Covitz: Eric Fisher still not cleared for full practice sessions

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs’ tackle Eric Fisher still not cleared for full practice sessions
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star

Chiefs tackle Eric Fisher’s move from the right side of the line to the all-important left side had to wait another day.

Fisher, who is coming back from offseason shoulder surgery, participated in the first day of the Chiefs’ OTA session on Tuesday but has not been cleared to participate in 11-on-11 team practices.

Donald Stephenson, tabbed to start at right tackle — where Fisher started for most of his rookie year in 2013 — took over the left tackle spot Tuesday. For now, it’s Stephenson who’ll be protecting the quarterback’s blind side, the position vacated when longtime starter Branden Albert left Kansas City as a free agent.

That wasn’t the only change in the first-team offensive line. Rishaw Johnson, who started the regular-season finale at San Diego at right guard last year, was in that spot, a position vacated by Geoff Schwartz and Jon Asamoah. Free-agent signee Jeff Linkenbach was at right tackle.

Only center Rodney Hudson and left guard Jeff Allen were in their same positions as a year ago.

“There are new faces and you have to get them caught up and get them in the mix,” said quarterback Alex Smith. “That’s everybody in the NFL. There is turnover year to year.

“This time of year, because we’re just in helmets, for those guys (on the line), it’s a time to work on assignments, technique … they don’t get to practice the physical part of the game. It’s a different aspect of it for us on the edge … at the skill positions, we can make a little more happen.”

Hurry up offense

It was just the first day of the OTAs, but the Chiefs were already working on their no-huddle offense.

“It’s something we’ve had in the package for a long time,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “I don’t know if (coach Andy Reid) is doing it from an execution or from a conditioning aspect. It’s good work for us out in the heat. These were great conditions to practice in. It makes the environment tough.”

New faces, old places

Free-agent signee Joe Mays took the place of Akeem Jordan at inside linebacker in the base defense; backup Frank Zombo, not first-round draft choice Dee Ford, played in the outside linebacker spot of Justin Houston, who did not report; second-year man Marcus Cooper started at left cornerback in place of Brandon Flowers, who did not report; and veteran Husain Abdullah was in the free safety spot vacated by Kendrick Lewis.

When the Chiefs went to their nickel and dime packages, second-year man Sanders Commings was the third safety; and free agent Chris Owens joined Cooper and Sean Smith as an extra cornerback.

“This league is about change,” Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Johnson said of having a new partner on the inside. “I’m going into my 10th year, and I’ve probably had 10 mike-backers next to me, so it’s one of those things where the organization always gets a reliable mike-backer and Joe Mays is another guy that’s very smart.

“He’s been in the league. He’s a big thumper. We’re working good together right now.”

Plays of the day

In 11-on-11 work, Alex Smith connected on a deep corner route with tight end Anthony Fasano.

Owens made a nice interception of a pass by second-team quarterback Chase Daniel. Commings intercepted a bad throw by second-year quarterback Tyler Bray. Bray came back and hit tight end Richard Jordan for a nice gain down the middle.

Injury report

Tight end Travis Kelce, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, was on the practice field but could not participate. Nose tackle Risean Broussard (knee) and wide receiver Kyle Williams (knee) were also out.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

This is true.

And while Hamas makes good points, he's rarely ever actually objective. He's the anti-homer to a fault, which is why he attracts so many homers to argue with him. OTWP58 falls in the same category.

They're smart posters and they're right about a lot of things, but they almost never give credit where credit is due, which makes it hard to call them "objective".

Do you now see why I made this thread?

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/bb/showthread.php?t=283684

For the record, I find HJ's argument to be pretty sound, where if Knowmo came here and started posting positive tweets about so-and-so middle round pick nobody has heard of, you'd call him a homer to the max. But that's not the point. I agree with his analysis. That doesn't make him a Vulcan when it comes to logic, nor does it make me the decider of what good and bad logic is just because I agree with an opinion or argument.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by milkman

In other words, you saw the post, saw who posted it, and rather than address the post, chose to attack the poster.

I would think someone of your age and logic would easily be able to understand my response did adress the entire premise of his post.

Apparently I overestimated your comprehension skills.

I have to ask, did you even read his post?

Did you not understand the entire premis of his post is the he cant stand the lack of objective dispassionate analysis by "homers" yet he completely lacks that skill himself so I have no idea how he could differentiate.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

This is true.

And while Hamas makes good points, he's rarely ever actually objective. He's the anti-homer to a fault, which is why he attracts so many homers to argue with him. OTWP58 falls in the same category.

They're smart posters and they're right about a lot of things, but they almost never give credit where credit is due, which makes it hard to call them "objective".

Yeah man, I couldn't agree more, much truth here.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by SNR

Do you now see why I made this thread?

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/bb/showthread.php?t=283684

For the record, I find HJ's argument to be pretty sound, where if Knowmo came here and started posting positive tweets about so-and-so middle round pick nobody has heard of, you'd call him a homer to the max. But that's not the point. I agree with his analysis. That doesn't make him a Vulcan when it comes to logic, nor does it make me the decider of what good and bad logic is just because I agree with an opinion or argument.

