"With the 5th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft the Kansas City Chiefs select..."

Who knows who the Chiefs will draft, there's very little concensus out there right now. Quarterbacks, Offensive Lineman, Defensive Lineman, Cornerbacks all seem to be a common theme for KC this year. One thing is for certain, this is the most important draft in perhaps 20 years for the Chiefs. Since Derick Thomas was drafted as the 4th selection in 1989, the Chiefs fans have been fortunate enough to enjoy playoff berths, instead of single digit draft picks. The selection of DT 19 years ago proved to be a catalyst for quite a few succesful years int he 90's, and if done properly, this years draft could result in quite a good second decade to the 21st century. I think KC is setting up aquiring a whole boatload of picks. First they are dangling Jared Allen out on the market, and it's the perfect time for it. Sure he's a fan favorite, but those fans will enjoy 12 wins seasons more than Allen getting 12 sacks. Ship him out to a team in the middle section of the first round, get their pick, as well as one or two more, and set yourself up to draft role players. Allen is young enough, and good enough to make that happen.

I've been on the fence with this, but I also think the Chiefs should trade their #5 pick, and drop down at least 4 spots, as long as Jake Long is taken by someone in the top 4. If Long is gone, the remaining O-lineman do not warrant a top 5 selection, and would be a waste of that high of a pick. Dropping down that far will not only give KC another two or three draft picks, but will save them money when it comes to a signing bonus, and regular conract, thus freeing up more cap room to sign a FA to help fill the cornerback situation.

So now it comes down to who the Chiefs should draft. Any realistic intelligent Chiefs fan knows they need O-lineman. It won't be a quick fix, but if the line improves, it'll allow LJ to do what he does best, and that'll all make Brodie Croyle look a heckuva lot better. My suggestion since it seemed Long was off the table was to draft Ryan Clady from Boise St. He's coming out following his Junior season, so he's still got some growing in him, and he's a natural tackle. Drafting him at #5 is way too high. My suggestion would be to trade with either Baltimore (who's now in the market for a QB) with the 8th selection, or Cincinnati with the 9th selection. The key is staying ahead of Denver, as Clady would be a natural fit to play for the Broncos. Relatively close to his college, and Denver has a more impressive history of O-lineman than KC does.

I'm willing to give Carl Peterson one more Super Bowl run. I think he hamstringed himself with the Dick Vermiel experiment, and it paying the price for it now. I'm not going to fault a guy who took a gamble and just missed, as the Chiefs were within one defensive playmaker from making a SB a few years ago. That means results by the end of 2010. However, that will change quickly if the Chiefs draft a QB in the first round. That would be another tremendous waste of their first round pick, and should result in the immediate firing of Peterson. However, I think with Herm Edwards as coach, and his conservative philisophy, the choice will be an offensive lineman.