ChiefsPlanet - Teicher: Law has a foot in KC's door

Law has a foot in KC's door

Chiefs remain cautious because of star's injury

By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star
Posted on Wed, Mar. 16, 2005

From the moment he was met at Kansas City International Airport by Dick Vermeil, Ty Law tried to gauge whether he could be happy playing cornerback for the Chiefs.

Shortly before departing town Tuesday, Law declared his best estimate to be an unqualified “yes.”

“Just the reading I got from being here, this is definitely an organization I can see myself playing for,” Law said while meeting with the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. “I definitely think (the Chiefs) have the necessary ingredients.

“One of the things I experienced today was the family-type atmosphere. It's not fake. Sometimes you hear some things, and it's like, ‘You can't be serious, man.' But coach Vermeil is the most genuine coach I've seen. He cares about you as a person.

“He picked me up at the airport in his personal car. The conversation we had on the way back, you can tell if it's real. I definitely thought it was real. If it wasn't real, he should get an Oscar.”

Vermeil likewise was impressed by Law, a four-time Pro Bowler. But Vermeil echoed statements from president/general manager Carl Peterson that the Chiefs would wait to see how Law's surgically repaired foot was mending before they would proceed with a contract offer.

Law wore a protective walking boot on his left foot.

“He has to keep progressing medically,” Vermeil said. “He says he's going to be out of the boot in two weeks. As you noticed, he has a bounce to his step. It's not bothering him at all. That's all positive.”

The Chiefs had three other free-agent guests at Arrowhead Stadium Tuesday: defensive end Carlos Hall and running back Robert Holcombe of Tennessee, and Philadelphia linebacker Keith Adams.

The Chiefs are planning visits, perhaps as soon as this week, with at least four other players, including Baltimore wide receiver Kevin Johnson. The Chiefs once tried to trade for Johnson when he played for Cleveland.

Law said he was headed for Miami to continue a rehab program that includes running in a pool and riding an exercise bike.

“I feel,” he said, “like Lance Armstrong right now.”

Law had surgery in January to repair a fracture. He said the protective boot will come off for good by the end of March, which would enable him to accelerate the pace of rehabilitation.

“Starting next month, I'll take it up a notch: Stairmaster, things like that,” Law said. “Then, the next month, I may get to do some straight-ahead running. In June, I'll be cutting. My goal is to be ready by training camp in July, but I'll definitely be ready by the season. I'm shooting for training camp.”

Though Law indicated he was pleased with his visit to Kansas City, he also said he wouldn't necessarily wait for the Chiefs to make a contract offer. He already met with the Steelers and said he would probably take trips to the New York Jets and Indianapolis.

“If it's a perfect fit and it's the right match, something will get done,” he said. “If it's not, you have to move on. They have to get ready to play a football game, and … I've got to hopefully get settled into a new team and find a new home so I get can get prepared to focus and concentrate. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be.

“I'm looking for the right situation. That's, first and foremost, somebody that's going to accept you as the player that you are. I don't want to go to a team or a defense that doesn't fit my style of play. It's all about the right situation: physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, everything.

“I'm just going to teams that I'm interested in and not just everybody that's calling. I want to win. There are a lot of teams that called that I'm not interested in. (Jets) coach Herman Edwards and (Colts) coach Tony Dungy, they want to bring me in. We'll just go from there. The most important thing for me is to try to get a feel for places and get healthy and just be ready to play football.”

Hall is the most intriguing of Tuesday's other visitors. Not only could he challenge Jared Allen to be a starter at right defensive end if he joined the Chiefs, but he's also a restricted free agent.

The Titans would have the right to match any offer sheet he signs. The Chiefs would give the Titans a seventh-round draft pick if they declined to match.

Hall was a starter for two of his three NFL seasons. He had eight sacks as a rookie in 2002 but fell to three the following season and 2½ last year. Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham coached for the Titans during his first two seasons.

“He's a young, enthusiastic player,” Vermeil said. “He has a tremendous motor. He would be a great addition to our roster, but that all takes time and I imagine (Tennessee) would match. We certainly have an interest, and if he's going to leave Tennessee, he might as well come here.”

Holcombe is the first offensive free agent to visit with the Chiefs. Holcombe played for Vermeil and Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders with the Rams before he moved on to Tennessee.

The Chiefs like Holcombe for his versatility and ability to serve as a reserve for Tony Richardson at fullback and Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson at halfback.

“He's smart enough to handle both positions, and he's good on special teams,” Vermeil said. “It would be great to add him to our football team if we could.”

Adams was mainly a special-teams player with the Cowboys and Eagles but started for Philadelphia in last season's NFC championship game and Super Bowl.

“We might lose Monty Beisel,” Vermeil said. “So we bring a guy like this in. He's an ascending player and is already outstanding on special teams.”

Johnson heads the list of prospective visitors. He has been a prolific receiver for most of his NFL career. Until last year, he caught at least 57 passes in each of his previous five NFL seasons.

He caught 84 passes for 1,097 yards and nine touchdowns in 2001 with Cleveland. Last year, he had only 35 catches and one touchdown, but was still the Ravens' top receiver.

The Chiefs were planning to meet with two developmental wide receivers, Alex Bannister of Seattle and Darrell Hill of Tennessee. Both players are fast, but neither has done much in his NFL career.

Bannister has nine catches in his four NFL seasons, Hill none in his three.

Defensive lineman Jay Williams should also be paying a visit this week. Williams is a 10-year veteran with St. Louis, Carolina and Miami. He also played for Vermeil with the Rams.