Position Overview: Special Teams
Until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80 players based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide perspective on what each position has done in this decade of Chiefs football.
With the exception of punter Dustin Colquitt (right) and coverage man Jon McGraw, the Chiefs special teams struggled during the 2008 season. Snapper, kicker, returner … they all left much to be desired in helping the Chiefs win games.
Thus, the 2-14 record thanks to one of the worst FG percentages in the league and no returns for touchdowns, something the Chiefs haven’t seen at all since the 2006 season.
For any chance to turn around the team’s record this season, Todd Haley and his coaching staff must come up with more plays out of the kicking game. They must get consistent kicking, consistent coverage and some spark in the return game.
But do they have the players to get those things done?
Here’s the breakdown of the key positions in the kicking game.
KICKERS
Connor Barth (right) (2nd season/10 games/made 10 of 12 FGs and all 24 PAT kicks.) It was really a flip of the coin after the ‘08 pre-season as to who should be the Chiefs kicker: Barth or Nick Novak. Surprisingly in a season where he went with so many rookies, Herm Edwards took Novak and not Barth. But after six weeks, Barth was back and Novak out. Through the final 10 games of the season, he missed only from 34 and 50 yards (wide left on both) in the San Diego game at Arrowhead Stadium in December. On 45 kickoffs, he averaged 61.9 yards or the ball came down at the opponent’s eight-yard line. That ranked him 44th in the league among kickers. Barth had four touchbacks; the league average was 12. The average starting position for opponents after a kickoff from Barth was the 32.8-yard line. The Chiefs will need better results than that on kickoffs to help coverage. NEVER MIND!
Ryan Succop (7th-round draft choice/50 games at South Carolina/49 of 69 on FGs, 104 of 106 PAT kicks/gross average of 42.3 yards on punts, 34.9-yard net average.) With the Gamecocks, Succop handled placements, kickoffs and punting over four different seasons. He displayed a fairly strong leg but not always the best accuracy. On FGs, he hit 26 of 31 attempts (83.9 percent) inside the 40-yard line and 23 of 38 (60.5 percent) outside the 40-yard line. He hit three of nine from 50 yards and out. On kickoffs, he had touchbacks on 94 of his 253 kickoffs (37.2 percent) and last year his kickoffs on average landed at the two-yard line. As a sophomore and junior he also handled the punting. Succop has a stronger leg than Barth; if he can harness the power and improve his accuracy, the job will be his.
PUNTER
Dustin Colquitt (5th/62 games/301 punts, with a 43.7-yard average, with a net average of 38.3 yards.) Last season was a tough one for Colquitt with the various injuries he dealt with (groin, sports hernia, pelvis) limiting him physically. He still averaged 44.4 yards a kick, which was one yard shorter than the season before and his net average was 39.2 yards. Colquitt had 27 punts inside the 20-yard line and he wants to improve that number. A healthy Colquitt will be a great help to the Chiefs in the ‘09 season.
LONG SNAPPER
Tanner Purdum (undrafted rookie/35 games at Baker University; he last played in the 2006 season.) He was a backup quarterback during his college career, so he obviously has some athletic ability. Purdum has the size at 6-3, 270 pounds to handle the heavy work inside. This is his first shot at pro football, after he served two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Avila and then back at Baker. The Chiefs obviously think he can do the job, since they released Thomas Gafford. Don’t be surprised if they don’t troll the waiver wire through the pre-season for a more experienced snapper.
RETURNERS
Quinten Lawrence (sixth-round draft choice/37 games at McNeese State, but only four in ‘08 because of a leg injury/career: 22 kickoff returns for a 18.9 average; 1 punt return for 70 yards and TD.) In his last two seasons at McNeese, Lawrence had only 10 kickoff returns, apparently due to his importance to the offense. During the Chiefs off-season work, he had his troubles catching punts. One job or the other – kick and/or punt returner – can belong to him with any type of performance in training camp and the pre-season.
Rodney Wright (1st/38 games in the Arena Football League with San Jose/career: 113 kickoff returns for a 21.7-yard average, 4 TDs.) The last time Wright returned a kick playing football on a 100-yard field was in 2002; as a seventh-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills, he returned one kickoff for 13 yards in eight pre-season games over two years (2002-03.) Wright never handled a punt in those games, while catching six passes for 87 yards in the ‘03 pre-season. It’s hard to see how Wright’s indoor returning will help him in the NFL.
Dantrell Savage (left) (2nd/8 games-0 starts/26 kickoff returns for a 24.3-yard average; 8 punt returns for a 2.1-yard average.) He really grabbed the coaching staff’s attention last year and had a hammer lock on the kick return job until he fumbled a return in the final pre-season game. Savage was in the role for the first half of the ‘08 season before Kevin Robinson got healthy and moved into the returner’s role. Savage went to the practice squad for the rest of the season.
Jamaal Charles (2nd/16 games-2 stars/15 kickoff returns for a 21.4-yard average.) At the start of the ‘08 season, the Chiefs coaching staff wanted to fit Charles into the kick return job; they wanted to take advantage of his speed which at one time was considered world class. But a couple of early bumps and bruises limited Charles ability to stay on the field and they wanted to work him into the offense. Charles has the burst to be a good kick returner.
Ricardo Colclough (6th/42 games-1 start/49 kickoff returns for a 21.7-yard average; 5 punt returns for a 3.8-yard average.) In his senior season at Tusculum College back in 2003, Colclough averaged 28.7 yards on kickoff returns and 14.4 yards on punt returns with four TD returns. In five NFL seasons, he’s not found the end zone. Colclough hasn’t returned a kick or punt in the last two seasons in the league.
CHIEFS ALMANAC/SPECIAL TEAMS
Likely number of specialists on final roster: 3
- A pre-camp prediction on the finalists: Dustin Colquitt, Tanner Purdum, Ryan Succop.
Players who took part in key special team roles: 60
- Kickers (10) – Morten Anderson, Connor Barth, John Carney, Michael Husted, Justin Medlock, Nick Novak, Todd Peterson, Dave Rayner, Pete Stoyanovich, Lawrence Tynes.
- Punter (9) – Jason Baker, Steve Cheek, Dustin Colquitt, Nick Murphy, Todd Peterson, Todd Sauerbrun, Dan Stryzinski, Lawrence Tynes, Steve Weatherford.
- Long Snapper (5) – Jared Allen, J.P. Darche, Thomas Gafford, Kendall Gammon, Ed Perry.
- Punt Returners (12) – William Bartee, Eddie Drummond, Dante Hall, Shaunard Harts, Eddie Kennison, Kevin Lockett, Larry Parker, Kevin Robinson, Derrick Ross, B.J. Sams, Dantrell Savage, Lenny Walls
- Kick Returners (34)- Kimble Anders, Monty Beisel, Jason Belser, Derrick Blaylock, Marc Boerigter, Dee Brown, Jamaal Charles, Mike Cloud, Mike Cox, Ronnie Cruz, Eddie Drummond, Jason Dunn, Will Franklin, Dante Hall, Chris Horn, Darius Johnson, Eddie Kennison, Maurice Leggett, Kevin Lockett, Turk McBride, Jon McGraw, Ritchie Owens, Larry Parker, Bernard Pollard, Kevin Robinson, B.J. Sams, Benny Sapp, Dantrell Savage, Bobby Sippio, Gary Stills, Herb Taylor, LaShaun Ward, Jeff Webb, Jimmy Wilkerson.
Specialists drafted by Chiefs in this decade:
- Third-round – Dustin Colquitt (P) 2005.
- Fifth-round – Dante Hall (WR) 2000, Justin Medlock (K) 2007.
- Sixth-round – Kevin Robinson (WR) 2008.
- Seventh-round – Ryan Succop (K) 2009.
