booger
08-19-2006, 07:19 AM
The Chiefs are unpacking today at Arrowhead Stadium from their annual trek to the north woods. Training camp and the pre-season will continue for the next two weeks around the Truman Sports Complex.
A lot was accomplished in three weeks in River Falls, although that hasn’t necessarily been visible in the first two pre-season games. After checking with the evaluators, here are some of the top performers in camp, ranked on offense and defense and broken down among the older veterans, younger vets and new faces.
OFFENSE
Veterans – Will Shields
As one member of the organization said as the Chiefs broke camp, the 14-year All-Pro went through camp as if somebody installed a new motor. Herm Edwards schedule of working Shields in just one practice per day seems to have paid off.
“What people don’t see is that when he wasn’t working in practice, he was doing his own workout,” said Edwards. “It wasn’t like he was back at the dorm resting.”
Last year, Shields was a non-factor in camp when he suffered a back injury on the first day. This year, he ran around River Falls like a four-year vet, rather than a guy who went to his first training camp when some of these guys were still in grade school and middle school.
Now, the left ankle injury Shields suffered against the Giants is not considered serious (x-rays were negative.) But he’s likely to miss sometime and now the idea is to make sure he’s ready for the opener against Cincinnati.
Young Veterans – Samie Parker
Almost from the first days of camp, Trent Green was talking about the work getting done by Parker. “Samie is really showing up out there,” Green said.
That work continued through the last days of camp. Parker showed the ability to run more of the routes in the offense and most importantly, he was there every day. Availability has been one of the hurdles in Parker’s young career, but this year he was a practice regular and got the attention of his quarterback and the offensive coaches.
New Faces – Rudy Niswanger and Derrick Ross
Both Niswanger and Ross went undrafted, but both are in the mix for making the roster. Niswanger has been working with the second team and has been moving between center and guard. That flexibility and his smarts (he won college football’s academic Heisman Trophy last year at LSU) have him in contention for the last spot along the offensive line.
The future for Ross may be on the practice squad, but the Chiefs coaches have liked what they’ve seen from the young runner out of small college ball in Texas. Right through the team’s last practice in Wisconsin, he was showing some moves that indicate he may have a future in the league. With Larry Johnson, Dee Brown and Michael Bennett ahead of him, there may not be room right now in the final mix.
DEFENSE
Veterans – James Reed, Kendrell Bell and Kawika Mitchell
From the very first workouts, Reed was disruptive in the middle of the Chiefs defense. Interior blockers had trouble dealing with him for three weeks and he elevated himself into the starting lineup.
Bell and Mitchell both turned in good camps. Bell was especially noticeable compared to last season when he barely practiced. This camp, Bell was seldom off the practice field. Mitchell took his breakthrough season last year and continued it in this training camp.
Young Veterans – Derrick Johnson and Keyaron Fox
Fox is really challenging Bell for playing time at one of the linebacker spots. Gunther Cunningham has a pair of sub-defenses with four linebackers and with Fox’s continued improvement, he may use those more than normal, especially in situations where the offense is likely to run the ball. That will get Fox on the field.
Johnson has been showing up everywhere with the first unit defense. There was a knock on him coming out of Texas that he wouldn’t take on blockers. In college ball, he was fast enough and quick enough to run around the blockers. But he’s spent the entire time in River Falls taking on blockers and winning the battles. He has a better understanding of the defense this year and he was making plays in the running game and against the pass. It looks like Johnson is primed for a big season.
New Faces – Jarrad Page
Among the rookies and first-year defenders, the surprise of camp and the new face that’s been the most consistent performer was Page, the team’s seventh-round draft choice out of UCLA. He has a knack for getting around the football, whether it’s in the air or at the point of attack in the running game. He’s played some in the nickel back role and Cunningham has also sent him on the blitz.
If he continues to play as he did during the three weeks in Wisconsin, Page is going to get on the field when the regular season starts.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/08/19/gretz_stars_at_the_falls/
A lot was accomplished in three weeks in River Falls, although that hasn’t necessarily been visible in the first two pre-season games. After checking with the evaluators, here are some of the top performers in camp, ranked on offense and defense and broken down among the older veterans, younger vets and new faces.
OFFENSE
Veterans – Will Shields
As one member of the organization said as the Chiefs broke camp, the 14-year All-Pro went through camp as if somebody installed a new motor. Herm Edwards schedule of working Shields in just one practice per day seems to have paid off.
“What people don’t see is that when he wasn’t working in practice, he was doing his own workout,” said Edwards. “It wasn’t like he was back at the dorm resting.”
Last year, Shields was a non-factor in camp when he suffered a back injury on the first day. This year, he ran around River Falls like a four-year vet, rather than a guy who went to his first training camp when some of these guys were still in grade school and middle school.
Now, the left ankle injury Shields suffered against the Giants is not considered serious (x-rays were negative.) But he’s likely to miss sometime and now the idea is to make sure he’s ready for the opener against Cincinnati.
Young Veterans – Samie Parker
Almost from the first days of camp, Trent Green was talking about the work getting done by Parker. “Samie is really showing up out there,” Green said.
That work continued through the last days of camp. Parker showed the ability to run more of the routes in the offense and most importantly, he was there every day. Availability has been one of the hurdles in Parker’s young career, but this year he was a practice regular and got the attention of his quarterback and the offensive coaches.
New Faces – Rudy Niswanger and Derrick Ross
Both Niswanger and Ross went undrafted, but both are in the mix for making the roster. Niswanger has been working with the second team and has been moving between center and guard. That flexibility and his smarts (he won college football’s academic Heisman Trophy last year at LSU) have him in contention for the last spot along the offensive line.
The future for Ross may be on the practice squad, but the Chiefs coaches have liked what they’ve seen from the young runner out of small college ball in Texas. Right through the team’s last practice in Wisconsin, he was showing some moves that indicate he may have a future in the league. With Larry Johnson, Dee Brown and Michael Bennett ahead of him, there may not be room right now in the final mix.
DEFENSE
Veterans – James Reed, Kendrell Bell and Kawika Mitchell
From the very first workouts, Reed was disruptive in the middle of the Chiefs defense. Interior blockers had trouble dealing with him for three weeks and he elevated himself into the starting lineup.
Bell and Mitchell both turned in good camps. Bell was especially noticeable compared to last season when he barely practiced. This camp, Bell was seldom off the practice field. Mitchell took his breakthrough season last year and continued it in this training camp.
Young Veterans – Derrick Johnson and Keyaron Fox
Fox is really challenging Bell for playing time at one of the linebacker spots. Gunther Cunningham has a pair of sub-defenses with four linebackers and with Fox’s continued improvement, he may use those more than normal, especially in situations where the offense is likely to run the ball. That will get Fox on the field.
Johnson has been showing up everywhere with the first unit defense. There was a knock on him coming out of Texas that he wouldn’t take on blockers. In college ball, he was fast enough and quick enough to run around the blockers. But he’s spent the entire time in River Falls taking on blockers and winning the battles. He has a better understanding of the defense this year and he was making plays in the running game and against the pass. It looks like Johnson is primed for a big season.
New Faces – Jarrad Page
Among the rookies and first-year defenders, the surprise of camp and the new face that’s been the most consistent performer was Page, the team’s seventh-round draft choice out of UCLA. He has a knack for getting around the football, whether it’s in the air or at the point of attack in the running game. He’s played some in the nickel back role and Cunningham has also sent him on the blitz.
If he continues to play as he did during the three weeks in Wisconsin, Page is going to get on the field when the regular season starts.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/08/19/gretz_stars_at_the_falls/