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T-post Tom
07-25-2009, 01:50 AM
Chiefs Team Report
Yahoo! Sports
6 hours, 50 minutes ago

INSIDE SLANT

First it was a groin pull, where eventually the muscle pulled away from the bone in his left leg.

Then it was a sports hernia.

Finally, there was damage to his pelvis.

Physical problems No. 1 and 2 required surgery. All three meant a great deal of rehab that started in January.

Through those injuries last year, Dustin Colquitt(notes) kept punting. He missed two games near mid-season when the pain from the groin pull became too much to bear. But he came back and kicked the rest of the season. In that time, he couldn’t practice during the week and he had problems running. Every day was an adventure in pain, treatment and patience.

Years from now, fans will look at Colquitt’s numbers for the 2008 season - yard gross average and a yard net average - and think it was an ordinary to good year for the punter out of Tennessee.

Those numbers can in no way explain the physical, mental and emotional pain that Colquitt endured during what proved to be a long, long season.

“It was a tough year,” Colquitt said. “I read and heard some things where people said I had lost it, or wasn’t having a good year, that it was time for the Chiefs to find another punter, stuff like that … if people only knew.”

The public and media didn’t know because the Chiefs never released any information on Colquitt’s injuries and told the punter not to talk about the problems. Like other players, he got caught in the paranoia that surrounds NFL teams when it comes to injuries.

Colquitt’s rehab began back in January and he enters the 2009 season with no linger problems. Evidence of that comes from the fact the team has not signed a second punter to take to training camp.

“Going through last season was tough, but I learned a few things,” said Colquitt. “I’m proud of what I got done under difficult circumstances, but I look forward to kicking this year without pain and being even more effective.”
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Camp Calendar: Players report to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls - July 30.

Physical Testing - July 31.

First practice - August 1.

Intra-squad Scrimmage - August 8.

Day off - August 9.

Return to KC for pre-season game No. 1 - August 14.

Return to UW-River Falls - August 16.

Break camp - August 21.
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NOTES, QUOTES

• Chiefs employees and construction workers took part in a traditional topping off ceremony at Arrowhead Stadium, recognizing the final steel beam being put into place. Arrowhead is undergoing a two-year, $350 million renovation of the building that was opened in 1972. The full renovation will not be complete until next year; the Chiefs and their fans will deal with some construction hurdles this season. Those taking part in the ceremony signed the beam that was painted white, which is traditional for a topping off ceremony. Once everybody signed, the beam was connected to a crane and lifted into place. On the beam was an American flag, a Chiefs flag and an evergreen tree, which symbolizes growth and is supposed to bring good luck.

• The Chiefs will have the longest trip to training camp of any team in the NFL this season, as they return to River Falls, Wisconsin for the 19th and final time. The team plans to move its camp to St. Joseph, Missouri next year if construction of facilities is completed at Missouri Western University. The Chiefs first went to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for camp in 1991 seeking cooler and less humid practice conditions and the availability of other teams to scrimmage against. At that time four NFL teams were within driving distance for workouts and scrimmages: the Vikings, Saints and Jaguars. Now, only the Vikings remain, training in Mankato, Minn.

• By making the trek to River Falls, Wisconsin for training camp, the Chiefs join half the NFL in going away for their prep work before the season. This year 16 teams will leave home, while the other 16 teams will work at their regular-season facilities. The list of teams that stay at home has grown increasingly in recent seasons. Whether it’s coincidence or not, the last four Super Bowl winners - Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and the New York Giants - all leave home to get ready for the grind of the season.

• There will be a civic celebration of the late Derrick Thomas’ induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 31st in Kansas City. Thomas is part of the Hall’s Class of 2009 that will be formally inducted on Aug. 8 in Canton. Former teammates, officials from the Chiefs, along with the team’s cheerleaders and mascot will take part in the event in the historic City Market area. Spearheading the festivities is the Third & Long Foundation, which Thomas began almost 20 years ago, early in his NFL career.
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Quote Of Note: “Apparently, the preparation is there, from what I understand. He is prepared and it starts with that, that he understands what they’re trying to accomplish. After that, leadership has to come with performance. On that, we’re going to find out.”—Chiefs Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson on current QB Matt Cassel(notes).
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STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

When the Chiefs show up in River Falls, Wisconsin for the start of training camp, the first job they must get done after checking into the dorms at UW-RF will be their conditioning test.

