe he can put it all together this season and be a solid contributor on offense. Alcides Escobar is known for his defense but at times has shown flashes of being able to hit for an average. At the very least, with a shallow shortstop pool in this year’s draft, he could give you solid steal contributions if you are willing to take a chance on him.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Gambles – Jeff Francoeur (OF) Brayan Pena (C)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Breakdown:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Francoeur was once a fantasy animal hitting 29 home runs and batting .290 with Atlanta. With such high expectations he has been a massive let down in fantasy the past three or four seasons. Here is the thing… he has had stretches of excellent play even in his down years, only to return to his impatient ways. There is a chance… not huge chance, but a chance none the less that Francoeur returns to prominence and becomes dominant again. Brayan Pena gets an opportunity to play every day with Jason Kendall still recovering from surgery until at least May. Pena, when given a chance to play, has been a solid hitter. He won’t kill you in average and will hit you a decent amount of home runs for a catcher. Their aren’t many catchers who get consistent at-bats and actually produce with them, so it may be worth a shot to pick Pena up at the end of the draft as a cheap means of filling out your roster.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-7563702845767416752011-02-10T16:13:00.000-06:002011-05-03T19:28:25.447-05:00An in Depth Look at the Chiefs Free Agents. To Sign or Not to Sign?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdl6ZF23dMLSxaRvDJVY3nsHLq-iO_Xs7PLOjl2fhIEdMfrZeaSjFIMCnXjeQzcvnaHXTN9BceL9P309M8bg1xafofO9XW6EAO8wvgniNR9c1gi4FcHedBqAZwkdmbTjO7ae0UyMXNsaSx/s1600/brodie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdl6ZF23dMLSxaRvDJVY3nsHLq-iO_Xs7PLOjl2fhIEdMfrZeaSjFIMCnXjeQzcvnaHXTN9BceL9P309M8bg1xafofO9XW6EAO8wvgniNR9c1gi4FcHedBqAZwkdmbTjO7ae0UyMXNsaSx/s200/brodie.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Chiefs have a fairly large group of players they have to make decisions on this offseason. Below I have made a list of offensive free agents and defensive free agents. Take a look, decide who you would like to stay or go. Below the lists, I will go into detail as to why each player should stay or go, and what they bring to the team (or don’t bring for that matter).<br />
<span style="background-color: #444444;"></span><br />
<div style="background-color: #444444; color: #cccccc;">Offense: Defense:</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Brodie Croyle (Quarterback) Wallace Gillberry (Defensive End)</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Jackie Battle (Running Back) Ron Edwards (Defensive Tackle) </div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Mike Cox (Full Back) Shaun Smith (DE/DT) </div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Terrence Copper (Wide Receiver) Tamba Hali (OLB)</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Kevin Curtis (Wide Receiver) Corey Mays (ILB)</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Leonard Pope (Tight End) Mike Vrabel (OLB)</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Brad Cottam (Tight End) Cory Greenwood (ILB)</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Rudy Niswanger (C/G) Brandon Carr (Corner)</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Casey Wiegmann (Center) Travis Daniels (Corner)</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;"><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Ryan O’Callaghan (Tackle) Maurice Leggett (Corner)</div><div style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Barry Richardson (Tackle </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #3d85c6;">Jon Mcgraw (Safety)</span></span></div></div><br />
We will start with the Offense…<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #cccccc; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="color: #cccccc;">Brodie Croyle</span> has two options. He must either go, or accept being a 3<sup>rd</sup> string quarterback. In all honesty a change of scenery would do him good. He could be a very decent quarterback in this league, just not with the Chiefs. There is too much mental strain and he knows the fans don’t like him, which makes him over think every call, check, read, and throw. As for running backs and fullbacks, <span style="color: #cccccc;">Jackie Battle</span> deserves to stay and be re-signed. His yards per carry are a little misleading from 2010 because the majority of his carries were in short yardage situations. Battle was very impressive anytime he got an opportunity to actually get carries and should steal some of <span style="color: #cccccc;">Thomas Jones’s</span> carries in 2011. As for <span style="color: #cccccc;">Tim Castille</span> and <span style="color: #cccccc;">Mike Cox</span>, they have to go. As I’ve said before the Chiefs have got to have a good, hard-nosed, and smart fullback. Castille is smart, but is terrified of blocking. He has good hands but how often do we throw to our fullback and does that offset the lack of blocking? <span style="color: #cccccc;">Mike Cox</span> is hard-nosed but occasionally misses his block and looks lost. </div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-indent: 0.5in;">Terrence Copper and Kevin Curtis are interesting cases at wide receiver. Copper’s number one asset is his special teams play. He is solid hands and is a very mediocre route runner. Curtis came to the Chiefs after the regular season, right before the playoff game against the Ravens due to the Dwayne Bowe injury scare. To most people’s surprise, he ended up starting along side Bowe. He didn’t have a fantastic game but give the guy credit for going out there on 4 or 5 days of practice. Curtis has also had success with the Eagles and Rams when healthy. The final verdict for the receiver: Copper must go, Curtis can stay. Copper is taking up a roster spot that can go to someone equally as valuable on special teams who can develop into a descent number two or three receiver (Verran Tucker?) while Curtis is worth the gamble for price he will be asking. Leonard Popes blocking and serviceable hands deserve to stay, and while I have always been a Cottam fan, he must go. They can’t trust his health, especially with Jake O’Connell showing development. O’Callaghan is looking for a starting job and too much money, but if he settles for the right price he should stay. Richardson impressed at tackle and I believe he is going to be our right tackle for many years to come so we should invest in him now before he gets expensive. Wiegmann, although a fan favorite, must go. Niswanger was so bad for two years that when they brought Weigmann back he looked like the best center in the league. Upon further review, Weigmann got beat up frequently and is undersized. Age is definitely catching up with him. Unfortunately, he must go.</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Now the defense…</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"> I have a bad feeling that a smart 4-3 defensive team is going to go after Wallace Gillberry. Why wouldn’t they in all honesty? He doesn’t start, he is only in on passing downs, and he still managed seven sacks. If for some crazy reason no one tries to scoop of Gillberry for starter money, we should by all means keep him. Shaun Smith is a keeper as well, he provides great depth at both Tackle and End, not mention a few laughs and testicle grabs. Ron Edwards has been keeping the Defensive Tackle seat warm for waaaay too long. He has been incredibly mediocre in the 3-4 defensive and is getting older; unfortunately it is time to let Big Ron go. It's been stressed many, many times, and I will say it one more time, Tamba Hali MUST be re-signed if the Chiefs want their defense to run smoothly. Without Hali’s pressure, the Corners have to cover longer and the Safeties have to more time to get beat deep which sets up the run game for the opposing team. Do you want that? No. So re-sign Hali. Sadly Its time for Mr. Vrabel go unless he would be willing to hang up the pads and take a position with the team coaching the linebackers. Vrabel’s coverage is shaky and he can no longer rush the quarterback effectively due to his loss of speed. Corey Mays provides solid depth and special teams play. He is also a beast against the run in goal line situation. Not to mention he can be had at a great price.</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"> If Hali is number one priority to re-sign, then Brandon Carr is number two. Carr stepped up his game and showed his ability to cover some of the best receivers in the game. When Brandon Flowers went down, and even when he returned and played hurt, Carr showed that he and Flowers can be one of the best Corner tandems in the league. Leggett, Daniels, and Greenwood are all in the “if there is room” situation. They are all solid, but it just depends on if there is anyone better to take their places. I would assume they get re-signed and if nothing else end up on the practice squad. And finally, Captain Special Teams himself, Jon Mcgraw. I don’t see any way he doesn’t stay. He is a great teacher, provides depth at safety, fantastic special team’s player, and has great character. Mcgraw is from the area as well, so he has every intention to end his career here from what I’ve heard.</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">So there you have it. It will be very interesting to see what Pioli and Haley are thinking about these guys. I’d like to think they have somewhat of a similar view as me (that’s not biased or anything) but all we can do now is sit and wait...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-279602278072505162011-02-07T18:15:00.000-06:002011-05-03T19:44:08.100-05:00Are we limiting the potential of the 2011 Royals? What if...<div style="color: #cccccc;">There has clearly been some disagreement on the moves DM has made this offseason. But are the moves really as bad as people are acting like? Is there really no chance for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/kansas-city-royals">Royals</a> in 2011? As a fan of baseball, i feel like there is more potential for this years team than any team the Royals have put together in years. Lets not forget what some of the newly acquired players have done in the MLB in the past and lets not put a ceiling on the younger players that are getting a chance to grow. Just for a second, lets pretend like the stars are perfectly aligned this season and the players who have had success in this league return to form and the players who are still growing make strides, what would happen? Lets evaluate exactly that for each player, within reason obviously, I wont project anyone will do anything that is completely unrealistic. We will start with the everyday players..