Training Camp Practice #3 Report

From St. Joseph, Missouri

The Chiefs hit the field for their third practice in 24 hours Saturday afternoon. That’s what training camp is all about. A lot of practice, a lot of quick recovery and then some more practice.

“I told the players that there’s not a lot of light at the end of the tunnel right now,” said head coach Todd Haley. “Their heads are down, their noses are on the grindstone and they are trying to get a little bit better each day.”

Whether or not the Chiefs got better Saturday afternoon is something only the coaches can judge. But from observation it was the poorest of the three sessions so far in the ’10 camp.

That’s to be expected given the amount of football in such a short period of time, with the weather conditions – hot and muggy. It’s the kind of football weather that Haley loves.

“The players probably hate me, but I like the weather,” Haley said. “It’s hot, it’s sticky, it’s miserable. It means training camp. It means everybody’s a little ornery, mad, a little nasty. Those are all good things.”

Here’s some of what went down in the afternoon session: …Read More!

Training Camp Practice #2 Report

From St. Joseph, Missouri

It didn’t take long for the heat and humidity to get to the Chiefs. They ended their Saturday morning practice with one of those training camp fights that generally happen after five or six practices.

As the Chiefs were running a live session at the end of the workout, rookie WR/RB Dexter McCluster got vigorously tackled by the defense. At the bottom of the pile there was a lot of pushing and shoving and offensive players came to the aid of their teammate. That led to more pushing, shoving and even a few punches.

But the disturbance was quickly qwelled and they ran one more play and finished up the morning.

On the field for his first NFL practice was first-round draft choice S Eric Berry. He moved right back into the No. 1 defense, playing the strong safety position next to Jon McGraw. Afterwards, he did double-duty carrying to the locker room the shoulder pads of WR Dwayne Bowe and the helmet of CB Maurice Leggett.

“Whatever they want me to do,” Berry said. “I’m just excited to be here today and excited to get to work.”

A large crowd watched the workout and they have a new favorite player in McCluster. It was the first time they got to see his quickness. In a one-on-one drill, he stuttered stepped so many times that Berry was grabbing at air as he ran past. …Read More!

Building Continues … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

From St. Joseph, Missouri

It was the kind of day that Lamar Hunt would have loved, except for the part where he was the center of attention.

Friday morning at Arrowhead Stadium the Chiefs unveiled a nine-foot bronze statue of Hunt that will sit in what the team has called Founder’s Plaza on the north side of the revamped stadium.

Friday afternoon, the Chiefs kicked off their 2010 pre-season in their new home at Missouri Western State University. An afternoon thunderstorm did not deter the team or the 3,000+ fans that were on campus from enjoying the return of training camp football to the state of Missouri for the first time since 1990.

It was a day for an odd crossing of the swords within the franchise, as history and the future came together. The Chiefs that Hunt knew in his last years are gone. Long gone. While his statue will look over fans for many, many years as they enter Arrowhead, it’s interesting that his focus is pointed north, away from the stadium and looking out towards Parking Lot M and Kaufman Stadium.

The Chiefs are very much now Clark Hunt’s team. If there have been no changes in the ownership plan that was set in place over 20 years ago, Clark Hunt owns the same 24.5 percent that his sister and brothers possess. The rest of the team rests in Norma Hunt’s hands. But there’s no doubt he is running the show. While the revamped Arrowhead and a new in-state site for training camp were not ideas that he generated, Clark Hunt has carried and pushed the ball over the goal line in both cases.

But those are buildings. He’s done the same thing with the football team and that was never more evident than Friday with the start of training camp. There’s no question that Scott Pioli and Todd Haley are much closer to creating the type of organization they want than they were at any point last year. …Read More!

Berry Is In The House

From St. Joseph, Missouri

Chiefs first-round draft choice S Eric Berry says via his Twitter account that he’s one his way to St. Joe after agreeing to a contract with the Chiefs. It was some eight hours later before the Chiefs confirmed the signing. But they did so Friday evening and Berry should be on the field Saturday  morning for the first of two practices.

The NFL Network has reported the deal as a 6-year contract for a total of $60 million, with $34 million in guaranteed money. As always the Chiefs have not and will not release contract figures. If true, it makes Berry the highest paid safety in NFL history and one of the highest paid members of the Chiefs, joining DE Tyson Jackson and QB Matt Cassel.

Training Camp Practice #1 Report

From St. Joseph, Missouri

If the type of storm that blew through Missouri Western State University on Friday afternoon had happened in River Falls, Wisconsin, the Chiefs opening practice of training camp would have been a washout.

But on their first full day in new camp facilities, they were able to begin practice indoors and then move it outside to finish up. That’s thanks to the $13 million indoor facility that was built by the school, Chiefs, the state of Missouri and the city of St. Joseph.

It allowed the Chiefs to accomplish everything their head coach wanted to get done on the first day of the 2010 pre-season.

“It wasn’t the best of circumstances, but it was a productive day for the Chiefs,” Haley said. “This game is about adjustments on the fly and the guys did a good job of focusing and adjusting.”

By getting outside they did not disappoint the crowd that showed up to watch – estimated by the Chiefs and the college at over 3,000 people. It wasn’t so much the heavy rain, but the lightning that had Haley making decisions on the fly. The first hour of practice went down inside, and then the last 90 minutes happened on the two new practice fields built for the Chiefs camp. …Read More!

Chiefs Unveil Lamar Statue

From Arrowhead Stadium

More to come from dedication of Lamar Hunt statue Friday morning.

The Heat Is On … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

From St. Joseph, Missouri

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was a campus visitor here at Missouri Western State University on Thursday evening. He’ll be at Arrowhead Stadium Friday morning for the unveiling of the Lamar Hunt statue on the north side of the building, but he took the opportunity after flying into KCI to travel north to talk with the Chiefs players like QB Matt Cassel (right) who were enjoying their first hours in a new summer home.

“Just left Chiefs’ training camp. Very impressive. Fans will enjoy going out to watch practices,” is what Goodell posted on Twitter as he left St. Joe. He’s just the first of what figures to be thousands of visitors that will make their way up I-29 to see the team go through training camp practices.

