Tribal Warfare
05-29-2009, 10:11 PM
Chiefs coach is warming to his offensive line (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/1224078.html)
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Todd Haley keeps his thoughts about the Chiefs mostly to himself, but he did acknowledge recently some initial anguish over the state of the offensive line, which has been practicing without its lone Pro Bowler, guard Brian Waters.
His torment eased somewhat after last week’s workouts.
“I’m feeling a little better about it,” Haley said. “We’ve added some guys that know what we expect and are really into the football aspect of it.”
Translated, that means: Guys who not only like to play football but work at it, too. That appears to reveal his feelings about the work habits of at least some of the returning linemen.
It also covers veteran guard Mike Goff, the only major line acquisition of the offseason. The Chiefs drafted Missouri’s Colin Brown in the fifth round, but he appears at least a year away from challenging for serious playing time.
The Chiefs are expecting improvement from the line — a big order without Waters. He asked to be traded or released after a meeting with Haley last winter and has yet to show for any of the practice sessions.
The Chiefs are counting on not only Goff but also continuity to make a difference. Besides Goff, the current starters are tackles Branden Albert and Damion McIntosh, center Rudy Niswanger and guard Wade Smith.
All were full-time starters last year except Smith, who started seven games.
“We’ve got a lot more experience,” Niswanger said. “It’s not just the experience of playing in games, but we’ve played with each other. There’s nothing like familiarity with the guys around you and how they approach certain things and how we fit blocks together.”
Albert was a rookie last season, while Niswanger was a first-time starter. The since-departed Adrian Jones, a starter at guard, was new to the Chiefs, and McIntosh was starting at a new position, right tackle.
“We had a lot of new parts,” Niswanger said. “Brian Waters was really the only guy who had any experience at the position he played. So that made it a little bit of an uphill battle. I think we came together as a group, especially compared to what people thought we’d be.
“Nobody can be satisfied with anything that’s done when you win only two games. If you don’t have that attitude, you’re probably not going to be here very long. As a line, we did some good things. We could have done some things better. There were times we were put in some tough situations. But you can’t separate what we did from a 2-14 record. Improvement has to be there.”
The Chargers made no effort to re-sign Goff when he became a free agent last winter. While that’s possibly an indication that they thought his skills had eroded after 11 NFL seasons, the Chiefs obviously disagreed.
“Everybody we’ve brought in here, we’re looking for a certain type of character as well along with the ability to play,” Haley said. “He’s been on a good team that’s had some success. He knows what winning’s about and how to prepare to win.
“You watch a guy like Mike come in every day. He’s in here every day, early group, ready to work, and I think there are some guys watching him and learning from him.”
The Chiefs need Goff to hold up for at least this season, particularly if Waters doesn’t report for training camp or the regular season. The only experienced backup is center Eric Ghiaciuc, signed in the offseason as a free agent from Cincinnati.
“You can’t ignore the fact that they’ve had dismal seasons here the past couple of years,” Goff said. “But it’s kind of like what happened when I left Cincinnati (in 2004). We were 8-8 in Marvin Lewis’ first year and everybody was talking about how good things were going to happen. People questioned why I went to a team that was 4-12 out in San Diego and we were able to turn things around. I see a lot of similarities of the attitude of the team and the commitment people are showing to win. People are dead serious about it.”
Wins might come easier with Waters. Attendance at all practices so far has been optional for players under NFL rules. But participation in the June 5-7 minicamp is mandatory.
“I’d love to have Brian back,” McIntosh said. “We’d all like to have him back. Until he lets me know otherwise, I just assume he’ll be here. So far, this has all been voluntary.
“He’s a year older and maybe weighing all of his options. I support him. In my mind, I think he’ll be back. I’m sure he’ll show up when he’s ready. He’s still got it. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have played the way he did last year and he wouldn’t have gone to the Pro Bowl.”
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Todd Haley keeps his thoughts about the Chiefs mostly to himself, but he did acknowledge recently some initial anguish over the state of the offensive line, which has been practicing without its lone Pro Bowler, guard Brian Waters.
His torment eased somewhat after last week’s workouts.
“I’m feeling a little better about it,” Haley said. “We’ve added some guys that know what we expect and are really into the football aspect of it.”
Translated, that means: Guys who not only like to play football but work at it, too. That appears to reveal his feelings about the work habits of at least some of the returning linemen.
It also covers veteran guard Mike Goff, the only major line acquisition of the offseason. The Chiefs drafted Missouri’s Colin Brown in the fifth round, but he appears at least a year away from challenging for serious playing time.
The Chiefs are expecting improvement from the line — a big order without Waters. He asked to be traded or released after a meeting with Haley last winter and has yet to show for any of the practice sessions.
The Chiefs are counting on not only Goff but also continuity to make a difference. Besides Goff, the current starters are tackles Branden Albert and Damion McIntosh, center Rudy Niswanger and guard Wade Smith.
All were full-time starters last year except Smith, who started seven games.
“We’ve got a lot more experience,” Niswanger said. “It’s not just the experience of playing in games, but we’ve played with each other. There’s nothing like familiarity with the guys around you and how they approach certain things and how we fit blocks together.”
Albert was a rookie last season, while Niswanger was a first-time starter. The since-departed Adrian Jones, a starter at guard, was new to the Chiefs, and McIntosh was starting at a new position, right tackle.
“We had a lot of new parts,” Niswanger said. “Brian Waters was really the only guy who had any experience at the position he played. So that made it a little bit of an uphill battle. I think we came together as a group, especially compared to what people thought we’d be.
“Nobody can be satisfied with anything that’s done when you win only two games. If you don’t have that attitude, you’re probably not going to be here very long. As a line, we did some good things. We could have done some things better. There were times we were put in some tough situations. But you can’t separate what we did from a 2-14 record. Improvement has to be there.”
The Chargers made no effort to re-sign Goff when he became a free agent last winter. While that’s possibly an indication that they thought his skills had eroded after 11 NFL seasons, the Chiefs obviously disagreed.
“Everybody we’ve brought in here, we’re looking for a certain type of character as well along with the ability to play,” Haley said. “He’s been on a good team that’s had some success. He knows what winning’s about and how to prepare to win.
“You watch a guy like Mike come in every day. He’s in here every day, early group, ready to work, and I think there are some guys watching him and learning from him.”
The Chiefs need Goff to hold up for at least this season, particularly if Waters doesn’t report for training camp or the regular season. The only experienced backup is center Eric Ghiaciuc, signed in the offseason as a free agent from Cincinnati.
“You can’t ignore the fact that they’ve had dismal seasons here the past couple of years,” Goff said. “But it’s kind of like what happened when I left Cincinnati (in 2004). We were 8-8 in Marvin Lewis’ first year and everybody was talking about how good things were going to happen. People questioned why I went to a team that was 4-12 out in San Diego and we were able to turn things around. I see a lot of similarities of the attitude of the team and the commitment people are showing to win. People are dead serious about it.”
Wins might come easier with Waters. Attendance at all practices so far has been optional for players under NFL rules. But participation in the June 5-7 minicamp is mandatory.
“I’d love to have Brian back,” McIntosh said. “We’d all like to have him back. Until he lets me know otherwise, I just assume he’ll be here. So far, this has all been voluntary.
“He’s a year older and maybe weighing all of his options. I support him. In my mind, I think he’ll be back. I’m sure he’ll show up when he’s ready. He’s still got it. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have played the way he did last year and he wouldn’t have gone to the Pro Bowl.”