During the 2012 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs were doing a pretty good impression of the late 2000s Cleveland Browns.

Head coach Romeo Crennel?

Check.

Starting QB Brady Quinn?

Check.

RB Peyton Hillis?

Check.

Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll?

Check.

A terrible football team?

Check. Check. Check.

The 2012 season ended for the Chiefs the same way the 2008 season ended for the Browns; with everyone getting fired.

Why the 2012 Chiefs tried to follow the same playbook that led to doom in Cleveland (well, more doom in Cleveland) we may never know.

The one person that was not in Cleveland during the late 2000s that was responsible for creating the Chiefs’ version of the Browns, was GM Scott Pioli.

The NFL is a small world. Pioli worked in Cleveland when Bill Belichick was the head coach back in the 90s. After a stint with the Ravens (formerly the Browns) Pioli landed in New England and became Belichick’s right hand man. The Patriots created a dynasty under Belichick and the people that were a part of the organization during that time have been getting jobs because of it ever since. Guys like Pioli, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Brian Daboll, Thomas Dimitroff, Eric Mangini and countless others.

The Browns have been big fans of copying the Patriots, despite the fact that their attempts to do so have failed over and over again. Both Crennel and Mangini have been hired and fired as head coaches of the franchise. Daboll was the offensive coordinator there before heading to Miami and eventually Kansas City.

You would think that the Browns organization would have learned to stop hiring ex-Patriots but you’d be wrong.

As the team rebuilds yet again, the new ownership decided to hire Belichick disciple and former NFL Network analyst, Mike Lombardi, to be their new GM and VP of Player Personel.

Belichick disciples tend to have a history of secrecy and a petty management style and it appears Lombardi is no different.

When Mangini was with the Browns, he was known for strict and unnecessary rules.

Take this article from ESPN from September of 2009:

During training camp, where he blared music during practices to sharpen his team’s focus and made players run laps when they made a mistake, it was learned that he had threatened to fine players for offenses like failing to park in their assigned spots and other conduct he felt was “detrimental” to the team.

There was also his drawn-out quarterback competition between Quinn and Anderson, which concluded with Mangini keeping the winner a secret until an hour before kickoff of the season opener.

Mangini didn’t make many friends in New York, where he was dubbed “Mangenius” after taking the Jets to a playoff bid in his first season.

Last week, former NFL quarterback and CBS analyst Boomer Esiason criticized Mangini’s secretive ways.

“Eric Mangini can take the fun out of a 10-year-old’s birthday party with Big Bird there,” Esiason said. “That’s how miserable this guy is becoming.”

Yahoo!Sports reported that Mangini recently fined an unidentified Browns player $1,701 for failing to pay for a $3 bottle of water he drank in his hotel room during a preseason road trip.

Mangini did not confirm or deny the bottled-water fine, but said he imposes guidelines for his team to follow “because we have a very diverse group of people, and the rules are set up to make sure we can operate effectively as possible.”

Fines over water bottles?

Sound familiar?

Scott Pioli faced some of the same criticism during his time in Kansas City. A piece by Kent Babb, then of the Kansas City Star, called “Arrowhead Anxiety” highlighted some of the peculiar and in some cases, borderline abusive behavior being reported by employees about the Chiefs’ front office. In fact, one incident mentioned was Pioli becoming angry at two employees for parking in the wrong place when they were in working in the middle of the night.

After a while, a saying was adopted by top administrators for behavior that didn’t fit the new standards: “That’s so 2-and-14,” they would say, referring to the Chiefs’ win-loss record in 2008. This pertained to matters large and small: Stephanie Melton, who worked 11 years on the team’s operations staff, recalled Pioli’s reaction after she and a coworker, after working past midnight on a weekend, had parked a courier van in the unmarked space usually occupied by Pioli’s car. The women had forgotten to move it, and Pioli was livid the next morning. Melton said she was made to feel for several days that she’d be fired.

Pioli was also known for bringing an almost comical secrecy to the organization. Babb’s article outlined several of Pioli’s policies, such as forcing business employees who had offices facing the practice field to lower their window shades during practices. Pioli was so paranoid that people that worked for him might let information slip, that he sent security guards around to make sure the shades were down.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then it sounds like the 2013 Cleveland Browns were so flattered by the 2012 Chiefs’ late 2000s Browns impression, that they’re returning the compliment by trying to turn themselves into the 2009-2012 Chiefs.

Lombardi seems to be following Pioli’s playbook in Cleveland. Take this fantastic piece from Chuck Klosterman of Grantland. Klosterman was to be given access to the Browns in the days leading up to and during, the 2013 NFL Draft. What Klosterman ended up getting, however, was a lot of “off the record comments” from the new regime in Cleveland.

Take this passage, which if you didn’t know what team Klosterman was writing about, you could almost put money down that it was about the Pioli-led Chiefs.

In so many ways, this denial represents the grand irony of the Browns organization (and, I would assume, every other organization in the NFL). The Browns live in a state of perpetual war, endlessly convincing themselves that every scrap of information they possess is some kind of game-changing superweapon that will alter lives and transmogrify the culture. They behave like members of a corporate cult. Yet what do these cultists watch on the day of the draft? They watch ESPN. They log on to the Internet and scan ProFootballTalk. The comments they make about college prospects are roughly identical to whatever your smarter friends might glean from the Plain Dealer. I’ve never witnessed this level of institutional paranoia within a universe so devoid of actual secrets. I don’t even know what they don’t want me to know.

Check out the whole article. It is a fascinating read.

It will be interesting to see if the new Browns (or the old Chiefs, depending on how you want to look at it) benefit from their new Pioli-style football police state.

Something (history) tells me that they won’t.

May 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of the Kansas City Chiefs on the field after the organized team activities at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

I am not going to focus just on the stats but on what I have witnessed by watching each and every Chiefs game last season, as hard as it was. I watch football differently than I used to, at least I watch the Chiefs differently. I used to just watch the games, all games, game after game, just for the sheer enjoyment of it. Now I watch games much more critically. I will focus my attentions on an individual player or position each series of each Chiefs game, focusing on how a specific player is performing. I spent a lot of time last season watching nose tackle Dontari Poe.

The defensive line is an area Kansas City has struggled to develop for a long time. When Chiefs took Poe with the 11th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, you could see why the Chiefs liked him. He was big – 6’3 1/2″, 350 pounds. Scouting reports pointed out the combination of his size, quickness, and mobility. Those same reports mentioned things like his upper body strength needed improvement (what lineman, on either side of the ball, can this not be said of), and that he could be handled by a single blocker. The hope was that a great defensive minded coach like former Head Coach Romeo Crennel would be able to improve his weaknesses while at the same time taking advantage of his size and athleticism. Alas, that wasn’t the case.

KC Kingdom

Tom Wort’s NFL career suffered a blow after the Crawley-born linebacker was waived by the Tennessee Titans after failing a physical due to a hamstring injury.
The draft hopeful was picked up as an unrestricted free agent by the AFC South franchise – but the Kansas City Chiefs are now a possible destination for the 22-year-old.
6ft, 16 ½ stone Wort impressed with the Oklahoma Sooners since 2009, but suffered an injury during his second 40-yard dash during OU’s Pro Day.

Daily Mail

In 2010, Bowe was able to put up the numbers he did with Matt Cassel as his signal caller. While Cassel went on to have a career year as well in 2010, almost every fan in football would agree that newly acquired quarter back, Alex Smith, is a tremendous upgrade at the position. When head coach Andy Reid and General Manager, John Dorsey were hired, they were not quiet about the importance of getting Bowe a contract extension. It came down to the wire, literally, but the Chiefs came through and gave Bowe a healthy 5 year $56million dollar extension.

That speaks volumes to how much this new staff felt about what Bowe means to the Chiefs. Andy Reid has always been considered a “pass happy” west coast offensive mind. He’s known for quick throws and screens to his receivers, ultimately meaning that having a top level player at the position is necessary for his offense to be effective. You’re only left to think that Bowe will be seeing just as much, if not more passes thrown his way.

Having that upgrade at quarterback might just help the numbers as well. So that leads us back to the question, how much does his predictions bother you?

KC Kingdom

Former Kansas defensive end/running back Toben Opurum signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs Friday. Opurum, who attended mini-camp over the weekend with the organization, will join the Chiefs immediately for organized team activities (OTAs) after taking part in KU graduation festivities over the weekend. He is slated to play the fullback position with the Chiefs.

Opurum began his KU career as a running back earning Rivals.com Freshman All-Big 12 honors in 2009. He was the first freshman to lead Kansas in rushing in a season since Clark Green in 2002. As a freshman he shared time with senior running back Jake Sharp, but carried 133 times for a team-best 554 yards and nine touchdowns. His career-best rushing game he piled up 109 yards against Southern Miss. During his one season on offense, Opurum caught 13 passes out of the backfield for 105 yards and one touchdown.

KU Athletics.com

May 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of the Kansas City Chiefs practice field after the organized team activities at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

“The transition has been kind of easy, being able to play under Coach Saban the past four years,’’ Johnson said, referring to Alabama coach Nick Saban. “The terminology is a little different. That’s kind of what I’m struggling with now, but I’m learning as I go, but each and every day is getting easier and easier.’’

Working alongside Derrick Johnson, a consummate pro, won’t hurt Nico Johnson, either.

“He’s really the first player out of the Chiefs roster to hit me up on Twitter and just tell me congratulations and that it’s time to get to work,’’ Nico Johnson said. “I felt that as motivation to want to go out and do my best and show them I’m willing to work.

KC Star

“We’ve got some flexibility,” coach Reid said. “Donald gives us a little flexibility. (Chiefs OL Geoff) Schwartz gives you flexibility inside. The guys that are in there are doing a nice job with what they’re presented with. That seems like a close knit group, and they have to be. You’ve seen that they have that in them. They’ve welcomed the new guys in. It seems like they’re working hard there.”

Stephenson described his current role on the team, saying, “I’m a plug-in guy; wherever they see fit or wherever they need me, that’s where they plug me in at.”

He also gave me a description of the OL.

“We’re a young group,” Stephenson said. “When you’re young, there’s a lot more hunger, so, you’re ready to get after it. We can do a lot of different things, everybody is versatile.”

The versatile group added another member, OL Matt Reynolds, who was claimed off waivers this week.

KCChiefs.com

While Reid was at Green Bay, the Packer tight end Mark Chmura had three Pro Bowl seasons, as di Chad Lewis playing under Reid in Philadelphia. L. J. Smith averaged 55.5 catches in 2005-2006 with the Eagles and Brent Celek has averaged over 59 receptions over the past four seasons with Philadelphia, including 76 in 2009. Obviously, Andy Reid likes to integrate the tight ends into his game plans and he knows how to get the ball into their hands.

The incumbent tight end is Tony Moeaki. He had off season surgery on his knee but is expected to be healthy for the start of the season. Moeaki has a reputation as an injury risk but when he has played, 2010 and in 2012, he has been productive. In those two seasons, he averaged 40 catches a year and 12.6 yards per reception. Those numbers were accumulated in an offense that seemed to ignore the tight ends much of the time.

KC Kingdom

Bray’s preparation habits and seriousness about being an NFL quarterback were two huge question marks that teams had about him going into the draft.

As with everything in the NFL it’s very early and all new to the rookies. Eventually the first year players will hit the “rookie wall” as the summer turns into a grind. Bray will have to show he can keep his focus and keep working hard to improve himself as a quarterback and a leader.

Bray’s teammate, and fellow Tennessee Volunteer, Eric Berry likes what he’s seeing so far in the rookie quarterback.

All For Tennessee

May 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid walks on the field during organized team activities at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

As an Arrowhead Addict staff writer, finding new and interesting things to write about every week proves harder and harder during the offseason. Post draft and pre-training camp seems to be the most non-newsworthy time in the NFL. Luckily, I’m not above borrowing and expounding on ideas already posted by other Addict staffers.

If you checked out the site earlier this week, you saw an article by my fellow writer, Ladner Morse titled  “Chiefs 2013 Boils Down to Just One Word.” The executive summary of that article is that Mr. Morse surmises that the entire 2013 Kansas City Chiefs season will come down to one word: Protection. While I agree with Ladner that protection in all aspects of the game is extremely important, I think the actual key to success for the Chiefs this season is “execution.”

In working on this article, I thought about several angles to take on fleshing out my idea of “perfect football execution.” For this guy, it comes down opening drive touchdowns. Granted, a team has to execute throughout the entire game, all four quarters, every minute for 60 minutes (sometimes longer) and minimize mistakes to the greatest extent possible to have perfect execution. I get that. But having a opening drive, where the Chiefs receive the ball and then execute perfectly to march down the field and score a touchdown is just about the best thing ever.

Do you know when the last time the Chiefs scored an opening drive touchdown?

Actually, it was in the emotionally charged, Week 13 game against the Carolina Panthers, following the tragic murder/suicide of Kassandra Perkins, perpetrated by linebacker Jovan Belcher. If you don’t remember, in perhaps the best football performance by Brady Quinn, he led the Chiefs to their second and final win of last season after opening the game with a 74 drive that was capped off with a  two yard Peyton Hillis run for a touchdown. That hadn’t been accomplished by the Chiefs in 29 games. No, that’s not a typo. I’ll type it again so you know you read it right. 29 games. The last time the Chiefs scored an opening drive – in the regular season – was Week 16 of the 2010 season. As in, two seasons ago, as in execution has been non-existent in this organization for quite some time, as in there’s no time like the present.

The opening drive touchdown falls squarely on the shoulders of the offense, that much is certain. While I couldn’t find a stat to back up the theory that a team who scores a touchdown on their opening drive will ultimately win the game, the last two times the Chiefs have had opening drive scores for six, they won (actually, the last three times they did it they won if you count the preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals last season.)

The biggest aspect of the opening drive touchdown execution comes down to red zone efficiency. This obviously must continue throughout the game, however nothing is as deflating as driving down the field on that opening drive, only to stall inside the 20 yard line and having “Mr. Irrelevant 2010” trot onto the field and kick a field goal to send the broadcast into commercial with the tag line Chiefs – 3, Opposing Team – 0. How many times have the Chiefs done exactly this with Matt Cassel at the helm? Fear not Addicts, I think we’re in luck.

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has a career red zone quarterback rating (QBR) of 97.1. Since 2005, he has thrown 48 touchdowns when the play started between the opponent’s one and 19 yard line. Conversely, the man the Chiefs gave up two draft picks for has only turned the ball over three times during that same time period. Alex Smith has shown perfect execution in the red zone during his career. But, the quarterback doesn’t do it all himself.

The Chiefs’ undisputed number one receiver is the man known as Dwayne “The Show” Bowe. He has proclaimed he will lead the league in touchdowns and receptions this season, as well he should. I would be pretty upset if he told the media he was predicting a season of mediocrity for himself and his teammates. Looking at “The Show’s” stats over the years, it’s easy to see why the Madden video game franchise labels #82 as a “Red Zone Threat.” Since coming into the league in 2007, Bowe has pulled in 24 touchdowns inside the opponent’s 20 and added 30 first downs for good measure. While Bowe has been an inconsistent pass catcher at times and his execution has been called into question in the past, he has performed extremely well at the goal line.

The next piece of the Chiefs’ execution puzzle is the running game. Even though Jamaal Charles was snubbed by Pro Football Focus’ Top 101 players of 2012, I don’t see how you say #25 isn’t one of the top five running backs in the league. While Charles isn’t exactly an up the middle, bruising, goal line running backs, he’s managed to bang through eight red zone touchdowns in his short time with the Chiefs. I suspect that number will increase substantially this season with Charles catching passes out of the back field more than ever before in head coach Andy Reid’s offense.

The last piece, and perhaps the biggest question mark, is the tight end position. It seems Reid has taken an interest in more than one pass catching blocker this season with signing of unrestricted free agent Anthony Fasano and the drafting of rookie Travis Kelce in the third round of this year’s draft. Add incumbent tight end, Tony Moeaki into the mix and there is a very interesting combination of big bodied pass catchers for Alex Smith to choose from when the enemy’s backs are against their own endzone. Since coming into the league in 2006, Fasano has caught 18 balls for scores in the red zone. In fact, all five touchdowns the former Miami Dolphin caught last season were inside the 20 yard line. He could prove a viable weapon for Alex Smith to execute when the Chiefs look to end that opening drive with six instead of three.

