Coogs
08-31-2006, 11:48 AM
Didn't see this posted. Sorry if re-post. Sounds as if Gun wants Bell to win out since he pimped for him so hard...
____________________________________________________________
Fox in the hunt for job
Linebacker is giving Bell plenty of competition for a starting position.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs waited patiently last season for the free agent supposed to make the biggest splash to make any kind of impact at all.
It never happened for linebacker Kendrell Bell. He looked like a player coming off a year of inactivity and was only seventh on the team in tackles.
The Chiefs stayed with Bell in part because they had no alternative. This year, they might have one.
Keyaron Fox leads the Chiefs in preseason tackles and, based solely on their summer work, probably deserves to start over Bell at right linebacker.
That, too, hasn’t happened yet. Bell, except for brief periods at training camp, has been the starter.
Coach Herm Edwards is at least promoting the Bell-Fox battle as competition.
“No one has said, ‘I’m the guy’ yet,” Edwards said. “Both of them are playing well. You feel like you have four starting linebackers — and that’s never bad to have — and if you play all four, that’s fine. If we have to keep doing that during the season, we’ll keep doing that.”
It’s a startling admission from Edwards that Bell, a player desperately coveted last year by defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, hasn’t claimed a job yet. Cunningham viewed Bell as the explosive, playmaking linebacker the Chiefs lacked at the time.
If the position truly is competitive, the Chiefs will soon have to make a decision. Tonight’s preseason game against New Orleans at Arrowhead Stadium is the final exhibition game for the Chiefs, who begin the regular season a week from Sunday at home against Cincinnati.
Fox is trying to force the Chiefs to make a decision they would probably rather not make. They lavished a big contract on Bell last year, while Fox was a third-round draft pick in 2004, so using Fox over Bell is an admission they made a bad decision to sign the veteran.
“Every game is important for me, especially since I’m coming off an injury,” said Fox, who was lost for the season after hurting a knee in the second game last year. “I wanted to make sure they know I’m 100 percent ready to go and there’s nothing wrong with my knee.”
Edwards and Cunningham spent much of the early offseason touting Bell as crucial to their plans to reverse the team’s defensive fortunes.
The Chiefs said they didn’t see the real Bell last year because of groin and shoulder problems that forced him to miss most of the 2004 season with Pittsburgh.
“I’m gradually getting better,” Bell said. “I feel optimistic. I’m real hard on myself. I’ve thought a lot about last year. I’ve been able to practice and play in the preseason games, which is better than last year. I’m pretty happy about that.
“I feel better physically. I’m able to run. Last year, I really couldn’t do that. I feel tons better.”
Specifically, Edwards and Cunningham wanted to feature Bell’s pass-rushing skills. He had been at times a disruptive pass rusher for the Steelers and the team promised Bell would be part of their rush plans, perhaps as a hand-on-the-ground end.
The Chiefs haven’t shown that yet. Bell comes out in most passing situations in favor of nickel back Benny Sapp.
Edwards hinted it could still happen.
“There are a lot of different things you can do on defense,” he said. “We haven’t shown a lot yet. You never know. It could happen someday, maybe sooner (rather) than later.”
The addition of defensive end Tamba Hali as the first-round pick in late April may have changed at least some of the Chiefs’ plans for Bell. Hali was the featured pass rusher in his first preseason game last week against St. Louis.
The Chiefs used him occasionally as a stand-up rusher in the middle of their line.
“We have a ton of things we can do,” Bell said. “Gun has worked Tamba Hali into a lot of things. He’s trying to get him to be a stand-up guy and a down guy. Some of the things he’s doing, I’m going to do the same thing, basically. Gun has him doing it and I’m kind of like the backup.”
If the Chiefs aren’t going to use Bell as a pass rusher, Fox may be the better option. He has made more preseason plays than Bell.
“He was doing well last year before he got hurt,” middle linebacker Kawika Mitchell said of Fox. “I knew he had some talent. He’s coming on strong, had a good camp. He’s got a chance to be a real good player.”
Fox returned in the offseason uncertain where he might fit in under a new head coach or what he might have lost with the injury.
He was pleasantly surprised at both.
“I didn’t lose too much with the injury as far as mobility,” Fox said. “Now I feel like I’m a smarter player because I got to sit back and study the game for a year. So I’m in better shape than last year.”
The Chiefs may wind up using a lot of four-linebacker formations using both Fox and Bell. They used four linebackers some last year before Fox’s injury.
