Good morning, AP. Hope all is well. The Kansas City Chiefs news keeps on rolling. Season previews are all over the place for this team, Larry Johnson has been called out as one of the biggest jerks in the NFL, and Willie Lanier hasn't. Lots of news ahead. Read and enjoy.
Chiefs Hall of Fame Willie Lanier remembered how Lamar Hunt went the extra mile for him.
So accepting the Lamar Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award at the Kansas City Sports Commission’s 38th annual Sport KC Props ceremony on Wednesday night was as meaningful as any honor Lanier recalls receiving.
And that’s saying something, considering Lanier, a standout on the Chiefs’ Super Bowl IV champions, was selected NFL Man of the Year in 1972 and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
Lanier receives Hunt award from KC Star
With only a couple of weeks before the start of the 2010 training camp it seems like the Chiefs have put themselves in a rather enviable position. After earning rave reviews across the board following the occurrences registered in Free-Agency and the Draft, it’s almost inevitable not to feel confident about the prospects of the squad......Confident as I am that the Arrowhead Ones are about to embark on a similar adventure, here I leave you the seven reasons why I think the Chiefs will enjoy a great training camp:
Reasons For Optimism … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs from BobGretz.com
Chiefs: Crennel biggest addition
Kansas City really didn't do too much in changing personnel on defense. The Chiefs probably add just one new starter in rookie safety Eric Berry. They need former first-round picks Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey to play better. Keep an eye on the nose tackle position, which is critical to a 3-4 defense. Veteran tackles Ron Edwards and Shaun Smith hope to help improve the 31st-ranked run defense. Where will the pass rush come from? After just 22 sacks last year and no new pass rushers, it's a legitimate question that Crennel will have to answer. Scheme can only go so far, and Crennel is looking to increase production with improved techniques, which is tough to accomplish. Talent is the key ingredient to most improvement. Last year, the Chiefs gave up 27 points per game. In 2010, with only five games against teams coming off winning seasons, they have a chance to play better, but the Chargers scored 80 points on them in two games last season, and the Broncos put up 68.
Without defensive improvement, these seven teams will struggle from NFL.com
There have been 38 players selected in the Supplemental Draft since it began in 1977. That year it was RB Al Hunter coming out of Notre Dame, who was grabbed by Seattle in the fourth round......Will the Chiefs bring the soon-to-be brothers-in-law together? That’s hard to say, but considering the importance that Clark Hunt/Scott Pioli/Todd Haley place on draft choices, it’s doubtful they will give up any sort of value pick for Unga, read fourth-round or higher.
Will Chiefs Play In The Supplemental Draft? from Bob Gretz
Overview:
Todd Haley's work is still cut out for him as while the Chiefs were a better team a year ago, they still only won four games. There are a lot of question marks surrounding this team and some of the questions that have been answered, the answers haven't been good...
...Prognosis:
I don't see it happening in Kansas City. I'm not sure Cassel has what it takes to be an every day QB and there a lot of holes on both lines, the worst place to have them. It could be another long year in Kansas City.
2010 NFL Preview-Kansas City Chiefs from Sports Chat Place
FINAL ANALYSIS
The Chiefs appear to have established some direction to improve a team with plenty of weaknesses. They placed a clear emphasis during the draft on character and speed, attributes that were lacking on the 2009 team. Kansas City has parted ways with the likes of Larry Johnson, and it barely considered adding players with personal baggage. Although the Chiefs might have sacrificed talent in their pursuit of laying a proper foundation, the first steps were taken in building a long-term contender. For now, though, contending for anything other than improvement on last year’s 4–12 record will likely have to wait. But after the past three seasons, a flirtation with a .500 record would be tantalizing to the regulars who flock to Arrowhead Stadium on Sundays.
2010 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS PREVIEW from Anthlon Sports
KFFL’s staff predictions kicked off this week. The first report: our expected 2010 NFL standings for your perusal.
For the most part, a lot of us are on the same page. One area I differ? A surprise AFC West team sneaking into the playoffs – the Oakland Raiders...
...It helps that they play the Kansas City Chiefs twice. Chalk up those two wins. The Denver Broncos sans Brandon Marshall, another potential two.
The Oakland Raiders are playoff bound frm KFFL.com
29. Kansas City Chiefs-(31) The Chiefs are a much better team than some people are giving them credit for, especially on defense, but there is one key element that could bring this whole team down; that’s their quarterback, Matt Cassell. If Cassell doesn’t get better in 2010, then this team will be right back where they were last season. Will we see a change at quarterback early on if things don’t work out? For the coach’s sake, we better. This team needs to have that element to its game if they plan to win more this season.Power Poll for July: Pre-Training Camp Edition from Bleacher Report
The New Arrowhead Stadium will debut at the end of August when the Chiefs host Philadelphia in a pre-season game......Remaining within the stadium shell are memories of the hundreds of games that have been played there since the summer of 1972...