Luckily for the Commish, he arrived after the sun went down and temperatures cooled a bit in St. Joe. When the Chiefs were checking into their rooms at Scanlon Hall on the Missouri Western campus, the sun was high in the sky, the temperatures were up and so was the humidity. It was a taste of what the Chiefs will get for the next three weeks as they roll through 22 practices in the morning, afternoon and evening.

There’s no question that weather will be a topic of conversation as the Chiefs have their first training camp in Missouri since 1990. As he stood talking to the media outside the team’s dorm Thursday afternoon, it didn’t take long for beads of perspiration to starting dribbling off the forehead of Brian Waters.

“I’m concerned as anybody else about the heat,” said Waters. “It definitely effects your performance on the football field the more you are in it. You have to be very smart.”

According to weather.com, the Chiefs camp here is the ninth hottest location for an NFL training camp. …Read More!

Chiefs Arrive; Cottam Done For Year

From St. Joseph, Missouri

There was no check list or arrival board to know just who was and wasn’t strolling into Scanlon Hall Thursday afternoon on the campus of Missouri Western State University.

But there were a lot of familiar faces making their way into the dorm, carrying everything from comforters and pillows to the most popular item of this camp: flat screen TVs. CB Maurice Leggett needed to get a big bin on wheels to get his screen into the building.

“Got to have a TV,” said veteran C Casey Wiegmann, attending his 15th NFL training camp. “I’ve got to be able to have some connection to the outside world and keep up with what’s happening.”

An almost giddy QB Matt Cassel was looking for help to get his belongings up to his room. Despite the heat, humidity and less than plus surroundings, he was thrilled to be in camp.

“It’s been a productive offseason; we got a lot accomplished in the OTAs,” Cassel said. “I think everybody I’ve talked to is ready to rock and roll and get this started.”

Veteran G Brian Waters (above) wasn’t smiling as he talked about the weather conditions in Buchanan County, especially compared to the cool climate of River Falls, Wisconsin that the team camped in for 19 years.

“It’s something that has to be monitored,” said Waters. “It’s not something that can be ignored.” …Read More!

Thomas Jones Warns Of Mine Hazards

Quite a few Chiefs players get involved with charities and public service organizations – for years they’ve had one of the best community relations departments in the league.

Thomas Jones has joined that group of active Chiefs players, and it’s a very different cause.

Jones has become spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration and the agency’s “Stay Out-Stay Alive” campaign. For the last 11 years, the idea has been to warn people of the dangers that can be found on mine properties for outdoor enthusiasts and children.

“Both of my parents were coal miners and they instilled in me a respect for the hazards often encountered while working underground,” Jones said. “If you haven’t been properly trained as a miner, you have no business being anywhere near a quarry, gravel pit or mine.” …Read More!

Time For Cassel To Shine … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

The easiest way to win a Super Bowl is with a franchise quarterback. In the last decade titles were won by names like Brady, Brees, Manning (both Peyton and Eli) and Roethlisberger.

But in the 2000s, teams were able to win Super Bowls with quarterbacks that would never be considered among the best in the game. Tampa Bay won in 2002 with Brad Johnson leading the offense. In 2000, the guy handling the Baltimore offense with that great Ravens defense was Trent Dilfer, who had failed in his first NFL seasons with the Buccaneers.

The numbers from the last 10 years sound about right: it’s 60 percent tougher to win a championship without a franchise quarterback.

The Chiefs haven’t had a quarterback of the franchise stature since the retirement of Hall of Famer Len Dawson. Yes, Joe Montana was around for two years, but that was at the end of his Hall of Fame career and he was not the Super Bowl winning Joe Montana. Trent Green had five pretty darn good years and established his name in the team’s record book, but he didn’t reach the level of a Brady, Brees or Manning.

Can Matt Cassel be that man? …Read More!

Chiefs Sign McCluster, Arenas; Release Cottam

The Chiefs have reached an agreement on a four-year contracts with both of their second round draft picks: WR/RB Dexter McCluster and CB-Returner Javier Arenas.

And, apparently they have released TE Brad Cottam after he could not pass his physical. That’s reported by Scout.com. Cottam suffered a broken neck on December 20 against the Cleveland Browns. He had surgery to fuse two vertebre in his neck later that week and had not been cleared to practice in the off-season. Cottam took part in strength and conditioning work, but was held out of practices.

The Chiefs have not announced releasing Cottam, but they did annouce they had resigned TE Leroy Banks, who was with the team for several weeks during the off-season program. Banks signing was the first indication that Cottam could not practice.

McCluster was the 36th player selected in April’s 2010 NFL Draft, while Arenas went on the 50th picks. Terms are unknown at this time, but given the NFL slotting system McCluster likely received a deal around $5 million with $3.5 million in guaranteed money. Arenas’ deal should be in the area of $4 million for the total package and $2 million in signing bonus or guaranteed money.

That left unsigned first-round pick Eric Berry. NFL sources said late last week that the Chiefs were close to a deal with third-round choice G Jon Asamoah, but the team has not announced his signing.

Banks was an undrafted rookie out of Southern Mississippi. He originally signed after the NFL Draft with Atlanta, but was released and the Chiefs claimed him on waivers, where he showed the ability to catch the ball and run.

NFL’s Worst To First Since 2000

Since the 2000 NFL season there have been 15 teams that have gone from worst to first in their division.

The Chiefs did it in 2003 when they went 13-3, improving from their 8-8 record that tied for last in the AFC West in the season before.

Last year, the Saints did it in the NFC South, finishing 8-8 in ’08 and jumping to 13-3 and a championship in ’09.

Only one season in the last 10 did not have a worst to first team and that was 2002.

The Chiefs are attempting to go from worst to first in the 2010 season. Over the last five seasons in the AFC West, the division winner averaged 12 victories. If that was the case in the ’10 season, then the Chiefs would have to improve by eight games. Only three other teams had bigger improvements in the last 10 seasons – Miami improved by 10 games in ’08, San Diego by eight games in ’04 and Chicago by eight games in ’01.

…Read More!

Arrowhead History: Longest Field Goals

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the longest 20 field goals ever kicked inside Arrowhead Stadium.

…Read More!

