Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

Well, Kansas City fans, at this point during the week I’m sure we’re all a little exhausted of hearing about the the Chiefs’ failure against the Rams Saturday night. The Chiefs secondary was lacking in some things (to say the least), the injured status of Kendrick Lewis and Brandon Flowers has us all concerned and Ricky Stanzi performed miserably. To boot, we all have questions pertaining to just what caused Tamba Hali’s suspension. But let’s try to brighten up here. Bowe is back, Cassel is continuing to do well in Daboll’s offense and, at the pace he’s going, Peyton Hillis is looking to be a strong candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. Further, the Chiefs are better off seeing the weakness in their D now instead of, say, the fourth preseason game; the two remaining preseason games should provide us fans with a good litmus test for what to expect from our Chiefs at the start of the regular season now that Crennel knows just what kind of adjustments need made that could hamper some of the better QBs in the league, several of which the team’ll be facing right off the bat.

Before making my predictions last week, I considered how I saw the Chiefs’ 53-man roster fleshing out and drew the following conclusions:

ST: K – 1, P – 1, LS – 1

OFF: QB – 3, RB – 4, WR – 7, OL – 8 or 7, TE – 3 or 4 (8 OL & 3 TE, or 7 OL & 4 TE)

DEF: DL – 7 or 8, LB – 8, DBs– 10 or 9 (7 DL & 10 DBs, or 8  & 9, respectively)

When considering this structure, I felt a few position group numbers were a little high, but a quick look at last year’s roster, courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference, assured me that I’m pretty well in the ballpark. And, yes, having a minimum of nine guys in the secondary and a possible ten still seems a little excessive, but when you consider that last year’s active roster, at one point or another, included Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Eric Berry, Kendrick Lewis, Jalil Brown, Travis Daniels, Javier Arenas, Reshard Langford, Jon McGraw, Donald Washington & Sabby Piscitelli, I’m not too far off base. Of the nine or ten DBs I expect to make the roster, do I expect all of them to be on the active roster come game day? No; just as I don’t expect the 7^th WR, 8^th OL, 8^th LB, or 3^rd QB to be on the active roster. Remember, though it’s a 53-man roster, only a maximum of 46 players may be active on game day (up from the previous CBAs 45-man limit), which leads us to this week’s predictions:

1.  With Flowers and Lewis out for an indeterminate amount of time, Crennel will take a hard look at the DBs on roster (I know, I’m friggin’ Nostradamus, right?). Chalking up Saturday’s problems to a secondary that is “young”, “inexperienced” and lacking “maturity”, Crennel will focus mostly on filling out the roster with the more veteran players. Though some of these players’ ceilings may not be as high as some of the newer guys, their consistency and reliability in the short term will prevail over longer term, but potentially better, developmental projects. As I see it the roster will consist of : 1. Flowers; 2. Routt; 3. Berry; 4. Lewis; 5. Abram Elam; 6. Travis Daniels; 7. Jalil Brown; and, 8. Javier Arenas. This leaves one maybe two spots to take on either Jacques Reeves and a project player, or two project players, with the likely candidates being Dequan Menzie, Terrance Parks and Tysyn Hartman. Dequan Menzie may be in the same boat as Junior Hemingway; an injury plagued camp may spell practice squad, but I think the odds of that are worse than with Hemingway, and choosing Menzie and either Parks or Hartman over Reeves to fill out the bottom of the roster wouldn’t be too surprising. That being said, I could somewhat understand if Reeves was chosen to stay on roster with the other candidates being practice squad eligible. In any event I would not be shocked to see all three of Menzie, Parks & Hartman keep ties with the team, even if one or two is/are kept in the capacity of practice squad player(s). The remaining options (Fenner, Fanor, etc.) just don’t strike me as making the cut in any capacity.  That includes Donald Washington, who despite being a veteran and “more mature”, seems to me to be too costly of a save at this point.

Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE

2. Stanzi will still make the roster, but as the No. 3 QB and only for the purposes of continued development. He’s just not looking that good right now, and if a playoff berth is still in the cards and push comes to shove (Cassel and Quinn are unable to play), Pioli has enough sense to make a powerplay for a much better QB. The three I could see getting the most consideration in this hypothetical situation are Matt Moore, Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Sanchez. Moore has the most (and recent) experience in a Daboll-driven offense and could slide in and understand the terminology, assignments, etc. the easiest. Hasselbeck, on top of the reasons Paddy pointed out, not only provides consistently good play, but given his age would not be perceived as a threat to Cassel. And I think Sanchez is simply better than he’s given credit for: he’s actually improved every year he’s been in the league, he has playoff wins under his belt, and given a more stable locker room and stronger supporting offensive cast, I think he would surprise. Obviously, this hypothetical scenario also takes place later in the season where Moore, Hasselbeck and Sanchez may be seen as expendable for the right price. In any case, I don’t see Stanzi taking the field if the Chiefs still have a shot at the playoffs; until he shows us significantly more than he has, I think I’d rather see Zorn suit-up and take the field.

3. Following another lackluster game performance, Josh Bellamy’s stock has dropped some, but he should still be counted as a candidate for the last WR slot (though arguments for Markshausen and, as KCMikeG pointed out, Jamar Newsome have gotten stronger). Bear in mind that a) the last WR isn’t likely to sniff the active roster, b) injury to Bowe or Baldwin will be overcome by Breaston resuming the role of the No. 2 WR, a role he held for most of his career (remember: Boldin played out of the slot in Arizona), and c) an injury to McCluster will result in Breaston, and eventually Wylie, being able to fulfill the role being carved out by Dex. If Breaston or Wylie get injured, it’ll be a blow, but likely not a humongous one. If any two of Bowe, Baldwin and Breaston get injured, the Chiefs would definitely be in trouble, but unless both of those injuries were expected to be long-term, I’d anticipate we’d see Daboll calling for more 2-TE sets until one of the guys returned.

Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

4. I’ve grown quite fond of Kendrick Lewis. As last year wore on after Berry’s injury, Lewis started to improve by leaps and bounds, and I firmly believe he is a better player now than he otherwise would’ve been at this point in his career had Berry not been injured. In the face of adversity, Kendrick rose to the occasion, and how can you not love a player capable of that? But that being said, I agree with AA’s own Lyle Graversen that the loss of Flowers is greater than the loss of Lewis. Abram Elam will provide adequate temporary replacement of Lewis until Lewis can heal up; however, one of the greatest disappointments concerning Kendrick’s injury is that the newly implemented defensive scheme of putting Lewis and Elam in at safety and letting Eric Berry roam freely and wreak havoc is in danger of not being utilized until his Lewis’ return. Enter Travis Daniels. I’ll admit, I was pretty indifferent to Travis Daniels prior to this season (didn’t love him, didn’t hate him), but since he switched to taking on safety duties, I have a little more hope in his capability to make significant contributions to the team. There are two preseason games left, and I would not be the least bit surprised to see Daniels tested harder at safety to see if he can provide suitable replacement for Lewis in the new scheme so it can start being effectively used before Lewis heals up and returns. With Tamba a certain loss in the Atlanta game, and Flowers and Lewis uncertainties as to whether or not they’ll play, Daniels being coached up enough so that the new scheme isn’t a liability may be integral to a Chiefs victory on opening day. That may be a lot of faith to put into Daniels, but a roving Berry may be the team’s best hope for a victorious pass defense without Flowers, Lewis and Hali in the mix.

Thus concludes my predictions/observations for this week, Addicts. If you disagree with anything I’ve said or proposed, or think that there’s a player I’m not giving enough credit to (or giving too much credit to, for that matter), let me hear it in the “Comments” section. And as always, Go Chiefs!!!!!

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that the NFL preseason is like a bizarro world version of the NFL. Generally, it’s inconsistent play all around, which allows some players to look good while entire units look lost. Amid all that chaos, it’s really hard to judge anyone or anything accurately. The only way to get around it is with large sample sizes.

Two weeks into the preseason, I think there are only a few things you can assert confidently about the Chiefs:

1.)    Put very little stock in the fact that the Rams were able to get on the board quickly this weekend. As Paddy rightly pointed out, the best indicator of how teams are going to fare in preseason games isn’t the quality of the talent on each side, but rather which coach actually cares about winning the game. Many coaches couldn’t care less. They are throwing darts randomly at a board. “Hmm, ok, let’s see this guy in this play against a first-team defense and see what happens.” “Mmm, ok, let’s see what this guy can do.” They’re not game-planning, they’re not scouting matchups on the other team, because to do so would be a waste of valuable time coaching up players and refining general techniques.

There is an argument for trying to win preseason games if you are a very young team, and/or a team with lots of new players and you are trying to foster team-spirit and get the band of strangers in a winning attitude before the regular season starts. That is the exact situation St. Louis is in right now. Not only do they have more new players on their 90-man list than any other team in the NFL at 56, but they are also the youngest team in the league. Furthermore, Jeff Fisher is known to like to win preseason games. He has the second-best career record in the preseason among active head coaches at .608, beaten out only by Mike Shanahan with .681. Not to mention, the Rams got mauled 38-3 the week before by the similarly young and hopeless Indianapolis Colts. Fisher knew he had to get some good vibes going with his team, and give young quarterback Sam Bradford some confidence.

Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

On both the big opening pass to slot receiver Danny Amendola, and the subsequent touchdown pass to TE Lance Kendricks, LB Jovan Belcher was covering. In both cases, I couldn’t really tell if it was zone coverage or man-to-man, because, quite frankly Belcher was so far off. Both times, a safety rushed in to try and break up the play but even Berry couldn’t get there in time. Now, I, of course, can’t prove that Fisher game-planned the first couple series or scouted the Chiefs. All I know is that if you were going to design plays to attack the Chiefs’ defense – that’s exactly how you would do it. By far our biggest defensive weakness is when Belcher is caught in pass coverage on fast, pass-catching tight ends or slot receivers. As stout as he is in the run game, he is just not fast enough to keep up with those guys. As such, Belcher is never put on those guys and is generally not even on the field on likely passing downs. Even in situations where Belcher would be on the field, the Chiefs would have likely adjusted from the beginning to put a safety on the TE or slot guy. The Chiefs started the game in standard base defensive sets and not only did the Rams’ play-calling target Belcher for big gains right off the bat, they ran the plays on 1^st down when he was likely to be on the field as a probable rushing down.

I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I believe that often times when something happens where motive and opportunity meet, well, it’s no coincidence. They got what they wanted — two quick, injury-free scores, and an ego-boost for their QB. Immediately afterwards, their starters left the field feeling like they had won. And again, it’s not like it’s a crime to game plan in the preseason to try and show something against soft competition with nothing on the line. There’s a chance Brian Daboll was doing the same thing to boost Cassel’s confidence and make sure the Chiefs came out with a bang against the Cardinals last week.

2.)    Unless Matt Cassel has a total meltdown or gets injured, he is going to go into the regular season with strong momentum. Hidden among the general Chiefs’ shock about how good the Rams played against the Chiefs’ first-team D is the fact that Cassel has hit on 75 percent of his passes so far. Against the Rams, he even nailed the kind of play that we have seen very rarely out of him – flushed from the pocket on 3^rd and long, under heavy pressure, he chucked a dart to McCluster (his smallest target) in tight coverage for a first down.

3.)    In limited action, Charles has shown he still has it. Chiefs fans likely won’t be happy with Jamaal Charles’ recovery until he busts out a huge gainer, but, with the additional weapons that KC has accumulated, we no longer need him to be THE dynamic threat. Hillis has shown himself to be worth every penny, and the Chiefs have a plethora of receiving options. So far this preseason, Charles has had 6 rushes and 3 receptions for 6.4 yards per touch, including 9.7 yards per catch. If we are facing 2^nd and 4 every time by getting to ball to him, I don’t think anyone will be complaining even if he’s not streaking down field for big plays. But don’t worry, he will be.

Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

4.)    Glamorous he is not, but Brady Quinn looks like he can help us in a pinch. Look, he’s not Tyler friggin’ Palko, alright? Do I need to say anymore? Ok, fine. 12/19 151 yards 1 TD, 1 INT, good for a 83.44 passer rating. Amazing? No, but how good does a backup on a run-heavy defensive team need to be?