After the first game of the preseason last year, hopes were high in the Chiefs’ Kingdom. The main reason for those high hopes was the opening drive touchdown pass from Matt Cassel to Peyton Hillis. However, until the Chiefs had another opening series touchdown several months later with a different quarterback under center, the execution that existed in that preseason game was non-existent with the Chiefs in 2012.

Hopes are starting to build again in the Sea of Red and those hopes rest mainly on this retooled, Andy Reid devised, Alex Smith led offense. If the hope is to stay high instead of fizzle out by Week 5, execution will be the name of the game at One Arrowhead Drive.

Until next time, Addicts.

Feb 22, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey speaks at a press conference during the 2013 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs announced Friday that the club has signed former Kansas FB Tobin Opurum.

From the Chiefs’ press release:

Opurum (6-1, 250) played defensive end and linebacker at the University of Kansas where he recorded 109 tackles (59 solo), 6.5 sacks (-47.0 yards), four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and seven passes defensed. Opurum played running back for the Jayhawks in 2009, rushing 133 times for 554 yards and nine touchdowns. He also served on the school’s special teams unit. The Richardson, Texas, native prepped at  Plano East High School in Plano, Texas.

The Kansas City Chiefs did their best to retain as many of their top free agents as they could, but one player that was allowed to depart was DE Glenn Dorsey. Dorsey’s replacement, former New York Jet Mike DeVito, is already hard at work helping  his new teammates learn defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s defense. DeVito played for Sutton for four years in New York.

“Yeah, it’s been a real blessing being in this defense for four years,” said DeVito. “When you’re coming to a new place, I’m sure that’s probably one of the hardest things is learning the playbook. So I really have been trying to help these guys, especially up front to get lined up, to get set. But these guys have got it. Tyson [Jackson], [Dontari] Poe, Dan Muir, these guys pick it up fast because they’re true professionals and you can see that in the classroom and on the field. So you don’t really have to say too much and that’s great because now these guys can get lined up and focus on what they’re supposed to do and not have to worry about the playbook.”

DeVito is expected to step in and start in Dorsey’s old DE spot. If the line remains the same as last year, he will play alongside two first-round picks in NT Poe and DE Jackson. According to DeVito, both players are exhibiting their talents and athleticism at OTA practices.

“Man, I’ll tell you. Poe, he reminds me of Kris Jenkins, just so big and so athletic,” said DeVito. “When he puts his hand down and gets going there’s just no stopping him. Tyson, just a complete player. A guy that can play the run, explosive with his hips, can rush the passer. Those guys are great to be around and I’ve learned a lot from them to try to implement some of the things that they do into my game.”

One area where all three of the Chiefs’ projected starting defensive lineman have struggled, is in the pass rushing department. Sutton’s defense is reportedly much more aggressive than former head coach and defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel’s scheme. It will be interesting to see if the varied blitz packages the Chiefs are expected to implement will help DeVito, Poe and Jackson create more pressure.

What do you think, Addicts? Will the Chiefs’ defensive line be better in 2013 than it was in 2012?

John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

There is much optimism this off-season at One Arrowhead Drive. The new regime of Andy Reid and John Dorsey has created a stir of intrigue in most fans, something I share with them. An offensive juggernaut with the Philadelphia Eagles, what is Reid going to be able to do with the Kansas City Chiefs? We all knew Reid as a West Coast, pass first, second, and maybe third guy while in Philly. While he has made moves that look like his new Kansas City team may be more balanced then his previous teams, the passing game will always be key with Reid. With the acquisition of quarterback Alex Smith, Reid has a proven steady game manager who can operate his system. My main concern The receiving corps.

We all know who the clear number one receiver on this team is  General Manager John Dorsey signed Dwayne Bowe to a long-term contract this off-season to make sure that wasn’t in question.  You know what you are going to get with Bowe if “The Show” is healthy. He will give Smith a good possession receiver capable of 70-90 catches, over 1,000 yards and double digits of TDs. The key is who will step up after him?

The Chiefs signed Donnie Avery and Mardy Gilyard to help stretch the field. Reid had burners DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin with the Eagles to do this. I am in no ways comparing these two to them, but see them as Alex Smith’s key deep threats. Avery had a pretty good season last year with the Indianapolis Colts, setting a career high with 60 receptions and 781 receiving yards. He needs to duplicate this for this team to take a huge step forward. Gilyard, on the other hand, hasn’t had much success at the NFL level, but was a great college athlete that maybe Reid can reach his potential as a 4^th or 5^th receiving option.

Already on the roster are two guys who will have a bigger spotlight on them then before: Jonathan Baldwin and Dexter McCluster. Baldwin has the physical tools to become a force like Bowe, but coming into his third year, hasn’t done much to get anyone really excited. McCluster has the speed and effort to rival most anyone in the NFL, but at 5-9 and 165, it’s hard to imagine his body can take the NFL lifestyle. Both of these guys are very interesting to me. Coach Reid could make McCluster into a star, but we thought the same thing would happen when Charlie Weis was the OC. McCluster has a similar stature as former Eagles star Brian Westbrook. (Westbrook did weigh 30 pounds more than McCluster though.) Baldwin could create another key possession receiver to pair with Bowe while the other option spread the field. It’s easy to write on paper what could be, hopefully these two can live up to our high expectations.

The tight end position brings intrigue to the receiving game as well. We know what Tony Moeaki can bring to the table when healthy. This is a big question mark, as Coach Reid must agree on by signing free agent Anthony Fasano and drafting Travis Kelce. Fasano was a reliable 30-40 catch guy with 350-550 receiving yardage receiver while with the Miami Dolphins. Travis Kelce was graded as one of the best tight end prospects coming out of this year’s draft. I am very fascinated to see if Reid implements the new double tight end craze into this Chiefs team.

To me, one of the biggest questions going into this season will be how this unit does. If this unit reaches full potential I believe a Division Title if not a Wild Card is within reach. Well Addicts, what do you think about this receiving corps?

Jan 22, 2013; Mobile AL, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey discusses with his scouts and coaches following the Senior Bowl South Squad practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs are busy with OTA practices this week but the organization is also formalizing some personnel moves.

The team announced a bunch staff hires today. Most of the moves are on the the scouting side of things. Now that the NFL draft is in the books, GM John Dorsey will want to get his own guys in place.

“We’ve got a great bunch of guys on our personnel staff that bring a wide range of experience to the table,” Dorsey said. “They’re all hard workers that are thoughtful, dedicated and detailed. We’re happy we were able to add, as well as retain, some very talented individuals.”

The info from the Chiefs’ press release is below:

The Kansas City Chiefs announced several personnel moves on Thursday including the hiring of Will Lewis as the club’s Director of Pro Scouting and Marvin Allen as the team’s Director of College Scouting. The Chiefs have also hired Randy Ball as the team’s Pro Scouting Assistant and Trey Koziol to serve as an Area Scout.

Additionally the club has promoted Mike Borgonzi to Assistant Director of Pro Scouting, Dom Green to Assistant Director of College Scouting, Brett Veach to Pro and College Personnel Analyst and Ryan Poles to College Coordinator.

Lewis (Director of Pro Scouting) most recently served as the Vice President of Football Operations for the Seattle Seahawks (2010-12). He spent 13 years with Seattle, originally joining the club as Director of Pro Personnel in 1999. Lewis joined the Seahawks after three seasons in the Packers scouting department (1997-99). Lewis served as the team’s Assistant Director of Pro Personnel after originally joining the Packers as a pro scout. He worked with Dorsey at both stops. From 1995-96, Lewis was a defensive assistant coach for the Atlanta Falcons.

Lewis signed as an undrafted free agent cornerback with the Seahawks in 1980. Following his career with Seattle he played three seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL (1983-85) and four seasons in the CFL (1986-89). He began his coaching career in NFL Europe with the New York/New Jersey Knights (1991-92). He coached defensive backs at his alma mater, Millersville State, from 1992-93 before brief stints at the University of Maine (1994) and the University of West Virginia (1995). He and his wife Kimmberly have three sons.

Allen (Director of College Scouting) spent the last four years as a national scout with the Atlanta Falcons. Prior to joining the Falcons he served 16 seasons in the New England Patriots personnel department, including 12 years as an area scout for the club. The Wichita Falls, Texas, native is a graduate of Tulane University. A former running back, Allen was drafted by the Patriots in the 11^th round (294^th overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft.

“Will and Marvin are tremendous at what they do,” Dorsey said. “I had the privilege of getting to know Will while working with him in both Seattle and Green Bay, and he has a lot of experience that will benefit us. Marvin’s been in this league a long time, and he is an incredible person with a lot of ability.”

Ball (Pro Scouting Assistant) enters his first season with Kansas City in 2013. Prior to joining the Chiefs, Ball served as the Director of Player Personnel for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League (UFL). Before moving to the UFL, Ball served as the defensive line coach at Drake University in 2007. He served as the head coach at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., from 1999-2005, compiling a 34-42 record in seven seasons with the Bears football program.

Prior to joining Missouri State, Ball was head coach at Western Illinois (1990-98), leading the Leathernecks program to a 64-41-1 record in nine seasons. In 1997, Ball was the Eddie Robinson Award finalist for the national coach of the year, in addition to being named the Bruce Craddock Award recipient and Gateway Conference Coach of the Year.

Prior to being named head coach in 1990, Ball served as an assistant coach at Western Illinois for seven years (1982-89). As a student-athlete, Ball was team captain and earned all-conference honors (1970-71) as part of the Northeast Missouri State football program (now known as Truman State University) in Kirksville, Mo.

He spent four years as a high school coach before coaching stints at Missouri Western (1977), Illinois State (1978-80) and his alma mater, Truman State (1982). A native of Muskogee, Okla., Ball prepped at Hickman High School.

Koziol (Area Scout) enters his first season with the Chiefs. Prior to joining the club, he spent five seasons with the Tennessee Titans, four as a pro scout after joining the team as an intern for the 2008 season. Koziol helped scout future Titans opponents and assess talent in all professional leagues including the NFL, the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League. He also helped coordinate free agent visits and tryouts and monitor NFL transactions.

After attending Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, Ill., Koziol attended Boston College where he played tight end from 2003-07. Koziol returned to Boston College as a graduate assistant in 2008 prior to his stint with the Titans.

Borgonzi (Assistant Director of Pro Scouting) begins his fifth season with Kansas City in 2013. He spent the previous two years as a Pro Personnel Scout for the club. In 2010, he served as the Manager of Football Operations where he coordinated logistics and performed other duties for the club’s football staff. In 2009, Borgonzi served as the club’s college scouting administrator. Prior to joining the Chiefs, he served two seasons as the Assistant Recruiting Coordinator at Boston College (2007-08). Prior to a stint in the financial sector, he served as tight ends coach at Amherst College in 2002.

The Everett, Mass., native had a tryout with the Buffalo Bills in 2002 and attended training camp with the Green Bay Blizzard of Arena Football 2 in 2003 before an injury forced his retirement. He was a four-year starter as a fullback at Brown University, earning All-Ivy League honors three times.

Green (Assistant Director of College Scouting) enters his fifth season with the Chiefs in 2013. Prior to being elevated, he served as a Regional Scout for the club in 2010 after originally joining the Chiefs in 2009 as an Area Scout.

Prior to joining the Chiefs, he spent three campaigns as a scout with Tampa Bay (2006-08). He previously served as the head coach at Southwest Mississippi Community College (2001-05) after coaching the offensive and defensive lines for two campaigns (1999-00). Green spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee State (1995, 1997-98). He served as a strength intern with the Miami Dolphins in 1996.

The Largo, Fla., native served as a graduate assistant at the University of Mississippi (1993-94), working with the defensive backs, offensive line and as a strength coach. Green began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Mississippi College in 1992, working with tight ends and offensive tackles.

Veach (Pro & College Personnel Analyst) enters his first season as a member of the Chiefs player personnel department in 2013 and his fourth as an NFL scout. He joined the Chiefs after spending six years with the Philadelphia Eagles organization.

Most recently, Veach served as a southeast regional scout (2011-12) after originally joining Philadelphia’s player personnel department as a pro and college scout in 2010. Prior to entering the scouting department, Veach served as an assistant to Head Coach Andy Reid for three season (2007-09) while Reid held the same title with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Before joining the Eagles, Veach served as supervisor of intercollegiate athletic events at his alma mater, the University of Delaware (2005-06). He was a four-year letterman as a wide receiver for the Blue Hens, catching 99 passes for 1,470 yards (14.8 avg.). He left Delaware as the school’s all-time leader in kickoff return yards with 1,558 yards. Born in Mt. Carmel, Pa., Veach was a standout running back for Mt. Carmel High School.

Poles (College Coordinator) enters his fifth season with Kansas City in 2013. Prior to his promotion, Poles served as the club’s College Scouting Administrator after joining the team as a Player Personnel Assistant in 2009. Prior to joining the Chiefs, Poles served as a Recruiting Assistant for his alma mater, Boston College (2008-09), after signing with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

The Canandaigua, N.Y., native played offensive tackle for five seasons for the Golden Eagles (2003-07), protecting current Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan. Poles was honored with the Paul Cavanaugh Award in 2007 as the student-athlete with total commitment to football both on and off the field and for his dedication to volunteerism, ethics and community. He played his prep football at Canandaigua Academy in Canandaigua, N.Y.

Protection.

There. I’ve condensed the whole season to one word. One thought. One critical concept and if the Chiefs can not protect, their season is over before it starts.

Protection.

There’s some good news involved here: the Chiefs “should” be in the top third of the league in that department.

How does that figure? Consider the potential starters… and the depth… especially now that the Chiefs brass have recanted with, “We’re so sorry, Uncle Albert.”

Before we delve into the positive news about the Chiefs offensive line let’s take a look at other aspects of the Chiefs team units to determine if there is indeed anything to worry about more than the offensive line.

The first position that comes to mind is the middle linebacker position. Now, the Chiefs have brought in the underwhelming Akeem Jordan from Philadelphia. Next, the Chiefs drafted Alabama strong man Nico Johnson who I would label more as a project than a finished product. If there is another position on the team that needs to be worried about it’s the ILB right? I don’t think so.

A strength of the Chiefs’ defense should be its pass protection including pressuring the quarterback. Most will agree. For most teams the Chiefs meet, they should be able to play a pass-oriented offense and take the pass away on defense. Not that the Chiefs will be able to shut most teams’ passing attacks down, but teams should have less success passing against the Chiefs than they did in the past year, forcing them to go to their running game earlier because they won’t be playing from ahead like they did last year in the Chiefs’ turnover-plagued season.

(more…)

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe told reporters yesterday that he would lead the NFL in receptions and touchdowns in 2013 but he also had some praise for his new QB, Alex Smith.

“Just watching Steve Young back in the day, he’s that kind of guy,” Said Bowe on Wednesday. “He’s not too vocal about it, but when he’s in the huddle, he makes his presence known. He’s demanding guys speed up — I mean, I never had a quarterback like that.”

Wow. That is pretty high praise.

Bowe isn’t the only player heaping praise on Smith. Despite being early on in the process, the players seem to be warming to Smith as their new leader. Two of those players are WRs Dexter McCluster and Jonathan Baldwin.

“He’s a great quarterback, a guy that’s mobile, a guy that knows how to read defense and take advantage of mismatches,” McCluster said. “He’s definitely confident. As a quarterback, you need to be confident. But knowing him, he’s never shaken.”

Baldwin noted that he is already developing a rapport with his new QB.

“We communicate all the time. We text back and forth, talking about different things we see, different things we want to do,” said Baldwin. “He kind of understands where I’m going to be, and I understand what he’s thinking, and the more you have a relationship with your quarterback off the field, the better it is on the field.”

For Baldwin and McCluster, Smith could be just what the doctor ordered. While McCluster has had a bit more success, both players have failed to meet the expectations that come along with being taken in the first two rounds of the draft. Andy Reid’s offense, combined with Smith’s accuracy, could be the combination that finally helps McCluster and Baldwin get to the next level as receivers.

What do you think, Addicts? How big of an impact is Alex Smith going to have on the Chiefs’ offense?

May 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Donald Stephenson (79) and Jon Asamoah (73) run drills during organized team activities at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

“Just watching Steve Young back in the day, he’s that kind of guy,” wide receiver Dwayne Bowe said Wednesday. “He’s not too vocal about it, but when he’s in the huddle, he makes his presence known. He’s demanding guys speed up — I mean, I never had a quarterback like that.”

