Good morning, AP. Rough morning. I was at a luau last night and I'm paying for it this morning. Despite my delicate condition I was able to scare up some Kansas City Chiefs news (I'm just that good). Enjoy!
Our evaluation of the Chiefs 2010 training camp roster continues on this Saturday. In Friday’s edition, we looked at the very bottom of the roster, those players ranked No. 60 through 81. If you missed that, here’s the link.Today, the focus is on the lower middle of the roster. These are guys that all have a legitimate shot at making the final 53-man roster. Generally, there isn’t a lot of difference between slots in the rankings with the middle ground. A guy could be No. 57, or just as easily be No. 47. These players can contribute, but for the most part they are not going to be key performers.
On Sunday the Fourth of July comes players rated No. 20 through 39 and then on Monday, No. 1 through 19.
The Chiefs – 81 thru 1/Part #2 … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz
Charles can't compete with Greene when it comes to rushing attempts, but our game is about yards from scrimmage and touchdowns. Charles was the No. 2 running back in the second half of the fantasy season last year, rolling up 1,126 total yards and eight scores over his final eight starts. It doesn't matter if the Chiefs fall behind early and often – Charles has the ideal skill set for when you're playing from behind. There's been a coordinator change in KC, but Charlie Weis is no fool – he'll get the ball to his most dynamic playmaker.
Okay, Thomas Jones is around to take away the short touchdowns in Kansas City, but why should Charles care? His scores last year came from 44, 97, 2, 4, 4, 76, 47, 5 and 56 yards. This isn't someone that needs a belly flop from the 1-yard line to find paydirt (winking at you, LT); this is a greyhound who can go the distance at any time.
Spin Doctors: Shonn Greene vs. Jamaal Charles from Yahoo! Sports
It’s always good for those of us who watch pro football to be reminded that the men who play the game are made of flesh and bone.
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander has done that with his Friday column.
“On bad days, Jack is halfway crippled, overwhelmed by nerve pain in his arms and spine and throbbing osteoarthritis pain in just about every other joint. One knee is sort of OK, but that is compromised by the four surgeries to replace a damaged right hip joint.”
The “Jack” of the story is former Chiefs Pro Bowl C Jack Rudnay. Because he played for so many bad Chiefs teams during his career, Rudnay never got the attention and recognition that he deserved.
The Price Of The Game from Bob Gretz
Cons: The Chiefs' passing game is a project. Bowe's career yards-per-catch average (12.8) isn't impressive, and he doesn't score a lot of touchdowns (5.3/year). He was suspended four games last year for violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. One more pop and he is gone a full year. Bowe, at times, found himself in the dog house of head coach Todd Haley last year, too, due to lack of effort and focus.Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs from KFFL.com
Cons: Charles may be lightning in a bottle, but the Chiefs apparently weren't completely sold on him as a feature back. During the offseason they added some thunder to the backfield with the addition of Thomas Jones, who has five consecutive 1,100-plus campaigns under his belt. Ladies and gentlemen, the committee approach has landed in KC. Jones is coming off a career-best 1,402 yards rushing and has a chip on his shoulder after the New York Jets bid him adieu. He will be a factor. The Chiefs also drafted speedy Dexter McCluster, who is shifting to wide receiver. McCluster will likely swipe some of the receptions Charles would have been in line for. Plus, four of his seven rushing touchdowns came from beyond 40 yards last year ... that will be tough to replicate.Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs from KFFL.com
From Southwestern to Division III national power Mount Union to Division II Indiana University-Pennsylvania, Nick, 29, has steadily climbed the coaching ladder and is about to begin his second season as the offensive quality control/assistant quarterbacks coach with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League.
In 2009, the Chiefs finished 4-12 under first-year head coach Todd Haley, but Nick said ''you could see the atmosphere around there changing,'' capped by a season-ending victory at Denver.
''I've been lucky being around good coaches my whole life,'' said Nick before the start of the Sirianni Skills Football Camp he conducted with his brothers, Mike and Jay, at Charles A. Lawson Stadium on Friday afternoon. ''But being around Todd, who is a great coach, you learn so much about the organizational part of things and learn how to do things the right way.''
Optimistic & Excited from The Post-Journal
Local sports fans will get a chance to meet, greet and play golf with members of the NFL-champion New Orleans Saints and other professional athletes next weekend, when All-Pro defensive back Roman Harper presents "A Sainted Weekend" to raise money for his Harper's Hope 41 Foundation......Also scheduled to take part in the event are "quite a few UA notables" and several other former PHS athletes who went on to enjoy success at the collegiate and professional levels -- including Kansas City Chiefs defender Bobby Greenwood and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Marlon Anderson.
Harper's charity hosts 'Sainted Weekend' from The Prattville Progress
Dave Pear, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back when they couldn’t win a game, and a Super Bowl champion with the Oakland Raiders in 1980, is taking on the system. He’s battling for the rights of disabled retired players like himself on his Web site – davepear.com – and he’s doing so with the hope that DeMaurice Smith, the new head of the NFLPA, will better consider he and his brothers.
And if Pear isn’t gaining momentum, he’s certainly gaining a little recognition. Consider a letter that was sent by recently retired offensive lineman John Welbourn:
There are a lot of players out there like Dave Pear, John Welbourn from The National Football Post