Today's Kansas City Chiefs news. This one's quick and dirty. Someone over slept and has to get to work. Oops.
The illness hit Iowa offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga harder than any pass-rushing defensive end.
Early in his junior season last fall, Bulaga was stricken with a viral infection in his thyroid that caused fatigue, a loss of stamina and an increased heart rate.
He missed three games and lost 10 pounds before returning to the lineup at left tackle. The first question Bulaga has heard from nearly every team considering him in the first round of the NFL draft was about his thyroid condition.
"It was a three-week thing that ran its course and now it’s gone," Bulaga said at the NFL combine. "I’ve been checked by doctors at the Mayo Clinic and by my doctor at the University of Iowa, both endocrinologists. I’ve been cleared by both of them.
Iowa’s Bulaga says illness is behind him as he heads into draft from KC Star
Many draft experts talk about the value pick. Taking the best player available vs. a team’s biggest need is commonly discussed with the NFL draft. Also, there’s where a team picks (especially early on) dictates who they take. I think all that is overrated.
Every team in the NFL does scouting years in advance preparing for certain players in each draft. Most of the time these players coming out are assigned a value by men such as Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, and everyone goes along with it. With all due respect to these men who put months upon months of work into their craft, they aren’t NFL scouts. They also don’t follow every team as close as their respective fans because there just isn’t enough time in the day, so they aren’t as acutely aware of every team’s needs.
Many people are saying the Chiefs will draft OT Bryan Bulaga or S Eric Berry because that’s what "value" says. I propose a question: say after the Chiefs workout of LB Sean Weatherspoon they feel he is the best player in the draft at a position of need. If they feel he has more upside than say Rolando McClain, but McClain may be a safer, more fan friendly pick, what is Mr. Pioli to do?
A Case For Sean Weatherspoon from Bob Gretz.com
They blew up Texas Stadium on Sunday.
Good. It should have been dynamited about 20 years ago. It was one of the five most decrept stadiums in the National Football League. Fans of the Cowboys should thank Jerry Jones for building a far better place for his team to play their games than the clutter of concrete and steel that went up in 1971.
I remember the first time I saw Texas Stadium. It was sometime in 1978 or 1979 when the Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Dallas to play the Cowboys in a pre-season game. I was excited about seeing the place because after years of seeing the stadium on television with all those great Dallas teams, I had come to believe that the spot with a hole in the roof was a sacred place in the NFL. Thanksgiving Day games, Monday night games, post-season battles … it was a building of memories.
The Big Boom in Big D … Monday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz
THE RIGHT 53? – The married father of two and the son of a minister, Alualu is as mature as a player coming out of college can be. Combine that with a very strong work ethic and a high football IQ and you’ve got a young man that can provide any team with an improvement to their roster. He has non-stop motor.
What he said – "In the Bible, it says, ‘Train a child the way he should grow, so that when he does grow up, he’ll never depart from it.’ I strongly believe that’s what happened to me and that’s what I want to do for my kids."
Draft Profile: Tyson Alualu from Bob Gretz
THE RIGHT 53? Just read what Lane has to say below. His words have been backed by his actions: passion, hard work, team-first, aggressive and especially "the need to prove myself each day." Also remember this: Scott Pioli spent two years at Murray State; in fact it was his last job in college football.
What he said – "I have a passion for the game. This is my life. I have a hard work-ethic, I’m a team first guy, I’m aggressive. I might be laid back off the field – I won’t be causing any scenes – but when I step in between the white lines, I’m a completely different player. I feel the need to prove myself each day."
Draft Profile: Austen Lane from Bob Gretz
Tuesday
KANSAS CITY SPORTS AND BUSINESS ALLIANCE: Former Chiefs quarterback Trent Green will speak at a luncheon at The 810 Zone on the Plaza, 4686 Broadway, starting at 11:15 a.m.; www.kcbizalliance.com.
The Week Ahead from KC Star