Tight End Is Wide Open … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

Last week Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was speaking about the team’s situation at tight end.

To say the situation is muddled would be an understatement. After the signing of rookie Cody Slate on Friday, the Chiefs now have six tight ends on their roster.

Career NFL catches from those half-dozen TEs? That number would be 86, with 68 from starter Leonard Pope (left), 16 by the still rehabbing Brad Cottam and two from last year’s draft choice Jake O’Connell. Slate, Tony Moeaki and Leroy Banks are all rookies.

Haley makes it plain what he’s seeking for the position is versatility – he wants a tight end that can block and catch.

“I think tight end is a critical position for the offense,” Haley said of the scheme that he and coordinator Charlie Weis are piecing together for use in the 2010 season. “When you have tight ends that are versatile, that can be strong in the run game and equally strong in the pass game – those complete tight ends put the defense in a little bit of a bind.

“That’s where some of the matchup issues come into play.”

Haley and Weis are big on creating mismatches with their players and offensive game plan. That’s why the plan will change from opponent to opponent because of what they see from the other defense. To take advantage at the tight end position, they need a player who is a factor in the passing game and the running game.

“If you have a tight end that you can move around a little, that’s good,” Haley said. “If you can split them out, that’s good. But at the same time if they can be in-line and a strong blocker for you, that’s a problem for the defense. The tight end position in our offense is a key position.”

Kansas City was spoiled for a long time because of Tony Gonzalez. He was largely a pass catcher – the greatest tight end receiver of all time – but the longer he was in the league, the better he became as a blocker. Obviously, his package of talents is missed on the field.

Right now, they Chiefs do not have that complete tight end, or at least he hasn’t been visible through nine OTA practice sessions. Here’s the lineup and what they do have:

POPE – A five-year veteran who in 55 NFL games has 68 career catches, last year in 13 games with the Chiefs, Pope added 20 catches for 174 yards and a TD. At 6-8, 264 pounds, he is still in the NFL because of his ability to block. In three seasons with Arizona and last year in Kansas City, he’s not a major player in the passing game. As a runner, he’s lumbering when headed down the field and there’s no quickness. Pope does have good hands it seems, and has shown the ability to make difficult catches.

COTTAM (above) – The player and the team wait for him to receive final approval to get back on the field after suffering a broken neck late last season. Cottam underwent fusion surgery and has been told he should be able to play again. That’s how he’s proceeding as he works in the strength and conditioning program. But the doctors and specialists have not cleared him for contact work and it’s unlikely they will until training camp. He’s a slightly smaller version of Pope, more blocker than catcher.

O’CONNELL – Late in the ‘09 Draft, Chiefs GM Scott Pioli traded back in to the seventh round so the Chiefs could select O’Connell. So far we haven’t been given much evidence of why that move was necessary. The game was too big for O’Connell last season and it showed with very inconsistent hands and little in the way of any contribution in the four games where he dressed. At 6-3, 250 pounds, he’s got good size to be able to do both, but the question now is whether he has the skill and whether there is the time to find out.

MOEAKI – Last week, the third-round draft choice said he thought he would be on the practice field soon. He’s missed all the OTA sessions with an undisclosed problem. Moeaki said it’s not an injury, which makes it sound like it must be an illness of some kind. During his time at Iowa, he showed he has the greatest potential to be the complete tight end. He’s got the right size at 6-3, 252 pounds. He showed very good hands during the rookie mini-camp and he can get separation.

BANKS – undrafted out of Southern Mississippi, Banks was signed by Atlanta after the ‘10 Draft but then released. The Chiefs claimed him off the waiver wire and so far he’s been a real surprise. Banks has shown good athletic ability, hands and he can get separation. He’s 6-3 and listed as 243 pounds, but he’s got a skinny physique and appears much stronger as a catcher than a blocker. At Southern Miss, he

SLATE
(left) – signed on Friday, Slate might have been selected in the ‘10 NFL Draft had he not blown out the ACL in his right knee on November 14 of last year. He missed the last three games of Marshall’s season and was unable to really workout from a position of strength; he’s still just eight months removed from an injury that takes nine to 10 months to rehab. Slate is more a catcher than blocker, hauling down 199 catches in 44 career games, including 23 for touchdowns. He’s 6-4, 229 pounds.

