Wile_E_Coyote
04-17-2007, 09:33 AM
Shields’ retirement has helped turn a position of strength into one of uncertainty for Chiefs.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
“If I was certain I could play at a certain level, I would just keep doing it. But I don’t want to wonder from week to week whether I can keep doing it.” | Will Shields
As recently as two seasons ago, the 31 other teams were envious of the Chiefs and their offensive line. The Chiefs possessed a rarity: three linemen so skilled that each was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Two of those players are gone now that right guard Will Shields has joined left tackle Willie Roaf in retirement. Only left guard Brian Waters remains.
What once was a strength is now at best an area of uncertainty. The Chiefs patched the thing together, but for now at least they are more hopeful than sure their line will hold up.
“We’ve already made preparations for this by acquiring some talented veterans as well as younger offensive linemen,” Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said. “There are veteran players here that can play (right guard). I would say without question nobody’s going to fill those shoes. Nobody’s going to be quite as good as Will Shields.”
The Chiefs had privately been fretting that center Casey Wiegmann may also walk away. But Wiegmann has been participating in the offseason workout program, and his agent, Joe Linta, indicated Wiegmann would play this season.
“He’s not retiring, no,” Linta said. “He’s all set to play. He wants to play three or four more years-meal ticket.”
The Chiefs will probably open their season Sept. 9 at Houston with a line featuring Waters, Wiegmann and new starters at the three other positions. Free-agent addition Damion McIntosh is the left tackle, Chris Terry will get the first shot at right tackle, and John Welbourn is likely to play in Shields’ spot at right guard.
McIntosh was the Chiefs’ priority in free-agency. They whisked him from Miami in the opening moments of free-agency and had him under contract shortly after he arrived.
Terry has been a starting right tackle for Carolina and Seattle. Welbourn was mostly a guard for Philadelphia before joining the Chiefs three years ago.
He has played mostly tackle since coming to Kansas City. The Chiefs long believed guard was Welbourn’s best position, but they had no room for him there until now.
“When we made the trade for him a few years ago during the draft, (guard) was his position,” Peterson said. “I think he came in and thought maybe at that time Will was going to retire. But three years later, he hadn’t retired.
“Without question, (tackle is) not his best spot. He’s an offensive guard. But he’s been talented enough to play tackle for us.”
The Chiefs have several reserve candidates, including tackles Will Svitek and Kevin Sampson. Rudy Niswanger and Chris Bober can play both guard and center, while Tre Stallings, a sixth-round pick last year, is a guard.
They may add a lineman in the draft, though they have more pressing needs.
“Will we draft another offensive guard in the 2007 draft?” Peterson said. “Possibly, but I wouldn’t put it as our highest priority at this time.”
Shields on Monday explained his decision to retire. It wasn’t shocking because he had considered it the last couple of years, too.
It was sudden, though — so sudden that he didn’t tell the Chiefs until his Monday phone conversation with Peterson.
His reasoning was similar to Roaf’s last year. Shields indicated he was unsure whether his 35-year-old body, one that had absorbed the pounding of 14 NFL seasons, would allow him to play as well as he and the Chiefs had come to expect.
“Once you get to the NFL, you never want to let it go,” he said. “But you have to listen to what your body tells you and do what it tells you to do.
“Every year in the last few years, you kind of have that thought in your mind, ‘Can I or can’t I?’ At this point, I don’t think I can play another year.
“If I was certain I could play at a certain level, I would just keep doing it. But I don’t want to wonder from week to week whether I can keep doing it. I wouldn’t want to put my teammates in that position where they are wondering whether I can handle it or not.”
Shields indicated he would stay in the Kansas City area, where he is involved in numerous charitable endeavors, including his Will to Succeed Foundation. Beyond that, he was unsure of his next step, a prospect he said was both frightening and exhilarating.
Shields broadcast some high school football games for a local cable TV station while playing for the Chiefs.
“I might want to look into that,” he said. “I might look into coaching. I might look at front-office jobs. All options are open.
“I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do. I’m going to try to figure that out. I’ll try to see what’s available for me out there. That’s a unique feeling for me. It’s a good feeling, and it’s a bad feeling. You’re no longer doing what you love, so you have to figure out what you’re going to do that’s going to give you that same feeling.”
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are facing the same dilemma in trying to replace Shields.
“Players, including Brian Waters, who have played with Will are going to (know) it’s not going to be the same without him,” Peterson said. “But … they know he’s been contemplating this for more than one season. It’s not a complete shock or surprise.
“The consistency is what we’ll miss more than anything else. He’s been so consistently good.”