It took Smith more than five years in the NFL to adjust to the expectations that come with starting at the game’s most glamorous position. But given a fresh chance under a new regime in San Francisco, he thrived during the 2011 season, going 13-3 and leading his team to the playoffs.

He was doing it again last year, too, as the 49ers got off to a 6-2-1 start. But when a concussion forced him from the field, Colin Kaepernick stepped in and emerged as the next big thing in an era of mobile quarterbacks.

Kaepernick led the 49ers to the Super Bowl as Smith watched from the sideline.

Westport-News

How will Jamaal Charles fit into Andy Reid’s offense?

Heath Evans said he thinks new Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid will use Jamaal Charles very similarly to how he used LeSean McCoy with the Philadelphia Eagles. Evans predicted that Reid might even use Charles in new schemes that he did not use in Philadelphia.

Reid’s hiring of Chris Ault, the pioneer of the pistol offense, also could indicate that Reid is trying to develop new offensive strategies to keep up with the changes in the NFL, Evans said.

NFL.com

New Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid recently lured Mike Frazier from the Philadelphia Eagles as his statistical analysis coordinator, Frazier’s second NFL job. Before his nine years with the Eagles, he had internships with Smith Barney and Wachovia Securities. Finance is not always the path to a key NFL front office job, but it’s increasingly representative of a skill set being tapped to influence football moves.

The Eagles, meanwhile, are continuing an investment into analytics that has existed for nearly a decade, with full-time staffers employed in a department that falls under the coaching and scouting umbrella.

“Every team in the league is going to spend the next two or three years to see if they can build a better analytics department,” Demoff says. “Everybody’s trying to see if there’s a silver bullet.”

USA Today

Sometimes, in the never ending quest for excellence, you have to make unspeakable sacrifices. No matter at what personal cost, we, as humans, can sometimes do things we never thought possible, if something that important is at stake. That is why this week, I spent most of my free time on Bolt Beat, our sister site dedicated to, yes, the San Diego Chargers.

Now let me make one thing clear at the onset: Bolt Beat, as part of the FanSided.com family along with Arrowhead Addict, is a great site with smart writing and passionate fans. But being submerged in Charger-world for  a week would make any Addict want to (a) shower; (b) crawl into a deep hole; and (c) get the heck back to Arrowhead Addict.

I decided to spend a week with the blue and yellow because I consider the Chargers our most immediate competition for the playoffs. My way-to-early prediction for next year’s division winners is:

• AFC East: New England Patriots
• AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals
• AFC South: Houston Texans
• AFC West: Denver Broncos

For the two wildcard spots, I think the following teams will be in contention:

• Baltimore Ravens
• Indianapolis Colts
• San Diego Chargers
• Kansas City Chiefs

The Ravens are a lock. The Colts will be even better than their surprise 11-5 record last year, but with a much, much tougher schedule. But the Chargers and Chiefs have two games with one another. A sweep by the Chiefs could push us into that 10-6 range that we’ll need to make it into the playoffs, and importantly, could close the door on the Bolts’ postseason hopes.

Here’s what I learned over at Bolt Beat.

New leadership: J.D. Fluker. The Chargers picked right tackle Fluker with the eleventh overall pick in the first round this year. Fluker is absolutely huge – 6’5” and 340 pounds – and could well be a perennial Pro Bowler at right tackle. Fluker also took charge at the rookie mini-camp last week. New Head Coach Mike McCoy said, “When you see kids that come from Alabama, the way they’ve been coached, he really was the leader out there on offense today. It’s great to see that because we need more guys like that. Very vocal. Very positive to everybody. (He) broke the team down at the end, and I didn’t ask him to. I wanted to see who would step up, and he stepped up without hesitation.” Chargers’ fans are ecstatic over Fluker, and with good reason.

Growth potential: wide receivers. Bolts fans are equally excited about their wide receiver corps. First and foremost, Vincent Brown is back this year from a season-ending broken ankle in 2012. He was a promising third round pick in 2011. McCoy said Brown is a “great route runner” and “very disciplined” at his position. Of course, Brown joins starters Danario Alexander and Malcolm Floyd, as well as four hundred year old tight end Antonio Gates (who has that Tony Gonzalez gene. Both those guys can probably play until they’re fifty). To make matters worse for us Addicts, San Diego also picked up running back and pass catcher Danny Woodhead in free agency, whom Bolts fans believe will be the next Darren Sproles. To round out the unit, the Chargers drafted Keenan Allen in the third round this year, although he has first round talent. Allen tore up his knee last year but will be ready for training camp. Needless to say, Charger fans are excited to have this set of weapons to receive passes from quarterback Philip Rivers.

The big worry: left tackle. The San Diego Chargers may have the worst left tackle situation in the National Football League, and that’s no exaggeration. They got skunked in free agency and the draft. This year’s starter may be right tackle King Dunlap. Or it may be Kevin Haslam. Or perhaps Mike Harris. The Bolts Beat is abuzz with desperation about the left tackle hole. The Chargers pushed hard to land Ravens’ left tackle Bryant McKinnie, but McKinnie re-signed with Baltimore. Now they are looking at 31 year-old Max Starks from the Steelers and have even brought in veteran right tackle Winston Justice, formerly of the Colts, for a look.

The Chargers were a decent defensive team last year, and rookie linebacker Manti Te’o will make them even better. They took great steps to upgrade key offensive positions in right tackle and wide receiver, and they still have Philip Rivers, who remains a top ten quarterback. But Chargers’ fans are freaking out about left tackle. I mean FREAKING OUT. Check out some of these posts:

Well, BoltFam, I know this is a delicate topic [left tackle] we´re discussing here and we’re all not too amused about the current situation at this specific position.

Unless the Chargers want to make a trade, it seems like we will be going into the season with King Dunlap as the starting left tackle and Kevin Haslam as the top backup on the left side. SCARY!

Just reading the report off of him [Dunlap], it sounds like he had a couple of AWFUL games. His pass protection is the best part of his game, but the consistency seems to be an issue. At least he won’t get Philip killed? Maybe?

This week, the Chargers hosted free agent (and recent super bowl winner) Left Tackle Bryant McKinnie, only to watch him leave and re-sign with the Baltimore Ravens. Chargers fans have been very concerned about the vacant hole at left tackle. Depth is needed, but San Diego does not have a lot of salary to spend on a coveted or premier left tackle.

It’s gotten so bad, Bolts’ fans are resorting to this:

The San Diego Chargers currently have no permanent solution at the left tackle position. We have King Dunlap, Mike Harris and another undrafted free agent, Nick Becton who will hold down our left tackle position until otherwise noted. Or we can call up two-time Sumo World Champion, Ulambayaryn Byambajav! Byambajav, stands at 6’-1” and 350 pounds of pure meanness! He’s also entered over a hundred sumo competitions and has won nothing less than gold. See, now this guy knows what it means to be a champion!

Hmmm…let’s see, Addicts. Who would be playing over the Chargers’ left tackle. Could that be…Tamba Hali?!!! If it’s Hali vs. Dunlap, I’m taking Hali ten times out of ten. This mismatch means that it just doesn’t matter what the Chargers did at right tackle, with their receiving corps and with their defense. Hali will be in Rivers’ face all day long, forcing sacks, hurries and interceptions. When they bring help over, that means Justin Houston and Dontari Poe get one-on-one coverage, forcing pressure from the Chargers’ right side as well as right up the middle. Gotta love it, Addicts!

Addicts, in a nutshell, I learned during my week in Bolt Beat that the Chargers strengthened key positions and their passing game has the potential to be downright scary, but they have a huge Achilles Heel at left tackle with little prospect of improvement. This week was ugly, it was difficult, sometimes it was downright gross, and yes, it was painful, but hopefully, we now all know a little bit more about one of our enemies. Addicts, what do you think are our chances of sweeping the Chargers this year??!!!

Oct 27, 2012; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) follows the block of fullback Braden Wilson (37) on Texas Tech Red Raiders safety Cody Davis (16) during a game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Kansas State won the game 55-24. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs continue to ink their draft picks. The team announced today that they have signed FB Braden Wilson.

From the press release:

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday that the club has signed the second of the team’s two sixth-round draft picks (204th overall) fullback Braden Wilson. Wilson is the fourth of Kansas City’s eight selections to sign with the club.

Wilson (6-4, 256) appeared in 51 games (27 starts) at fullback in four years at Kansas State. He recorded 21 carries for 44 yards (2.1 avg.) with two touchdowns and added 18 receptions for 144 yards (8.0 avg.). Wilson was a two-way standout at running back and defensive end at Smith Center High School in Smith Center, Kan.

The Chiefs have already locked up RB Kile Davis, DE Mike Capatano and C Eric Kush. That’s half the draft class inked and it is still May.

Not too bad, Mr. Dorsey. Not too bad at all.

Go Chiefs.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

As the Kansas City Chiefs enter their second day of OTA practices, WR Dwayne Bowe is already feeling confident. In fact, he’s making some pretty bold predictions.

“Jamaal Charles is going to lead the league in rushing this year,” said Bowe in comments obtained via the Kansas City Star, “and I’m going to lead the league in receptions and touchdowns.”

When former Chiefs GM, Soctt Pioli and former head coach, Todd Haley, arrived in Kansas City in 2009, their first order of business was to get Dwayne Bowe to shut up and behave himself. Haley treated Bowe as if he was an infant, demoting the the WR to the bottom of the depth chart for a portion of the preseason. The thinking, I suppose, was that by putting Bowe in his “place” that the receiver would focus and improve. When Bowe had a career year two seasons later, folks liked to credit Haley’s demotion for the receiver’s success.

Looking back, I don’t think Haley had anything to do with Bowe’s improvement. I don’t think that forcing the receiver to hide from the media and requiring that he refer to himself as “Dwayne” instead of “D-Bowe,” made a lick of difference in his play.

Bowe has always been a talented receiver that sometimes lacks focus and drops the ball. He’s explosive but inconsistent.

Bowe’s successful 2010 season had more to do with then offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis than it did Haley. Weis got the most out of the Chiefs’ offense and because a lot of passes were called in the red zone, Bowe got a lot of touchdowns. But even in 2010, Bowe had a stretch of games where he didn’t perform well. The receiver also vanished in the team’s playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Daywne Bowe will likely become a more consistent player as soon as he gets more consistent play from his QB. “The Show” hasn’t had consistent QB play, not ever, in his entire career. Perhaps his newfound confidence is the result of two days catching the ball from former No. 1 overaal pick, Alex Smith.

I don’t think Andy Reid and John Dorsey care about Dwayne Bowe’s mouth. I think what they care about, is his production on the field.

I don’t care about Dwayne Bowe’s mouth either. In fact, I think it might benefit Bowe to bring back the “D-Bowe Show.” A little swagger can be a good thing for a receiver. Frankly, I want Bowe going out on the field looking to prove he’s the best receiver in the league.

Todd Haley spent the 2010 season telling his players and anyone else that would listen, that his team wasn’t any good, even as they marched steadily toward an AFC West title.

A couple of years later, another young coach by the name of Jim Harbaugh brought his family’s motto to his football team. Growing up, Harbaugh’s father used to ask the family, “who’s got it better than us,” to which his family would respond “nobody.”

From the day Harbaugh arrived in San Francisco, few teams have had it better than the 49ers. The coach arrived with a message that essentially says “you are who you are and you have what it takes.”

Perhaps the young and talented Chiefs, are ready to embrace a similar message under Andy Reid. Despite coming off a 2-14 season, Reid has not said a single negative thing about his new team or even the regime that he and his coaches are replacing. Reid has said that the team is talented and will keep working to get better.

For an offense that couldn’t move the ball at all in 2012, a little confidence might be a good thing. Sure, predictions can sometimes backfire but Bowe wants the best for himself and his teammates.

And I’m not sure there’s anything wrong with that.

Give em’ hell, Dwayne.

Check that.

Give em’ hell, “D-Bowe.”

Last month, we gave away a $300 worth of Sports Memorabilia…This month, FanSided and Arrowhead Addict have teamed up with Deals2Buy.com to give away a LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV!!!

This LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV is provided by Deals2Buy, a leading website for deals, discounts and close-out inventory offers. Focused on delivering best-of-web pricing, Deals2Buy is known among tech-savvy consumers as the one stop shop for deals on items like laptops, cameras, televisions and other technology products – as well as apparel, accessories, travel, and even credit card offers. Sign up for the Deals2Buy Hot Deal Alerts newsletter and follow them on Twitter and Facebook to stay in the know about the hottest deals every day!

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April 08, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general aerial view during the opening day game between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Also pictured is Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Recently, the new 49ers stadium that is being built in Santa Clara got a naming rights deal. Levi Strauss & Co. was unanimously approved last Thursday night, and the $220 million, 20 year deal went into effect. It’s the second richest stadium deal in the NFL – behind only MetLife Stadium used for the Jets and the Giants – and the facility will be named Levi’s Stadium.

While many might find Levi’s Stadium as kind of a lame name, especially because 1) it’s a jeans company and 2) consumers already have images of football and jeans in their minds from the Brett Favre Wrangler commercials and that’s not necessarily a good thing, I think it’s hard to ignore the historical significance of Levi’s to the San Francisco area.

As NFL.com put it: “Levi’s was founded in 1853 by German immigrant Levi Strauss, who opened a dry goods store for gold miners in San Francisco. His firm switched from heavy brown cloth to create the first denim blue jeans in 1873, catering to manual laborers who needed tougher material to withstand the rigors of their toils.”

The local connection between Levi’s and the greater San Francisco area is a good story, and seems like the perfect fit – sort of like their jeans. This brings me to my next point: if the Chiefs were to ever sell the naming rights of Arrowhead Stadium, or the field, who would be a good corporate partner?

Let me pause for a second and clarify something: I, in no way, shape, or form, support selling the naming rights of Arrowhead Stadium. The Jackson County Sports Complex Authority as well as the Hunt family would get a lot of unhappy fans if the naming rights to Arrowhead were sold, and I would be among them. But don’t let that lead you to believe they’ve never considered it. Back in 2008, the Kansas City Star reported the club announcing that it had entered into an agreement with IMG, a global sports and entertainment company, to pursue a sponsor for the naming rights to Arrowhead. “As we go down the path of bringing in a partner on the field, we would like to keep Arrowhead part of the name,” said Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt. At that time, the team was hoping to get $5.5 million a year for the stadium and $800,000 for the practice facility.

That deal never got done – although the naming rights to the training complex have recently been sold to the University of Kansas Hospital – but rumors of another deal sprung up in 2011. Although this report was never confirmed as in 2008, Bob Gretz of bobgretz.com reported “It appears [the Chiefs] finally found a business entity to pony up for the right to put its name on the stadium, or the playing field. Word is that an announcement will likely come in conjunction with the Monday night game against San Diego on Halloween. No leaks on the name of the company involved, but the word is that it’s a national name, not local, and that this company has not previously been involved in buying naming rights to sports facilities. I’ve been told it will be a very familiar name, one that fans won’t have to use Goggle to discover what that company does.” And yes, he did spell it Goggle.

Once again, that deal either didn’t come through or was just a case of bad reporting. The point is, selling the naming rights to Arrowhead is not out of the realm of possibility, and although I don’t support it, we have to acknowledge that the NFL is a business and teams do whatever it takes to make money. Would fans still come to games if it was [Fill in the blank] Field at Arrowhead Stadium? Yeah. But I think the disgruntled fan factor would be lessened if the naming rights deal was with someone that made sense to Kansas City, someone that had that same kind of fit that Levi’s did with the 49ers. So let’s have some fun, put on our hypothetical hats, and consider potential corporate partners.

Here are some Kansas City-based examples, ranked from lame to pretty cool:

Hallmark Field at Arrowhead Stadium

Russell Stover Candies Field at Arrowhead Stadium

CommunityAmerica Credit Union Field at Arrowhead Stadium

Kansas City Power & Light Field at Arrowhead Stadium

Boulevard Brewing Company Field at Arrowhead Stadium

Oklahoma Joe’s Field at Arrowhead Stadium

The last one was mostly a joke, but if it meant I could buy Z-Man’s at the games, then I would jump on board this corporate sponsor bandwagon. Fill up the comments section with your suggestions. This is just for fun, so I don’t want 100 comments about how the stadium name shouldn’t change. Get creative, have fun with it and remember, no matter what you put, it will still be better than the Raiders’ O.co Coliseum.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs recently hired former Nevada head coach and creator of the Pistol offense, Chris Ault, as a consultant, leading many to speculate that the Chiefs would be exclusively running the Pistol offense.

Speaking to the media yesterday after the Chiefs’ OTA practice, head coach Andy Reid said his team would not necessarily be running only Pistol plays.

“Well it is an option, literally,” said Reid when asked if running the Pistol offense was an option. “We do a little bit of everything, so that’s what we’ve always done. We’re not featuring that. But we mess around with a little bit of everything.”

Reid clarified that Ault isn’t moving to Kansas City and that he will work on special projects given to him by Reid. The coach also mentioned that Ault will work with the Chiefs’ Spread Game Analyst, Brad Childress.

“Chris is a consultant and I brought him in,” said Reid. “He’s actually been here once and visited with the defense and spent some time there. He visited with Brad Childress a little bit and they went over some stuff. He will not be here, he’s not moving here, that’s not what he’s doing. He’s living in Reno. I’m doing with him what I did with Tommy Brasher for the last six years and that was I would give him projects to do and between him and Brad [Childress], they’ll do that and work together on some things for us.”

The Chiefs aren’t going to come out and talk too much about what their plans are for their offense. While I doubt KC will use only Pistol formations, even if that was the plan, Reid isn’t likely to tip his hand in May.

Chances are the Chiefs will run a bit of a West Coast/Pistol hybrid. Reid has always been a West Coast guy and QB Alex Smith thrived in a similar system in San Francisco.

Still, the Chiefs will benefit from mixing things up a little bit in an effort to keep their opponents guessing. With more and more teams running versions of the Pistol and other college offenses, the Chiefs’ defense will also benefit from practicing against the Pistol.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

“Everybody makes mistakes. Through this whole process, I realized I made mistakes,” Albert said Tuesday, via The Associated Press. “I shouldn’t have said certain things. That’s part of the game — learn from it and move on.

Albert didn’t give details about his mistakes, but it’s a good bet that he regrets skipping voluntary workouts and team meetings as well as airing his grievances with the organization on Twitter.

Now that trade talks are dead and Albert has been re-installed at left tackle, the rest of the offseason should go smoothly.

“I’m just happy to be here,” Albert. “I’m here right now, and this is God’s honest truth, I wanted to a Chief. I had to go through the process and now I’m here.”

NFL.com

“I told Coach Reid, ‘Whatever I can do to help you win a Super Bowl, I’ll do it,’ ” the 66-year-old Ault told the Reno Gazette-Journal in a story published Monday.

The pistol offensive formation lines up the quarterback a few yards behind center, but short of the traditional shotgun formation. The idea is to give the quarterback, particularly those with the ability to run the option, more versatility immediately after the snap.

Ault utilized the offense at Nevada with Colin Kaepernick, who led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl this past season. The 49ers and other NFL teams have begun to implement it, with the Redskins and quarterback Robert Griffin III using it to great success.

Kaepernick, of course, replaced Alex Smith as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, allowing the team to trade Smith to the Chiefs this past offseason. And while Smith hasn’t done much running in the NFL, he ran a spread-option system for coach Urban Meyer in college at Utah.

ESPN

“He’s actually been here once and visited with the defense and spent some time there. He visited with Brad Childress a little bit and they went over some stuff. He will not be here, he’s not moving here, that’s not what he’s doing. He’s living in Reno. I’m doing with him what I did with Tommy Brasher for the last six years and that was I would give him projects to do and between him and Brad [Childress], they’ll do that and work together on some things for us.”

Now, is the pistol offense an option for the Chiefs?

“Well it is an option, literally,” Reid said. “We do a little bit of everything, so that’s what we’ve always done. We’re not featuring that. But we mess around with a little bit of everything.”

Arrowhead Pride

LM: Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Chiefs selecting Nico Johnson with the  99^th pick in the draft is… all the good players they passed up to take him instead.

The first one that comes to mind is Safety Shamarko Thomas taken 12 picks later by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Pittsburgh they are hailing Thomas as the next Troy P. He was a three year starter and actually started more games in his junior and a senior seasons (23) than Nico Johnson started in his four years at Alabama (20). Thomas had two interceptions as a senior with 3 forced fumbles and 85 tackles (that’s 6.5 tackles per game if you’re keeping score). His 4.38 40 and ball hawking skills should make any fan think twice.

Other prospects the Chiefs passed on to take Nico Johnson include: Khaseem Greene, Jordan Poyer, DT Jesse Williams (Alabama), Barrett Jones (Alabama), C Brain Schwenke, or Oday Oboushi.

Quinton Patton is a 4.4 40 wideout who was taken 29 picks later by the San Francisco 49ers and was rated the 58^th best prospect in this draft by NFLDraftScout and CBS Sports. When fans ask me where I get off making “my” evaluations more important than the Chiefs leadership I say I don’t have to… I can use highly successful teams as good examples. I think the 49ers and the Steelers qualify.

(more…)

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs are still searching the free agency bargain bin in an attempt to improve their roster.

According to the Baltimore Sun, the Chiefs hosted free agent defensive lineman Ryan McBean on Monday.

You may remember McBean as a former Denver Bronco.

From the Sun:

McBean spent last season on the Ravens’ injured reserve list after breaking his left ankle in a preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons and undergoing surgery to repair the damage.

The Ravens didn’t sign McBean to a new contract as an unrestricted free agent after his one-year, $1.214 million contract expired. During free agency, the Ravens signed a pair of veteran defensive linemen in Chris Canty and Marcus Spears.

McBean, 29, is a former Pittsburgh Steelers fourth-round draft pick who has recorded 77 career tackles and four sacks.

McBea’s last season in Denver did not go well. He started for the Donkey’s, playing over 700 snaps. Pro Football Focus graded him a -21.9 on the season. He wasn’t much better in 2010, scoring a -17.9 grade in 447 snaps.

McBean seems to have some pass rushing ability but he doesn’t appear to be a player the Chiefs will want starting for them. Still, the Chiefs need depth on their defensive line and if healthy and utilized properly, McBean could be a sub-package contributor.

What do you think, Addicts? Do you want the Chiefs to sign McBean?

Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

The Kansas City Chiefs are still busy shaping their roster.

The team has added former New York Giants DB Buddy Jackson and former Philadelphia Eagles OT Matt Reynolds. Both players were acquired off of the waiver wire. Since the Chiefs had the worst record in the NFL in 2012, the team gets first crack at any released players that must clear waivers.

Jackson was an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts and then landed on the Washington Redskins practice squad. He appears to be a raw prospect with heaps of athletic ability. Unfortunately, being strong and fast doesn’t always mean a guy will be a good football player. Check out this tape of his Pro Day.

Reynolds will turn 27 at the end of the month. He played college ball at Bringham Young and went undrafted in 2012.

Neither of these moves seem to be particularly significant. It seems that Andy Reid and John Dorsey are trying to bring in as many of their own guys as possible to fill out the bottom of the roster and to create competition. The Chiefs will likely continue to churn the bottom of the roster guys until they hit training camp.

The Chiefs also cut CB DeQuan Menzie earlier today. It will be interesting to see if any more Scott Pioli draft picks get cut before camp. Reid and Dorsey have kept most of the core Chiefs in place but bubble players from the previous room could be in danger as the new-look Chiefs move forward.

(h/t Arrowhead Pride)

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs have cut former Alabama CB DeQuan Menzie.

Menzie is the latest Scott Pioli-drafted Alabama CB to bite the dust. Recently, the Chiefs also traded CB Javier Arenas to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Chiefs haven’t announced the deal yet but the news comes from Menzie’s twitter account.

I wanna thank the chiefs nation for the support…..keep balling my brothers @neiko15 @t_hart2 @stuntman1429 @klewis23 @younghemi21…1

— De’Quan Menzie (@menzie24) May 14, 2013

@countryboi567 I did

— De’Quan Menzie (@menzie24) May 14, 2013

I don’t get this move at all. Then again, I didn’t understand the Arenas trade either.

The Chiefs selected Menzie in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The guy never even played a regular season down for the team, as he was placed on IR before the season started last year.

Unless Menzie has some unresolved injury issue, I can’t understand why the Chiefs wouldn’t at least bring him to camp. As a fifth round pick, he wasn’t exactly eating into the team’s salary cap.

The Chiefs are set for starters at CB with Brandon Flowers, Dunta Robinson and Sean Smith. But what about behind those players?

Flowers and Smith are still in their primes but Robinson just turned 31 years old. The Chiefs drafted Sanders Commings but they have said they plan to play him at safety and the former Georgia Bulldog is no more or less proven at the NFL level than Menzie.

The Chiefs just signed six players that participated in their rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. I find it hard to believe that all six of those players have a better shot at making the team than Menzie.

I know that Reid and Dorsey want to get their own guys but it is hard to see the Chiefs cutting draft picks. Like I said, there might be a good reason for this but right now it doesn’t seem to me that Menzie got a fair chance in KC.

When the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Alabama linebacker Nico Johnson in the 2013 NFL Draft, most fans weighing in on Arrowhead Addict viewed the signing as a positive. After all, the Chiefs were in desperate need of depth at the ILB position. Johnson seemed to be the ideal candidate to replace Jovan Belcher. Johnson is a thumper that can fly into the gaps, eating up blockers and opening things up for Derrick Johnson to make plays. 

Not everyone was on board the Nico Johnson bandwagon, however. Arrowhead Addict senior staff writer Ladner Morse absolutely despised the pick, while fellow staffer, Stacy Smith, applauded the move. 

The two have been sparring in the comments for a couple of weeks now and so we thought we’d let them have it out in a two-part debate right on the main page of Arrowhead Addict. And so, without further ado, we present “The Nico Johnson Debate.” -PA

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SDS: The passing of Jovan Belcher in early-December left the Kansas City Chiefs with a gaping hole in the middle of their defense. The job opening was filled when the Chiefs selected Alabama linebacker Nico Johnson with their fourth-round draft pick. The former high school Butkus Award finalist and Scout.com five-star recruit went on to earn All-SEC Freshman team honors in 2009. Johnson played a key leadership role in a successful Crimson Tide career that netted him three national championships. Having a young football player with that kind of exposure to success will aid the team in cultivating a winning culture in Kansas City.

LM: Yes, Nico Johnson played on national champions for three of the past four years but, was not one of their best players. In the past three years 12 Alabama players have been drafted before the 99th pick in the draft, which is where the Chiefs selected Johnson this year. While many are hoping Nico Johnson would be a full time starter next to Derrick Johnson, his lack of experience and success against the pass make him a liability when the Chiefs face teams who use the pass on all downs. This means Nico Johnson should be viewed as a developmental player. In the 2013 draft, since both New Orleans and Cleveland lost their second round choices, the 99th pick essentially becomes a late THIRD round pick and the Chiefs should not have been targeting a “developmental player” with pick #99 but instead drafting a player who can start immediately and or contribute right away.

SDS: When thinking about those Alabama championship teams, there are a few things to keep in mind. Through the four years of Johnson’s collegiate career, he played with the following: Mark Barron, Dont’a Hightower, Courtney Upshaw, C.J. Mosley, Dee Milliner, Dre Kirkpatrick, Marcell Dareus, Josh Chapman, Kareem Jackson, Terrency Cody, and Javier Arenas. The University of Alabama is an NFL factory and the defenses Johnson played on were absolutely loaded. Despite the unusual depth of those Crimson Tide defenses, he made an impact even while having split time with C.J. Mosley and Rolando McClain.

Johnson is often criticized for what he lacks in pass coverage, but he was rarely asked to drop back in Nick Saban’s scheme. His coverage issues tend to be overstated. There simply isn’t enough game tape available to call him a “liability” in that phase of the game. Johnson is an athletic linebacker with servicable speed for the position and light footwork. Given the opportunity, Johnson could well prove that he’s a three-down player. Here’s a short clip that makes a compelling argument that he won’t have two left feet in coverage (taken from Alabama’s Pro Day):

LM: Admittedly, Nico Johnson is a very good athlete but, he can’t be considered Derrick Johnson good. That’s why DJ stays on the field for every defensive down. At Alabama, in passing situations, Nico would come off and C.J. Mosley would go on. If the Tide is pulling NJ in favor of a better pass protector it means he hasn’t gotten experience in that area. Nico Johnson played in 51 games for the Rolling Tide but, only started 20 games including 5 games as a Senior. That’s only 39%. That’s one reason Chiefs fans should only expect him to be a developmental player. The nature of the pro style game has evolved to where a pass can be expected on every down. Also, Nico Johnson’s challenges don’t stop with pass protection. NJ plays with his pads too high. So, what does that really mean? It’s means he doesn’t keep his shoulders low and he allows blockers to get into his body and cut block him with ease. When I wrote a review of Nico in January I said at that time that he could be a developmental prospect and I still believe it’s this tendency to play to high that he’ll have to overcome before he can be seen as an everyday every down starter.

SDS: I’m not sure that it’s fair to compare Nico Johnson with his surname-sharing counterpart just 17 days into his NFL career. While Derrick Johnson is currently heralded as one of the best inside linebackers in the league, he was widely considered a bust before head coach Todd Haley arrived in 2009. Without Haley’s chiding and a scheme change, DJ may never have gotten a contract extension in 2010. It typically takes time for a young linebacker to play at that level in the pros. Nico deserves the same opportunity to grow as a football player.

It’s been said that Johnson struggles in pass coverage, but what exactly is the argument? I’ll concede that he’s not particularly fast, but he makes up for that by knowing his assignment and being in the right places more often than not. He will also follow the quarterback’s eyes to anticipate where the football is going to be thrown. Having a jump in defending the pass typically helps him keep pace with runningbacks and tight ends for short periods of time.

Exhibit A:

Watch Johnson (#35) in man coverage against Vanderbilt’s runningback Jerron Seymour (who runs a sub-4.4 in the 40-yard dash). He was able to anticipate the play and stay right on Seymour’s hip. Had quarterback Jordan Rogers completed the pass, Johnson would’ve been right there to make the stop. Instead, he had such good coverage he was able to pick the ball off.

My opponent cited a previous AA article where he expressed concerns about Nico Johnson’s game. In case you missed it, here’s Mr. Morse’s mid-January evaluation of “NJ”:

Nico Johnson is a not-ready-for-prime-time-player in the NFL but, would make a terrific understudy there and if he’s available in the 4th or 5th round then the Chiefs should bag that Bama brute. Johnson goes 6-1, 245 and for some reason keeps his pads too upright and allows blockers to get their pads lower than his, into his chest and chop block his legs any time they choose. He’s not much of a “bender.” However, Andy Reid is a good teacher and Nico Johnson has all the physical tools so, in the meantime, he’d make a great special teams player.

The fourth round is precisely where Nico Johnson was taken. It would seem that the Chiefs filled an immediate need and got great value from the pick according to my opponent’s pre-draft assessment. The latter point about Johnson’s pad level is well taken. He does tend to “play high” at times. As a general rule, the player with the lower pad level tends to win a direct exchange (leverage is everything). Fortunately for Nico Johnson, this can be corrected with the right coaching and Gary Gibbs (linebackers) is one of the best position coaches on Andy Reid’s staff.

LM: The video of Nico Johnson having a QB throw the ball right to him is impressive. Your right Stacy, it’s absolutely not fair to compare DJ and NJ. But that’s the point, NJ will never be a DJ. One is a first round pick and one is a 4th round pick. However, on draft day I heard many fans saying they think Nico Johnson is the perfect player to step in next to DJ but, that won’t likely be close to being the case.

Let me make something perfectly clear: I hope John Dorsey and Andy Reid were right about Nico Johnson and that he can come in pick up coverage assignments and learn to be instinctive, read NFL offenses and pick blockers off for Derrick Johnson. I also think Nico is a good guy so I hope he makes it for his sake as well.

In an article called “Belcher is KC’s Thumper” written in December of 2011 by Josh Looney, Derrick Johnson tells the real tale of what a good ILB must be and do. He said of Belcher,

Probably half of my tackles come from Jovan blowing somebody up and I’m scraping over the top,” Johnson said. “He’s not a selfish guy. He knows what he has to do in this defense to allow certain people to scrape over the top for tackles. Sometimes in the 3-4 defense you have to be a sacrifice guy.

To play this role, Nico Johnson must read the play correctly, take out the lead blockers and sacrifice his body to make way for DJ to take a clear path to the ball carrier. Nico has the body to make this happen but, after watching hours of film on him I see a player who over runs plays, shows up late for plays that other team mates have already made and then hoots and hollers at the end.