Throw them all together and the Chiefs have a lot of parts, but not a single tight end who has shown they can block and catch on a consistent basis in the NFL.

NFL PERSONNEL FILE/FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JUNE 4-5-6

• BILLS – signed ILB Reggie Torbor to a 2-year contract – he was released last week by the Dolphins, where his position coach the last two seasons was George Edwards, the new defensive coordinator in Buffalo.
• BRONCOS – released G Maurice Williams – added last month after spending 9 seasons with the Jaguars; released QB Tom Brandstater, last year’s 6th-round draft choice; signed FB Kyle Eckel – who played last year with the Saints, and has previously played for the Dolphins, Eagles and Patriots; signed RG Chris Kuper to a 5-year, $25.5 million contract extension with $10.5 million in new guaranteed money. He will play the ‘10 season for his RFA tender offer of $2,521,000. Kuper is entering his fifth season and has started 42 games, the last two years at right guard.
• BUCCANEERS – signed 4th-round draft choice WR Mike Williams to a 4-year, $3,150,000 contract – talented receiver out of Syracuse who slipped in the ‘10 draft because of character concerns; released OL Michael Shumard an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M.
• CHIEFS – signed TE Cody Slate, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Marshall.
• COLTS – both QB Peyton Manning and S Bob Sanders took part in the team’s mini-camp work over the weekend in Indianapolis. Both are coming back from surgery, Manning to his neck and Sanders to his right bicep; despite being under contract, WR Reggie Wayne, DE Robert Mathis and S Antoine Bethea did not take part in the mini-camp; WR Anthony Gonzalez did not participate in the mini-camp practices, although he’s worked some recent OTA sessions. Gonzalez suffered a knee injury in last year’s season opener and was done for the year.
• EAGLES – agreed to terms with 4th-round draft choice CB Trevard Lindley on a 4-year, $2,310,000 contract with $522,000 in guaranteed money – he’s out of Kentucky; agreed to terms with 7th-round draft choice LB Jamar Chaney to a 4-year, $1,850,000 contract with a $60,000 signing bonus – he’s out of Mississippi State and has played all three linebacker positions; agreed to terms with 7th-round draft choice DT Jeff Owens on a 4-year,$1,834,000 contract with a $44,000 signing bonus – out of Georgia, he missed all of ‘08 with a knee injury.
• JETS – signed 5th-round draft choice FB John Conner to a 4-year, $1,989,000 contract, with a $199,000 signing bonus – he was the highest drafted fullback in ‘10. He’s seen as the replacement next year for veteran FB Tony Richardson.
• PACKERS – CB Brandon Underwood is under investigation for sexual assault according to police officials in Lake Delton, Wisconsin. Officials are investigating the claims of two Milwaukee women who said they did not consent to sexual contact with Underwood at a condo that’s part of the Wilderness Resort Golf Cabins. Underwood has admitted having sex with the women, and says it was consensual. Six other Packers were at the condo and were questioned but are not considered suspects: LB Clay Matthews, LB Brad Jones, FB Korey Hall, G Josh Sitton, S Khalil Jones and QB Matt Flynn. They were attending a charity golf tournament that was hosted by Matthews.
• PATRIOTS – signed 7th-round draft choice G Thomas Welch to a 4-year contract – started the last two years at tackle for Vanderbilt after beginning his career at tight end.
• SEAHAWKS – released WR Mike Jones – he spent the ‘09 season on Seattle’s practice squad.
• STEELERS – released LS Jared Retkofsky – he played in 11 games for Pittsburgh last year, filling in for Greg Warren when he went down with an injury.