2009 Offensive Line Analysis - Kansas City Chiefs

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Branden Albert
Left Guard: Brian Waters
Center: Rudy Niswanger
Right Guard: Mike Goff
Right Tackle: Damion McIntosh

2008 Injuries:
T Branden Albert: Week 5
G Adrian Jones: Weeks 11 to 14, 16 and 17
C Rudy Niswanger: Week 15

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
The Chiefs offensive line was one the worst in the NFL in 2007 but to everyone’s surprise they bounced back in 2008. The running game was tied for second best in the NFL with 4.8 yards per carry and they had three different running backs with at least 60 carries and at least 4.5 yards per attempt. The number of sacks also decreased from 55 to 37 and starting QB Tyler Thigpen was sacked only 26 times on 420 pass attempts.

The rebuilding of this offensive line all started with the selection of Branden Albert in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Albert has a big frame at 6’5” and 315 lbs as well as the quickness and agility to play at left tackle. Albert played three seasons at guard in college but was projected as a tackle in the NFL because of his pass protecting skills. He is a smart player with quick feet who adjusted very quickly to his new position. Albert is however not dominant as a run blocker and needs to show more intensity when finishing his blocks. In his rookie year, he ranked seventeenth amongst left tackles with only 4.5 sacks allowed and will only get better as he continues to gain experience at his new position. The Chiefs were hoping that Damion McIntosh was the solution on the left side but at 6’4”, 320 lbs and 32 years old he has lost some strength and mobility so they moved him to right tackle last season. He does not have the ability to block in motion or seal the end of the line like he used to. He is better in pass protection than in run blocking but he still allowed 7.5 sacks last year as a right tackle. McIntosh is nearing the end of his career and would be a better fit as a backup but the Chiefs don’t seem to have anyone ready to replace him. The one player that could compete with him is the 24-year old Herb Taylor who started one game last year in his second NFL season. He has good athleticism to be effective in pass protection but has to gain strength in order to become a better run blocker. 2008 sixth round pick Barry Richardson and 2009 fifth round pick Colin Brown also add depth at tackle.

At left guard, the Chiefs will bring back Brian Waters, a 32 year old guard who was named to the Pro Bowl last season, his fourth in five years. Waters was a big surprise for the Chiefs as he went undrafted in the 1999 NFL Draft and then signed with the Chiefs in 2000. Waters gained the starting job halfway through the 2001 season and has not lost it since then. He is very durable having missed only two starts since 2002. Waters has a good combination of strength, speed and intensity and still has a few seasons left at 32 years of age. He is not as good as he was two years ago but there is no doubt that he is still one of the ten best left guards in the league and he was even better than that in 2008 with Albert on his left. He is still the centerpiece of this offensive line but has not gotten along with new head coach Todd Haley and has asked to be traded. Starting at right guard will be another veteran, 33-year old Mike Goff. He has missed only three starts in the past nine seasons with the Bengals and the Chargers. Goff has some good agility but he is getting older and is losing his ability to block in motion. His run blocking abilities are below average and he is starting to fade in pass protection as well. Last season he ranked 24th amongst right guards with 4.5 sacks allowed and he will probably continue to slow down this season. The top backup at guard is 28-year old Wade Smith who started seven games last year in replacement of Jones and Niswanger.

At center will be the 26-year old undrafted free agent Rudy Niswanger. Niswanger spent his first two seasons on the roster but only saw duty at guard and then earned a starting job last off-season after the departure of Casey Wiegmann. Many see him as the center of the future for the Chiefs because of his intensity and excellent awareness but he went undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft because of his lack of strength. He is a below average center for now but he should improve in his second season as a starter. The Chiefs signed Eric Ghiaciuc in the off-season to add depth at center. Despite starting 41 games in the past three years with the Bengals, Ghiaciuc should be considered a decent backup at best.

2009 Outlook:
The Chiefs offensive line was surprising last year and will bring back four of last year’s five starters. Last season, in the six games with the combination of Albert – Waters – Niswanger – Smith – McIntosh, the Chiefs averaged 5.6 yards per carry and allowed 13 sacks. If we compare this year’s line to that line, the only change is the addition of Mike Goff at right guard and Wade Smith is still on the roster as a backup. In terms of depth, Taylor, Smith and Ghiaciuc all have experience as starters so the Chiefs should be in pretty good shape but they cannot afford to lose Albert or Waters. Overall this line is as good, if not slightly better, than it was last year in terms of talent but things will be worse if Brian Waters is traded or released as he asked to be.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles