Before any of the Chiefs can start practicing at training camp, they'll have to weigh in and hit the field for Todd Haley's conditioning test. The test is essentially a series of sprints that each position group must finish in a certain amount of time.
If you rewind to training August 2009, this was a big deal. Several Chiefs failed the test and couldn't participate until they passed it. This was one of the first concrete signs that Haley wasn't happy with the condition many of the Chiefs were in.
Among the most high-profile players that showed up out of shape were Glenn Dorsey, Branden Albert and Dwayne Bowe.
So will any of those guys fail the test?
Dorsey seemed to be re-energized as the 2009 season went along and he started to "get it" when it comes to what Haley is looking for. Even though he's spent his offseason in Louisiana with some of the best food in the country, I would expect him to show up, in shape and pass the test.
Albert's situation was somewhat different. Sure, he was out of shape by Haley's standards but he was also asked to lose a lot of weight. With the Herm Edwards offense, Albert was needed to be a little bit bigger (though not as big as he was coming into camp). In Haley's offense, Albert needed to be more agile, thus the weight loss. Like Dorsey, Albert came on in the second half of the season so I would expect him to show up in shape as well.
And then there's Bowe. He's the player most will be watching in the early goings of training camp. Haley recently said he's been getting daily reports since Bowe was working out with Larry Fitzgerald so those reports will tell him whether or not Bowe is going to show up in shape.
350 pound rookie Terrence Cody failed day one of the Ravens conditioning test but passed it on day two. If he can pass a similar test, then anyone can.
How many players do you see passing or failing the conditioning test?
Inevitably, someone will fail and if it's not a pre-determined starter, I'd imagine they'd have a tough time convincing Haley they're taking things seriously. The advantage the Chiefs have this year is that they've been through the test before so they know what to expect. For the new guys, the vets are more than likely telling them that it's an important test to pass.
Three weeks is a long, long time when you're on Todd Haley's bad side.