Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/6

Chiefs In Focus: Spotlight On The Running Backs from The Mothership

When phrases like "all-time great" start getting thrown around in today's society, sometimes it's simply trying to make something flashier for the sake of discussion and intrigue.

But the legacy of one Chiefs player could soon add another bullet point to an already-storied career, and that milestone is just 248 yards away.

At that point, "all-time great" will be an apt description in explaining Jamaal Charles' time in Kansas City, and there won't be any doubt about that phrase being legitimized.

Charles sits just 248 yards away from passing Priest Holmes as the team's all-time leading rusher.

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Kansas City Chiefs Roster

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Running Backs

KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs QB Challenge

KCChiefs.com Video: Training Camp Wired: Head Coach Andy Reid

Chiefs Rookie WR Albert Wilson Commanding Attention from Chiefs Spin

The challenging transition from college to a complex West Coast offense apparently doesn't apply to rookie wide receiver Albert Wilson.

Wilson, an undrafted free agent out of Georgia State, has quickly emerged through 11 training camp practices.

The 22-year-old receiver now finds himself working with the first-team offense at the slot or in four-receiver sets during team-related drills.

Running Backs Still Valued In KC from ESPN

As NFL offenses continue to evolve and the passing game takes on more prevalence, the running back is losing his value. No back has been selected in the first round of the draft in the past two years.

That trend hasn't reached Kansas City and the Chiefs, at least when it comes to the value of the featured back. The Chiefs celebrate their backs, who are as important as ever to Kansas City's offensive fortunes.

For Chiefs' Rookie Thomas, It's Not About Labels; It's About The Endless Opportunities from FS Kansas City

"They always talk about my size," Thomas, the former Oregon star, told reporters late last month, "but I feel like I have a big heart. I'm not scared of anybody."

If that doesn't sound like the heart of a punt returner, what the hell does?

"His burst, his ability to make the first person miss, he's got that," special teams coordinator Dave Toub recently said of Thomas, who'll make his Chiefs debut Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium in the preseason opener against Cincinnati. "(It's the) same thing (former Bears Pro Bowler and new Falcon) Devin Hester had. The thing we need to work on with him right now is his catching and his ball reads. We'll see him in practice, occasionally, have to run late to make a catch. It's just a matter of him seeing the ball, where it's going to be. Have the ball chase him and not him chase the ball."

Expect Anything From Chiefs On Thursday from ESPN

The Chiefs, like all teams, will greatly scale back their playbook and utilize a basic set of plays.

Things can get squeezed to the point where the Chiefs hardly resemble the offense they've been at training camp.

"It's different,'' quarterback Alex Smith said. "You come out to practice and you've got the full playbook and you've got all this different stuff you're practicing. The first preseason game it's always going to get [cut] back a little bit. That's to be expected because you want the focus to be on execution. You want guys to play fast. We've got younger guys. We've got new guys. You want guys to go out there and be comfortable with what's called.''

Chiefs Mailbag: Three Wide Receivers Against Two Spots from Chiefs Spin

Meanwhile, it's hard not to be concerned with Hemingway, who hasn't practiced since July 26 with a hamstring injury.

How soon he returns will affect Kyle Williams, Albert Wilson and Frankie Hammond.

Hemingway's absence has allowed the trio to make a push at the slot position, especially Wilson, who has done nothing but impress.

Chiefs' Safety Get Chance To Play As Starter from The Hutchinson News

For two glorious days, safety Malcolm Bronson was an integral part of the Chiefs first-team defense.

Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry was out nursing a heel injury, and Bronson, a first-year player, filled the spot, teaming with other Pro Bowlers like Derrick Johnson and Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.

He never could have imagined such a scenario a year ago.

Out Of Bounds: NFL Preview - Part 1 from The Aquarian Weekly

New head coach Andy Reid brought the Chiefs from irrelevancy in 2012 (2-14) to immediate contenders last year (11-5), transforming star running back Jamaal Charles into a versatile weapon and turning a decent defense into arguably the AFC's best. Under Reid, QB Alex Smith-who at one time was considered a draft bust-had his best season to date, throwing for more than 20 touchdowns for the first time in his career and even rushing for nearly 500 yards. This year, Kansas City will need Smith to elevate the play of his receivers, as Charles not only led the team in rushing, but in receiving as well. (Bovada: 8 wins; GM: 10)

Andy Dalton Deal Doesn't Necessarily Mean Alex Smith Is Next from SB Nation

Andy Dalton became the latest quarterback to ink a hefty new contract this offseason, signing a six-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals worth up to $115 million (including escalators). The presumption is that Dalton's signing is good news for Alex Smith, another quarterback in the good-but-not-great range who's looking for a payday from the Kansas City Chiefs. The two sides are reportedly deadlocked, and Smith, entering the final year of his current deal, has threatened to cut off talks until after the season. The belief is that Dalton's deal could break the logjam and provide the framework for Smith's.

