Bury The Hatchet ~~~ The 2008 Kansas City Chiefs Official Team Thread

[daflyboys]

Ok, unless I'm missing something....there still isn't an 08 Chiefs thread. Every year I try to emotionally distance myself from this team and every year I catch that first look at the old blazing red uniforms and I catch the fever (as in sickness) of what it is to be a Chiefs fan.

So anyone have anything so far? I know we all got excited over the draft, but we also all know that the proof is in the pudding.....the pudding that you find on the field during the real games (ok, that was Michael Scott-like, I know).

I guess injuries have plagued the camp a bit..... here's a tidbit from the Chiefs site to get the conversations going:

Look Who’s Talking: “You’re talking about two players who are two first-round draft choices. They’re a little bit different. They’re pretty special as far as picking things up and understanding the game of football. That’s the saving grace for those two guys. Everything I’ve seen from those guys so far is everything we anticipated when we drafted them.”

- Head coach Herm Edwards on why he feels both DT Glenn Dorsey and T Branden Albert will come back successfully from their training camp injuries

[daflyboys]

Anyone have any observations/impressions from the 1st pre-season game last night? I couldn't get it in my area.

[dan77733]

Do you think the Chiefs should sign Pennington?

[daflyboys]

KC Star reporter paints a pretty bleak picture, offensively anyway:

Be prepared to be bored watching Chiefs’ offense
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
RIVER FALLS, Wis. | More from the department of obvious training-camp observations: Offensively, the Chiefs are going to be boring and bad.

Whew, that’s a rough combination. Seriously, get ready for it. Kansas City’s 2008 offense might make the KC-playoff offense that couldn’t cross the Indy 50 look like the Magic Johnson-Showtime Lakers.

Hey, I’m not complaining or railing against Herm Edwards and his new offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey. They’re taking the necessary steps to build a playoff-caliber, ball-control offense.

I’m just trying to warn you that Arrowhead Stadium might not be a family-friendly environment for women and children. Drunk and sober men will cuss this offense repeatedly throughout the season.

The pieces just aren’t in place, and Herm and Chan know it. On Friday, Gailey met with the media and said absolutely as little as possible about his offense. Mostly, he whined about needing to get all of his players on the field at the same time. When I talked with Edwards, he was concerned about the durability of right tackle Damion McIntosh, who is struggling with a knee that swells.

“He has to stay on the field,” Edwards moaned.

The Chiefs are trying to build a solid offensive line around all-pro guard Brian Waters. It’s going to take a magician. Branden Albert, the rookie left tackle from Virginia, will eventually be a good player. Gailey said Albert can be “great.”

That’s down the road. Depending on the seriousness of the foot injury he suffered Thursday, Albert’s 2008 progress could be slowed. Everything to the right of Waters is a total mystery.

Center Rudy Niswanger is a former undrafted free agent. Right guard Adrian Jones is a former backup tackle. McIntosh is old and beat up. It’s going to take two years to build this line.

This line has an outside shot at being mediocre if Albert turns in a rookie-of-the-year-like performance. Waters is going to be a beast. He’s still steaming about last season when people whispered that his play slipped. Waters is in the best shape of his career. His grandmother got diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, and the entire Waters family changed their diet to support her.

“No fried foods for me,” Waters said. “And I don’t drink as much.”

The result is a leaner frame. Waters isn’t much lighter on the scale, but he’s carrying less fat.

“He’s having his best training camp,” Edwards said.

So if Albert is really good as a rookie, maybe the Chiefs can run left the way they used to behind Waters and Willie Roaf.

Without a consistent running game, Gailey’s offense falls flat and Larry Johnson mopes.

Even if Brodie Croyle is the second coming of Tom Brady, he doesn’t have the necessary supporting cast to power a dangerous passing game. The Chiefs don’t have a No. 2 receiver. Devard Darling has the title. The problem is he has no résumé. He posted a career-best 18 receptions last year for the Baltimore Ravens.

KC’s No. 3/slot receiver is Missouri grad William Franklin, KC’s fourth-round draft pick. Franklin looks the part, has the necessary speed, but he’s unproven and never demonstrated consistent toughness while at Mizzou. A rookie slot can be dangerous when he’s playing opposite two high-level veterans. Franklin won’t enjoy that luxury.

Brodie is going to lock in on Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez. Dumping the ball to Johnson isn’t a great option because he’s not a great receiver and he’s a terrible blocker. Priest Holmes was terrific with screens because you could never key in on when the Chiefs planned to throw him the football.

Again, KC’s best option out of the backfield in passing situations will be an unproven rookie, Texas’ Jamaal Charles. Everyone loves Charles, particularly his explosiveness and acceleration. He could be a wonderful third-down back, a big-play receiving threat.

On offense, the Chiefs are an expansion team. Really. They have three proven, big-time veterans who might be just past their prime — Waters, Gonzalez and Johnson — and one second-year player who has shown flashes of goodness (Bowe).

They will pray for production from every other position. You can’t count on it. You can’t even really expect it. It’s a recipe for three-and-outs, a formula for some frustrating Sundays.

Chiefs fans, you’re going to be tested this season. It’s the price of rebuilding. Remember, we wanted this.

[wwharton]

Didn't read the whole article but I completely forgot that they were in the playoffs just 2 years ago. I don't expect much from them either but if you consider the additions they've made on defense (I guess losing Allen is a pretty big subtraction though) and that they have potential game breakers at RB, WR and TE with an early round pick on an Olinesman, it's kind of amazing they will still be so bad. I guess there's great hope for the future.

[TJdaSportsGuy]

Any Chiefs' fans care to break down the battle for the place kicker? Don't laugh, but I know one of the kids battling it out. Connor Barth hails from Wilmington, NC and I used to call his high school games on the radio. His dad was one of my political science professors at UNCW also.

So anyway...how's it looking? Will it be Barth or Novak?

[daflyboys]

I think most depth charts have Novak. Sorry.

[TJdaSportsGuy]

Quote: Originally Posted by daflyboys

I think most depth charts have Novak. Sorry.

Yeah, I read on Saturday that my boy got cut. No worries. He'll catch on somewhere. He's a damn good kicker...just didn't have the experience. Understandably so, the Chiefs were a little gun shy of going with a rookie kicker again after the Justin Medlock experiment of last season.

[daflyboys]

Quote: Originally Posted by TJdaSportsGuy

Yeah, I read on Saturday that my boy got cut. No worries. He'll catch on somewhere. He's a damn good kicker...just didn't have the experience. Understandably so, the Chiefs were a little gun shy of going with a rookie kicker again after the Justin Medlock experiment of last season.

Are you kidding? "Experiment" in Cherokee is loosely translated as "Chiefs place kicker"! I'm so sick of this kicking game perennially, I'd gladly welcome back Jan Stenerud!

[PdiddyPop]

I just hope we get more than 4 wins this year. With Croyle as our QB I'm not too confident, but I got 50 yd line seats when the Chiefs come to Charlotte to play the Panthers. First time in my life I get to see KC live, and I just hope we win. I can't stand Panther fans after a win on WFNZ.