</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Outfield: LF: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/261/alex-gordon">Alex Gordon</a> CF: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/33683/lorenzo-cain">Lorenzo Cain</a> (Possibly Melky Cabrera) RF: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/960/jeff-francoeur">Jeff Francoeur</a><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: left;"> What if...</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJkmrgw0rOHqPAd-wFdby1IQZFTGHc1fKH4TtdBHLdr1eGBT7aCgUnQbJA6UbJ8WZa_VQIvY6R8uVW759YqH_Nkc78qnFk-LJV6nwziEmPCHwWnNjvgqPnxWBMjOzbpHR5WpdOA-IKPNc/s1600/Francoeur+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJkmrgw0rOHqPAd-wFdby1IQZFTGHc1fKH4TtdBHLdr1eGBT7aCgUnQbJA6UbJ8WZa_VQIvY6R8uVW759YqH_Nkc78qnFk-LJV6nwziEmPCHwWnNjvgqPnxWBMjOzbpHR5WpdOA-IKPNc/s1600/Francoeur+2.jpg" /></a>Alex Gordon turns into even 3/4 of the player people thought he would be. What if he hits 20 home runs and bats .270 with 10 steals while playing even mediocre defense? What if Lorenzo Cain wins the starting Center Field job in spring training and goes on to bat around .300 in the leadoff spot all season and covers the outfield like nobodys business? And what if Francoeur returns to form and is the player he was with Atlanta earlier in his career and hits 25+ home runs and bats .280 with a cannon of an arm in Right field? Keep in mind Gordon and Francoeur are still only 26 and 27 even though it feels like they have been around for forever. There is no reason to believe that this group could possibly be worse on both Offense and Defense than any mixture of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/1061/jose-guillen">Jose Guillen</a>, Dejesus, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/31369/mitch-maier">Mitch Maier</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/262/emil-brown">Emil Brown</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/564/reggie-sanders">Reggie Sanders</a>, Ankiel, or Podsednik. I wont even count Coco or Juan Gonzalez due to the fact that they each played less than a half season.</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Infield: 1B/DH: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/258/billy-butler">Billy Butler</a>/Kila Ka'aihue 2B: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/32874/chris-getz">Chris Getz</a> 3B: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/31709/mike-aviles">Mike Aviles</a> SS: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/31609/alcides-escobar">Alcides Escobar</a></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">What if...</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Billy Butler responds to his contract extension and makes even more progress anchoring the middle of the Royals line up and even finds a little more power? A .300 hitter who could hit anywhere between 20 and 30 home runs is very hard to come by and would take the pressure off of Ka'aihue who is finally getting a chance to play in the Bigs regularly. Is it crazy to think Kila could drive in 80-90 RBI's batting cleanup behind Billy? We know he isnt going to hit much over .260 or .270 this season but its not out of the question to expect him to hit for power. Lets not forget that Ka'aihue is a definite upgrade defensively at 1B over Billy. Getz and Escobar are the best Defensive infield the Royals have had since, dare I say, Carlos Febles and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/32140/rey-sanchez">Rey Sanchez</a>? or Tony Pena Jr. and Grudzielanek? Ouch... What if Escobar makes progress at the plate and Getz thrives on being an everyday player and can even bat .265? They can both run, so anytime they get on base they can at least get into the opposing pitchers head. If they can both get between 20-35 steals id consider that huge for guys batting at the end of the order... Aviles is a slightly above average defensive player, so if he just continued that at 3B and bats even close to.300 (like we know he is capable of doing), i dont think holding down the 2nd spot in the order is too much to ask. Not to mention if Betemit can even play close to as well as he did last year and provide solid depth all over the infield.</div><div class="extend-divide" style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1486263238369657940&postID=27960227807250516" name="storyjump"></a></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Starting Pitchers: Hochever, Francis, Davies, Mazzaro, O'Sullivan</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">What if...</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Hochever stays healthy and is consistent with his pitches? What if he keeps his ERA under 4.00? What if Francis excels away from Coors field, which is the most hitter friendly park in the MLB. What if Davies stays strong for longer during games and get on a couple hot streaks throughout the season? Mazzaro and O'Sullivan are both young and filled with potential, and Mazzaro's ERA has dropped every season he has been in the league. In 2010 his ERA in 16 starts was 4.27 last year with the Oakland A's, which is only .10 more than Greinke's last season. O'Sullivan can be a bit erratic, but i feel like he will get better throughout the season, and if he can keep his ERA around 4.50 and eat some innings i would consider that very successful for his first full year starting in the MLB. Even if he has some cold stretches it cant get much worse than <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/306/brian-bannister">Brian Bannister</a> or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/748/sidney-ponson">Sidney Ponson</a>... And if he really gets lost, Chen (who is expected to start in the bullpen) is always there for quality starts.