9 posts tagged “carl”
Monday, December 15. 2008 is going to be a day Chiefs fans will remember. Carl Peterson was the Kansas City Chiefs General Manager, CEO and President. Owner Clark Hunt and Peterson both agreed that it is best for the team to find a new general manager. Peterson resigned this afternoon. Chiefs fans in Kansas City and across the world are happy. The Chiefs have only won two games since November of 2007. After yesterday’s embarrassing loss, I could not imagine anyone keeping their job. The fact that the GM is gone means that others could get the hammer as well. For now, it’s important that Peterson is gone.
When Peterson arrived in Kansas City, the Chiefs were hitting rock bottom. Peterson brought in Marty Schottenheimer with him as Peterson and Schottenheimer were successful in creating one of the best teams in the NFL during the 90’s. Peterson brought in many great players such as Marcus Allen, Derrick Thomas, Will Shields, Joe Montana and many others. Despite the Chiefs best run was in 1993 when they made a run to the AFC Championship, football fans in Kansas City started watching the Chiefs after the improvement. Arrowhead Stadium held a packed house every home game. It was all because of the “King.” “King” Carl.
Today, that is no longer the story. It turned into the 70’s and 80’s for Chiefs fans. Arrowhead Stadium slowly hosted half empty games and players were unsatisfied with Peterson’s act and left the team. It was a 15 year run of no playoff wins for Kansas City. Point fingers to the man who turned this franchise around. He stopped trying. After the Chiefs made the playoffs seven of the first nine years of his era, he raised ticket prices and fans slowly realized that Peterson is destroying the team. Peterson paid Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson both a lot of money, he disrespected Tony Richardson, Trent Green and Jared Allen.
For the past four years, Chiefs fans have been praying for Carl Peterson to be fired. God bless Clark Hunt. A very classy man who I have a lot of respect for, however, he would have never done this. He had a very close relationship with Peterson and was always soft. Clark Hunt is not his father and it was his choice.
Clark Hunt announced today that the reason this happened today was because other teams will be searching for a GM also. He wants to begin the search now so he doesn’t fall behind. A new GM means that there will be a new head coach and other changes will be required. Hunt wants to get a head start on that now before any other team and I support Hunt’s decision.
Herm Edwards now knows he has to worry about his job security. He just won’t admit it in front of the media. Expect many changes out at Arrowhead Stadium. Assuming the Chiefs finish the season with two wins, there is a reason to smile today. Thank you Carl for the memories and turning this team around. Good luck!
Tony Gonzalez has finally let it out. He asked for a trade this Friday. Good for Gonzalez. He has been hiding in the shadows for too long. He has given this team way too many chances and has been very loyal. Carl Peterson decided to blow off those chances and abused his loyalty. It is rumored that the Giants, Packers, Eagles and Bills all have interest in getting the Pro Bowl tight end who has shattered many records, including most receiving yards by any tight end which was broken last week. It’s a win-win situation for everyone except for Carl Peterson. Fans will have to accept the fact that Gonzalez is not here just to put a smile on the fans. He came to the NFL to win something every NFL player dreamed of winning since they were a kid, a Super Bowl. Gonzalez will go after his ring and the organization will get more young guns. However for Carl, he doesn’t win. The fact that it had to come to the point where Gonzalez asked for a trade shows that Peterson just blew it! Look at who he’s traded: Trent Green, Jared Allen and soon to be traded, Tony Gonzalez. There is a chance that Larry Johnson gets traded. Carl Peterson continues to show that the only way to solve someone’s problem is to trade them to another team to make them a happy player. Shame on Carl.
I have a lot of respect for Trent Green. And lets not forgot how Carl Peterson handled the Trent Green trade. I can only wonder how he plans to deal with the Gonzalez trade.
My message to Tony Gonzalez: Your not just the best tight end in NFL history, your one of the best football players in NFL history. On the field, I saw a guy who always worked hard and was a mentor to young players on the team. Gonzalez never had an attitude about anything and he always did what he was told to do. I’m surprised the Chiefs gave Pat Thomas the role of a captain, but Tony does not. Off the field, Gonzalez was a great man. Always involved in charities and visited children in the hospital who were struggling. All we heard about this summer was how Chad Johnson is running his mouth and how Cedric Benson can’t stay out of trouble and many more. We finally heard something positive this summer. Tony Gonzalez saves a man who was choking on his food in a restaurant. With his work ethic on and off the field, Chiefs fans around the world loved Tony Gonzalez. Arrowhead Stadium will never be the same without the best tight end in NFL history. Thank you Tony and good luck on your quest on finding your Super Bowl ring you deserve!
The Top Ten
1-Titans (1): This team continues to win games because of their defense.
2-Giants (2): Survive a really close one. Without a question, this is the best team in the NFC.
3-Redskins (6): This team has really done great. They’ve defeated the Cowboys and the Eagles, two very tough teams in their division. Should the Giants watch their back?
4-Cowboys (3): With the Redskins hot streak, the Cowboys will go down. I applaud their victory over the Bengals, although they gave up 22 points.
5-Bills (3): After a hot ride, the ride came to a stop as the Cardinals stopped the AFC East leaders.
6-Chargers (6): A bye week in hand, this team will come out strong defensively and hope to have a bye week this year in the playoffs.
7-Panthers (7): This team shut out Kansas City. Something they were expected to do.
8-Steelers (8): The Steelers hold off the Jaguars in another close prime time game.
9-Colts (-): After a rough start, this team looks like they have found their rhythm.
10-Patriots (-): After an awful performance against the Dolphins, this team looks like they have found a way to make plays with Cassel.
Goodbye to the—
Jaguars: Lost to a good team, but it was a close one.
Eagles: Just like the Jaguars, they lost to a good team in their division.
Nice week last week hope to get double digits in the win column.
Last week: 8-6
Season: 36-36
CHI @ ATL—ATL
MIA @ HOU—MIA
BAL @ IND—IND
DET @ MIN—MIN
OAK @ NO—NO
CIN @ NYJ—CIN
CAR @ TB—CAR
STL @ WAS—WAS
JAC @ DEN—DEN
DAL @ ARI—DAL
PHI @ SF—SF
GB @ SEA—GB
NE @ SD—SD
NYG @ CLE—NYG
Back when he was coaching the Jets in 2002, Herm Edwards and the New York Jets were not happy heading into the bye week. After winning their season opener against the Bills in overtime, the Jets went on to lose their next four games. After the first victory, the Jets lost to the Patriots, Dolphins and Jaguars on a combined scored of 102-13. The next loss came against the Kansas City Chiefs at The Meadowlands. When it seemed the Jets had full control of the Chiefs heading into halftime. The Chiefs had full control of the game in the second half as Priest Holmes rushed for 152 yards and also caught nine passes for 81 yards. Wide receiver, Johnnie Morton rushed for 51 yards off of only two carries. The Chiefs defense also limited Chad Pennington and everyone else from scoring a lot of points in the second half. The Chiefs rallied and won the game 29-25.
Heading into the press conference, Edwards was asked, ‘has your team quit?’ Edwards gave that person a bad look for a moment and said, “Hello? You play to win the game? That’s the great thing about sports!”
The Jets were heading into their bye week trying to find a way to turn their season around. Coming off the bye week, the Jets began to become the hottest team in the NFL that season as they won 8 of their last 11 games. Edwards compiled a 9-7 record as it was enough to win the AFC East. The Jets went on to defeat the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs 41-0. However, the hot smoking Jets got stomped by the Raiders 30-10 in the divisional playoff round.
Although the Jets could not win the Super Bowl, they realized that it was never too late to earn a spot in the playoffs. During his time with New York, the Jets always faced tough circumstances when it seemed this team had no shot at making the playoffs. They continued to prove everyone wrong until 2005 in which Jets all star quarterback, Chad Pennington, went out with an injury, who wasn’t having a very good year. The Chiefs gave the Jets a fourth round draft pick to allow Herm Edwards leave the Jets and join Kansas City.
When the Kansas City Chiefs were hitting rock bottom in the 70’s and 80’s after Hank Stram left the team, Carl Peterson came to Kansas City as the new general manager in town and helped the Chiefs go to the playoffs seven of the next nine seasons. Without Marty, the Chiefs made the playoffs only twice in the past 10 seasons.
I tried to back off Herm and Carl before the 2007 season as they have proven in the past that they are capable of turning a team around. Coincidentally, just like 2002, Herm Edwards is heading into the bye week with a 1-4 record. Still, I don’t see the same thing happening.
After a quiet week in the land of Arrowhead, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has decided to keep everyone on the team.
My expectations for this team won’t change. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll give Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson one last chance.
The Chiefs had the best draft out of any other team in the NFL. However, none of their rookies are currently running for rookie of the year. Unlike the Chiefs, most NFL teams didn’t draft 12 players, yet there are teams who have rookies who are getting the job done. Most rookies don’t step up until November anyway. And we all know how competitive the final two months are in the NFL.