Who here is licking Dorsey's balls constantly? Are there 2 or 3 people?

I haven't, so before you go down that road be prepared to back it up.

Not whining incessantly doesn't mean you approve of everything happening. That's the biggest misconception here and its propagated by the biggest whiners when they get called out for being a bleeding vagina.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I would think someone of your age and logic would easily be able to understand my response did adress the entire premise of his post.

Apparently I overestimated your comprehension skills.

I have to ask, did you even read his post?

Did you not understand the entire premis of his post is the he cant stand the lack of objective dispassionate analysis by "homers" yet he completely lacks that skill himself so I have no idea how he could differentiate.

There isn't a single person here who has an objective, dipassionate opinion.

Whether he is or isn't is irrelevant to the point.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by milkman

There isn't a single person here who has an objective, dipassionate opinion.

Whether he is or isn't is irrelevant to the point.

Its not irrelevant when that's the whole point of your ****ing post.

Only homers lack dispassionate analysis. That was the point.

But go ahead attack me for pointing that out.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Who here is licking Dorsey's balls constantly? Are there 2 or 3 people?

I haven't, so before you go down that road be prepared to back it up.

Not whining incessantly doesn't mean you approve of everything happening. That's the biggest misconception here and its propagated by the biggest whiners when they get called out for being a bleeding vagina.

It's more about his detraction against cases of homerism where the homerism is denied by the homers.

For example, earlier in the thread I talked about a possible solution around the Eric Fisher pick and paying Branden Albert that involved starting Stephenson at LT. People apparently thought it was pretty funny that I and a few others asserted that Stephenson would make a better starting LT in 2014 than Eric Fisher. While not out of the question that Fisher will be better than Stephenson could, at this point the evidence tells us that Stephenson has stepped in at both LT and RT throughout last season, and the offensive line hasn't really been any worse off. And that's a line from people who supported Branden Albert leaving the team. Meanwhile, Eric Fisher hasn't done anything at RT to prove that he'd be a good NFL LT, and to top it off, he's been recovering from surgery all offseason, meaning he hasn't gotten in any valuable time with the offseason strength and conditioning program.

Looking at the situation objectively, one would say without any other information such as training camp or preseason reps that Stephenson is the better option for 2014. But instead, that idea is met with, "Hope Alex likes running for his life" and "Can't do that. Stephenson sucks." If Stephenson is this awful LT, then what does that make Eric Fisher?

Those beliefs that Fisher is way better than Stephenson are based on faith and hope that he's not a bust, and that his 1.1 status actually means something. They're seeing stuff in the player that just isn't there, or at least isn't evident at the moment.

And that's the essence of homerism.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

This is true.

And while Hamas makes good points, he's rarely ever actually objective. He's the anti-homer to a fault, which is why he attracts so many homers to argue with him. OTWP58 falls in the same category.

They're smart posters and they're right about a lot of things, but they almost never give credit where credit is due, which makes it hard to call them "objective".

Can you blame anyone for being Anti-Truefan after the last 20 years of shit?

[BigMeatballDave]

I'm not sure what is more annoying.

True Fan or Anti-True Fan.

I'm somewhere in the middle.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by BCD

I'm not sure what is more annoying.

True Fan or Anti-True Fan.

I'm somewhere in the middle.

And not self aware.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by BCD

I'm not sure what is more annoying.

True Fan or Anti-True Fan.

I'm somewhere in the middle.

True fan


Definition: A close minded fan who is on board with every move their team makes without questions. See BCD and/saphojunkie


Anti-Fan


Definition: An open minded fan who might question a coaching staffs decision. See SNR and/or Hamas

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

True fan


Definition: A close minded fan who is on board with every move their team makes without questions. See BCD and/saphojunkie


Anti-Fan


Definition: An open minded fan who might question a coaching staffs decision. See SNR and/or Hamas

You couldn't be more full of shit.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by BCD

You couldn't be more full of shit.

http://i.imgur.com/aLZz0iT.gif

[RealSNR]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the origins of the term "true fan" go back to the Keep ****ing Doubting Trent Green thread, right? It originally had nothing to do with offensive linemen, but simply an exasperation with fans who look at the negative side of things a lot of the time.

Of course, when you trade a 1st rounder for a 30+ year old QB to hit the ground running on a new complicated offense you're installing, and in year one you go 6-10 and said 30+ year old QB sucks shit for most of the year, you're going to come across some doubters. That's what the dude who created that thread refused to acknowledge when he said he didn't considered Trent Green doubters to be "true fans."

Kind of funny how even local slang terms can evolve over time.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

True fan


Definition: A close minded fan who is on board with every move their team makes without questions. See BCD and/saphojunkie


Anti-Fan


Definition: An open minded fan who might question a coaching staffs decision. See SNR and/or Hamas

Theres a BUNCH of reasonable middle ground in those definitions, but the anti-fan seems to get a lot more leeway here... "well they can rip on any move like a hungry dog rips on a deer carcass and its okey-dokey as long as they're pissed about it".

Its the Planet, I get that, outlandish opinions sell, but I don't care if its politics, religion, football or life in general...

The truth is generally somewhere in the MIDDLE of it all... rabid sells, steady stays.