Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 1/28

Senior Bowl Week: Wednesday Observations from The Mothership

1. Conditions at the Senior Bowl improved on Wednesday, but it remained cold

On Tuesday at the Senior Bowl, there was a real threat of rain throughout the day, but the schedule didn't allow for adjustments. Wednesday's practices were shifted from the morning to the afternoon, so, while chilly, this allowed for a rain-free afternoon in Mobile.

As noted by Bleacher Report's lead NFL Draft writer, Matt Miller the temperature dip into the 40s can actually help evaluators, because as we know, weather conditions aren't always perfect on Sundays in the National Football League:

Chiefs GM John Dorsey Explains the Beginning of Building the Draft Board from The Mothership

"We've been together now as a group going on four years," Dorsey explained. "Everyone understands what their role and their responsibilities are in terms of acquiring that ultimate goal we all strive for."

Dorsey assigns different members of his staff to watch different positions during these Senior Bowl practices.

Between the two teams, there are more than 100 players here to evaluate.

"Everybody has specific positions [they watch]," Dorsey explained of his staff. "At some positions, there may be two guys if there's an emphasis upon that. Then we'll sit as a group and talk every day about how their guys practiced during the day.

"We'll have some scouts stay here and evaluate the game itself. Then we come back to Kansas City and honker down for about 18 days and begin to build the draft board."

Ohio State WR Braxton Miller Turning Heads at Senior Bowl from The Mothership

The natural question with any player in the draft is how they'd fit with the Kansas City Chiefs, and for Miller in particular, the veteran leadership of a guy like Jeremy Maclin could help him as he continues to make that transition.

"I'm a huge fan of Braxton Miller," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. "I've gotten to meet him a little bit, and he's eager, he's interesting and he's professional. He's gotten better from day one to day two, and being around a veteran like Jeremy Maclin would do wonders for him.

"I saw Maclin in Philly, I know Maclin, and if Miller can get around a guy like that, I think he can play more quickly, more efficiently."

Kansas State OL Cody Whitehair Impressing at Senior Bowl from The Mothership

"I always watched the Chiefs on Sundays when I was growing up, and so it'd mean a lot to me to be close to home," he noted of potentially joining the Chiefs later this spring. "I'm a family-oriented guy and so having them be able to come and watch would mean a lot."

Whitehair measured at 6 feet 3 and 300 pounds during Tuesday's weigh-in at the Senior Bowl, and he's caught the eye of many national media members who are intrigued by what he brings to the table.

"I think there's a lot of expectations for Cody Whitehair," NBC Sports draft analyst Josh Norris noted. "In recent years, we have seen tackles be converted to guard, and they've played really well—(Dallas Cowboys) Zach Martin and (Washington Redskins) Brandon Scherff.

"I think everyone then tries to put one in each draft class, and I think this year that is Whitehair."

Behind the Lens: The Top 10 Photos of 2015 - No. 10 from The Mothership

No. 10 - Peters Intercepts Manning For a Touchdown

Broncos 31, Chiefs 24

Date: Thursday, September 15, 2015

Model: Canon EOS 7D

Focal Length: 24

Exposure Time: 1/1,250

Taken By: Jim Berry

Steve Sanders comments: "In this particular photo, I like the way it captures the essence of the moment. This is Peters' first touchdown. We started doing fireworks this year after touchdowns. You've got the fireworks in the background. The rest of the teammates are coming over to congratulate him, and he's just so animated. Just really his emotion of scoring that first touchdown really shows through."

Chiefs.com Photo Gallery: Pro Bowl Draft Day

Kansas City Star Video: The Chiefs' season in review in pictures

Doesn't Alex Smith deserve to be in Pro Bowl? from ESPN

But passer rating is about the best tool for comparison that we have. In that category, at least, Smith deserves a Pro Bowl nod ahead of, say, Bridgewater, the 22nd-rated passer.

Throw in the good work Smith did with his scrambling and the fact his team finished the regular season with 10 straight victories and advanced deeper into the playoffs than the Vikings did and it appears his omission from a Pro Bowl roster was a serious snub.

Cam Newton was just footnote in one game against Chiefs from ESPN

Newton played quite well against the Chiefs on Dec. 2, 2012 at Arrowhead Stadium. But the Panthers were the Washington Generals to the Chiefs' Harlem Globetrotters that day. The Chiefs, in the midst of an already bad season, played the game one day after linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend and then drove to the team's practice facility and committed suicide in the parking lot.

Under those circumstances, Newton's performance was forgotten. But he played well, going 15-for-27 for 232 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing for 78 yards on seven carries.

The Chiefs' secondary is the bargain of the NFL right now from FOX Sports

Two factors explain the shift away from pricey DBs. First, K.C.'s contract numbers are managable in their secondary thanks to Marcus Peters' pro-rated rookie deal and a low cap hit for safety Ron Parker.

Second, deals for Eric Berry, Sean Smith, Tyvon Branch, and Husain Abdullah come off the books this offseason. It leaves the team paying about $3.2 million at safety and $4.3 million at cornerback, per Teicher's numbers.

