• Huard, in typical veteran fashion, is not saying whether his benching against the Raiders was fair.
• Arrowhead Addict has an idea for this Sunday's game and it involves paper bags.
• Adam Teicher looks at what's next for Tyler Thigpen.
• Damion McIntosh knows he's the old guy on a young guy's team.  [Ed. Note: More info on McIntosh here.]
• Bob Gretz makes a case for this year's version of the Broncos being the best yet.
• Good news for the health of our quarterback: Broncos search for sacks
• From the mothership: Damon Huard and Herm Edwards interviews.
• Mile High Report Chalk Talk Part 1 and Part 2.
• Herm Edwards would be wise to mimic Shanahan and his quarterback.

More to come later today APers.  Don't forget about the Game Day Thread on Sunday amongst other items this weekend.

 

 

Of course, the 53 players on the team after 5 PM central time tonight won't be the exact roster for opening day. After the NFL roster deadline hits this evening, expect the Chiefs to pick up one or two players off of the waiver wire.

I've run through the roster and made my decisions on who I think will be cut. Interestingly enough, while researching this and reading others cut lists, most of them are in agreement about 95% of the time.

The only differences I've seen in people's cut lists are the tail ends of the linebacker and line rotations. A little LeRue Rumph here. A little Anthony Alabi there. Maybe throw in some Sippio.

QB: Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard

No surprises here. The Chiefs will carry three quarterbacks on the final roster no matter what and these are almost assuredly the three they will keep.

Cut: None

RB: Larry Johnson, Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles, Jackie Battle and Dantrell Savage

Dantrell Savage hopefully makes this team as a kick returner but I've included him in the running backs section. LJ, Kolby and Jamaal Charles are all 100% safe. Battle may not make it because of roster numbers but he's probably safe too.

Cut: None

WR: Dwayne Bowe, Devard Darling, Will Franklin, Maurice Price and Jeff Webb

Despite not catching a pass this preseason, Devard Darling is still accomplished enough to get the nod over Arthur, Joachim, McMahan and Sippio. If you make an argument against Darling, you have to make an argument for one of those guys making the team and I don't think you can. Maybe you can make an argument for Bobby Sippio but I think you're splitting hairs at that point.

Cut: Jabari Arthur, Sergio Joachim, Kevin McMahan and Bobby Sippio

FB:Mike Cox and Chris Manderino

Word on the street is that the Chiefs like Manderino's special teams play, which is great for him because Mike Cox has the starting fullback spot nailed.

Cut: None

TE: Tony Gonzalez, Brad Cottam and J.P. Foschi

TG and Cottam are locks to make the roster and we'll give Foschi and his GA Tech roots the nod over the injured Mike Merritt and Michael "What happened to people being excited about me?" Allan. Allan may spend his final year on the practice squad before permanently falling off into obscurity. My future money says this is another D3 experiment that will not succeed.

Cut: Michael Allan and Mike Merritt

O-Line: Branden Albert, Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger, Adrian Jones, Damion McIntosh, Herb Taylor, Barry Richardson and Wade Smith

I think those first eight offensive linemen I listed are definitely going to make the team. Beyond that, I think we could see another player dropped at a different position in favor of another offensive linemen. That linemen may not even be on the team right now and there is no way the Chiefs are satisfied with the depth they have on the offensive line.

Cut: Travis Leffew, Tre Stallings, Will Svitek, Anthony Alabi, Edwin Harrison and Rob Smith

D-Line: Turk McBride, Tank Tyler, Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali, Alfonso Boone, Ron Edwards. T.J. Jackson and Brian Johnston

After Ron Edwards, you're entering a pretty blurry area on the defensive line. TJ Jackson and Brian Johnston both had their names called more than a few times last Thursday against the Rams and that may be enough to distinguish themselves from the other defensive linemen.

Cut: Johnny Dingle, Jason Parker and Derek Lokey

LB: Derrick Johnson, Pat Thomas, Donnie Edwards, Demorrio Williams, Weston Dacus and Nap Harris (Int'l player Aden Durde will be on the practice squad but not count for a spot)

Nap Harris seems to be on everyone else's cut list and he certainly is a possible roster casualty. One of the cuts listed below could out value Harris on special teams, making the decision to keep him even more difficult. Donnie Edwards of course makes the final cut but how durable will he be in his 13th season? He's already tweaked a hamstring.