</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Relief Pitchers: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/140/robinson-tejeda">Robinson Tejeda</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/147/bruce-chen">Bruce Chen</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/120610/jeremy-jeffress">Jeremy Jeffress</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/285/zach-miner">Zach Miner</a>, Kenekoa Teixera, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/103702/blake-wood">Blake Wood</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/270/joakim-soria">Joakim Soria</a></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">What if...</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Tejeda continues to get better, making it easier to get to Soria with a lead, even from the 6th or 7th inning. Chen is there to bail out any starter having an off day. he is also one of the few left handers in the pen. Jeffress can throw up to 100 mph on a good day, as opposed to chen who is more of a finesse pitcher (around 85 mph). What if Jeffress plays as well as his short time with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/milwaukee-brewers">Brewers</a> last year (2.70 ERA in 10 appearances last year). Not to mention he is only 23. What if Miner is completely healthy and pitches as well as he did as a setup man in Detroit (3.02 ERA in 2007 in 52 innings). We can expect Teixera and Wood to both build on their solid years last year and if nothing else give us repeats and solid innings. There is no "What If" for Soria. It is What if Joakim Soria is Joakim Soria. And he is in fact that.</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Catchers: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/31271/lucas-may">Lucas May</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/996/brayan-pena">Brayan Pena</a>, (<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/702/jason-kendall">Jason Kendall</a>)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">What if...</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Lucas May handles the staff really well and plays superb defense? Or Pena adds a solid bat to the line up and hits a few home runs to go with a solid average. May has the clear defensive edge, and has potential to hit for a better average, while Pena is mediocre behind the plate but has more power than May. It will be interesting to see how this battle/time share turns out in spring training as well as if one of them is playing very well what will happen when Kendall gets back from injury?</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">Projected Batting order:</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">1. Lorenzo Cain (Cf)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">2. Mike Aviles (3B)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">3. Billy Butler (DH)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">4. Kila Ka'aihue (1B)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">5. Jeff Francoeur (Rf)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">6. Alex Gordon (Lf)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">7. Brayan Pena/Lucas May (C)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">8. Alcides Escobar (SS)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">9. Chris Getz (2B)</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;">It would be crazy to think everyone on the team is going to reach their full potential this season. But what if even a few do? Honestly i dont see how anyone is that unhappy with this team compared to teams of the past 7-8 years. The pictching, all around, is better than last year. Yes, Greinke had a fantastic 2009, but last year he was merely average most of the time. If nothing else, I dont know how people can't be more optimistic about this season than the last few due to all of the young talent and developing players, yes?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1486263238369657940.post-1695621738774405632011-02-07T13:12:00.000-06:002011-05-11T09:46:47.807-05:00Position by Position: Analysis of what Chiefs must do this offseason.Obviously the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/kansas-city-chiefs">Chiefs</a> made giant leaps this season, but as we have just witnessed, its not enough to be a super bowl contender. Its already time to think about the offseason and figure out what needs to be done, position by position, to continue to improve and bring the team to an elite level next season. Lets take a look...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DQtpZWaEfaIpqaBfjnuv7NoV-PSsKjbLSJ-bVRAiFyfQRA7Nzm0wg0NzVdfDBT2R-mwXsXU86Dk81tNDLl_4pGc-6KoDW8LlT_RG997BBdy9CGAMkCowBNQVU1y9cOh3l9nvO7SfYrNJ/s1600/belcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DQtpZWaEfaIpqaBfjnuv7NoV-PSsKjbLSJ-bVRAiFyfQRA7Nzm0wg0NzVdfDBT2R-mwXsXU86Dk81tNDLl_4pGc-6KoDW8LlT_RG997BBdy9CGAMkCowBNQVU1y9cOh3l9nvO7SfYrNJ/s1600/belcher.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Quarterback: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1659/matt-cassel">Matt Cassel</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2361/brodie-croyle">Brodie Croyle</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/19008/tyler-palko">Tyler Palko</a><br />