If the Chiefs can win at least five games combined in the month of November and December, then I will back off both Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson. I won’t pray for Clark Hunt to re-sign them, but that will give me the idea that Peterson and Edwards know what they are doing with their “plan” during this rebuilding process.
Herm Edwards says he plays to win the game. He certainly is not playing to win the game, he’s playing to either keep games close or have a good effort, or he just flat out loses. Derrick Johnson, a player who I have a lot of respect for, says the Chiefs are not rebuilding. He claims rebuilding is a ‘college word.’ My question to Johnson is if you’re not rebuilding, what are you doing then? This team is obviously isn’t winning many games. Let’s see if the Chiefs used this bye week wisely. We’ll have to find out next week.
I’ll be back this weekend with power rankings, predictions and more. I hope your all enjoying the start of your weekend.
This has been an ultra busy week for me and I apologize for you readers. This is my first year trying out a writing blog. I use to be active with doing video blogs on youtube, until I learned how to do a podcast/internet radio shows. But I’m trying to expand myself as much as possible and I appreciate you guys bearing with me. And some good information you might want to know: There is a possibility I may begin blogging for a certain website that I will not name incase things do not go as planned.
In this entry, I will have my Chiefs and Broncos preview as well as my power rankings and week four predictions.
So the Chiefs have lost their first three games of the season. Going back to last years nine game losing streak, they are on a 12 game losing streak. No matter who starts at the quarterback spot, it seems they either get hurt, or they are just awful, or in Brodie Croyle’s case, both. And they are going to host their bitter rivals, the Denver Broncos who are 3-0 and the hottest team offensively. Do I expect the Broncos to win like most people? Yes, however, I think this will be somewhat of a respectable game.
While the Chiefs defense has not been able to keep games close, they haven’t really gotten blown out yet. They’ve played against teams who have young and inexperienced quarterbacks. This week is not the case as Jay Cutler, who is second in passing yards with 914 and has a QB rating of 110.6 which is the third best in the NFL after three weeks. Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page better be ready to play good coverage, because if they can’t, then this will be a long game for the defense. And if you thought their performance against Matt Ryan was awful, just wait until you see this game.
The Chiefs offense currently is under construction as they’ve had three QB’s start in three games. Damon Huard will get his second start of the season as he started in week two against Oakland. Huard went two for four and threw a pass to Devard Darling, who could not contain possession of the ball as it got intercepted by the Raiders. Huard left the game early because of an injury. No one knows what the injury really was because it seems everyone in the locker room is saying something different. Huard as the quarterback puts a smile to many faces in Kansas City, and it also gives Tony Gonzalez some faith as he as stated before that he has a decent history playing with Huard as they have a ‘connection’ on the field. While the Broncos have been impressive on offense, their defense has been ugly this year. Denver is the worst team against the pass, and with a quarterback like Huard, I expect Huard to have an easy time getting the ball to Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe. The Broncos are 15th in the NFL against run, so the Chiefs will need to work hard on creating holes for Larry Johnson.
Overall, I can see this game turning into a shootout as Damon Huard and Jay Cutler show off their arms at Arrowhead Stadium. Despite the poor play of the Chiefs lately, I think Chiefs fans who plan to attend the game this week are in for a good one. I don’t expect the Chiefs to pull an upset, but I do expect them to make this a close contest. If they end up getting throttled by the Broncos defense, then that will send a message that this team will not be able to capture a victory. Broncos win it 38-31.
( ) = Last weeks ranking
1-Cowboys (2): Welcome to the number one spot Dallas! The Cowboys have stepped up as a team as all their playmakers have been playing with a swagger. The Cowboys went to Green bay and defeated the Packers as they’ve made it clear that they are the best team in the NFC. Are they the best in the NFL? I think so.
2-Titans (4): I really have been impressed with the Titans this year. I’ve always been afraid of the defensive line, and with the addition of Jevon Kearse, this line is more freighting with Vanden Bosch and Haynesworth. While Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin combine for seven interceptions (best in the NFL), the guys in front have 11 sacks (third best in the NFL.) Offensively, this team has a great rookie at running back in Chris Johnson. Don’t forget about LenDale White either. As far as the QB position, as long as Kerry Collins is winning, there is no need to wait for Vince Young.
3-Giants (5): The defending Super Bowl champs have been doing the same thing all year as John Carney kicked the game winning field goal in overtime to continue the success.
4-Chargers (8): After two tough losses, the Chargers came out this week with a message against Brett Favre and the New York Jets.
