AFC West: DaJuan Morgan
Kansas City Chiefs cutdown analysis
Biggest surprise: There were some eye-openers on Kansas City’s cut list. Perhaps the biggest surprise was cutting defensive tackle/fullback Derek Lokey. He had a fine training camp and preseason. He appeared to have found a niche for himself as a fullback in short-yardage downs. Fullback Mike Cox was kept. Second-year player Alex Magee was kept ahead of him. Magee, a third-round pick, appeared to be on the bubble. The team cut third-year safety DaJuan Morgan, who was highly valued by the previous regime, but never caught the imagination of the Scott Pioli-Todd Haley regime.
No-brainers: The entire draft class was kept. Haley has lauded this group and he thinks it can be special. Undrafted rookie receiver Jeremy Horne made the team. He was a training camp star, who played well with the first team during the preseason. With Jerheme Urban being put on the injured reserve, Horne could have a role as a rookie.
What’s next: Perhaps Kansas City will pursue a third quarterback. Tyler Palko was cut. Matt Leinart is available. He played for Haley in Arizona and with Matt Cassel at USC. Still, as of Saturday evening, there were no indications that the Chiefs were pursuing Leinart. The team could also look for experience at receiver, the offensive line and on the front seven. Perhaps the team would be interested in a veteran pass rusher such as Derrick Burgess, who was cut by New England.
Revisiting the Jared Allen trade
Rich Gabrielson/Icon SMIDefensive end Jared Allen has recorded 29 sacks in his two seasons with the Vikings.They were used to seeing the mulleted one celebrating sacks as a Chief. Since Allen was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2008, the Chiefs have been listless on defense.
But two seasons into the blockbuster trade, it is not necessarily fair to say Kansas City was a loser in the trade.
Kansas City sent Allen and a sixth-round draft pick in 2008 for the No. 17 overall pick, two third-round picks and a sixth-round pick. Kansas City turned the picks into tackle Branden Albert, running back Jamaal Charles, safety DaJuan Morgan and sixth-round pick Kevin Robinson. The Vikings turned the Chiefs’ sixth-round pick into center John Sullivan.
“Kansas City really can’t worry about what Allen is doing in Minnesota and that Sullivan is a starter,” Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. “The Chiefs knew Allen was going to be good in Minnesota. But they didn’t want to pay him so they got very good value. That’s why the trade was good. It was a good trade because the value was good. Let’s see what Kansas City is going to do with it. It still can be a very good trade for the Chiefs.”
The following is a look at the key aspects of the trade two seasons later:

Charles was taken with the first of the two third-rounders the Chiefs got from Minnesota. The speedster ran for 1,120 yards after taking over as the starter in November, including 259 yards in the season finale against Denver. He averaged a whopping 5.9 yards per carry for the season and represents hope for Kansas City’s offense.
“I still think Kansas City needs to pick up a 230-pound back to run the ball 10 times to keep Charles fresh, but he looks like the real deal,” Williamson said. “He can be special. If Charles can get better and become a legit 1,500-yard back, then the Chiefs will really have something. It looks promising.”
Branden Albert: Albert was expected to be the centerpiece of this trade because he was the No. 15 overall pick (the Chiefs swapped the No. 17 pick to Detroit), but he has been slow to get his career going.
Albert, who has dealt with injuries, has been inconsistent at left tackle. Many league observers believe Albert will excel at either right tackle or left guard. The Chiefs might select a left tackle with the No. 5 pick in the 2010 draft and then move Albert to right tackle. Or, when Brian Waters (who turns 33 on Feb. 18) retires, Albert could move to left guard -- the position he played in college. Williamson thinks Albert could be a near-Pro Bowl-caliber guard.
Scott Sewell/Icon SMIJared Allen posted a career-high 15.5 sacks in his final season in Kansas City.The Chiefs do miss Allen: There is no doubt Kansas City misses the talented Allen, but it was clear they would. He is a special pass-rusher.
Allen had 14.5 sacks in each of his seasons in Minnesota. He had 43 sacks in his four seasons in Kansas City, and the Chiefs have had little pass-rush presence since Allen was traded. In 2008, in fact, Kansas City set a record for the fewest sacks in a season with 10.
“The Chiefs don’t have a pass rush without Allen,” said Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. “They lost a lot by giving him up. Special, game-changing pass-rushers, which he is, are difficult to lose. They miss him, there’s no doubt.”
He wouldn’t fit Kansas City’s defense right now: Ironically, Allen wouldn’t be a great fit for the current Chiefs scheme. He was traded before the final season of the Carl Peterson-Herm Edwards era.
Last year, when Scott Pioli took over as general manager and hired Todd Haley as coach, Kansas City moved from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme. Allen wouldn’t have had an obvious position in the 3-4, a problem the Chiefs also encountered with defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey and linebacker Derrick Johnson.
“He’d be a total waste in Kansas City’s new scheme,” Williamson said. “He is not a 3-4 guy. He’s a classic 4-3 guy. So, it’s funny; Allen wouldn’t be right for the Chiefs. Maybe they would have stuck to a 4-3 if he stayed.”