Top 5 Chiefs FG Kickers In This Decade (FGs made):
| Kicker | Games | Attempts | Made | Pct% |
| Lawrence Tynes |
48 |
87 |
68 |
78.2 |
| Todd Peterson |
27 |
55 |
42 |
76.4 |
| Morten Andersen |
30 |
46 |
38 |
82..6 |
| Dave Rayner |
10 |
22 |
15 |
68.2 |
| Connor Barth |
10 |
12 |
10 |
83.3 |
Top 5 Chiefs Punters In This Decade:
| Punter | Games | Punts | Yards | Avg. |
| Dustin Colquitt |
62 |
301 |
13,141 |
43.7 |
| Dan Stryzinski |
32 |
137 |
5,398 |
39.4 |
| Jason Baker |
18 |
89 |
3,496 |
39.3 |
| Todd Sauerbrun |
16 |
82 |
3,656 |
44.6 |
| Steve Cheek |
12 |
42 |
1,643 |
39.1 |
Top 5 Chiefs Punt Returners In This Decade:
| Returner | Games | Returns | Yards | Avg. | TD |
| Dante Hall |
97 |
188 |
1,882 |
10.0 |
5 |
| Eddie Drummond |
12 |
32 |
222 |
6.9 |
0 |
| Kevin Lockett |
16 |
26 |
208 |
8.0 |
0 |
| Eddie Kennison |
91 |
15 |
185 |
12.3 |
0 |
| Larry Parker |
28 |
16 |
141 |
8.8 |
0 |
Top 5 Chiefs Kick Returners In This Decade:
| Returner | Games | Returns | Yards | Avg. | TD |
| Dante Hall |
97 |
360 |
8,644 |
24 |
6 |
| Mike Cloud |
45 |
44 |
953 |
21.7 |
0 |
| Eddie Drummond |
12 |
37 |
785 |
21.2 |
0 |
| Dantrell Savage |
8 |
26 |
633 |
24.3 |
0 |
| Kevin Robinson |
8 |
19 |
420 |
22.1 |
0 |
Top 5 Kicking Game Tacklers In This Decade:
| Player | Seasons | Tackles |
| Gary Stills | 1999-2005 |
148 |
| William Bartee | 2000-06 |
56 |
| Monty Beisel | 2001-04 |
40 |
| Boomer Grigsby | 2005-07 |
39 |
| Rich Scanlon | 2004-06 |
39 |
Thanks for this great informative article Bob.
Special Teams have been killing us the last few years. Field position is a HUGE part of the game…and we’ve sucked badly on both sides of it.
Hopefully, one of the return guys will step-up and give us a “threat” once again.
And on the other side? Tackling. Plain and simple.
Oh…and a good kicker would be nice, too. Maybe, just maybe…Succop is the guy we’ve been needing.
Coming in on the reflux aft two other kickers had not held things down, Barth was not bad in 2008 - Succop portends potential (too, an endless supply snide remarks broadcasts - be it swallow hard or upchuck, someone will win the job.)
Lawrence won’t make the team; he’s practice squad material at best. Savage did well on KOs - not so on PRs…50/50 be the odds he stays. Robinson did well on PRs, but he told “see ya.”
Charles reminded Rin of Woody Green, former Chief who supposedly had great speed- suffice it to say that in both cases, they looked faster in college than in the NFL.
Tanner Purdham? Monte Markham. Ricardo Colclough? Ricky Ricardo. JP Darche/Kendell Gammon? Together not the equal Bobby Bell; thankfully according to “any 22 will do.”
Yes…how comforting & reassuring…
daddy-o
great breakdown. Special Teams can win it or lose it for you…field position is just so important, many times last year it killed the chiefs in a few of the close games.
Special teams have been our achilles heel for several years now.
Throughout Chiefs history we have been known to have some of the best kickers, punters & return men in the business. If Dustin stays healthy he is easily a top tier punter with pro bowl potential.
That’s it… We have no other proven talent on special teams. (exception: a few good tacklers. ie…McGraw & Beisel). Granted we may have an impact returner on our roster, only time will tell. Improved coaching is a must this year. This is one area where the Chiefs on the surface anyway, are woefully inadequate. I for one, am not prepared for another disastrous, embarrassing, cry me a river special teams play this year. Mr. Haley if you can hear me, please please, please… don’t make me want to cringe everytime a football accelerates from someones foot this year.
Other than that. I’m good. Go Chiefs.