Cut: EJ Kuale, Steve Octavien and LeRue Rumph

CB: Patrick Surtain, Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Dimitri Patterson, Tyron Brackenridge and Maurice Leggett

The first four CB spots are taken with Brackenridge, Barksdale and Leggett battling for the final one or even two spots. Can't say I've seen much of any of those three this preseason, making my analysis a bit strained. Brackenridge will probably get the nod because the Chiefs liked him enough last year as an UDFA to play him a bit and neither Barksdale nor Leggett has distinguished themselves.

Cut: Rashard Barksdale

S: Jarrad Page, Bernard Pollard, Jon McGraw and DaJuan Morgan

The safety position isn't difficult to figure out. Page and Pollard will start with McGraw and Morgan rotating in and out. The Chiefs don't need five safeties on the team.

Cut: Khayyam Burns

Special Teams: Nick Novak, Dustin Colquitt and J.P. Darche

Again, no surprises here. The Sams v. Savage competition is pretty much even but I'll throw my support behind the younger, less Drummond-like Dantrell Savage.

Cut: BJ Sams and Connor Barth (he's still on the roster so we'll include him for good measure)

We've already had a few threads about the roster cuts today so use this spot to make any last minute predictions. I'll update you on the cuts as soon as I hear about them.

There were a couple nuggets of information that have arisen today regarding the "pure Chief"-afication of this team.

1st, as you've already read below, Teicher is reporting that Herm is pondering replacing Damion "Mr. Glass" McIntosh at RT with Herb Taylor when Branden Albert returns from his injury. (Who wouldn't love that idea!?)

2nd, mammoth run-stuffer Ron Edwards has just been replaced on the first-string DL by mammoth run-stuffer Tank Tyler, per Mr. Teicher once again.

I'm so happy I could kiss Teicher's bald, or balding, or half of a head, whichever it is.

Truly adopting the Tony Dungy trademark of creating a team that is built entirely from the Draft rather than focused on free agency, the Chiefs have a team that is now (by my particular calculations) 75% homegrown Chiefs.

My math is as follows...

Continue reading this post »

I make no promises that this is going to be a regular segment. Absolutely none.

1. Finally, we face a real offense! Are we about to be exposed? I believe this team is on the path to redemption, but it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Particularly for our defense: we boast little passrush, our best DT is a rookie, our LB corps is thin and may have a massive hole at MLB, and our secondary is talented but incredibly young. Everybody could hold their own against the laughably lousy Bears offense, but the Cardinals offense is another level of trouble: their QBs are uniformly more talented, their OL is bigger and better, their rungame doesn't depend on a rookie, and little needs to be said about their WRs. This unit may be too much to handle.

2. Will we generate any pass rush? The biggest deficiency in the Chiefs' solid defensive effort against the woeful offense of the Bears was a complete lack of pressure on the QBs. Demoting Boone and placing McBride on the strong side will definitely help matters, but it will not fix them. Our pass rush is in serious condition, folks. Hali will do what he does, but this far in his career he's proven to be an every-down DE that's good at a lot of things, but not great at any. He is no sack specialist. McBride has not generated much excitement (from anyone other than Adam Best). And if Johnston emerges as a DE in this league, it won't be this year. He needs time. If you want to keep your eye out on a sleeper, there's been some buzz around the quick Jason Parker, so keep your eyes on #92.

3. Will the right side of the line get their act together? The only obvious sack that the Croyle-led offense gave up against the Bears' blitz-free, vanilla defense was McIntosh simply getting beat around the corner. The only stuff of LJ occurred when Adrian Jones allowed a DT to slide through completely untouched to slam into Two-Sev six yards behind the line of scrimmage. This right side is leaky, and for their one game so far, they've struggled.

