After a long and successful run in the American Football and National Football Leagues, the Kansas City Chiefs will be leaving professional football.  Instead, they will become the latest member of the up and coming Competitive Bean Bag League.

Some might see the move as an extreme decision, but considering it was a game of bean bag playing that single-handedly lifted the Chiefs to a 28-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, it was actually a perfect fit.

Head coach Todd Haley, for one, knows it’s for the best.

“We’ve loved our time in the NFL,” Haley told a stunned batch of reporters outside of Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday.  “But, again, when you see the sort of commitment we did with the bean bag game in the locker room, it was clear what we had to do as a franchise.”

Other than losing all of their fans, advertisers and overall revenue the Chiefs will also have to part ways with all but 10 of their players.

“Unfortunately, the CBBL roster limit will present some difficult cuts,” GM Scott Pioli said.  “When you are evaluating a tosser, do you take just the ones that have dominated in the locker room or mix in some developing guys we feel have that special something that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet?  These are the questions we will have to go over as a staff.”

The nature of the game – standing still while trying to toss a bean bag into a hole on a slightly elevated piece of wood — could allow the Chiefs to hold onto Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles and Tony Moeaki, who were kept off the field in the NFL due to knee injuries.

Just because all their stars are available, doesn’t mean there aren’t some dark horses that could grab one of the few roster spots.

“You mean I don’t have to move?!” exclaimed a suddenly excited Sabby Piscitelli as he missed a high five with Jon McGraw after the game was explained to him a fourth time.

You could also see big smiles on the faces of Barry Richardson and 335-pound rookie Jerrell Powe.

“I can hold the bean bag as long as I want without getting in trouble, right?” Richardson asked no one in particular.

There is no way to know how successful the Chiefs will be in the CBBL or how viable Kansas City is as a market, but the franchise is all-in with this move.

“We are here to stay,” owner Clark Hunt said in a press release. “This is a league we believe in and I have assured the owners around the league that we will gladly abide by the $4,500 weekly salary cap.”

So, Kansas City…  Are you ready for some bean bag tossing?

Even though rules prevent Richardson from taking part in practice until Thursday, he will be able to come to St. Joe and participate in team meetings.

Richardson started all 16 games for the Chiefs last season, but could still face a challenge for his starting spot.  Along with Ryan O’Callaghan — who he took a job from last year in the preseason — there is likely to be at least one veteran tackle added to the roster during training camp.

The only restricted free agent not to sign his tender is CB Brandon Carr.

“If you look at the history of New England and how they’ve built their roster, they just in general have not drafted tackles very highly,” Nawrocki said.  “Bill Belichick has been able to conceal the shortcomings with his edge blockers by providing a lot of (help from backs and tight ends).  It’s just the way they scheme them.

“One thing that’s very clear is that there’s a need.  I thought they should have addressed it last year in the draft.  I think Barry Richardson has been a solid guy.  I think he’s very committed. He’s not great and wasn’t drafted highly and may not have a big name but he’s been a solid player and I think they feel fairly comfortable with him there.

“They trust (Albert) on that left side.  The issues have been more about being able to control his weight and staying disciplined than any issue about the talent.  I think they feel comfortable there.  Could they draft a tackle?  Absolutely.  It’s all going to be a function of what type of talent is available on the board at the time they come up.”

This whole first round situation is fascinating.  Following three years of the Chiefs drafting in the top five and there being such little doubt surrounding who the pick will be right before the draft, this year is a welcome change.  Not just because it means there was a winning team in Kansas City, but also how the team controls so little regarding just which players will be available at No. 21.

If Pioli has it in his mind that there’s no need to draft an offensive lineman in the first round, specifically a right tackle, then that has to increase the likelihood of trading back and picking up more picks.  However, before you assume anything about Pioli’s thinking, remember that he wouldn’t ever take a safety with the fifth pick in the draft.  Turns out, if it’s the right player then it’s the right player.

Until there is a new CBA, the only way for the Kansas City Chiefs to improve their roster will be through the draft.  One position that will no doubt be addressed, no matter what happens with free agency, is offensive tackle.  Did the 2010 starter at right tackle, Barry Richardson, play well enough to be in the mix in 2011?  Josh Looney seems to think so.

Three years into his NFL career, Richardson finally saw regular playing time in 2010.  In fact, Richardson was one of the best success stories on the team last season after starting all 16 games, plus a post-season game, at right tackle.  He’s definitely come a long way since being cut following Todd Haley’s first training camp in 2009.

To say that Richardson’s 2010 season was “surprising” is probably a fair statement.

Sure, Richardson was far from flawless in his first year as a starter.  He led the team in penalties (9), penalty yards (63) and gave up 5.0 sacks, but he also exceeded any and all preseason expectations.