5.)    The Chiefs are going to have to make their hardest roster decision on the D-line this year. KC will probably only keep six or seven defensive linemen on their 53-man roster. I think it is safe to say that Glenn Dorsey, Dontari Poe and Tyson Jackson are staying with the team. So, who gets the remaining three spots? Allen Bailey is probably not going anywhere either as the team’s only true nickel rusher. That leaves two spots for a number of standout backups. Anthony Toribio currently holds the starting NT job and presumably the Chiefs want another passing-down rusher. Amon Gordon was the consistent jack-of-all-trades last year, but he hasn’t shown it so far in camp or in preseason games. Ropati Pitoitua has impressed in camp and has seen the field early preseason action (there’s also an unwritten NFL regulation stating that every team must carry at least one scary dude with an unpronounceable name). Brandon Bair has also shown some sparks in that role too, however.

Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

And finally, although it may not make the most sense at the moment, I like the idea of keeping Jerrell Powe. He has finally come on as a penetrating NT, which is what they want Poe, his homonymal brother, to become. He was consistently getting pressure in the last two games, and may also be effective as a rotational guy at the other positions. Who knows, with another year of development Powe might even turn out to be straight-up better than Poe, and these types of man-monsters don’t grow on trees. The painful part is that I know that at least a couple of these guys are going to be scavenged off the Chiefs as soon as they’re moved to the practice squad because there is a league-wide demand for such players and a DL-deprived team like the Broncos will be more than happy to take them off of our hands.

Consider this an extension of the “Of Combines and Correlations” series if you will.  However, instead of looking at just rookie scores, I’ve decided to take it a step further to see how our entire roster performed in physical attribute testing, whether through the NFL Combine or Pro Days, how those players compare amongst themselves within their position group, how they stack up against their NFL position peers, and then maybe make some assessments as whether they are beating the odds or falling in line with Joe Landers predictive model.  If you’re new to this approach, you can get a better understanding of what this is all about and perhaps why it even matters by simply reviewing Of Combines and Correlations – Part 1.

Today, we take a look at physical attribute scores for the current roster of Chiefs wide recievers as shown below.

As perhaps you may recall from Of Combines and Correlations – Part 4, Landers concludes from his statistical analysis of the 5 year combine database ending in 2008, that wide receivers who exceeded peer average in the 40 yard dash and vertical jump, plus earned at least two EPAs on top of that had the best odds for future NFL success and that 6 EPAs was optimal, again provided that EPAs in the 40 and VJ were among the EPAs earned.

The first thing that probably catches your eyes here is Josh Bellamy’s perfect* score of 7 EPAs (*noting that WRs almost never participate in the Long Shuttle Drill). 7 would seem even better than 6, right? Well, going off of Landers 5 year dataset, only one receiver achieved 7 EPAs, and as of 2008, that player was not a starter but did at least make roster.  So noted, given the small sample size, I personally wouldn’t make any statistical distinction between 7 EPAs and the optimum 6 EPAs.

Breaking it down a little, the current roster is composed of 3 receivers who achieved 6 EPAs or better, Bellamy, Kinnie, and Wylie, all of whom are rookies.  4th round pick Wylie seems to be leading the pack in terms of camp productivity however the undrafted rookies, Bellamy and local product Kinnie, have certainly also made some plays when given the opportunity.  It’s tough to figure out at this point what the Chiefs plan to do with all this fresh infusion of speed and athleticism in the context of a 53 man roster, but it will be an interesting story to watch nonetheless. Also, keep in mind that Landers timeline for determining NFL success (i.e., 1st teamer status) is 5 years or less from the time of being drafted (or in the case of UDFA’s, being signed).

Of these three, I suppose I am most optimistic about Wylie in terms of making the 53 man roster and having an immediate impact as a returner. In the case of Bellamy, he’s definitely garnered a lot of well deserved attention in training camp to date. Similarly, Kinnie has flashed some ability as a big, speedy, physical red zone threat with good hands.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending upon how one views the situation, the Chiefs are likely to only keep 6 receivers on the active roster and those most likely to make the final cut at this point seem to be Bowe, Breaston, Baldwin, McCluster, Wylie and I’m going to guess Copper (as a special teamer).  In the case of both Bellamy and Kinnie, even if the Chiefs are intending to slate both for the practice squad (and let’s not  leave Jeremy Horne out of this conversation either) I would really hate to see either of those guys get snatched up on waivers while we’re waiting to place them on the practice squad.

Of course, there remains several weeks before the Chiefs have to make that final cut. Things can change, injuries, competition, whatever so perhaps one or more of these guys on the outside develops quickly between now and then and earns (or steps into) an open roster spot? Scott Pioli also needs to think about the long term future of the organization.

Will Bowe be signed to a long term deal? Will he be franchised two years in a row (that second year gets pretty expensive mind you)? There are a number of things going on that suggest to me that this will be Dwayne Bowe’s last season with the Chiefs. Hopefully we get something valuable in exchange for him.

I’m also not all that certain that Steve Breaston will be around much longer either. His contract is not expensive and his production last season was nothing to write home about. I strongly recommend everyone link here to get Football Outsiders evaluation of both Bowe’s and Breaston’s 2011 campaign. Frankly, neither particularly wowed in terms of elite receiver qualifications.

With what appears to be the recent emergence of Baldwin and McCluster, along with the need to develop a receiver or two to replace Bowe, perhaps Breaston suddenly becomes expendable and one or more of these guys on the bubble can avoid the practice team/waiver conundrum and gets a year to develop as part of the regular 53 man squad? It’s also hard to say at this point whether Copper is a lock between now and the final cut.

That my Double Take Addicts.

Let me hear your thoughts on all this. Are you impressed by the physical talent and potential of the Chiefs’ rookie wide receivers this year? Are you at all surprised by what appears to be a less-than-ideal physical attribute skills of the receivers currently on the roster;  especially considering we’re talking about guys that most might consider the mainstays of our receiver corps? Lastly, what do you think holds for the future of this group?

Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel find themselves in an uncommon predicament in Kansas City. The Chiefs have more depth than they’ve had in years, and it’s time to start pruning back the roster. While Pioli has more notable experience at this task due to his time in New England, RAC’s experience as HC in Cleveland was probably less “which player is better” and more “which player sucks less”.

Further, the CBA explicitly leaves it to each team to determine its own cutdown schedule, which for Pioli, at least, tasks him with determining what moves are best for the team that’ll play the regular season and what moves are best for the ledger. You see, while the Chiefs could hold, in theory, hold all players until the end of the preseason, making all cuts and practice squad assignments in one fell swoop, they also have to pay each player each week they remain on roster (plus housing, meals and other costs). For players that have not yet accrued one NFL season the rate is $850 per week. For the remaining players, who are considered veterans with at least one season under belt, the sum is $1,600 per week.

Being in a position not so concerned about the business aspect of the NFL, Crennel will obviously be interested in getting the best players for his team on the 53-man roster.

A few position groups look a little tighter than others and will warrant longer looks. The Chiefs’ RB/FB group, DL & OL look particularly tight. Their LB corps also looks tight outside of DJ, Hali, Houston & Belcher/Siler, but the talent dropoff is a little bit more noticeable for the remainders (which is bound to happen when compared to DJ, Hali and the emerging Houston). The WRs and DBs are overcrowded, but a few names are clearly improving and impressing over others so it might not be as tight as it looks on paper. QBs look pretty straightforward (Cassel, Quinn & Stanzi on roster and Tanney on the practice squad), as does TE (Boss, Moeaki & Maneri on roster for sure; maybe Biere or O’Connell if they decide to keep a fourth).

A couple important things to note is that, while it is a 53-man roster, the practice squad is allowed up to 8 players (9 if the team puts an international player on the squad as the 9th person, which doesn’t look to be pertinent to the Chiefs this year). So realistically, of the 90 men on roster, only 29 must be cut from the team completely. Also an interesting point to note is that, while any team can sign a player from another team’s practice squad, they may only do so in the interest of adding the player to the second team’s own 53-man roster; the CBA prohibits teams from taking a player off another team’s practice squad just to turn around and put the player on their own practice squad.

Following Preseason Week 1, here are a few observations and predictions concerning how Pioli & Co. may handle the cuts this season:

John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

1. Shaun Draughn and Cyrus Gray both look like they could be solid contributors in the regular season. Putting one of these players on the practice squad could be synonymous with cutting them, as I think another team would be likely to clear a spot on their 53-man roster to take a chance on them. Inversely, I don’t see the Chiefs carrying more than 4 players in the backfield, which means they might have to do without a fulltime FB. Hillis can provide these services, if needed, and the team’s decision to crosstrain a few TEs in the role may make Shane Bannon expendable. Notice I said “expendable” rather than “relegated to the practice squad for another year”. The Steelers starting FB went down to an ACL tear during the Steelers preseason opener against the Eagles, and is likely to be out for the entire season.* The Steelers have a way of making good use of their FB on roster and may be looking to replace him for the season. Todd Haley might look no further than KC in recommending a replacement to HC Mike Tomlin, and Haley’s eyes may be on the waiver wire or KC’s practice squad (as the case may be). Now the Steelers have shown a tendency to prefer FBs that are more in the FB/TE hybrid vein, so maybe this circumstance won’t arise, but it bears keeping an eye on.

* Been there, right? Hey, maybe the injury bug followed Haley to Pittsburgh. Wouldn’t that be nice?

2. In limited punting opportunities, K/P Matt Szymanski put up numbers comparable to Colquitt’s. Additionally, Szymanski did consistently great during his opportunities on placekicking duties. While it’s likely that Colquitt will remain the Chiefs’ punter this season, and that the Chiefs won’t carry more than one kicker and one punter on the 53-man roster (other position groups are too crowded and the additional spot could be better used elsewhere), more importance has been placed on STs this year, and the future prospect of only needing to use one roster slot for a K and P is enticing (and we all know Pioli loves versatility). I expect Szymanski to get a practice squad slot and to receive a lot of focus on punting this season. If it looks like he could suitably replace Colquitt, Pioli may just let Dustin’s contract expire at the end of the season and move forward with the player that may potentially develop into a suitable K as well a few years down the line.

Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

3. The DL looks thicker. Just a few months ago a lot of fans were taking it for granted that players like Powe and Amon Gordon would make the roster, myself included; now, I’m not too sure. Toribio has progressed more than any of us probably anticipated and will likely remain in the Top 2 in the depth chart at NT. Gordon does have an edge on Powe, as he can handle either DE or NT duties, but even there depth at DE looks just as thick and may not accommodate Gordon. Besides Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey, the Chiefs have Allen Bailey who looks to provide the team with a better pass rush from the DL, the solidly built veteran Ropati Pitoitua, and Brandon Bair has started to make a little bit of noise on the field. Eight players for the DL seems like a little much, especially if Poe can prove his stamina before the preseason is over and be a three-down player. Powe may have a shot of making the roster, if RAC determines that Dontari can provide DE services consistently enough to go with the anticipated NT services (thereby rendering Gordon as aged and obsolete a’la Kelly Gregg). But as of right now, I expect 7 men to carry over to the 53-man roster with the last spot going to either Bair or Gordon.

4. My fourth and final prediction following Week 1 concerns the WR situation. I can reasonably see 7 WRs making it to the 53-man roster. Bowe, Baldwin, Breaston, McCluster & Wylie are almost sure to be locks with the remaining WRs duking it out for the last two slots. I think Terrence Copper’s proven effectiveness on special teams and his veteran presence might give him an edge for the sixth slot. The real battle will be over the final slot, and I think the top contenders will be Josh Bellamy, Zeke Markhausen and Junior Hemingway. Markhausen has more experience (though ever so slightly) over the other two, Bellamy has been turning heads in practice (though his play was a little lackluster against the Cards), and Pioli and the KC scouts obviously saw something they liked in Hemingway (though injuries have plagued his training thus far). Hemingway’s injuries haven’t just deterred the Chiefs from getting a good read on him, but the other NFL teams likely won’t risk a roster slot on him, plus his upside looks better than Markhausen, so Junior might be a prime candidate for the practice squad. This leaves Bellamy and Markhausen vying for the last slot. Zeke having enough experience to be a little more used to the speed of the game at the NFL level is reassuring; however, Bellamy has created buzz and may not stay around long if relegated to the practice squad. Additionally, Bellamy has a certain kind of experience that no other KC WR has: Bellamy played double duty, as needed, in college as both a WR and a CB. While ultimately going undrafted and getting signed by the Chiefs as a WR, Bellamy may have future stock in being crosstrained for defense. But for the here and now, Bellamy could earn a roster spot for his ST ability as his time playing D in college likely means that his tackling technique is noticeably more refined than his competitions’ at WR in KC. I expect Bellamy to continue to work hard in practice and to earn a spot on this year’s roster.