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and to hold off any repost police persons
<A name=385997>Dolphins | Ingram signed
Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:01:13 -0700The Associated Press reports the Miami Dolphins (http://www.kffl.com/team/22/nfl) have signed free-agent C Johnathan Ingram (http://www.kffl.com/player/7926/nfl) (Chiefs). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
“If I was certain I could play at a certain level, I would just keep doing it. But I don’t want to wonder from week to week whether I can keep doing it.” | Will Shields
As recently as two seasons ago, the 31 other teams were envious of the Chiefs and their offensive line. The Chiefs possessed a rarity: three linemen so skilled that each was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Two of those players are gone now that right guard Will Shields has joined left tackle Willie Roaf in retirement. Only left guard Brian Waters remains.
What once was a strength is now at best an area of uncertainty. The Chiefs patched the thing together, but for now at least they are more hopeful than sure their line will hold up.
“We’ve already made preparations for this by acquiring some talented veterans as well as younger offensive linemen,” Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said. “There are veteran players here that can play (right guard). I would say without question nobody’s going to fill those shoes. Nobody’s going to be quite as good as Will Shields.”
The Chiefs had privately been fretting that center Casey Wiegmann may also walk away. But Wiegmann has been participating in the offseason workout program, and his agent, Joe Linta, indicated Wiegmann would play this season.
“He’s not retiring, no,” Linta said. “He’s all set to play. He wants to play three or four more years-meal ticket.”
The Chiefs will probably open their season Sept. 9 at Houston with a line featuring Waters, Wiegmann and new starters at the three other positions. Free-agent addition Damion McIntosh is the left tackle, Chris Terry will get the first shot at right tackle, and John Welbourn is likely to play in Shields’ spot at right guard.
McIntosh was the Chiefs’ priority in free-agency. They whisked him from Miami in the opening moments of free-agency and had him under contract shortly after he arrived.
Terry has been a starting right tackle for Carolina and Seattle. Welbourn was mostly a guard for Philadelphia before joining the Chiefs three years ago.
He has played mostly tackle since coming to Kansas City. The Chiefs long believed guard was Welbourn’s best position, but they had no room for him there until now.
“When we made the trade for him a few years ago during the draft, (guard) was his position,” Peterson said. “I think he came in and thought maybe at that time Will was going to retire. But three years later, he hadn’t retired.
“Without question, (tackle is) not his best spot. He’s an offensive guard. But he’s been talented enough to play tackle for us.”
The Chiefs have several reserve candidates, including tackles Will Svitek and Kevin Sampson. Rudy Niswanger and Chris Bober can play both guard and center, while Tre Stallings, a sixth-round pick last year, is a guard.
They may add a lineman in the draft, though they have more pressing needs.
“Will we draft another offensive guard in the 2007 draft?” Peterson said. “Possibly, but I wouldn’t put it as our highest priority at this time.”
Shields on Monday explained his decision to retire. It wasn’t shocking because he had considered it the last couple of years, too.
It was sudden, though — so sudden that he didn’t tell the Chiefs until his Monday phone conversation with Peterson.
His reasoning was similar to Roaf’s last year. Shields indicated he was unsure whether his 35-year-old body, one that had absorbed the pounding of 14 NFL seasons, would allow him to play as well as he and the Chiefs had come to expect.
“Once you get to the NFL, you never want to let it go,” he said. “But you have to listen to what your body tells you and do what it tells you to do.
“Every year in the last few years, you kind of have that thought in your mind, ‘Can I or can’t I?’ At this point, I don’t think I can play another year.
“If I was certain I could play at a certain level, I would just keep doing it. But I don’t want to wonder from week to week whether I can keep doing it. I wouldn’t want to put my teammates in that position where they are wondering whether I can handle it or not.”
Shields indicated he would stay in the Kansas City area, where he is involved in numerous charitable endeavors, including his Will to Succeed Foundation. Beyond that, he was unsure of his next step, a prospect he said was both frightening and exhilarating.
Shields broadcast some high school football games for a local cable TV station while playing for the Chiefs.
“I might want to look into that,” he said. “I might look into coaching. I might look at front-office jobs. All options are open.
“I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do. I’m going to try to figure that out. I’ll try to see what’s available for me out there. That’s a unique feeling for me. It’s a good feeling, and it’s a bad feeling. You’re no longer doing what you love, so you have to figure out what you’re going to do that’s going to give you that same feeling.”
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are facing the same dilemma in trying to replace Shields.
“Players, including Brian Waters, who have played with Will are going to (know) it’s not going to be the same without him,” Peterson said. “But … they know he’s been contemplating this for more than one season. It’s not a complete shock or surprise.
“The consistency is what we’ll miss more than anything else. He’s been so consistently good.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------
and to hold off any repost police persons
<A name=385997>Dolphins | Ingram signed
Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:01:13 -0700The Associated Press reports the Miami Dolphins (http://www.kffl.com/team/22/nfl) have signed free-agent C Johnathan Ingram (http://www.kffl.com/player/7926/nfl) (Chiefs). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.