I still wonder why J.P. Darche was released. He handled the LS job pretty well. Gafford screwed it up when Darche went down. Well, we’ll see how a (former) QB handles the duty to throw the ball backwards through his legs …
Each of Bob’s past excellent reports on the various position player roster has gotten me closer and closer to a growing reality that this 2009 Chiefs team has more stiffs by far, than playmakers.
Best encapsulated with the announcement of the Long Snapper being Tanner Perdum. Now, THAT’s a name to stir the masses! Not.
I’m a realist and the realist in me is saying that this will be another upcoming season with the main hope being a handful of the current roster guys surprise and make the team that much more competitive in 2010. If you think otherwise, I’m all for your positive mindset but will again leave you with a current roster name that says it all for the hopes of the 2009 Chiefs:
Tanner Perdum. Consider it, all it means, and weep.
Even though my prediction as a realist for this team is 6-10, we must keep in mind that in the NFL, teams that are supposed to suck turn out to be good and vice versa every year. I won’t count us out of the post season race until we are sitting on 8 losses.
By the way, I should have waited to post about Cribbs until now. It would have fit better here!
Rip ‘em,
LMAO! That was good.
I’m venturing to guess, though…that if you broke down MOST any NFL team player by player and position by position like what Bob has done, you’d come up with pretty much the same kind of “stiffs” on every roster. MOST of them, anyway.
And I’d be really surprised if we don’t add a few players before the season starts. We know there will certainly be many subtractions. We’re not down to the final 53 yet.
That Dante Hall was something special, I hope we can find another diamond in the rough like Dante he had all the intangibles you need in a player. HEART,HANDS,SPEED, MOVES. Mr.Poili get to work and find us another Dante Hall if he is not on the roster yet.
“Any 22 will do” -
heh heh heh
daddy-o
Whats the X-factor up to now a days i miss him
“Any 22 will do” -
With the current 22…with the new coaching - I expect they will kick more accurately, return at least comparably, tackle more responsibly and generally outclass the previous regime. Ironic how Herm strove for 15-12 games, yet his teams stunk it up on special teams.
Allow Rin to sum up all of his thoughts into one post:
1. Herm’s STILL the man
2. Every ‘W’ in ‘09 result Herm & his Chiefs, every ‘L’ same the result the errancy ’search’ and ‘check’
3. You all have green eyes
4. No modern player will ever compare to yesteryears best
5. Rin lives for the controversy he creates here on Bob G’s blog. The pied piper uses your misguided passion for Kaycee to bring insight to the ignorant masses.
As such, you may now ignore “any 22″ nee ALL of Rin’s future posts as they all contain the same content.
daddy-o, ’search’ & ‘check’ affirming…
heh heh heh
I believe that about sums it up.
Dante Hall spent the last two years with the Rams and ended both years on the IR after playing roughly half a season each. He’s an unrestricted free agent and I haven’t heard his name generating a bit of interest. He was productive for St. Louis when healthy. Maybe he’s still injured or maybe he doesn’t have anything left in the tank. He has a lot of mileage on those legs and he’s such a little dude.
Cue yet another ‘fake’ rin wannabe - “Green eyes, all fake rin’s got (HUGE) green eyes.”
The first 5 be true as Rin; everything aft - not a chance in the world!
Real Rin daddy-o will be here ‘ALL SEASON LONG’ and the one aft, and the one aft that, and, and…. ah, ah, ah-hahahahahahahahahahah!
Cue Cagney: “Top of the world ma - top of the world!”
heh heh heh!
daddy-o, ’search’ & ‘check’ affirming…
4-5 wins this season…Face it we suck. no o-line. no def. no balls…no h2o ( can we say Waters?) But 4 wins are better than two! 2010 Draft day whoopie
I agree. Pioli and Haley do suck.
I also agree. The Chiefs have really taken a step backwards in the coaching and general management categories this year.
Count me in too. I never thought I would miss Herm and Carl but I have been totally unimpressed with both Haley and Pioli. 2 wins is about the most we can hope for in 2009.
I hate myself, and my mother is quite a skanky woman.
I hate myself, and my mother is quite a skanky woman.