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Analysis - Its safe to say that Cassel made huge strides this season. He proved that given the right pieces, he can lead the kansas city chiefs to a winning season. However, we also learned that if he goes down we are in trouble because our 2nd and 3rd string quarterbacks don't scare anyone and cant even manage the game.<br />
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What needs to happen - a capable second string quarterback is a must. Signing either Alex Smith or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/3035/billy-volek">Billy Volek</a> (who will both be free agents) would be exactly what the chiefs need. Alex Smith has a big arm but has yet to be in a stable atmosphere where he knows his role, nor has he had a capable offensive line. Something as simple as stability and a change in scenery could do wonders for him. Billy Volek may be one of the most underrated backup quarterbacks in the league. He is game tested and has a career quarterback rating of 84.9 and touchdown/interception split of 27/15 in 27 games and 10 starts.<br />
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Running Back: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34464/jamaal-charles">Jamaal Charles</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1243/thomas-jones">Thomas Jones</a>, Jackie Battle, (Dexter Mccluster)<br />
Full Back: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34466/mike-cox">Mike Cox</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/16614/tim-castille">Tim Castille</a><br />
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Analysis - Clearly the heart and soul of this team. This running back core has taken the Chiefs running game to a whole new level and struck fear in the heart defenses across the league. However, the fullbacks inconsistency has held back the running game. Cox, a pure blocker (who could even use some work in that area) and Castille, more of a pass catcher who is by no means physical or a good blocker, have hurt the offense all season.<br />
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What needs to happen - Signing a true Fullback would make the running game even more of a threat. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2689/lawrence-vickers">Lawrence Vickers</a> (<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/cleveland-browns">Browns</a>) and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2732/vonta-leach">Vonta Leach</a> (<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/houston-texans">Texans</a>) will both be free agents and would do wonders for the offense. One of the most important parts of a power run game is a good fullback who understands the game and isnt afraid to plow into a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1406/ray-lewis">Ray Lewis</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/19084/patrick-willis">Patrick Willis</a>, Jerrod Mayo, etc.. and the chiefs havent had that since <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/3174/tony-richardson">Tony Richardson</a>. Look at what Vickers and Leach did for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34972/peyton-hillis">Peyton Hillis</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/71642/arian-foster">Arian Foster</a>.<br />
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Wide Receiver: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/18956/dwayne-bowe">Dwayne Bowe</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2500/chris-chambers">Chris Chambers</a>, Dexter Mccluster, "no dancing" <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/109419/verran-tucker">Verran Tucker</a><br />
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Analysis - Dwayne Bowe took steps towards becoming an elite receiver, while Chris Chambers made management question why they re-signed him. Mccluster has proven that he can be a very good slot receiver, but anymore than that is risky. Tucker made a couple of nice catches throughout the season as well as some missing some blocks and dropping some passes, which was still somehow better than what Chambers did.<br />
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What needs to happen - Bowe needs a good number two receiver to take pressure off of him; a sure handed, down the field threat. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/4402/james-jones">James Jones</a> (<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/green-bay-packers">Packers</a>) fits that description perfectly. He has been held to a slot receiver role due to having <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1956/greg-jennings">Greg Jennings</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1940/donald-driver">Donald Driver</a> ahead of him. The Packers also have <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34568/jordy-nelson">Jordy Nelson</a> ready to take over the Slot role making it an almost certainty that the packers wont retain him. Anytime Jones has been given significant playing time, he has produced. He is the perfect compliment to Bowe.<br />
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Tight End: Tony Moecki, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1766/leonard-pope">Leonard Pope</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/71425/jake-o-connell">Jake O'Connell</a><br />
