Kansas City Chiefs Guard Brian Waters on the Jim Rome Radio Show Today

You know, I don't exactly fault the guy for wanting some time off, but when the dude is 31, played for the worst o-line in football last year, and didn't have a great year individually I think that maybe he should consider getting off his ass and going to the off-season activities.  Whether Waters likes it or not, the NFL is a competitive, year-round job, and if Waters isn't interested in trying to offset the natural effects of aging with more offseason work the Chiefs need to ship his ass somewhere else in exchange for a draft pick or perhaps for a hungry prospect who is interested in working to improve.  Waters has got maybe a couple more years at peak performance in the NFL (if he doesn't turn into a lazy blob)...he'll have plenty of time to lounge around at home with the kids once his contract is up.

...my previous comment was my diplomatic translation of my initial reaction to hearing he wasn't at the offseason camps.  After that interview, Carl Peterson ought to be bending over backwards to ship Waters out of town for a third-round or fourth rounder.  The last thing a young offensive line needs is an aging veteran who thinks he's too good to have to work on his game.

DJ,

This is the first time I've even heard anyone suggesting Waters be traded.  Have no idea where that came from.

It apparently came from Waters.  And after I heard that Waters (a 31-year old offensive lineman coming off a bad year personally while working for the worst line in the NFL) had apparently decided that he didn't need to attend the offseason workouts I agreed with him...he needs to go, now, while he might still have some trade value.

Obviously they are trying to rebuild the offensive line and it would be foolish to trade off the only piece that is actually working on it.

The last time I checked, 31 year old players with declining performance in the NFL don't generally get better when they blow off the offseason conditioning.  

In fact, I now go on the record as saying that Brian Waters will be worse next year...regardless of who the Chiefs draft.  My only hope is that there's some other team out there this offseason desperate for an aging guard who has a GM that didn't hear that interview.

Sorry Chris that was just really funny the way you said, all be it true. I agree with DJ though. Those were the days. If you want revenge on the media, I recommend watching antonio pierce with the air horn. Probably the best anti-reporter video there is, not to mention hilarious.

As for the rumors, I can never seem to find them either, and unless the internet ol' witty is using is  better than mine, I get the feeling he is making some of this stuff.

One more thing. Does whitlock write in the newspaper, or is he just an online journalist? I can't imagine what it would be like to read his crap in the morning, it would really ruin my day.

primetime,

"With older guys, the more repetition just seems to wear them down and increase the likelihood of injury."

I think that it's okay to restrict veterans' time a bit more in training camp...that's generally the two-a-day stuff and drills they've run a hundred times and it's right before the season and it's often an unnecessary grind (as the players noted with Vermeil).  But the non-camp offseason programs, from what I've heard are more about strength and conditioning, which is the basis for any athlete to perform, especially as they get older.  It's understandable to skip a month or two to recuperate, but it's not to skip the entire regimen.

As DJ noted, Waters has never attended OTAs.  Well, that's fine when you're a player in your 20s who can get by on natural ability but as you get older the offseason stuff gets more and more important because your performance does drop off as you get older.  This is true in every sport, not just football.  As players age, they have to work harder just to stay in place, much less improve.  If Waters isn't willing to do that, I'd say that indicates he's much more likely to be worse next year, not better, and we need to look at trading him now, while he has some trade value(assuming anyone wants him).  Otherwise for the next two years we'll be stuck with a high-salaried player that isn't very good.  And I'll say it flat-out...he wasn't really that good last year anyway, even taking into account the terrible players around him.