Dorsey hooks up Fisher with John Alt. BROmance forms

[Deberg_1990]

One of the best offensive linemen the Chiefs have ever had picked up his phone and heard the voice of general manager John Dorsey.

“What did I do?” John Alt remembers thinking. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Hey,” Dorsey began, “I’ve got a huge, huge favor.”

This was the beginning of the season. The first or second week. Dorsey had a project for Alt, and a hope for one of the Chiefs’ most important players.

Last year, Dorsey used the only No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick in team history on Eric Fisher. The truth is that the 2013 draft was widely thought of as one of the worst in recent history, so nearly every prospect came with some sort of caveat.

Dorsey thinks Fisher will be a great left tackle — great, not good — but needs some time. From the first day the Chiefs drafted Fisher, Dorsey has thought about Alt. The similarities are striking, when you think about it.

Two tall, athletic, raw prospects taken in the first round. Both relatively new to the position. Both with a lot of learning to do, and even more potential. Alt struggled early in his career, and then made two Pro Bowls and played long and well enough that his name is in the Chiefs’ Ring of Honor — right there between Derrick Thomas and Gary Spani.

Dorsey sees a similar career path for Fisher. Maybe getting the two together would help. So Dorsey called Alt to give him a heads-up, gave Fisher the number, and now it’s a friendship built on shared experience that’s helping an important player continue growing into his enormous talent.

“I do see a lot of myself in him,” Alt says.

“You can learn all kinds of things from a guy like that,” Fisher says.

You may not have noticed, but Fisher is playing really well. Offensive line play is hard to judge, of course, but since a particularly rough game against Robert Quinn and the Rams in October, he’s been solid.

Using numbers from Pro Football Focus, he’s allowed two sacks and two quarterback hits while showing significant progress as a run blocker in his last seven games. In his first seven, he allowed three sacks, eight hits and graded well below average in the run game. Overall, PFF has him at minus-0.4 over the last seven weeks after minus-14.9 the first seven.

The improvement is especially encouraging if you consider the competition. The Chiefs’ last seven games have included matchups with the Bills, Seahawks, Raiders (twice), Broncos and Cardinals — lots of teams that put particular emphasis on hitting the quarterback, with some particularly talented defensive players.

Fisher surely got some pop in the film room this week, for instance, for flattening rookie of the year candidate Khalil Mack on the Chiefs’ first running play against the Raiders last weekend.

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Run blocking has always been Fisher’s strength. He has a nastiness that went a long way in breaking a virtual tie between him and former Texas A&M star Luke Joeckel, who went second overall to the Jaguars last year.

Against the Raiders, Fisher sealed the edge against defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin, giving Jamaal Charles an easy five yards before contact.

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But pass blocking tends to be more about technique than strength, more about the brain than the biceps. Fisher was a two-star recruit out of high school, played in college at Central Michigan, and spent his rookie season as a right tackle. So it only makes sense that he is still adjusting, especially after spending last season at right tackle, and that his run blocking is ahead of his pass blocking. But there have been good signs in the passing game, too, like being matched up with two-time All-Pro Justin Tuck with mostly good results.

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Of course, it’s not all positive. On one play in particular against the Raiders, Fisher tried to go low on Tuck but whiffed, giving him a virtual straight line toward Alex Smith, who had to scramble.


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So this is very much a work in progress. Fisher is improving but still has a ways to go — particularly considering his potential. Besides the switch in position, some of it is that he had two surgeries after his rookie year, which meant he spent the offseason rehabbing instead of focusing on important conditioning and strength-building. He’s playing this season a little over 300 pounds. The Chiefs expect him to be at 320 next season, and stronger, with a full and healthy offseason.

But there are also more intricate and subtle adjustments going on here. Fisher’s first step back in pass blocking isn’t always where it should be. He used to hold his hands too low, and for a while he overcompensated and had them too high.

Nobody feels sorry for the No. 1 pick, but sometimes that spotlight can make the transition to the NFL harder. Alt was a first-round pick in 1984 and can still remember reading stories about how he was a bust.

There are whispers of Fisher being a bust already, and that’s part of what made his introduction to Alt so helpful.

“I think he’s seeing some of the same hurdles I had to deal with,” Alt says.

“It’s awesome to talk to people who’ve been through the whole offensive line world,” Fisher says.

The first thing that struck Alt was Fisher’s attitude. Alt had heard Fisher was diligent in his work, and liked to pick up every point he could, but it’s different when you actually talk to a guy.

Fisher was 5 years old when Alt played his last game, but he didn’t have to look up the name when Dorsey mentioned Alt. One of the first things Fisher did after being drafted by the Chiefs was study the franchise’s history. Naturally, he was most interested in the linemen. So Fisher was excited when Dorsey gave him Alt’s phone number.

Alt appreciated a young millionaire willing to reach out for advice.

“That means he’s willing to do the little extra things to make himself better,” Alt says. “That’s a great starting point.”

Their conversations have been a mixture of lineman minutia, such as hand technique and how to spot a defensive player’s tells on what move is coming, along with big-picture stuff such as how to block out noise — good and bad — from media and even teammates.

Alt remembers walking into the weight room for the first time after being drafted, and hearing receiver J.T. Smith yell out: “This is our first round pick?” The compliments can chip away at your drive, and the criticism can get in your head if you let it.

These are the kinds of things that Alt learned the hard way.

