Tribal Warfare
06-14-2007, 12:42 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/149622.html
Chiefs backup QB gets more chances in practice to vie for playing time.
By JASON KING
The Kansas City Star
Before he can ever have success as a Chiefs quarterback, Casey Printers knows he must first taste failure.
“You learn by screwing stuff up,” Printers said. “I welcome the fact that I’m going to make mistakes.”
Printers seems to be committing fewer of them these days, which is why he could easily end up on a 54-man NFL roster for the first time in his career.
Last week’s trade of Trent Green leaves Printers as the Chiefs’ third-string quarterback behind Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle. Printers spent the 2006 season on Kansas City’s practice squad after a three-year stint in the Canadian Football League.
“He’s improved a whole lot from last year,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “He’s not holding onto the ball as much. That’s the thing that killed him the most. He was trying to make big plays. He held the ball too much.
“Now the clock in his head is going. He knows where to go with the ball. He’s getting rid of it. He doesn’t feel like he has to run all over the place.”
Printers said he did plenty of that in the CFL, where he passed for 6,763 yards and 45 touchdowns during his three seasons with the British Columbia Lions. In 2004 Printers earned the league’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Successful as he was then, Printers said he often feels as if he’s learning parts of the game all over again with the Chiefs.
“When you’re coming from the Canadian game, it’s a huge difference,” Printers said. “In Canada they require you to make plays. That’s what the game is all about. You drop back and make a play.
“Here, you drop back and get the ball to the right guy, and they make the play for you. That’s the biggest difference: getting the ball out of your hands and all that good stuff. That’s the main thing I’ve got to grow accustomed to.”
Printers is getting plenty of opportunities to adapt. The Chiefs decision to trade Green means more reps during OTAs, and Printers is hoping to ascend the depth chart during training camp.
Although the common perception is that he’s is running a distant third behind Huard and Croyle, Printers said he feels like the competition for the starting job is wide open.
“I’m trying to compete at the highest level that I can,” said Printers, who spent three seasons in college at TCU before transferring to Florida A&M as a senior.
“I had an opportunity to learn from Trent Green, who was one of the better quarterbacks I’ve ever seen. But you still have to get in there and try to learn it for yourself. That’s the tricky part.”
Printers couldn’t appear more confident about the challenges before him. During a recent interview, he was asked about the goals he set for himself as a pro.
“If I told you my goals, you probably wouldn’t believe them,” he said. “So I’ll save them for the appropriate time.”
Pressed further, Printers agreed to reveal one of ambitions.
“To best the best — period — at quarterback and in this league,” he said. “Hopefully that can happen for me. That’s my goal, and I’m going to take it one step at a time.
“I’ve got to get better at a lot of things. I’ve got a long road to climb. I just need to learn from my mistakes.”
Chiefs backup QB gets more chances in practice to vie for playing time.
By JASON KING
The Kansas City Star
Before he can ever have success as a Chiefs quarterback, Casey Printers knows he must first taste failure.
“You learn by screwing stuff up,” Printers said. “I welcome the fact that I’m going to make mistakes.”
Printers seems to be committing fewer of them these days, which is why he could easily end up on a 54-man NFL roster for the first time in his career.
Last week’s trade of Trent Green leaves Printers as the Chiefs’ third-string quarterback behind Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle. Printers spent the 2006 season on Kansas City’s practice squad after a three-year stint in the Canadian Football League.
“He’s improved a whole lot from last year,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “He’s not holding onto the ball as much. That’s the thing that killed him the most. He was trying to make big plays. He held the ball too much.
“Now the clock in his head is going. He knows where to go with the ball. He’s getting rid of it. He doesn’t feel like he has to run all over the place.”
Printers said he did plenty of that in the CFL, where he passed for 6,763 yards and 45 touchdowns during his three seasons with the British Columbia Lions. In 2004 Printers earned the league’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Successful as he was then, Printers said he often feels as if he’s learning parts of the game all over again with the Chiefs.
“When you’re coming from the Canadian game, it’s a huge difference,” Printers said. “In Canada they require you to make plays. That’s what the game is all about. You drop back and make a play.
“Here, you drop back and get the ball to the right guy, and they make the play for you. That’s the biggest difference: getting the ball out of your hands and all that good stuff. That’s the main thing I’ve got to grow accustomed to.”
Printers is getting plenty of opportunities to adapt. The Chiefs decision to trade Green means more reps during OTAs, and Printers is hoping to ascend the depth chart during training camp.
Although the common perception is that he’s is running a distant third behind Huard and Croyle, Printers said he feels like the competition for the starting job is wide open.
“I’m trying to compete at the highest level that I can,” said Printers, who spent three seasons in college at TCU before transferring to Florida A&M as a senior.
“I had an opportunity to learn from Trent Green, who was one of the better quarterbacks I’ve ever seen. But you still have to get in there and try to learn it for yourself. That’s the tricky part.”
Printers couldn’t appear more confident about the challenges before him. During a recent interview, he was asked about the goals he set for himself as a pro.
“If I told you my goals, you probably wouldn’t believe them,” he said. “So I’ll save them for the appropriate time.”
Pressed further, Printers agreed to reveal one of ambitions.
“To best the best — period — at quarterback and in this league,” he said. “Hopefully that can happen for me. That’s my goal, and I’m going to take it one step at a time.
“I’ve got to get better at a lot of things. I’ve got a long road to climb. I just need to learn from my mistakes.”