Chiefs fans should be aware Nico Johnson only made 3.1 tackles per game in his Alabama career. However, the important aspect of the ILB’s game that should be focused on is tacking blockers so DJ and others can make the plays.

In January, when I first evaluated Nico Johnson, I said he would be a good pick in the 4th or 5th rounds. Now it’s clear he should have been a 5th rounder and remember, the 1st pick of the 4th round this year was the equivalent of a late 3rd round pick in any other year. Jamaal Charles was a 3rd round pick but, I can’t see a time when Nico Johnson will ever have the impact of a JC.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you why Johnson should have been a 5th rounder.

The Nico Johnson Debate Part 2 will conclude tomorrow morning.

Look for more fireworks then!

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid keeps defying expectations.

After a fourteen years as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid’s tenure ended in failure. His last years with the Eagles were marred by losing seasons and despite a long history of success, Reid was never able to guide Philadelphia to a championship. The organization decided it was time for a change.

As the end of the 2012 season approached and Reid’s eventual fate was becoming more and more apparent, there were some in the media that suggested that Reid should probably take a year or two off from football. Fourteen years is a long time for an NFL coach to hold the same job and Reid had recently lost his son Garrett, who died at Eagles training camp last August from an accidental heroin overdose.

But Andy Reid had no intention in taking time off. Just days after being fired by the Eagles, Reid was being introduced as the next head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Given Reid’s history and status as one of the most respected head coaches in the NFL, the media got right back to jumping to conclusions. It was written over and over that Reid would have full control in Kansas City and would have the final say in all personel decisions, even over the GM.

Yet everything we’ve seen from the Chiefs this offseason seems to indicated that GM John Dorsey and Reid really do have their own areas of power. After being hired, Reid was quoted on multiple occasions to the press,as saying that Dorsey had the final call on personel decisions.

Thus far, that appears to be the case.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt seemed to have had his fill of power plays with former GM Scott Pioli. Pioli had total control over everything from the personel decisions right down to who picked up candy wrappers in the stairwell. Pioli’s power trip caused strife in the front office and on the field with former head coach Todd Haley.

Hunt may have allowed Reid a say in who the eventual GM of the Chiefs would be. Reid was the big fish and I am sure Hunt wanted the coach to have a GM that he was comfortable with. But just because Reid was afforded a say in putting together the team, doesn’t mean that he was granted all-encompassing power.

Reid seems to trust Dorsey and so far at least, there have been no reports of any disagreements between the two. Reid’s willingness to defy expectations and work with a GM instead of having the GM work for him, should only benefit the Chiefs as they build their team. Running a successful NFL franchise is a large and difficult task and not many men can do it on their own. Instead of being the football czar in KC, as he was originally projected to be by the media, it appears Reid is content with doing what he does best, which is coaching a football team.

Finally, Reid and Dorsey have decided to hire former Nevada head coach and creator of the Pistol offense, Chris Ault, as a consultant. While it isn’t clear exactly what Ault’s duties will be, there are reports that he will be helping install some form of the Pistol on offense, while also helping to coach the defense on stopping it.

This is yet another move that shows Reid’s ability to adapt to the ever-changing and evolving NFL. College offensive schemes are becoming more and more prevalent in the pros and if the Chiefs want to keep up with their competition, then they need to change with the times.

Kansas City has also hired former Minnesota Vikings head coach, Brad Childress, as the team’s “Spread Game Analyst.” While it is unclear exactly what Childress’ duties will be, it is apparent that the Chiefs are wisely bringing in talented and experienced consultants to help them survive and thrive in today’s NFL.

Instead of getting the hotshot, veteran head coach that was going to come in and call all the shots and put everyone in their place, the Chiefs appear to have gotten a thoughtful, forward thinking leader that has learned from both his success and his failures.

We’re way too early in the process to know if this new Chiefs regime will be successful. But the early returns seem positive.

If Reid and company can put it all together, there could be something very special happing in Kansas City.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs made some roster moves yesterday, cutting three players and signing six.

Here are the details:

DL Risean Broussard, S Greg Castillo, DE Miguel Chavis, S Justin Glenn, RB Jordan Roberts and DB James Rogers.

Broussard (6-2, 278) played in eight games in one season at Hinds Community College, recording 61 tackles (43 solo), six tackles for a loss, 6.0 sacks (-42.0 yards), an interception (-15.0 yards) and two forced fumbles. He attended LaGrange High School in Lake Charles, La.

Castillo (5-11, 187) played in 41 games (seven starts) at Iowa, recording 55 tackles (32 solo), two interceptions and four passes defensed. The Mount Laurel, N.J., native earned first-team all-Catholic and all-city honors at St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.).

Chavis (6-5, 285) played in 47 games at Clemson and had 71 tackles (37 solo), 1.5 sacks (-9.0 yards) and a pass breakup. The Fayetteville, N.C., native prepped at Terry Stanford High School before playing football at Hargrave Military Academy.

Glenn (5-11, 214) appeared in 40 games (16 starts) in four years at the University of Washington, recording 152 tackles (93 solo), three tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries, three interceptions and four passes defensed. Earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 as a senior and was named the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player at the team’s postseason awards banquet. The Mukilteo, Wash., native prepped at Kamiak High School where he was a defensive back and running back.

Roberts (5-10, 222) played in 11 games for the University of Charleston as a senior in 2012, rushing 238 times for 1,572 yards (6.61 avg.) with 18 touchdowns, earning WVIAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. The Yawkey, W. Va., native prepped at Scott High School in Madison, W. Va., earning the Kennedy Award as the best high school player in the state of West Virginia.

Rogers (6-1, 188) played in 46 games (15 starts) at the University of Michigan as a defensive back and wide receiver, starting 13 games at cornerback and two games at wide receiver. He caught three passes for 64 yards (21.3 avg.) during his career and added three interceptions and four passes defensed, as well as 15 special teams tackles. The Madison Heights, Mich., native prepped at Lamphere High School where he was a three-year varsity letterman.

RELEASED 

D’Imperio (6-3, 240) originally joined the Chiefs this offseason as a free agent on March 21. He played in 12 games (one start) in two NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2010-11). After spending the 2010 season on the club’s practice squad, D’Imperio was promoted to the active roster in October of 2011, recording two catches for seven yards. He originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft choice (237^thoverall) of the Vikings in the 2010 NFL Draft. D’Imperio played linebacker at Rutgers. He prepped at Washington Township High School in Sewell, N.J.

Eachus (5-10, 212) originally joined the Chiefs as a rookie free agent in 2012. He played in 11 games (two starts) with the club last year, recording five rushes for 18 yards and one catch for 19 yards. Prior to joining the Chiefs, he played collegiately at Colgate. He prepped at Hazleton Area High School in Hazleton, Pa. 

Gumbs (5-10, 210) originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New Orleans Saints on April 30, 2012. Gumbs was released by the Saints on Sept. 7. He originally signed on with Kansas City’s practice squad on Dec. 5, 2012. Gumbs was a starter at Monmouth. He prepped at Hebron Academy in Hebron, Maine.

Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

According to Dan Hinxman of the Reno-Gazette Journal, the Kansas City Chiefs have hired former Nevada head coach and creator of the Pistol offense Chris Ault. 

From Hinxman’s blog on the RGJ.com website:

Former Nevada football coach Chris Ault will be a consultant for the Kansas City Chiefs, Ault’s agent, Bob LaMonte, confirmed today.

Ault, whose Pistol offense has become a mainstay in college football and is making inroads in the NFL, will join the staff of newly hired coach Andy Reid, formerly the Philadelphia Eagles coach. Reid is also one of LaMonte’s clients.

Kansas City made a similar hire in late-March when Brad Childress was brought on as their ’spread game analyst.’ It’s unclear whether or not the two consultants have been enlisted to forge a hybrid offense with Reid’s WCO as the centerpiece, or if they’ve been commissioned to help Bob Sutton and his defensive staff stop offenses who utilize those formations.

Ault coached Alex Smith’s former teammate and current 49ers starter Colin Kaepernick at Nevada. Smith doesn’t share Kaepernick’s athleticism, so it seems unlikely that Ault was brought in to help make a runner out of the Chiefs’ new quarterback. More details about Ault’s specific role with the team should come available as the Chiefs’ offseason program wears on.

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced the signing of third-round draft pick RB Knile Davis. With the deal in place, Davis becomes the third member of the Chiefs’ 2013 NFL Draft class to agree to terms. The Chiefs inked sixth-round draft pick C Eric Kush and seventh-round draft pick DE Mike Catapano last week.

Here’s what Davis had to say about the signing on KCChiefs.com:

It’s something that I always dreamed of, just getting to this point in my life,” Davis said. “It feels good but I know (when) much is given to you, much is required, so, I’m staying humble and am going to take it one day at a time. It’s good to have the contract and have the privileges but there’s a lot required with it.

The Chiefs still have five other draftees to sign: Eric Fisher, Travis Kelce, Nico Johnson, Sanders Commings and Braden Wilson. Kansas City’s rookie minicamp, held over the weekend, provided an opportunity for the team to negotiate with Davis. It’s possible that other rookie signings will be announced in the coming days.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs held a three-day rookie minicamp over the weekend. While a majority of the players were in town only on a tryout basis and aren’t likely to be brought back, drafted rookies Braden Wilson and Mike Catapano will at least be given the chance to go to training camp.

Both Wilson and Catapano will likely have to fight for a roster spot, as both were taken in the late rounds of the draft.

Wilson was selected in the sixth round but shortly after the draft, the Chiefs traded Javier Arenas to the Arizona Cardinals for FB Anthony Sherman.

“I just know I’m going to approach the situation the same as I would have regardless,” said Wilson when asked about the Sherman trade. “I just have to do the work and do everything I can to earn myself a spot if I can.”

Wilson, who grew up in Kansas, is excited to have the chance to play for favorite team.

“Yeah, like you just said, I grew up a Kansas kid, this is the team I cheered for when I was growing up. I just need to capitalize on this situation and make a dream come true.”

As for Catapano, he is also facing long odds. A seventh-round pick out of Princeton, Catapano hopes to be one of the few Ivy League players in recent memory to make a splash at the NFL level.

“I wouldn’t say surprised, but I was definitely hopeful,” said Catapano hen asked if he was surprised he was drafted. “You control the controllable. I tried to take advantage of every opportunity whether it was my pro day, I wasn’t really concerned. I just knew whatever was going to happen was going to happen, and I’d roll with it and play to the best of my ability with whatever team I ended up with.”

Catapano played DE in college but will transition to OLB for the Chiefs. The rookie said he is up to the challenge of learning a new position at the highest level.

“It’s a mental battle right now” said Catapano. “When you stand up, your eyes open up. You’re used to just putting your head to the ground and going forward, so now there is a whole new world out here. I think for me most of all, it’s the mental battle because physically I feel good. I feel quick at this weight. I think the biggest transition is learning the coverages and the mental battle.”

May 12, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Tyler Bray (9) throws a pass during the rookie minicamp at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up their three-day rookie minicamp yesterday and as the team looks ahead to OTAs this week, head coach Andy Reid spoke with the media to talk about the last few days.

Reid got specific about a couple of players. First, he was asked about third-round pick Knile Davis. Davis has had a history of broken ankles in college and Reid weighed in on how much he though the injuries impacted Davis in his final years at Arkansas.

“No, what you see consistently, whether it is the college level or the NFL – Adrian Peterson kind of blew this up, but he is a little different character, he is pretty special that way – but most of the time, when guys have a major injury it usually takes them about a year to get themselves all the way back,” said Reid. “I think if you take time into that statement that I am making then you have enough evidence of that.”

Reid was also asked wich players he thought stood out on the final day of the minicamp and he interestingly singled out QB Tyler Bray.

“Tyler Bray had a nice day today, I think that is obvious,” said Reid. “He made some nice throws down in the red zone. He has to continue to make progress, but he did some nice things. It was good to see [Sanders] Commings work at safety. He played a little bit of corner but was primarily at safety. It was nice to see the progress that he made as he went on. We feel like he can still play corner but that gives us the flexibility to play that free safety position. We will see, that is kind of where we are at.”

There are a lot of folks that think Bray has loads of potential and that he could have been a first-round pick had be decided to stay in college for another season. If the former Tennessee Volunteer continues to impress in practice, he could find himself on track to be an eventual replacement fro Alex Smith.

First things first, however. Bray has to start with making the team.

May 12, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches drills during the rookie minicamp at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs concluded their three-day rookie minicamp yesterday. The group was made up of rookies the team has signed, either through the draft or as free agents and a group of rookie free agents in town on a tryout basis.

Most of those rookie free agents will be given a pat on the back and be sent on their way. Still, some of them may have done enough over the last three days to have earned a shot at going to camp with the Chiefs.

Head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Sunday that there are a couple of players he might like to bring back, as long as he can get permission from GM John Dorsey.

“Yeah, I think we will, but I have to get with Dorse [John Dorsey] and see,”said Reid. “But he had his guys out here, the three days, evaluating them and watching tape. He is meeting with them now, so I will see where that goes.”

Though only have three days to evaluate some of these players presents its challenges, Reid told the media that the Chiefs approached every player the same way.

“Well, really you get two walkthroughs and you get three practices,” said Reid. “You want to do the best you can. We gave the kids a lot of reps. You do the best you can off of film study and how they take your coaching that you are able to give them. Our coaches, it doesn’t matter whether you were the first pick or a college free agent, we don’t care, we are going to coach them all the same. We have a chance to see how they pick it up and them we make our decision. Does that mean that the kids that you let go don’t have a chance? No, some of them are going to have an opportunity somewhere else, but you do the best you can.”

Every season, there are a few unknown rookie free agents that end up making NFL teams. It will be interesting to see if any of the guys the Chiefs decide to bring back stick around come September.

In the hours before the 2013 NFL Draft word began to circulate that the Kansas City Chiefs would select Central Michigan’s left tackle Eric Fisher with the first pick in the draft. Once Fisher was selected it was believed to be just a matter of time before KC traded their current left tackle Branden Albert to the Miami Dolphins. After all, a team doesn’t need two left tackles. Albert was already on record as saying he didn’t want to switch positions and a team would be foolish to spend the first overall pick on a position of minimal importance like right tackle.

At least that’s what traditional NFL wisdom has said.

The reasoning for this is pretty simple. The long held belief is that you need an athletic pass protector at left tackle to protect the quarterback’s blind side but the right tackle doesn’t need to be as good of a pass protector and it is often more advantageous for him to be more of a run blocker. Therefore, sticking a great pass protecting left tackle over on the right side would be a waste of his abilities. It would be like putting a great running back at fullback where he spends most of his time lead blocking while his true talent goes wasted. A team would be much better served drafting a different position at first overall and picking up a less talented tackle later in the draft that would adequately fill the less important position of right tackle.

If that last paragraph is true for today’s NFL then the Kansas City Chiefs made a huge mistake in taking Eric Fisher first overall. Either that or they should have traded away Branden Albert at any cost. However, I think even the most “old school” of NFL fans have to admit that this traditional view of the right tackle position is probably at the very least in need of some updating.

This past week I read two fantastic pieces on this subject. The first is Examining Pressure: Are Left Tackles Overvalued? by Steve Palazzolo at Pro Football Focus. If you have ANY interest in this subject whatsoever you MUST stop reading this post right now and go read it. It is well worth the time.

The second was Evolution And The NFL from the blog NFL Philosophy. This blog is by a twitter user that goes by the handle @NFLosophy. He is a former NFL front office employee who posts on all things NFL. He’s a very insightful follow and I highly recommend looking him up on Twitter and definitely recommend reading the linked piece from his blog.

If anyone is concerned with the thought of the Chiefs playing Eric Fisher at right tackle this season or beyond go read those two pieces. I don’t know how you could read them and continue to have the same outdated beliefs about the right tackle position.

Here are a few highlights.

Both articles touch on the history of why we view the tackle positions the way we do. They both mention the game changing impact of Lawrence Taylor. His ability to impact the game by getting to the QB made every team want to find a player to do the same for them. These outside pass rushers lined up on the right side of the defense against the left tackle because they wanted the advantage of the QB not being able to see them coming, hence the “blind side”.

