It is tradition in SBNation parts that bloggers exchange a "5 Questions with..." before each game. So it is said, so it is done. I chat it up with Chris, blogger at SBNation's fine Kansas City Chiefs' blog, Arrowhead Pride. Read on to see your questions answered by a true fan of the Chiefs.
Do you see Brodie Croyle as the future of the Chiefs, or a patch until something better comes along? Were you frustrated that no QBs were drafted this season?
For the purposes of the 2008 season, Brodie Croyle is the quarterback of the future. The coaching staff has invested time and faith in him and he will get his shot this year to lead the Kansas City Chiefs. He is definitely not a filler quarterback.
I wasn't frustrated with the Chiefs not drafting any QBs. We had a great draft and a QB pick never really made sense as the draft unfolded. Croyle is the man at least for this year so I'm putting my faith in him as the good fan that I am.
Herm Edwards is entering his 5th season with the Chiefs. From the outside (outside of the mid-west, that is) his tenure has looked uneven at best. He seemed to figure out how best to use LJ, finally, but is it too late? Herm seems to vacillate between wimpy and reckless with his play-calling. Does the addition of Chan Gailey look like a sound decision?
I believe that Chan Gaily and Herm Edwards will make a great combination down the road. They both have similar offensive philosophies and Gailey comes with a boatload of experience. I was very satisfied when he was signed as the Chiefs offensive coordinator. Herm has a philosophy and he's following it very strictly right now. We'll see after this year whether or not he can with it or at least show significant improvement with the current crop of players. If he doesn't, the fans' patience with him will drop off very quickly.
Can't talk Kansas City without acknowledging the sheer number of babes on the team, and I'm not talking cheerleaders. Fifteen rookies, four players over the age of 30, only six players on the whole team who have participated in more than one post-season game in their career...that has to be a concern for this season, regardless if they'll all be hitting their prime a few years down the road. How do you view the youth on the team, help or hinderance?
The youth is definitely an exciting aspect of this football team. For so long, Chiefs fans were led to believe that the team was a couple of key veterans away from winning a Super Bowl. That philosophy screwed us over last year and the remnants of Dick Vermeil's personnel choices when he was head coach were finally shedded this year. The Chiefs acknowledge that they're rebuilding and nothing but a total commitment to that will be successful.
Plus, with all of the youth on the team, we're hopefully building a tighter knit team for down the road. The players will have lost plenty together after this season and ideally that would translate into success in the future.
Do you think Bowe and Gonzalez (and, of course, a healthy LJ) are enough to help the progression of Croyle? Is there a legit Nr.2 WR on the team?
There is not really a legit #2 receiver on the team right now, at least with rookie Will Franklin being injured. He has probably the most potential to develop into a #2 WR behind Dwayne Bowe but we're not sure about him quite yet. The skill positions will be helpful to Croyle as he develops but the offensive line will be more important. There are more questions surrounding our line than the receiving corp or the running backs.
The Chefs (great googly-woogly! Still the best NFL-related commercial in a while) have an offensive line (here I go again) that's even shakier than our own right now. With a wet-behind-the-ears Croyle and a feature back who needs 3-4 yards to build up a head of steam, how does AP think they'll cope? Do they want to go in with us on a couple-three linemen and trade off weekends?
The offensive line is still a major question in Kansas City. Of course, we think the line will improve over last year almost by default. The addition of Branden Albert helps too but we're still dealing with a line that hasn't proved anything in the NFL.
I'm very concerned about the offensive line and nothing short of solid play on the field will convince me of their potential.
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Props to Chris at Arrowhead Pride for chatting it up with us and educating the Pats Pulpit faithful on his favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs. Head on over there to see my answers to the Arrowhead Pride faithful. Game time is 1pm tomorrow. Look for the gamethread around 11am. Boom Baby!! Regular season is here.