4. Can our corners handle the best WR tandem in the NFL? Boldin and Fitzgerald are Pro Bowlers, with a pair of good QBs to get the ball out. They will likely only suit up for a couple series before retiring for the evening. But the time they are on the field will tell us a lot about the character of our young guys. It seems inevitable to me that someone is going to get utterly embarrassed. That's not the issue for me. I'm more concerned with how our young guys would react. It helps to have a short memory at corner, and we're going to see exactly how tough, how focused, and how intense our corners can be. (For the record, Flowers has a great record of rising to the occasion.)

5. Will Herb continue to play well? The most pleasant surprise of the Chicago game last week was the emergence of Herb Taylor at LT, filling in for the still-injured Brandon Albert. It was pointed out to me tonight that Mike Lombardi agrees. The possibilities behind this are serious. We may actually have legit starting talent in Herb Taylor. What if we have starting talent in Barry Richardson? Dare I dream of the day that the Chiefs actually fastened down the right side of their line with a pair of 6th rounders?

6. Will Darling finally emerge? Among the many reports emanating from River Falls, and the performance we witnessed against the Bears, Devard "DVD" Darling has not generated much excitement from anybody that I can tell outside of Warpaint. Here at AP, we've all lost a degree of faith in him as we continue to be underwhelmed. The good news, really to all of this, is that it's just one preseason game into the league. But DVD's route-running looked sluggish and I never spied a moment, rewatching the game, where he had shaken off his coverage.

7. How many minds will Sippio have blown by the final whistle? After Gretz's enthusiastic defense of reserve WR Bobby Sippio, how can you not pull for this guy? The battle for the 5th receiving spot is still completely up for grabs. (Bowe, Franklin, Darling, and probably Webb are locks.) Price has looked fast and great at running routes. Jabari Arthur and Kevin McMahan got on the board last week. Hell, the Chiefs might elect to fill the 5th spot with either BJ Sams or currently-injured rookie Kevin Robinson, who are returners but teams virtually never keep five receivers + a returning specialist. Can Sippio fend them all off? My brain says Price... my heart says differently.

8. Can Savage or Battle make enough happen to sneak onto the roster? After studying my crystal ball, I suspect that the Chiefs are going to be working the hell out of Savage for the remainder of preseason. He will probably garner more carries than any other RB, as the Chiefs either wonder if he's worth moving the earth to try and fit him in our crowded backfield, or to dangle him as preseason trade bait. Jackie Battle has run strong, but that's why I suspect we've got no room for him. We've already got a guy who can run that strong, maybe you've heard of him. I see Battle and I think practice squad.

9. Which kicker will make the most of his chances? Second verse, same as the first. Neither kicker has been able to reach the endzone on kickoffs, which hasn't been pleasant. Barth has had his game opportunity so far, and nailed a decent 37-yarder. Here's hoping for more chances come this evening. I'm sure the Chiefs have Feeley (and worse yet... Morten Andereson) on speed dial.

10. Who can make a name for himself returning kicks? Nobody has really shown a Justin Phinisee-like presense returning kicks this preseason, which has got to make Kevin Robinson happy. Sams doesn't even appear to want the job. C'mon BJ! Throw caution to the wind! (Phinisee, who looked phenomenal in the 2007 preseason returning kicks for the Chiefs, is a free agent. I'm just saying...)

Had a video from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune up about last night's practice but I couldn't figure out to make it not automatically play when you came to the site. So, I took it off. Auto playing music and video is my biggest internet pet peeve. If I find something later, I'll put it here.

Good Friday morning, everyone. Here are your links to the coverage of last night's practice between the Minnesota Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs.

WPI is here, here and here.

BobGretz.com

The Star-Tribune has a bit of coverage as well.

UW-RF

Kansas City Star

Last night's "contest" between the Chiefs and Vikings wasn't so much of a scrimmage as a practice. Still, the presence of competition was enough for a few players to come out of it with minor injuries. Jared Allen didn't make the trip, as Vikings' coach Brad Childress excused a number of veteran players.

Branden Albert had his ankle stepped on and had to leave practice early. Bob Gretz wonders if Albert's ankle issues are chronic, considering Albert sprained his ankle earlier in the off-season. Since his ankle was stepped on and not the result of a shift or move by Albert himself, I don't think you can look too hard into that. It could have happened to anyone.

