2014 Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp Primer from The Mothership
Fresh off the best single-season turnaround in franchise history, the 2014 Kansas City Chiefs will soon report to the campus of Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri for training camp.
Led by second-year coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs will look to build upon the foundation laid a season ago when the team finished with an 11-5 record and a berth into the playoffs.
The bar has been set and the expectations are high, so let's take a look at a few of the big storylines coming to St. Joseph over the next few weeks.
Chiefs Volunteer At Heart To Heart International from The Mothership
The Chiefs Community Caring Team, featuring Red Coaters and Chiefs Cheerleaders, volunteered at Heart to Heart International on Wednesday to help assemble hygiene kits for those who have recently experienced the unexpected loss of shelter, food or water due to disaster.
Heart to Heart International is a global humanitarian organization that inspires, empowers and mobilizes individuals to serve those in need in the community and around the world.
Camp Preview: Kansas City Chiefs from ESPN
Veteran Sean Smith steps in as the top cornerback, and he held his own as a starter last season. Marcus Cooper will at least begin camp as the other starter. As a rookie, he played well for the first half of last season as the third cornerback, but his play tailed off badly in the second half, to the point that the Chiefs benched him. Cooper has the physical tools to be a decent starter, but he showed over the final few games of last season that he has a lot to learn. The Chiefs drafted Phillip Gaines of Rice in the third round this year, but during offseason practice it didn't look like he was ready to contribute.
Kansas City Chiefs 2014 Traning Camp Preview from The Chicago Tribune
The bigger issues for the Chiefs remain contract extensions for underrated quarterback Alex Smith as well as pass-rushing star Justin Houston, who skipped OTAs because of unhappiness with his contract.
Kansas City Chiefs Preseason Preview from The Topeka Capital-Journal
Chiefs lost three Pro Bowl players, three starting offensive linemen and several veterans who provided valuable depth. They made modest moves in free agency due to salary cap situation. Second-year coach Andy Reid believes everyone having a year in his system will help. But with more difficult schedule, many believe a .500 record will be successful.
NFL Camp Preview: Chiefs Strive For Another Step Forward from Lindy's Sports
Recent NFL history is littered with stories of teams that made the journey from the basement to the higher floors in the league's building in just one season. The Kansas City Chiefs made that move in 2013, going from 2-14 the year before, to 11-5 and a spot in the AFC playoffs last season.
The outhouse-to-penthouse climbers invariably suffer a fall back the next season. The Chiefs lived that scenario just a few years ago: 4-12 in 2009, 10-6 and an AFC West title in 2010 and then 7-9 in 2011.
The Chiefs have spent the first six months of 2014 preparing to write a chapter about continuing the winning trend they started last season under head coach Andy Reid, not back-tracking in the standings.
NFL Trade Rumors: Michael Roos Could Help In Kansas City, Buffalo from The Gospel Herald
Everyone knows the glamour positions in football get the most acclaim and attention, but the workhorses in the trenches are also much needed by every team in the League. ESPN's John Clayton believes the Tennessee Titans could put lineman Michael Roos on the market as trade bait after drafting Taylor Lewan and signing Michael Oher for $20 million...
...Look for teams like the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs to be interested.
Bucky's Best: Earl Thomas, Eric Berry Headline Dynamic Safeties from NFL.com
2) Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs: The former No. 5 overall pick has made three Pro Bowls in his four NFL seasons. (Berry essentially missed the entire 2011 campaign after tearing his ACL in the opener.) He has blossomed into a hybrid safety with the skills to cover tight ends and receivers in space, as well as the ability to be a difference maker against the run as an extra defender around the box. In addition, Berry is a disruptive pass rusher with a great feel for slipping through cracks to get home on blitzes. He finished with 3.5 sacks in 2013 and provided a number of splash plays. Given his overall impact, talent and production, Berry deserves this lofty spot -- just behind one of the best defensive players in football.
Paul McCartney Put On An Electrifying Show Last Night At The Sprint Center from The Pitch
And when he tried to shout out the home sports team, Kansas City confused him. "Is this... the home of the Chiefs?" he asked. The audience responded with Chiiiiiieeeefs, which sounds like booing. McCartney tweaked his face in confusion. "Who you for then? Arsenal?"
Judge Wants Proof Larry Johnson Completed Sentence from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City
A Las Vegas judge gave a lawyer until July 30 to produce proof that former NFL running back Larry Johnson met terms of his sentence following his conviction in a domestic violence case involving an ex-girlfriend at a Las Vegas Strip resort.
Cordish Faces Lawsuits Alleging Racial Discrimination from The Virginian Pilot
Also in March, a former employee and two patrons filed separate lawsuits relating to Cordish's Kansas City Power & Light District, a multiblock downtown development with more than 50 bars, restaurants and shops.
The employee, Glen Cusimano, claims that black people were harassed by security and told they could not enter clubs because they were in violation of dress codes even though they were not. He also alleges he was ordered to hire a white man dubbed a "rabbit" to intentionally start arguments with black patrons in front of security...
...In response to the Kansas City lawsuits, Cordish in May filed a lawsuit against Linda S. Dickens, the lawyer representing both plaintiffs, and her law firm, saying they threatened to bring false allegations to the public unless Cordish and the others agreed to "a resolution."
A December letter from Dickens to one of the bars in the district asked, "Would the Kansas City Chiefs want to continue utilizing the District for team events if insidious discrimination were brought to light?" according to the lawsuit.