by on January 27th, 2012 at 10:00pm
The Kansas City Chiefs should be wide open when their first round pick rolls around in April’s draft. Virtually every position could be on the table, as could a trade with GM Scott Pioli always a fan of picking up extra picks the way he did in the first round last season.
Even if the Chiefs decide to hold onto their pick at No. 11/12 (to be determined at the NFL Scouting Combine), it’s hard to pin point which player could be headed to Kansas City. However, early on in the offseason, there is a name that has popped up a couple times projected for the Chiefs: Penn State DT Devon Still.
The defensive lineman was first pegged by ESPN’s Mel Kiper last week and this time around it’s SI’s Don Banks thinking the big man could end up with the Chiefs.
Devon Still, DT, Penn State
Given the Chiefs’ need for an offensive tackle, they could pounce on Iowa’s Reiff if he falls past No. 9 Miami or opt for Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin. But Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli knows you can never have enough talented defensive linemen, and Still is a top-10-rated prospect who can provide a disruptive force in the middle of the Chiefs’ 3-4 front.
In this scenario Reiff is off the board and with him likely to climb up draft boards in workouts, it’s looking less and less likely he will be available for the Chiefs outside the top 10. Even if he is on the board — or just talk about Martin, who will be available — it remains to be seen if Pioli will finally be willing to draft a tackle.
by on January 26th, 2012 at 9:00pm
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has refused to write many checks over the years, but this one could take the cake. If a report out of Arizona is true, the owner is refusing to pay former head coach Todd Haley the remaining balance of his contract.
Mike Jurecki of XTRA Sports in Phoenix tweeted about rumblings he’s heard about the team feeling they don’t have to pay Haley because he was fired for cause.
While rare, it’s not completely unheard of for a team to withhold payment to a fired coach. It was just a few years ago that Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis claimed Lane Kiffin was fired four games into the 2008 season for cause. Kiffin filed a grievance, but the league took the side of Davis and the Raiders.
As I’m sure you’ll remember, Haley was at the center of The Kansas City Star’s “Arrowhead Anxiety”, when Kent Babb reported the coach worried the Chiefs complex was bugged and that his personal cell phone was tampered with.
Could Hunt and GM Scott Pioli consider those comments to Babb grounds to void the final year of his contract?
If this report turns out to be true and Haley didn’t do something egregious, this will be yet another example of Hunt doing whatever he can to put a few extra dollars in his pocket.
by on January 26th, 2012 at 6:00am
When Kansas City Chiefs LB Tamba Hali entered the 2006 draft, he was seen by many as a late first or early second round pick. Ultimately then-GM Carl Peterson decided to select the defensive end from Penn State at No. 20. Eight defensive linemen/linebackers were taken ahead of Hali, including Mario Williams first overall to the Houston Texans.
ESPN has taken a look back, re-drafted the 2006 first round and to no one’s surprise, Hali has shot to the top of the first round. Of all the original first round picks, he made one of the biggest jumps… all the way to No. 5.
No. 4 New York Jets
Tamba Hali, DE, Penn St.
Who has the most sacks from this class? It’s not Williams, the former No. 1 pick. No, it’s Hali, who has been brilliant since converting to the 3-4 as an OLB. With 53.5 sacks in five seasons — and only getting better — he’s quietly been very, very good, and quite durable, playing in 95 of 96 games. Imagine him in Rex Ryan’s system. Previous draft spot: No. 20
In the re-draft, Williams was projected one spot after Hali and only one defensive player — Haloti Ngata — was ahead of the Chiefs linebacker.
As for Kansas City’s original spot of 20? Pro Bowl guard Davin Joseph lands there after being selected No. 23 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
by on January 25th, 2012 at 7:00am
When new Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie decided to fire Hue Jackson, it was assumed he would replace him with someone he was familiar with from the Green Bay Packers. Instead, McKenzie found the guy he was looking for in his new division.
The Raiders agreed with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen Tuesday night to become their new head coach. He was chosen over several other candidates, including Winston Moss and Dom Capers of the Packers.
Though Allen goes against the Raiders preference for hiring offensive minded head coaches, he continues their trend of giving untested coaches a chance. The 39-year-old was in his first year as a coordinator in 2011 with the Broncos and was a quality control coach as recently as 2005.
The unit Allen ran in Denver helped to propel the Broncos to the top of the AFC West and a first-round playoff victory over Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What type of team should we expect from the Raiders under Allen?
“Very intense, hard-nosed, tough. That’s the way he is. That’s what I expect his team to be,” cornerback Champ Bailey told the NFL Network in Honolulu.
by on January 25th, 2012 at 6:15am
Kansas City Chiefs college scouting director Phil Emery is a finalist for the Chicago Bears GM job along with Jason Licht of the New England Patriots. By most accounts, Emery is the favorite and his current boss, Scott Pioli, talked to The Chicago Sun-Times about what he would bring to the Bears.
“The things that stand out are his work ethic, his work habits, how detailed he is, how meticulous he is. He’s a very good teacher, and he’s a very good listener.
“I think those things are valuable in that position. I also feel that he’s a good evaluator of talent.”
It’s great to hear Pioli step up and talk about Emery being ready for the job. It’s interesting to hear the GM talk about something that has been mentioned plenty around Kansas City lately: accountability.
“When something goes well, it’s about everyone else. When it goes wrong, he points the finger at himself.”
Finding people that want to be successful but without the desire to shine the spotlight on themselves after the fact is something every team should strive to have in their front office. It sounds like Emery could be bringing that approach to the Bears as soon as next week.
by on January 24th, 2012 at 5:56am
The first team to emerge as a landing spot for former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was the one he almost won a Super Bowl with, the Arizona Cardinals. Now it appears the two have agreed a second run together isn’t best for either party.