So there’s my take following Preseason Week 1. What’s your take, Addicts? Sound off…

Last Friday I jumped in my trusty Nissan Sentra and set out for my second annual pilgrimage to Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph. This time I made a quick pit stop in Topeka to pick up my dad, who had never been to camp before (hey, pops!). After having a great experience last year, I was really looking forward to seeing how things would look under Romeo this year. There has been great coverage out of camp thus far, and most of it has mentioned how the camp this year has had an even faster tempo and energy than previous camps.

Unfortunately for those of us at camp on Friday, it was not a real energetic day. Romeo said as much in his press conference on Saturday. It didn’t help that about 20 percent of the practice was dedicated to punt team work. However, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t walk away with some observations and predictions based on what I saw. So let’s get to it.

I’ll start with the offense.

First of all, my initial impression of new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is very positive. He was the most energized person on the field. He came out ahead of most of the players and coaches and shook hands, signed autographs, and posed for pictures with fans. He then proceeded to warm up Jon Baldwin (more on him in a minute) one-on-one while they waited for the rest of the team to get out to the field. He threw Baldwin some passes and then did a drill with him where he’d stand behind him and throw a ball up over his head and Baldwin would have to react instantly when it dropped into view and try to snatch it out of the air.

The thing I really like about Daboll is that he seems to balance his “harsh criticism” with positive energy more than Todd Haley did. Yes, he will jump on a guy who does something wrong, but 30 seconds later he’s right back to teaching or hopping up and down like a little kid because somebody did something he liked. It’s hard to judge an offensive coordinator before we see how his offense produces, but after watching him in action for one practice, I’m encouraged.

Watching the quarterbacks on Friday was not real encouraging. Of all the position groups they had one of the least impressive days. Cassel was Cassel, meaning that he was clearly the leader and #1 QB, but didn’t really impress. Quinn wasn’t really any better. I will say one thing: At this point Quinn is 100 percent  the #2 QB in camp. He always took the second team snaps ahead of Stanzi and when the QBs broke into two groups it was always Cassel with Quinn and Stanzi with Tanney. Despite the fact that Quinn hasn’t been great, he knows Daboll’s system and I didn’t see Stanzi do anything to deserve to pass him on Friday. Stanzi will have to clearly out-play Quinn in the preseason to claim the #2 QB job (in my opinion).
(Notice Daboll coaching WR Josh Bellamy as he runs his route)

The running backs were a different story. They all looked really good and I think the battle for the #3 RB spot could be one of the best to watch. I would have guessed that Cyrus Gray was a shoo-in for the job but I think Shaun Draughn may have something to say about that. Draughn looks a lot more powerful than Gray but still has a pretty explosive burst. I’d like to see Gray win the job, but if I didn’t know which back was which and you asked me who looked the best on Friday, I would have said Draughn.

The best part of the entire practice was at the very end when they did some red zone work and Jamaal Charles took the first snap of the drill put a sick cut on the first defender and then streaked outside to the end zone. It drew a round of “OHHHHH!!!” from the other players and sure looked like the old JC from before the injury to me.

The WRs were interesting to watch as well. As I mentioned earlier, Baldwin was one of the first players to hit the field and warmed up with Daboll before practice started. When the entire team started running together, Baldwin was the first player back by 15 yards. Now I didn’t see Baldwin make any highlight reel grabs like have been reported from other practices, but what I did see that has me just as excited is that Baldwin was clearly the hardest working WR on the field. Also, I remember that when I first saw Baldwin last year my thought was “Wow, he’s tall but kind of lanky. I hope he can take the physical nature of the NFL.” One year later things are very different. Baldwin is clearly bigger. I really noticed it in his legs. They almost looked like toothpicks last year, but not anymore. Just to be clear, I’m not saying he’s out of shape and put on weight. He clearly spent the offseason in the gym.

One other note on the WRs, Dexter McCluster appears to be 100 percent a slot WR. I’m not sure we’ll see him at RB at all this year. Not only did he spend the entire practice with the WRs, but Daboll gives the slot WRs some specific work of their own. During WR drills all the WRs would run some routes and then after they had all had a couple reps Daboll would have Dex, Devon Wylie, and Zeke Markshausen run a couple slot specific routes before they went on to the next drill. Dex clearly seems to be the top slot guy right now, as he was always ahead of Wylie both in drills and when they used a slot guy in 11 on 11 drills.

Besides the QBs, the other group that struggled on Friday at times was the offensive line. On about 50 percent of the 11 on 11 pass plays there was a pass rusher that could have sacked the QB. Justin Houston seemed to be able to get there anytime he wanted (more on him in a minute). It was really noticeable when a defender would run up to the QB and just stand there for two seconds until the QB got rid of the ball.

Now maybe since they weren’t tackling, the offensive line wasn’t going all out like they would in a game situation, or maybe the QBs have been instructed not to scramble as much in these drills and throw from the pocket, but the pass protection from the first team on down looked really suspect to me. I should also mention that the run blocking looked a lot better than the pass protection did. The other thing that I noticed was that Rodney Hudson seems to have added some bulk as well. There was some talk when he was drafted about him possibly being undersized for the NFL, but if you look at the picture below you can see how much bigger he is than Lilja.

