Perspective on Brian Waters Signing From Arrowhead Pride's Joel Thorman

To gain more perspective on the Brian Waters signing, I recently posed a few questions to Joel Thorman of SB Nation's Kansas City Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride.  Here's what Joel had to say:

What was the reaction among Kansas City fans when the news initially hit about Brian Waters' release?

We were fairly surprised but, in hindsight, maybe we shouldn't have been. The backup to Waters, Jon Asamoah, is ready to play now. The Chiefs are very confident in him so, in hindsight, the moves makes sense. But, at the time, we were pretty surprised.

What level of play can Patriots fans expect from Waters at this point in his career? Does he have anything left in the tank?

Yeah, he has something left. He earned a Pro Bowl last year and, while I think that was partly reputation, he's an average to above average guard at this point. I'd expect a decent, non-Pro Bowl, season from him if he's healthy.

The Patriots have struggled recently when it comes to interior pass protection, especially against bigger / more powerful defensive tackles. As someone who's covered the Chiefs for years and has seen the ups and the downs of Brian Waters, what could Waters offer in this area? What are his biggest strengths and weaknesses?

He's a really good pass blocker and I don't think he'll drop off too much there. He does struggle a bit in run blocking, particularly against bigger defensive lines. But he's solid in pass blocking.

The Chiefs and the Patriots have a lot of similarities when it comes to their systems, personnel, and management. That being said, what's your opinion of Brian Waters landing in New England - good fit or bad fit?

Good fit. Waters fits the mold there and, despite a rough start with Scott Pioli and the Chiefs, I think he fit in well with the culture the Chiefs were trying to create. The Patriots have a similar philosophy so I think on a short-term deal, Waters brings a lot of value and experience to the team.