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Analysis - A position that killed the Chiefs in 2009 after the departure of Tony Gonzalez, became a strength again in 2010 with the addition of Moecki and Pope. Moecki proved to be a good blocker with great hands, and we have reason to expect him to be a starter for the Chiefs for a long time. Pope showed us that he has some blocking skills of his own with serviceable hands. O'Connell didnt make many plays or mistakes in his little playing time, which is all you can really ask from him.<br />
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What needs to happen - The Chiefs are very Solid here and we shouldn't expect them to make any major Tight End moves this off season.<br />
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Offensive Line: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34459/branden-albert">Branden Albert</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2409/brian-waters">Brian Waters</a>, Casey Weigman, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2806/ryan-lilja">Ryan Lilja</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34483/barry-richardson">Barry Richardson</a> (Reserves: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108511/jon-asamoah">Jon Asamoah</a>, Ryan O'Callaghan)<br />
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Analysis - There was a sigh of relief amongst Chiefs fans with the re-emergence of the Chiefs O-Line this season. Albert and Richardson made big strides at Tackle while Weigman, Waters and Lilja provided Veteran leadership and stability. Asamoah Gives the Chiefs a good reason to feel secure if Waters or Lilja were to ever go down (or retire in Waters case) But even though Weigman was an upgrade from Niswanger, he was man handled by Defensive Tackles far too often.<br />
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What needs to happen: In order to keep getting better, the Chiefs need to get a better Center. Although Weigman didnt make many mental errors, he was pushed around too many times and proved to be a liability. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/18996/ryan-kalil">Ryan Kalil</a> from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/carolina-panthers">Panthers</a> would be Ideal, but you can bet that they will do everything in their power to keep him. Albert and Richardson will continue to get better and hold down the tackles. O'Callaghan is a free agent, so if the Chiefs let him walk, another Tackle would be needed to push Albert and Richardson. John Trueblood from the Bucs would fit nicely if the price is right.<br />
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<div class="extend-divide">Defense<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1486263238369657940&postID=169562173877440563" name="storyjump"><br />
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Defensive Line: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34469/glenn-dorsey">Glenn Dorsey</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2363/ron-edwards">Ron Edwards</a>, Shaun Smith (Reserves: Wallace Gillberry, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/71422/tyson-jackson">Tyson Jackson</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34910/anthony-toribio">Anthony Toribio</a>)<br />
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Analysis - Dorsey looked good all year while Shaun Smith was a pleasant surprise. Ron Edwards was the epitome of mediocre, and Wallace Gillberry come up big as a down pass rusher. Tyson Jackson benefited from the competition of Shaun Smith and played very well towards the end of the season. A dominant Defensive Tackle is a must for the defensive to get any better. Toribio was a non-factor all season.<br />
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What needs to happen - Gillberry is a free agent and it will be interesting to see if a 4-3 team would give him a shot to start at defensive end or if the Chiefs will try to retain him. Expect the Chiefs to re-sign Shaun Smith but start Tyson Jackson next season. The Chiefs have to get better at defensive tackle and the only available dominant Defensive tackle on the free agent list is <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1415/haloti-ngata">Haloti Ngata</a>, and it is almost certain that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/baltimore-ravens">Ravens</a> will either re-sign him or give him the franchise tag. That leaves the option of a trade. I see the Chiefs trying to make a run at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1713/vince-wilfork">Vince Wilfork</a> of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/new-england-patriots">Patriots</a> (who they have been interested in for the past two off seasons). But if they come up short i see them trying to sign a good, younger, Defensive Tackle with some upside like <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1955/cullen-jenkins">Cullen Jenkins</a> from Green Bay.<br />
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Linebackers: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1709/mike-vrabel">Mike Vrabel</a>, Derrick Johnson, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/78011/jovan-belcher">Jovan Belcher</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2371/tamba-hali">Tamba Hali</a> (Reserves: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34438/andy-studebaker">Andy Studebaker</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1687/corey-mays">Corey Mays</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1194/demorrio-williams">Demorrio Williams</a>)<br />