This became common NFL practice and to counteract it teams started looking for athletic pass blockers to play at LT to stop or at least contain these outside edge rushers. Thus was born the stereotyped roles of the tackle positions that some are still clinging to today. It doesn’t take a hard core football expert to watch football and see that QB pressure is no longer just coming from the QB’s blind side. Defensive coordinators are now sending blitzes from everywhere. Plus, as teams use less of the fullback position and split their TEs out like WRs more and more the right tackle no longer has the blocking “safe guards” that were often there 10 years ago. The right tackle is often “on an island” against a quality pass rusher just like the left tackle. The Pro Football Focus article does a great job of proving just how out of date those old tackle roles are in today’s NFL with statistical evidence.

According to their research, over the past five seasons 45.6% of their top rated pass rushers have predominantly rushed from the left side (meaning they line up against the right tackle). The number of quality pass rushers is creeping closer and closer to 50/50 on which side of the ball they line up on. In fact, last season 16 of the top 25 rated pass rushers were guys who lined up against the RT. Palazzolo notes:

2012 saw a big jump in production from left side pass rushers and not coincidentally, we saw 16 of the Top 21 pass protectors residing at left tackle. This brings us to our original question: are the best pass rushers really moving to the left side or are the right tackles simply getting exposed? The answer, of course, is “yes.”

Chiefs fans know all to well about RTs getting exposed having watched guys like Chris Terry and Barry Richardson get manhandled in the not too distant past.

However, the undervaluing of the right tackle position does not just stop there. Palazzolo goes on to illustrate that pressure coming from the QBs right is actually more disruptive. Over the past five seasons the PFF QB grades for QBs facing pressure from around the left tackle is -80.2 while the grade for QBs facing pressure from the right tackle is -130.6. This does actually make sense. If a QB sees the pressure coming he is more likely to force a throw to avoid the hit which will lead to more mistakes and a worse grade. What is surprising is that despite coming from the “blind side” pressure from the LT hasn’t lead to many more sacks. In the five year study 17.2% of the pressures coming from against the LT lead to sacks while 16.4% of those from against the RT did. So only 0.8% more pressures from the QBs blind side lead to sacks.

So since the difference in sacks allowed by pressures from the two sides is less drastic than the negative effect on the QBs passing shown from the grades listed above an argument can be made that in today’s NFL the right tackle position is having a greater negative effect on QB play than the left tackle position. This is how Palazzolo concludes his piece:

The right tackle should no longer be viewed as the athletic inferior to the left tackle and teams should change their team-building strategy to make this happen. Today’s passing NFL makes it a necessity to have two competent pass protectors on the edge and when scouting players, if a tackle is deemed to not be good enough to play left tackle, well you’re better off just putting him at guard rather than exploiting him at right tackle. There’s no hiding — defensive coordinators will find him.

The piece by NFLosophy has come to the same conclusion and specifically addresses how some teams are now evolving:

In the past, right tackles were considered more run blockers than pass blockers and were drafted as such. Defenses saw the weakness and are taking advantage of how slowly offenses are evolving to this tactic. Evolution is always playing catch up. However, this week we saw a couple of examples of teams realizing that the left tackle position has now become over emphasized. The best example is that the Jaguars decided that drafting Joeckel and playing him at right tackle was just as beneficial as playing him at left tackle. They realized that the gap between the importance of the left tackle and right tackle position isn’t as great as the general opinion would have us believe. They’re evolving faster than everyone else.

Now before any Chiefs fans get bent out of shape that the author gives kudos to the Jags for playing the #2 overall pick at RT instead of the Chiefs for using the #1 overall pick to do the same, keep in mind that KC was actively shopping Albert up until about a week ago. That implies that their drafting of Fisher wasn’t done with the sole purpose of playing him at RT like the Jags did with Joeckel. However, the fact that John Dorsey wasn’t willing to take less than top dollar in return for Albert shows that he does see enough benefit in having a great player at RT to stick to his guns. Someone with the outdated view of the RT position would have traded Albert away for pennies on the dollar so that he didn’t “waste” his top draft pick by playing him at the RT spot.

I don’t know if the Chiefs will sign Albert to a long term contract or not. I don’t know if Eric Fisher is still the long term answer at LT for this team or not. I do feel good about the situation now because I believe that if they don’t sign Albert to a long term deal it will be because they don’t think he’s worth the money he’s demanding not because they don’t value the RT position enough to play Fisher there. I just hope that if the Chiefs do sign Albert to a long term deal most KC fans will be smart enough not to flood blogs and message boards with comments like “Great, that means we wasted the #1 pick on a RT!”

That kind of thinking is obsolete in today’s NFL.

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

October 26, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders perform for the crowd during the game against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. The Broncos won 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

I’ve thought all along that whatever happens with the fraternal hazing Te’o gets, he’ll be measured among his teammates by performance. If the guy can play and is an earnest worker, he’ll get respect in time. It’s naïve to think the phony girlfriend won’t come up, and I’m sure Te’o knows it’s coming, and he just has to take whatever comes his way. But then it’ll be over. Then the questions will be about his play. Will he hold the point of attack when big and fast Oakland back Darren McFadden lowers his head up the gut on third-and-two? Will he be able to pivot and cover Denver tight end Jacob Tamme, and hold his own when he’s caught in a mismatch against versatile Chiefs back Dexter McCluster? He’ll be tested by good weapons in the AFC West.

SI.com

Two weeks ago, he became the first player from Princeton to be selected in the NFL Draft since 2001. And while Ivy League graduates are generally well-respected, it’s not usually for their abilities on a football field. Only six players from the Ivy League appeared in an NFL game last season.

Catapano is trying to change the conventional thinking.

“Everybody always says, ‘Hey, at least you’re bringing up the team GPA,’ ” Catapano said. “but I came here to play. I’m proud to represent the Ivy League. The Ivy League is smart guys that like to play football, and that’s what I’m here to show — that we can play the game just as (well) as everybody else.”

KC Star

Harris is trying to find a spot on the Chiefs roster at this weekend’s minicamp. It’s clear after watching an hour of practice that he hasn’t played football in four years. He sits on the sideline — watching — most of the time. A coach is near him, explaining things to him as the day goes on. If he was in on more than a half dozen plays during practice then I didn’t see it. Limited reps to be sure. He isn’t even sweaty when practice ends.

He’s tall, but not bulky. If you look close enough you could convince yourself that’s a basketball player’s body and not a football player’s but to say he looked different than any of the other tight ends would not be accurate. He’s just slightly taller at 6’7. I expected to see skinny legs — basketball player and all — but his legs look like the rest of the players on the field.

Arrowhead Pride

It’s been a wild and crazy ride for New Orleans Saints center Brian De La Puente, but he has finally emerged as one of the best players the NFL has to offer.

You wouldn’t know it.

De La Puente entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He bounced around with the San Francisco 49ers twice, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Seattle Seahawks twice and the Carolina Panthers before joining the Saints in October of 2010.

Two years later, and De La Puente is the exact role model each Saints’ undrafted free agent should be looking up to.
De La Puente took over as the starter in New Orleans after Olin Kreutz elected to ditch the NFL altogether in the middle of the 2011 season.

Who Dat Dish

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs may not have had a very good record in 2012 but that doesn’t mean the roster was devoid of talent.

NFL Network is running down its top 100 players of 2013. This is a yearly event where NFL players vote on which players they think are in the top 100 in the league, based on the pervious year’s performances.

Kansas City Chiefs CB Brandon Flowers checked in at #75.

“I’m glad to have him on my team,” said Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles when interviewed for the program. “I know when its time to play, he’s going to come to play. He come up and hit now, he not a scared cornerback.”

Oakland Raiders WR Denarius Moore also heaped some praise on Flowers.

“Last year, he intercepted the ball and took it all the way back on us,” said Moore. “It’s just little plays like that you think you have him beat but he’s still right there beside you and he’ll hurt you in the long run.”

Chiefs safety Eric Berry told NFL Network that the night before the Chiefs played the Broncos last season, Flowers saw something on tap he thought he could exploit.

“Yeah, it was just like a deep skinny post,” said Berry. “They ran the play and he picked it off. A lot of stuff he called, he calls his shots, just like in pool, you know? I think that’s pretty cool too.”

Flowers likely won’t be the last Chiefs player listed in the top 100. Recent commercials seem to indicated that WR Dwayne Bowe will be in the next grouping and chances are that RB Jamaal Charles could make the list as well.

How many Chiefs players do you think belong in the top 100?

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

With the start of the rookie min-camp, the heavy lifting for the General Manager is mostly over.  So, I thought it would be interesting to look back and compare how Scott Pioli and John Dorsey handled similar situations. To be fair, Pioli inherited a much worse roster than Dorsey. However, how did each one handle their first offseason?

When Scott Pioli reviewed his roster he saw a very young team who was built for a 4-3 defense.  Well, Pioli is a 3-4 guy and he proceeded to tear the roster down to bring in 3-4 guys. I recall at the time DD and I were screaming that Pioli was being inflexible and hurting the team. I doubt we were alone in that thought. However, the inflexibility went much deeper than the defensive scheme. Stories eventually emerged about how the scouting department was handled. A new GM is faced with a very difficult first draft. He is given a scouting department in the middle of draft preparation and no time really to change much staff. What did Pioli do? He froze out the existing staff and worked off of what he took from New England. His draft was very poor, however that must be tempered by the fact that the 2009 draft was a very poor draft crop.

As we look at coaching staff and free agent signings, the picture became even clearer. Pioli was the son-in-law of Bill

December 02, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli walks on the field before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won 27-21. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Parcells and worked with Bill Belichick. Todd Haley, the new Head Coach had worked under Parcells with the Jets. The Coordinators Pioli really wanted (Charley Weis and Romeo Crennel) had worked with Belichick in New England. Free Agents signed seemed to almost only come from teams that one of the core staff plus Belichick or Parcells had been involved. For the Chiefs, the NFL seemed to consist of the Jets, Dolphins, Patriots, Browns and Cardinals. The other twenty six teams? Who? They didn’t really seem to be on the radar. They were not a part of the family.

Critics gnashed their teeth. Frankly, we would still be gnashing our teeth if Pioli had won with the Chiefs. Winning trumps many things. However, Pioli’s narrow, inflexible approach makes it harder to win, not easier.

By contrast, how did John Dorsey handle inheriting the roster? It was in much better shape then when Scott Pioli took over. So, Pioli does deserve some credit. The team was built for a 3-4. New coach Andy Reid had run 4-3 defenses in the past. Dorsey had drafted for a 3-4. What did the new regime do? They decided that the team was built for a 3-4, they would continue going in that direction. Wow! An understanding that they are many ways to win in the NFL and you win best by finding a way to maximize your talent?

How did John Dorsey handle the holdover scouting department? In his words, he took what they were doing, what he wanted to do and met in the middle. Met in the middle? You mean collaborate and compromise? Can you imagine Scott Pioli saying he compromised? I can’t imagine it. Dorsey has started to move some of his people in, as he should. Who has he hired? Marvin Allen. Who has Allen worked for? The Patriots and the last four years with the Falcons. Connection to Dorsey or Reid? None that I can find. Wow, a hire based on talent, not connections?

Coaching staffs tend to be filled out with people you have worked with before. Reid has certainly brought in several coaches he was familiar with. However he also brought in Bob Sutton as the Defensive Coordinator. For an offensive guy like Reid, the opposite side coordinator is your most critical hire. What is the connection to Dorsey/Reid? None that I can find. Sutton worked for the Jets. If you look at the coaching staff, you see Reid, you don’t see the fingerprints of Dorsey. In contrast, Pioli’s fingerprints were all over the team. From the Head Coach down.

The Free Agents the Chiefs have brought in have been from various teams in the NFL, not just ones that your staff had worked with before. It is natural to bring in players you are familiar with. However, it should not be the sum total of who you bring in.

It is way too early to look at the draft class for results. However, the off-season as a whole has given us an idea of what the new plan is and how the new regime evaluated the current Chiefs. Last year, the Chiefs were talented, but soft.  Fisher, Kelce, Nico Johnson, Commings all give the Chiefs some attitude. Knile Davis? Well, congrats, by picking a RB with two broken ankles, fumbling problems who hasn’t played well in two years…… Knile, you are this years WTF draft pick winner.

What does all the mean for the future of the Chiefs? It’s too early to tell. However, Dorsey is showing the flexibility I believe we need in a General Manager. In the long run, he may be a more important hire than Andy Reid. For the moment, I am optimistic. We could be in good hands and it’s been awhile since that has been the case.

Aug 07, 2012; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Terrance Copper (10) catches a pass as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Larry Parker (41) defends during the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals practice at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Morning Addicts. Just wanted to apologize if you had some trouble getting on the site yesterday. We had some issues around the network that we are pretty sure we have resolved now.

Here is your Morning Fix:

1. The Chiefs had eight draft picks on the field, along with 13 undrafted free agents, 36 tryout players and another eight first year players. The practice was light, with lots of instructional time slotted in.

2. Watching practice from the sidelines was GM John Dorsey, who wore shorts and a Chiefs sweatshirt, and Mayor Sly James, who wore a red hat, red shirt and a suit coat.

Arrowhead Pride

As the Star pointed out, Chase Daniel is the current back up and behind him there is just Ricky Stanzi who is likely not going to be a challenge against Bray. Had he stayed in college and used his final year of eligibility, he could very well have been a top prospect heading into the 2014 NFL Draft. But Bray chose to leave Tennessee early thinking that fortune would grace him this season.

It didn’t and he went undrafted. But his misfortune seems to be the Chiefs blessing. Not only is Bray capable of passing up Stanzi on the depth chart but he very well could end up being a rookie backup at some point in the season. Bray has an NFL size arm and impressive football I.Q., and the only reason he fell in the draft was due to questions about his maturity.

FanSided.com

“I’ve disappointed you,” Verna Hali remembers her stepson telling her. He was facing one-game suspension, which cost him about $1.3 million dollars.

Hali had been suspended for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, which covers recreational drugs and the abuse of prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs and alcohol, but not performance-enhancing drugs. Hali was apologetic but has never revealed the specific reason for his suspension.

But Mom, Verna Hali in New Jersey, was quick to say that she knew better.

“There is nothing my Little Tamba could do to make me disappointed in him. It’s not in him,” said the Jamaican-American woman, whose voice still has the lilting accent of the island.

KC Star

Give credit to Branden Albert for deciding to join the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.

Albert previously said he would stay away from the team until the mandatory session begin, Yet, Albert will join voluntary session. New Kansas City coach Andy Reid called Albert, and the two have come to an accord.

Expect both sides to continue to talk about coming to terms on a long-term deal. No deal is close, but both sides are interested in getting a deal done. If not, Albert will play for the $9.8 million franchise tag and be a free agent next year.

In the meantime, Albert is joining his team and putting a spring holdout behind him.

ESPN

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs and LT Branden Albert have yet to work out a long-term contract but according to head coach Andy Reid, Albert will join the team on Monday.

“He’ll be in here Monday,” Reid said of Albert. “Branden will play the left side for right now and Eric will play the right side. I think that gives you two pretty good bookends right there. We also know we have Donald Stephenson, who is also a good football player.

“He’s very eager to get going. He’s very excited.’’

That has to be good news for Chiefs fans, many of whom (at least on this website) have said they just want the drama to be over with.

The Chiefs aggressively tried to trade Albert ahead of the 2013 NFL Draft. It appeared they were close to dealing him to the Miami Dolphins but the two sides were never able to agree on compensation. Since the draft, it appears the trade market has gone dry. As such, the Chiefs have reportedly began trying to sign Albert to a long-term contract.

Inking Albert long-term would help give the Chiefs some much needed salary cap relief, depending on the contract. Albert reportedly wants top dollar but the Chiefs may be able to structure his contract in such a way that balances out Albert’s big pay day with other high-paid players already on the roster.

The Chiefs and Albert have until July 15th to work out a deal. If they can’t, Albert will be forced to play the 2013 season under the franchise tag, which will pay him a little over $9 million for the year.

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs may have selected LT Eric Fisher No. 1 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft but it appears Fisher will be playing the right side, at least for now.

The Chiefs kicked off their three-day rookie minicamp on Friday and Fisher lined up at RT. Since it was a rookie minicamp, there were no veterans present, meaning Fisher was clearly the best tackle present. Still, KC had him get started at RT which means the move there is probably set in stone. Fisher played LT in college so the Chiefs will likely want to acclimate him to playing the right side as fast as possible.

Fisher’s presence on the right side is another sign that the Chiefs plan to stay true to their word that Branden Albert will play LT when he returns to the team next week. Albert has been adamant that he has absolutely no interest in moving positions, whether it be to guard or right tackle.

To his credit, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has been saying for a while that he views both tackle positions equally in terms of importance. Putting the No. 1 pick at RT seems to indicate that their is at least some truth to that.

I think this move by Reid is smart. Putting Fisher at RT at a practice for just rookies shows Branden Albert that Reid means it when he says the LT role belongs to the veteran. A happy Albert could mean a slightly increased chance that the LT will adjust his expectations a bit in order to sign a long-term deal with KC.

If that were to happen, the Chiefs could have a very, very good offensive line for years to come.

Dec 9, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) throws the ball before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I will not use this post to make comparisons between Alex Smith and rookie
quarterbacks who were drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. I
already wrote that article. I will not use this space to say that Alex Smith
is an upgrade from Matt Cassel. If you need me to do that, or you think
Smith isn’t better than Cassel, you probably think the Chiefs will score the
most home runs this year using their football bats and getting past the
opposing goalies.

Nope, this post will be devoted strictly to explaining why I believe Alex
Smith has the “clutch” gene. Yes, I said clutch, as in gets it done under
pressure, doesn’t just manage the clock but goes out and wins football
games, gene. He is clutch.

We all know that Smith didn’t start out his NFL career as well as his No. 1
overall price tag would indicate. Many would call Smith a bust. If you look
only at his stats, I would be inclined to agree with you. But, I’m not just
looking at his stats. Smith is a quarterback, and while the great ones -
Montana, Favre, Brees, Brady – generally make the others around them look
better than they are, there has to be some talent there to begin with.
Smith really had no help in that department his first few seasons in San
Francisco. His first year, his leading receiver was a guy named Arnaz
Battle. Ever hear of him? Yeah, me neither.

So what makes #11 a clutch QB? Is it the ability to sling the football 4000
yards per season? Is it racking up 40 TD’s in one year? Are those stats what
make a QB a clutch player? By that account, Cam Newton of the Carolina
Panthers is the clutchest of the clutch. His rookie year he passed for 4,051
yards, threw 21 TD’s, rushed for 706 yards and 14 more scores on the ground.
But was he clutch? What was the Panther’s record in 2011?  They went 6-10 on
the year, finished third place in the NFC South and obviously didn’t qualify
for the playoffs. On the other hand, in 2011, the 49ers went 13-3, finished
first in the NFC West and were a fumble away from the Superbowl. Despite the
success, Alex Smith’s stats in 2011 were not what many consider top shelf,
or elite for an NFL quarterback. He threw for a career high 3,144 yards and
17 TD’s. While he added 179 yards and two more scores in the rushing game,
his stats were far removed from the Rookie of the Year, Newton. So what’s
the difference? The winning? The playoffs? Was that Smith’s doing, or was it
the defense and the running game?

By 2011, Smith finally had talent in his receivers. While Vernon Davis had
been there as long as Smith, it also took a while for the pass-catching
tight end to come into his own. Let’s not forget, this is the same tight end
who was benched by the “great savior” Mike Singletary, for having a poor
attitude. Smith, also turned the corner in 2011 with his leadership skills
and fire under pressure. While Smith had led comeback victories in seasons
past, he didn’t truly master the art until the week 3 game against the
Philadelphia Eagles, funny enough, against his now head coach, Andy Reid.
Perhaps this was when Reid first discovered the clutch gene in his future
quarterback.

After falling behind to the Eagles 20-3 at halftime, Smith led a crusade
against the City of Brotherly Love and outscored the birds 21-3 in the
second half, including same late 4th quarter heroics that put his running
back, Frank Gore, in position to score the game winning touchdown. Smith
wasn’t perfect on the day, 21/33, 291 yards and 2 TDs, but he got the job
done.

During the playoffs that season, Smith proved his mettle after the famed
49er defense allowed the New Orleans Saints to regain the lead in a back and
forth game with 1:28 on the clock. Smith had just taken the lead in the game
with 1:51 with a perfectly executed bootleg run to the left that allowed #11
to sprint his way into the endzone with the go ahead score and put the 49ers
up by five points with less than two minutes remaining. However, 34 seconds
later, the 49er offense, having barely had time to celebrate their score,
found themselves back on the field, 85 yards from the endzone, and less than
a minute and a half to play.

Smith didn’t cry. He didn’t blink. He went onto the field and led his team
on a seven play drive that ended in a touchdown. I’ve watched the drive so
many times, I could tell you exactly what happens and when. After the huge
catch and run by Vernon Davis, the commentators are talking about setting up
a David Akers field goal to tie the game. If Smith were a game manager, a
facilitator – if Smith weren’t clutch – that’s exactly what would have
happened when they got into range. That’s not what happened. Smith fired a
pass to Davis – into triple coverage – and scored the winning touchdown,
leaving Brees and the Saints only 14 seconds left. Tell me that’s not
clutch.

Smith continued on his winning ways the following season. Out of the gate he
engineered a win against NFC favorites, the Green Bay Packers. Smith went on
in 2012 to win six games and drop two before being injured in the second
quarter of a game against the Saint Louis Rams. Adding to his clutch quality
(albeit a little crazy, considering) Smith stayed in the game and threw a TD
with blurred vision before coming out of the game.

The 49ers have travelled a similar road as the Kansas City Chiefs in the
last couple of years. Both teams have exceptional running games, good
defenses and above average (but not quite elite) wide receiver corps. Both
teams have gone through coaching staffs and especially offensive
coordinators, like most people change their underwear.

Last week Alex Smith took over his football team and started them on the
road to the playoffs in 2013. And that guy who everybody thought should be
drafted No. 1 overall? He fired his agent during a temper tantrum. Is that
clutch? I don’t think so.

Until next time, Addicts.

Mar 13, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey (left), quarterback Alex Smith (center), and head coach Andy Reidx speak to media during the press conference at The University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

After the sides were unable to agree on terms of a long-term contract, the Chiefs designated Albert as their franchise player, effectively preventing him from testing the free-agent market. Albert soon signed the Chiefs’ one-year contract offer worth $9.83 million, but has stayed away from the voluntary off-season conditioning program that began April 1.

He also was absent for last month’s full-squad mini-camp. Albert indicated in a television interview in April that he wanted assurances from the Chiefs that he wouldn’t be traded and that when he reported, he would play left tackle, his position since he joined the Chiefs in 2008 as a first-round draft pick.

KC Star

“I’m just trying to keep a level head,” Fisher said. “You can’t really get ahead of yourself or let the expectations get to you or let the pressure get to you. It’s good be here, finally.”

As the first pick in the draft, Fisher will have to live with those expectations, for better or worse. He got a lesson just how different his life would be the morning after the draft.

He boarded a plane from New York to Kansas City, and as he walked past the cockpit, he was recognized by the captain, who asked Fisher to pose for a photo.

KC Star

Canadian Cory Greenwood can see why Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson is rated by many as the NFL’s best receiver.

“He’s the first in the weight room and when he’s done lifting he’s on a treadmill running with a weighted vest on,” Greenwood said during a recent telephone interview. “Man, he’s a beast.”

Last season the six-foot-five, 236-pound Johnson, nicknamed Megatron by a former teammate because of his huge hands, led the NFL with 122 catches for a league-record 1,964 receiving yards. He also set league marks for consecutive 100-yard games (eight) and consecutive contests with 10 or more catches (four) while tying Hall of Famer Michael Irvin’s single-season record of 11 100-yard contests.

CTV News

Tammy and her husband, former Birds coach Andy Reid, are selling almost everything they owned that’s Eagles-related, to raise money for the high school football team and Laurel House, a shelter and anti-domestic violence agency.

“We’ve got anything that we wore or collected over the last 14 seasons of Eagles gear,” she told WIP host Angelo Cataldi. “You know, jackets, shorts, pants, tops, sweatpants, my rainboots, my cowboy boots that have Eagles on ‘em. Everything’s autographed and ready to go.”

Philly.com

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs said they plan to play No. 1 overall draft pick Eric Fisher at RT if LT Branden Albert decides to report to practice. Some people have called that strategy foolish, claiming that it doesn’t make sense to take a LT so high in the draft only to start him on the right side.

Will Shields is not one of those people.

The former Chief guard knows a thing or two about offensive line play. Shields was a Chief his entire career. He was drafted in the third-round of the 1993 NFL Draft and played until 2006. Shields racked up 12 Pro Bowls, eight All-Pro nods, the Ed Block Courage Award and threw in the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award for good measure. One day soon, a bust of Shields will sit in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

With those credentials, when Shields talks about line play, people listen.

And Shields says Fisher is good enough to play anywhere, so long as he works hard at it.

“It just depends on how good you are as an athlete,” said Shields in comments printed in the Kansas City Star. “How are you going to work at it to make yourself work on both sides. In high school, I played left. Then, all through college, I played right. It depends on your mental makeup of ‘Hey, can I switch sides …’ What are you going to do win a job, that’s what it comes down to.”

To his credit, Fisher has had a great attitude so far. Whenever he’s ben asked, Fisher has responded that he will play anywhere the Chiefs need him to, so long as he can help the team.

It may be that where the Chiefs need Fisher, at least in 2013, is at RT.

And if the rookie is half as talented as Shields, he should do just fine.

Nov 24, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Tyler Bray (8) during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won by a score of 37 to 17. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced that the club has signed two of their 2013 draft picks, as well as 13 undrafted college free agents.

The Chiefs have inked seventh-round pick, DE Mike Catapano and sixth-round selection, C Eric Kush. That is two of the Chiefs’ eight draftees already inked to deals. The other picks should follow shortly, as the new rookie wage scale makes signing players, even first-round picks, easier than ever before.

From the Chiefs’ press release:

Kush (6-4, 313) was selected as Kansas City’s first of two sixth-round picks (170th Overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft. Kush played collegiately at California University of Pennsylvania where he appeared in 49 games (31 starts) on the offensive line for the Vulcans. A three year starter, he primarily served as the school’s center. Kush became the highest ever player to be drafted from California (Pa.). Kush prepped at Chartiers Valley High School in Bridgeville, Pa.

Catapano (6-4, 270) was selected as the Chiefs seventh-round pick (207th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft. He was a three-time All-Ivy League defensive end at Princeton where he recorded 145 tackles (60 solo), 29 tackles for loss, 19.0 sacks (-129.0 yards), four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 13 pass breakups. The Bayville, N.Y., native prepped at Chaminade High School.

The following college free agents have officially signed with the club: Tyler Bray, Darin Drakeford, Otha Foster, Frankie Hammond, Demetrius Harris, A.J. Hawkins, Colin Kelly, Rob Lohr, Brad Madison, Josh Martin, Brad McDougald, Rico Richardson and Ridge Wilson.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs have a new Director of College Scouting in Marvin Allen, according to Pro Football Talk. Allen comes from the Atlanta Falcons, where he served as a national scout.

Via Twitter:

Chiefs hire Marvin Allen to serve as director of college scouting, per source with knowledge of hire.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 10, 2013

From Allen’s profile in the Atlanta Falcons staff directory:

Marvin Allen has been with the Falcons for four years and spent 16 seasons with the New England Patriots, including his last 12 in the player personnel department as an Area Scout. He was responsible for the collection of data on all prospects in his assigned region. Allen is a graduate of Tulane University and was selected by the Patriots in the 11th round (294th overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft. In four seasons with New England, he rushed for 378 yards and two touchdowns on 94 carries (4.0 avg.).

With the 2013 NFL Draft in the books, we had a feeling these types of moves would be coming. With a new regime in town, GM John Dorsey will want to start getting his own scouts in place.

Dorsey kept on most of the scouts that were already in Kansas City as he prepared for April’s draft. Most of those scouts would have been brought in during the Scott Pioli regime.

Now it is time for Dorsey to start bringing in people he trusts to help build the Chiefs for the future. I like that Dorsey is looking outside the Green Bay organization to find talent. The Falcons have certainly been doing a great job of scouting talent recently so hopefully Allen can bring a little bit of that skill to Kansas City.

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs rookies are about to head to camp.

Today marks the start of a three-day rookie minicamp. It’s just the rooks, as well as a number of tryout players. The camp will be at The University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex, May 10-12.

Here is the specific schedule:

ROOKIE MINICAMP

Friday, May 10 Rookie Minicamp Practice at 1:45 p.m.

Saturday, May 11 Rookie Minicamp Practice at 1:45 p.m.

Sunday, May 12 Rookie Minicamp Practice at 11:25 a.m.

Head coach Andy Reid will address the media after practice on the first and last days of the camp. These practices will also be open to the media so we should get a pretty good picture painted for us of how things are going.

The most interesting aspect of this camp will be the tryout players. Since this is rookies only and since the Chiefs only drafted eight players and signed a handful of undrafted free agents, the team has invited a number of other players at certain positions to attend the camp on a tryout basis. These players are not signed to contracts but will get the shot to show the Chiefs’ coaching staff what they can do live and in person.

Every offseason, there are players around the NFL that make an impression as undrafted free agents or tryout players. It will be fun to see if any future Chiefs emerge from this weekend’s camp.

I’m a jersey guy.

I’m not ashamed to admit it. I try and often fail, not to take myself to seriously in life. But sometimes it can be difficult.

As someone who has never played in an organized football game in his life (does paper football count, cause if so, I used to run tournaments) I do sometimes feel slightly silly sliding on my Jamaal Charles jersey. Here I am, a grown man, wearing a mock-uniform that another man, a man with actual talent, wears for his job.

Imagine if Jamaal Charles wore a Patrick Allen uniform. Which, give that I work from home, would consist of a pair of boxer shorts and white t-shirts in various stages of whiteness. On my uniform, Charles would have “Allen” printed on the tag of the boxers, rather than on the back. Don’t worry though, Jamaal. Working from home in the blogging industry is way more than just livin the dream of no pants. For formal events and Google Hangout conference calls with other FanSided officials, I have a pair of pinstriped boxers.

Anyway, my point is, I like sporting my Chiefs jerseys and I’m not afraid to admit it.

But any seasoned fan can tell you that buying the jersey of an NFL player is a risky proposition. Do you REALLY want that Larry Johnson jersey? Well, maybe you did then, but do you now? Do you still wear it and hope that people just don’t notice the big #27 on the front in and the back, secretly hoping they think you’re wearing a DERRICK Johnson jersey?

Did the Matt Cassel I special ordered from China (the one I paid to have altered because it was so long it looked like I was wearing a really ugly dress) really pay off for me? What the hell am I going to do with that Matt Cassel jersey now? It’s got the stitched on numbers and everything! The NFL hocks those things for $100s of dollars. Oh, well, at least I only paid $40. Plus $12 for the alteration. Eat it, NFL!

Where was I?

Oh, yeah.

How about that bad ass black and red Tony Gonzalez jersey I bought like 4 months before Scott Pioli traded him? You know what I am talking about, right? Those alternate Chiefs uniforms the NFL sold for a while that the team has never actually worn? I know a lot of people hate those jerseys but I loved them.

I wore that thing one time, while watching another team play in the Super Bowl. Such is the life of a Chiefs fan.

At least with the Gonzo jersey, I can bust that think out of the closet again after he retires. Especially if he stays true to his word and retires a Chief.

So all the rambling brings us to the question at hand. What are the coolest Chiefs jerseys to own?

Do you roll only with current players? What about just old school guys who have already cemented their legacy? Or do you like to mix up your favorite players with your old school guys?

I am starting to feel more and more like I should only target the old school. Even though I wasn’t old enough to enjoy their careers, I’d feel less like a chump wearing a Bobby Bell jersey than I would wearing Kendrell Bell.

Then again, their is a certain hilariousness to having obscure jerseys of players that most folks might not even remember played for the Chiefs. Like, who doesn’t enjoy going to Arrowhead and seeing someone busting out a Pat Surtain jersey? Is there anything more satisfying than drunkenly stumbling into the stadium bathrooms only to see Steve Bono and Keith Cash standing there taking a piss with a urinal between them, just calling to you to join them in your Webster Slaughter jersey?

I was at Arrowhead back in 2010 for the Monday Night Magic victory against the Chargers. I was there with a friend of mine who, I sh*t you not, is named Patrick Allen. We walked down and were watching warmups when Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt walked by and began signing autographs. Patrick (my friend, not me) got really excited and called out “Dustin, will you sign my Colquitt jersey?”

