Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyV13
Actually, the Chiefs had more than decent defensive talent in the 80s. Albert Lewis, Deron Cherry, Rock Ross, Lloyd Burrus might have been the best secondary in the AFC. The had some decent linebackers in Dino Hackett and Gary Spani. Art Still was a top rate DE and NT Bill Maas could play. DE Mike Bell had 10 sacks in 1984 and 13 in 1984.
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Good point, when I had season tickets, I tend to remember the futility of Getty, Condon, and Herkenhoff on the O-Line, Theotis Brown, James Hadnot, and Jewerl THomas at RB, Whitney Paul, Jerry Blanton, and Thomas Howard at LB who were the league's worst position group, Dino Mangiero, Dave Lindstrom, Fuzzy Kremer, and Don Parrish along the DL. Just stomach turning talent. My memory skews to the earliest years of the decade, before Mackovic's miracle playoff team that had an A+ defensive backfield, but little else!
The point remains...I could choose three CPers today who, without even getting on a plane, would conduct FAR more successful drafts than the FO of the early 80s.
-In the 1980 draft, the CHiefs selected Brad Budde, and three OLs taken after him were Pro-Bowlers, one of which was a HoFer.
-1981 the Chiefs took TE Willie Scott in the 1st: 12 Pro Bowlers, and 4 HoFers went after Scott in the 1st 3 rnds. Scott's entire career was an off-year by Kelce standards (89 receps, 766 yds).
-1982 the Chiefs took WR Anthony Hancock who played 5 yrs in KC and had a slightly more productive career (73 rec, 1266 yds), but the Chiefs missed on 6 Pro Bowlers, 2 of whom were WRs.
-1983- we all know that painful story. In the 1st 2 rnds alone, there were 23 Pro Bowlers and 7 HoFers, none of which the Chiefs got. Without trading up, the Chiefs could still have changed their fortune by taking Marino or Kelly.
Boys, consider yourselves blessed...bumbling, stumbling Front Offices still exist, but the current Chiefs have built a winning DNA of sorts, and I think we are in for a few more decades of good football. We may have a few lean years here and there, and a disappointing HC hire after Andy, but I'm confident we will never be in the position of praying that Tyler Thigpen starts over Brody Croyle.