Chiefs hoping for big things from big man
Football Betting Lines
08/05/2010 -
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) -Tyson Jackson's first season as the main building block in Kansas City's new defense can be described in three short words: one paltry sack.
There was precious little production from the LSU star the Chiefs drafted third overall in 2009 and projected as the prototype defensive end in their new 3-4 scheme.
Was he overrated? Lazy? Did the new regime of Scott Pioli and Todd Haley repeat the mistakes their predecessors kept making and blow a high pick on an underachieving defensive lineman?
Or will Jackson make a giant leap forward from year No. 1 to year No. 2? Judging from how hard he's working at training camp, that seems to be a possibility.
``Tyson is in the early stages of an NFL career playing a very difficult position against grown men,'' said Haley, the Chiefs' second-year head coach. ``I'm encouraged with where Tyson is right now. He's finding out what playing in the five- and four-technique for a 3-4 defensive lineman is all about. He's working his butt off and I think he wants to be part of a good team, part of making us a good team.''
He's not playing a position expected to get a lot of sacks. But one? And against the run, the defense was 31st.
One problem Jackson grappled with was seeing NFL-type bodies hurling themselves at him every play.
``Linemen are not seeing consistently the grown NFL men on a weekly basis that they are going to see when they get here, and that's an adjustment,'' Haley said. ``The more you talk to those guys they come through that first year, that's what you hear. These are grown men every day, every week.''
At 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, Jackson has the size to go with the quickness. He's also getting special attention from new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and new defensive line coach Anthony Pleasant.
``It's the first time I ever had a coordinator who works with the defensive line a lot,'' Jackson said. ``He's a real good coach. He shows us different techniques, and every now and then he tries to show us tips to get better.''
Jackson has no trouble admitting the NFL was a bigger adjustment than he expected after dominating in the SEC.
``Year one, you just get smashed by a whole lot of stuff, going from college to the combine to minicamp, stuff like that. You never have that time off to relax,'' he said. ``But year two or three are more slower. Guys get their feet under them and start understanding football at the NFL level. You get a better grasp of everything.''
If the New Orleans native never comes close to meeting expectations, it will probably mean Pioli's first draft as general manager was almost entirely a bust. There is still time for some others to develop, and Pioli came from New England with the reputation as a personnel whiz.
But so far, the only member of the 2009 class who has performed well is kicker Ryan Succop, the last man taken in the entire draft.
As a high draft pick, does Jackson have to prove he can't play, where a fifth-round pick has to prove that he can? Haley's jaw tightens at the mere suggestion.
``Once they're in here, and I cannot stress this enough - I don't care how they got here,'' he said. ``I really don't. I think my time in the league, that's been proven in the places I've been and the players I've been around. Once they're here and once I'm coaching them, I don't care if there is one pulling up in a van right now that was mowing a yard.''
Jackson insists he feels no special pressure to live up to being the overall No. 3 pick.
``It all depends on how you look at it,'' he said. ``I've just got to keep going out there and put my talent to work, continue to work hard. From there, just let everything else play out.''
Haley, while encouraged, is making no predictions of Pro Bowls in Jackson's immediate future.
``I think that he learned a lot last year,'' Haley said. ``He survived. It wasn't always perfect, but he came back for more and he's hungry. We'll know more about that down the road as we start to get into games and real games. I've got a strong feeling that he'll probably be around here when we're playing games. And he's got to be better than what he was.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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