Chiefs OTA Recap / Week No. 1 (kcchiefs.com - Gretz)

ChiefRon · 05-23-2008, 08:19 AM

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/05...ecapweek_no_1/

The Chiefs have four of their off-season workouts under their belts. They will come back and hold three more next week. Here’s a recap of those first sessions and some of the work that got done in the first week of the 2008 Chiefs.

Remember this: it’s the middle of May. The players are not wearing pads; they are practicing in shorts and there is minimal physical contact, so it’s not really football.

But it’s instructive nonetheless. Here’s what we learned this week.

Brodie’s Spot
During last Thursday’s 7-on-7 passing drill, Jeff Webb went streaking down the right side line. He appeared to be well covered by the cornerback short and the safety coming over the top. Croyle drilled a perfectly thrown ball between the two defenders and into Webb’s hands. It was a bullet and it was one of the toughest throws in the quarterback book.

In the first week of work Croyle has thrown the ball well. Yes, there is not a pass rush and there isn’t a howling crowd in the stands; it’s just basic football, pitch and catch. But Croyle has looked very good doing the basics.

“He’s done a good job,” said Herm Edwards. “I think he feels good about this offense and what we want to do.”

Tony Gonzalez certainly liked what he saw. “He’s thrown the ball well,” the Chiefs tight end said. “I think he’s going to have a big year.”

While Croyle is getting respect from his teammates, some in the media can’t quite believe it’s happening. Here’s the lead paragraph on an article about the Chiefs quarterback in last week’s Kansas City Star:

“Brodie Croyle appears to have won over Chiefs coaches. But some players still want Croyle, a second-year starter at quarterback, to prove himself.”

Nowhere in the rest of the story is there a player quoted about Croyle needing to prove himself. Instead, there are comments from Dwayne Bowe talking about how well his quarterback is doing and what they can accomplish together. Quite obviously, it was the writer who wants Croyle to prove himself.

Such is the nature of today’s newspaper journalism (commentary hiding in a news story) and such is the nature of life as an NFL starting quarterback.

Remarkable Turnout
There are 92 players on the Chiefs roster. Eliminate safety Greg Wesley, who will not be with the team, but has not yet been released or traded. That’s 91. For most of the week two rookies were unable to take part in the workouts because their schools were still in session: safety Ron Girault and running back Kalvin McRae. That’s 89.

During four practices, there were 89, 89, 88 and 89 players on the field. Those are remarkable numbers, never seen before in off-season work with this team. Usually there are at least two or three disgruntled veterans, unhappy with their contract or the like. That was not the case in the Chiefs first week.

In the coming weeks those numbers will fluctuate. The Chiefs already know that tight end Tony Gonzalez will miss next week’s work; he’s going to become a father on Tuesday in southern California.

But he plans to come back.

Injuries
Of those 89 players, four were in attendance but not practicing as they recover from injuries and off-season surgeries. Starting free safety Jarrad Page is watching because of post-season shoulder surgery. Linebacker Johnny Baldwin is still coming back from the knee injury he suffered at mid-season. Tackle Will Svitek is not practicing because of a bum shoulder and cornerback Tyron Brackenridge is out of action after surgery this month on a broken jaw.

Larry Johnson missed the Thursday practice, but that was a coach’s decision based on the team working inside on artificial turf. Earlier in the week, Johnson ran very well, showing a good burst and no ill effects from his foot injury suffered last season.

Right now, the Chiefs expect all of those players to be available for the start of training camp. Several may be able to practice before the OTAs end in the middle of June.

Notes
The Chiefs only did one session in four days where the offensive and defensive lines went head-to-head. That came Thursday in a 9-on-7 drill for the running game. The most impressive defensive linemen was tackle T.J. Jackson, who spent time on the practice squad last year. He was quick and disruptive on the second-team line … earlier in the week, draft choice Brandon Carr had a nice interception of a pass intended for Bowe. Carr and another rookie cornerback, college free agent Maurice Leggett made some nice plays in coverage over four days … college free agent Connor Barth had the best week among the three kickers on the roster … there are a number of players getting a look at handling the return duties, with the group led by B.J. Sams and rookie Kevin Robinson. Also catching balls every day have been second-year man Rashad Barksdale and rookies Leggett and wide receiver Luke Swan.

ChiefRon · 05-23-2008, 08:23 AM

Text posted so Mr. Fax can bask in the Gretz hype with the rest of us...

