ChiefsPlanet - Chiefs Covitz: Bowe playing catch-up in first practice with Chiefs

Bowe playing catch-up in first practice with Chiefs
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
Dwayne Bowe stood out among his fellow Chiefs wide receivers on Monday.

It wasn’t because of what Bowe did during his first practice since signing his $9.5 million tender last Friday. It was because of what he was wearing.

Instead of full pads, Bowe was in shells and bright red shorts because, in accordance with the new collective bargaining agreement, he has to wait until Tuesday to begin full contact.

But starting at 6:30 in the morning Monday and ending after dark, Bowe was immersed in learning the Chiefs’ new playbook after missing all of the offseason program as well as three weeks of practice in St. Joseph and two preseason games.

“It felt good to get back in the midst of things, going over the plays and trying to get back to the old me,” Bowe said. “I know a new offensive coordinator comes in with new terms, so I was prepared for it. I got half down (Monday), and (Tuesday) we’ll see where I’m at.”

Bowe went through normal position drills with the receivers, but whenever the Chiefs practiced special teams on one field, he went to an adjacent field with quarterback Matt Cassel and worked on patterns under the supervision of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni.

Bowe — who has recorded 1,000-yard seasons in three of the past four years with 31 touchdowns — ran slants, comebacks, posts and sideline routes for Cassel like he had never been away.

“The offensive coaches are giving him a crash course, and he is a willing student because he’s back in the fold,” head coach Romeo Crennel said. “He wants to do well. He’s a prideful receiver, so I think he’ll do everything he can to learn as fast as he can to try to get out on the field.”

Crennel and Bowe were not certain whether he’d be ready to play on Friday when the Chiefs face Seattle at Arrowhead Stadium in the third exhibition game of the preseason. The Chiefs will practice in pads Tuesday and Wednesday before tapering off with a walkthrough on Thursday.

“It depends on how he does the next couple of days … after we get him in pads,” Crennel said. “These guys he’s playing against and playing with, they’ve been through all of training camp and have had contact much longer than he has.

“He’s learning a new system, new terminology, and he hasn’t had any contact. Generally, when you start contact, you get a little sore, you get a little beat up, so what we’ll have to determine is how much we think he can take, how much we think he’s ready for. Just like we did with Jamaal Charles and (Eric) Berry and (Tony) Moeaki, is not overdo it. I don’t think we should overdo it with Dwayne because he is really behind these other guys.”

The Chiefs can create a few packages for Bowe in Friday’s game, because teams like to hold their starters out of the fourth preseason game, which will be at Green Bay on Aug. 30.

“That’s a coaches’ decision,” Bowe said of Friday night. “If I can learn all the plays before then, then I’m there. If it takes a little longer, it takes a little longer.”

Even when Bowe was not allowed to take part in the team portion of practice on Monday, he stood behind the line of scrimmage and simulated what he’d be doing on each play, which helped him better understand the new formations, terminology and routes.

“It’s not as different as it was last year,” he said of adjusting from Charlie Weis’ offense in 2010 to Bill Muir’s in 2011.

“I’ve had a few offensive coordinators in my career,” added Bowe, now playing for his sixth offensive coordinator since the Chiefs made him their first-round draft pick in 2007. “All it is is terms and learning one word and managing the next. I won’t say it’s difficult. I’m a professional. It’s my job to learn no matter who’s at bat. I’m learning it pretty fast, and we’ll see where (today) takes me.”

It’s possible that Bowe and the Chiefs may have to repeat this contract stalemate again next year if they can’t agree on a long-term deal after the 2012 season. The Chiefs could tag him with the franchise tag in 2013, which would guarantee him the average salary of the top five wide receivers in the NFL.

So this makes it another contract season for Bowe.

“It’s as big as it was last year,” Bowe said. “Every year is a big year; somebody is trying to come in and take my job, and my job is to go as hard as I can to prove I’m the No. 1 guy. … The business part is over with … the great part about it is I’m here now, helping my teammates.”

Bowe, who turns 28 next month, would love to sign a long-term contract with the Chiefs and finish his career in Kansas City.

“Oh my gosh …” he said. “The fans, everybody here supports me no matter what decision is made, and that’s what I appreciate about Kansas City. … I’m here now, and that’s the key point.”