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Analysis: The Derick Johnson that the Chiefs have been waiting for has FINALLY arrived! the Linebacking core showed that they were a strong point of this team. Jovan Belcher was stout against the run and will continue to make progress. He also looked very comofartable rushing the quartberback towards the end of the season. Hali emerged as an elite NFL pass rusher while Mike Vrabel really started showing his age. Studebaker looked good in his limited playing time but its left to be seen if he can be a full time starter in this league. Corey Mays is a good special teams player and very good back up at middle linebacker who would feel comfortable if he ever needed to be thrusted into a spot start. Demorrio Williams looked a lot better at outside linebacker as well as a down pass rusher rather than a middle linebacker. The linebackers would really benefit from a good Defensive Tackle.<br />
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What needs to happen - the Chiefs MUST RESIGN TAMBA HALI. That has to be priority number one this offseason. After that the Chiefs have to ask themselves whether they are comfortable with Studebaker as their starting outside linebacker opposite Hali. If not, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2146/thomas-davis">Thomas Davis</a> of the Panthers is a pro bowl caliber outside linebacker and is coming off an injury and could be had at a bargain price. Its time to let fan favorite Mike Vrabel go, unless he is willing to hang up the pads and come back as an assistant coach or linebackers coach. He is too much of a liability in coverage and as a pass rusher.<br />
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Secondary:<br />
Corner: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34470/brandon-flowers">Brandon Flowers</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34463/brandon-carr">Brandon Carr</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108685/javier-arenas">Javier Arenas</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/78010/jackie-bates">Jackie Bates</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2504/travis-daniels">Travis Daniels</a>, (<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/18972/mike-richardson">Mike Richardson</a>)<br />
Safety: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108650/eric-berry">Eric Berry</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/109203/kendrick-lewis">Kendrick Lewis</a>, Jon Mcgraw, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/71427/donald-washington">Donald Washington</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/78018/ricky-price">Ricky Price</a><br />
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Analysis - Possibly the best young secondary in the NFL. Carr came up big when Flowers was down and Flowers showed that when he is healthy, he is an elite corner in this league. Arenas is a solid tackler and good in coverage and will continue to get better while Bates, Daniels, and Richardson are solid 4th/5th corners and special teams players. Eric Berry started off slow but really got cooking midway through the season and showed flashes of excellence and once he becomes more consistent, watch out pro bowl! Kendrick Lewis was a nice surprise this season taking over the other starting Safety spot next to Berry while demonstrating a good grasp of the defensive and ability to read quarterbacks. They can only get better from here folks... Mcgraw is as solid of a back up as they come as well as a leader on special teams.<br />
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What needs to happen: Overall this group is as good of a secondary as they come. Another good backup safety couldnt hurt because Donald Washington and Ricky Price showed us nothing when forced into playing time. Hussain Abdullah from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/minnesota-vikings">Vikings</a> or Daniel Manning from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/chicago-bears">Bears</a> will both be free agents and would both be wonderful additions on defensive side of the ball. Aside from that, there is no reason not to be excited about this young defensive back group.<br />
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Special Teams:<br />
Kicker: Ryan Succop<br />
Punter: Dustin Colquit<br />
Kick Returners: Javier Arenas, Dexter Mccluster, (Verran Tucker)<br />
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Analysis: once of the best punters in the league and very solid kicker. Succop could stand to add some range but he has shown he can be consistent within 50 yards. Arenas and Mccluster did a good job returning kicks and punts in their rookie campaigns showing that they can provide a spark to the team and give the offense good field position. Don't expect any moves to be made with the kickers or kick returners.<br />
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Obviously all of these moves can't be made. But if even a couple of these happen. Expect big things next season. Let me know your thoughts or any other realistic option you feel would benefit the team this off-season.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com