Chiefs Free Agent Duel: Bowe or Albert? - Page 3

ShowtimeSBMVP · 02-13-2013, 01:52 PM

Free Agent Duel: Bowe or Albert?
PFF Analysis Team | 2013/02/13

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Andy Reid has just begun his reign as Kansas City Chiefs czar, and he is already tasked with a difficult decision. With two of his top offensive players due to hit free agency, he may have to choose between keeping Branden Albert or Dwayne Bowe. Should he stick with the elite pass protector, or the frustratingly talented wide receiver? PFF analysts Pete Damilatis and Gordon McGuinness argue both sides in another edition of our Free Agent Duels.

Why it has to be Albert
By Gordon McGuinness

New Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has just come from a situation in Philadelphia where he saw his starting left tackle miss the entire season due to injury. He saw the drop-off from Jason Peters to the combination of King Dunlap, who didn’t fare terribly but struggled at times, and Demetress Bell, who was downright awful in all but one of his starts. So with that in mind, I think the Chiefs will be smart enough to realize what they have in left tackle Branden Albert.

Drafted out of Virginia with the 15th overall selection in the 2008 draft, not many people expected left tackle to be Albert’s position long-term with a move to the right, or inside to guard predicted. However, through four seasons at the position he has continued to grow, leading to a very consistent past two seasons where he has graded out at +14.7 and +13.8, respectively.

The Chiefs may not have their franchise signal-caller yet, but when they do they’ll want to keep him upright. In that respect there are few players at his position out there better than Albert. Allowing just 17 total pressures from 378 pass blocking snaps in 2012, he finished the year with a Pass Blocking Efficiency (PBE) rating of 96.6, a mark which was tied for seventh among offensive tackles. Through the past two seasons he has allowed Chiefs quarterbacks to be hit or sacked just 16 times from 926 pass blocking snaps — working out to be quarterback knockdown allowed just once every 57.8 pass blocking attempts.

As a run blocker he hasn’t done much to get you excited, though he hasn’t been awful either, with the Chiefs averaging 4.13 yards per carry on runs either side of left tackle in 2012. That shouldn’t be enough to stop them making him their top re-signing priority however, especially with the free agent market looking deceptively full. There are plenty of good offensive tackles set to hit the open market, but most of them are predominantly right-sided players and the top left tackle available, Denver’s Ryan Clady, is highly unlikely to see the open market, with the franchise tag a near certainty if they can’t agree on a long-term deal. After Clady I don’t think there’s a better option out there than Albert and, if the Chiefs are smart, they’ll recognize that and make sure he stays in Kansas City.

Why it Shouldn’t be Albert
By Pete Damilatis

There are some teams who are desperate for a great blindside pass protector like Albert. The Chiefs however are not one of them. Albert’s -3.7 run block grade this season didn’t help a team whose best offensive weapon, Jamaal Charles, is a running back. Don’t forget the back spasms that repeatedly sidelined him this season raise concerns about his long-term health. Also, unlike most teams, the Chiefs are in the perfect position to replace Albert with someone younger and cheaper thanks to their draft position.

Given the disastrous health and performance of their quarterbacks the past two seasons, Kansas City would love to take a franchise passer with its top pick. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there’s a passer in this draft worthy of that selection. Instead, the top talent on most draft gurus’ boards right now just happens to be a left tackle, Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel. Even if Kansas City passes on Joeckel, this draft is deep enough at tackle that they could find Albert’s replacement early in the second round. Thanks to the rookie wage scale, the Chiefs could draft and sign Joeckel, or another quality prospect, for less than $6 million per year, whereas negotiations with Albert would start with his $9.6 million franchise tag number. Most teams would love to have Albert. However, most teams don’t have the ability to replace him as cheaply as the Chiefs do.