Please, Less Kool-Aid … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

It’s been a remarkable turnaround in just a few months for the Kansas City Chiefs. There seems to have been a seismic shift in outlook for the franchise and the 2010 season.

Suddenly, the team coming off a 4-12 season, a club that has won 10 games in the last three seasons – the worst three-year stretch in franchise history – is now being talked about in terms of winning eight, nine, even 10 games.

The drinkers of “The Chiefs Are Really Improved Kool-Aid” say in year two of Pioli/Haley that the fortunes of the Hunt Family franchise have finally turned back to contender, back where the organization was for so many of the years between 1989 and 2006.

The glass is not just half-full these days among some fans, TV hairdos and sports talk yakkers. It’s overflowing. They have completely bought in to the new trio managing the team, that group includes chairman Clark Hunt who got this whole messy rebuilding started when he pulled the chain a year early on Carl Peterson.

Quite naturally it’s the time of year when all fans of all NFL teams hold hope that their favorite club can turn things around; that they can go from contender to champion, from pretender to contender or from bottom of the barrel to pretender status. That kind of enthusiasm is normal at this time of the year.

But let’s inject some reality here and let me ask these questions – just what have Pioli and Haley accomplished since they walked in the door in January-February 2009? Just how are the Chiefs a significantly better team, or a better organization? To win 10 games, they would have to be quite a bit improved from the teams that lost 38 of the last 48 games. …Read More!

NFL Strength of Schedule 2010

As NFL teams head to training camp this week, they will begin preparations to play their 2010 regular-season schedule.

How strong those opponents are is what’s called the strength of schedule and how relevant it can be goes out the door after a few weeks of the new season, it’s a starting point for considering the chances of a team winning more games than they lose.

This year, the toughest schedule belongs to the Houston Texans, as their opponents include 11 games against teams that were .500 or better and seven against post-season clubs from last year.

The easiest schedule falls to Arizona with 13 opponents who finished with a winning percentage last year of just .445 and only four made the playoffs.

  …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Best Punt Return Average

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the top 20 punt returners with the best career average in Arrowhead Stadium.

  …Read More!

The Good Old Days … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

“Training camp is like kissing an ugly girl. At first there’s a fear of the unknown, but once you get started it’s not so bad.”

 Hall of Fame TE Dave Casper

I wonder if we are seeing the last days of NFL teams kissing the ugly girl that is training camp.

More than half of the league no longer goes away for weeks of preparation for the regular season. There was a time when NFL teams would spend six weeks in training camp, but these days it’s hard to find any club that spends more than three weeks away from home. And 17 of the 32 clubs do not leave their own building.

Like so much else in our 21st Century world, the old methods are falling by the wayside. Going away to camp was once considered a vital part of not only preparing for a season, but creating an atmosphere of togetherness that is such a vital part of massaging 50 players into one team. There was the belief that having all the players living in a dorm, eating the same food, living the same schedule helped build the all-for-one, one-for-all attitude that is any successful team’s foundation.

But in these days of extensive off-season programs, so much of the work that used to be done in training camp is done in April, May and June. Players no longer go to camp to get into shape; that’s something that is expected to be taken care of long before arrival in late July. Team building is something that has to happen for 11 months a year. For instance, the first week of camp for the Chiefs will simply be a repeat of the practices they did at their rookie mini-camp and then repeated at their June mini-camp.

…Read More!

Training Camp Grab Bag … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

It’s finally here – the true start of the 2010 NFL season. It’s time for training camp.

Already camping as of Monday were the Cleveland Browns rookies, who started on Friday, the Dallas Cowboys who kicked off on Saturday and then on Sunday it was the San Diego and New England rookies. Opening the doors on Monday will be the Philadelphia and Baltimore rookies.

By the end of the week on Saturday afternoon the only teams not in camp will be the New York Jets veterans, the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants. They all begin on Sunday, August 1.

The Chiefs will congregate at Missouri Western State University on Thursday, learning the lay of the land and checking out the new facilities there. It’s all brand new for the Chiefs after spending the previous 19 years at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The first practice is set for Friday afternoon.

The Chiefs remain one of the NFL teams that do not stay at its regular-season facility for training camp. This year, just more than half the league will not travel to camp – 17 out of 32 clubs. Of course, the Chiefs have moved far closer to home than they were in River Falls. It’s approximately 65 miles from the team’s facility at the Truman Sports Complex to campus.

Of the 15 teams that leave their facility, Dallas goes the longest trip, starting with two weeks in San Antonio (284 miles from the team’s headquarters and then Oxnard, CA for the final two weeks. Here are the numbers that show the growth of teams giving up the concept of going away to camp:

  …Read More!

NFL Stunned By Kaye Cowher’s Death

Kaye Cowher, the wife of former Steelers head coach and Chiefs defensive coordinator Bill Cowher passed away on Friday in North Carolina. She was just 54 years old and had been battling skin cancer for the last two years.

“Sadly, my wife Kaye lost her battle with cancer on Friday,” said Bill Cowher in a statement released by the family on Saturday morning. “Kaye was such a loving and compassionate person and she was the foundation of our family. Kaye was always at my side throughout my career as a player, coach, NFL analyst and, most importantly, as a parent to our three daughters Meagan, Lauren and Lindsay. They will miss their mother dearly.”

Her death stunned many in the NFL who did not know she was that sick or that her cancer had advanced to a terminal stage. No details have been released on her passing and the family has asked for privacy. A private funeral service is set for Monday in North Carolina.

“Kaye was the rock that we could all lean on in the tough times,” Bill Cowher said in his statement. “She was looked up to by so many people and I cannot say enough about what Kaye meant to our family. Her memory will never be forgotten. We would like to thank everyone who has kept our family in their thoughts and prayers and for those who have reached out to express their condolences. It is clear that Kaye touched a lot of lives.” …Read More!

NFL Coaches With Ties To Chiefs

When NFL teams head into training camp over the next week, they will have 38 coaches with ties to the Kansas City Chiefs.

From a head coach like Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, to San Francisco offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye (left), to assistant coaches at just about every position on the roster, more than three dozen men have worked inside Arrowhead Stadium and gone on to other NFL teams.