Richardson played at a winning level last season, but was that level high enough for the Chiefs to push other positions of need into higher priority this off-season?  The answer to that question should play out in front of us over the coming months.

There is no doubt Richardson was one of the biggest surprises, considering he was viewed as a fringe player going into training camp last year.  The right tackle job was supposed to belong to Ryan O’Callaghan, a guy that Scott Pioli quickly scooped up from the New England Patriots the year before.  But there was Richardson lining up with the first team in place of an injured O’Callaghan and then staying there even after that injury was healed.

However, surprising shouldn’t be taken as “winning”.  If playing on a winning team means Richardson played at a winning level, then you should make that argument about every player on the roster.  In this specific case, there was little about his performance on the field that should be considering at a “winning level”.

For an offensive line that owned the league’s best rushing attack, Richardson so often was the weakest link.  If it’s moving Branden Albert to the right side — an idea I’ve never been a huge fan of — or drafting a tackle in the first round, the Kansas City Chiefs need to do everything they can to improve right offensive tackle.

Though it clearly didn’t alter Haley or Pioli’s feelings towards Richardson, don’t forget that he had an altercation with special teams coach Steve Hoffman during a game this past year.  We all know getting the job done on the field — right or wrong — is the more important than a run-in with a coach, but that possibility of snapping also should be a part of the equation when weighing the options going into next season.

The team had 12 selections, and made the most of the team.  That includes five players who were regular starters last season: Glenn Dorsey (No. 5 overall), offensive tackles Branden Albert (No. 15) and Barry Richardson (No. 170), and cornerbacks Brandon Flowers (No. 35) and Brandon Carr (No. 140).

What has helped some of those players develop quickly was the chance to play from Day One.  The Chiefs were in the early stages of a youth movement.

There was also one notable “second-string” player: Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles, quite a steal in the third round (No. 73).

With no league business going on right now, there’s no better time to take a look back at the 2008 draft.  Just a few days ago PFF placed Charles and Flowers on their All-2008 Draft team.

Just imagine how far along Charles would be right now if he had been given more than those 67 carries his rookie season.

Finishing right behind the final class from Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson is the first one of Scott Pioli’s good friend Thomas Dimitroff with the Atlanta Falcons.  The only thing that is likely to push the Falcons ahead of the Chiefs is if Charles takes any sort of step backwards and Matt Ryan continues to improve and elevates himself to Brady-level.

It’s amazing how a few hours have changed the reaction of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley to tackle Barry Richardson shoving special teams coach Steve Hoffman on the sidelines during the Chiefs 10-6 victory over the Broncos.

Richardson was pulled from the game after committing a penalty that brought back a Jamaal Charles touchdown.  It was when he was told to stay on the sideline that the 320 pound lineman turned and gave a full shove to Hoffman.  Despite the physical contact, Richardson was placed back into the lineup.

After the game, Haley was asked about the altercation and instead of addressing how it is inappropriate, he actually praised Richardson’s reaction.

“We had the penalty in the red and I think Coach Muir and our offensive staff just wanted to calm him down a bit and let him re-group,” Haley told reporters.

“These guys care and that is such a refreshing, positive thing out of this group.  It makes it so much fun to go to work every day.  I’ve heard so many of our coaches, myself included, say this is a fun group to be around and coach and it’s because they care.”

That response didn’t make sense to me and judging by the reaction of Chiefs fans across the country I wasn’t the only one confused.

With a few hours of sleep (and a briefing by the PR staff, I’m sure) Haley met with the media on Monday morning and while he refused to condemn Richardson’s actions, he was much more careful with his words.

“I don’t have a problem with passion, within reason,” Haley said when the topic was brought up, alluding to the shove not being within reason without saying it outright.

What about punishing Richardson?

“We’ll take care of it in house and do the right thing.”

The right thing would have been to sit him on the bench for the remainder of Sunday’s game unless he was absolutely needed due to an injury.  Instead he will get a small fine ($5,000?) and be right out there with the offense this week at practice.

The moral of the story?

If you want to get your point across to your coach that you outweigh by over 100 pounds?  Just give him a nice forearm shiver.  Sure, maybe you’ll get a small fine (maybe) but at least everyone will know who’s in charge.

For all the talk about discipline and doing things the right way, the Chiefs completely missed the boat on this one.

11. Kansas City (8-4). Many thoughts. The Chiefs are two games up with four to play, but with K.C. playing San Diego and St. Louis on the road in the next two weeks, this division’s not over … Tamba Hali is the real deal … As is Jamaal Charles … What a bush-league play by tackle Barry Richardson, shoving special-teams coach Steve Hoffman on the sidelines after getting yanked for committing a key penalty.