Why it has to be Bowe
By Pete Damilatis

I’ll admit that at this time last year, I declared the 2012 season would be Bowe’s final one in Kansas City. I thought they gave him the franchise tag to buy one more year to groom Jon Baldwin as their new No. 1 receiver. Of course, things did not unfold that way. Baldwin played just over half the Chiefs’ offensive snaps and gained just 325 receiving yards with 1.09 Yards Per Route Run. Steve Breaston’s production also plunged from 784 yards in 2011 to just 74 this season. A year after the Chiefs declined Bowe a long-term deal, he is still by far their biggest threat in the passing game.

Bowe’s tenure in Kansas City hasn’t been a smooth ride by any means. He produced nearly 1,000 yards as a rookie despite holding out for part of training camp. He found himself in Todd Haley’s doghouse in 2009 before leading the league with 15 touchdown catches in 2010. This season his production dipped under 1,000 yards again before he was placed on Injured Reserve in mid-December. Although these ups and downs seem like the case of another enigmatic receiver, they are more an indication of the Chiefs’ struggles under center.

Kansas City quarterbacks had a 69.1 passer rating when targeting Bowe this season, which looks bad until you see that Kansas City quarterbacks had a 63.9 quarterback rating overall. Of the 107 passes thrown to Bowe, only 65 were catchable. That 60.7 percent rate was 71st out of 82 receivers who saw at least 50 targets. Chiefs quarterbacks have a combined -33.6 PFF grade over the past two seasons, and even starter Matt Cassel has never earned a positive PFF grade in his four seasons in Kansas City. The last time Bowe had a healthy quarterback for a full season, back in 2010, his 118.4 WR Rating was the best of anyone with over 100 targets. Even in this seemingly lost season, Bowe still managed his third straight year with 2.00 YPRR, and he cut his once-awful drop rate to a career-low 9.23 mark.

Any Philadelphia Eagle fan will tell you that Reid loves to pass the ball, for better or worse. Whether it be Terrell Owens or DeSean Jackson, temperamental wide receivers have never scared the Chiefs’ new head coach. Throw in a draft class that’s stacked with offensive tackles and light on elite wide receivers, and it’s clear that Kansas City should make Bowe a part of its future.

Why it Shouldn’t be Bowe
By Gordon McGuinness

I’ll agree with Pete when it comes to the level of quarterback play Bowe has had to deal with in Kansas City — perhaps only Larry Fitzgerald has had it worse in recent times — but that’s just not enough for me to think he needs to be kept by the Chiefs. His Drop Rate was indeed much improved this past season, however, since we began grading in 2008, Bowe has ranked 35th, 49th, 26th, 30th and, this season, 14th among all qualifying receivers in that regard and, for me, that’s just not good enough for a guy you are debating committing a substantial amount of money toward.

I understand where Pete’s coming from in terms of saving money and bringing in Albert’s replacement, but the truth is you just don’t know what you’re getting from the draft. What’s to say that the top offensive linemen in this class will perform well as rookies? Players like Robert Gallery were once considered “safe” prospects who could slot in at left tackle for 10 years straight out of college but, as Gallery highlights, it doesn’t always work out like that. Yes, Albert is little more than an average run blocker, but he’s a Top-10 pass blocker in my opinion, and I just can’t justify letting that level of talent leave if I’m trying to rebuild a franchise.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...owe-or-albert/

DonkyPuncher · 02-13-2013, 02:33 PM

Need to give Bowe his contract, it's deserved. Tag Albert!

**loochy** · 02-13-2013, 02:35 PM

Dwandon Albowe

Molitoth · 02-13-2013, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -King-

And this STILL doesn't help you prove how Croyle, Palko, Cassel, etc made Bowe.

I'm not saying Bowe isn't a good WR. He's pretty good at developing Chemistry with his QB's, no matter who they are, they feed him the ball and therefor gets looked at as a great WR.

Baldwin is a guy that seems to have not developed a chemistry with Cassel/Quinn.
Is that because he is terrible? I don't know because I'm not at practice every day to watch him play.
Could he be a pro bowler? Possibly, if a QB decides to start throwing his way.