Head Coaches

Mike McCarthy/Green Bay – he broke into NFL coaching with the Chiefs as offensive quality control coach in 1993 for coordinator Paul Hackett. He spent six seasons in Kansas City (1993-98).

Chan Gailey/Buffalo – was part of the Chiefs coaching staff for one year and about eight months before he was fired before the start of the ’09 regular season by Todd Haley.

Jack Del Rio/Jacksonville – he spent the 1987-88 seasons playing linebacker for the Chiefs. …Read More!

Arrowhead’s Brand New Look

You’ve heard the advertisements.

“The new Arrowhead. New body. Same soul.”

After seeing the mostly-finished product on Friday morning when Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt led a tour of the renovated Arrowhead Stadium, it is clear that the Chiefs are at least half right.

The new body is magnificent. From the upgraded amenities to the areas of specialized interest that depict not only the history of the Chiefs but pay homage to the vision of Lamar Hunt, founder of the American Football League, the new building is spectacular.

Same soul . . . fans will have to provide the answer to that.

But make no mistake, on your first trip to the new Arrowhead – whether it is July 25 when Manchester United plays against the Wizards or when the Chiefs play their first home pre-season game against the Eagles on August 27 – schedule in some extra time to embrace the experience.

Where to start? …Read More!

Last Chance For Your Questions About The 2010 Chiefs

Your chance to get on the record the biggest question marks surrounding the 2010 Chiefs will end at 6 p.m. Thursday evening.

Simply attach to this post your three biggest concerns as the team arrives at Missouri Western State University.

We’ll total up the concerns and put together the top five question marks in the minds of the fans. Starting on Monday, August 2, we’ll address those concerns with a daily story highlighting one of those situations and what has gone down in camp to provide answers.

Attach your three question marks to this post. Remember, keep it to three and keep the comments short at this time. There will be room and time for much discussion later.

Chiefs Ink Moeaki; Asamoah Next

The Chiefs announced Thursday afternoon that they had agreed on a four-year, $2,470,000 contract with third-round draft choice TE Tony Moeaki.

The signing has three of the team’s seven draft choices under contract. The NFL grapevine says that the Chiefs will announce a deal next with their other third-round choice, C/G Jon Asamoah.

Moeaki’s deal includes $700,000 in guaranteed money and then yearly minimum salaries. There is an escalator provision that could increase the value of the fourth and final year.

With Moeaki joining fifth-round picks Kendrick Lewis and Cameron Sheffield and Asamoah on the brink, that leaves first-rounder S Eric Berry and second-round choices WR Dexter McCluster and CB Javier Arenas. As of Thursday afternoon no first round draft choice deals have been announced and there has been just one second-round contract signed. Update: Thursday evening the Cowboys announced a contract agreement with 1st-round choice WR Dez Bryant.

From The Coaching Ranks #4 … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Sometimes it’s written down on a piece of paper and sitting in a desk drawer. In today’s world, there’s likely some on laptops or a Blackberry. A few are committed to memory.

But every general manager or owner in the NFL has one – a ready list for hiring his next head coach.

At some point in time, every NFL team is going to be out looking for a new man to fill their head coaching position. Some clubs tend to go for long periods of time with very few changes. The Steelers have had three head coaches in the last 42 years – Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. In that same time frame, the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts have had 16 different head coaches. The San Diego Chargers and Atlanta Falcons counted 14 different men in charge.

A head coaching change will come to a majority of the league’s 32 teams in the next three years. As the NFL is set to begin another season, who are the likely names on the ready lists to become a head coach? We’ve limited our list to those men who are currently assistant coaches in the league, since the majority of current head coaches come from the coaching staff ranks. Guys like Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer (left). Only Tom Coughlin of the Giants, Mike Shanahan of the Redskins and Pete Carroll with the Seahawks did not move from a coordinator or assistant coach position into their current jobs.

Here’s one man’s opinion on the top 10 NFL assistants to keep your eyes on during this ’10 season and more importantly, once the GMs and owners pull out those ready lists. They are listed in alphabetical order:   …Read More!

Enrique’s Video Vault: The Very Best of Eddie Kennison

Over the years our man Enrique has rolled video tape on just about anything and everything Chiefs related that was available to him in Mexico. Despite his distance from middle America, he has developed quite a collection of memories from the last 20 years. We are going to bring some of these videos to you with commentary from Enrique. Enjoy!

 EDDIE KENNISON FINDS A HOME AT ARROWHEAD

…Read More!

New Camp Home Is First Class

From St. Joseph, Missouri

The Chiefs enjoyed first-class facilities at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for the last 19 training camps.

But what they will have starting next week at Missouri Western State University will establish a new standard for NFL training camps. The work between the Chiefs and Missouri Western has created what is essentially a duplicate of the team’s facilities at the Truman Sports Complex.

There are no more excuses for any part of the Chiefs organization about going away to camp and not having the proper facilities or access. Other than being about 80 minutes away, there’s little missing from what’s on the Missouri Western campus. In fact, it’s a step above. The Chiefs indoor practice facility is not air conditioned. The 120-yard artificial turf indoor field in St. Joseph has plenty of air conditioning.

And that AC was humming on Wednesday as the school and the Chiefs opened the facility to the media and the school’s board of governors. …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Longest Punt Returns

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the longest punt returns in Arrowhead Stadium history.

  …Read More!

From The Coaching Ranks #3 … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Let’s say Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress shows up for work one morning with an idea that he wants communicated to his football team. And let’s say that Childress wants this message delivered in personal fashion, one-on-one to highlight the importance of the situation.

All Childress would have to do is assign himself and each member of his coaching staff two players on his 53-man roster. He would have the whole team covered. That’s what can get done when a football team has a coaching staff of 26 men, so with NFL regular season rosters at that 53 number, there’s one coach for every two players.

No other team in the NFL in the 2010 season comes close to matching the size of Minnesota’s staff. Baltimore, Seattle and San Francisco each have 22-person coaching staffs.

At the other end of the spectrum New England, Cleveland and Dallas all three teams have coaching staffs numbering just 15 men.

Todd Haley and his Chiefs staff this year rank among the bottom half of the league in size with its 17 members. There are 21 of the 32 teams that have more coaches than the Hunt Family operation.

