My Chief Concerns: Fat Camp, Words of Advice
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The offseason is just about over for the players. If the only heavy lifting they have done in the offseason is with their forks then they are in deep trouble. If the only running they have done includes the words “beer” and “run”, and in that order, then they are in even deeper trouble. Shape up or ship out is the new regime’s mantra.
You have to be the dumbest player in the world, or have been living under a rock to not know that you had better report to Todd Haley’s training camp in shape; really good shape. As you all know, a very big deal was made last year about Todd Haley’s conditioning test. Warnings were issued, yet players like Dwayne Bowe and Glenn Dorsey failed to take heed and failed the conditioning test. They were in Todd Haley’s dog house right from the get go. This is a place you do not want to be. Failing the test means that you do not run with the ones, twos, or even the threes. Instead you run with Richard Simmons in Fat Camp, otherwise known as No Man’s Land, instead of training camp.
As training camp approaches, I wonder who will fail the test. There will be no announcements about it, but when Bob Gretz, Josh Looney, or even you (if you plan on attending camp) report who is not with the team and on the side lines, then you will have the answer. My hope is that no one will fail the test. But I have a few hunches (guesses really) about who will fail the test which include three veterans, one draft pick, and undrafted free agents.
More after the jump
As far as the three veterans go, I am making the assumptions based upon the following: First, they are a little bit older, second, they have been around the league and had some success (spoiled), and last, but most important, they have never been in a Todd Haley training camp, and never undergone his drills.
First Veteran: NT Shaun Smith. Let me say that we like Shaun. He reads Arrowhead Addict and even “tweeted” at us that he had signed with the Chiefs before it was official. Thanks Shaun. We need and want Shaun to do well. We have a desperate need for a big NT to plug the middle and do so right away. Should Shaun report to camp and fail the test, he will not get the necessary reps with the number one team that we so desperately need. Also complicating things is that Shaun is a big man. If he is not running sprints daily, he is going to have some trouble. Just ask Glenn Dorsey. Further complicating things is it is rumored that he has some behavioral issues. He desperately needs to make a good first impression. I am a little worried.
Second Veteran: Ryan Lilja. I am not sure what kind of camp they run in Indy, but I am sure it was not as tough as Haley’s (Dungy and Caldwell seem too nice). Ryan is a player who has been around for a while and had a lot of success and accolades. That won’t mean dirt here in KC. I am guessing, but would not be shocked to learn, that he had it easier than other Indy lineman when training camp came around. He might not need to make as good as a first impression as Shaun Smith, but it wouldn’t hurt.
Third Veteran: Casey Weigman. Casey is awesome, but he is long in the tooth, and again has not experienced a Haley training camp. I am thirty eight years old and Casey is about my age. I can’t even imagine how he is going to handle those drills. I can’t even run my business without getting tired.
Draft Pick: Tony Moeaki. I don’t expect any draft pick to report out of shape, but if there is one, I think it might be Moeaki. He has been ill and injured. I am calling him out here because I want him to know that Chief fans need him to report in shape. He cannot afford to sacrifice any first team reps. Other than Berry, he has the best chance to be a starter from day one. I like Pope, but it is Moeaki’s job to lose and he just might should he fail the test.
Undrafted Free Agent: All of them. These players not only need to show up in shape, they need to play mistake free football. Todd Haley is not Herm Edwards. He does not have a predisposition for undrafted rooks. These players better give 100% on every play or they won’t even be considered for the practice squad. In fact if they fail to show in shape, they may be cut that day for someone who is.
I am excited. I cannot wait. Those are my assumptions. Do you have any? Am I missing someone?