Hello Tax Man. Yeah, today's the day. Any way, here's your Kansas City Chiefs news from across the internet. Short one today, I have to catch a train. Meetings all day and Yankees game tonight.
Thursday is Tax Day in the United States, where the three biggest initials are not NFL but IRS.But April 15 is an important day on the NFL calendar as well. That’s the deadline for restricted free agents to receive offer sheets from other teams around the league.
The elimination of the salary cap in the NFL and changes that brought to the league labor structure created more than 200 RFAs, the highest number in league history. To date only one RFA received an offer sheet, and that was New Orleans RB Mike Bell (right) from Philadelphia. The Saints decided not to match the offer. They received no compensation from the Eagles for Bell because they only presented him with a right of first refusal tender offer.
Restricted Free Agency Coming To An End from Bob Gretz
The Chiefs couldn’t have picked a better year to be looking for kick returners.
The 2010 NFL draft is not only loaded with productive kick-return specialists like Kansas State’s Brandon Banks and LSU’s Trindon Holliday, who may be too small to play other positions, but there are several others who excel at the return game and are top-end position players. The Chiefs could be in the market for a kick returner after ranking 27th in punt returns with an average of 6.5 yards per attempt and 25th in kickoff returns with a 21.6-yard average.
Top kick returners/position players could be available for Chiefs in draft from KC Star
THE RIGHT 53? – As a 17-year old, he was arrested on assault and robbery charges in what his high school coaches called a single incident of trouble. Since then, we are unaware of any incidents. Quite the opposite, he’s been a determined, hard-worker and a leader.
What he said – (on his teenage arrest) "Stupid thing to do. You don’t think about the consequences of your actions. I look at life from a different perspective now."
Draft Profile: Daryl Washington from Bob Gretz
THE RIGHT 53? – Boston College has produced a lot of offensive linemen for the NFL in recent seasons, so teams feel like they know what they are getting with a B.C. blocker. Tennant has a high football IQ and he’s started 41 straight games, so he’s displayed his availability. His athletic skills could have him moving and playing guard or tackle. In fact, guard may be his best position.
What he said – "Since I was born in Kansas City, I have always dreamed of playing for the Chiefs, but playing for any team in the NFL would be an honor. This is something I have been working for my whole life, and I finally have reached the point where I feel like I have one foot in the door. Now I just have to step all the way through."
Draft Profile: Matt Tennant from Bob Gretz
THE RIGHT 53? – There are no red flags on the character front. While he played only three seasons, he was available and productive in that time. There’s nothing to hint at any diminishment to his athletic ability. His ability to play both free and strong safety makes him even more of a prospect for clubs looking for that type of versatility. It would have been smarter for him to remain at Tech for another year.
Draft Profile: Morgan Burnett from Bob Gretz
THE RIGHT 53? – Character might as well be Asamoah’s middle name. He’s highly intelligent, carrying a 3.7 GPA with a major in community health. Both his mother and father own Masters degrees. Available, as he’s not had much in the way of injuries. Plays with a nasty demeanor, but is a great personality off the field.
What he said – "I want them to know my mentality and how focused I am on football. How much I care about what I’m doing, how competitive I am, how I hate when they tell me someone’s better than I am. I’m always going to do my job and you’re never going to have to worry about me."
Draft Profile: Jon Asamoah from Bob Gretz
If LaRose is under-appreciated, Peay is straight-up unappreciated. Call it the lineman's curse (case in point: number-retiree and "best Mizzou lineman ever" candidate Darold Jenkins finished a distant third in the Tier I vote behind Harry Ice, a flashy runner with a flashy name). Along with players like LaRose and Justin Smith, Peay is one of Mizzou's best defensive linemen ever.
Hall of Fame Bio: Has completed six years as the head football coach at Northwestern University, after standout seasons as a tackle at Missouri and in the NFL. A Pittsburgh, Pa., native, Peay lettered in 1964-65, and won all-Big Eight and all-America plaudits as a senior when Missouri ranked third in the nation in rushing offense and won the Sugar Bowl over Florida, and Heisman Trophy QB Steve Spurrier. He was the Big Eight's "lineman of the week" following MU's 17-6 win over Minnesota that season, and later was a first-round choice of the New York Giants in the 1966 NFL Draft, and later played with the Green Bay Packers (1968-72) and Kansas City Chiefs (1973-75). He was named to MU's all-Century Football Team.
The Wall of Excellence, Class of 2010: Vote #2 from Rock M Nation
Joe Montana and Kris Haines, the quarterback-receiver combo that led Notre Dame to one of the greatest comebacks in college football history, were among six inductees into the 2010 AT&T Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
Former ND stars Joe Montana, Kris Haines inducted into Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame from The Canadian Press
The free-agent signings of Casey Wiegmann and Ryan Lilja both alleviates the immediate need for an offensive lineman and points out one of their long-standing shortcomings: Their inability to develop their own linemen.
It’s time for that to change and Beadles, a solid middle of the draft prospect, is a good place to start. He played tackle in college at Utah but struggles against top speed pass rushers so he projects as a guard in the NFL. Beadles has some developing to do but now is the time for the Chiefs to prepare for the eventual departure of Brian Waters and even Ryan Lilja.
Third round: OL Zane Beadles from The Red Zone
Social sports games developer Quick Hit Inc. has added to its head coaches football lineup with the signing of Dick Vermeil, former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.
Quick Hit Football is a free, downloadable, football coaching video game, currently in open beta, in which users play against other professional coaches like Brian Billick or Jimmy Johnson, with professional players drafted onto users’ teams.Gaming firm Quick Hit adds Dick Vermeil to football coaching lineup from Mass High Tech
"You talk about anyone being a franchise, they're obviously going to be a cornerstone for the team and for the franchise," Okung said at the NFL combine. "It's a compliment just to be considered that. But right now I've got to get to work. That's not for me to decide."
That decision will be made by the Redskins or perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs with the fifth pick. Okung is talented enough to be considered the first overall pick, but that's usually reserved for a quarterback.
"I've always been the quote unquote unsung hero," Okung said. "I'm definitely fine with that. It's not my dream to be the No. 1 of anything. I'm fine with just getting in the door."
Plenty of elite offensive linemen available in draft from The Tribune Chronicle
The last time the Patriots [team stats] drafted a punter, Bill Clinton was president and Bill Belichick was the coach of the Cleveland Browns.
Yes, it’s been awhile. Sixteen years to be exact.
Given the Pats could use an upgrade at the position, it’s possible one of their 12 picks will be used to fill the need. So who might make Belichick pull the trigger?
Meet Zoltan Mesko...
...There have been a number of private workouts and meetings with other NFL teams, most notably the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets [team stats], Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. On Tuesday, he worked out for the Atlanta Falcons.
Hang Time with Michigan's Zoltan Mesko from The Boston Herald