Chiefs notebook: Charles says he’ll be ready

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs notebook: Charles says he’ll be ready

Charles says he’ll be ready

The Chiefs continued to work at minicamp Wednesday without running back Jamaal Charles, who tore his ACL in an early season game last year in Detroit. But Charles all but guaranteed he would be cleared to participate when training camp begins next month.

“When they let that cape off me, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to put my cleats back on and punish everybody in my way,” said Charles, who added that he felt so strong he could play in a game today, if necessary.

Charles, tight end Tony Moeaki and safety Eric Berry suffered similar injuries at about the same time last year and all are on the same recovery timetable. They are scheduled to be examined by team doctors Monday and either cleared to participate at camp or not cleared.

Rucker to have surgery

Coach Romeo Crennel said tight end Martin Rucker would have knee surgery for his torn ACL and would be placed on the injured-reserve list, ending his season. With Moeaki out and Jake OConnell also sidelined because of a strained ligament in his thumb, the Chiefs are suddenly short at tight end.

The only tight ends who practiced Wednesday were Kevin Boss, Steve Maneri and Tim Biere.

“We might have to look to add another guy for training camp,” Crennel said.

Banks works out

The Chiefs worked out linebacker Brian Banks on Tuesday but hadn’t signed him. Crennel didn’t say the Chiefs wouldn’t eventually get Banks under contract but sounded like he believes Banks has too many obstacles to overcome to become a solid NFL player.

He spent five years in jail on a rape conviction before being exonerated.

“It went (well) considering that he hasn’t been playing football,” Crennel said. “But you can tell he has been working out. The football drills, he still remembers those things and the more workouts he can have with these different teams, the more it will come back to him.

“Not having played (recently), that’s the biggest challenge. The level of competition and the skill of the guys he’s going against and then the way the game itself has changed, being a more wide-open game. You’ve got terminology issues you have to deal with, conditioning you have to deal with. All those things make it tougher for him to be able to come back and just jump right in and make a big impact.”

Cassel’s new relationships

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel is not only learning a new offense from Brian Daboll, his fifth offensive coordinator in four years, but is also adjusting to new teammates during this minicamp.

“Your approach is always to try to come back and work hard each day like I have in the past,” Cassel said, “but every team is different every single year. It’s building new rapport, new relationships with these receivers, getting familiar with your new personnel, guys like (running back) Peyton Hillis and (tight end) Kevin Boss, and continuing to build a relationship with coach Daboll, and trying to get to know him … how he likes to call plays, what he likes on third down and different situations as well.”

Cassel said mastering the new offense has been a “steep learning curve” for everyone, but the offense has made progress.

“Guys are eliminating the mental errors, which is a good sign,” he said. “That means they’re picking it up and doing the right things. Once we put the pads on, and we get a few preseason games going, hopefully we’ll be ready for the season.”

Gammon going to Boot Camp

Former Chiefs deep snapper Kendall Gammon, who is now the sideline reporter for the Chiefs’ radio broadcasts, will join 22 other current and former NFL players next week at the sixth annual NFL Broadcast Boot Camp at NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J.

The program includes instruction from each of the NFL’s network partners and includes hands-on work in areas such as tape study, editing, show preparation, radio production, control-room operation, studio preparation, production meetings, field reporting and game preparation.

“I am looking to learn in whatever fashion I can,” Gammon said. “I’m just looking for constructive criticism and try to continue and get better.”

Some former players have used the boot camp to help find jobs in network television, but Gammon said he hasn’t looked that far down the line.

“If that ever happens someday, I might or might not consider it,” he said of a network job. “It would depend on where my kids were in school and if I want to take time from them. It’s really just aimed at being around a lot of professionals who have been around a long time and aren’t afraid to tell you that you need to work on this and that.”

[Reerun_KC]

400 touches should be about right. Run that mofo into the ground and grab the next in line.

[Cornstock]

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

400 touches should be about right. Run that mofo into the ground and grab the next in line.

Why the hell would you want Charles to have 400 touches when you have Hillis?

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

400 touches should be about right. Run that mofo into the ground and grab the next in line.

He has three premium years left, using them all up in somewhat rehabbing 2012 is a BOLO... with most backs, yeah thats pretty much how you have to be... but not a special talent like him.

Never take a Ferrari down a gravel road.

[BossChief]

I look for Hillis to have around 250 carries and another 40 catches. Charles will probably get 175 carries and catch 30 balls. The other 75-100 carries will be split between Gray and DMC...probably somewhat evenly.

I think that would be a perfect mix.

[Cornstock]

Originally Posted by BossChief

I look for Hillis to have around 250 carries and another 40 catches. Charles will probably get 175 carries and catch 30 balls. The other 75-100 carries will be split between Gray and DMC...probably somewhat evenly.

I think that would be a perfect mix.

Concurrence with your ballpark figures. I'm interested to see what the exact ratio of Charles to Hillis there will be.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by BossChief

I look for Hillis to have around 250 carries and another 40 catches. Charles will probably get 175 carries and catch 30 balls.

If this comes to pass, fire Daboll.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Fine Uncut Meat

If this comes to pass, fire Daboll.

Let's say you bought a corvette brand new in 2000 and you blew the engine a month ago.

You take the engine in to get it rebuilt and the mechanic finishes the job and gets it back into the car and ready to roll.

What do you think would happen if you take that vette straight to the autobahn and just floored it for 100 miles?

My guess is you wouldn't make it 20.

Hillis SHOULD get more touches than Jamaal if the team is thinking long term.

[Easy 6]

I want to see Jamaal make more plays in the passing game this year, its the perfect way to protect him to a certain extent, while exploiting his playmaking potential... he can nab it.

And yeah, there really shouldnt even be a discussion about Hillis getting more carries in 2012, its a given no brainer.

[Hammock Parties]

Complete poppycock.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Fine Uncut Meat

Complete poppycock.

No, it's not.

2012 isn't the last year of football, so that should be taken into account when deciding how to handle the workload during the first year back from a torn ACL for one of (if not the) best players on the team that should still have 5 prime years.

[Demonpenz]

Charles is on my fantasy keeper so I hope they give him touches. Hillis is on my friends, but I doubt my friend puts him in much since the scoring is odd.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Can't wait to watch him rape those below average AFC West defenses.