Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 6/1

Chiefs' New Special Teams Coach Thinks Dexter McCluster Has Unlocked Potential As A Returner from KC Star

Dexter McCluster brought back a punt 94 yards for a touchdown in his first NFL game for the Chiefs in 2010, sparking hope he could surpass Chicago's Devin Hester as the NFL's next great return specialist.

That hasn't happened yet, but the Chiefs aren't giving up on the idea. This offseason they hired away the Bears' Dave Toub, the special teams coach who worked with Hester and helped him become one of the all-time greats with 17 career return touchdowns.

And Toub is a fan of McCluster's.

Kansas City Chiefs Have Depth At TE from The Mothership

Like Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Doug Pederson demands a lot of things from his players; one thing just happens to stand out above the rest.

"The biggest thing that I demand from them is effort," Pederson said.

"We talk every day about that, not getting beat, taking pride in your assignment. The guy next to you, take pride in beating his tail. They're working extremely hard. They're all doing a great job at that."

Jamaal Charles Leaves Chiefs Practice Early Because Of A Right Toe Injury from KC Star

Wide receiver Donnie Avery was one of the Chiefs' major offseason acquisitions but had been only an observer at practice since suffering a high ankle sprain two weeks ago. Avery was able to get in some work on Friday, when he took a handful of snaps during team drills.

With Baldwin out and Dexter McCluster also limited in practice because of a sore hamstring, some of the younger receivers, particularly Junior Hemingway and Devon Wylie, continue to receive plenty of work.

KCChiefs.com Video: Andy Reid Sums Up Final Day Of OTAs

KCChiefs.com Video: Justin Houston On NFL Network's Top 100 Show

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Foto Friday Final Week Of OTAs

Jamaal Charles Is Kansas City Chiefs' Final Chess Piece from NFL.com

The Kansas City Chiefs got a scare Friday when Jamaal Charles limped off the field after having his toe stepped on. Fortunately, X-rays came back negative.

If there's one skill-position player the Chiefs can ill-afford to lose this year, it's Charles at running back. He finished second and fourth in the NFL in rushing in his last two healthy seasons. New coach Andy Reid has even bigger plans for him this year.

Jamaal Charles: He's Here, There And Everywhere In Chiefs' New Offense from FS Kansas City

You'd need a GPS to find Jamaal Charles in all these new formations, even on a good day.

One series, he's at his standard spot at tailback. The next, he's the deep back in the pistol. The next, he's out wide, lounging around in Dwayne Bowe's real estate.

Over the past month, the Kansas City Chiefs' all-universe tailback has been tried out in more positions than a socket wrench. It's just another wrinkle in Andy Reid's makeover-slash-master plan. Or not. In May, it's kind of hard to tell.

Reid Overloading Chiefs At OTAs from The Associated Press via The St. Joseph News-Press

Reid said after wrapping up three weeks of voluntary workouts Friday that the idea is to present to them as much of the playbook as possible, and giving an overhauled roster from a team that went 2-14 last season the groundwork for the a productive rest of the offseason.

"You give it to them now, you get it in the computer and they're able to spit it out having said they've done it," Reid said. "You're not going to go into a game with all the plays we have in now, but we want them have a taste of what we're doing."

Marty Schottenheimer Coaching Tree from ESPN

ESPN celebrates the 100th anniversary of Vince Lombardi's birth with the "Greatest Coaches in NFL History" series, saluting the finest innovators, motivators, tacticians, teachers and champions ever to stalk the sidelines. Follow along as we reveal our list of the top 20 coaches of all time and document the lineage of the league's most influential coaching trees.

The Marty Schottenheimer coaching tree is documented in the chart below, followed by a feature on Schottenheimer and short biographies of his many disciples.

Eight In The Box: Playing For A Contract from ESPN

Left tackle Branden Albert. Albert's contract has been a story all offseason. He was given the franchise tag and signed it early in the process. But he stayed away from the team while the Chiefs considered trading him (with the Dolphins the most seriously interested party). But despite the trade talks and drafting of Eric Fisher (who will play right tackle, though left tackle is his natural position), the Chiefs want Albert to stay. Coach Andy Reid asked Albert to rejoin the team -- and he did a few weeks ago. If the sides don't reach a new deal before the season starts, Albert must remain focused.