Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Former Kansas City Chiefs WR, Steve Breaston, joined the Danny Parkins show today on 610 Sports Radio today. The Chiefs released Breaston yesterday.

Breaston was a class-act throughout the interview. He mainly talked about how he really didn’t understand why he was benched by Romeo Crennel last season. He refused to really single anyone out as being to blame for the situation. He reiterated over and over again that he just tried to keep his head down and work hard until he was given an opportunity and that he was disappointed that no opportunity was never given.

But while Parkins was asking Breaston if he ever got any kind of explanation as to what might have happened to lead to his benching, the former Chiefs said something ver interesting about an interview he gave last offseason.

They really didn’t give me a clear-cut answer. One of the things was, I said in an interview prior to the season that I played outside in Arizona. And I’ve played outside but I’ve also played int he slot and I don’t know if they, they told me that I was, my coach had told me that I said that. But I mean, I also played in the slot the year before so why won’t you put me back in, within the slot and help contribute that way? Or even outside where I had. They never had a clear-cut reason why they didn’t play me. I didn’t want to be a cancer to the locker room so I took my lumps and continued to work.

Parkins, to his credit, picked right up on the weird interview statement and followed up. He asked Breaston who told him that they were upset about his interview where he mentioned not playing in the slot.

It wasn’t upset. It was nothing upset. I had went and asked how come I haven’t gotten no slot reps and they was like ‘well you had said in an interview that you didn’t play in the slot.’ But what does me saying anything in an interview have to do with my productivity on the field or anything like that. It was things like that. I mean, I never got a clear-cut reason why I wasn’t playing. It was frustrating in that way.

I tracked down the interview I think Breaston was talking about. Surprisingly, the interview was with the team’s very own website, KCChiefs.com.

Here is what Breaston said:

“It’s funny, a lot of people are always talking about me being a slot receiver, but my whole career, I’ve been outside,” Breaston clarified. “Last year was my first year that I even attempted at being the slot.

“Even when I was at Arizona, Q (Anquan Boldin) was mainly in the slot. I played opposite of Larry (Fitzgerald) outside.”

The article itself seemed to support the idea that Breaston had not been traditionally a slot receiver.

When Jonathan Baldwin returned from a preseason thumb injury nearly three months into the Chiefs 2011 regular season, most assumed veteran Steve Breaston would shift inside as the team’s slot receiver.

It was a shift that never fully materialized.

While Breaston saw some snaps as the team’s slot receiver, most of his plays came as an outside target opposite Dwayne Bowe.

In fact, Baldwin would play more inside snaps than Breaston last year.

One of the biggest misconceptions among fans and media in Kansas City has been labeling Breaston as the Chiefs’ slot receiver.

He’s smaller and faster than both Bowe and Baldwin. In addition, Breaston played third-fiddle to Fitzgerald and Boldin throughout most of his tenure with the Cardinals.

Assuming Breaston lines up inside is a common mistake, especially when he’s put into motion.

However, Breaston isn’t opposed to moving inside if the Chiefs new playbook under offensive coordinator Brian Daboll calls for it. The limited snaps Breaston took out of the slot late last season helped him prepare for whatever role Daboll has in mind.

“I played outside the whole path, but I think last year when I went into the slot, I learned a lot being there,” Breaston said. “I can play every position. That’s no problem for me. I think I’m more comfortable with it than in years before.”

Ok, so what the heck? Why would the Chiefs’ coaches even bring up this interview when Breaston was asking during the 2012 season, why he wasn’t being played?

I mean, it seems like Breaston was going to them and offering to do pretty much anything to get on the field and all the Chiefs offered him was a “well you said you don’t play in the slot so you’ve made your bed and now you have to lie in it” kind of response.

What in heaven’s name was wrong with what Breaston said in that KCChiefs.com interview?

I am not much into conspiracy theories but when people suggest things like that maybe since Breaston was a Todd Haley guy that Pioli wanted him phased out of the offense and then I hear about weird conversations like the one Breaston mentioned, I can’t help but wonder.

It is just another one of the bizarre and unsettling stories to come out of the Scott Pioli regime.

What do you think, Addicts

Oct 9, 2011; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Steve Breaston (15) reacts to scoring the game winning touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kansas City defeated Indianapolis 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The Chiefs have announced their inactives for tonights game against the Steelers. The big news is that Steve Breaston is a healthy inactive while Devon Wylie is finally active.

Breaston has been a major disappointment so far in KC. Wether its his play or the coaches use of him, he simply has not produced despite the fact that 1st round pick Jon Baldwin has also been a let down. Maybe Devon Wylie can help jump start the kick return game.

The other inactives include Brady Quinn, Cyrus Gray, Jerrell Powe, Tysyn Hartman, Bryan Mattison, and Bryan Kehl.

So. The Chiefs handily put away another struggling team, this time on the road in a place we’ve never won before. Just on the surface, based on what we know so far, the Chiefs have proven they can beat weak teams but they have yet this season to prove they can beat teams that are playing strong.

Where does that leave us? Are we now a better team than we were after week 3 simply because our record is better? Or are we the same team as the one that stood at 0-3 and merely benefitting from a brief creampuff stretch in the schedule? Or, perish the thought, are we worse than we were two weeks ago, record schmecord?

Once again, we’ll peer into that beautiful mind that is statistical analysis, courtesy Football Outsiders and try to gain a little insight into whether the Chiefs are showing significant signs of improvement. Or not.

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The Kansas City Chiefs came back to beat the Indianapolis Colts 28-24 after at one point trailing 17-0.

This was a game that had multiple heroes. Let’s take a look at the guys who showed up big for the Chiefs on Sunday.

Matt Cassel

Has to start with Cassel. The offense got off to a bit of a slow start but Cassel began rallying the troops midway through the second quarter. On the team’s third drive in the second quarter, Cassel hit Dwayne Bowe on a 41-yard TD pass. From then on, Cassel was nearly flawless. He finished the game 21 of 29 afor 257 yards and four TDs. He was excellent.

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After much anticipation and anxious clamoring, I return this week with my regular season mainstay. That’s right, Double D’s Double Take on just how well, or poorly, the Chiefs are performing in key areas, courtesy of Football Outsider’s DVOA analysis.

For those of you unfamiliar with the DVOA ranking methodology, I’ll simply provide, after the jump, the same rundown that I gave last year. If you are interested in a more detailed (and perhaps more useful) explanation, go here.

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Kansas City Chiefs WR Steve Breaston sent out a tweet this evening asking what everyone thought of him in his new uniform. The picture above is what he linked to.

SBreaston15 Steve Breaston
What does everyone think about my new uniform?!

I gotta say, Steve. You look good in Chiefs red and even better running away from the other team with the ball in your hands.

The 0-3 start to begin the 2011 Kansas City Chiefs season has got to be one of the worst in franchise history. While the Chiefs were not expected to be 10-6 again in 2011, they were expected to compete in the AFC West.

Injuries have contributed to the 0-3 start as Kansas City has been hit hard by the injury bug in 2011.  The Chiefs have lost tight end Tony Moeaki, Pro-Bowl safety Eric Berry and Pro-Bowl running back Jamaal Charles to season-ending injuries. First-round draft pick Jonathan Baldwin has not played all year because he broke his hand this preseason in a locker-room fight with veteran running back Thomas Jones.

While losing three, young, up-and-coming players to injury will put any team in a hole, these injuries have not been the main reason for the Chiefs start in 2011.   I will address the true reasons for this awful start after the jump.

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Double D’s 2011 Arrowhead Tailgate Mix:

1) Sirius – Alan Parsons Project
2) Generator – Foo Fighters
3) Shake Ya Tailfeather – Nelly
4) Communication Breakdown – Led Zeppelin
5) Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold – Steve Earle
6) Crosstown Traffic – Jimi Hendrix
7) Bulls On Parade – Rage Against The Machine
8 ) Eminence Front – The Who
9) Song #2 – Blur
10) Lose Yourself – Eminem
11) Gel – Collective Soul
12) Protect Ya Neck – Wu Tang Clan
13) Kansas City Shuffle – Tech N9ne
14) Fire Water Burn – Bloodhound Gang
15) Can’t Stop Partying – Weezer
16) Helter Skelter – The Beatles
17) National Anthem – Jimi Hendrix

Second verse, some thoughts on Todd Haley’s 2011 job performance expectations, beyond the jump.
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All seriousness aside, just what are we getting in Kelly Gregg? Will the addition of Queequeg and Powe, the rookie 6th rounder, be greater than, less than, or zero sum with the subtraction of veterans Sweet Ron and Perv? As to the second question, it’s a hard call at this point but we’ll nevertheless check what the stats have to say.

Crock Blocking

(we really gotta get Crock a feature logo)

I find it next to impossible that McCluster, under these circumstances, will ever justify where we drafted him.

But hope is not lost, not entirely.  And in the face of Wendler’s simple math, I think the Chiefs would do well to try to make the numbers fit, and give McCluster a serious chance to be an impact player.

Here are five ways I could see the Chiefs utilizing McCluster in productive ways. I’ve gone out of my way to assure that each way is not a gimmick, and can make repeat appareances week in and week out, rather than relying on surprise plays.

Jeremy, myself, Lyle, Taylor, and Nikolozi through the looking glass…

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I like Steve Breaston, I’ve been pounding the table for this signing all offseason and I’m very happy it went through. And, as corny as it sounds I love that we on AA have already coined a nickname for our new passing triumvirate – the Killer B’s (Bowe, Baldwin, Breaston).

I think he is an important signing not only because 2010 made it clear that Cassel needs more passing weapons, but also because the Chiefs need a #2 receiver. Wait! But we drafted big-bodied deep threat Jonathan Baldwin in the first round to be our number #2, and Breaston is much more suited to be a slot receiver!

True, and in a perfect world that is how it would play out for the Chiefs in 2011, I’m writing this now to save you from the disappointment. Find out why after the jump. (more…)

I’m sure everyone is fairly familiar with the 2008 offensive juggernaut that swept the Cards into the Superbowl so I won’t rehash that. We know the story. A more relevant question for us Chiefs fans is what happened after that and how prominently did Breaston feature in or contribute to the post-Superbowls Cards, for better or for worse?

We’ll delve into some of that despues del jumpo.
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“Coach Haley’s not always a butthole,” joked Breaston.

So all you Haley haters take note: Coach Haley is not always a butthole.

Just sometimes.

The quote came when the hosts were asking Breaston about Haley’s..err..less than pleasant manner when dealing with players. Breaston actually praised Haley a lot and credited the coach for helping him develop as a receiver.

“Coach Haley never lets you take a day off,” Breaston said.

A bit more on Breaston after the jump.

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While KC fans are happy about the signing of Steve Breaston, I imagine Cardinals fans are sad to see him go.

So I reached out to Scott Allen the editor of Raising Zona, FanSided’s Cardinals blog to get his thoughts on Steve’s departure.

I am somewhat sad to see Steve Breaston go. He was the one guy I wanted to stay but afraid would end up leaving, and he did. However with the rumn\ors he was going to be targeted by the Kansas City Chiefs, I could understand why. He is being reunited with Todd Haley. Although I think he had a difficult time nailing down a spot as the number two receiver, I think he was on his way to doing that this season. He was inconsistent in 2010. Started out week one against the St. Louis Rams with 7 catches for 132 yards. It appeared he was ready to step into the shoes of Anquan Boldin.

However, Breaston only had one other 100-yard + game against Tampa Bay in week eight. He had a couple other games at 90-yards +, including Kansas City last November. Just didn’t provide the results everyone expected after Boldin’s departure. A lot of that can be attributed to the Cards quarterback situation though. He is a hard worker, nice guy, great attitude. If there is a player out there who will give it his all, it is Breaston. He should fit well in KC. I look forward to seeing what he can do with Matt Cassel.

Check out Raising Zona to see how the Cards fans are dealing with the loss of Breaston. And see if you can bribe them into giving us Fitzgerald too.

According to SI.com’s Jim Trotter, Steve Breaston is coming to Kansas City.

Trotter says the deal is for five years with 9.5 million guaranteed.

Looks like Pioli made his big splash. I absolutely love this move. I have been hoping Breaston would end up in KC ever since Haley was made head coach. The addition of Breaston alone greatly improves the KC passing attack. He should be excellent as a slot receiver while Bowe and Baldwin draw attention on the outside. With Moeaki roaming the middle, Cassel will have a lot more options.

The chiefs finally have a legit group of receivers! Let us know what you think in the open thread comments section.Time to celebrate.

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One of the biggest influences on the NFL Draft is Free Agency.  In that free agency period a need in the draft can disappear with a single signing.   A weakness on a team can become a strength.  Some teams do hardly anything during that period while others throw money around like a monkey flings its poop.

My policy on Free Agency is to look for deals to be had while adding depth unless you are a playoff contender.  It joys me to say that the Kansas City Chiefs are playoff contenders.  That does not mean I think the Chiefs should start spending money left and right.  However, I am in favor of a bit of a splurge.

Of course all of this is moot unless the owners and the NFLPA can find common ground in time for there to be a free agency period.  I’ve written before how I believe Free Agency is important to the Chiefs in order for them to continue to be a playoff contender.  My opinion hasn’t changed.  To that end, here are a few players that I have my eye on as we (possibly) approach Free Agency.
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The Chiefs Could Really Use James Jones

The Kansas City Chiefs need a second wide receiver.  The Chiefs pick 21^st in the draft this year and according to most draft pundits it is an unfavorable spot to pick a wide receiver.  This coupled with the fact that most rookie wide receivers are not that productive in their first couple of years lends proof that the Chiefs should dip into the wide receiver free agency pool.

For the first time in a long time the Kansas City Chiefs look like an attractive option for free agents, this holds especially true for a free agent wide receiver.  Who would not want to play opposite Dwayne Bowe who will most likely get double covered most of the time? 

With the threat of lockouts, franchise tags, and contract extensions looming, we will not know for sure how the list of free agent receivers will pan out but we can surely speculate. So without further adieu here is a list of possible wide receiver free agents (in no particular order):

More after the jump…

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You want further proof that you have to be a passing team in order to win in the NFL?  The top two RBs this season, Chris Johnson (Titans) 2006 rushing yards, and Steven Jackson (Rams) 1416 rushing yards, did not even make the playoffs despite stellar rushing statistics.  In fact, the Titans won eight (8) games and St. Louis won only one (1) behind their league high rushers.  Moreover, the two teams in the Superbowl, The Colts and Saints, were clearly passing type teams with elite QBs and very deep WR talent.

Jamal Charles may currently be our best weapon on offense, but we absolutely, positively should not build our offense around him.  He played very tough this year, but he is no bruiser, and durability has to be a concern going forward.  Jamal Charles has turned out to be quite the stud, (a poor man’s Chris Johnson, if you will) but he should be “icing on the cake” so to speak rather than the cake itself.  You should look no further than to Tennessee’s league leading rusher and their mediocre record for proof.

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The Old Chief: Adam,

Everyone is missing the obvious on this Super Bowl. While everyone is focusing on Larry Fitzgerald, I feel the most important player on the field is Casey Hampton. Yes, Casey is at bat again. The eight-year veteran from Texas is responsible for up the middle push as well as stopping the run. Why is this important? Kurt Warner steps up in the pocket, often avoiding the rush from linebackers and defensive ends. With a strong push up front, it will decrease Warner’s ability to make plays and get the ball downfield.

Overall, I think dick Dick LeBeau’s outfit will be more prepared than the Eagles were. It has recently been discovered that defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has metastatic cancer (skin) to the spine, which has limited his involvement. This might be in part responsible for the Cards fast start against the Eagles. The toughness, the balance of offense and defense of the Steelers, as well as the push up front from the three lineman plus one linebacker will be too much for the Cards.

Too tough. Too balanced. Too experienced. Plus, as someone who grew up in St. Louis, I know better than anyone that the Cardinals are born losers. After all, this is still Bill Bidwell’s team. There has never been anything “super” about that man. Meanwhile, Mr. Rooney and his Steelers have five Lombardi trophies. The Steelers win this one decisively.

Remember the name Casey Hampton.

Oh, remember the name Santonio Holmes, too. Very underrated player.

(Adam’s rebuttal after the jump…)

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