Haley’s quarterback in that Super Bowl, Kurt Warner, talked to Arizona Sports 620 about why things didn’t work out this time around.
“I felt it would be tough for Todd to come back in a capacity that was less than an offensive coordinator with what’s he’s done and being a head coach and what he did here as a coordinator and just the way he likes to coach and what he brings to the table,” Warner said.
Considering the issues Haley had giving up any sort of control over the offense while in Kansas City, Warner points out the way things are currently constructed in Arizona, it just wouldn’t be an ideal situation for decision making.
“It would be difficult to be in that hierarchy where you really feel like you know what you should do in this situation or what you should call or what plays you should design and to know that there are still two people above you that can kind of veto you — is a difficult thing to do.”
A similar situation unfolded with the New York Jets, where Haley was in discussions to work under new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano. He and the Jets mutually decided last week a match couldn’t be made.
There are still three head coaching jobs open, so there’s a chance Haley could land a coordinator gig, but time is running out. If he’s unwilling to be a quarterbacks coach, the former Chiefs head coach could sit out next season and hope a better situation becomes available in 2013.
by on January 23rd, 2012 at 7:06am
For the second time in his career, Lawrence Tynes got to play the role of playoff hero for the New York Giants. He first sent Big Blue to the Super Bowl in 2008 with a 47-yard kick against the Green Bay Packers and on Sunday he got another chance with a 31-yard field goal to push the Giants past the San Francisco 49ers.
Tynes first entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001, though it wasn’t until 2004 — after trips to NFL Europe and the CFL — that he made his way into a regular season game with the Chiefs.
After the Chiefs backed into the playoffs in the 2006 season, Tynes was given his first chance to come through in the clutch. Against the Indianapolis Colts, the Chiefs were down 6-0 when the kicker lined up for a chip shot 27-yard field goal. Tynes’ kick banged off the left upright and the Colts were off and running on their way to a 23-8 victory.
Kansas City traded Tynes to the New York Giants that offseason for a seventh round pick in the 2008 draft. The Chiefs turned that pick into TE Michael Merritt. Merritt never played a down for the Chiefs and is best known for being arrested after trying to hide a joint in his mouth and saying to the arresting officer: “all this for a little bit of weed?“.
Tynes was quickly thrown into another playoff run and missed two potential game winning kicks in that NFC Championship game against the Packers before nailing the winner in overtime.
Despite Sunday’s kick being 16 yards shorter than the one in Green Bay, Tynes told reporters this one was just as difficult.
“Different conditions, but I was a little more full of anxiety today. The weather was terrible. The rain was blowing in four different directions.”
If he gets a chance to make a game winner at the Super Bowl, at least the weather won’t be a factor this time around.
“Super Bowl is in a dome,” Tynes said.
The only question for Chiefs fans at this point is simple: Do we cheer for Tynes and the Giants or Brian Waters and the New England Patriots?
by on January 23rd, 2012 at 5:30am
The Kansas City Chiefs were featured in the latest NFL commercial thanking fans for their continued support. Beyond simply saying “Thank You”, players from five different teams visited fans at home or work and serenaded them with “Wind Beneath My Wings”.
Starting on the field at Arrowhead Stadium to warm up, a group of Chiefs then walked into Jack Stack to sing for the kitchen staff. Owner Clark Hunt led the way and was joined by Matt Cassel, Brandon Flowers, Derrick Johnson, Dexter McCluster and several cheerleaders.
Though none of the Chiefs players would make it through to Hollywood on ‘American Idol’, you have to give them an “A” for effort.
Stealing the show was former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen. He was the only team representative to give a solo performance and ended the promo pumping his fist and screaming “NAILED IT!”
Watch The Commercial
by on January 21st, 2012 at 5:00pm
It’s not often that I get the opportunity to feel like Aaron Rodgers, but that’s exactly what happened last weekend. Following a fantastic regular season and a fun first week of the playoffs, I couldn’t get the job done in the Divisional round.
Unlike Rodgers, I have a chance for redemption this week as we try to get things back on track before the biggest money game of the season in two weeks. Both lines are right about where they should be, meaning there are no easy decisions going into Sunday’s action.
Here’s hoping we can help you head toward the Super Bowl on the right foot.
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by on January 20th, 2012 at 7:56am
When former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard hit Tom Brady in the knee back in 2008, it created ripples that are still being felt today. Not only did it forever link the two the way any major injury to a Hall of Famer does, but it also ended up changing other franchises.
Without that hit, Matt Cassel is likely still a backup — if he’s even still in the league — instead of playing out a huge contract from the Chiefs. Then there’s also the possibility that Jay Cutler could still be a member of the Denver Broncos. His trade was put into motion after he was upset the Broncos were trying to acquire Cassel before he was shipped to Kansas City.
Considering how big of a deal that hit was, certainly when Pollard and Brady are back on the same field together, it would register with the Patriots quarterback, right? Not so much, Brady told reporters on Thursday.
“No, injuries are a part of the game. I hate being injured, that was a tough one but I’ve moved on, he’s moved on to some different teams. He’s a very good player, fits in this scheme very well. I don’t think too much about that injury or anything.”
Patriots guard Brian Waters was a teammate of Pollard’s and says the safety enjoyed being able to lay out the Patriots signal caller.
“He took pride in the fact that he was able to get a hit on Tom. He’s not going to live that down one way or the other,” the longtime Chief said. “He’s a guy that takes pride in putting hits on people, being physical. He’s never going to back down or have any kind of regrets for that.”
Pollard isn’t exactly the star for the Baltimore Ravens defense so he won’t be the focus of the guys in the booth Sunday, but I’ve still set the over/under on how many times we see that fateful hit at 2.5.