One last offensive observation, I think the base package for the offense this year will be a two TE set with both Moeaki and Boss. It’s clear that Daboll wants to utilize the different looks he can get with these two. They lined up in 11 on 11 drills with 2 TEs a lot and at times would even put one in the backfield as an H-back (with the starters, it was Moeaki). Maybe this was because Bannon wasn’t practicing Friday, but I get the feeling that we may not see a lot of traditional fullback use outside of goal line and short yardage plays.

Now on to the defense.

Overall the defense looked pretty good on Friday. The question continues to be if the reason the defense looks good is because the offense hasn’t been very good or vice versa. I guess we’ll get a pretty good indication this Friday when KC plays its first preseason game. Brandon Flowers may not have practiced on Friday but he was walking around without any kind of noticeable limp.

Like most others who have attended camp this year, I paid special attention to Dontari Poe. He’s definitely as big and athletic as advertised. In the limited reps I saw him take I thought he looked mediocre going against double teams but almost unstoppable when matched up one on one. In one specific rep he went one on one with Lilja and drove him straight backwards about 10 yards. Unlike others who have reported from camp I still think Poe starts the season playing mostly in the sub package next to Bailey where he can use his freak athleticism to push the pocket. Then as the season goes by I think he’ll start to get more snaps at NT.

Speaking of NT, Anthony Toribio continues to be #1 on the depth chart. The KC Star even has a piece on him today. Before the offseason started I thought Amon Gordon would start at NT if Poe wasn’t ready since he played pretty well in limited reps last year, but I didn’t see Gordon take any reps with the first string defense. It was usually Toribio out there with Dorsey and Jackson in the base 3-4 with Poe getting a couple of snaps as well. If that doesn’t change as the preseason goes along it could mean that Jerrell Powe is going to have a real fight on his hands just to make the roster.

You have to think that Jackson, Dorsey, Poe and Bailey are locks for the final roster. Last year the Chiefs had six active defensive linemen on game day and two more that made the 53 but were inactive most games. If Toribio remains the starting NT that only leaves one active DL spot for games between guys like Powe, Gordon, Brandon Bair (who many are high on), Ropati Pitoitua (who is huge and was good enough to play regularly for the Jets), and 7th round draft pick Jerome Long. That’s another spot where KC fans will want to watch how things shake out during the preseason.

I was bummed that Siler didn’t practice, but he seemed to be moving around okay so hopefully he won’t miss any significant time. The LB who looked the best on Friday was Justin Houston. As I mentioned earlier, there were multiple times in 11 on 11 drills where he was instantly in the backfield and could have hit the QB if it was allowed. If he’s healthy all season I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get double digit sacks. The other interesting thing to watch may be if Andy Studebaker can keep his roster spot. I really like Studebaker. He’s smart, hardworking, has a great attitude, and is a solid special teams player. That having been said, I just don’t see the upside with him that you can see in Cameron Sheffield, Gabe Miller, and even the recently signed Edgar Jones. All of those other players have the speed and athleticism to be more of a threat in pass rush situations then Studebaker. If those other guys can show that they can play just as well on special teams then it could be the end of the road for Studebaker.

The final preseason battle that I’ll be keeping a close eye on is DeQuan Menzie and Jalil Brown. As others have reported, Menzie had a really good day on Friday with a couple of nice break ups. Jalil Brown also looked pretty good. Brown has the physical tools to be a Brandon Carr type corner. It’s just a matter of him developing the coverage skills. Overall, I feel really good about the secondary. Especially since Eric Berry appears to be back at 100 percent already. If we could go all season and the only DBs to see action on the field were Flowers, Routt, Arenas, Daniels, Brown, Menzie, Berry, Lewis, and Elam I think we’ll be all be very happy. It would certainly be an upgrade over the play of guys like Sabby Piscatelli, Donald Washington, and others who saw the field last year.

So overall I thought the defense looked ready to have a fantastic season.

The top three things/players I was disappointed in on Friday:

1. The QBs
2. The Pass Protection
3. Dwayne Bowe Not Being There

The top three things/players that impressed me on Friday:

1. Jon Baldwin
2. Justin Houston
3. Brian Daboll

When you look at my list of things that disappointed me on Friday, it’s a little worrisome that all three involve the passing game. Based on my one day at camp my prediction for the first preseason game is that the run game and defense look good and that the passing game struggles. That certainly wouldn’t be out of character for the Chiefs so I’m not exactly going out on a limb there.

If you’ve never been to training camp before I really recommend it. It’s a good time (even if the team has a down practice) and you get to see some of your favorite players up close and personal. Also, I highly recommend eating at Boudreaux’s while you’re in town. They have great Cajun food if that’s your thing (I recommend the Jambalaya and the Fried Alligator).

KC fans, we have a game this week! Isn’t life great?

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

The Kansas City Chiefs* are back to football and Arrowhead Addict has reporters on the ground!

*”Kansas City Chiefs” does not include Dwayne Bowe.

The best thing about our AA Camp Reporters? They are you!

Arrowhead Addict strives on a daily basis to bring you the absolute best fan coverage of the best damn football team on the planet. We wouldn’t be able to do it without you.

Frequent AA commenter and community member Mike Gooding, AKA KCMikeG, generously volunteered to help out with observations and photo coverage. He was up half the night last night uploading photos for you all. I’ve put some of them in a gallery so you can get a visual look at what was going on in camp.

The team was just in helmets Friday with no pads. According to reports, it will be the same deal again today as head coach Romeo Crennel tries to ease his players back into the swing of things.

The vibe out of camp seems to be extremely positive. QB coach Jim Zorn seems to be willing to tell anybody who will listen how much more organized things are this year as opposed to last. You have to wonder what Todd Haley thinks when he hears stuff like that.

The Chiefs looked like crap last year during camp, preseason and the early regular season. It is good to hear that they appear to already be well ahead of the 2011 version.

We will have more on today’s practice but for now, check out some of Mike’s camp snapshots!

May 13, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs first round draft pick Dontari Poe (92, right) and defensive end Ethan Johnson (70) run drills with defensive line coach Anthony Pleasant at the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

When considering the Chiefs’ choice to draft Dontari Poe, it’s hard for the average football fan to ignore his lack of college production, or the negative connotations of being labeled a “workout warrior.” One thing is clear, however: Poe’s lot in the NFL will be made, first and foremost, at the NT position. As we get closer to training camp (a/k/a the first time this year that our linemen can actually, you know, HIT one another), let’s take an in-depth look at Poe and the road ahead.