Kolby Smith pulled his groin and Donnie Edwards tweaked a hamstring. Beyond that, consider ourselves lucky nothing serious happened. We'll be lucky to get through camp without at least one serious injury to a Chiefs player. Last year it was Damion McIntosh's knee but that turned out to heal rather quickly.

In all of the camp reports I've read this year, Dwayne Bowe has had zero regression from last year and by all accounts will have a stellar sophomore season. He doesn't seem to need as much time to get back into football mode as some other players.

Speaking of D Bowe, I absolutely love highlighting stories about him like this one, from the UW-RF site:

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe had some fun on the sideline during an 11-on-11 drill. Bowe sat down on a training table before asking a group of media members if they were having fun. He gave the media the peace sign while sticking out his tongue. One member asked Bowe if that meant he was having a good time. He said yes. A fan dressed in a Vikings jersey joked with Bowe about putting his picture up on MySpace. Bowe responded to the man by saying, "You better add me as a friend."

Vikings CB Benny Sapp picked off Damon Huard, undoubtedly aided by playing for the Chiefs last season. Sapp was a decent corner but too small really to be a full time starter. We wish him the best of luck in Minnesota.

Check out the links above and let us know if you find anything else interesting. It's Friday, so expect a more laid back approach today. The Chiefs only have an afternoon practice from about 3:45 to 5 PM today.

P.S. Had someone sign up with the user name JJBirden last night and yep, it's actually him.

Thursday PM Update: sunny d posted about the scrimmage, with a streaming audio link.

Good morning. Here are you updated links to the afternoon session.

UW-RF

BobGretz.com

WPI ($$$) P.S to KCChiefs.com - In your training camp wrap ups, how about wrapping up the entire day of practice instead of just the morning? I know I can't get enough coverage of camp!

Gunther Cunningham spent yesterday morning and afternoon with his linebackers, since he took over the coaching of them after the '07 season. The linebackers definitely seem like the position of the hour, with a lot of print and digital space being dedicated to them as of late. As you can probably imagine, there is a lot of yelling going on when Gunther is around. When the defense came together for drills, Gunther had this to say and I'm sure it was much more funny in person:

"In Spanish, they say ‘uno’, in German, they say ‘eins’, in English, we say ‘one.’ Got that?! ONE!"

Brian Waters, Brodie Croyle, Tony Gonzalez and Damion McIntosh all sat out the afternoon practice for rest. Tamba Hali, Brian Johnston and Trevor Johnson didn't suit up either but did participate in light drills. The latter three have minor injuries they should recover quickly from.

Damon Huard excelled in yesterday's afternoon session, prompting the UW-RF site to say he looked like a completely different player. I didn't think Huard had become too rusty. Like most NFL players, I'm sure he just needed a few days to get back in the rhythm. I know it seems like I haven't been giving Huard enough respect around here but that's more based on the fact that he doesn't fit into the Kansas City Chiefs long term plans. I guess I'm just anxious to move forward. He does make sense in the plan for this year I have to finally admit after some convincing from you guys.

Gretz mentions that after Bowe, Franklin and Darling, the fourth WR spot is wide open. Sippio will probably make the team at least as a special teams regular and occasional wide receiver. I think it's about time we put the Sippio craze to a rest. There is a reason the guy isn't starting - he's too slow. Sure, I'm sure he's great on goal line situations where speed is less of a factor but is it really worth it to give him a starting gig on the team based on that merit alone? I say no way. At the same time, because of the numbers game and the other WRs on the roster, Sippio may slip in there by default.

No practice this morning or in the afternoon. The Chiefs take the field to scrimmage the Vikings at 6:30 PM tonight. It looks like it may rain so we'll see how much scrimmaging actually gets done. It doesn't take much to make the coaches stop this thing.

Jared Allen and Benny Sapp return to face their old team. Here is a clip of Allen, beard and all, talking about playing against the Chiefs. He really strikes me as a team leader, something the Chiefs are still looking for.