This series of 50-yard dashes against the clock will determine whether a player can get on the practice field on Aug. 1 for the first squad workout in pads.

It’s all part of Todd Haley’s plan to have a leaner and better conditioned football team than what the Chiefs have had in recent seasons.
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Unit-by-unit Analysis

Quarterbacks: Starter—Matt Cassel. Backups—Tyler Thigpen(notes), Brodie Croyle(notes), Ingle Martin(notes).

Haley says there is competition for the starting job, but that’s not the evidence from the offseason work, where all of Cassel’s snaps were with the first-team offense. He also signed a contract worth more than $60 million. Thigpen understands the situation and plans to continue to prepare to play, while knowing his chances of getting on the field will depend on potentially bad factors like injury and Cassel’s poor performance. But it would not be a surprise if Thigpen got onto the field for Wildcat-like plays, thanks to his mobility. Croyle is coming back from an MCL injury and surgery and did not practice during the offseason program.

Running Backs: Starters—RB Larry Johnson(notes), FB Mike Cox(notes). Backups—Kolby Smith(notes), Jackie Battle(notes), Jamaal Charles(notes), Dantrell Savage(notes), Javarris Williams(notes), Jed Collins(notes).

Johnson spent the offseason on his best behavior, going from asking for a trade out of K.C. in January to keeping his mouth shut and attending nearly every offseason session. If he’s motivated and stays healthy, Johnson could have a big season and take the pressure off Cassel and the passing game. After carrying the ball 752 times in 2005-06, he’s had 351 carries in the past two years. Smith is coming off a patella tendon injury that should keep him on the PUP list for the start of training camp. Charles provides a speed element, but he’s also prone to fumble.

Tight Ends: Starter—Brad Cottam(notes). Backups—Sean Ryan(notes), Tony Curtis(notes), Jake O’Connell(notes), Tom Crabtree.

With Tony Gonzalez(notes) gone, the Chiefs will no longer lead with the tight end in their passing game. Gonzalez did not produce many big yardage plays, but he was a security blanket for Kansas City quarterbacks for a dozen years. Cottam will get the first chance at the starting job, and he proved last year he was an able blocker with good hands. At 6-7, he presents a big target. Ryan and Curtis previously played in Dallas, where Haley was an assistant coach. They both have the ability to run patterns out of the slot.

Wide Receivers: Starters—Dwayne Bowe(notes), Mark Bradley(notes). Backups—Bobby Engram(notes), Devard Darling(notes), Terrance Copper(notes), Jeff Webb(notes), Rodney Wright(notes), Quinten Lawrence(notes), Taurus Johnson.

The Chiefs have a real mixed bag when it comes to receivers, but it’s a group that lacks a homerun hitter. Bowe is a big target, unafraid of going over the middle, but he lacks breakaway speed and he’s had problems with the drops in his two-year career. Bradley was picked off the scrap heap after being released by Chicago last year. His season was very familiar: some big plays, but injuries that slowed him down. Engram will work as the slot receiver in his 14th season in the league. Darling and Copper have speed, but they’ve never been given many opportunities to play over their careers. Lawrence brings speed but a spotty record out of McNeese State.

Offensive Linemen: Starters—LT Branden Albert(notes), LG Brian Waters(notes), C Rudy Niswanger(notes), RG Mike Goff(notes), RT Damion McIntosh(notes). Backups - Colin Brown(notes), Brian De La Puente(notes), Eric Ghiaciuc(notes), Cameron Goldberg, Darryl Harris, Edwin Harrison(notes), Barry Richardson(notes), Wade Smith(notes), Herb Taylor(notes), Tavares Washington(notes).