They work hand in hand man. But if a QB won't throw the ball a WR's way, we will never know if they are good or not.
A good QB spreads the ball around. Breaston has proven he is good. Bowe has proven it. Baldwin could prove it someday if he gets some attempts.

Teams with good QB's have done fine when their Pro Bowl WR's move on.
Look how Reggie Wayne emerged after Marvin Harrison left.
There will always be a new face to come in and take over.

**The Franchise** · 02-13-2013, 02:47 PM

Bowe isn't a good WR?

You're a ****ing reerun.

**BossChief** · 02-13-2013, 02:47 PM

Sign Albert and tag Bowe...if we cant agree to a long term deal for him tofinish his career in KC.

Molitoth · 02-13-2013, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Bowe isn't a good WR?

You're a ****ing reerun.

hmmmm, I went back through the thread and didn't see any mention of this.

But I assume you are talking to me.

re-read.

BlackHelicopters · 02-13-2013, 04:40 PM

Both.

htismaqe · 02-13-2013, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rausch

Bowe doesn't have a questionable back...

Neither does Albert.

htismaqe · 02-13-2013, 04:44 PM

If it comes down to signing one or the other, the answer is obvious.

Only one of them has any chance of being replaced by the #1 overall pick. THAT is the guy we need to focus on.

Let the rest of the chips fall where they may.

Bump · 02-13-2013, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molitoth

Yeah.
Cassel pretty much locked on to Bowe every pass play. Bowe gets a lot of touches in this case.

Put a QB in the game who is not afraid to spread the ball around to other receivers, and you are going to see WR's emerge as good players.

Go watch some teams with good QB's and watch how these no-name receivers start making pro bowls because they develop a chemistry with their QB.

Look at the WR's Rodgers/Manning/Brady turn into all stars.

Put Megatron, Fitz, and Marshall on the same team calling for the ball with Cassel as their QB, and they are all going to be unhappy watching their team lose every week.

Molitoth · 02-13-2013, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

If it comes down to signing one or the other, the answer is obvious.

Only one of them has any chance of being replaced by the #1 overall pick. THAT is the guy we need to focus on.

Let the rest of the chips fall where they may.

I agree. Obviously it's not so obvious though, cause I've been getting reamed for choosing Albert over Bowe.

Strongside · 02-13-2013, 06:25 PM

htismaqe · 02-13-2013, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molitoth

I agree. Obviously it's not so obvious though, cause I've been getting reamed for choosing Albert over Bowe.

I think most people want to see them both signed - I know you and I both do.

The problem is that original question was Bowe OR Albert, not both.

If forced to choose, there's only one answer.

Bowe is not particularly replaceable. Neither is Albert.

But the Chiefs would NEVER be tempted to replace Bowe by using the #1 overall pick.

The real question here is whether or not you're willing to choose Bowe over Albert AT THE EXPENSE OF GETTING A QB AT #1 OVERALL.

**Dave Lane** · 02-13-2013, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Agree 100%

200% agree.