Conclusion: By no means does this trade seem like a disaster for Kansas City. Yes, Minnesota is tickled with the deal and it should be. Allen is a great player.
But if Charles and Albert become solid fixtures in the offense, the deal will be good for Kansas City. It’d be nice if Morgan (whom the previous Kansas City regime loved as a rookie) bounces back from a poor second season and becomes a solid contributor, the trade will even be better. Robinson was cut as a rookie.
“On paper, it was a good trade then for Kansas City and it still can be very good,” Horton said. “Allen was going to be a good player on a bad team. The Chiefs needed to get younger. They seem to be on the right track with this trade.”
The team promoted defensive tackle Derek Lokey and safety Ricky Price from the practice squad. Lokey is from Texas and Price is from Oklahoma State. Both Lokey and Price may have a chance to play in the final week of the season and show they belong in Kansas City in 2010.
He will be replaced by Peyton Hillis. Cornerback Ty Law will be a game-time decision with a hamstring injury.
Kansas City signed safety Reshard Langford from the Eagles’ practice squad. He is an undrafted rookie from Vanderbilt. Safety DaJuan Morgan is doubtful for the Chiefs Sunday at Cincinnati with a chest injury. So, Langford will likely provide depth.
Random notes from the Chiefs’ 24-21 loss in Jacksonville:
The Chiefs have to be thrilled with the debut of receiver Chris Chambers. Chambers had three catches for 70 yards from quarterback Matt Cassel. Two of the catches, including a 54-yarder, came for touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Chambers was claimed off waivers Tuesday, one day after he was cut by San Diego. The Chiefs have been looking for the right mix at receiver all season. Chambers may be the answer. Dwayne Bowe and Chris Chambers are two pretty good starting receivers.
Second-year safety DaJuan Morgan started his first NFL game. He has six tackles and a fumble recovery. Morgan could continue to get extensive playing time with Jarrad Page out for the season.
Guard Mike Goff had a streak of 113 straight starts snapped because of injury.
No. 3 overall pick Tyson Jackson continued to play well. He had seven tackles.
Chiefs running backs Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith combined for 53 yards on 10 carries during Larry Johnson’s one-game suspension.
Receiver Lance Long, promoted from the practice squad two weeks ago, had eight catches for 74 yards. He looks like he could be a decent contributor.
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Page was one of the Chiefs’ best playmakers and was a solid starter. Yes, Kansas City benched him last week and inserted Jon McGraw after McGraw played well when Page was out with an injury. But for the long run, Page is the player who has more upside.
Though the Chiefs will be without Page for the rest of the season, there is a potential silver lining here. The injury could allow second-year player DaJuan Morgan a chance to salvage his season.
Morgan had a promising rookie year but the new regime has not been enamored with him. He has just four tackles this season, but he's a talented player with hitting ability.
He may be forced into some playing time. Many folks around the league think Morgan has a chance to be a good player, so perhaps he will flourish if given the opportunity.
Chiefs looking at another defensive leader
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson
The fact that Kansas City is looking at safety Mike Brown clearly means the team is interested in adding more leaders.
This is a trend on Kansas City's defense. The Chiefs have traded for linebacker Mike Vrabel and signed linebacker Zach Thomas. Both of those players are in their 30s and are nearing the end of their careers. Yet, they are known leaders and could help an otherwise young defense.
Brown fits this mold. The former Chicago playmaker is 31 and has been hampered by injuries. Yet, Brown is a smart, instinctive player who can still help as an in-the-box safety. Still, the most value he can bring is as a leader.
The Chiefs have decent talent at safety with Jarrad Page, Bernard Pollard and young backup DaJuan Morgan. If Brown is signed, it would to help the lead the way, which is the same reason why Vrabel and Thomas were brought in.
Chiefs safety Morgan can't get off the field
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson
RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- DaJuan Morgan noticed that he had been on the field often during the Chiefs' training camp.
And then he saw the figures. Heading into this week's practices, Morgan, Kansas City's third third-round pick, was on the field 150 snaps more than anybody else on the Kansas City defense during camp. Morgan, a North Carolina State product, has been playing with the first-, second- and third-team defenses.
"That is a lot of plays," Morgan said Tuesday. "But I'm not complaining. I love the work."
And the Chiefs love what they see. They believe they had an outstanding draft and they expect eight or none rookies to play major roles. Morgan might play as big a role as any, at safety.
The Chiefs have long had their eye on Morgan. Last year while studying pre-draft tape of 2007 third-round draft pick Tank Tyler, coach Herman Edwards kept noticing the young safety.
"We've liked this kid a long time," Kansas City defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said. "We've been really watching him."
And Morgan has been watching the Chiefs. Last summer, while preparing for his final college season, Morgan was captivated by HBO's Hard Knocks, which chronicled the 2007 Chiefs camp.
"I knew then I wanted to be a Chief and play for coach Herm," Morgan said. "Coach Herm's style is perfect for players. I'm glad I'm here."
Even after all of the extra practice reps.


