Saturday's Kansas City Chiefs news. Looks like our nickle package blew up Twitter last night. Just a sampling here.
Other than perhaps Todd Haley, there may be no bigger fan of Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weis than Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate. While most players attending the scouting combine in Indianapolis are coached to publicly play no favorites when it comes to a preferred NFL destination, Tate didn’t hesitate about his.
“It’s always going to be a dream,” he said, ‘’to play for the head coach who taught me how to be a receiver.”
Tate went so far as to say he might not be a candidate to become a first-round draft pick if he didn’t play for Weis at Notre Dame.
NFL combine buzz | Former Notre Dame receiver Tate a big fan of Weis from KC Star
Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy had just taken his spot at the podium inside Lucas Oil Stadium, with approximately 30 or so media types waiting to hear him speak.
As he began speaking, over the public address system in the room came this announcement:
“Some guy named Tebow will be at podium C,” announced the NFL type that was manning the microphone in the NFL Combine press room.
More than half of audience got up in the middle of McCarthy’s sentence and hustled to the other side of the room. McCarthy flashed a sly smile at the exodus; it was fine with him because that meant fewer questions to answer.
It was a mob scene as Tebow took to a small stage and walked to the microphone. Nobody that has visited with the media at the Combine – GM, administrator, coach or player – generated the type of reaction that came when the former University of Florida quarterback arrived in the room.
Tebow Show Hits Combine … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz
There’s little doubt that Dez Bryant will be the first wide receiver selected in the 2010 NFL Draft.
The question is where in the first round will Bryant be drafted and who will be grabbing him. If Bryant had played last season and put up the same type of numbers he did for Oklahoma State in 2008, he would probably be a top 10 selection.
And he still might. But a season-long NCAA suspension kept him off the field and certainly will have NFL teams considering his maturity and how much rust he’s taken on in the last year without competition and coaching.
NFL Combine: WR Dez Bryant from Bob Gretz
The player, however, could then file an injury grievance under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, which is exactly what Zach Thomas did after the Kansas City Chiefs cut him last August without an injury settlement. In his grievance Thomas claims he was suffering from postconcussion symptoms. The Chiefs insist that Thomas, who had a history of concussions, had been cleared to play by team doctors and that his insufficient performance on the field led to his release, not an injury. Thomas lost out on approximately $1 million by being cut. His grievance has not yet been decided.
Cutting Formerly Concussed Players Could Become Thorny Issue for NFL from Sports Illustrated
According to Scott Pioli, the Chiefs aren’t in the market for a quarterback and Matt Cassel is safe as their starter. Cassel says he’s working hard to turn the corner, but even though Todd Haley doesn’t doubt him, fans do.
If character is what matters when you’re up against it, then Cassel will need plenty of moral fiber, because fans will be extra picky in 2010.
I’m on the fence with Cassel – I guess stuck in the middle. I’m not sold, but I’m not counting him out. I wasn’t blown away by him, because too many times he looked like a guy just manning the helm instead of commanding it, but he got my respect with the amount of lumps he took. He came across as a tough guy and I like that.
I haven’t formed a solid opinion, but I suppose I’m with the minority. I think it’s too early to tell if he is or isn’t a franchise quarterback. The jury’s still out, but next season is important for Cassel. It will either help him or justify what many already feel.
I think Cassel knows that.Jury still out on whether Cassel can lead Chiefs from The Examiner
What is the truth? Don’t let this weekend drastically change your opinion on a given player, just because he happens to run slower than he was originally thought to be, or performs some other bizarre test, in his underwear, that suddenly renders him more or less of a football player.
You don’t have to read much about this year’s combine before you realize the phenomenon is already taking place. Friday, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford weighed in at a “muscled” 236 pounds. Previously considered something of a beanpole with potential injury risks, now Bradford is thought by some – ESPN’s Adam Schefter, for instance – to be a lock as the top pick in the draft this April.
And Bradford hasn’t even thrown a pass at the combine, yet. Talk about an overreaction.
The NFL Combine Truth from WPI
This might be the year to find Jamal Williams' replacement -- even if Williams remains a Charger for 2010.
Finding a nose tackle is never easy, but there appear to be four in April's draft that project as possible anchors in a 3-4 defense. That might not sound like a lot, but in the rarified world of quality nose tackles it is a relative windfall.
"If you have four guys taken in the first two rounds, that's a lot," said John Spanos, the Chargers' director of college scouting.
Tennessee's Dan Williams, Alabama's Terrence Cody, North Carolina's Cam Thomas and Central Florida's Terrell Troup could be gone midway through the draft's second day. (Remember, it's a three-day affair this year, with the first round on a Thursday night, the second and third rounds on Friday night and the final four rounds on Saturday.)
All four have the size, strength and athleticism that make people think they could develop into the kind of road blocks necessary (and so rare) to be the cornerstone of a 3-4 defense.
Searching for a nose from Sign On San Diego
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins are apparently okay with the idea of sending a third round selection in this year’s draft to obtain Boldin, and talks between the two sides could start up fairly soon. Obviously, it’s still early in the process and much of the talk surrounding a trade of Boldin is still speculation, but there seems to be a definite consensus among league insiders that this is the year that Boldin finally gets dealt.
Other potential suitors for Boldin’s services include Kansas City, Baltimore, Chicago, New England, and Detroit, with the Chiefs being the most likely destination given head coach Todd Haley’s previous relationship with Boldin in Arizona.
Boldin trade talk heating up; Miami in the mix from Yard Barker
The NFL combine is up ahead and the Kansas City Chiefs will get a glimpse at their future. But, I don't think the combine is the most important thing coming up it is free-agency which starts March 5th this is when the Chiefs should make smart moves and not do dumb things like ESPN's Adam Shefter recently said: "The Chiefs will be wheeling and dealing".
I believe Shefter's words, but the Chiefs have to be wheeling and dealing smartly if they want to be contenders next year. So I made a list of what the Chiefs should NOT do this free-agency.
The Top 10 Things The Kansas City Chiefs Should Not Do This Offseason from Bleacher Report
Player Tweets
BFlowers24 on the way to lil sis performance...then mayb dade tonight
JarradPage44 Lol. Bra goin for his!! RT @Mccauley21 Real life Hustla!!! grindin in da streets lol http://twitvid.com/1780B
almighty31 @JarradPage44 ur pops said call him. O........ LMAO
JarradPage44 @almighty31 lol. U get songz on a track yet? Hahahahahaha
almighty31 wat should i do now. where should i go n KC
almighty31 i got a big ego!!!!!!!!!!!
almighty31 my confidence is up. last yr was my worse yr. now the league better watch out
almighty31 RT @BCarr39 RT @almighty31 my confidence is up. last yr was my worse yr. now the league better watch out @Jarradpage44 super nickel is back!
JarradPage44 People r who they r now. It don't matter if u knew them b4. Hopefully they stayed down. I have!!!