The Morning Fix: Chiefs News From Around The Web

The NFL Players Association filed a complaint in federal court Wednesday, accusing the league of colluding to impose a secret salary cap during the uncapped 2010 season.

The claim was filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, which oversees the Reggie White settlement covering NFL labor matters.

The complaint claims a ”conspiracy” to set a $123 million salary cap for the 2010 season, when owners did not have the authority to do so. The Cowboys and Redskins have had their future salary caps lowered for overspending in 2010, Dallas by $10 million over two seasons, Washington by a whopping $36 million.

“I think that we have a really good quarterback,” Pioli said. “He’s a good starting NFL quarterback. And I hear the numbers and I hear trends and you can look at certain statistics and put them in any direction you want to support a position or an argument.

“I hear a lot of noise. I don’t understand it. I don’t necessarily get it. He’s a competitor and he’s a winner. He’s had production. There are good quarterbacks in this division. It takes teams to win a division. It takes teams to win a championship.”

Pioli helped create some of the offseason noise with the organization’s public comments about Manning and multiple meetings and workouts with Tannehill. All that had the long-suffering Chiefs’ fans wondering if they were going to see yet another change at quarterback, a position the franchise hasn’t gotten entirely correct since the days of Hall of Famer Len Dawson.

Gonzalez dropped seven places from his spot on last year’s list, despite having an all-around better statistical season in 2011. The Falcons probably thought they were getting a nice role player when they signed Gonzalez after a 12-year Hall of Fame-caliber run with the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead, they ended up getting premier production at the position for three seasons and counting.

Gonzalez is now 36, an age at which most tight ends have already long-since stared down the fiery meteor. Gonzalez has laughed at mortality, missing just two games since 1997 despite the physical demands of his position.

When the Chiefs lined up for their first offensive snaps of OTAs (Organized Team Activities), zone rushes were among the most popular plays on Brian Daboll’s script. The calls included blocking techniques that helped Winston become so successful in Houston’s run game over the past few seasons.

“We’re doing some outside zone stuff in the run game, which I’m really familiar with from my days in Houston,” Winston said. “Pass protections are a little different, but you still have to block the guy in front of you. It gets down to that simple level and you get after it.”

Crennel knows that lifestyle can be difficult for the children of military members. So on Wednesday, Crennel and the Chiefs gave military kids something to cheer about when they visited Patton Junior High School in Leavenworth, Kansas for a special “Play 60” event.

Crennel addressed students before the event and thanked them for their resiliency.

“I’m an old army brat myself,” Crennel told the auditorium filled with military students before the event. “I know what you guys go through when you move from place to place, and I understand it isn’t easy.”