*****The Leo Chenal Thread*****

[Dante84]

More to come!

Leo Chenal was drafted with pick 103 of round 3 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.99 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 3 out of 2419 LB from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/unnXwkfpiT #RAS #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/YdwWEkOnmR

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 30, 2022

The moment our newest LB got the call he was joining the Chiefs 📲 @chenal_leo pic.twitter.com/2q3fLOFoPA

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) May 4, 2022

[JPH83]

Originally Posted by Dante84

I get that, but at the same Nick Bolton makes game-changing plays every week. I'm not comfortable walking away from him in favor of, say, Sneed or (to a lesser degree)Trey.

We'll see how it looks mid-season. But right now I think Bolton has been a more consistent performer than Sneed. I know Sneed has been versatile but I'm not sure he has as big an impact as Bolton.

Bolton lets you get away with some @ss DT play alongside Jones and is massive for us against the run. When Sneed's on it, and locked in with his coverage, he makes us a lot better. But he has lapses and loses people too. I don't think he organises those around him as well, and McDuffie may well take the SCB part of his role away from him.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

I really think that Sneed, Gay and Smith are all gone. Bolton and Creed will come back.

Yeah but I cannot in good faith be fine with paying Bolton as much as I think he's gonna ask for.

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Yeah but I cannot in good faith be fine with paying Bolton as much as I think he's gonna ask for.

I don't even know the figure, but if it's not him, where are we getting a guy who keeps everyone lined up like he does while making up for some dog shit playing in front of him. He's become the General for that group as they've developed.

[O.city]

I'd rather pay the top 5 overall defensive player in the league than a really good off ball LB'er that's weakness is against the pass.

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by smithandrew051

Wisconsin_Chief, what did your local media think of him in college? Were they pounding the table for him to be a Packer?

Side note, hope you had a good breakfast.

Breakfast was fantastic, thank you for asking! 4 pasture raised eggs scrambled with some ground grass fed beef, topped with a little cheddar. Have it everyday, it's a true power breakfast!

Many fans were definitely pulling for Leo to be a Packer, but they're like that with every decent Badger that goes through. He was very highly regarded by local media in his Badger days, though. I did see him live in several games at Camp Randall, and he always stood out as such a physically dominant specimen. I didn't understand why we picked him at the time just because it didn't seem like a need, but now that they've developed this nifty little role for him I am loving the pick!

[BossChief]

We sure have come a long way since needing to try to feel excited for big $ signings like Kendrell Bell and Shawn Barber.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by O.city

I'd rather pay the top 5 overall defensive player in the league than a really good off ball LB'er that's weakness is against the pass.

He wants $30 million APY. Why don't your take a look at Patrick's new cap hits the next 4 years? Bc that's roughly 30% of the cap on only 2 players.

[RealSNR]

Nobody wants to pay their off ball LBs until you let him go and the defense gets sloppier

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

I really think that Sneed, Gay and Smith are all gone. Bolton and Creed will come back.

If they have to let 3 of them walk I hope that's how it works. O.city is correct in that coverage is not Bolton's strength but he is just nails when it comes to everything fundamental. He gets everyone lined up in the correct spot and he very rarely misses an assignment. I would try to keep him if they can afford it.

[scho63]

Bolton is a beast and I would NOT want him to walk.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by SAGA45

Bolton at his very best pic.twitter.com/mF5Z4PUmDl

— Bryan Stewart (@BryanStewart_) February 16, 2023

And that, my friends, is textbook 'flow and fill'.

I will forever maintain that there are few things easier than run defense. And that "Sutton's Complicated Scheme" was never the reason ours sucked.

We just had 'backers that didn't DO this shit well. They'd come downhill too early or overcommit to a gap and leave a cutback.

This is absolutely perfect LB play against a stretch run. That's how you diagram it.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

I really think that Sneed, Gay and Smith are all gone. Bolton and Creed will come back.

Bolton and Creed are flipsides of the same coins.

Smart technicians that seemingly always make the correct play and are instrumental in communication and coordination on their respective sides of the ball.

They're fan favorites and leaders in their own right. If/when Thuney eventually prices himself out of KC, Creed is going to be the leader of that OL for the next half-decade, IMO.

"I don't want to pay off-ball linebackers when we can draft X" -- well hell, wouldn't that apply to Creed? When was the last time we struggled at C? Reiter evidently sucks but he was awfully solid here. Before that was Morse and before that Hudson.

We never struggle to find a C but when you find a guy like Humphrey that you think can be a true leader of the group, I think you pay him and keep him if at all possible. And I think a similar logic applies to Bolton.

[BWillie]

I was wondering why Tranquil wasn't playing as much as expected but hard to take Leo of the field especially on running downs.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by RunKC

He wants $30 million APY. Why don't your take a look at Patrick's new cap hits the next 4 years? Bc that's roughly 30% of the cap on only 2 players.

So you really think they set Pat's contract so that's teh way this will go? Have we learned nothing?

[scho63]

Creed had one hell of a tough time snapping the ball in Jacksonville. Sweaty hands and slippery ball?