Practice Report 12/18 Update
From the Truman Sports Complex
It’s not looking good for Brian Waters playing on Sunday against the Browns.
Waters was again limited in his practice participation on Friday because of a left hamstring injury. The team is listing him as doubtful on the NFL injury report they’ll turn in late Friday afternoon. In the last eight years, Waters has missed only two games because of injury, those came in the 2006 season because of a right knee injury. That ended a string of 79 consecutive starts. Since missing those two games, Waters has starteed 52 straight games.
“I haven’t given up hope that Brian can go,” said head coach Todd Haley. “We’ll see how Brian comes along in the next day in a half.
If Waters can’t play, Andy Alleman figures to get the start at left guard. He’s been working with the first team in practice this week.
Haley was unwilling to share any information on whether WR Dwayne Bowe will play on Sunday, after missing the last four games because of an NFL suspension. By all accounts, Bowe has looked good in practice and has been taking snaps with the No. 1 offense.
The head coach was unwilling to make a commitment on Bowe for Sunday.
“As long as he was out, I don’t want to say something and then have to change my story,” said Haley.
If Bowe plays, the Chiefs will have to clear a roster spot for him since he’s on a league granted exemption right now. They have until 4 p.m. Saturday to make that move.
CB Brandon Carr was not taking part in practice Friday morning for personal reasons according to Haley.
Everybody else on the active roster and practice squad was on the field working indoors.
Along with listing Waters as doubtful, the Chiefs have DE Glenn Dorsey (knee), FS Jon McGraw (hand) and RB Dantrell Savage (ankle) and DE Wallace Gilberry (back) as questionable.
For the Browns: doubtful – DB Ray Ventrone; questionable – DL Keyyon Coleman (knee) and DL Robaire Smith (groin); probable – WR Josh Cribbs,(ankle), CB Eric Wright (hamstring), LB David Bowens (knee), LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder), OL Rex Hadnot (knee), WR Brian Robiskie (toe), TE Robert Royal (finger) and FB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring).
The roster has 54 with Bowe, someone’s got to go. My guess is Savage to IR.
It was reported that the Chiefs have a “roster exepmtion” for Bowe until December 21st. So Bowe can practice with the team as the 54th player on the roster…and the Chiefs won’t have to make a move until Monday.
[...] also have it from Bob Gretz that Brandon Carr did not take place in the early portion of practice [...]
At this stage, who really believes it makes any difference as to who’s in or who’s out? Flip a coin and you’ll find the draftniks hoping for a loss and higher pick.
The other side wants to establish some momentum and team confidence for 2010. I don’t believe in either mindset. Just play hard with who you have and the outcome is the outcome.
This Chiefs team is not in any position to hope for any miracle momentum with a win or solace in moving up the draft board with a loss.
You play every game to win, BUT—I’d like to see us use the backups for at LEAST a quarter for the remainder of the season, anyway. You’ll get a better look at them now than during camp or pre-season. So, that Waters and a few more can’t go isn’t that big a deal to me. I’d rather get a ‘hot’ read on the back ups, and point toward 2010.
Since Waters is probably out this week, I’d like to see the two Miami pick-ups at the G positions with Wade Smith as the C. Rudy, isn’t he answer there & I realize Wade isn’t the long-term guy either BUT I think he could hold it down better than Rudy for one game or so. I think we might see better “push” in the run game with that trio. The other guy from Miami is on the practice squad right now, but he has been trying to transition this season from G to T. I say move him back to his natural position where he started 11 games last year for an 11 win team that ran the ball all the time – pretty successfully.
Seeing the backup is ok but, normally, only teams with locked in playoff spots save the 1st string. Usually bad team have to play their best because the backup are worse than the starters.
Besides the Chiefs are in desparate need of a win sunday. They need to get out of a top 5 pick or they will end up with another Jackson, I know he is developing but he is getting paid like an impact rookie. Also the last two games are on the road against teams who have some idea of how to win, so victories will be hard to come by.
Neither one of the former Miami linemen are on the practice squad-Alleman and Ndukwe are both on the active roster. It would be best to see both these guys at guard, though, with Wade at center. Wouldn’t mind seeing Niswanger try guard or right tackle; he may be best suited as a utility backup. Sometime during these last games, I’d like to see some of Richardson at tackle, and Darryl Harris at guard, who they would need to bring up from the practice squad.
They’ve got some interesting guys they could look at during the last games. Let’s see what Gales has at DL, and some of the backup linebackers like Studebaker, Walters, Rogers and Herron. Gales looked very quick and energetic in the last game.
That being said, I want them to win, of course. I do believe in setting a tone for next year, and I would like to see them out of the top five. If you’re out of the top five, the pick is easier to trade. That’ll make any possible deals much easier to work.
Does anyone know of a good place to find out who the veteran free agents are in 2010, taking into account it being an uncapped year? I don’t know if what they show on most sites takes an uncapped year into account.
Michael- you really see an upside to a 259 pound DLineman? If he was a starter, he would be beat to death in half a season. “very quick” maybe if he ran out of the stadium and came in a exit behind offensive line and chase down the play. Nobody in the NFL wants a DL against 5 OL who weight over 300 lbs each. And you and the Chiefs want him in the DL. I just do not get it.