COchief · 05-23-2008, 08:31 AM

"Tyron Brackenridge is out of action after surgery this month on a broken jaw"

I hadn't heard about this until now, does anyone know the story?

Brack is my favorite of our young fringe DBs, I hope he isn't being a D-bag in his spare time.

Coogs · 05-23-2008, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefRon

[url]The most impressive defensive linemen was tackle T.J. Jackson, who spent time on the practice squad last year. He was quick and disruptive on the second-team line

Damn! Every defensive lineman we have is going to be pro bowl material!

ChiefRon · 05-23-2008, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coogs

Damn! Every defensive lineman we have is going to be pro bowl material!

Not to mention our QB...

Hammock Parties · 05-23-2008, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by COchief

"Tyron Brackenridge is out of action after surgery this month on a broken jaw"

I hadn't heard about this until now, does anyone know the story?

Barfight.

ChiefRon · 05-23-2008, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by COchief

"Tyron Brackenridge is out of action after surgery this month on a broken jaw"

I hadn't heard about this until now, does anyone know the story?

Brack is my favorite of our young fringe DBs, I hope he isn't being a D-bag in his spare time.

Something about a fight at a nightclub, I believe it was reported he was jumped (no charges that I'm aware of...)

Mr. Arrowhead · 05-23-2008, 08:48 AM

nice to hear about Barth looking the best of the 3 kickers

ChiefRon · 05-23-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefRon

Not to mention our QB...

What, no Croyle bashers rushing to tell everyone how he's going to suck this year and how they want to draft Tebow #1 overall next year?

TEX · 05-23-2008, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefRon

What, no Croyle bashers rushing to tell everyone how he's going to suck this year and how they want to draft Tebow #1 overall next year?

Croyle IS gonna $UCK when tackle football begins. We should draft Tebow # 1

Seriously, IMO Croyle is gonna $uck but Im not sure Tebow is the way to go.

milkman · 05-24-2008, 08:26 AM

Quote:

The most impressive defensive linemen was tackle T.J. Jackson, who spent time on the practice squad last year. He was quick and disruptive on the second-team line

What?
No mention of Dorsey?

He's a bust.

**alanm** · 05-24-2008, 09:48 AM

Gee.. What a surprise that Svitek missed the OTA's this week because of injury.

He's gonna get his ass cut because he can't suit up 98% of the time.

LOCOChief · 05-24-2008, 10:02 AM

No Dorsey or Albert, but at least we get to listen to Gretz bitch about his competition.

blueballs · 05-24-2008, 10:07 AM

Gretz has become insecure
with Peterson getting older and unable to respond like he use to
it makes some sense

MOhillbilly · 05-24-2008, 12:09 PM

man i hope webb steps up big this year. brackenridge plays outta position alot but has a good nose for the ball, this barfight thing worries me about his commitment to football though.