Day 2: CBS 58 Big Road Trip Rolls into Kansas City from CBS 58

The CBS 58 big Road Trip crew has now traveled over 800 miles with three states down - but still five to go. Wednesday's travels took us across the width of Missouri traveling from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River.

The first stop of the day was in Boonville, Missouri - the home of infamous CBS 58 anchor Marshanna Hester! A quick stop because we were right back on the road on the way to the loudest stadium in the world - Arrowhead Stadium and the home of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chiefs' team historian Bob Moore was an encyclopedia of knowledge on football and especially the start of the American Football League (later the AFC) and the Chiefs. Some consider the Chiefs the Packers of the AFL (AFC) due to their long and storied history.

CBS 58 Meets Kansas City Chief's Historian from CBS 58

Wow we are two-for-two on this road trip! a beautiful day here in Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Chiefs and inside Arrowhead Stadium is the chiefs hall of honor, and team historian Bob Moore.

Moore is a walking encyclopedia of all things football. Seriously he knows everything.

The 2015 All-AFC West Team (Offense) from FOX Sports

Charcandrick West, running back

Raise your hand if you thought Charcandrick West would be the cream of the AFC West's ball carrying crop. But the former undrafted running back defied all odds when he seamlessly transitioned into Jamaal Charles' old role. The Chiefs' rushing offense didn't miss a beat behind West, who ended the season with nearly 850 all-purpose yards.

Potential Target: Chase Daniel from NBC DFW

OK, so Daniel's 2015 stats are just funny to look at — 2 completions for 4 yards is far from awe-inspiring, and his career stats don't stack up with the likes of Robert Griffin III or Johnny Manziel, even with as bad as Manziel has been in his two years in Cleveland. But Daniel is a really solid backup quarterback, enough so that Andy Reid loves him in Kansas City and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Chiefs try to keep him around to back up Alex Smith.

Morning Coffee | Senior Bowl buzz for Rankins from The Courier-Journal

CBSSports.com's Dane Bugler projects Rankins as the No. 28 pick going to the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Rankins is one of the better run defenders in this draft class and continues to grow as a pass rusher, which is why he is a possible top 32 prospect," Bugler writes on Rankins' CBS prospect profile.

Ranking all 49 Super Bowls: Which is the greatest? from The Indianapolis Star

27. I (1966) Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10: Green Bay, with help from hung-over backup WR Max McGee (138 receiving yards, 2 TDs), did the expected in the firstAFL-NFL Championship Game, which didn't even sell out the Los Angeles Coliseum. However not everyone remembers that Vince Lombardi's troops only led by four points at halftime.

Football journey for Larkin grad Wahl has been an interesting one from The Chicago Daily Herald

"The National Bowl had about 11 NFL teams there," Wahl explained. "It ended up being beneficial for me because I met my agent (John Perez) there and it got me to the Tropic Bowl where there were 27 NFL teams. The Tropic Bowl gave me the opportunity to see what I could do against Division I talent."

Wahl said he met with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns at the Tropic Bowl and noted the Jacksonville Jaguars called the head coach at Upper Iowa to inquire about him.

"The goal is definitely to play in the NFL," he said.

Katie Sowers proud to coach in college all-star game from FOX4KC

Katie Sowers is the athletic director at the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department and she's always loved the game of football. She has played football, coached football, and because she got to know former Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli when he was in town, she got to know former Kansas football coach Charlie Weis, who coached in Saturday's game.

Both Pioli and Weis are strong believers in diversity so when Sowers was asked to be an assistant at the Shrine game, she said yes.

PETE PRISCO ON D&C: BILL BELICHICK ‘COST HIS TEAM A CHANCE TO WIN' WITH LATE-GAME MISMANAGEMENT from WEEI

The Patriots had success the previous week against the Chiefs, another team with a highly regarded defense, but Prisco said the Broncos had a better strategy.

"The coverage was different. They got up and banged [Brady] around a little bit. Kansas City sat off and allowed him to make the throws," Prisco said. "If you give him a split-second more he's going to be able to carve you up. They didn't give it to him. And I think the coverage on the back end had a lot to do with it. There was a play early in that game where they had three guys on [Rob Gronkowski]. Three. And they're beating him up at the line of scrimmage. And [Brady] throws it, remember the quick-out to the sideline that skips into the ground, I think it was.

"You've got to give them a lot of credit for that. The Broncos had a good plan, and their pass rushers are very good. This is a passer/pass rusher league. Denver has the pass rush, and that impacted the way they played."

Q&A with former Vols All-America Dale Carter from Inside Tennesse

IT: What do you do to stay busy? I always wondered what you do after an NFL career, playing collegiately, a Pro Bowl, things like that. What do you do to stay busy?

Carter: Right now I'm trying to keep my mind clear. That's what I'm trying to do. Going back and forth to a lot of doctors. It's not a secret. I've been through a lot of stuff with these concussions with headaches and stuff like that. Basically I've just been sitting around the house, trying to get better, trying to get the family together.