  …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Best Kick Return Average

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the top 20 kickoff returners with the best career average in Arrowhead Stadium.

   …Read More!

The Coaching Ranks Part #2 … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

There’s one thing for certain that can be said for the coordinators that Todd Haley has collected for his 2010 Chiefs coaching staff – they’ve got plenty of rings.

The trio of Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and Steve Hoffman has coached in 13 Super Bowls and walked away with 12 championships. No other staff in the league comes close to matching those dozen titles among their coordinators.

What does that mean for the Chiefs? They have coaching staff leaders who have been there, done that at the highest level of the game. Discussion can be had on whether Weis and Crennel are products of the successful system of Bill Belichick. It’s the old chicken or egg question; were the Patriots so good because Belichick was the key decision maker, or did New England win because it had talented coaches on the staff like Weis and Crennel.

Last season, Hoffman led the most consistent and successful facet of the Chiefs game during the 2009 season. The kicking game had very few mistakes and developed a top kicking prospect in Ryan Succop.

There’s no doubt the Chiefs start the 2010 season next week with a significantly improved coaching staff, especially on the coordinator-level. Without a doubt, both Haley and GM Scott Pioli are hanging their football hats on the additions of Weis and Crennel making a big difference on their roster. …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Longest Kick Returns

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the longest kickoff returns in Arrowhead Stadium history.

…Read More!

The Coaching Ranks Part #1 … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

This week we are going to take a close look at the men who coach the game in the National Football League, from the head coaches to their staffs. Today, we begin with the guys on top, the head coaches.

*****

It was an interesting weekend for Chiefs head coach Todd Haley.

As he finishes up his pre-training camp vacation, Haley took part in the American Century Golf Championship that was played at Lake Tahoe on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and broadcast by NBC. He was one of four NFL head coaches taking part in the tournament, joined by Jacksonville’s Jack Del Rio, Washington’s Mike Shanahan and Haley’s former boss out in Arizona, Ken Whisenhunt.

At the end of three rounds, Haley finished in a tie for 46^th. He was behind Whisenhunt but ahead of both Del Rio and Shanahan.

Haley’s participation tells us one thing – he’s much more comfortable in his role as an NFL head coach who did not play the game on the high school, college or professional level.

Last year, Haley seldom referenced his career as a college golfer, or his years as a golf professional in the New York and Washington D.C. areas. He didn’t really have to because others frequently brought up the subject. That group included one of his players in RB Larry Johnson. Ultimately, it was not Johnson’s comments on the football resume of his head coach that got the running back fired by the Chiefs. But it didn’t help.

It’s a year later and Haley is comfortable enough in his position with the Chiefs that commentary on his golf game is not something that will bother him in the aftermath of his Lake Tahoe performance. Likely his final score in the celebrity field is what will bother him. But Haley is also experienced and reasonable enough in the game of golf to know that he couldn’t go out and challenge for first place. That’s not going to happen when a golfer can count on one hand the rounds he played in the last year.   …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Longest Pass Plays

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the longest pass plays in Arrowhead Stadium history.

…Read More!

Arrowhead History: Career Passers

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the top 20 career passers in Arrowhead Stadium history.

…Read More!

Chiefs Sign Another Draft Choice

While the Chiefs had not released the information as of 4:30 p.m. Friday, they have signed another one of their seven choices from the 2010 NFL Draft. LB Cameron Sheffield agreed to terms on a 4-year deal worth a base value of $1,986,000 with $194,000 in guaranteed dollars.

Sheffield was the second of two Chiefs selections in the fifth round of last April’s selection meeting. The only other K.C. draft choice signed to date is fellow fifth-rounder S Kendrick Lewis.

There’s been no word on the other five selections from the ’10 Draft. As of the close of NFL business on Friday 152 of the 257 draft choices had signed contracts.

Arrowhead History: Best Passing Games

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the best passing games in Arrowhead Stadium history.

…Read More!

An NFL Grab Bag … Weekend Cup O’Chiefs

Well guys, it’s been a really fun week bringing you the daily Cup O’Chiefs features and a very enlightening one as well.

Really, I don’t know how the heck our man Gretz has gone nearly 104 weeks (more or less, Bob?) putting these together – an incredible feat on his part. Trust me, if for some reason you get the feeling that you need to go through a humbling experience in your life, just reach Bob and ask him to do this for him. Your whole perspective of sports writing — and the effort that it requires — will be changed forever. For good that is. Nevertheless, I’ll also say that I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.

And since I didn’t want to leave without covering a lot of ground in my last entry, please allow me to give you a tour around the NFL landscape. Enjoy.

The “Other” Player-Selection Format Brings A Couple Of New Faces To The League

The 2010 NFL Supplemental Draft came through and ultimately delivered the goods in the form of the two most-coveted players available.

First, let’s start with a familiar name, former Brigham Young RB Harvey Unga. And yes, so much for the Chiefs’ interest in him. Whether scared by additional revelations in Unga’s record, or simply wary of investing a future draft choice, the Red and Gold front office didn’t even put a bid on him.

  …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Longest Pass Receptions

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the longest pass receptions in Arrowhead Stadium history.

…Read More!

Will Chiefs Play In The Supplemental Draft?

On Thursday the NFL will hold a Supplemental Draft for four players who have been declared eligible for the selection meeting.

As they’ve done since the Supplemental Draft began 33 years ago, the Chiefs do not figure to be active in this affair. Only once before have they used a choice in the extra draft. That came in 1993, when they used a second-round selection on DE Darren Mickell out of Florida.

(Like all NFL teams, the Chiefs selected three players in a special Supplemental Draft in 1984 of players that were under contract in the USFL: OL Mark Adickes, CB Lupe Sanchez and CB Garcia Lane.)

There have been 38 players selected in the Supplemental Draft since it began in 1977. That year it was RB Al Hunter coming out of Notre Dame, who was grabbed by Seattle in the fourth round.

This year, the player who has drawn the most attention is RB Harvey Unga (left), the leading rusher in Brigham Young history, who saw his career in Provo, Utah end with a violation of the school’s honor code rule against pre-marital sex. His son Jackson was born on the Fourth of July to his fiancé Keilane Moeaki. She’s the younger sister of Chiefs draft choice TE Tony Moeaki.

