Kyle Turley Looks Like and Is Just as Useless as Nicole Richie

Kyle Turley is well known for his, shall we say, confidence. Give him this-- he has little fear. He will say what is on his mind, and usually that is in regard to how much better he is than his defensive opponent. At one time in his career, he could back up his claims. He was a definitely solid, probably good, debatably great lineman with the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams. A back injury forced him into a premature retirement and left St. Louis scrambling for a replacement.

Like any good football player who retires in his prime, Turley itched to come back. However, warning signs should have flashed like a 1950s marquee when he attempted his comeback as a tight end. Kansas City took a flier on him after it became apparent they would need lots and lots of depth at offensive line.

The problem? Turley looked like the Nicole Richie of offensive linemen. Listed at 6-5, 285, he looks no bigger than a 250 lb linebacker. Tony Gonzalez is listed at 6-5, 251, and he looks considerably larger than Turley. The Chiefs justified trying Turley out as a tackle by claiming that he would gain weight as the season went on, and that his skills were enough to compensate for his lack of weight.

It has become increasingly clear that the Chiefs were wrong on both fronts. Turley still looks like a dwarf compared to the defensive linemen he is assigned to block, and those linemen are having no problem shoving Turley straight into the quarterback or running back. I made fun of John Welbourn at the beginning of the season, but I will gladly take that back if Herm Edwards would please replace Turley with Welbourn. My position highlights my desperation-- while I normally favor character over talent, Turley has been so awful, I am willing to give Welbourn as many chances as he needs.

Perhaps Turley should give tight end another whirl. The Chiefs need another one, with Gonzalez out for an indefinite period. Maybe Turley should try Hollywood, where skinny people are not only accepted, but favored. But given his performance in the four games in which he has actually participated, Turley is about as useful at being an offensive tackle as Nicole Richie is at being relevant. At some point, you have to give up on failed experiments. It is time for the Chiefs to give up on this one.