One of the reasons the Jared Allen trade works for the Chiefs is that the organization is completely on the same page as to where it's going.
It's going young in one of the boldest rebuilding efforts in recent years. Remember the Jets moves when they had four first-round picks, a group that included quarterback
Chad Pennington and defensive linemen
Shaun Ellis,
John Abraham and
Anthony Becht. This has all the feel of those types of moves. The Chiefs have 13 picks, including six choices in the top 82.
"We're flush with draft choices," Chiefs president
Carl Peterson said.
He said he's been working on the possibility of an Allen trade for a month. Once the Vikings threw in a second third-round pick and gave the Chiefs a choice five picks better in the sixth round, Peterson signed off on the deal because it met a compensation formula that pleased him. Where Peterson is on the same page with coach
Herm Edwards is the plan to get younger, a process that began last season and is in full stride this offseason.
"Herm likes to work with young players," Peterson said. "Remember when I first brought him to the Chiefs, he was hired in the personnel department. He has a good eye for talent."
What also appealed to Peterson is getting young with this draft. Many of the strong positions match up with the needs of the team.
Going Long: If it comes down to a choice between defensive end Chris Long or Vernon Gholston, expect the Chiefs to go with Long. Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham used to coach Long's dad, Howie Long, and Chris is the type of hard worker that would fit their defense. Gholston might be the better athlete, but Long mirrors Allen for his hustle and aggressiveness. Odds favor him being the No. 5 choice in the draft -- if he's still there.
Trading places: Expect the Chiefs to actively shop for a trade that could put them into the top 12 of the draft in order to get one of the top offensive linemen. One possible trade partner could be the Buffalo Bills. With the 11th pick, the Bills are looking at wide receiver Devin Thomas and one of the three top small-college cornerbacks. By moving back, the Bills could maybe pick up a third-round pick and still have a choice of one cornerback and possibly Thomas.
Moving up ranks: The word in the Raiders' office is Gholston is gaining momentum to be the No. 4 pick. Early in the week, running back Darren McFadden seemed to have the edge. Al Davis loves the speed and play-making ability of Gholston. Of course, with the Raiders, any speculation is merely speculation until Saturday morning. That's when Davis makes up his mind, and he's the boss.
Mixing it up: Don't be surprised if the Bengals look at halfback
Rashard Mendenhall if
Sedrick Elllis goes in the first picks. Though running back isn't a need position for the Bengals, the return of
Odell Thurman minimizes the need for a linebacker such as
Keith Rivers. There would be great value at the cornerback position at No. 10, but the Bengals have drafted well at cornerback the past couple of years. As much as the team would like to help the defense, Mendenhall could be an exciting addition to the offense.
Capping it off: The Seahawks elected to do a straight release of halfback
Shaun Alexander instead of giving him a June 2 designation and pushing off a $4.6 million cap hit until next season. It didn't make much of a difference. The Seahawks lose only $125,000 of cap room by releasing him. The Seahawks had $12.2 million of cap room, so they decided to take all of the cap consequences this season.
John Clayton