Will the Chiefs bring the soon-to-be brothers-in-law together? That’s hard to say, but considering the importance that Clark Hunt/Scott Pioli/Todd Haley place on draft choices, it’s doubtful they will give up any sort of value pick for Unga, read fourth-round or higher. …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Career Receivers

 The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the top 20 career receivers (yardage) in Arrowhead Stadium history. …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Most Receiving Yards

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the best single-game receiving performances in Arrowhead Stadium history. …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Longest Running Plays

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the longest running plays in Arrowhead Stadium history.

…Read More!

Arrowhead History: Career Rushers

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the top 20 career rushers inside Arrowhead Stadium.

…Read More!

Answers & Replies

Given the news and obvious reactions that have landed here I decided it was appropriate to answer some of the questions and comments that have come after the announcement of bobgretz.com going to premium content.

First, a very deep thank you to everyone who posted and the support you provided in some of those comments really poured fuel into my engine. One more quiet week and then I can’t wait to move forward. You guys are too kind and although I’m a word merchant, it’s tough for me to adequately express my thanks.

I have answers to some specific questions at the end of this post. Let me hit a couple common themes.

WHY NOT GO AFTER MORE ADVERTISING RATHER THAN FORCING READERS TO PAY?

First, we aren’t forcing anyone to pay. This is obviously a personal decision and I understand everyone is not able or willing to become a subscriber. For two years we’ve chased advertising and unfortunately there is simply not much of a market to pay the bills. Things might be different if this was 10 years ago and the Chiefs were riding high. But the last three seasons have chased away a lot of dollars from the team and businesses associated with the club.

As you can see we have advertising on the site. This is done through a national co-op and it’s worked out well. But the monthly income from this service isn’t enough to pay the bills. …Read More!

Arrowhead History: Most Rushing Yards

The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game. After 38 seasons of Chiefs home games, the building has been updated with 21st Century amenities.

Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972. Within those games have been some memorable performances by members of the Chiefs and the visiting teams that will be featured over the next weeks leading up to the opening of the new Arrowhead.

Today, it’s the best single-game rushing performances in Arrowhead Stadium history.

…Read More!

Chiefs Off-Season Grab Bag … Weekend Cup O’Chiefs

It will be three weeks from Friday when the Chiefs will step on the practice fields of Missouri Western State University for the first practice of 2010 training camp.

The scene around the football side of the Chiefs facility remained very quiet this past week as coaches and players are still scattered around the country either working out or resting up for the start of camp.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty going on in the league. Here’s a grab bag of news and notes.

YES, THAT’S DWAYNE BOWE TALKING AGAIN

I know it must seem like football pundits like me are picking on Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe. Let me assure you that I don’t go looking for Bowe news every week, but it seems to flow in nonetheless and almost always what comes is a statement or words that should never have left Bowe’s mouth.

Bowe popped up in Minneapolis on Thursday according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He was there to take part in Larry Fitzgerald’s workout program. That’s Fitzgerald above on the left, talking with former All-Pro receiver Cris Carter, wearing the dark shirt.

Many of the league’s top pass catchers get together and work on their craft with Fitzgerald each summer. This is the first time Bowe has shown up. The sessions started on Tuesday, but Bowe did not get there until Thursday.

He admitted that he had taken 12 days off from workouts after he struggled in running 100-yard sprints with the other players. The group ran 14 100-yard dashes and then four 50-yarders.

“Can you imagine your first day coming back to 14 100s?” Bowe told the Star-Tribune. “Man, it was like college again. I’ve never done this intensive competing, conditioning and technique in one day.”

First, why in heavens name after all the work that Bowe put in as part of the Chiefs off-season program would he then sit on his ass for nearly two weeks without working out? Second, why was this the first time he did such intense “competing, conditioning and technique” work in one day?   …Read More!

Before LeBron Came Reggie … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

The LeBron James Sweepstakes will come to a conclusion Thursday evening with a one-hour special broadcast on ESPN.

For those planning their evening, it will start at 8 p.m. CDT. Supposedly, James will announce his decision within the first 10 minutes of the show that will originate from the Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. Various ESPN talking heads will appear in the program, probably more than we can imagine as James’ decision on his future employer will be dissected and analyzed.

OK, so if you are not an NBA fan, you are wondering what’s the fuss. James is a free agent and he will collect millions of dollars whether he stays in Cleveland, or moves on to New York, New Jersey, Miami, Los Angeles or Chicago. Those were the teams that all made trips to Cleveland last weekend to speak with James and his advisors.

Just where James stands in the history of the game is a determination that’s years from being made. Right now he’s one of the two or three best players in the league. He’ll soon be 25 years old, so if he can stay healthy, James has many years remaining to write the chapters of a career that could finish among the greatest the game has ever seen. Where he lands and how much he scores at the pay window are items that will cause ramifications for every team and player in the NBA.

So his situation is important and newsworthy. But it is not unique. I heard one of the sports talk radio yakkers say the other day that the James Sweepstakes is something that’s never happened before in the world of American sports. Typical comment coming from somebody just a few years removed from his senior prom and with no sense of history.

It was 17 years ago when the late Reggie White went on a free agency tour that in many ways was bigger than what we’ve seen in the last week with James. The late Hall of Fame defensive lineman did not stick to one place and have the teams come to visit him. White had a seven-city, 37-day tour where he flew all over the country meeting with NFL teams, with the media trailing behind. …Read More!

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T.J.’s Work Never Stops … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

There may have been a half-day or so over the holiday weekend where Thomas Jones put up his feet and relaxed.

OK, there was like a 10 percent chance that he skipped a day in the weight room while enjoying the festivities of Independence Day.

Would we expect anything different from a man who at the age of six asked his parents for a set of weights as a Christmas gift. Legend has it that Thomas Jones Sr. thought his son was too young for barbells, so he told him to do pushups instead. Before long, 200 pushups became part of his bed time routine and stayed that way for years.

“I’m a workout warrior,” Jones said. “I love working out. I love taking care of my body. I’m very in tune with my body and how I feel.”

