Merrill: Chiefs, Barber unsure what comes next

[tk13]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/12937193.htm

Chiefs, Barber unsure what comes next
Team must decide to activate him or keep him off roster

By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star


At 7 a.m. Tuesday, Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil met with his defensive coordinator to figure out what to do with the ball boy.

Shawn Barber has been more than that in the last 11 months. When a player gets hurt as badly as Barber did last year, the coaches give him an option of hanging out at practice or rehabbing on his own. Barber was there every day, shagging balls, playing practice referee — and a rather biased one at that.

But now he’s nearly back from his torn-up knee, today’s the first day Vermeil can evaluate players on the physically-unable-to-perform list, and the Chiefs aren’t exactly sure what to do. And neither is Barber.

A lot has changed since he went down at midseason last year in Tampa Bay. Kendrell Bell was picked up in the offseason to fill his spot at right-side linebacker. Rookie Derrick Johnson has earned a job on the left side. About the only constant has been middle linebacker Kawika Mitchell, but even he’s changed. Last year Mitchell was considered a liability. Now he’s one of the most relied-upon players on the defense.

“I don’t think they need any help,” Barber said. “Everybody’s playing their role. I’m just going to come in and be another role player and fill in whenever my number’s called. I look forward to helping in any capacity, whether it’s first down, second down, third down, special teams, offense, coaching, whatever.

“I can do it all. I’m serious. That’s what I do.”

The Chiefs have three weeks to start the clock on evaluating Barber. When that begins, they have three weeks to decide whether to activate him. It’s obvious defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham could use Barber. The Chiefs have been experimenting with a 3-4 defense, an alignment that became tougher in week two when linebacker Keyaron Fox suffered a knee injury.

But Vermeil said the biggest issue isn’t playing time. He wonders whether Barber is ready after his second major knee surgery in five years.

“He was just starting to come on when he got hurt,” Vermeil said, “and that was the eighth game of the season. He was just starting to feel comfortable in the defense and play, and he can make plays because he can flash and run and he loves to play. He’s intense. But how long will it take him to get back to that status? I don’t know.

“Normally, it takes a full year for a guy coming off a major knee (injury) to be where he was. Normally it takes a full season of playing. I’ve only been around one guy in my career that went from a severe knee (injury) to the next year lining up and playing and you never knew he had it.”

Vermeil was referring to John Bunting, who coaches at North Carolina.

Even before Barber was hurt, his teammates considered him relentless. He battled wrist and thumb injuries in 2003 but finished with 141 tackles. His 105 solos that year were a personal best.

Barber said a season-ending knee injury in 2001 prepared him for how to handle this last year, and made him want to go to practice and training camp even though he couldn’t play.

Barber spent his days lifting weights to maintain his chiseled 6-foot-2, 240-pound not-an-ounce-of fat physique. In the afternoon, he’d watch practice, shagging balls or playing ref.

His calls, for some reason, often tilted toward the defense.

“I feel like a rookie again,” Barber said. “I still pretty much play the same way, wild out and out control.”

If Barber is deemed ready, it will create an interesting situation in the linebacker rotation. Bell, who sat out most of last year in Pittsburgh because of a groin injury, has gotten off to a somewhat slow start while he’s learning a new defense.

When asked Tuesday whether Bell is worrying about his injuries, Vermeil said part of the problem stems from not being involved in hot tempo drills during training camp.

“He’s getting there,” Vermeil said. “Boy, from time to time you can say, ‘Wow, there he is.’ But he’s still learning to become comfortable within the scheme and play.

“He made a couple of plays the other day, especially when he turns it loose and heads toward the quarterback. He’s a very explosive, powerful guy.”

Not too long ago, those adjectives were used for Barber. He’s remembered for his Monday night jolt of Rich Gannon in 2003, a hit that kept Gannon out for the rest of the year.

Not too bad for a ball boy.

“I want to try and contribute in as many ways possible,” Barber said. “The more you can do, the longer you stay around.”

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by TRR

Anytime you take your best DLineman off the field, it's not a good thing. If Gun was to perminently switch to a 3-4 D, he would have to find room to get Allen on the field. He is too good at rushing the QB to be on the sideline.

I'd play him as a pass-rushing OLB, ala Derrick Thomas...

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Hicks, Brown and Browning would be a fine 3-4 line. Allen could be used in the passing situations same as Hall. Seems like a pretty good idea at this point.

Brown?

[Archie Bunker]

Originally Posted by Frankie

Brown?

I believe he is refering to Gilbert Brown.

[Spicy McHaggis]

Originally Posted by tiptap

Typically the 3 down lineman in a 3-4 are heavier not lighter than the average weight of 4-3 schemes. So Gilbert and Siavii (and not yet) are big enough but not Jarod and not Hicks. (Could either player play standing up as outside LB?)

Ironically in my Madden Franchise I did just that. Permanent switch to a 3-4 and used Allen a lot like the Ravens used Suggs before they switched back to 4-3.

[Spicy McHaggis]

Originally Posted by ROYC75

We played the 3-4 several times on Sunday with Dalton in the middle folks..........

That's not that shocking really. While you usually want a mammoth tackle as your nose its not always the rule. Seth Payne for example is about the same size as Dalton.

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Archie Bunker

I believe he is refering to Gilbert Brown.

Is he a Chief?

[jidar]

I'm not sold on the Idea of a 3-4. We finally get a DE that can pass rush in Jared Allen and now we want to go to a scheme that would effectively neuter the guy?
It wasn't our 3-4 formations that won us that game on sunday.
I say let the 3-4 experiments continue, we've got the personel for it, but you have to have Allen in there doing his thing in the 4-3.

[Chieftain58]

I doubt Allen is going anywhere..

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I'd play him as a pass-rushing OLB, ala Derrick Thomas...

they have already started moving Allen around some. He's working on both the right and left DE now.

i think Allen and wilkenson are our DE of the future unless we draft/sign someone.(and i hope we do)

[ArrowheadHawk]

i think we need more plays where dj will blitz on allens side of the ball

[go bo]

if they decide to dress warfield and maybe even let him on the field a few times, we might do better with blitz's from the olb's...

i really want to see bell and dj crush some quarterbacks...

[Archie Bunker]

Originally Posted by Frankie

Is he a Chief?

No sir

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Archie Bunker

No sir

That's what I thought.

[ROYC75]

I think some of you on here is jumping the Gun a bit ? Gun is not switching to a base 3-4 scheme, he is using it at certain times.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by ROYC75

I think some of you on here is jumping the Gun a bit ? Gun is not switching to a base 3-4 scheme, he is using it at certain times.

They've been using it more and more, and the fact that they brought in Gilbert Brown for a look says they're going to continue increasing it's use...