“We have an array of people,” Bell said. “We should use all of the talent we have.”
____________________________________________________________
Fox in the hunt for job
Linebacker is giving Bell plenty of competition for a starting position.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs waited patiently last season for the free agent supposed to make the biggest splash to make any kind of impact at all.
It never happened for linebacker Kendrell Bell. He looked like a player coming off a year of inactivity and was only seventh on the team in tackles.
The Chiefs stayed with Bell in part because they had no alternative. This year, they might have one.
Keyaron Fox leads the Chiefs in preseason tackles and, based solely on their summer work, probably deserves to start over Bell at right linebacker.
That, too, hasn’t happened yet. Bell, except for brief periods at training camp, has been the starter.
Coach Herm Edwards is at least promoting the Bell-Fox battle as competition.
“No one has said, ‘I’m the guy’ yet,” Edwards said. “Both of them are playing well. You feel like you have four starting linebackers — and that’s never bad to have — and if you play all four, that’s fine. If we have to keep doing that during the season, we’ll keep doing that.”
It’s a startling admission from Edwards that Bell, a player desperately coveted last year by defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, hasn’t claimed a job yet. Cunningham viewed Bell as the explosive, playmaking linebacker the Chiefs lacked at the time.
If the position truly is competitive, the Chiefs will soon have to make a decision. Tonight’s preseason game against New Orleans at Arrowhead Stadium is the final exhibition game for the Chiefs, who begin the regular season a week from Sunday at home against Cincinnati.
Fox is trying to force the Chiefs to make a decision they would probably rather not make. They lavished a big contract on Bell last year, while Fox was a third-round draft pick in 2004, so using Fox over Bell is an admission they made a bad decision to sign the veteran.
“Every game is important for me, especially since I’m coming off an injury,” said Fox, who was lost for the season after hurting a knee in the second game last year. “I wanted to make sure they know I’m 100 percent ready to go and there’s nothing wrong with my knee.”
Edwards and Cunningham spent much of the early offseason touting Bell as crucial to their plans to reverse the team’s defensive fortunes.
The Chiefs said they didn’t see the real Bell last year because of groin and shoulder problems that forced him to miss most of the 2004 season with Pittsburgh.
“I’m gradually getting better,” Bell said. “I feel optimistic. I’m real hard on myself. I’ve thought a lot about last year. I’ve been able to practice and play in the preseason games, which is better than last year. I’m pretty happy about that.
“I feel better physically. I’m able to run. Last year, I really couldn’t do that. I feel tons better.”
Specifically, Edwards and Cunningham wanted to feature Bell’s pass-rushing skills. He had been at times a disruptive pass rusher for the Steelers and the team promised Bell would be part of their rush plans, perhaps as a hand-on-the-ground end.
The Chiefs haven’t shown that yet. Bell comes out in most passing situations in favor of nickel back Benny Sapp.
Edwards hinted it could still happen.
“There are a lot of different things you can do on defense,” he said. “We haven’t shown a lot yet. You never know. It could happen someday, maybe sooner (rather) than later.”
The addition of defensive end Tamba Hali as the first-round pick in late April may have changed at least some of the Chiefs’ plans for Bell. Hali was the featured pass rusher in his first preseason game last week against St. Louis.
The Chiefs used him occasionally as a stand-up rusher in the middle of their line.
“We have a ton of things we can do,” Bell said. “Gun has worked Tamba Hali into a lot of things. He’s trying to get him to be a stand-up guy and a down guy. Some of the things he’s doing, I’m going to do the same thing, basically. Gun has him doing it and I’m kind of like the backup.”
If the Chiefs aren’t going to use Bell as a pass rusher, Fox may be the better option. He has made more preseason plays than Bell.
“He was doing well last year before he got hurt,” middle linebacker Kawika Mitchell said of Fox. “I knew he had some talent. He’s coming on strong, had a good camp. He’s got a chance to be a real good player.”
Fox returned in the offseason uncertain where he might fit in under a new head coach or what he might have lost with the injury.
He was pleasantly surprised at both.
“I didn’t lose too much with the injury as far as mobility,” Fox said. “Now I feel like I’m a smarter player because I got to sit back and study the game for a year. So I’m in better shape than last year.”
The Chiefs may wind up using a lot of four-linebacker formations using both Fox and Bell. They used four linebackers some last year before Fox’s injury.
“We have an array of people,” Bell said. “We should use all of the talent we have.”