Because of differences in age and the details of Dalton's extension, however, that's not necessarily the case.

Smith Waits Impatiently As QBs Cash In from WXII

General manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid separately have denied the deal, or negotiations, would be a distraction but as Smith watches his peers cash in, he might only be human if he's bugged by being the last free-agent-to-be standing.

Dalton admitted Monday that finalizing the contract was a "major relief."

Like Dalton, who has Alabama rookie AJ McCarron caddying in camp, Smith can look over his shoulder to see a rookie challenger in the future in Georgia's Aaron Murray, who is the third quarterback behind Chase Daniel.

Chiefs continue Tweaking New Parking Playbook from The Kansas City Business Journal

The Chiefs announced the changes in June, but on the verge of the first preseason game at 7 p.m. Thursday, team officials want to issue a reminder. They're also asking for cooperation and patience, given that the first test of the system is on a weeknight and fans will be battling normal midweek rush-hour traffic on their way to the stadium.

Inky Johnson Delivers Powerful Message To Wildcats from The Tullahoma News

Johnson made his way off the field, and was brought to the hospital after the game, where doctors soon informed him that he would never be able to play football again. After receiving the diagnosis, Johnson focused his energy into making those around him better, and continued to participate with the team as much as his body would allow.

According to Johnson, former UT safety and current Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry wears the No. 29 in honor of Johnson.

"He saw that my right arm was paralyzed and I would get out there and outwork everybody on my team," he said. "I would outrun them in sprints, I would out-group them in the sandpit when I had a paralyzed arm two weeks after my surgery. He [Berry] saw that. I wasn't talking about it, I was living it."

Trailer: 'Forgotten Four: The Integration Of Pro Football' Narrarated By Jeffrey Wright (Coming 9/23) from IndieWire

The 60-minute documentary, narrated by Jeffrey Wright and produced by Ross Greenburg, tells the little-known story of 4 outstanding and brave African American men - Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley and Bill Willis - who broke the color barrier in pro football in 1946, one year before Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey were credited with integrating Major League Baseball.

EPIX has joined forces with the National Football League to celebrate the achievements of the Forgotten Four with local screenings in NFL team markets across the country, followed by panel discussions on the current state of race relations and athletics. The first team to kick off the commemoration was the Denver Broncos on August 2, 2014. Other NFL teams confirmed to host events, as of now, include the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins.

Running Backs Losing Ground At The Top Of Fantasy Drafts from USA Today

It appears likely an increasing number of running backs will flop in 2014. No one wants to bench his first- or second-round pick. Which backs are most likely to bite the hand that picks them?

Charles, Kansas City Chiefs: He lost most of his offensive line, has a tough schedule and plans to rest more.

Honoring Football With 25 Words About Each NFL Team from Tri-Parish Times Newspaper

Kansas City Chiefs - Year one for Andy Reid was promising, but I expect a regression to the mean. You can't win every close game over a long period.

The Standard Journal 2014 NFL Power Rankings from The Standard Journal

9. Kansas City Chiefs. I like what they did last year. Alex Smith is a decent quarterback, better than many give him credit for. But can they rebound after blowing it in last year's playoffs? We'll see where they are mentally.

Bengals Look To Shake Off Inevitable Tackling Rust from Cincinnati.com

The ability for a defensive player to tackle and for an offensive player to avoid being tackled is an essential part of the National Football League, but it's something that isn't practiced much at full speed during training camp. As such, it's an area that concerns Bengals players and coaches heading into Thursday's preseason opener in Kansas City.

Rookies To Protect Newly Minted Dalton Thursday from Cincinnati.com

The standard caution that has taken hold of the Marvin Lewis training camp philosophy to reach Baltimore healthy should play out in the preseason opener Thursday.

Against Kansas City, none of the players who returned to practice this week - namely Marvin Jones, Andrew Whitworth, Ryan Whalen, Jermaine Gresham and Zach Minter - are expected to play.

The intriguing element of who is available would be both starting tackles missing the game.