02-13-2013, 01:52 PM
ShowtimeSBMVP Chiefs Join Date: Feb 2009 Casino cash: $3656009	Free Agent Duel: Bowe or Albert? Free Agent Duel: Bowe or Albert? PFF Analysis Team \| 2013/02/13 Share by Email Andy Reid has just begun his reign as Kansas City Chiefs czar, and he is already tasked with a difficult decision. With two of his top offensive players due to hit free agency, he may have to choose between keeping Branden Albert or Dwayne Bowe. Should he stick with the elite pass protector, or the frustratingly talented wide receiver? PFF analysts Pete Damilatis and Gordon McGuinness argue both sides in another edition of our Free Agent Duels. Why it has to be Albert By Gordon McGuinness New Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has just come from a situation in Philadelphia where he saw his starting left tackle miss the entire season due to injury. He saw the drop-off from Jason Peters to the combination of King Dunlap, who didn’t fare terribly but struggled at times, and Demetress Bell, who was downright awful in all but one of his starts. So with that in mind, I think the Chiefs will be smart enough to realize what they have in left tackle Branden Albert. Drafted out of Virginia with the 15th overall selection in the 2008 draft, not many people expected left tackle to be Albert’s position long-term with a move to the right, or inside to guard predicted. However, through four seasons at the position he has continued to grow, leading to a very consistent past two seasons where he has graded out at +14.7 and +13.8, respectively. The Chiefs may not have their franchise signal-caller yet, but when they do they’ll want to keep him upright. In that respect there are few players at his position out there better than Albert. Allowing just 17 total pressures from 378 pass blocking snaps in 2012, he finished the year with a Pass Blocking Efficiency (PBE) rating of 96.6, a mark which was tied for seventh among offensive tackles. Through the past two seasons he has allowed Chiefs quarterbacks to be hit or sacked just 16 times from 926 pass blocking snaps — working out to be quarterback knockdown allowed just once every 57.8 pass blocking attempts. As a run blocker he hasn’t done much to get you excited, though he hasn’t been awful either, with the Chiefs averaging 4.13 yards per carry on runs either side of left tackle in 2012. That shouldn’t be enough to stop them making him their top re-signing priority however, especially with the free agent market looking deceptively full. There are plenty of good offensive tackles set to hit the open market, but most of them are predominantly right-sided players and the top left tackle available, Denver’s Ryan Clady, is highly unlikely to see the open market, with the franchise tag a near certainty if they can’t agree on a long-term deal. After Clady I don’t think there’s a better option out there than Albert and, if the Chiefs are smart, they’ll recognize that and make sure he stays in Kansas City. Why it Shouldn’t be Albert By Pete Damilatis There are some teams who are desperate for a great blindside pass protector like Albert. The Chiefs however are not one of them. Albert’s -3.7 run block grade this season didn’t help a team whose best offensive weapon, Jamaal Charles, is a running back. Don’t forget the back spasms that repeatedly sidelined him this season raise concerns about his long-term health. Also, unlike most teams, the Chiefs are in the perfect position to replace Albert with someone younger and cheaper thanks to their draft position. Given the disastrous health and performance of their quarterbacks the past two seasons, Kansas City would love to take a franchise passer with its top pick. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there’s a passer in this draft worthy of that selection. Instead, the top talent on most draft gurus’ boards right now just happens to be a left tackle, Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel. Even if Kansas City passes on Joeckel, this draft is deep enough at tackle that they could find Albert’s replacement early in the second round. Thanks to the rookie wage scale, the Chiefs could draft and sign Joeckel, or another quality prospect, for less than $6 million per year, whereas negotiations with Albert would start with his $9.6 million franchise tag number. Most teams would love to have Albert. However, most teams don’t have the ability to replace him as cheaply as the Chiefs do. Why it has to be Bowe By Pete Damilatis I’ll admit that at this time last year, I declared the 2012 season would be Bowe’s final one in Kansas City. I thought they gave him the franchise tag to buy one more year to groom Jon Baldwin as their new No. 1 receiver. Of course, things did not unfold that way. Baldwin played just over half the Chiefs’ offensive snaps and gained just 325 receiving yards with 1.09 Yards Per Route Run. Steve Breaston’s production also plunged from 784 yards in 2011 to just 74 this season. A year after the Chiefs declined Bowe a long-term deal, he is still by far their biggest threat in the passing game. Bowe’s tenure in Kansas City hasn’t been a smooth ride by any means. He produced nearly 1,000 yards as a rookie despite holding out for part of training camp. He found himself in Todd Haley’s doghouse in 2009 before leading the league with 15 touchdown catches in 2010. This season his production dipped under 1,000 yards again before he was placed on Injured Reserve in mid-December. Although these ups and downs seem like the case of another enigmatic receiver, they are more an indication of the Chiefs’ struggles under center. Kansas City quarterbacks had a 69.1 passer rating when targeting Bowe this season, which looks bad until you see that Kansas City quarterbacks had a 63.9 quarterback rating overall. Of the 107 passes thrown to Bowe, only 65 were catchable. That 60.7 percent rate was 71st out of 82 receivers who saw at least 50 targets. Chiefs quarterbacks have a combined -33.6 PFF grade over the past two seasons, and even starter Matt Cassel has never earned a positive PFF grade in his four seasons in Kansas City. The last time Bowe had a healthy quarterback for a full season, back in 2010, his 118.4 WR Rating was the best of anyone with over 100 targets. Even in this seemingly lost season, Bowe still managed his third straight year with 2.00 YPRR, and he cut his once-awful drop rate to a career-low 9.23 mark. Any Philadelphia Eagle fan will tell you that Reid loves to pass the ball, for better or worse. Whether it be Terrell Owens or DeSean Jackson, temperamental wide receivers have never scared the Chiefs’ new head coach. Throw in a draft class that’s stacked with offensive tackles and light on elite wide receivers, and it’s clear that Kansas City should make Bowe a part of its future. Why it Shouldn’t be Bowe By Gordon McGuinness I’ll agree with Pete when it comes to the level of quarterback play Bowe has had to deal with in Kansas City — perhaps only Larry Fitzgerald has had it worse in recent times — but that’s just not enough for me to think he needs to be kept by the Chiefs. His Drop Rate was indeed much improved this past season, however, since we began grading in 2008, Bowe has ranked 35th, 49th, 26th, 30th and, this season, 14th among all qualifying receivers in that regard and, for me, that’s just not good enough for a guy you are debating committing a substantial amount of money toward. I understand where Pete’s coming from in terms of saving money and bringing in Albert’s replacement, but the truth is you just don’t know what you’re getting from the draft. What’s to say that the top offensive linemen in this class will perform well as rookies? Players like Robert Gallery were once considered “safe” prospects who could slot in at left tackle for 10 years straight out of college but, as Gallery highlights, it doesn’t always work out like that. Yes, Albert is little more than an average run blocker, but he’s a Top-10 pass blocker in my opinion, and I just can’t justify letting that level of talent leave if I’m trying to rebuild a franchise. https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...owe-or-albert/
Posts: 23,753

