There’s been some speculation on this site that this could be Tony’s last year, either by his choice or by trade. I think he’ll play through 2010—a season in which this current movement could begin to peak. Here’s a quote from him in the article.

“I’ve only got a couple of years left to play this game, and I feel like I’ve got to leave more than just what I did on the field,” Gonzalez said.

I’m going to assume Vic was looking at the Cheifs’ web site when he wrote this, more than from any inside info. Cox is in the first-string column. Vic does 1 or 2 camps a day. Rumors, rumors… Not that I’m predicting against Cox.

If the Patriots are ever to have a trap game in which they’re over confident to the point they could lose, wouldn’t it be their opening day game in Foxboro? Living in Des Moines, I was compelled to watch local product Shawn Johnson do her gymnastic thing at the Olympics last night. It was an interesting comment that the 16-year-olds are possibly less prone to nerves than their older counterparts because they don’t know any better. They’re loose.

Can Herm get the team to the point they believe they can win at Foxboro? Maybe if he puts blinders on their helmets. Because you know that all those rookies are going to be somewhat in awe (not necessarily intimidated) by being in the Patriots’ stadium. Most of these guys haven’t been in the stadiums they’ll be playing in - even as a fan - so they better just focus on the type of turf, their responsibilities and the game itself. Hey—they did it in Soldier Field.

So maybe the tempo, focus and eagerness from this year’s camp will carry right into the first game of the season. Well, and duct taping Brady to the goal post wouldn’t hurt either…

Several of the Chiefs’ veteran players have noticed a definite increase in the tempo of practices. Younger players not only tend to have a little more spring in their step, but they also tend to perform with a greater degree of exuberance. They’re too young to view the camp routine as drudgery, which is the way most veterans view it. They are trying to make their mark. And they like nothing better than making a veteran teammate look, well, old in the process.