It’s inevitable that when a new head coach arrives, largely clears
out the staff of assistants and changes an offensive and defensive
system, some players will become obsolete. The question for the Chiefs,
who will be those players?
The answer might be a couple of their recent first-round draft
picks, Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali. The Chiefs will likely play at
least some 3-4 on defense and Dorsey clearly isn’t built to play nose
tackle, though it’s possible he could survive as an end.
Hali, though, doesn’t appear big enough to hold up at end in the 3-4 and not quick enough to play at linebacker.
Wake's Aaron Curry Plans Private Workout for Chiefs
When Aaron Curry arrived at Wake Forest five years ago, it was a school that filled the basketball offseason by fielding a football team that was mediocre in a good year.
After helping make the Demon Deacons into a consistent bowl team, the versatile, speedy and hard-hitting linebacker is ready to tackle an even bigger project: turning around the woeful Detroit Lions as perhaps the No. 1 overall pick in next month's NFL draft.
"To me that's a beautiful situation," Curry said Monday of the prospect of joining the Lions, who last season became the first team in NFL history to finish 0-16. "Coming to Wake, I think Wake was (5-7) and we all came in and never looked back. We said we were interested in changing the program. So the situation is similar."
Curry attracted quite a crowd at Wake Forest's pro day Monday morning. Dressed in bright lime cleats and matching gloves, his every move was watched by 41 scouts from all 32 NFL teams -- even though he declined to run the 40-yard dash or do agility drills.
"He doesn't need to," his agent, Andy Ross, said. "He showed what he could do at the combine."
Curry ran the 40 in 4.52 seconds at the NFL's showcase for potential draft picks and wowed team personnel enough to jump to near the top of most draft boards. After recording 105 tackles last season, including 16 for a loss, the Butkus Award winner is a likely top-five pick -- and could be the first name called on April 25.
"It would be awesome to be the No. 1 pick. But my goal is, whatever franchise I get to, to make an impact right away," Curry said. "Not to waste any time." Continue reading...
At a time when more than a few mock drafts show the Chiefs taking linebacker Aaron Curry with the third pick in round one, there’s another name that needs to be considered.
Everette Brown, defensive end/linebacker from Florida State.
PFW: Under Pendergast, Chiefs planning gradual transition to 3-4 'D'
One of the big questions after the Chiefs hired GM Scott Pioli was what style of defense he would run. Pioli, coming from New England, was a 3-4 guy, but Kansas City had long employed a 4-3 scheme. From what we hear, though, the recent hiring of defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast signifies that a switch to the 3-4 is imminent. Pendergast, who was on the same staff in Arizona as new Chiefs head coach Todd Haley, is expected to utilize a hybrid 3-4/4-3 defense similar to the one he ran with the Cardinals. We hear that one of the major reasons the club will use a hybrid — as opposed to a full-blown 3-4 — is because of its current personnel, which is mostly unsuited to run that scheme.
Belichick: Pats never got a first-round trade offer for Cassel
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he never received an offer of a first-round pick for Matt Cassel and consummated a trade that sent the quarterback to the Chiefs "because there really wasn't any interest" among other teams.
New England sent Cassel to Kansas City on Feb. 28 in return for the
34th overall pick in the draft, compensation that some said was too
little. After the deal, the buzz in league circles was that Tampa Bay,
Detroit and Denver may have been trying to enter the trade negotiations
and would have offered more than the 34th pick.
The Buffalo Bills added depth to their linebacking corps Wednesday
evening by agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with five-year
veteran Pat Thomas.
Thomas
started the first nine games of last season at middle linebacker for
the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a backup the rest of the season.
However, he's probably better suited to an outside position than middle
linebacker. Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 237-pounder, was a solid special teams
player for the Chiefs.
Kelley: Engram on leaving Seahawks: "I'm not bitter"
Honestly, I thought Bobby Engram would be angry when I talked with him early Wednesday afternoon.
After eight seasons, after 399 pass receptions, after being as
dependable as the tides, after being one of the leaders during the
Super Bowl season of 2005, I thought he would be mad and hurt that the
Seahawks hadn't offered him a contract.
I was expecting him to vent.
But Engram was philosophical, not angry. He was appreciative of the
eight seasons he was able to play under coach Mike Holmgren and was
ready to take the next step in a remarkable, true-grit career.
"The NFL is a tough business, man," Engram said. "Did a part of me
want to stay here? Yeah, I wanted to finish my career with the
Seahawks, but I'm OK with the change. I'm excited by the new challenge.
I'm not bitter, I'm not upset. I love Seattle, but I feel like it's
time to move on. Change is in the air with the Seahawks. I'll keep the
memories of my time here, and I will cherish them."
Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe, has started his NFL career on the right foot.
Following a strong rookie campaign back in 2007, in which he went
for 995 receiving yards and five TDs, Bowe managed to overcome
inconsistencies at the Chiefs' quarterback position early on in 2008,
finishing the year with 1,022 receiving yards and seven TDs.
The increase in both his yardage totals and TDs demonstrate that the
sophomore slump was successfully avoided. So, what does year three,
typically a breakout year for wide receivers, hold in store for Bowe?
No doubt, the trade for Matt Cassel, who while starting for the first time since high school threw for 3,693 yards and 21 TDs in 2008 with the New England Patriots, helps Bowe's cause.
From the get go, Bowe, and the Chiefs offense, will have consistency
under center. That consistency will allow Bowe to develop a nice
rapport and settle in with his quarterback sooner than later, something
that can only yield positive results.
