Tribal Warfare
08-16-2008, 01:16 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/751116.html
Chiefs rookie corners should get a test against Cardinals receivers
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
* Five things to watch with Chiefs
* Construction creates changes at Arrowhead
Like most of his teammates at Grand Valley State, a Division II school in Michigan, Brandon Carr would sit in front of his television on fall Sundays and dream about competing against the NFL players on the screen.
The difference is that for Carr, a rookie Chiefs cornerback, the dream is coming true. It won’t get much more vivid than in tonight’s exhibition game against the Cardinals at Arrowhead Stadium.
Arizona features one of the NFL’s top wide-receiving tandems in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. The two will give Carr and another Chiefs rookie cornerback, Brandon Flowers, the best test of their young NFL careers.
“This is what you play for,” Carr said. “I’m a competitor, so you want to compete against the best, and those guys are some pretty talented receivers. It’s going to be a lot of fun out there. I admit that it’s hard to believe I’m playing against guys I grew up idolizing. I’m out there checking them.
“I used to watch these guys on TV, and I always wondered what it would be like to line up against that person. Pretty soon, I’m going to know.”
Fitzgerald and Boldin may only get a series or two. Boldin returned to practice only this week after missing some training camp time because of a sore hamstring.
No matter how much they play, the Chiefs will savor every snap. The mere mention of Fitzgerald and Boldin going against the rookie cornerbacks brought a smile this week to the face of Chiefs coach Herm Edwards.
“It’ll be a good test for them,” Edwards said. “Pretty soon they’ll be playing against Randy Moss and some other good receivers. Every week it will be somebody good. So let’s see how they react.
“The thing I like about them is these guys hit. All of our guys in the secondary hit people, but our corners tackle well. That’s important for us. We’ve got to have corners that can tackle.”
The Chiefs’ youth movement is vast but perhaps at its boldest in the secondary. Flowers and Carr are playing, and a third rookie, DaJuan Morgan, is pushing for time.
Flowers, a second-round draft pick, was one of the stars at training camp. He was immediately installed as a starter and not only held on to the job through camp but strengthened his grip.
“They’ve put a lot on his plate because he plays corner and he plays nickel, but he’s picked it up,” safety Jarrad Page said. “Physically, he’s got all the tools.”
Flowers is only 5 feet 9 and 187 pounds, but plays as if he’s bigger. He had some memorable battles with the much larger Dwayne Bowe at camp and won his share.
Carr isn’t as advanced as Flowers but is the third cornerback and could eventually replace Patrick Surtain as a starter sometime this season. He already takes some of the veteran Surtain’s snaps in part to save wear and tear on Surtain’s body but also to speed Carr’s developmental process.
“I’ve seen some improvement,” Carr said.
The Chiefs have much riding on Carr and Flowers not only fighting their way through but flourishing. Moss, Wes Welker and the Patriots await in just three weeks.
“I’m trying not to look too far ahead, but that’s hard because it’s Randy Moss,” Carr said. “I’ve got to focus on the Cardinals because those receivers are pretty good players, too.”
Cardinals at Chiefs
•WHEN/WHERE: 7 tonight at Arrowhead Stadium
•TV/RADIO: Chs. 5, 13, KCFX (101.1 FM)
Chiefs rookie corners should get a test against Cardinals receivers
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
* Five things to watch with Chiefs
* Construction creates changes at Arrowhead
Like most of his teammates at Grand Valley State, a Division II school in Michigan, Brandon Carr would sit in front of his television on fall Sundays and dream about competing against the NFL players on the screen.
The difference is that for Carr, a rookie Chiefs cornerback, the dream is coming true. It won’t get much more vivid than in tonight’s exhibition game against the Cardinals at Arrowhead Stadium.
Arizona features one of the NFL’s top wide-receiving tandems in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. The two will give Carr and another Chiefs rookie cornerback, Brandon Flowers, the best test of their young NFL careers.
“This is what you play for,” Carr said. “I’m a competitor, so you want to compete against the best, and those guys are some pretty talented receivers. It’s going to be a lot of fun out there. I admit that it’s hard to believe I’m playing against guys I grew up idolizing. I’m out there checking them.
“I used to watch these guys on TV, and I always wondered what it would be like to line up against that person. Pretty soon, I’m going to know.”
Fitzgerald and Boldin may only get a series or two. Boldin returned to practice only this week after missing some training camp time because of a sore hamstring.
No matter how much they play, the Chiefs will savor every snap. The mere mention of Fitzgerald and Boldin going against the rookie cornerbacks brought a smile this week to the face of Chiefs coach Herm Edwards.
“It’ll be a good test for them,” Edwards said. “Pretty soon they’ll be playing against Randy Moss and some other good receivers. Every week it will be somebody good. So let’s see how they react.
“The thing I like about them is these guys hit. All of our guys in the secondary hit people, but our corners tackle well. That’s important for us. We’ve got to have corners that can tackle.”
The Chiefs’ youth movement is vast but perhaps at its boldest in the secondary. Flowers and Carr are playing, and a third rookie, DaJuan Morgan, is pushing for time.
Flowers, a second-round draft pick, was one of the stars at training camp. He was immediately installed as a starter and not only held on to the job through camp but strengthened his grip.
“They’ve put a lot on his plate because he plays corner and he plays nickel, but he’s picked it up,” safety Jarrad Page said. “Physically, he’s got all the tools.”
Flowers is only 5 feet 9 and 187 pounds, but plays as if he’s bigger. He had some memorable battles with the much larger Dwayne Bowe at camp and won his share.
Carr isn’t as advanced as Flowers but is the third cornerback and could eventually replace Patrick Surtain as a starter sometime this season. He already takes some of the veteran Surtain’s snaps in part to save wear and tear on Surtain’s body but also to speed Carr’s developmental process.
“I’ve seen some improvement,” Carr said.
The Chiefs have much riding on Carr and Flowers not only fighting their way through but flourishing. Moss, Wes Welker and the Patriots await in just three weeks.
“I’m trying not to look too far ahead, but that’s hard because it’s Randy Moss,” Carr said. “I’ve got to focus on the Cardinals because those receivers are pretty good players, too.”
Cardinals at Chiefs
•WHEN/WHERE: 7 tonight at Arrowhead Stadium
•TV/RADIO: Chs. 5, 13, KCFX (101.1 FM)