Wallcrawler
06-27-2005, 03:52 PM
GRETZ: Off-Season Look: Rookies
Jun 27, 2005, 6:04:57 AM by Bob Gretz
The rookies on the Chiefs roster are headed towards Florida this week, for the NFL’s annual rookie symposium. After that, most of them will scatter around the country for a few weeks at home, before they return to Kansas City and get ready for the trip to Wisconsin and their first professional training camp.
But even as the new guys have left the building, Chuck Cook is walking around Arrowhead Stadium with a smile on his face. It’s been there for the better part of the last month. As the rookies went through the off-season work, more and more of them showed they are going to be a factor in the battle for spots on the 53-man roster.
“Really, I’ve got to pinch myself to make sure this has been real,” Cook said. “As the coach says, we’ve only been running around in our underwear and there’s so much more to come in camp when the pads go on.
“But we thought this was going to be a good group for us and they’ve done nothing to show us that we were wrong.”
Of the Chiefs nine draft picks, six are factors for the regular-season roster. Another three rookie free agents are also in that mix. It’s hard to believe nine rookies would make the final roster, but it’s not out of the possibility.
“Every one of our guys is going to compete,” said Cook. “Some have a better chance than others for the active roster. With an eight-man practice squad, I think they are all a factor in staying with us for the season.”
Here’s a breakdown on what the new faces have done since they were drafted or signed in late April.
DERRICK JOHNSON: Cook just smiles and shakes his head when the team’s No. 1 draft choice is mentioned. “Easily, the most talented first-round pick I’ve been associated with since Derrick Thomas,” said Cook. “He’s shown everything to us that he showed last year at Texas, but he’s also been more physical than we saw. The knock on him was he wouldn’t go through people, but I think he’s shown us that he’s willing to do that.
“He’s got a great motor, a great personality and some of the things he does, just have not been done around here. When he came off the left side on the pass rush in Friday’s mini-camp practice and reached up and grabbed that ball out of the air like he was Manute Bol or something, well … I haven’t seen that done around here.”
DUSTIN COLQUITT: Coaches and scouts can watch a punter or kicker and judge his ability to kick. The question is always there about their personality and the ability to handle the tough times. Colquitt must prove that, but Cook likes what he’s seen.
“Those hang times are pretty special and that spin he puts on the ball has been giving even guys like Dante Hall and Eddie Kennison fits,” said Cook. “But the thing that really comes across is that the game is not too big for him. His personality I think will make the transition to the NFL easier for him than it might be for other punters coming out of college.”
CRAPHONSO THORPE: It was only in the last few practices where Thorpe really started showing the physical talents that made him a fourth round pick. “Early on, the playbook really slowed his body down,” admitted Cook. “He’s not going to be instant coffee. It’s going to take him a season to really get into the flow.”
Thorpe will have a hard time finding a spot on the active roster in 2005, as he’s part of about a half-dozen players fighting for what figures to be one spot.
BOOMER GRIGSBY: There’s a spot on the active roster for Grigsby. The question that remains to be proven in training camp is how much he’ll play. He’s a factor in the race for the starting middle linebacker job.
“He’s a natural leader, who has come in here with a chip on his shoulder,” said Cook. “Guys coming out of 1-AA football have that. But he’s already shown that the game is not too big for him.”
ALPHONSO HODGE: His work in the practices has matched the evaluation of Hodge coming out of Miami of Ohio. In press coverage, he’s shown some real talent. But when he plays off the line and works in space, he has problems. “There’s talent there and he’s going to get a chance to show that more in training camp and the pre-season games,” said Cook. “I think he’ll challenge for that fifth cornerback spot.”
WILL SVITEK: The Stanford product making the switch from defense to offense has struggled in the OTAs. Right now, he’s not a viable candidate for the active roster. “He would have to have a great, great training camp,” Cook said of Svitek. “But I think he’s a real candidate for the practice squad. He’s a great athlete and you don’t want to throw that away.”
KHARI LONG: Maybe, possibly, Long could be the steal of the 2005 Draft for the Chiefs. He has shown a nice explosion off the edge in the pass rush and a willingness to compete. He remains a raw product, but if he can make a contribution in the kicking game, Long has a chance at the last spot on the defensive line.
JAMES KILIAN: Again, the Chiefs overall evaluation of Kilian seems to have been right on the money and there’s no chance for him to make the active roster. Whether he’s shown enough to earn a spot on the practice squad remains to be determined in training camp.
JEREMY PARQUET: A real candidate for the practice squad, Parquet has an opportunity to make a place for himself. He’s going to need to improve his work ethic, but there’s no denying some of the natural skills he’s shown. Parquet is as raw as raw can be, but there’s talent there.
Among the rookie free agents, three have viable shots at making the roster: CB Justin Perkins out of Connecticut, LB Kris Griffin from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and running back Sam Gado out of Liberty University.
“All those guys have shown us something,” said Cook. “If they continue to do that in camp, with the pads on, then they will be factors.”
Last year, only three rookies were on the active roster for the first game of the season: DT Junior Siavii, DE Jared Allen and WR Richard Smith. By the end of the season, only Siavii, Allen, LB Keyaron Fox and CB Benny Sapp saw significant playing time.
Early indications are those numbers will be higher in 2005.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
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I cant wait to see Derrick Johnson on the field for the Chiefs.
