Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 6/12

Phase Three OTAs Day Eight Recap from The Mothership

Q: With Bob Sutton as the defensive coordinator, how comfortable do you feel going into season?

JOHNSON: "I feel very confident, a lot more confident than last year. Last year, we were just putting this crazy system in. I call it crazy because it's very exotic with blitzes coming from everywhere. I have a lot of responsibility in this defense. It's fun and at the same time this year is different because I know it. It's the first part of our install of plays. I'm not even writing anything down just because I know it already. It helps me to move out here fast on the field during this time. Of course, as we get later in to our installs and put plays I'll have to do more notes, but at this time there are not very many notes for me because it's the same defense as last year. It's early right now."

Is The Super Bowls Number Up? from The Mothership

Hunt believed in creating grandeur for his sports enterprises and incorporating Roman numerals, the kind you might find in some ancient text identifying classic periods in world history, would give the AFL-NFL (or later the AFC-NFC) game exactly that.  Stature was what the game should have, he thought, and this was one way to give it, how some would say, a touch of "class."

While the current plan calls for the suspension of the practice for just a year, there are some that would like to see it disappear forever.  Back in 2011, Washington Post columnist Tracee Hamilton called the use of Roman numerals for the big game "nonsense."  In an attempt at more sarcasm than snark, she smirked, "did we gripe about the Redskins' switch to a III-IV defense this season?"

She clearly misunderstood Hunt's purpose.  Still, does she have a point that over time has the practice become a bit unwieldy?  It will be odd when Super MMMC... - well, you get the point - rolls around don't you think?

KCChiefs.com Video: Phase Three OTAs: Mike DeVito

KCChiefs.com Video: Phase Three OTAs: Derrick Johnson

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: OTAs Day Eight Gallery

DE Mike DeVito Takes On Mentor Role from Chiefs Spin

"When I first got in the league there were a lot of older guys," DeVito said Wednesday following Day Eight of organized team activities (OTAs). "They took me right under their wing and helped me out.

"I'm taking that same approach. I'm going to continue to help guys out and do my best to mentor them because I can handle what I do on the field. Me helping someone else out or not isn't going to make or break that. I'm always going to mentor and help guys out."

One of those young players fortunate enough to be on the same team as DeVito is second-year pro Mike Catapano, who like DeVito played at a smaller college.

Offseason Report Card: Chiefs from Sports Illustrated

Though a great deal of credit was justifiably given to new head coach Andy Reid and new defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, the 2012 Chiefs had enough talent to be far better than their record indicated. But an 11-5 record one season after such a fallout? It was one of the most intriguing reversals of fortune in NFL history.

The questions for the 2014 Chiefs: Can they do it again, and which team are they really? That 9-0 group, or the squad that struggled down the stretch, winning just two of its last eight games, including a heartbreaking wild-card playoff loss to the Colts. Kansas City had a 38-10 lead in the third quarter before everything fell apart and the Colts flew back to a 45-44 win. It would appear that the Chiefs are capable of tremendously impressive starts, but the finishes are a bit tougher.

Chiefs Depth At Cornerback Taking A Hit from ESPN

At their latest practice, the Kansas City Chiefs lined up with second-year player Marcus Cooper as their top cornerback, veteran journeyman Ron Parker as the other starter and developmental player Malcolm Bronson as the nickel back.

It's only June and offseason practice, but regardless of the time of year it's not a good look that the Chiefs are having to dig deep into their depth chart to line up at a crucial position.

Analyzing The Best Fantasy Schedule Matchups Through Week 5 from Sports Illustrated

Running Backs

Best Schedules for RBs Weeks 1-5

1. San Diego Chargers: Ryan Mathews played in all 16 games last season, and now he gets a soft start to the season. The Chargers are also expected to run a similar no-huddle offense that Peyton Manning used in Indianapolis. If run successfully, that could mean more red-zone trips for Mathews and Co.

2. Kansas City Chiefs: This moves RB Jamaal Charles up from the preseason No. 1 pick to the preseason "extra" No. 1 pick.

Dee Ford Compared To Von Miller, Derrick Thomas from NFL.com

After a few weeks of offseason practices, Ford has exceeded the Chiefs' already lofty expectations.

Coach Andy Reid has praised Ford's quickness and athletic ability while rating the outside linebacker's intangibles as "off the charts."

On a more impressive note, Ford's explosive first step has already drawn comparisons to Chiefs Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas and Broncos All-Pro Von Miller.

NFL Roundup: Chiefs' D Could Improve In Sutton's Second Season from FOX Sports

Signs of a steep learning curve weren't apparent last year in Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton's system.

While Kansas City finished among the best in turnover differential (2nd: +18), sacks (6th: 47.0) and interceptions (3rd: 21), Sutton's defense took some time to install. With a year under their belt, Chiefs veteran linebacker Derrick Johnsonsays the experience could help make the unit get even better.

Joint Practices 'Can Be Very Beneficial' from DenverBroncos.com

Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase cracked a smile when asked if it will be "fun" for his offense to match up against the likes of J.J. Watt and rookie Jadeveon Clowney. But he acknowledged that it will be a good experience for the team, especially because the Texans' 3-4 defense has some similarity to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs' 3-4 scheme.

Nine Takeaways From Wednesday's OTAs, Minicamps from NFL.com

Kansas City baffled us when they ignored the wideout position in the draft. In a risky show of faith in the existing depth chart, the Chiefs are rolling into the season with Donnie Avery and Junior Hemingway behind a No. 1 in Dwayne Bowe who accounted for just 673 yards last season and turns 30 in September.

During an era when the passing game is coursing into new frontiers, these three teams will be challenged to keep up in 2014.

Colin Kaepernick Blazing Trail For QBs from ESPN

The question worth asking in the wake of the Kaepernick deal is why teams feel like they have to pay that kind of money in order to secure a quarterback. The NFL has done a great job of reminding people that this is a passing league, that you can't win in today's game without a legitimate signal-caller. The problem is that so many teams have bought so deeply into that line of thinking that the compensation of today's quarterbacks has gotten out of hand. More general managers need to have the courage to do what San Francisco's Trent Baalke just did, which is ask his quarterback to keep earning the money his team is more than willing to give him.

The Chicago Bears just did that with Jay Cutler. His seven-year, $126 million extension really amounts to a three-year, $54 million deal that allows the team the flexibility to cut bait if Cutler isn't working out a few seasons down the road. The Chiefs may want Smith to accept a similar contract as they talk about his extension. He's supposedly been seeking a deal in the range of $18 million annually, but it's far more sensible to see him in the neighborhood of $14 million to $15 million.

Anti-Redskins Commercial Reappears During NBA Finals from Entertainment Weekly

For several years now, some Native-American groups have protested the nickname of one of the NFL's signature franchises: the Washington Redskins. The Kansas City Chiefs, apparently, are acceptable, but Redskins, to many Native-Americans, is a derogatory term. It's also been the name of the Washington football franchise since 1937 and, thus, is a billion-dollar brand for the league.