Dustin looked up at him. This had to be a strange thing for Dustin to hear. For one thing, no matter how much you get used to it, it has to be strange to hear someone call out your name to ask you if you will sign their piece of clothing that has your name on it. For another, it probably isn’t something a punter ever expects to hear.

I mean, at the time, Dustin was our best player.

I’m not exactly sure where I stand on this issue any more. On one hand, I’d love to have a Brandon Flowers jersey. But I’ve been burned before. I’m hesitant.

Perhaps, the coolness of the jersey is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe one day, my Matt Cassel jersey will be just as cool as one of those vintage Damon Huards.

All right, Addicts. I’ve mused enough. I want your thoughts on the matter. What os the coolest Chiefs jersey to own?

I know, I know… Derrick Thomas.

Nov 25, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders perform before the game against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. Denver won the game 17-9. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

My name is Major Sean Heidgerken. Last February was my 22nd anniversary of shipping off to basic training to become a US Soldier. Last month, I once again reported for duty, only this time with much less yelling and no push-ups, to join the storied Kansas City Chiefs.

Recently, the main question I have been asked is, “What is an Army Officer doing working for a professional sports team?”

In short, I have been selected to represent the Army in a first of its kind partnership between the Chiefs and the Army. More specifically, I am working with the award-winning 65 Toss Power Trap Productions team in the epicenter of the franchise, through the Department of Defense’s Training with Industry program (TWI).

The TWI program seeks to improve defense readiness by placing military members with various civilian companies, like the Chiefs, to gain valuable knowledge and skills not fully available through traditional military training.

KCChiefs.com

One name that popped up multiple times as a long-shot candidate during the NFL head coaching carousel this year really made me wonder.

Keith Armstrong.

Keith who?

Three teams, the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, interviewed the Atlanta Falcons special-teams coordinator for jobs Andy Reid, Marc Trestman and Chip Kelly ultimately landed.

Armstrong, 49, who has never been a head coach on any level and previously had never interviewed for an NFL head coaching post, spent at least four hours with each team as part of a wham-bam Friday-Saturday in Atlanta during the Falcons’ first-round playoff bye. He didn’t get a second interview, but all three teams complied with the Rooney Rule, which requires at least one minority interview for each head coaching job.

USA Today

Asked how the Kansas City Chiefs’ new coach will be treated in his return to Philadelphia for the Week 3 matchup with the Eagles, McCoy said the players will “definitely be happy and excited” to see Reid.

“He means a lot to me and a lot of other players,” McCoy said. “We’ll give each other a big hug, and then once the game starts, I know how coach Reid is. He’s so focused. All in all, we always know it’s always love and mutual respect between each other, but we have a job to do.

NFL.com

For the Kansas City Chiefs and every other team in the National Football League, the initial casting of the wide net for players is done. Most free agents have been acquired, the Draft is behind us and college free agents have been selected. And like with every team, the next phase of the offseason is now upon us– where the Chiefs take their analysis of each player one step further to determine what their role will be on the 2013 roster.

I believe there are three roster questions that rise above all else this offseason. But first, let’s address the positional battles that I’m not as concerned about, because it’ll simply be a case of “may the best man win.” These battles– at corner, safety, the defensive line, inside linebacker and the offensive line– will be important, but it’s not any more complicated than having talented individuals compete to see who starts.

The likely starters at cornerback will be Brandon Flowers and Sean Smith, and the safety positions will likely be filled by Eric Berry and Dunta Robinson. In nickel packages and backup roles, we have a host of potential players, like rookie Sanders Commings; free agent Husain Abdullah; current backups DeQuan Menzie, Jalil Brown, Tysyn Hartman and Neiko Thorpe; and of course, former starter Kendrick Lewis. To start opposite Flowers and Berry at corner and safety respectively, as well as fill the nickel and backup roles, may the best man win.

Similarly, on our three-man defensive front, we’ve got Dontari Poe locking down the nose tackle and four options for defensive end in Tyson Jackson, free agent Mike DeVito, Allen Bailey and rookie Mike Catapano. I think Jackson and DeVito win out as starters, but again, may the best man win.

There’s another hot positional battle to play opposite Derrick Johnson at inside linebacker – free agent Akeem Jordan versus Alabama rookie Nico Johnson. May the best man win here as well.

My last “may the best man win” positional battle is our entire offensive line. For the first time since the glory days of Will Shields and Brian Waters at guard, John Tait and Willie Roaf at tackle and Casey Wiegmann at center, the Chiefs have the personnel to have a dominant offensive line and better-than-average backups. It looks like the Chiefs are going to lock up Branden Albert for the long-term. Joining Albert will be first pick Eric Fisher, free agent Geoff Schwartz and promising young talent in Jeff Allen, Jon Asamoah, Rodney Hudson and Donald Stephenson. With Albert and Fisher, this could be a unit for the ages.

The competition to start at corner, safety, the defensive line, inside linebacker and the offensive line will be a fight for the players and a great summer topic for us. But the arithmetic is pretty simple: if you outperform your competition, you will start.

These next three offseason questions are much bigger, because they have the potential to be multiplicative in nature, in that if they go bad, they create more than one problem. Not coincidentally, they all revolve around our receiving game. I’ll list them by draft pick:

1.  Jon Baldwin, first pick, 2011 Draft
2.  Dexter McCluster, second pick, 2010 Draft
3.  Tony Moeaki, third pick, 2010 Draft

We’ll start with wide receiver Jon Baldwin, whose off-the-field and on-the-field challenges have been widely documented, including a great post by Nathan Bramwell yesterday. I’d like to focus on his production, relative to his draft position. The Chiefs selected Baldwin in the first round as the 26th overall pick in 2011. As Nathan noted, other receivers who went in the first round were Pro-Bowlers A.J. Green at fourth overall and Julio Jones at seventh overall. Offensive “skill” players drafted after Baldwin included quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick. The 2011 Draft class may be one of the weakest in recent history, but still yet, if Baldwin doesn’t play like a first-rounder this year, then not only are the Chiefs out a starting wide receiver, but the opportunity cost of losing a first-rounder puts the Chiefs at a competitive disadvantage, particularly in the AFC West. That year, the Denver Broncos got a gold mine in Von Miller with the second overall pick and the San Diego Chargers picked a two-year starter in defensive tackle Corey Liuget. Of course, the Oakland Raiders didn’t have a first round pick in 2011, because, well, they are the Oakland Raiders.

Next up: Dexter McCluster. The Chiefs selected McCluster with the fourth pick in the second round in 2010. By way of comparison, in 2010, offensive skill players chosen after McCluster included Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski and Seahawks’ receiver Golden Tate. McCluster has shown flashes of greatness but he’s also suffered injuries and the uncreativity of offensive coordinators on how to make best use of his explosive talents. We saw this year, when we didn’t have one, how valuable a second round pick is. If Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson can’t find a way to maximize McCluster’s talents, then once again, we will have failed to secure a starter and suffered the opportunity cost of losing a second round pick.

Finally, we come to tight end Tony Moeaki. Moeaki, who missed all of 2011 after tearing his ACL, was selected in the third round by the Chiefs in the 2010 Draft. Since he was drafted, Moeaki has 80 receptions for 1,009 yards and four touchdowns. In comparison to other third round tight ends from 2010, the Ravens’ Ed Dickson has 86 catches for 905 yards and six touchdowns, while the Saints’ Jimmy Graham has 215 receptions for 2,658 yards and 25 TD’s. Moeaki has underperformed, because of injury and outputs.

Each of these three players has stiff competition this year. For Baldwin, it comes from free agent acquisition Donnie Avery. For McCluster, it’s Devon Wylie. And Moeaki has free agent pickup and NFL starter Anthony Fasano and promising third rounder Travis Kelce to compete with for starter’s rights. I’m hoping Baldwin, McCluster and Moeaki each win out, because if they do, it shows that they do indeed have the talent to start and second, it’ll make the Chiefs’ initial investments whole.

I think it’s no accident that all three of the biggest potentially multiplicative problems are on the offensive side. In the six seasons since 2006, the Chiefs have had seven offensive coordinators: Mike Solari, Chan Gailey, Todd Haley (pulling double duty as Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator), Charlie Weiss, Bill Muir, Jim Zorn and Brian Daboll. This Chiefs’ offense has been in search of an identify since, arguably, the 2005 season when we went 10-6 under Head Coach Dick Vermeil and Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders (with a hat tip to Charlie Weis, who had the offense humming in 2010!). While the plights of Baldwin, McCluster and Moeaki are all individual position battles, each of them only make sense within a larger, cohesive system. If Pederson can pull that off, then he’ll help these these players find their way to a starting role.

Addicts, those are my top three offseason questions for the Chiefs to answer. What are yours??!!

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs added eight rookies to their 2013 roster during this year’s NFL Draft. As we begin to take a close look at the class later this week, we also wanted to see which player Chiefs fans think will have the most impact in 2013.

Since the Chiefs decided to make LT Eric Fisher the No. 1 overall pick, it is evident that most would expect Fisher to be the team’s most active contributor. As such, we are going to remove him as an option from the poll.

The Chiefs used their second-round pick to acquire QB Alex Smith and so beyond Fisher, Kansas City has a pretty mixed back of mid to later round picks that could be in the mix.

Let’s take a quick look at the candidates:

Round 3: 

Travis Kelce, TE

Kelce will join Tony Moeaki and Anthony Fasano on the TE depth chart. Will he be ab;le to surpass one or both veterans to get on the field as a rookie?

Knile Davis, RB

When it comes to running the football in Kansas City, there is Jamaal Charles and everyone else. In this case, “everyone else” includes Cyrus Gray, Shaun Draughn and now Davis. Can the speedy rookie beat out the Pioli’ regime’s hand-picked backs in the race to spell JC?

Round 4: 

Nico Johnson, ILB

Johnson will look to take over the starting role once occupied by Jovan Belcher. But will Johnson be ready in time to play next to the other Johnson?

Round 5: 

Sanders Commings, DB

Commings will reportedly get a look at safety. Should FS Kendrick Lewis continue to have injury issues, Commings could see some playing time alongside Pro Bowler Eric Berry.

Round 6:

Eric Kush, C

Kush is a center from a small school . He likely needs some work before he is ready to compete at the NFL level but sometimes even rookies from small schools surprise. And sometimes injuries force them int action early.

Braden Wilson, FB

Wilson will have to compete with a crowded FB depth chart of he wants to be the lead blocker for Jamaal Charles.

Round 7:

Mike Catapano, DE

Catapano is clearly a fringe guy, having been drafted in the seventh round, however the Chiefs lack depth at DE. Can he make an impression in camp so he can make an impression on the field?

November 12, 2012; Pittsburgh , PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jon Baldwin (89) drops a pass as he is hit by Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor (24) during the second half of the game at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 16-13, in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs made Pittsburgh wide receiver, Jon Baldwin, their first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. A lot has changed since then: Todd Haley is no longer head coach, nor, for that matter, the guy that replaced him in Romeo Crennel. And the guy that drafted him, Scott Pioli, yeah, he’s gone too. What has remained consistent, however, is Baldwin’s insistence to underwhelm.

His rookie season was shortened because he got in a fight with a guy that had some of the biggest biceps allowed by God. Not a smart move. But even when he came back, all that flash and potential Baldwin demonstrated at Pitt never showed up on the field in the pros; he couldn’t create separation from corners, he looked like he had no idea what to do in bump-and-run coverage, and cornerbacks quite a bit smaller than him had no problem jamming him at the line of scrimmage.

There were excuses, of course. The lockout shortened season made it hard on rookies. He wasn’t able to develop with the injury and when he did come back he had to have Tyler Palko throw to him. These excuses had their merit, so Chiefs fans practiced patience with Baldwin. In the training camp leading up to last season, and with Bowe holding out after being franchise tagged, Baldwin was the talk of the town. The one-handed catches, the leaping ability, the dives, the speed, the athleticism. They were all on full display, and this mythical chemistry was developing between Baldwin and quarterback Matt Cassel. But that’s all it was: a myth.

As Cassel as the starting quarterback, Baldwin wasn’t on the receiving end of any touchdowns, and his best receiving effort of the year actually came with Brady Quinn as the QB and included just 64 yards receiving. Baldwin’s lone touchdown catch of the season came against the Carolina Panthers. In fact, in Baldwin’s TWO seasons with the Chiefs, he has just 41 catches for 579 yards and 2 touchdowns. The two other wide receivers taken in the first round of the 2011 Draft, A.J. Green and Julio Jones, have combined for 4,564 yards and 36 touchdowns.

The amazing thing of all this might be that in 2011, New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, advised Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff to not trade up for Julio Jones but instead wait for Baldwin to fall to them at pick #27 if he really wanted a wide receiver. As Belichick put it, “he’s just as good”. Maybe that’s why the Patriots have always had trouble developing homegrown wide receiver talent.

With wide receivers, however, the three year rule is even more important than with other positions. Countless studies have been done, and it shows that for a wide receivers development, the third year is a pretty accurate barometer on if that player is going to make it in the NFL or not. This is the time when most receivers seem to finally make the transition to the NFL and install confidence in their quarterback that they will deliver as a quality receiver. And while Baldwin is transitioning to a new quarterback, a new head coach, and a new offense, it’s pretty imperative that he makes an impact on this season that has been lacking thus far in his career.

So, in Baldwin’s third season with the Chiefs, it’s make or break. His success will be the Chiefs success, but his failure will likely result in the Chiefs turning the page on their 2011 first round pick. Untapped potential sometimes remains untapped; let’s hope that isn’t the case with Baldwin. What would I consider a successful year? Even if Baldwin were to match his career stats, it probably still wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the coaching staff or front office. After all, Baldwin is inherited, and not one of their draft picks. So Baldwin better be above the 750 yards receiving/5 touchdown plateau if he wants to stay on and not have that “bust” label attached to him and his remaining tenure in the NFL.  Is that so much to ask?

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs were the worst team in the NFL at the end of the 2012 season but the offseason has brought enough change that experts seem to think that KC is better, at least on paper.

Fox Sports analyst and former head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, Brian Billick, has released his post-draft power rankings. Given their putrid 2-14, record, presumably the Chiefs were at or near the bottom of Billick’s rankings when the season ended.

But not any more.

22. Kansas City Chiefs

Eric Fisher wasn’t the sexiest of draft picks, but he will be a long-term fixture at left tackle and will allow Brandon Albert to play his more natural position of left tackle . . . if he isn’t traded in the meantime. This team has a talented roster and Andy Reid should help that correlate to wins on Sunday.

I like these rankings a lot, mostly because Billick is an ex-coach, as opposed to a grouping of media talking heads. He clearly sees that the Chiefs are a talented team with some new pieces in place.

As for the other AFC West teams, the Chiefs managed to come in ahead of the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders. The Chargers came in one spot behind the Chiefs at #23 and the Raiders are all the way down at #32! Considering both the Chargers and Raiders swept the Chiefs last season, I am not sure that is totally fair but I’ll take what I can get.

The Broncos are still kings of the AFC West, at least according to Billick. They rank #2.

What do you think, Addicts? Is 22 a fair ranking for the Chiefs?

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t won a playoff game since January 16th, 1994 when they defeated the Houston Oilers 28-20.

It is safe to say that Chiefs fans are ready for a winner, something that has not been lost on the team’s new QB, Alex Smith.

The Chiefs have made a habit of picking up ex-49ers QBs. It was former 49er Joe Montana that led the Chiefs to that last playoff victory and GM John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid are hoping Smith can follow suit.

As are Chiefs fans.

“It’s just been great getting a feel for the people in the area and how hungry they are,” said Smith in an interview with KCChiefs.com. “First of all, they’re very loyal and hungry for wins and that’s what you want out of a fan base. I see how supportive they are and I can feel how bad they want it, for this team to take those steps to get into the playoffs, win playoff games and then, the goal is the world championship, so it’s a good thing to have. I’ve been around the fans; it’s such a great thing.”

Obviously, things are a little bit different in Kansas City now then when Montana came to town. The Chiefs are coming off one of their worst seasons in franchise history and, let’s face it, Alex Smith is no Joe Montana.

But Smith’s recent play in San Francisco seems to indicate that he may be a bit of a late bloomer as an NFL QB. If Smith is finally just beginning to realize the potential that caused him to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the the Chiefs may have made the best move of the offseason.

What do you think, Addicts? Is Alex Smith still on the rise or his he merely a placeholder?