Babb goes the dynamite - Baldwin’s play limiting Bowe’s importance

[Hammock Parties]

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/01...mportance.html

Baldwin’s play limiting Bowe’s importance

Baldwin is all in; Bowe still absent

BY KENT BABB

ST. JOSEPH -- The first segment of Chiefs training camp ended Tuesday with a night practice at Spratt Stadium, and whether you were there or not, you probably know about the first week’s biggest storyline.

Yes, that wide receiver everyone keeps talking about. It’s a shame he has baggage, because we could all be a little more certain about him if not for that. As it stands, this young wideout with so much talent — you’re not a first-round pick without big skills — could be a significant reason why the 2012 season is a success and not a failure.

Jon Baldwin, not Dwayne Bowe, has been the most important player for the Chiefs during this first week of the preseason, and boy, has he answered the challenge. Baldwin, not Bowe, is not only in attendance but is emerging as a player who looks like a young star who could give quarterback Matt Cassel a tall, powerful option down the field. Baldwin, not Bowe, is doing everything right when the man who was supposed to be his mentor is making a career mistake by refusing to sign his franchise tender — and allowing a second-year receiver to show the Chiefs how it’s done.

Let’s discuss Bowe for a moment. This is actually bad news for him. When a player decides to skip practices or weeks or an entire camp, it is to remind the team that it would be in trouble without him. Think this week was tough? Just imagine what it’d be like to go an entire season like this.

As it stands, with each passing day and each time Baldwin leaps to catch a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone, as he did Tuesday night, Bowe’s value and importance to the Chiefs drops. Oh, the Chiefs still want and expect Bowe to be on the practice field at some point, and would likely still pencil him into the starting lineup, but the absence of their 2007 first-round pick is being overshadowed by the presence of their 2011 first-round pick.

Baldwin has been so good that there’s no panic here. Cassel already looks more comfortable with the youngster than he ever has with Bowe. There’s more confidence that Baldwin will run a perfect route, will be there when the ball arrives, will hold onto it when it hits his hands. Baldwin has, in offseason practices and in a week of training camp, been everything you want a first-round receiver to be. For months now, Baldwin has taken such an impressive step that there’s not just hope but budding certainty that the Chiefs will be, for however long it’s necessary, just fine without Bowe.

There was suspicion last year that Baldwin might have been built in the same, undependable mold as his veteran teammate. When he stepped to running back Thomas Jones during last year’s camp, suffering a broken hand that would sideline him the first six weeks, it was easy to think that Baldwin was a high-risk player whose future already looked murky. He couldn’t even finish camp without finding trouble — a fight with a respected team leader, no less.

Time passed, though, and the Chiefs started asking questions and hearing encouraging answers. The first was whether Baldwin, a rookie, had been intimidated by Jones, who’s maybe the last person on Planet Earth that anyone should pick a fight with. When the team learned that Baldwin hadn’t been scared and had defended himself, coaches were disappointed that he’d been hurt, sure, but they kind of respected that he hadn’t been rattled.

Later, they asked whether Baldwin was doing all the right things in rehab and in the downtime that can make or break a rookie’s career. The kid kept his mouth closed, did what was asked, and when the cast finally came off and Baldwin made his NFL debut, he was well-conditioned, focused and able. A week later, in a home win against San Diego on Monday night, he came down with an acrobatic 39-yard touchdown catch that began to show what the Chiefs had been waiting for.

Those are the kinds of catches that Baldwin has been making consistently in OTAs and so far in training camp. If the Chiefs asked a new question — how will Baldwin respond when the spotlight shifts in his direction? — they’re learning the answer.

He’s making it look easy, while Bowe is just making life difficult.

It’s understandable that Bowe has no interest in participating in practices that’ll earn him zero additional dollars on top of his $9.5 million tender. These weeks are hot and thankless, and if you ask any veteran player what he won’t miss when it’s time to retire, he’ll likely say training camp. But the problem with Bowe is that there’s no way to know what he’ll look and play like when he finally does join the Chiefs, whether that’s Thursday (almost inconceivable) or shortly before the regular season begins (looking more likely by the day). This has been discussed and written to death, but Bowe doesn’t have a spotless history when it comes to these matters. With a new coach and quarterback in 2009, he arrived to camp around 30 pounds heavier than his target weight, and whether it was an accident or not, as he said at the time, Bowe turned to a diuretic to shed the extra pounds — a move that got him suspended for four games by the NFL.

So life with Bowe has been an adventure, and it continues to be. If he arrives out of shape and with no knowledge of the offense, there will be no hurry to rush him back into the starting lineup. That’s what he must have thought it would be like when he opted to skip practices and remind the Chiefs of his value. But that plan has now blown up in his face.

What’s interesting is that another receiver with a spotty history seems to have vowed to erase the doubt that lingers from the past; without a new contract to play for or a statement to make, Baldwin keeps making the dazzling plays and the easy ones, saying the right things, and just being a player the Chiefs can depend on day after day.

Now that Baldwin has made us think about it, none of that has ever been true of Bowe.

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I'd love to see how Matt Cassel would respond to Hali, Arenas and Houston coming at him in a LIVE contact drill.

That would be awesome, IMO.

It would be, to bad they arent allowed to touch Matt.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by jspchief

I think Bowe is arguably one of the five best WRs in the NFL, and its highly unlikely that he's lost his spot after 5 days of practice.

