Training Camp Day 5 AM Special Teams Practice

by Chris Thorman on Jul 29, 2008 12:05 PM CDT

Update: Bob Gretz's post on the morning practice is here.

This really isn't much of an update from the UW-RF site but it's all we've got this morning. Remember a lot of these UDFAs the Kansas City Chiefs signed will be trying to make their name on special teams.

Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth were out on Ramer Field early to warm up for the special teams practice. The stadium was quiet and fans waited patiently in the stands for the other players to make their ways to the field. Blocking pads, footballs and Aqualift portable drinking systems were all lined up on the sideline. At 9:49 Novak started kicking field goals from the 27-yard line and Barth stretched out his legs. On the other practice fields the grounds crew touched up the yard lines with white paint.

Players began to trickle onto the field in bigger groups at 10:25. At 10:27, two blows from an air horn signaled that it was time for the team to begin running through line drills and stretching. The line drills were run under the instruction of Strength and Conditioning Coach Cedric Smith on the north end of Ramer Field. The players went down and back 20 yards from the end zone. On the opposite end of the field kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth, punter Dustin Colquitt and long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche stretched and warmed up on their own.

Linebackers Steve Octavien and Aden Durde jogged onto the field at 10:31. They were followed by a group of seven other players just seconds later. One blow for an air horn at 10:37 started practice.

Let's say the competition between Barth and Novak is pretty much dead even. Do the Chiefs keep Barth for his youth or Novak for his experience? I think I like an experienced guy kicking during crunch time.

Tweet Comment 8 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Barth and Novak

Tough call on the kicker. The thing about Novak that keeps popping in my mind is that Dave Rayner and John Carney both beat him out last year. Do we really want our 4th or 5th pick as our FG kicker? Its different than the rest of the team in that youth is as much a benefit at the kicking position.

With Barth, his benefit is pretty much the same as his downside. We don’t know anything about him. He MIGHT be better than Novak in the clutch, or maybe he’ll be another Deer in the Headlights rookie.

Which do we prefer? The guy that we pretty much already know is mediocre or the guy that might be a complete bust…. or might be a good kicker for us for the next 10 years. Tough call.

by ChiefDJ on Jul 29, 2008 5:05 PM CDT reply actions

Although it really bugs me that Barth is neck and neck with Novak

We know Novak is mediocre, which means that Barth is mediocre if he’s neck and neck with Novak. Which means that there isn’t even someone average in camp. This is getting scary – if we don’t hear that Barth is pulling away with the job soon I guess I’ll just have to resign myself to another year of horrible kicking…

by KCFanatic on Jul 29, 2008 6:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Or is Pfeifer just being

courteous to both of them in the media?

by Chris Thorman on Jul 29, 2008 6:57 PM CDT up reply actions

ah... the shrewd behind-the-comment analysis ;)

good point. I actually believe, though, they don’t have a clue which way it’s going to go yet.
preseason games will determine a lot.

by sunny D on Jul 29, 2008 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't know that they're REALLY neck and neck

Both have only missed one field goal, so I don’t know that you can call what either have done in training camp this year mediocre. I think Novak has clearly had a mediocre professional career, which doesn’t sound good to me for him being a long term solution. But of course, Barth could be a mediocre (or worse) kicker and we just dont know it yet. I’m not sure which bothers me more. Do we take a chance on the unknown (like we did last year and got burned) or do we go with the Devil thats known and just accept that there are going to be some misses on occassion?

There have been some things said about Barth that would be a concern, such as his kicks tend to be low which could lead to more blocks, etc. But that is something that probably can be corrected OVER TIME. Whether the Chiefs want to give that time or not, I don’t know.

Its a tough call. I think in my opinion though, they have seen Novak for a couple years now and have picked other guys over him. If their performances are equal, I think I’d just as well give Connor a shot. You can always go back and pick Novak up later if the rookie just stinks it up… Or Carney again….

by ChiefDJ on Jul 29, 2008 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions