Chiefs Gab

NFL.COM ranked the top ten motivational coaches in NFL history and three former Chiefs coaches made the cut. I don’t necessarily agree with the order they are ranked but you can’t argue with the roster:

From NFL.COM:

10.Bum Phillips: In addition to being one of the NFL’s all-time outrageous characters, Bum Phillips helped turn the Houston Oilers into those “Luv Ya Blue” winners.

9.Sam Wyche: It can be argued that Sam Wyche’s most famous motivational speech wasn’t given to players, but fans, in his “you don’t live in Cleveland” rant.

8.Hank Stram : Hank Stram’s wiring during Super Bowl IV is the stuff of legend, as it gave fans valuable insight on the coaching techniques of this Hall-of-Famer.

7.Bill Parcells: Bill Parcells took over a down-and-out Giants team and won two Super Bowls, then later turned around the fortunes of a miserable Patriots team.

6. Bill Cowher: After getting his team to the brink of championships, Bill Cowher capped his coaching career with a Super Bowl victory following the 2005 season.

5.George Allen: George Allen hated losing, once saying, “Everytime you lose, you die a little bit. You die inside … not all of your organs, maybe just your liver.”

4.Marty Schottenheimer: Marty Schottenheimer was old school, told it like it was, and gave some of the most memorable and unique pregame speeches in NFL history.

3.Jon Gruden: His facial contortions earned him the nickname “Chucky,” but Jon Gruden’s intense motivational style helped Tampa Bay finally win a Super Bowl.

2.Dick Vermeil: The always emotional Dick Vermeil’s motivation-by-inspiration approach helped make instant champs of the woebegone St. Louis Rams.

1.Vince Lombardi: Vince Lombardi’s autocratic style didn’t exactly endear players to him, but the championship results are a valuable cornerstone of NFL history.

5. Acquiring Zach Thomas and Mike Vrabel:

The acquisition of Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas will be high risk high reward for the Chiefs. Vrabel and Thomas will either be the good soldier, hard working leaders the Chiefs expect them to be or they will be the 09 versions of Donnie Edwards. Both players will be over thirty four when the season starts and players get injured a lot more frequently in the NFL once they cross the thirty year old thresh hold.

These acquisitions would have been perfect if the Chiefs would have added some depth to the line backing unit, but as it stands the Chiefs have all of their eggs in the basket of two past their prime linebackers. The Chiefs can ill afford to lose either of these players this season as they transition to the 3-4 defense.

4. Not signing a legitimate receiving threat to compliment Dwayne Bowe:

Tory Holt was a free agent so was Marvin Harrison, Terrell Owens and Matt Jones who led the Jaguars in receiving last season. The Chiefs went after none of these players in the off season instead deciding to bring in thirty six year old Bobby Engram to play the slot receiver.

The Chiefs have needed a receiver to stretch the field and draw coverage away from D-Bowe for the past two seasons and with the loss of Tony G that need became that much more magnified. The Chiefs would be wise to get Matt Cassel one more established option in the passing game before the season starts Marvin Harrison and Matt Jones are still a available…..the Chiefs could use both players.

3. Retaining Damion McIntosh:

Keeping McIntosh was not a mistake he is a adequate and serviceable player, not brining in someone to take his starting spot or at least compete for it was. McIntosh played ok last year when he was not injured but he often times looked overmatched and not athletic enough to keep up with the more younger, faster defensive ends.

Reports out of Arrowhead during OTA’s had McIntosh playing with a lot less weight which should help with his knee issues and in some of the best shape of his career. Let’s hope so for Matt Cassel’s sake.

2. Trading Tony G:

I know Tony G was not the missing piece that was going to carry the Chiefs to the Super Bowl this season and the Chiefs were very lucky to get a second round pick for a thirty three year old tight end but with that being said the Chiefs passing game is in disarray and the Chiefs are starved for veteran leadership.

Who would have been a better mentor for this young receiving squad other than Gonzalez a future Hall of Famer? I am sure had the Chiefs kept Gonzalez, Matt Cassel would have been dialing up his number on third down this season…… Now who does he look to? Who does the defense have to worry about besides D-Bowe?

1. Switching to the 3-4:

I am not against the move to the 3-4 I just think this season the Chiefs are trying to fit a square peg in to a round hole. The Chiefs have spent the last three season drafting D-linemen high in the draft who fit the 4-3 cover two scheme.

Now a lot of these players are forced to play out of position, case in point second round pick from 07 Turk McBride who was drafted as a tweener defensive end or tackle is being asked to learn how to play linebacker. Glenn Dorsey is going to have to man one of the end positions despite his lack of ideal size for the position but maybe the biggest farce out of the 3-4 will be Tamba Hali’s switch to OLB Hali could not get around offensive tackles last season how is he going to cover a running back or tight end?

The AFC West clearly had a down year last year with San Diego escaping with the division crown at 8-8. The Chargers edged out the Broncos on the last game of the season after starting 5-8, since that point those two teams have went in opposite directions the Chargers advanced to the AFC divisional round only to lose out to the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers.

The Broncos meanwhile promptly fired their longtime coach Mike Shanahan after their late season collapse and traded their up and coming quarter back Jay Cutler. On paper it would seem the Broncos will be in for a very long year and have probably taken two or three steps backwards in their development, the Chargers meanwhile may have gotten even stronger with the resigning of franchise player Darren Sproles and stud pass rusher Shawn Merriman will be returning from a injury that caused him to miss a majority of last season.

With the Chargers the clear class of the division the Chiefs, Broncos and Raiders will more than likely be battling it out for second place in the division.

San Diego Chargers: Last season was almost enough to get head coach Norv Turner fired and if he would have lost last season’s finale against the Broncos he very well may have been , but the team went on a amazing late season run that saved his job. The Chargers will have their easiest route to a divisional title in many years the main concern will be getting running back Ladainian Tomlinson back on track after he suffered his worst season since his first year in the league.

The return of all pro pass rusher Shawn Merriman should help as well with the Chargers unable to generate a pass rush much of last season their defense should be back on track. The Chargers are far and away the most experienced and talented team in the division anything less than winning the division would be a wasted year and could cost Norv Turner his job.

Odds on winning the division: 1.5-1

Denver Broncos: Talk about a team in disarray, last year in November the Broncos had a three game lead with three games left in the season. The Chargers looked old and the Broncos looked like the team that would take control of the division for the next five years, after a three game slide at the end the Broncos lost their long time coach then traded star quarterback Jay Cutler. Now Brandon Marshall the up and coming receiver wants out of town as well, it seems like all the progress the Broncos have made over the past three seasons has been completely lost.

First year head coach Josh McDaniels who comes from the Patriots organization has quite a tough road laid out for him to get this team back to being perennial division powers. The only positive for the Broncos this off season has been a solid draft class highlighted by Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno and defensive end Robert Ayers.

Odds on winning the division: 10-1

Kansas City Chiefs: This has been a off season of change for the Chiefs, Carl Peterson the long time general manager and occasional face of the franchise is gone so is coach Herm Edwards and perhaps the greatest Chief of all time Tony Gonzalez. Not all is lost though Scott Pioli has taken over the general manager duties and he brought tough talking Todd Haley to coach the inexperienced team.

Most of the players from the Herm Edwards youth movement are still here while coach Haley and Pioli try to figure out which ones will fit the system. Meanwhile most of the veterans from that era have been replaced by Zach Thomas, Mike Goff, Mike Vrabel and Mike Brown but this season will come down how much success first year Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel can have behind a partially improved offensive line and how quick the defense will respond to the switch to the 3-4 defense. The Chiefs may have the pieces in place to be on the rise but they are at least another season away from competing.

Odds on winning the division: 11-1

Oakland Raiders: Year after year it is the same story in Oakland a new coach who owner Al Davis will eventually sabotage and ruin any progress the team is making. If Davis would have left Lane Kiffin in place as coach this could have been the season the Raiders took a real jump with young players like JaMarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and rookie receiver Darius Howard-Bey.

The Raiders are set up for the long term better than any team in the division but may take longer than normal to reach their potential due to a revolving door of coordinators and coaches. The most important thing for the Raiders to establish this season is consistency. The Raiders have the core of talented players to be successful but they new consistency in the playbook, the roster and most importantly the coaching. If the Raiders keep Tom Cable as their coach for the next three years the raiders could really blossom as a AFC power in the next two to four years.

Odds on winning the division: 20-1

From: kcstar.com

A 61-year-old Grain Valley woman was killed in a Saturday afternoon crash that involved former Chiefs offensive lineman Rich Baldinger.

Marilyn L. Walters was killed when the Saturn she in which she was riding was struck by a Dodge driven by Baldinger at 2:15 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and Bowlin Road in eastern Jackson County, according to a Missouri Highway Patrol report.

The Saturn, driven by Jerry Walters, was heading east on U.S. 40 when it was hit by the Dodge, which was going north on Bowlin Road. Jerry Walters was moderately hurt and was taken to the hospital.

Another woman in the Saturn, Christina Hainley, 29, of Pleasant Hill, was moderately injured and taken to a hospital for treatment.

Baldinger, 49, played in the National Football League from 1982-93. He spent most of his career with the Chiefs, starting 103 games. He has also worked as a television football commentator.

A phone message for Baldinger was not immediately returned Saturday night. No charges have been filed yet in the crash.

From: Pro Football Weekly

The Chiefs may be a franchise building for the future, but they also realize that veteran leadership is key to developing young players. After signing experienced free agents such as Zach Thomas, Mike Goff and Bobby Engram earlier this offseason, Kansas City bolstered its safety group by adding Mike Brown to the mix in late June. Although extremely injury-prone over the past five seasons — he has missed 44 games and played in just 36 — the former Bear was able to stay healthy enough to start 15 contests in 2008, making 73 tackles and two interceptions, before going on injured reserve with an injured calf.

From what we hear, Brown could push either FS Jarrad Page or SS Bernard Pollard for a starting job, though the more likely scenario has the ’05 Pro Bowler backing up both safety positions. At age 31, Brown could have a couple productive seasons left in him, but his primary role will be to teach his solid technique to players like Page and Pollard, who both have weaknesses in their game.

The KC Star reports that the team has signed 7th round pick TE Jake O’Connell

The Chiefs announced the signing of seventh-round draft pick Jake O’Connell, a tight end from Miami of Ohio. O’Connell was the second of the Chiefs’ three seventh-round picks and is the third of the Chiefs’ eight picks to come to terms with the Chiefs. He follows fellow seventh-rounder Ryan Succop, a kicker taken with the final pick of the draft, and Missouri tackle Colin Brown, a fifth-round pick.

The Chiefs made a solid veteran signing on Wednesday, as the team inked former Bears safety Mike Brown. Here’s the report from the KC Star on the signing:

The Chiefs have agreed to contract terms with veteran safety Mike Brown. Brown, a nine-year veteran and a 2005 Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears, could challenge either of the incumbents, Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page, for a starting job.

Brown, 31, quickly established himself as one of the league’s top safeties after being drafted by the Bears in the second round in 2000. He is Chicago’s all-time leader in defensive touchdowns with seven.

Durability might be Brown’s biggest issue. He missed 44 games over the past five seasons because of injuries. He played in 15 games last season but did not play in the season’s final game because of a calf injury.

Brown’s contract expired at the end of last season and the Bears made no effort to re-sign him.

If you are a hardcore Madden player or more of a recreational player and you play with the Chiefs prepare to be disappointed. The Chiefs have their worst team overall since the game came out and have absolutely no offensive or defensive weapons leaving the Chiefs ill-equipped to match up with other teams.

The Chiefs are clearly getting punished by the game creators for winning only six games over the past two seasons and are not being judged player by player. Larry Johnson lost his status as a 90 overall or better in a year where he averaged 4.5 yards a carry and his backup Jamal Charles was pushed down from a 75 to a 68 after a rookie season in which he had a 100 yard game rushing and receiving.

Some of the ratings were complete head scratchers Matt Cassel is a 83 overall after tossing 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions but Tyler Thigpen is a 66 after throwing for 18 scores and 12 picks? How is Bobby Engram seven points better than Mark Bradley when Bradley scored three more touchdowns than Engram and averaged four more yards per catch?

Maurice Leggett may have got the worst deal of all he is rated as a 59 overall after coming from being a un drafted free agent to scoring in consecutive weeks and winning special teams player of the week honors. Bottom line if you play with the Chiefs you better hope they improve greatly sometime between now and the first roster update.

Kansas City Chiefs

QB M. Cassel 83
QB T. Thigpen 66
QB B. Croyle 56

RB L. Johnson 88
RB J. Charles 68
RB K. Smith 68

FB M. Cox 70

WR D. Bowe 86
WR B. Engram 76
WR M. Bradley 69
WR D. Darling 66
WR J. Webb 66
WR Q. Lawrence 51

TE B. Cottam 72
TE S. Ryan 68

OL B. Waters 94
OL B. Albert 84
OL M. Goff 80
OL R. Niswanger 75
OL H. Taylor 71
OL D. McIntosh 71
OL E. Ghiaciuc 69
OL W. Smith 66
OL B. De La Puente 65
OL B. Richardson 59

DL T. Jackson 77
DL G. Dorsey 75
DL A. Boone 69
DL R. Edwards 69
DL T. Tyler 67
DL T. McBride 67
DL A. Magee 65
DL W. Gilberry 61

LB D. Johnson 83
LB M. Vrabel 81
LB Z. Thomas 80
LB D. Williams 69
LB C. Mays 65
LB T. Hali 65
LB M. Beisel 61
LB B. Johnston 56
LB W. Dacus 54

CB B. Flowers 77
CB B. Carr 71
CB D. Washington 63
CB M. Leggett 59
CB T. Daniels 56

S B. Pollard 78
S J. Page 77
S D. Morgan 62
S J. McGraw 56

K C. Barth 66
P D. Colquitt 78

espn.com’s Bill Williamson is reporting the Broncos have signed former Chiefs receiver C.J Jones:

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

The Broncos claimed receiver C.J. Jones off waivers from Kansas City.

Jones has New England ties, where he played for new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels.

Jones was on New England’s active roster for one game in 2008. He was on New England’s practice squad for the entire 2007 season.

Former New England executive and new Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli signed Jones in March, but he was waived last week. While Jones clearly intrigues McDaniels, he has to be considered a long shot to make Denver’s 53-man roster.

In a move that is sure to add competition to the Chief’s safety position in training camp the Kansas city star is reporting the Chiefs have signed former Chicago Bear Mike Brown. Here is what they had to say about it.

From Kcstar.com

The Chiefs have agreed to contract terms with veteran safety Mike Brown. Brown, a nine-year veteran and a 2005 Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears, could challenge either of the incumbents, Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page, for a starting job.

Brown, 31, quickly established himself as one of the league’s top safeties after being drafted by the Bears in the second round in 2000. He is Chicago’s all-time leader in defensive touchdowns with seven.

Durability might be Brown’s biggest issue. He missed 44 games over the past five seasons because of injuries. He played in 15 games last season but did not play in the season’s final game because of a calf injury.

Brown’s contract expired at the end of last season and the Bears made no effort to re-sign him.