Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 5/3

Good morning. We begin today's Kansas City Chiefs news with the bigger NFL picture, the death of Junior Seau and the punishments handed down for the Saints' bounty program.

Marty Schottenheimer coached against a Junior Seau team for 11 seasons and coached him for one year with the San Diego Chargers.

Yet Schottenheimer, like the rest of the pro football world, was stunned and mystified by the death of Seau, who at age 43, apparently took his life with a gunshot to his chest on Wednesday near San Diego.

Schottenheimer Saddened By Seau's Death from KC Star

"I'm shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Junior Seau. Junior was a phenomenal football player, but more importantly a great man who I considered a friend. He was a player that always reminded us that football should be fun and he was a true joy to be around. This is a tremendous loss for all of those who were blessed to cross his path. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Statement From GM Scott Pioli On The Passing Of Junior Seau from The Mothership

This is a former NFL Man of the Year not even retired long enough to be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame but leaving behind three children and a line of crying teammates.

Police believe his death was a suicide. If so, Seau is the third former football player to shoot himself to death in the last 15 months, and what might be the most serious issue in sports has a new face that a new generation of fans can remember and some painful questions must now be asked.

How Many More Deaths Can NFL Fans Take? from KC Star

As attention to concussions has increased in recent seasons, Goodell has emphasized the importance of player safety via rules enforcement and threats of fines or suspensions. The NFL is facing dozens of lawsuits brought by more than 1,000 former players who say the league didn't do enough to warn them about - or shield them from - the dangers of head injuries.

If Goodell aims to move on from the bounty case, the NFL Players Association might not let him: The suspended players have three days to appeal, and NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith said the union would fight the ruling.

4 Players Suspended By NFL For Saints' Bounties from KC Star

Kansas City never reached its full 90-man allotment last season with the rush getting veterans under contract following the NFL lockout. The Chiefs training camp roster was in the upper 80s last year mainly because just 10 rookie free agents signed out of the gate.

The team signed 15 undrafted rookie free agents this week, pushing the current roster count to 82 players. That leaves the Chiefs room to sign an additional eight players before reaching their roster limit.

Chiefs Still Have Room For Roster Addition from The Mothership

Former South Shore quarterback David Legree has signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs and will try and make the team during the preseason.

Legree headed to Syracuse after graduating from high school in 2008 but ended up transferring to Hampton University in 2009.

Former South Shore HS Quarterback David Legree Signs Free Agent Contract With Kansas City Chiefs from The NY Daily News

The all-time leading scorer in Montana State football history hoped to have his name called during last weekend's NFL Draft. No dice. He hoped to have his phone ring, but 72 hours passed without a single call from an NFL team.

Then Tuesday, Cunningham got the news he was waiting for. His agent, Derrick Fox, informed the two-time All-America and three-time All-Big Sky Conference selection that he's been invited to the Kansas City Chiefs' mini-camp beginning on May 10.

Former Montana State Kicker Jason Cunningham Invited To Kansas City Chiefs Mini-Camp from The Bozeman Daily Chronicle

The Knicks, who haven't won a playoff game since 2001, get four chances to acquire it every time they get into the postseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs haven't won a playoff game since the early 1990s, but they're in, well, Kansas City. And it's safe to say the ownership led by the Hunt family, though beloved, hasn't made the same kind of financial commitment to winning that Knicks ownership has.

'Storied' Knicks A Tale Of Losers from FOX Sports

Looking for a way to surprise Mom on Mother's Day? Who needs tall, dark and handsome when she can get a bouquet of flowers, concert tickets and a visit from KC Wolf? That's right, give Mom the biggest surprise of her life! KC Wolf, the official mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs, will be out again this year spreading love & laughter to Moms all over the Kansas City Metro area!

Mother's Day Surprise KC Wolf Style! from The Mothership

In other action on Wednesday, the Board of Governors approved a one-time serving of alcohol in the atrium area of Spratt Hall this summer. The approval came via telephone poll. The event is planned around a Kansas City Chiefs "Evening in Red" celebration.

Proceeds from the dinner event go toward the MWSU Foundation and offset the costs associated with holding the football team's summer training camp on campus.

The dinner will be on June 14. The previous dinner was held in 2010 at the Country Club, but the venue sold out at 300.

Western To Examine Funding Dilemma from News-Press Now

The AFC West's group of backups is not very strong. I ranked the group and asked Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. for his opinion of my list. Williamson agreed with my rankings and that this is a weak class. He said the separation between all four quarterbacks is not big.

Let's look at our rankings:

Ranking AFC West Backup QBs from ESPN

Moving down: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs also didn't get Manning, leading to uncertainty under center as the Matt Cassel stint continues. They lost cornerback Brandon Carr as a free agent and need talented players Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry and Tony Moeaki to recover from knee injuries. In an even division from a year ago, Denver and San Diego just did more.

Bills, Browns Among Risers In Post-Draft AFC Divisions from SportingNews

The Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs all showed pre-draft interest in either drafting or signing Lockett to a free agent deal. But the Redskins provided the best fit. Lockett reached an agreement and started packing.

He'll arrive in Washington Thursday for rookie mini-camp, and he has plenty to prove.

Feeling Like '40' from Scout.com

Two more of UC's undrafted players have a chance to make an NFL team. Long snapper Tom DeTemple and offensive lineman Randy Martinez both have tryouts, DeTemple with the Kansas City Chiefs and Martinez with the New York Jets.

Sporting News: Jones Best Coach In Big East from Cincinnati.com

While Kansas City may very well be a "miserable" sports city, it's a pretty good place for less-than-avid sports fans: those who make a few games per year just to be outside, hang out with friends or enjoy a hot dog on dollar night. They might miss the games on ESPN, but they turn on SportsCenter for the highlights later. Here are a few reasons Kansas City isn't miserable for the casual fan:

Brew: Kansas City A Great Place For The Casual Fan from Kansan.com

In Kansas City Hillis will share playing time with Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster and won't be counted on to carry the load the way the Browns wanted him to, and that may be the role he's best suited for: Hillis had a great season in 2010, but in 2011 he didn't look like he was prepared for the pressure of being the go-to guy. In Kansas City, he's not.

Peyton Hillis: No Pressure In Kansas City This Year from ProFootballTalk