Chiefs Training Camp: Experience Matters With Casey Wiegmann, Mike Vrabel

The two most experienced players on the Kansas City Chiefs roster are center Casey Wiegmann and linebacker Mike Vrabel.

Wiegmann is a former Chief who has been on very successful offensive line units in the past. His experience is one of the big reasons the Chiefs brought him in. So far through camp he hasn't been taking many first team reps but his presence is still value.

Wiegmann told Vic Carucci of NFL.com this week that after practice one day he saw a rookie getting his ankles taped.

"I turned to him and said, 'You've already missed more time than I've missed in 13 years,' " Wiegmann recalled. "He just kind of laughed at me and said, 'Are you serious?' I said, 'Yeah, I'm serious.' "

That's the attitude the Chiefs like. They like to note the difference between being hurt and being injured. One you can play with and the other you can't.

Vrabel meanwhile is a long-time Patriot who, with the arrival of Romeo Crennel and his familiar defense, can also focus on getting the rest of his teammates up to speed.

"I don't have to carry a playbook around; that's the one good thing," Vrabel said of Crennel joining the team. "What it does is it allows me to try to help bring a (younger) guy along, and maybe if I was studying a lot more and trying to have to learn it myself I wouldn't be able to help bring a few guys along. Now I have that luxury where I can say, 'Hey, remember this,' or, 'Let's think about that,' or, 'Don't forget to do this' on a certain call."

Having been out at Chiefs training camp this month, I can tell you that Vrabel is definitely a coach on the field. He's often the most vocal on the defensive side of the ball giving encouragement or getting guys lined up in the right spot. I never quite understood what folks meant by coach on the field until I saw this.

Check out Vic Carucci's full report on his visit to Chiefs camp at NFL.com.