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2010 Offensive Line Analysis - Kansas City Chiefs

2010 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Branden Albert
Left Guard: Brian Waters
Center: Rudy Niswanger / Casey Wiegmann
Right Guard: Ryan Lilja
Right Tackle: Ryan O’Callaghan

2009 Injuries:
T Branden Albert: Weeks 6-7
T Ryan O’Callaghan: Week 15
G Mike Goff: Weeks 8-17
G Brian Waters: Week 15

2009 Statistics:

Overview:
The Kansas City Chiefs thought they were on their way up after trading for Matt Cassel last year but it may take a little longer than expected. The Chiefs won four or fewer games for the third consecutive season and ranked in the bottom ten in both yards and points on offense for the third consecutive year. The good news however is that their running game was above average for the second straight year and they will look to build on that in 2010.

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 pretty quickly to his new position. Albert however has a long way to go and, for now, he remains below average in both pass protection and run blocking amongst starting left tackles. He did pickup his play in his final six games where he didn’t allow a single sack and played much better overall. Ryan O’Callaghan, a fifth round pick in 2006 by the Patriots, will be the starter at right tackle this season. O’Callaghan started seven games with the Patriots in his first two NFL seasons but missed the entire 2008 season after suffering an injury in training camp. He was then waived by the Patriots before the 2009 season and picked up by the Chiefs. The 6’7” and 330 lbs tackle took over the starting job in week four and never looked back. This is somewhat surprising because he was below average in both run blocking and pass protection, allowing 8 sacks in only 12 games. He should improve in his second full season as a starter but we don’t believe he’s the long term answer at right tackle. 2008 sixth round pick Barry Richardson and sixth-year veteran Ike Ndukwe add depth.

At left guard, the Chiefs will once again count on Brian Waters, a 33 year old guard who was named to the Pro Bowl in four of the last six 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 three starts since 2002. Waters has a good combination of strength, speed and intensity but is starting to slow down at 33 years of age. He had a tough start to the 2009 season but that may have been due to his difference in opinions with new head coach Todd Haley. They apparently got through that and Waters should play like he did in the second half of the 2009 season. The Kansas City Chiefs signed Ryan Lilja to a three-year deal worth 7.5 million in the off-season and will make him the starting right guard in 2010. Lilja was cut by the Colts because their run blocking was horrible in 2009 and they’re trying to upgrade in that area. The 6’2” and 290 lbs guard is undersized and not particularly strong but definitely good enough to be a starter in the NFL and will help the Chiefs in 2010. 2009 fifth round pick Colin Brown and 2010 third round pick Jon Asamoah add depth at guard.

The battle at center will be an interesting one between Rudy Niswanger and Casey Wiegmann. Niswanger became the starter in 2008 after the Chiefs chose not to resign Wiegmann in the off-season. Now the Chiefs have chosen to bring him back in order to compete with Niswanger who has been disappointing in the past two years. We don’t expect anything special from these two players and the center position will likely be a weakness once again for the Chiefs.

2010 Outlook:
The Chiefs offensive line was somewhat surprising in run blocking last season but it was well below average in pass protection. From weeks 9 through 14 as well as weeks 16 and 17, the Chiefs used Albert, Waters, Niswanger and O’Callaghan on their line along with either Mike Goff or Wade Smith. In those eight games, they averaged a very impressive 5.1 yards per carry and allowed 19 sacks. The only change to that line this season will be the addition of Ryan Lilja who will replace Goff and Smith at right guard. Lilja may be a small downgrade in run blocking but he’ll be an upgrade over those two in pass protection. Despite that, if this line can continue to play like it did in the second half of the year, they could be a big threat in the running game in 2010. Depth is a concern however since most backups have very little experience and a number of the starters have dealt with injuries in the past few years. Overall, we expect the Chiefs to once again be above average in the running game and they should approach the league average in pass protection, a large improvement over last year.

See all of our 2010 Offensive Line Analysis Articles