5-Bills (9): This has been the team that has surprised me the most. I never ignored the fact that they have two very good running backs, but it seems many people, including myself, were not aware that this Buffalo team had a secret weapon in Trent Edwards.
6-Steelers (3): This defense is starting to slip after being the best last year. If you thought the Eagles and offense was good, wait until they meet Baltimore, Jacksonville and many others. The offensive line also needs to recover after that awful blocking game from last week.
7-Eagles (10): The Eagles have been very impressive as they were able to limit the Steelers last week. McNabb did not have his greatest game, but the defense was their to make up for it all.
8-Colts (6): When it seemed like they were about to win, Josh Scobee was the hero for the Jags. Peyton Manning also needs to regain himself as he has more interceptions than he has touchdowns at the moment.
9-Vikings (11): With Gus Frerotte leading the way, this team might begin to win some games. The defense is also starting to come together as well.
10-Patriots (1): At home, against the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots simply got beat up by Ronnie Brown. Is Matt Cassel going to be able to help the Patriots this year?
11-Packers (7): What was expected to be a big prime time game turned into a blowout at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers suffered his first career loss as a starter.
12-Broncos (15): Jay Cutler is emerging as the Broncos are one of the hottest offenses right now. But this team can be defeated if they play a team with a better offense.
13-Jaguars (16): When everything looked dim, Josh Scobee brought a bright light for Jaguar fans winning their first game of the season on the road.
14-Buccannears (19): Scored 27 points against a good Chicago defense and survived a close one.
15-Saints (12): It’s nice to see that Drew Brees can be a valuable fantasy player, however, it did not help the Saints this week against the Broncos. This defense needs to step up if they want to win.
16-Redskins (20): Won against an unproven Arizona Cardinals team, now lets see if they can beat Dallas, a team that has proven themselves.
17-Seahawks (18): A win is a win, but it may not be much to brag about. They beat the Rams after all.
18-Panthers (14): Blew a lead against the winless Minnesota Vikings, allowing them to win their first game of the season.
19-Jets (13): The future hall of fame QB, Brett Favre, has not been a big asset to the Jets so far. However, he is not the only one struggling.
20-Cardinals (17): Despite the tough loss, they are still on top of the NFC West along with the 49ers.
21-Falcons (23): Matt Ryan and Michael Turner continue to impress the world as they win two games. Do the Falcons have a nice future? I think so.
22-Ravens (25): The offense has been doing pretty well with Joe Flacco under center, but the defense deserves more credit for this strong start.
23-49ers (26): Great start to the season, lets see if they can keep it up.
24- Dolphins (30): This team has gone through so much pain and misery. For them to go at New England and destroy the Patriots is just huge. Ronnie Brown should be proud of himself and so should every Dolphin fan. But was this major luck, or are the Dolphins beginning to step up?
25-Texans (21): I guess I was wrong about this team, but there is no question in my mind that Andre Johnson is a monster when given a good QB.
26- Browns (22): Derek Anderson might have been a one year wonder. Is the Brady Quinn era about to be reticent?
27-Lions (29): A major loss to the 49ers, but Lions fans have a reason to celebrate as Matt Millen has finally been fired!
28-Bears (27): Chicago could not hang on against Tampa Bay. At least the Cubs won the division.
29-Bengals (24): Chad Johnson seems like he knows numbers in Spanish. Does he know how to say 0-3 in Spanish?
30-Raiders (28): Lost a very close one to the Bills. I just wanted to see the Raiders win so I can see everyone in the media freak out for the Raiders being above .500.
31-Rams (31): The Rams have Trent Green starting this week, who is very familiar with the Al Saunders offense. Last year with the Redskins, Todd Collins stepped up and had to play an offense he was familiar with as a backup and he succeeded. I expect Trent to help the Rams win a game.
32- Chiefs (32): This team needs a new coaching staff as the current staff really has no idea what they are doing. And they are the team with the best draft. What have any of the rookies done so far?
I recovered well after a nightmare the previous week
Last week: 10-6
Season: 21-24
ATL @ CAR—CAR
CLE @ CIN—CIN
HOU @ JAC—JAC
DEN @ KC—DEN
SF @ NO—SF
ARI @ NYJ—NYJ
GB @ TB—GB
MIN @ TEN—TEN
SD @ OAK—SD
BUF @ STL—BUF
WAS @ DAL—DAL
PHI @ CIN—PHI
BAL @ PIT—PIT
Sorry for the lack of entries. I’ve been busy lately with so many personal things, but I will try to post as much as I can.
Glenn Dorsey finally got signed and is now the highest paid player in Chiefs history. Larry Johnson previously held that record last year after his 25 day holdout not only making him the highest player in team history, but the highest paid running back in NFL history. Now Dorsey is the highest paid player in team history. All I’m going to say is, the money comes from the expensive seats at Arrowhead. More power to Carl Peterson. I must say however, despite Dorsey’s two day holdout after many thought Dorsey would be the last rookie to sign, I have to credit Carl Peterson. I said that it’s important to sign all of our rookies before training camp kicks off. Dorsey missed just one day of camp, so it’s not a lot to lose sleep over. Peterson, good job!
So far nothing huge has occurred in training camp as far as injuries. Last year, Damien McIntosh missed all pre-season action and the first couple of games in the regular season due to an injury during training camp. Let’s just hope everyone can stay healthy. With McIntosh now playing right tackle, a position he is unfamiliar with, it gives rookie right tackle, Barry Richardson a chance to win the starting spot. He has a huge advantage right now as he has more experience in the right tackle spot more than McIntosh. The only disadvantage he has is that McIntosh is a nine year pro. But with McIntosh only 6-4 and Richardson 6-7, I really like Richardson’s chance of starting in week seven of the regular season because of the height advantage. Both tackles are 320 pounds. McIntosh might just win the starting job in training camp because of his experience, but expect Richardson to eventually crawl into a starter.
Brandon Flowers is right now the starting cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs. No position battle against thirty-two year old pro, Patrick Surtain. Flowers is a first round material type of cornerback, but due to his height at 5-9, many teams passed up on him. However, Herm did not really seem to care much about his height. He cared about the fact that Flowers is a physical and aggressive football player. That is exactly the type of players Herm went after this off season. I hope Flowers is ready to play against Randy Moss on opening day. It will be a great experience for him.
Tamba Hali, who has a total of 15.5 sacks during his two year career will now be playing his original position at right end replacing Jared Allen. Hali played left end his first two years because of Allen being the main guy at the right end spot. Now that Hali can play his original position, you can expect a lot out of this stud. I expect his sack total to be in double digits this year as he enters his third season in the NFL. But who is going to play the left end spot now that Hali has left it? Alfonso Boone was a candidate at that spot once drafting Dorsey. Turk McBride coming off his rookie season also has a chance along with Trevor Johnson and rookie Brian Johnston. I would strongly prefer Boone to be the second defensive tackle and McBride to come in a lot. McBride has the ability to play every position on the defensive line. He could be a good backup who comes in and plays a lot while some players take a quick break in between a couple plays. Trevor Johnson I must say I am not impressed with looking at his career stats. In his four year career with the Jets, Saints and Rams, he has a total of 42 tackles, 1 sack and 11 tackles forcing negative yardage. I really like Brian Johnston and I think he can truly be the prefect replacement for Jared Allen at the left end spot. This guy had a faster 40-time than Jared Allen had his rookie season. He was also projected to go in the 4th round of the draft, but many teams forgot he was available and many felt this was a huge pickup for Kansas City in the 7th round. Allen originally was drafted in the 4th round. Johnston has also been doing well escaping offensive lineman and chasing the quarterback. I’ll be pulling for Johnston to win it and also be a surprise player on this team, just like how Jarrad Page was when he got drafted in the 7th round.
Brodie Croyle does not have to worry battling for a starting spot either. The only reason that Herm will put another quarterback in is because Croyle may be hurt. The Chiefs have a lot of confidence in him now. In OTA’s, I noticed Croyle has improved so much on his decision making and his accuracy while throwing the football. Tony Gonzalez also said he has a ‘cannon arm.’ Gonzalez also brought up that last season, those two were not on the same page. But this year they are starting to understand each other a whole lot and both will understand each other during the season. The Chiefs season all relies on Brodie Croyle and his performance. On offense, he has weapons around him such as Larry Johnson and two good running backs behind LJ. He has Tony Gonzalez, the best tight end in NFL history. Who cares how old Gonzalez is, I have yet to see this guy decline. He continues to make good blocks and does a great job getting open and getting yards. It’s just a matter if Croyle can get the ball to Gonzalez. He also has the best rookie receiver from last season, Dwayne Bowe. The offensive line is not good, but it is somewhat better than last year. My concern is, are we going to see a quick 3-step drop back and a quick throw often, or are we going to Brodie take 3 steps back and have a decent amount of time looking for the open receiver? That might be a concern this year.
That’s all I had on my mind. I’ll try to post another entry sometime this week as I am going to be busy over the next couple of weeks.
Be sure you check out the “Chiefs Endzone Show” on TheSportsStuff.com and iTunes. Dial the voicemail lines at 916-912-4263 and join the forums and chat with us on the Chiefs section at TheSportsStuff.com. Take care.
Today is the day ladies and gentleman! A few teams have already kicked off their season earlier this week as they started training camp. Few have yet to begin. Today, the Kansas City Chiefs are going north to River Falls, WI. The bus heading to training camp will be full of young football players and few veterans. However, two players will not be on the bus as they will need their own personal transportation to River Falls.
Since I last made an entry, the Chiefs agreed to terms with Jamaal Charles from Texas, Brad Cottam from Tennessee, Brandon Flowers from Virginia Tech and Branden Albert drafted out of Virginia.
Jamaal Charles had one of the fastest 40-Yard Dash times as he ran a 4.38 time. That made him the fourth fastest running back entering the draft this year. In the 38 games Charles played, he started in 17games and was one of the most feared running backs in the Big XII. The former Longhorn started all 13 contests this past season carrying the ball 258 times for 1,619 yards with 18 TD’s. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry. Charles will bring his speed to Kansas City by helping out Larry Johnson carry the ball along with Kolby Smith as Charles looks to be competing for the backup spot. Head Coach Herm Edwards also wants to give Charles a shot at the kick return position. The Chiefs have not been so successful in screen plays with their running backs the past couple of years, but with the speed Charles contains, don’t be surprised if you see him involved in screen patterns. Charles will be a huge part in the renovating offense. Charles earned first team All-Big 12 honors and was named third-team All-America and was a two year member of the Texas track team.
Next up is the gigantic 6’8” tight end out of Tennessee, Brad Cottam. He started 38 games but started nine. However, he still got a lot of playing time despite the low amount of starts. Cottam told me that it’s a privilege as a rookie to be mentored by the best tight end in NFL history, Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez last season broke the record for most touchdowns by any tight end in an NFL career and with four years remaining on his contract can set the bar high. Gonzalez is a great receiver and an outstanding blocker. Cottam only caught 21 passes and one touchdown in his three year career at Tennessee. Cottam however was known for his blocking. He told me he feels that during his career, he may be used as a blocker at first but he’ll develop his way into being a receiver after a couple years. With the new offensive tackles in Kansas City, Cottam’s main purpose will be to help block the defensive ends with the tackles. In the NFL today, there are a lot of great pass rushers in the defensive end spot. Cottam would help Brodie Croyle a lot by giving him more time to throw.
Many started to believe the Chiefs would have the best draft once they took Brandon Flowers out of Virginia Tech out of the second round. Flowers was projected to be drafted in the first round, but due to his height, he fell short. But Herm doesn’t see anything wrong about the 5’9” cornerback who was a key reason why the Hokies made the Orange Bowl. Edwards drafted the former hokie because of his physicality Flowers brings on the gridiron. In 41 games, Flowers got 158 tackles and 10 interceptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Flowers also recorded 17 stops for -71 yards. Flowers was a big pick up for the Chiefs in the second round and will be a huge part of the team as he fits Herm’s requirements as he is a physical. Flowers was the fifth cornerback taken in the draft.
Last but most important was guard/tackle, Branden Albert. Albert was known to be one of the best offensive lineman in the draft. The Chiefs contained the fifth pick in the draft and received the 17th pick after trading Jared Allen to Minnesota. The Chiefs were prepared to take Albert with the fifth pick, until they could not resist but take Glenn Dorsey who astonishingly fell to the fifth pick in the draft. The Detroit Lions were on the clock with the 15th pick, however, the Chiefs swapped first round picks and gave a couple draft picks to Detroit to get the 15th pick as they feared the Arizona Cardinals would have taken Albert with the 16th pick. The Chiefs do the unthinkable and get some of the best players on the board available. Branden Albert was one of those guys. The Kansas City Chiefs were last place in running with the football last year, that’s very rare to see in Kansas City as the offensive line could not create a whole and give space for running backs last season. The offensive line spot is the number one on the Chiefs priority list for things to improve on, and with Branden Albert, they will improve. It’s very rare that you see Branden Albert get beat by a defensive lineman in college. Albert has outstanding pass protection as he stays balanced on his feet and keeps his hands in front of himself. The former cavalier started nine games at guard and two games at tackle his senior year. As a guard, Albert would run to the outside and would take down linebackers and even defensive backs to give running backs space to run. This is a great addition for the Chiefs as Albert will help out Larry Johnson bounce back and repeat his 2006 performance. Albert will play tackle for the Chiefs. Keep in mind, Larry Johnson loves to go behind offensive tackles and attack the outside, so Albert would be a big weapon for LJ as he will block alongside with Brian Waters.
The Kansas City Chiefs were at Arrowhead as 300 fans showed up to give their farewell to the team as they prepare to go on a journey to River Falls, WI and change things around. However, one player was not at Arrowhead and that was Glenn Dorsey. Carl Peterson has yet to sign the first draft pick. Will Glenn Dorsey hold out, or will the LSU standout come and replace Jared Allen’s key role on the defensive line?
The Kansas City Chiefs got to work Wednesday as they agree to three year deals with the wide receiver and kick returner Kevin Robinson and defensive end Brian Johnston. According to a Chiefs policy, other terms were unavailable to share with the public. I personally am a bit curious why the Chiefs are over protective about sharing the deal. But hey, at least Carl Peterson signed them!
Robinson played at Utah State as he played in 46 games catching 178 passes for 2,485 yards. But his receiving skills are not why the Chiefs drafted the speedy sixth rounder. With Dante Hall declining and Eddie Drummond being a major bust, the Chiefs were searching for a kick returner. Robinson shattered records at Utah State for punt return yards with 1,104 returning four for touchdowns. Robinson also returned 110 kick offs stacking up 2,725 running them back for a total of four touchdowns as well. Grand total of eight touchdowns returning the football on special teams. This guy will have a special role this year as he competes with four year pro, B.J. Sams who spent four years at Baltimore as a kick returner. Sams returned two touchdowns off of kickoffs his rookie year. His first coincidentally came against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004. According to Herm Edwards, unsigned third round draft pick, Jamaal Charles will also compete for the kick return spot as Edwards told me towards the end of OTA’s that this position is ‘very high on the priority list.’ Charles is another fast player on the team coming from Texas. But his only concern on special teams may be if he can use the width of the field appropriately, which is exactly what Devin Hester is great it.
Johnston is an immense defensive end coming out of Gardner-Webb. The former Bulldog was said to be a steal in the seventh round as the Chiefs had numerous amount of steals in this draft. Playing 42 games at GWU, Johnston started 40 games recording 268 tackles and 21 sacks for -140 yards. Johnston also caught a three yard touchdown reception on offense. I’m already wondering if this guy can be the next Jared Allen. Allen ran a 4.81 40 yard dash in the NFL combine his rookie year as he was drafted in the fourth round as a long snapper. Johnston ran a 4.68 40 yard dash and was also projected to be drafted in the fourth round. Johnston registered ten forced fumbles and blocked a kick at Gardner-Webb. This guy looks like he has a promising NFL career and could be a huge sleeper in the NFL. He’s got all the physical tools to play defensive end in the NFL as he has spent a lot of time with defensive line coach, Tim Krumrie. Brian Johnston could be the biggest nightmare for quarterbacks and running backs in the NFL soon once he gets familiar with the Gunther Cunningham defense.
These are two very good prospects drafted late in the NFL draft. Neither player will see significant playing time on offense or defense. Both rookies will spend a couple years playing on special teams as both players not only have a good future in their perspective positions, but they have made big plays on special teams in the past and look to carry on in the pros. Don’t be surprised if you see either player make a special teams play that turns into an ESPN highlight. The Chiefs now have seven unsigned picks: Dorsey, Albert, Flowers, Charles, Cottam, Morgan and Merritt.
Be sure you check out my internet radio show, the “Chiefs Endzone Show” on TheSportsStuff.com as we invite Soren Petro from 810 WHB Kansas City on our show Monday and record an interview with him chatting about training camp before the Chiefs get on the bus to River Falls, Wisconson.
Happy July! The Chiefs are on the front cover of Yahoo!, but not for a good quality reason. The Chiefs may ban standing during games. WHAT!?!?!? In the words of Gunther Cunningham “It’s frickin Arrowhead!”
I remember sitting second row in the Chiefs home opener against the Jets a couple years ago with my family. A drunk guy sitting in front of us made the Arrowhead experience a bit annoying as he stood up the entire time blocking people trying to take photos and watch the game. During timeouts/intermissions, he stood up singing to whatever song he was being played. Actually I take that back, he wasn’t singing the lyrics, he was yelling them. Eventually, security escorted the man out of the stadium. I’m fine if the rule is applied towards that.
But the rule is no standing in general while watching the game. I hope they have a lot of security in the stands, because that will be a tough rule to enforce. Football is a religion in Kansas City. Arrowhead stadium has been considered the loudest stadium in the NFL this decade. The Chiefs have won many of their games because of their screaming fans. Many players on the opposing team have admitted how loud the volume is in Arrowhead. Die hard Chiefs fans, nearly 80’000 of them! Brodie Croyle throws a long bomb to Dwayne Bowe, who the fans love, in the endzone. Mitch Holthus will yell “TOUCHDOWN KAN-SAS-CITY!” Fans are not going to let this rule ruin their excitement at Arrowhead. The 80’000 fans will stand up and cheer for their team. What will the security guards do? Eject 80’000 fans out of Arrowhead? This will be a tough rule to enforce.
Now I was planning to write an entry on something else, but I think I can still fit what I wanted in here. General Manager, Carl Peterson, last year on HBO’s Hard Knocks show said he wants a “college atmosphere” type of stadium. This isn’t going to be the “college atmosphere” type of Arrowhead ever again if this rule is applied. Now Peterson has said in the past that he is not the only one making decisions. Really? This guy has three key titles: General Manager, CEO, and President. That’s pretty tough to accept as true. I’ll have to admit, I am not aware of who specifically made this choice. But knowing he carries those three titles, it’s impossible to say he did not take any part in this decision. I can safely assume I am speaking for many people, but I am fed up with this front office. I’m sorry, but today is July 1st and training camp is in twenty-four days! We still have nine guys waiting to be signed: Dorsey, Albert, Flowers, Morgan, Cottam, Charles, Robinson, Johnston and Merrit have yet to agree to a contract with King Carl. Reports say Dorsey and Peterson have progressed, but it hasn’t gone far.
Why are the Chiefs into this stadium deal? They increase ticket prices after winning two games at home. I hope this front office realizes the Chiefs have not won a playoff game in 15 years! This is reminds me of the time Hank Stram left the team. The team went down hill and fans did not care about the Chiefs any more until the late 80’s. The Chiefs are at a critical point in their franchise right now. It’s ludicrous that the Chiefs are more concerned about rebuilding their stadium instead of rebuilding their team. I’m sorry if I am being to harsh on this Chiefs front office, but I’m not going to support the way they are handling things right now. I started to give them respect after that outstanding draft this past April. It’s going to be really hard for Chiefs fans to believe in this team if they screw up this rebuilding process after having the best draft. C’mon Carl! As many say, you put butts in seats when you first came here. You can do it again! The question is, will you?
Darren McFadden has been signed to a 6 year deal in which he’ll earn $60 million. McFadden might not have been the best selection for the Raiders, but he will still be a big force on that rebuilding offense. The Chiefs on the other hand have yet to sign the pair of first rounders they got.
Carl Peterson has said that he is in talks with Glenn Dorsey’s agent, but it’s just talk, no agreements yet. It’s really important Dorsey, Branden Albert, Brandon Flowers and all the other draft picks get signed before July 25th, the start of training camp. The Chiefs obviously had the best draft this year, so it’s really important that Peterson signs these guys before camp. Especially since this is going to be a rebuilding year. You want all your players in attendance, or else the rebuilding process will be slow.
Dwayne Bowe had an outstanding season last year, but he did hold out for a small part of training camp. If he took part in all of training camp, chances are he would have had a better year and maybe over 1’000 yards. Bowe was just five yards shy of 1’000.
The way Peterson has handled contracts and players in the past brings fear to others that the Chiefs may not have Dorsey by the start of training camp. Call me crazy, but I think Peterson will sign everyone before the kickoff of camp. Peterson has to realize he’s in the hot seat and there is no question in my mind that Clark Hunt is keeping a close eye on Peterson. When your team is known as the team with the best draft, you have to have all your players ready by day one. The Chiefs could not have asked for a better draft and it’s important that they take advantage of this. If Peterson wants to see this franchise make a big turn around from last season, then it’s up to him to sign his players!
Tomorrow I will be at Arrowhead Stadium for the big practice. I will take a camera with me and try to get some photos. There is going to be an interview session with Herm Edwards so I will also try to get that. No talk about a player yet. I also have interviews with several rookies and free agents who joined the Chiefs this past off season such as Brandon Flowers, Brad Cottam, Nick Novak, Devard Darling and more. To hear all of those interviews, check out the “Chiefs Endzone Show” on TheSportsStuff.com and on the itunes music store. I will come back tomorrow with a report giving a review of the practice session from Arrowhead. Everyone have a good weekend.
