In his latest edition of “Monday Morning Quarterback,” SI.com NFL guru Peter King makes a great point about the possible mistake the Chiefs made in not paying defensive end Jared Allen and subsequently trading him to the Vikings in the ’08 offseason:

What the Chiefs got:

1st round (15th overall) Branden Albert, OT — Starting LT has a chance to be good. In-and-out work ethic.
3rd round (73) Jamaal Charles, RB — Change-of-pace back averaging five carries a game in 21 pro games.
3rd round (82) DaJuan Morgan, S — Sub safety who still has to prove self to new coaching staff.
6th round (182) Kevin Robinson, WR — Cut by Chiefs in ’08.

What the Vikings got:

Jared Allen, DE — The league’s best all-around defensive end has 21 sacks and three safeties in 22 Viking games.
6th round (187) John Sullivan, C — First-year starting center on one of NFL’s best lines.
It’s not certain, but it’s possible that history will show that the Vikings got a more productive player at 187 (Sullivan) than the Chiefs got at 15 (Albert). Ouch.

King makes a great point by illustrating that the Chiefs are definitely on the losing end of this trade so far. Allen has been outstanding and the Vikings felt confident enough in Sullivan’s abilities not to panic when long-time center Matt Birk signed with Baltimore in the offseason.

That said, Albert was a highly regarded offensive line prospect in the 2008 draft. In fact, he was even being considered as a top 5 pick entering the draft and many pundits were surprised that he slipped to the Chiefs at No. 15. So it wouldn’t surprise me if he winds up being a good player once he gets a few years of experience under his belt.

It would probably be more fair to look at this trade after the 2010 season when the Kansas City players have had three years of service in the league. Plus, Allen wouldn’t have been a fit for their new 3-4 defensive front anyway, so the Chiefs shouldn’t lose sleep over the deal. Still, it’s always interesting to look back.

Players like Matt Ryan, Chris Johnson and Joe Flacco have already pulled a seat up to the proverbially NFL dinner table after turning in solid rookie seasons. But which second-year players (who didn’t have great success in their rookie campaigns) are set for breakout seasons in 2009?

Here are 10 that jump out to me:

(Note: I consider players like Ryan, Johnson, Flacco, Jonathan Stewart, Matt Forte and Steve Slaton as already having breakout seasons, so you won’t find them on this list.)

In no particular order:

1. Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders
Justin Fargas is a favorite of head coach Tom Cable’s in Oakland, but the Raiders didn’t select McFadden with the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft not to take full advantage of his talents. Thus far this summer, the Raiders have lined McFadden up not only at running back, but also at receiver and even quarterback. With Cable calling the offensive plays this season, McFadden is set to see plenty of opportunities to excel in Oakland’s offense and as long as he can stay healthy (a turf toe injury slowed him down last season) the former top 5 pick could emerge as the Raiders’ most potent offensive weapon. The one part of his game that he’ll need to improve on, however, is his ability to run between the tackles. If he can’t, the hard-running Fargas will steal plenty of McFadden’s touches this season.

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