05-23-2008, 08:19 AM
ChiefRon Starter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Memphis, TN Casino cash: $10004900	OTA Recap / Week No. 1 (kcchiefs.com - Gretz) http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/05...ecapweek_no_1/ The Chiefs have four of their off-season workouts under their belts. They will come back and hold three more next week. Here’s a recap of those first sessions and some of the work that got done in the first week of the 2008 Chiefs. Remember this: it’s the middle of May. The players are not wearing pads; they are practicing in shorts and there is minimal physical contact, so it’s not really football. But it’s instructive nonetheless. Here’s what we learned this week. Brodie’s Spot During last Thursday’s 7-on-7 passing drill, Jeff Webb went streaking down the right side line. He appeared to be well covered by the cornerback short and the safety coming over the top. Croyle drilled a perfectly thrown ball between the two defenders and into Webb’s hands. It was a bullet and it was one of the toughest throws in the quarterback book. In the first week of work Croyle has thrown the ball well. Yes, there is not a pass rush and there isn’t a howling crowd in the stands; it’s just basic football, pitch and catch. But Croyle has looked very good doing the basics. “He’s done a good job,” said Herm Edwards. “I think he feels good about this offense and what we want to do.” Tony Gonzalez certainly liked what he saw. “He’s thrown the ball well,” the Chiefs tight end said. “I think he’s going to have a big year.” While Croyle is getting respect from his teammates, some in the media can’t quite believe it’s happening. Here’s the lead paragraph on an article about the Chiefs quarterback in last week’s Kansas City Star: “Brodie Croyle appears to have won over Chiefs coaches. But some players still want Croyle, a second-year starter at quarterback, to prove himself.” Nowhere in the rest of the story is there a player quoted about Croyle needing to prove himself. Instead, there are comments from Dwayne Bowe talking about how well his quarterback is doing and what they can accomplish together. Quite obviously, it was the writer who wants Croyle to prove himself. Such is the nature of today’s newspaper journalism (commentary hiding in a news story) and such is the nature of life as an NFL starting quarterback. Remarkable Turnout There are 92 players on the Chiefs roster. Eliminate safety Greg Wesley, who will not be with the team, but has not yet been released or traded. That’s 91. For most of the week two rookies were unable to take part in the workouts because their schools were still in session: safety Ron Girault and running back Kalvin McRae. That’s 89. During four practices, there were 89, 89, 88 and 89 players on the field. Those are remarkable numbers, never seen before in off-season work with this team. Usually there are at least two or three disgruntled veterans, unhappy with their contract or the like. That was not the case in the Chiefs first week. In the coming weeks those numbers will fluctuate. The Chiefs already know that tight end Tony Gonzalez will miss next week’s work; he’s going to become a father on Tuesday in southern California. But he plans to come back. Injuries Of those 89 players, four were in attendance but not practicing as they recover from injuries and off-season surgeries. Starting free safety Jarrad Page is watching because of post-season shoulder surgery. Linebacker Johnny Baldwin is still coming back from the knee injury he suffered at mid-season. Tackle Will Svitek is not practicing because of a bum shoulder and cornerback Tyron Brackenridge is out of action after surgery this month on a broken jaw. Larry Johnson missed the Thursday practice, but that was a coach’s decision based on the team working inside on artificial turf. Earlier in the week, Johnson ran very well, showing a good burst and no ill effects from his foot injury suffered last season. Right now, the Chiefs expect all of those players to be available for the start of training camp. Several may be able to practice before the OTAs end in the middle of June. Notes The Chiefs only did one session in four days where the offensive and defensive lines went head-to-head. That came Thursday in a 9-on-7 drill for the running game. The most impressive defensive linemen was tackle T.J. Jackson, who spent time on the practice squad last year. He was quick and disruptive on the second-team line … earlier in the week, draft choice Brandon Carr had a nice interception of a pass intended for Bowe. Carr and another rookie cornerback, college free agent Maurice Leggett made some nice plays in coverage over four days … college free agent Connor Barth had the best week among the three kickers on the roster … there are a number of players getting a look at handling the return duties, with the group led by B.J. Sams and rookie Kevin Robinson. Also catching balls every day have been second-year man Rashad Barksdale and rookies Leggett and wide receiver Luke Swan.
Posts: 924

05-23-2008, 08:23 AM	#2
ChiefRon Starter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Memphis, TN Casino cash: $10004900	Text posted so Mr. Fax can bask in the Gretz hype with the rest of us...
Posts: 924

05-23-2008, 08:31 AM	#3
COchief Blame it on the Henne Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Donk-town Casino cash: $6843231	"Tyron Brackenridge is out of action after surgery this month on a broken jaw" I hadn't heard about this until now, does anyone know the story? Brack is my favorite of our young fringe DBs, I hope he isn't being a D-bag in his spare time.
Posts: 2,973

05-23-2008, 08:48 AM	#8
Mr. Arrowhead MVP Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Wichita Casino cash: $10015708	nice to hear about Barth looking the best of the 3 kickers
Posts: 7,763

05-24-2008, 09:48 AM	#12
alanm Feeling Victorian Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Nebraska/Wyoming/Colorado Casino cash: $1756436	Gee.. What a surprise that Svitek missed the OTA's this week because of injury. He's gonna get his ass cut because he can't suit up 98% of the time. __________________ It bears repeating, ** Herm, Pioli, Haley, and Crennel for ing up my franchise for a goddamn decade. Buehler 445**
Posts: 33,637

05-24-2008, 10:02 AM	#13
LOCOChief True Chiefs Fan Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bull Bay Casino cash: $6605791	No Dorsey or Albert, but at least we get to listen to Gretz bitch about his competition.
Posts: 5,453

05-24-2008, 10:07 AM	#14
blueballs Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	Gretz has become insecure with Peterson getting older and unable to respond like he use to it makes some sense
Posts: 14,233

05-24-2008, 12:09 PM	#15
MOhillbilly Mama Tried Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Missouri Casino cash: $9949903	man i hope webb steps up big this year. brackenridge plays outta position alot but has a good nose for the ball, this barfight thing worries me about his commitment to football though.
Posts: 23,371