If you want to know how a 30-plus running back can defy the odds and still be a productive offensive weapon, then welcome to Thomas Jones and his work ethic. In his short time with the Chiefs, he’s shown his new teammates, the coaches and Kansas City fans what it means to be a dedicated professional. You don’t get biceps like his with a minimum amount of weight on the bar.

“Never,” is what G Brian Waters said when he was asked if he’d ever played with a running back who had bigger biceps than his own. Let’s remember that Waters is a good 100 pounds heavier than Jones.

But when it comes to slinging the iron around, nobody in the Chiefs locker room tops Jones. That’s especially true for the six-week, so-called vacation that the players are working through since the end of the team’s off-season program.   …Read More!

Wrapping Up The Roster … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

I appreciate all the feedback that’s come down the line that last few days on the series of personnel evaluations of the Chiefs. Some posters agreed with my assessments, others thought I was too tough, or not tough enough.

First of all, remember these are the thoughts of one person and I don’t have any say or power in the ultimate decisions on who stays, who goes, who plays and who does not. Again, these evaluations are based on what I’ve seen, not only in the recent off-season, but last season and years before that. I’m going to trust my eyes more than anything else.

I know the arrows up and down caused a bit of confusion for some readers. Generally, a young player was going to have an up arrow, because he should be an ascending player. Any player 30 or older was more than likely going to have a down arrow, as most of his career was behind him. There were exceptions to that, as there always will be when talking about 81 players. Those differences generally were based on what I saw as the potential value of the player’s contribution to the 2010 Chiefs.

Some questioned rating the rookies and putting some of them in slots ahead of players with NFL experience. That’s a legitimate gripe and one that I wrestled with as well. There wasn’t enough football in the off-season program to accurately judge a rookie and his skills against the veteran players. Once again, my ranking had more to do with where the player fit in the ’10 picture and his chances of making an immediate contribution.   …Read More!

The Chiefs – 81 thru 1/Part #4 … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

This is the finale of our four-part evaluation of the Chiefs roster a month ahead of the teams trip to St. Joseph and the start of 2010 training camp.

Understand this about the rankings – they are meant to provide information and create talk. I’ve based the grades and whether a player’s career is going up or down based on what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard about each of those 81 players. The difference in numbers is negligible. Whether a man is rated No. 12 or No. 18 doesn’t matter so much as the designation that they are part of the top 20 players and should be major contributors to what Scott Pioli and Todd Haley are building at Arrowhead Stadium.

That’s why I’ve included the rookies in these rankings because there’s no question they are going to be an important part of what happens with this team in the coming season.

So give or take a slot or two, here are the top 20 players on the Chiefs roster.

19

G Ryan Lilja

Evaluation – Beginning his seventh season in the NFL, Lilja is set to play his first regular season with the Chiefs. After six years with the Colts and winning a Super Bowl ring, Lilja was cut loose after the team’s disappointing loss in last February’s Super Bowl to New Orleans. At 6-2, 290 pounds, he’s built the way Haley would like his interior linemen to be – not so heavy and more mobile. The question is after a couple of knee injuries will be how mobile Lilja remains. The Colts do not make many personnel mistakes with veteran players, so the decision to let Lilja go tells us they thought his run was over. Considering his entrance to the league as an undrafted rookie, Lilja’s career is remarkable not only because he became a starter, but that he’s lasted this long. He will be 29 in October- can he go another year? The Chiefs are counting on it. …Read More!

Are You Getting Ready For Monday Night?

That’s Hank Williams Jr. above, and he was in a Nashville studio last week recording show openings for ESPN’s broadcasts of Monday Night Football.

Williams’ ditty “Are You Ready For Some Football” has been the Monday night opening for many seasons now, written after his hit “All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down).” It will be part of the show open on September 13 when the Chiefs and Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium are the second game of the opening Monday doubleheader.

Over the years, Williams and his song have taken on different forms and presentations. In the 1990s, Williams won four Emmy awards for music on television.

Williams was also a good friend of the late Chiefs LB Derrick Thomas.

We are now 70 days away from the 2010 season opener.

R.I.P. Air Coryell

The world of football coaching has always attracted a very diverse group of men. I’m sure if they allowed women to coach, it would attract a very diverse group of women as well.

There are various pigeon holes that coaches can be placed in, you know the boy wonder types, the long-time assistants finally getting a shot, Joe College coach trying to make it in the NFL, the schemer types, the nice guy types, the coaches who would have sold their first born if it got them a head coaching job.

And then there was Don Coryell. He didn’t fit any of the pre-conceived notions of what type of personality the leader of a football team should be, other than the fact he could win games. He was the first man to win 100 games or more in college football and pro football.

But he was different. Coryell hated whistles. The shrill tweet ran down his spine like dragging fingernails on a chalkboard.

“I hate whistles, just hate’em,” Coryell said one day when he was doing a telephone conference call with the Kansas City media before a Chargers-Chiefs game. “I don’t use it, don’t want it.”

The man who many think started the passing game revolution in pro football with his Air Coryell offense with the Chargers in the 1980s passed away on Thursday. He was 85 years old and in poor health.

There are so many Coryell stories I could tell, and I wasn’t around the man on an everyday basis at either of his NFL head coaching stints with the St. Louis Cardinals and in San Diego. Still, he was as memorable a man as you could find in the business.

He was the classic absent minded professor. Coryell was wrapped up in football; some would say he was wrapped up too tightly in the game. Men that worked for him said they seldom had a conversation with him where football wasn’t the subject matter. Had he been coaching in this era, he still wouldn’t have figured out the Internet yet, let alone Face Book and Twitter. He used to tell those concerned about the game-day schedule on road trips, “Do what you want; just tell me what time the bus leaves.”

There are the stories of the time his wife asked him to take their daughter to school. She got in the backseat and Dad took off from the driveway and drove in silence all the way to the Chargers offices. He was out of the car and headed in to work before his daughter made a sound. …Read More!

The Chiefs: 81 thru 1/Part #3 … Sunday Cup O’Chiefs

Hopefully you are enjoying the Fourth of July weekend. Once the smoke and noise clears from the fireworks the ticking clock of NFL training camps will be even louder.