Waters spent the offseason angry and upset with the new Chiefs regime, attending only the mandatory minicamp. When he did show up, he admitted he had a great deal of conditioning to do before the start of training camp. Haley wants his blockers lean and mobile, as guys like Albert and McIntosh have lost a considerable amount of weight and mid-section. Goff was signed as a UFA and was the line’s leader during the offseason program. Ghiaciuc and Smith give the Chiefs experienced depth inside, but they lack playing experience on the bench at tackle. Draft pick Brown is strictly a right tackle, as is last year’s pick Richardson.

Defensive Linemen: Starters—LDE Tyson Jackson(notes), NT Ron Edwards(notes), RDE Glenn Dorsey(notes). Backups—Alfonso Boone(notes), Dion Gales, Wallace Gilberry(notes), Bobby Greenwood, Derek Lokey(notes), Alex Magee(notes), Tank Tyler(notes).

The switch to a 3-4 front will be a big transition for the entire group of linemen. Jackson played in a 4-3 at LSU. Dorsey played in that same LSU scheme, as well as a four-man line in his rookie season last year. Edwards has not played nose tackle in the pros. Neither has Tyler, the only real competition for the tackle spot. Magee will see plenty of playing time at end, and can move inside to tackle in “sub” defenses. Boone was the group’s best performer in the offseason, but over his career he’s been inconsistent in his production.

Linebackers: Starters—OLB Mike Vrabel(notes), OLB Tamba Hali(notes), ILB Zach Thomas(notes), ILB Derrick Johnson. Backups—Monty Beisel(notes), Jovan Belcher, Wes Dacus, Corey Mays(notes), Turk McBride(notes), Corey Smith(notes), Andy Studebaker(notes), Pierre Walters, Demorrio Williams(notes).

Vrabel has stayed away from offseason work, but with his 13 years in the league, his transition into the scheme should be fairly smooth. Hali, along with McBride and Studebaker, are veterans moving from defensive end to outside linebacker. All three struggled at times in practices, with pass coverage being the toughest task they must learn. In his 14th season, Thomas has already become the defensive leader as he’ll play inside in a traditional middle linebacker role. Johnson has the skills to be an impact player and has shown flashes in his first four seasons, but no consistency.

Defensive Backs: Starters—RCB Brandon Flowers(notes), LCB Brandon Carr(notes), SS Bernard Pollard(notes), FS Jarrad Page(notes). Backups—Jackie Bates, Mike Brown(notes), Ricardo Colclough(notes), Travis Daniels(notes), Londen Fryar, Maurice Leggett(notes), Jon McGraw(notes), DaJuan Morgan(notes), Ricky Price, Donald Washington(notes).

The secondary should have the least turnovers on the ’09 Chiefs defense. Last year, rookie corners Flowers and Carr got their baptism and earned good grades overall. Another rookie, Leggett proved to be a big-play performer with a pair of TDs on returns. Added on the corner in the ’09 Draft was fourth-round pick Washington, but his early contributions will be limited because he could not take p art in the team’s offseason practices. At safety, Page and Pollard are both entering their fourth seasons and have now started together for three seasons. Veteran Brown was signed to increase the competition level at safety with veteran McGraw and second year safety Morgan.

Special Teams: —P Dustin Colquitt, K Connor Barth(notes), K Ryan Succop(notes), LS Tanner Purdum.

Colquitt had a good year despite some big injury problems last season. He’s healthy now, after a pair of offseason surgeries. Barth and Succop will battle it out for the kicking job; Barth showed more consistency and Succop more power and distance in the offseason work. Purdum has no previous pro experience. The jobs at punt and kick returner are wide open.

Hammock Parties
07-25-2009, 02:10 AM
That injury stuff with Colquitt was weird. We knew, because he did a weekly blog with us, but the Chiefs told us not to tell anyone. WTF for?

sportsman1
07-25-2009, 02:13 AM
Can't let everyone know the star of the team isn't 100 %.

Rausch
07-25-2009, 02:21 AM
I know this won't get any panties wet but he's a helluva' punter...

Reaper16
07-25-2009, 02:22 AM
That injury stuff with Colquitt was weird. We knew, because he did a weekly blog with us, but the Chiefs told us not to tell anyone. WTF for?
That's probably not going to get any better under Pioli. Belichick is infamous for being coy with the injury report.