TEICHER: C Faine, K Brown may visit as soon as today

[BigRock]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ry/510689.html

The whole thing really reads like speculation, but here's hoping it's informed speculation.

Faine, Brown could be on Chiefs’ list

By ADAM TEICHER

The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs have so many items on their offseason to-do list that it could be difficult for them to figure out where to begin.

Fixing their dilapidated offensive line and finding a reliable kicker might be the best places for them to start.

That’s just what the Chiefs might do now that the free-agent market has opened. New Orleans center Jeff Faine and Seattle kicker Josh Brown could be their initial free-agent visitors, perhaps as soon as today.

Faine and Brown are the types of player the Chiefs hope to build around. Each is young, Faine is 26 and Brown 28 and at least in theory have yet to play their best football.

Faine was a starter in the first five seasons of his career, the first three with Cleveland and the last two with the Saints. He was picked by the Browns in the first round of the 2003 draft.

He would replace Casey Wiegmann, the starting center for the last seven seasons. Wiegmann is an unrestricted free agent, and the Chiefs won’t try to re-sign him. Even if the Chiefs sign Faine, they would still have starting positions to fill at right guard and one of the tackle spots.

The Chiefs recently released right guard John Welbourn. They will draft at least one tackle and could move left tackle Damion McIntosh to right guard or right tackle.

Brown, a former Nebraska kicker, made 80 percent of his field-goal attempts over his five NFL seasons, all with the Seahawks. He made 28 of 34, or 82.4 percent, last season.

The Chiefs went through three kickers last season and were near the bottom of the league in field-goal percentage at 70.3. They tried rookie Justin Medlock and Dave Rayner and finally settled on John Carney near season’s end.

Carney made all three of his field-goal attempts but will be 44 in April. He is also an unrestricted free agent.

The Chiefs in January signed kickers Billy Cundiff and Nick Novak. Both have NFL experience.

The Chiefs wouldn’t necessarily be finished in free-agency even if they sign Faine and Brown. But they might choose to wait to fill their other considerable holes until the draft. The Chiefs have 10 picks, including extras in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds acquired in trades last year.

The Chiefs will be looking for additional offensive linemen as well as cornerbacks and wide receivers. Patrick Surtain, who will be 32 in June, is their only experienced cornerback.

They’ve told last year’s other starter, Ty Law, that he will soon be released. Benny Sapp played a considerable amount in recent seasons but is a free agent, and the Chiefs have made no effort to re-sign him.

Their other cornerbacks — Tyron Brackenridge, Dimitri Patterson, Rashad Barksdale and Chad Johnson — are young and largely untested.

At wide receiver, the Chiefs this week released longtime starter Eddie Kennison. That leaves them with Dwayne Bowe, Jeff Webb and two young players, Bobby Sippio and Maurice Price.

Samie Parker, a former starter, and Eddie Drummond are unrestricted free agents, and the Chiefs have made no attempt to re-sign them.