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Edwards said the Chiefs are better because at least four of their 2008 draft picks are starters, and the Allen trade made possible no fewer than half of those picks.
Still, wouldn’t at least a few of Allen’s sacks — and what that might have meant for this year’s defense — sound nice?
“Absolutely,” Edwards said. “But when you do this, you know you’re not going to get everything. You’re not going to get all the pieces right away.”
The team is likely to add a defensive end during the offseason, whether it’s via free agency or using what will probably be a top-five draft pick. The team also is likely to upgrade its linebacker corps, a unit Edwards said Tuesday the team hoped to rely on after Allen’s departure. Instead, some of the Chiefs’ linebackers have been injured, and the inconsistent group just hasn’t lived up to expectations. Derrick Johnson is the only linebacker with a sack, and he has two.
Edwards said that even with that knowledge — if there were some way he could have been given advance information on the Chiefs’ horrific pass rush this season — he still would have given Peterson his blessing in April when Allen was on the trading block.
Edwards said the Chiefs made the right move — even if the results aren’t yet visible.
“We were in a situation; we knew what we were going to do,” Edwards said. “We were going to go young. The only way we got those draft choices is through the Jared Allen trade. Those picks have become starters.
“You don’t see the fruits of their labor yet, but you will. That’s what we’re counting on.”
To reach Kent Babb, Chiefs reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4386 or send e-mail to kbabb@kcstar.com
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