Note: Forgot to add in this quote by Bob Gretz that every NFL fan should keep in mind during training camp:

There’s been great readership and reaction to these practice reports and it’s a pleasure to do them. But let me re-affirm something: these sessions as single elements that constitute only a moment in time. One day a guy is up, next day his legs are tired and he struggles through practice. Nobody in training camp has 11 great practices in a row. What I look for our trends, situations and performances that happen on a regular basis.

Memorize that last line and you'll be able to analyze camp that much better.

The Kansas City Chiefs are finally settling into a rhythm on the fifth day of training camp. Nine practices are behind the team with only nine days left until the first preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

Also, don't forget that the Chiefs scrimmage the Vikings tomorrow at 6:30. And you know who is coming to town with the Vikings - Benny Sapp.

Here are your links to the coverage of yesterday's PM practice.

UW-RF

Warpaint Illustrated

KCChiefs.com

BobGretz.com

Red Zone

LB Pat Thomas played with the first team linebackers yesterday, which KCPriest is talking about here. I wouldn't expect Thomas to become the starter. Now, if Thomas plays with the first team for the rest of camp, then you can start talking about him starting. But one practice with the first team doesn't mean much.

Damion McIntosh was back at practice after tweaking his knee a bit. I hope it's not the same knee that he injured last year. Even if it is, he's still fine to play.

According to the reports I've read, it appears that Devard Darling is doing a heckuva job. It's very possible he lines up as the #2 wide receiver. I'm excited to see him play because there is zero video out there on him.

Jarrad Page nearly had an interception. Like him or not, Page's value as a 7th round pick is simply incredible. When I went back and analyzed our last ten drafts or so, The only other player I can think of that was a 7th round draftee turned starter is Eric Warfield.

Sounds like every chance Jamaal Charles gets to use his speed to get through a hole, he does. I keep repeating myself but I really cannot wait to see him play. Also, Charles is the one guy I can talk about here in Austin, TX, with the other football fans. Cowboys fans are so damn annoying down here. One Cowboy fan actually asked me, "You don't even like Cowboys a little bit?" I said, "That's not how being a Chiefs fan works." [Ed. note: The guy was freakin' stupid.]

The consensus between all of the outlets covering camp was that the offense had one of its best days yesterday. Are you ready for this Chicago???

Smells like...training camp!

The Kansas City Chiefs currently have 86 players on their roster, meaning they'll have to cut six by the time training camp starts on Thursday. Until this season, the minimum used to be higher than 80 players but with the folding of NFL Europe, teams now have on average eight players less to take to camp. Before, teams could take those extra eight players and ship them off to NFL Europe before the regular season roster deadlines would hit.

By August 26th, teams will have to trim their roster to 75 players and by August 30th the roster has to be down to the regular season maximum of 53 players.

So, six need to go. Who are they? Who knows, really. Here's a rundown by position, using a blogger's best friend - a list! I've also put the number of cuts next to each position. Predicting cuts is a terribly inexact science, so I'm hoping for a lively debate. In fact, you can make solid arguments against some of my choices below.

Quarterback (0) - The Chiefs only have three quarterbacks on the roster now, which means they're almost assuredly taking all three currently on the roster to camp with them. You'd even like to have four QBs but it doesn't appear that's going to happen before camp. No cuts from this group.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Fullback (0) - I think the Chiefs will take all four fullbacks to camp but only one will be on the regular season starting roster. They're all safe for now.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Offensive line (1) - Of the fourteen offensive linemen on the roster, five of them will be starters and we know who they are - McIntosh, Albert, Jones, Niswanger and Waters. That leaves nine and we'll need at least one backup in each spot for the regular season. That leaves four guys out and here's a guess on who they are - Tre Stallings, Ken Shackleford, Travis Leffew and LJ Anderson. Stallings has been on a couple of practice squads before so maybe he has a chance to make it but I don't think so. The Chiefs probably take almost all of these guys to camp but four will likely have to go for the regular season. One possible cut here but I doubt it.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Travis Leffew, Ken Shackleford, Tre Stallings, Edwin Harrison, L.J. Anderson or Rob Smith.