Romeo Crennel will be the first to point out that Poe did a whole lot of line jumping in college. It’s actually hard to recall if Poe ever lined up in the same “technique” in consecutive plays during his time in Memphis. As Poe’s college coaches and coordinators often played him at several spots throughout the line each and every game, the case could be made that this position jumping is the cause of Poe’s lack of college production. It may even be fair, to an extent, to at least allow some of Poe’s line jumping to account for his lack of college production… but while the tape shows the jumping, it also shows that Poe needs to work on and refine the technical skills (moves) needed by a defensive lineman.

Watching Poe’s tape, you may occasionally see an effective spin move or a well-executed stunt, but he seems to show signs of not having been entirely taught proper execution of the moves and/or which moves are most effectively used in which situations. DL moves other than spin moves and stunts include rip moves, swim moves, speed rushes, bull rushes, shucks and shivers.

From the NT position, the chance to use a spin move (at least effectively and without blowing your assignment) is slim to nil; such opportunities may arise, but not enough that this should be a focus for Poe early on in KC. The same can be said with a speed rush. Lining up head to head on a player (for NTs on the Center, this is often referred to as a “zero technique”), swim moves also carry their risks, as a swim move will bring the D-Lineman up a little higher, in turn allowing the blocker the opportunity to get squarely underneath the DL’s pads and win the leverage war. Stunts* are a more advanced technique and, while I’m sure Poe will eventually be taught and repped on these until he can perform them expertly, I don’t see him attempting these too often this year (at least in the earlier part) unless out of desperation or for the sake of “mixing it up” Crennel calls a play directing Poe to do so. Shucks and shivers are a little difficult to explain in writing, and are slightly more advanced than rips and bull rushes, so I won’t get into them too much now.

*”Stunt” as used here is not in reference to the two types of stunts as described here. Rather I’m referring to the “4-3 Stunt” as utilized and popularized by “Mean” Joe Greene, wherein the DT lines up at an angle and bull rushes the first OL he’s facing with the goal of driving that OL into his neighboring OL(s). The camera work on Poe’s infamous Tulane tape isn’t always at great angles for checking out Poe, but there’s one really good shot of Poe performing a well-executed, successful, Mean-Joe-Greene-style stunt. This happened in some of his other college games too, with the same promising result. In a 3-4, this won’t be the first thing on the coaching staff’s list of things to work on and perfect with Poe, but may come in handy down the line (think 2-4-5 in an obvious passing situation: with added coverage already downfield, if Poe’s able to take out 2-3 OL on his own, it would spell trouble for opposing QBs, especially with the likes of Hali, Houston & Berry on the field… and we’re not talking “taking out” 2-3 OL by being double-teamed or triple-teamed, in that scenario one could always break off to pick up a blitzer. No, we’re talking TAKING OUT as in 2-3 OL suddenly on their asses wondering “Who dat? Who dere?”). Look for this ability to be groomed in the longer term Evolution of Poe.

So, other moves aside, we’re left with the rip, and the bull rush … and our first expectation. Expect these moves to be the first technical skills that Romeo and DL Coach Anthony Pleasant drill into Dontari. How and why these moves work is simple to understand, and should be quick for Poe to pick up in that respect. Knowing when and how to execute these moves well will take time and repetition until the moves becomes more natural and fluid. Priority One in developing Poe will likely be to jump on the live-action thrill of drilling him in these moves.

As I believe most casual fans will know what a rip move is and why it’s used (thank you for making my job easier, EA Sports), I’ll spare going into those details.

A bull rush is also fairly common and self-explanatory, and while I won’t go into too much detail, it’s important to note that bull rushes should play to Poe’s advantage well and should (read: darn well better) become one of his earliest playing strengths. Poe’s size and strength give him an edge in bull rushing, but it’s also important not to gloss over some finer points in the technique in practice (which, given his size and strength, I suspect his Memphis coaches kinda relied on Poe getting by with those attributes alone and didn’t care to coach him more in depth). You can be big and strong in the NFL and still make only a small splash of impact if not taught how to use your size and strength to your advantage. With the bull rush in particular, size and strength could be a huge advantage, but it takes combining that size and strength with body positioning (coming up out of your stance, hand placement, getting low, etc.) to really start seeing great results. Coaches on varying levels may not allow some of their players to rep bull rushes in practice under the misguided notion that size and strength alone will be enough for a player to translate into good bull rushing talent come gameday. Not really. Coaches Crennel and Pleasant will know this, and they’ll be sure to rep and develop Poe into a player capable of making the most out of his bull rushing capabilities.

While teaching, drilling and repping Poe through these activities on the practice field, expect for Crennel and Pleasant to also be teaching him the mental aspects of the position in the film room: what assignments he’ll have in which plays, when to clog, when to penetrate, when move X is more likely to make your assignment, and when move Y is better, etc.

One thing to bear in mind is that “trench warfare” isn’t as rudimentary as it may appear (as if you haven’t gathered that from above). On either side of the ball, each lineman possesses his own strengths and weaknesses according to his physical attributes and technical skills which affect how he plays the game. When squaring off, it takes time to figure out your competitor’s nuances and adjust accordingly (an ongoing battle, as with each adjustment you make to your competitor, your competitor will adjust to deal with your adjustments).

So, Poe’s college stats weren’t too impressive, and his tape looks “average”? Consider this: Poe likely squared off with every offensive lineman Conference USA had to offer. And with each lineman, Poe had to learn new nuances and adjust accordingly, all while facing different blocking schemes at different techniques along the line with different defensive assignments… Altogether, it makes it hard for the common observer to tell what kind of player he’ll become.

So, Poe’s college stats don’t look special. He only appears to show “flashes” in his college tape. Know this: the difficulties and intricacies of line play are greater and more plentiful than meets the eye, and are largely unappreciated by the masses. But one thing’s for sure, with his rare physical attributes, AND the opportunity to line up and take most snaps at one position, AND squaring off against fewer competitors in a game, AND being under the guidance and tutelage of both Coaches Crennel and Pleasant, Poe is much more likely to succeed than to bust.