So you think hat with a week to prepare for our first regular season game, the team is gonna make both of our starting receivers learn a new set of responsibilities from a new playbook?

I doubt it, but I guess it could happen.

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by BossChief

So you guys think that with a new offense being installed and Baldwin learning ONLY the job of the #1 receiver (and is seemingly excelling at it) that the moment Bowe signs, they will make Baldwin change positions to the #2?

If that were the case, Baldwin would be practicing as the #2 and Breaston would be keeping the top spot warm for Bowes return.

Just a hunch, but...

To be honest, it seems a whole lot like the Chiefs are preparing for Bowe to be traded.

Yeah ive got to agree with this. As this whole bowe situation plays on this off season is seems more and more like were distancing ourselves from him. I hope i'm wrong. PAY THE MAN. Why cant we have 2 baller receivers?

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

Yeah ive got to agree with this. As this whole bowe situation plays on this off season is seems more and more like were distancing ourselves from him. I hope i'm wrong. PAY THE MAN. Why cant we have 2 baller receivers?

We cant "pay the man" till next season.

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by jspchief

I think Bowe is arguably one of the five best WRs in the NFL, and its highly unlikely that he's lost his spot after 5 days of practice.

No way top 20 or so at best.

[the Talking Can]

pioli speaks.....


Babb and fanbase fall in line

[the Talking Can]

Baldwin keeps making the dazzling plays and the easy ones, saying the right things, and just being a player the Chiefs can depend on day after day.

Now that Baldwin has made us think about it, none of that has ever been true of Bowe.

While Baldwin was out as a rookie for getting in a fight, Bowe was putting up another 80 catch, 1100 yard season.

Bowe had 1000 yards as a rookie on a much less talented team, the best other WR was Samie Parker. His QBs were Croyle and Huard.

This franchise is a joke. I didn't see anything in the article about fielding the best team, or winning a superbowl.

What a hatchet job by Pioli...should have titled the article "Bowe Is Probably A Rapist, Baldwin Goes To Church."

oh well, the fans don't give a shit as long as Pioli saves Clark's money...

[DTLB58]

Originally Posted by BossChief

So you guys think that with a new offense being installed and Baldwin learning ONLY the job of the #1 receiver (and is seemingly excelling at it) that the moment Bowe signs, they will make Baldwin change positions to the #2?

If that were the case, Baldwin would be practicing as the #2 and Breaston would be keeping the top spot warm for Bowes return.

Just a hunch, but...

To be honest, it seems a whole lot like the Chiefs are preparing for Bowe to be traded.

They can't be sure a trade would happen even if that's what they wanted.

How about this? Both sides agreed that Bowe sit out a portion of camp so that Cassel and Baldwin can get more accustom to each other? With Bowe there he would be getting all the attention/balls and Baldwin wouldn't be getting this time to develop. Just a thought.

[DTLB58]

If there is one thing I've learned thru the many years of following the Chiefs during TC.....Our players always look better against our own D. Once we start playing games, it's like what happened to this guy? I thought he was suppose to be doing so awesome!

We are still talking about just practice here.

[Chiefs=Champions]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Obviously the press is on his side now. Non-issue.

[kysirsoze]

I just think this attack piece on Bowe sounds like it's from a pissed off fan. Isn't skipping some camp by franchised veterans a common occurrence? I know it's a new offense, but not a new QB. He'll be fine. Why pretend that Bowe isn't one of the most exciting play makers we've had in the last 20 years? Yay for Baldwin. I can't wait to see him. I'll reserve judgement, though, till he has one season where he compares to Bowe.

[Marcellus]

Babb writes an article and CP takes it as gospel. The world is officially coming to an end.

If you guys think Pioli is feeding the KC Star info you don't understand how KC operates.

I think Babb just wrote a positive article about Baldwin pointing out the timing is good for him to break out since Bowe is not in camp.

It is like this part has been completely ignored.

Oh, the Chiefs still want and expect Bowe to be on the practice field at some point, and would likely still pencil him into the starting lineup, but the absence of their 2007 first-round pick is being overshadowed by the presence of their 2011 first-round pick.

Damn that fool for writing the truth.

[jspchief]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

No way top 20 or so at best.

What?

Ok, show me your list of 19 WRs better than Bowe. This should be good.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Babb writes an article and CP takes it as gospel. The world is officially coming to an end.

If you guys think Pioli is feeding the KC Star info you don't understand how KC operates.

I think Babb just wrote a positive article about Baldwin pointing out the timing is good for him to break out since Bowe is not in camp.

It is like this part has been completely ignored.

Oh, the Chiefs still want and expect Bowe to be on the practice field at some point, and would likely still pencil him into the starting lineup, but the absence of their 2007 first-round pick is being overshadowed by the presence of their 2011 first-round pick.

Damn that fool for writing the truth.

actually, if you read the article:

Baldwin keeps making the dazzling plays and the easy ones, saying the right things, and just being a player the Chiefs can depend on day after day.

Now that Baldwin has made us think about it, none of that has ever been true of Bowe.

that's what Pioli says...and it is so hilariously wrong, and factually incorrect, that it would take the world's biggest homer to not see it...

[Dayze]

There was a fool on the radio, some "national" dude....said Bowe wasn't in the top 10. Which, I thought was reeruned.