Tight End (0) - Of the five tight ends on the roster, Tony Gonzalez is a definite yes, followed by Brad Cottam and maybe Michael Allan to make the final roster. The Chiefs will have at least two tight ends on the active roster and may keep another one on the practice squad. In fact, we'll likely end up with three on the final roster, with the last spot going to a big time blocking tight end. For now, I think all of them make it to training camp because of the uncertainty surrounding who will be our blocking tight end.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Wide Receiver (2) - We have a glut of wide receivers now (nine total) and I think two of these guys are definitely gone. This is an expendable position because of the preference of defensive players over offensive ones to play on special teams. A couple of these guys won't be able to hang on as a special teamer. I think Kevin McMahan and Jabari Arthur bite it from this group because of their "Who the hell am I?" status. You can also throw Bobby Sippio in there as well. The guy didn't catch a pass last year and sat on the practice squad for a little over a week with no interest from other NFL teams who were allowed to sign him at any point during that time.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Jabari Arthur, Kevin McMahan or Bobby Sippio.

Running back (0) - Johnson, Battle, Smith, Charles, Savage and McCrae all make the training camp squad but only three make it to the regular season. Savage, Battle and McCrae will be the odd men out come September. The Chiefs have solid #1 and #2 backs with Charles and Johnson but I think they're unsure beyond that. That explains the glut of solid backups.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None but leaning toward one of these guys being let go this week. That's a lot of running backs.

Corner back (1) - There are nine CBs on the squad now and a lot of uncertainty after Surtain, Flowers and Carr on the depth chart. Herm and co. will probably take all but one of these guys to River Falls, with a few others being cut by September. Expect some to stick around strictly as special teamers.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Will Poole, Jason Horton or Maurice Legget.

Linebacker (1) - There are ten linebackers on the roster and two tiers have clearly developed. The top tier is Derrick Johnson, Donnie Edwards, Demorrio Williams and Nap Harris. Below that are a half dozen special teams/backup types, almost all of whom will be on the practice squad or strictly special teams. The numbers don't require the Chiefs to cut many here, so just one probably goes from this group.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Steve Octavien, E.J. Kuale, Nate Harris, Weston Dacus or LeRue Rumph.

Defensive Ends (1) - The Chiefs haven't settled on their Jared Allen replacement because they have seven defensive ends currently on the roster. Because of the large number of players at this position, I think one of these guys doesn't make it to River Falls. Turk McBride, Tamba Hali and Alfonso Boone are locks to make the team, with UDFAs rounding out the rest of the crop.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Trevor Johnson, Johnny Dingle or Jason Parker.

Defensive Tackles (0) - All six d-tackles will be going to River Falls, considering that six isn't really that many to have on the roster at this point. The rotational nature of the position means you'll always have a few extra around, making it easier to slip into camp as an UDFA. Dorsey, Edwards and Tank likely make up the starting three.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Kicker (0) - Do you think Herm Edwards will ever go into camp with less than two kickers after the disappointment Justin Medlock was last year? Novak and Barth both go and I'm not sure which one makes it out as the starter.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Safety (0) - Safety is another good position for filling special teams. Page and Pollard are the starters and Herm's boy John McGraw is also a lock to make the team. DaJuan Morgan is another lock and a future starting contender.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Those are my general positions that I think the cuts will come from. They're based on a mixture of number at that position, stability of the starters and historical precedent.

Your thoughts on who stays and who goes this week before camp starts?

Building from the ground up can be ruthless. Forget building from square one, simply getting to Square One is unforgiving by itself. Kennison, Wiegmann, Wilson, many others... gone like the wind. Blown out by change.

It's trimming the fat. Not just losing the players that don't fit, but managing the players that do.

It doesn't make everybody happy, including those players that stick around. In the past week, both Napoleon Harris and Damion McIntosh have poo-poo'd their new roles on this team in 2008. McIntosh is projected to move over to right tackle and Harris will have to re-earn his place as starting MLB over Donnie Edwards and a slew of younger players.

Mr. McIntosh, are you happy about playing right tackle?