Not to sound like Todd Haley, but the Chiefs most important game is the one in front of them.  If they can take care of business in San Diego — a tall order, no matter what the Raiders did yesterday — it will put the Chargers 3 back with 3 to play, ending their season.  I will worry about the Rams, Titans and Raiders once Sunday had come and gone because a lot will depend on what Oakland does at Jacksonville.

I’m on the same page as King everywhere else.  Those of us that watch the Chiefs every week have known for quite some time that Hali and Charles were for real, so it’s nice to see that King has picked up on it, no matter how late in the game.

We’ll talk more about Richardson later today, but there is absolutely no excuse for getting into a physical altercation with your coaches.

That means that right tackle Ryan O’Callaghan returned to work this afternoon for the first time since suffering injury over two weeks ago.

For what it’s worth, Barry Richardson ran with the first-team during pre-practice segments that were open to the media.

So Callaghan is healthy enough to dress, but not yet back with the starters.  Richardson has stepped up for the Chiefs over the last two weeks, but that first unit needs to get as many reps together as possible which means O’Callaghan needs to slide in as soon as possible.  Unless his groin injury is preventing him from going all out, it’s important that he gets back into the swing of things.

The Chiefs release their first injury report of the season tomorrow and it will be interesting to not only what status they assign to O’Callaghan, but also Sheffield.  He can’t be that far away from getting back on the field or he would have found his way to the PUP and sat out the first portion of the season and saved a roster spot in the process.

In what is a troubling trend, the Kansas City Chiefs list of injured players is growing daily.  During today’s only practice, up to ten players were missing from action.  Four of those were along the offensive line which, as CBS Rapid Reports noted, made for some shifting for the big men on offense.

Chiefs sitting out Monday afternoon: QB Brodie Croyle, TE Tony Moeaki, TE Jake O’Connell, RB Kestahn Moore, FS Jon McGraw, OT Barry Richardson, OG Ryan Lilja, and OG Darryl Harris.

OLB Mike Vrabel missed the first 20 minutes of practice.  After he arrived at the field, he was sent to the rehab area, where he rode the stationary bike.  There was no visible physical problem with Vrabel.

The injured list grew by one more during the practice when RT Ryan O’Callaghan started cramping in his right calf and had to come to the sidelines.  That left the Chiefs with just 10 available offensive linemen.

With all the injuries, the No. 2 offensive line looked like this on Monday — LT Tyler Eastman, LG Ikechuku Ndukwe, C Lemuel Jeanpierre, RG Jon Asamoah and RT Colin Brown.  Only Ndukwe is an NFL veteran.  Brown is a first-year player, and the others are rookies.

C Rudy Niswanger worked at right guard where starter Ryan Lilja was out.  Before he was injured, RT Ryan O’Callaghan took snaps at right guard as well. Backup Colin Brown got work at both tackle and guard.

Not that Todd Haley has told us anything about the team’s injuries (he isn’t required), but no one appears to be overly serious besides Harris.  Even with each of the dinged offensive lineman likely available sooner rather than later, I have to imagine we will see a new player brought into camp.  Not only are you asking a lot of your lineman to keep playing musical chairs but a guy like Jon Asamoah is gutting out an injury even though he would be better suited to spend another day on the sidelines.

Adding a veteran that can swing between guard and tackle would go a long way to helping bridge this part of training camp with (hopefully) healthier times on the horizon.

Missing the Sunday practice were: G Jon Asamoah, T Barry Richardson, FS Jon McGraw and QB Brodie Croyle.  They joined previously injured players G Darryl Harris, TE Jake O’Connell and TE Tony Moeaki in the rehab area.

Before Brodie Croyle was pulled from practice, he hooked up with WR Jeremy Horne on a long pass that was the same play they ran to start the third quarter in Atlanta.  On that first throw, Croyle threw badly out of bounds.  On Sunday, it was perfect throw and Horne easily hauled it in.

Hopefully this is just giving some guys a day to get their body healthy for the rest of the preseason.  Croyle, O’Connell and Harris don’t kill you when they are on the sidelines, but the rest are either starters or a chance to push for starters snaps.

In the case of McGraw, it will give a young guy like Kendrick Lewis some extra run time with the first team, which could help with his development.

You do have to start worrying about the available number of offensive linemen, which the fine folks at CBS point out.  If Todd Haley and Charlie Weis don’t get at least one of these guys back for one of the next few practices, it could force the team to make a move for another body.  Non of the injured linemen are starters, so it doesn’t hurt you in that respect, but you don’t want to over work the veterans that start on your line.

KCChiefs.com’s Josh Looney noted that RB Kestahn Moore also spent some time in the rehab area.  He had taken some second team snaps this offseason, making any time on the sidelines huge for his chances of making the team especially with Dexter McCluster working more and more out of the backfield.