Jun 27, 2005, 6:04:57 AM by Bob Gretz
The rookies on the Chiefs roster are headed towards Florida this week, for the NFL’s annual rookie symposium. After that, most of them will scatter around the country for a few weeks at home, before they return to Kansas City and get ready for the trip to Wisconsin and their first professional training camp.
But even as the new guys have left the building, Chuck Cook is walking around Arrowhead Stadium with a smile on his face. It’s been there for the better part of the last month. As the rookies went through the off-season work, more and more of them showed they are going to be a factor in the battle for spots on the 53-man roster.
“Really, I’ve got to pinch myself to make sure this has been real,” Cook said. “As the coach says, we’ve only been running around in our underwear and there’s so much more to come in camp when the pads go on.
“But we thought this was going to be a good group for us and they’ve done nothing to show us that we were wrong.”
Of the Chiefs nine draft picks, six are factors for the regular-season roster. Another three rookie free agents are also in that mix. It’s hard to believe nine rookies would make the final roster, but it’s not out of the possibility.
“Every one of our guys is going to compete,” said Cook. “Some have a better chance than others for the active roster. With an eight-man practice squad, I think they are all a factor in staying with us for the season.”
Here’s a breakdown on what the new faces have done since they were drafted or signed in late April.
DERRICK JOHNSON: Cook just smiles and shakes his head when the team’s No. 1 draft choice is mentioned. “Easily, the most talented first-round pick I’ve been associated with since Derrick Thomas,” said Cook. “He’s shown everything to us that he showed last year at Texas, but he’s also been more physical than we saw. The knock on him was he wouldn’t go through people, but I think he’s shown us that he’s willing to do that.
“He’s got a great motor, a great personality and some of the things he does, just have not been done around here. When he came off the left side on the pass rush in Friday’s mini-camp practice and reached up and grabbed that ball out of the air like he was Manute Bol or something, well … I haven’t seen that done around here.”
DUSTIN COLQUITT: Coaches and scouts can watch a punter or kicker and judge his ability to kick. The question is always there about their personality and the ability to handle the tough times. Colquitt must prove that, but Cook likes what he’s seen.
“Those hang times are pretty special and that spin he puts on the ball has been giving even guys like Dante Hall and Eddie Kennison fits,” said Cook. “But the thing that really comes across is that the game is not too big for him. His personality I think will make the transition to the NFL easier for him than it might be for other punters coming out of college.”
CRAPHONSO THORPE: It was only in the last few practices where Thorpe really started showing the physical talents that made him a fourth round pick. “Early on, the playbook really slowed his body down,” admitted Cook. “He’s not going to be instant coffee. It’s going to take him a season to really get into the flow.”
Thorpe will have a hard time finding a spot on the active roster in 2005, as he’s part of about a half-dozen players fighting for what figures to be one spot.
BOOMER GRIGSBY: There’s a spot on the active roster for Grigsby. The question that remains to be proven in training camp is how much he’ll play. He’s a factor in the race for the starting middle linebacker job.
“He’s a natural leader, who has come in here with a chip on his shoulder,” said Cook. “Guys coming out of 1-AA football have that. But he’s already shown that the game is not too big for him.”
ALPHONSO HODGE: His work in the practices has matched the evaluation of Hodge coming out of Miami of Ohio. In press coverage, he’s shown some real talent. But when he plays off the line and works in space, he has problems. “There’s talent there and he’s going to get a chance to show that more in training camp and the pre-season games,” said Cook. “I think he’ll challenge for that fifth cornerback spot.”
WILL SVITEK: The Stanford product making the switch from defense to offense has struggled in the OTAs. Right now, he’s not a viable candidate for the active roster. “He would have to have a great, great training camp,” Cook said of Svitek. “But I think he’s a real candidate for the practice squad. He’s a great athlete and you don’t want to throw that away.”
KHARI LONG: Maybe, possibly, Long could be the steal of the 2005 Draft for the Chiefs. He has shown a nice explosion off the edge in the pass rush and a willingness to compete. He remains a raw product, but if he can make a contribution in the kicking game, Long has a chance at the last spot on the defensive line.
JAMES KILIAN: Again, the Chiefs overall evaluation of Kilian seems to have been right on the money and there’s no chance for him to make the active roster. Whether he’s shown enough to earn a spot on the practice squad remains to be determined in training camp.
JEREMY PARQUET: A real candidate for the practice squad, Parquet has an opportunity to make a place for himself. He’s going to need to improve his work ethic, but there’s no denying some of the natural skills he’s shown. Parquet is as raw as raw can be, but there’s talent there.
Among the rookie free agents, three have viable shots at making the roster: CB Justin Perkins out of Connecticut, LB Kris Griffin from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and running back Sam Gado out of Liberty University.
“All those guys have shown us something,” said Cook. “If they continue to do that in camp, with the pads on, then they will be factors.”
Last year, only three rookies were on the active roster for the first game of the season: DT Junior Siavii, DE Jared Allen and WR Richard Smith. By the end of the season, only Siavii, Allen, LB Keyaron Fox and CB Benny Sapp saw significant playing time.
Early indications are those numbers will be higher in 2005.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
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I cant wait to see Derrick Johnson on the field for the Chiefs.