“I played left tackle for eight years. I’ve never played right tackle. You tell me if it’s hard or not,” McIntosh said. “They ask me to do something, and regardless of whether I like it or not, I’ve got to try it.”

Mr. Harris, how does earning your position sound to you?

“I am an employee of the Kansas City Chiefs,” he said.

A happy employee?

“I am an employee of the Kansas City Chiefs,” he repeated.

Less than shining endorsements of what the franchise is trying to accomplish.

But any fan of team sports knows the answer to this minor malcontent: You are not bigger than the team. Especially a team as dedicated to its longterm goals as the Chiefs. You either find a way to fit your cog in the machine or you will be discarded. The Chiefs are in a position where they can tinker with everything, and assure that the best possible pieces are in the best possible places.

McIntosh did an admirable job on an otherwise lousy OL last year, but he is probably not a Super Bowl LT. Albert might be. Nap Harris lead the team in tackles, but he is probably not a Super Bowl MLB. Who that is remains to be seen. Will Harris kick it in another gear? Will Nate Harris or Pat Thomas dethrone him and become one? Dare I even think about USC's Rey Maualuga in next year's draft?

Now we see how McIntosh and Harris adjust. If they can find their places on this team, wherever and whenever those places are, they survive as Chiefs. If not, this team's fat-trimming is far from over, and Harris and McIntosh could end up in the rebuilding effort's tire tracks.

Yesterday, the Kansas City Chiefs began their first day of off-season training activities. The practice sessions are voluntary but only the laziest of the lazy NFL players will skip these. Team unity will be especially important for this Kansas City Chiefs team, with such a disproportionate amount of new players coming onto the scene this season.

Josh Looney of the mothership has a bit of info on the OTAs as well. Notably, Looney says that the Chiefs have "90-some" players participating in the activity sessions, while only eighty will be heading to training camp in River Falls, WI, this summer.

Looney also mentions that rookie Branden Albert lined up left tackle while Damion McIntosh manned the right tackle spot. This lineup is a definitely possible Week 1 starting tackle lineup. It's also good to see the Chiefs aren't waffling on Albert's position, which would only serve to retard Albert's NFL progress at the position.

Here a few bits of news I grabbed from The Kansas City Star.

Herm said, "We were lopsided as a football team. We’ve got a bunch of young guys now. We’ve got some middle-aged guys that are good players, and we’ve got a group of guys that have 10 or more years of experience, but not that many."

I can already tell that the "we've got a young football team" is going to be the #1 Hermism of the 2008 season. Get used to it.

The Chiefs sealed off their practice to the media but said everyone except Wesley and rookie safety Ron Girault participated. Girault has college class commitments at Rutgers.

I would say the Chiefs are void of contract/holdout drama but that's only because we went through it all last year with Larry Johnson. The fewer the veterans, the less sense of entitlement you're going to have. Another by product of Herm's young team. Wesley is going to be released soon so his absence isn't unexpected.

Herm also commented that Larry Johnson made it through the practice without incident and participated fully in the session. Herm Edwards mentioned yesterday that the Chiefs planned on using Johnson less than in the past during the off-season.

LJ's contract should ease his mind as he bursts through holes but others aren't sure.

The other six veterans are starters: Tony Gonzalez, Brian Waters, Damion McIntosh, Alfonso Boone, Donnie Edwards and Patrick Surtain. One veteran privately expressed reservations about playing for a team undergoing such a massive rebuilding project during one of the final seasons of his career.

Okay, let's guess who this veteran is. Gotta be Tony Gonzalez. It has to be. He's the only veteran who's publicly displayed any sort of apprehension towards the team's new direction. But Gonzalez has also recently said he does not want to be traded and expects he has three to four more years in the NFL. So, it's up to who you believe at what time. But I'm guessing that veteran who spoke to Adam Teicher was TG.

On top of the mini-camp in early June, the Kansas City Chiefs have fourteen more practices scheduled in the month of June, Teicher reports.

Note: In Austin, TX, now and I'm still adjusting to my posting schedule, among finding a place to live, learning the city, etc. Please bear with us over the next few days. We'll get back to our regularly scheduled posting soon enough.