D-Bo: Finally the one for the Chiefs

By Adam Best  |   Monday, June 18, 2007  |  Comments( 8 )

Kansas City Chiefs
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The Kansas City Chiefs haven't had a true superstar No. 1 receiver since Otis Taylor. Taylor retired in 1975; just to give you some idea of how long that's been, the Vietnam War was going on, Bruce Springsteen had just recorded "Born to Run" and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won Best Picture.

Sure the Chiefs have had some good receivers since Taylor's departure. Some of them -- Andre Rison, Carlos Carson, J.T. Smith and Stephone Paige -- even made a Pro Bowl or two. Current Chiefs WR Eddie Kennison has also been a standout. None of these guys, however, were true No. 1 wideouts, and were all basically glorified No. 2 receivers.

During the past six years, former Chiefs quarterback Trent Green worked around the Chiefs' WR deficiencies fairly well before he suffered a brutal concussion. On the other hand, even the best spin doctor couldn't convince many that the Chiefs wouldn't have had a better chance of making the Super Bowl, or at least of winning a playoff game, if the team had added a star receiver during Green's tenure.

Now that Green has departed and either untested QB Brodie Croyle or career backup Damon Huard will be the starter, finding a true go-to receiver is even more imperative. In fact, given the team's young talent at the WR position, that kind of player could almost single-handedly resurrect the Chiefs' receiving corps, not to mention give the rest of Kansas City's aging offense a boost.

Enter first-round draft pick and former LSU star WR Dwayne Bowe.

Bowe has all the physical tools requisite of a No. 1 WR, and he could fill that role for the Chiefs the second he steps onto the field this upcoming preseason. Additionally, should he win that role and be effective in it, Bowe's influence will go beyond his statistics.

Bowe's mere presence could:

Allow aging speedster Kennison to go back to being a No. 2 WR instead of playing out of place as an undersized possession wideout.
Open up the field for speedy slot receivers Jeff Webb and Samie Parker.
Punish teams for doubling star tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Prevent opposing teams from putting eight or nine guys in the box to stop running back Larry Johnson and the rushing attack, somewhat softening the loss of Pro Bowl guard Will Shields.
Provide a viable and consistent third-and-long alternative to Gonzalez in the passing game, which would both keep the defense off the field and set up the kicking game.

Now, Bowe stepping right in and filing this void isn't a foregone conclusion, as the Chiefs have erred when selecting first-round wideouts in the past -- such as Sylvester Morris in 2000. D-Bo, Bowe's nickname, is a different animal than Morris, though. His combination of size, speed, sure-handedness and toughness is much like Arizona Cardinals standout WR Anquan Boldin. One element of his game that has been underestimated this far is his devastating blocking, something that could really help Johnson and Co. move the chains on the ground.

If everything works out, Bowe will end up finally being the No.1 receiver that the Chiefs have sought after for far too long. If he can step up and play that role for the Chiefs, the offense may not be as potent as it has in the past, but it will be more versatile. Given the defense's vast overall improvement in terms of personnel, Bowe and the spark he provides could be enough to sneak Kansas City back into the playoffs.

Adam Best, RealFootball365.com 's Kansas City Chiefs senior columnist, also covers the Chiefs for ArrowheadAddict.com, where he serves as the site's lead writer.

Got a bone to pick with a newspaper columnist, talk show personality or television analyst? E-mail us at mediawatch@realfootball365.com. For more information, visit our Media Watch info page.
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CommentsComments: 8  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
CurtMerzFan		06:47 AM
06/18/2007
FINALLY! Someone with a real sense of the Chiefs actually SEES what's going on with the offense! Thank you! All the talking heads...
No.2
Webby37		08:41 AM
06/18/2007
Nice article and great comment. Hey, Curt, I forgot about the I-65 nickname. Don't worry though, I updated it on Wikipedia. -cw
No.3
Jeremy		07:38 PM
06/18/2007
Good article Michael ( I love arrowheadaddict!), great response Curt! I love reading the "passion" that is behind every word!...
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