02-13-2013, 02:33 PM	#31
DonkyPuncher Starter Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Saint Joseph, MO Casino cash: $10004900	Need to give Bowe his contract, it's deserved. Tag Albert!
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02-13-2013, 02:35 PM	#32
loochy Hey Loochy, I'm hooome! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: PooPooKaKaPeePeeShire Casino cash: $2140752	Dwandon Albowe __________________ Hey Loochy, I'm hoooome!
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02-13-2013, 02:47 PM	#34
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $3105047	Bowe isn't a good WR? You're a ****ing reerun.
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02-13-2013, 02:47 PM	#35
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $1874088	Sign Albert and tag Bowe...if we cant agree to a long term deal for him tofinish his career in KC. __________________ Dreams do come true... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=1407
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02-13-2013, 04:40 PM	#37
BlackHelicopters Spiraling down the Drain Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Dante's Ninth Circle Casino cash: $2710588	Both. __________________ "We're both part of the same hypocrisy, Senator, but never think it applies to my family." "Fredo. You are my brother, and I love you. But never take sides against the Family again. Ever." 2019 Adopt a Chief - Travis Kelce #87
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02-13-2013, 04:44 PM	#39
htismaqe 'Tis my eye! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Chiefsplanet Casino cash: $10269900	If it comes down to signing one or the other, the answer is obvious. Only one of them has any chance of being replaced by the #1 overall pick. THAT is the guy we need to focus on. Let the rest of the chips fall where they may.
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02-13-2013, 06:25 PM	#42
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