“Confidence is the key,” Alt says. “And his is going up. Some of the things I talk to him about, ‘You’re isolated at that position anyway, so you have to isolate in your own mind, block out everything.’ It’s going to be there either way, and the same with the positive. You can’t let any of that stuff get in your head. I just felt like a lot of it was in his mind.”

Performance and confidence are impossible to completely separate, of course, but in Fisher’s case both seem to be improving week by week.

His coaches, even the ones who don’t know about his conversations with Alt, have always appreciated Fisher’s humility and hunger to learn. Hearing that he jumped at talking with Alt, and follows up regularly with more questions, won’t surprise anyone at One Arrowhead Drive.

If it helps the Chiefs’ only No. 1 overall NFL pick in franchise history climb into his enormous talent, it’s a beautiful way for the team’s past to help its future.

“Once you get to that point, you’ll know,” Alt says. “Your teammates will rally around you, and it will change dramatically. And it happens around that third year. Did for me. That’s a pivotal year for most linemen. It’s make or break.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Time will tell. I'm not big on faith. The results so far haven't been very promising.

For me, it's not "faith".

The guy has elite size and skills. He was unceremoniously dumped to right tackle last year, which IMO, was a major, major mistake. He was injured in training camp and had multiple surgeries during the 2014 off-season.

If he can make it through the next two games, the 2015 off-season becomes paramount for him. He'll be able to train properly and put on a minimum of 15 pounds of muscle mass. A year of starting a left tackle, especially against some the best pass rushers the league has to offer, will only help to make him better in the future.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Alt is probably the best tackle to ever play for the chiefs. Probably even better than Roaf.

Nope

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The guy has elite size and skills.

I have always been more of the opinion that he's not a blue chip talent and that any other year he goes more toward the bottom of the round than the top. Unfortunately.

Which doesn't mean he can't be good, but I have yet to see anything that makes me think elite is a possibility.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

My heart is warmed by this incredible fluff piece.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

I have always been more of the opinion that he's not a blue chip talent and that any other year he goes more toward the bottom of the round than the top. Unfortunately.

Which doesn't mean he can't be good, but I have yet to see anything that makes me think elite is a possibility.

Yeah, time will tell. It took Joe Staley, another CMU alum, three full years before he became a solid, if not spectacular, NFL left tackle.

I could be wrong but I think that Fisher, especially if an even average left guard is lined up next to him, will be "invisible" next year.

Which is exactly how good to great offensive lineman perform.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Alt is probably the best tackle to ever play for the chiefs. Probably even better than Roaf.

Roaf was better, but Alt was very good for a long time. His back finally did him in, but he was a key part of the "single syllable" lines for the Chiefs: Alt, Szott, Shields/Lutz (Grunny and Baldinger don't count).

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

He'll be fine.

That said, the 2013 first round was a tire fire.

Because Chiefs.

Every bullshit excuse line this place has been able to come up with in the last ten years, summed up succinctly... brilliant work.

There they are folks, your top 3, mix them up any way you want to.

[Wallcrawler]

I remember looking at John Alt and thinking how he looked like a ****ing tree out there. The guy was monstrous. To this day when I think Chiefs O-Line, he's the first one to pop into my mind. Alt, Szott, Grunhard, Shields. That's the lineup that always comes up first. Funny how they never had any consistency at RT when the rest of those guys were rocks in their positions.

Alt was awesome. Not Willie Roaf awesome, but still awesome.

[ILChief]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

I don't see this ending well for you.

Fisher isn't a QB and therefore sucks.

I agree. EJ Manuel or Geno would have been better picks

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Alt is probably the best tackle to ever play for the chiefs. Probably even better than Roaf.

Now let's not get carried away. He was very good. That's all.

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by Cheater5

Alt was a caveman in pads- the kind of lineman that relished contact and played physical, gritty football. Not dirty like Incognito, but a dude who would club, and then pile drive you into the dirt with emotionless dolls eyes. With him, Grunhard, Szott and Shields the Chiefs OL was like a herd of Brahma bulls.

Fookin' John Alt...I think he started games with blood and grass stains on his uniforms.

Love this post!!

If Fish equals Alt's career-this pick was a huge win.

That pancake on Mack was awesome. Hope to see more of this from him.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Tyre would be in front of Alt at LT.

People don't know, or remember if they are old enough, just how great Jim Tyre was.

He was widely considered the best to have ever played the game at the time of his retirement.

The murder/suicide eliminated any chance of HoF induction, but given what we know now about concussions and CTE, that should be revisited.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Now let's not get carried away. He was very good. That's all.

Huge win?
No.

Not entirely wasted.

[Rain Man]

John Alt was a great left tackle, and he kind of got screwed by history. He only made two pro bowls because Richmond Webb got the spot every year.

Well, who was Richmond Webb blocking for? Dan Marino. Of course Richmond Webb didn't give up any sacks. Alt was blocking for Todd Blackledge, or more accurately, every quarterback who started instead of Todd Blackledge. So the Blackledge/Marino thing is really why Alt has 2 pro bowls and Webb has 7.

I'm convinced that Carl Peterson is the reason that John Alt is not in the Hall of Fame.

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by milkman

People don't know, or remember if they are old enough, just how great Jim Tyre was.

He was widely considered the best to have ever played the game at the time of his retirement.

The murder/suicide eliminated any chance of HoF induction, but given what we know now about concussions and CTE, that should be revisited.

Tyrer