Ryan James was back at camp yesterday. Here is his report. -PA

• Walkthrough Offense and Defense split
• Individual positional drills
• Offensive line v. Defensive Line / Defensive Back v. Wide Receiver
• 7-on-7 drill / Outside Pass rush v. Offensive Line
• Punt
• 11-on-11

(more…)

In that case, maybe Lawrence still has a chance. Here is some footage courtesy of Ryan James.

Mike got some great shots. Take a look. It will make you feel like you were there.

This practice report is brought to you by AA camp correspondent Ryan James. -PA

When you get your picture taken with Hall of Famer Emmitt Thomas, you know that it is going to be a good day! St. Joseph brought much better weather for the Chiefs today. It was overcast and just barely reaching 90 as opposed to the 115 degrees they had on Monday. The practice field at MWSU was finally full of Chief players. Le’Ron McClain introduced himself to the fans when he came down by jumping and holding up a fist. Every player coming down was greeted by energetic fans screaming their names. One particular fan, who is nicknamed Susie Bling Bling, usually leads this welcome. Most of the Chiefs know her by name and love her because she brings them cookies and baked goods…shhhhh dont tell Coach Haley.

During the indy drills, I started with the linebackers. I was particularly interested in seeing what new FA LB Siler brought to the table. He has the possibility to challenge Jevon Belcher for the ILB position next to DJ. Siler is definitely built for the role! He is built like a brick house and during some of the video you will see that he has better fundamentals than Belcher and he wraps up especially well. Belcher had a bad day of stepping on the bags and was in Coach Crennel’s dog house quick. Derek Johnson is looking great at camp this year as well. He did have a pick 6 against Cassel that was reminiscent to his pick he had last year during the season. During all the positional specific drills, the first time vets were doing conditioning, so we did not get to see Hali, Gregg, Breaston and crew do any one on one drills.

(more…)

 
(more…)

Special thanks to Ryan. Be sure to check out his Sunday practice report here.

We’re still looking for camp correspondents (the more the better, right?) so if you are heading up to camp and want to contribute to AA’s coverage, please email me at patrick.arrowheadaddict@gmail.com

(more…)

Rookie FB Shane Bannon tries to earn his Arrowhead at training camp. (photo by Ryan James)

The Kansas City Chiefs hit the practice field for their second day of training camp yesterday afternoon. AA reader Ryan was on hand and managed to snag photos and videos for us to share with you.

First, let’s take a look at some of Ryan’s thoughts and observations from practice.

-It was a pretty easy day. All position specific drills. Toward the the end of practice Brandon Flowers had a nice pick against Cassel and the wide receiver was either Urban or Bowe.

(checked on this and it was Urban)

-I was impressed with Ricky Stanzi.

-Allen Bailey is an absolute monster and fan favorite.

-Andy Studebaker looks as though he is already the starter…he really wants it and it is evident.

Remember if you want to contribute to AA’s training camp coverage like Ryan, please email me at patrick.arrowheadaddict@gmail.com.

Videos after the jump.

(more…)

Tyler Palko and Rickly Stanzi

Our camp correspondent Ryan snapped a few pictures of the players yesterday. A couple more after the jump. Enjoy…and big thanks to Ryan.

(more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs will report to training camp today and while it may take a little while for the entire roster to arrive, the schedule is set.

Check it out below. As I mentioned before, we are looking for reporters to contribute to AA from training camp. Please reach out to me at patrick.arrowheadaddict@gmail.com if interested.

Thursday, July 28 Team arrives at Missouri Western – St. Joseph, Mo.

Friday, July 29 Training Camp Practice Begins – Practice 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 30 Practice 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 31 Practice 3:30 p.m.

Rest of the schedule after the jump.

(more…)

While Scott Pioli will likely be busy all day working the phones and filling out the roster (hopefully signing a nose tackle) the Kansas City Chiefs who are eligible will be heading off to training camp at Missouri Western in St. Joseph.

The Chiefs will show up today at the training facility for some meetings and to get physicals. Once everything gets worked out, the players will board a bus and head to St. Joe.

The full camp schedule will be posted later on KCChiefs.com but here is what we’ve got so far:

As always, we are looking for training camp reporters. If you’d like to help provide AA training camp coverage with pictures, videos and practice descriptions, please email me at patrick.arrowheadaddict@gmail.com.

Who is heading up to training camp this year?

Resigning Tamba Hali is the no-brainer of the offseason. The guy is our only real playmaker in the front seven and the best player on this defense. I know it’s not Pioli’s style, but I hope the Chiefs shower him with cash, lock him up until his mid-thirties and watch him become a hall-of-famer in red. Then, when we think he’s starting to decline, we’ll trade him to the Raiders for a 1^st round pick a few years down the road so they can replace Richard Seymour. And they’ll still suck.

The other no-brain resign is Brandon Carr. This guy is a star that no one outside the AFC West seems to be talking about. And he can flat out play — a master at the crazy deflection. There were games where he actually looked like the best Brandon on the field (Albert is a distant third). I hope he also gets a payday from the Chiefs, he’s earned it.

Still there’s a guy up for free agency that I think could be surprisingly useful to the Chiefs this year, and one other free agent who won’t be too expensive (nor too crazy like my previous suggestions) and I’d frankly be surprised if he doesn’t end up here.

See my selections after the jump. (more…)

Source: Yardbarker.com

Players on the fringe of making the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs roster are running out of opportunities to be noticed.

In fact, for some, their fate may already be sealed.

The Chiefs are back in Kansas City and are preparing for their most important preseason game. The 3rd preseason game is traditionally the game where the starters play in to the 3rd quarter. That means limited chances for depth chart bottom feeders hoping to make an impression.

In just 8 days, the Chiefs will be forced to trim their roster from 80 players, down to 75 players.

While this isn’t a significant roster cut, it does mean that 160 players are about to hit the streets across the NFL. The Chiefs likely have their eye on some players on other teams. If those players are cut, the Chiefs may try to pick them up and that means that some players who survive the initial cut will be sent home the next day.

In just over  a week, the Chiefs will be one step closer to their 53.