The evaluation of the 81 players that the Chiefs continues today as we get to the top-half of the roster with the middle 20 players and what they have and can provide the team.

As we’ve noted throughout this series, each player with NFL experience has been given an arrow up and an arrow down. Those going up are ascending players or guys that have potential to make great improvement. Those with arrows headed down are descending players.

Here we go.

39

DE Alex Magee

Evaluation – His rookie season for the 3rd-round draft choice in ’09 was a disappointment. Magee played in 15 games and contributed eight total tackles and two sacks. At one point near mid-season it seemed like everything was falling together for him, as he had sacks in back-to-back November games. From that point on, he had no sacks and three tackles in five games. Late in the season he picked up a hamstring injury and how long he dealt with that is something outsiders do not know. Magee worked hard in the off-season and he’ll need to show that progress in camp and the pre-season. If he can be stout enough to anchor one end of the defense against the run, he’ll shoot up the charts and rankings. None of that was very visible last year in his part-time play.

  …Read More!

The Chiefs – 81 thru 1/Part #2 … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

Our evaluation of the Chiefs 2010 training camp roster continues on this Saturday. In Friday’s edition, we looked at the very bottom of the roster, those players ranked No. 60 through 81. If you missed that, here’s the link.

Today, the focus is on the lower middle of the roster. These are guys that all have a legitimate shot at making the final 53-man roster. Generally, there isn’t a lot of difference between slots in the rankings with the middle ground. A guy could be No. 57, or just as easily be No. 47. These players can contribute, but for the most part they are not going to be key performers.

On Sunday the Fourth of July comes players rated No. 20 through 39 and then on Monday, No. 1 through 19.

Again, a reminder about the evaluations – they are based on performances of the past and potential for the future. One thing everyone involved in football learns to do is trust their eyes. My evaluations are based on what I’ve seen, not what I was supposed to see. Plus, in the NFL a player or a team is either getting better or getting worse. They are either moving up or moving down. For any player who has played in an NFL game, our evaluation comes with an arrow indicating the direction of the player’s career. If they are an ascending player, or one at the top of his game, the arrow points up. An arrow down indicates a descending player, who may still be able to perform and contribute, but has most of his career visible in the rear-view mirror.

The rookies and first-year players who have not played a regular season game don’t get an arrow.

Here’s No. 59 through 40.

…Read More!

The Price Of The Game

It’s always good for those of us who watch pro football to be reminded that the men who play the game are made of flesh and bone.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander has done that with his Friday column.

“On bad days, Jack is halfway crippled, overwhelmed by nerve pain in his arms and spine and throbbing osteoarthritis pain in just about every other joint. One knee is sort of OK, but that is compromised by the four surgeries to replace a damaged right hip joint.”

The “Jack” of the story is former Chiefs Pro Bowl C Jack Rudnay. Because he played for so many bad Chiefs teams during his career, Rudnay never got the attention and recognition that he deserved. But for those men who played with him and against him, Rudnay was a warrior. He appeared in four Pro Bowls and won the respect of every man he played against, from Joe Greene to one-time teammate Curley Culp.

Telander wrote: “The warrior code meant Rudnay continued on, out of duty. Indeed, he played in 144 straight NFL games after 30 straight with Northwestern. ”I felt it was a sacred obligation with my teammates and my opponents,” he says.”

But there was a price to pay for that attitude, one that Jack pays on a daily basis and will for the rest of his life. Take the time and read about one of the best players and best men to every wear the red and gold. Here is the link.

The Chiefs – 81 thru 1/Part #1 … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Four weeks from Friday the Chiefs will be on the field for their first practice of 2010 training camp at Missouri Western.

The franchise has 81 players under its control. It’s a roster built more on the future than the past, more on what might be than what has been.

How this group of players is whittled down to 53 is what training camp and the pre-season will be all about. Just how much better that group of 53 is from the 4-12 team of last season is what the season will be about.

The next four days provide an opportunity to evaluate the group that will travel up I-29 to St. Joe. It starts at the bottom, as today comes an evaluation of players No. 81 through No. 60, as rated by your trusted observer. On Saturday, we’ll hit No. 40 through 59, with Sunday bringing No. 20 through 39 and then on Monday, No. 1 through 19.

A few notes on the evaluations – they are based on performances of the past and potential for the future. One thing everyone involved in football learns to do is trust their eyes. My evaluations are based on what I’ve seen, not what I was supposed to see. Plus, in the NFL a player or a team is either getting better or getting worse. They are either moving up or moving down. For any player who has played in an NFL game, our evaluation comes with an arrow indicating the direction of the player’s career. If they are an ascending player, or one at the top of his game, the arrow points up. An arrow down indicates a descending player, who may still be able to perform and contribute, but has most of his career visible in the rear-view mirror.

The rookies and first-year players who have not played a regular season game don’t get an arrow. …Read More!

One Down Six To Go … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Now that the Chiefs have finally announced the signing of a draft choice, hopefully that will slow down those red and gold devotees who think the Hunt Family is trying to go cheap.

First, the news – 5th-round choice FS Kendrick Lewis has signed a contract with the team. That was announced Tuesday.

Second, the reaction – this deal was probably done weeks ago, since the player selected ahead of Lewis and the player taken behind him signed their contracts back in mid-June. The whole dance between agents and teams over draft-choice contracts comes with the music of a slotted system of payment, usually confined to the player’s signing bonus. Any draft choice from say the third round down signs contracts where they receive the minimum salary in base pay each year. That would be $320,000 in 2010, $405,000 in 2011 and $490,000 in 2012, etc. The only negotiation point is over bonuses, including the signing bonus; that’s where the extra compensation comes into play.

Third, the context – is the reason the Chiefs don’t have more draft choices signed right now because they are trying to go cheap? Not likely. GM Scott Pioli, Director of Football Administration Trip McCracken and whoever else may be negotiating contracts for the team are going to try and get the best deal possible for the Chiefs. Because of the slotting system however, there’s really not a lot of give and take that should be going on. Generally what happens is the agent for the draft picks starts out trying to scramble the slotting system and the team simply waits for him to come back to reality. Once he does, getting a rookie contract done isn’t a tough thing to do. …Read More!