...Today, it’s the top 20 career receivers (yardage) in Arrowhead Stadium history.
Arrowhead History: Career Receivers from Bob Gretz
Woodrow Lowe, a star Alabama linebacker during the 1970s will be among 23 players inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame during ceremonies Friday and Saturday the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind......Lowe entered the 1976 NFL Draft and was selected in the fifth round by the San Diego Chargers, where he remained throughout his 11-year career.
Following his career with the Chargers, Lowe began a successful coaching career. He served as an assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Former Bama linebacker Lowe inducted into College FB Hall of Fame from WSFA.com
Hello, once again this is Quentin Gause writing my third installment of my summer recruiting journal. Moving into the final week of the "Changing The Community" camp that I participated in, various surprises came about......The next person who spoke is a NFL player from Rochester, NY. He currently plays OL for the Kansas City Chiefs, his name is Branden Albert III. Mr. Albert explained the life challenges he had to face and obstacles he had to overcome. But the underlying message he left us with was: "No matter what family situation you come from, you work your hardest to not become complacent, but to take your family's name far to be known in our world as a presence."
The Journal of a Division 1 Recruit from Scarlet Nation
NFL defenses want a safety that can not only make plays on the ball, fill the proper gap and take on a pulling guard or a fullback kick-out block, but cover as well. You want to keep your base defense on the field and we are seeing that throughout the league right now......And, it is filtering down to the draft. We don’t often see safeties taken in the top ten — because the money is just too big. But, this is a passing league now, and you need the proper talent in the secondary to be able to play over a removed TE or a slot receiver.
Eric Berry from Tennessee is this year’s prime example. Way too early to tell if he will pan out and produce at the NFL level, but when you turn on his college tape, he projects as a safety who can cover — as well as make plays in the middle of the field. And that is why Kansas City drafted him 5th overall in April.
The changing impact of the safety position from The National Football Post
Player - Larry Johnson, Washington Redskins
Anyone who takes delight in torturing animals sets the bar pretty high, but the sheer volume of Johnson’s BS is impossible to ignore. He’s been suspended by his team (then the Chiefs) and league, violated a variety of team rules, belittled gay people, criticized Kansas City coach Todd Haley for his alleged lack of credentials and been arrested four times for assaults on women. Chiefs fans hated him so much that thousands signed a petition demanding that Johnson be let go when the running back got close to breaking Priest Holmes’s career rushing record.Pigskin pricks: The biggest jerks in the NFL from Covers.com
"Voice of the Missouri Tigers" Mike Kelly and former Rams and Chiefs Pro Bowl quarterback Trent Green will team to broadcast for the Chiefs Television Network.
They will broadcast all Chiefs preseason games in HD to 10 affiliates in a five-state region.
Inside Sports Media: Mike Kelly to Call Chiefs Preseasn Games from The St. Louis Globe-Democrat
PlayerTweets
almighty31 lookin for a nice rerstaurant 2 go 2 in downtown ATL...
BCarr39 Does anyone still drink Alize?
GlennDorsey72 Good workout now I'm tired bruhh...
BCarr39 I'm gonna knock on wood to this one but have you ever heard of a mail carrier airplane crashing...? *knocks on wood
almighty31 I liked "The Last Airbender"
Media and Fans
mellinger George Steinbrenner was hated by Kansas City, and loved by Ewing Kauffman and George Brett http://bit.ly/9eFWg9
ESPN_Michelle Mama gets to be a girrrrrrrrl!!!! Let's do this thang! http://tweetphoto.com/32684039
McShay13 Just finished Locker '09 tape. Anyone that thinks he's not rd 1 talent either hasn't done homework or doesn't know how to eval QB's.
JPosnanski All-Star game gets lowest TV ratings ever. Imagine the number if Nielsen could remove the people who regret watching it.
kentbabb Took a quick trip to St. Joe today. The sod was being installed on the practice fields. Gotta say, it's looking pretty sweet.
kentbabb However ... for those of you in KC area looking for a preview of what camp will be like, simply walk outside and feel the 110-degree index.
Adam_Schefter Get ready for contract talks to intensify for the No. 1 pick. Rams and Sam Bradford's reps are scheduled to meet Friday in St. Louis.
ChiefsPR Kudos to @sportkc for a great event last night. Special congrats to Willie Lanier on the Lamar Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award.