Tribal Warfare
08-16-2011, 10:28 PM
Chiefs camp report: Team goes to movies instead of meetings (http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/16/3080997/chiefs-camp-report-team-goes-to.html)
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
ST. JOSEPH | The Chiefs made what is becoming an annual trip to the movies Tuesday, a break scheduled by coach Todd Haley, even at the end of the most easy-going training camp under the third-year coach.
Haley, known his first two seasons for his intense practices, has backed away from the hardcore conditioning and full-tilt workouts this year, presumably in an effort to keep players healthy after the more than four-month NFL lockout.
On Tuesday, the team boarded buses and were rewarded with a private screening of several movies at a local theater.
“Took a little detour,” Haley said during an afternoon news conference. “Did a little team building.”
The team cancelled morning meetings in favor of the excursion, which Haley said he scheduled in part due to two previous days of workouts he said were high-energy and particularly physical.
A handful of players had to leave the practice field Sunday and Monday after those workouts, whose intensity has been a rare sight during nearly three weeks in St. Joseph.
“Whenever you’re practicing hard like that,” Haley said, “that’s going to happen. I don’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary.”
Haley said his strategy during camp has been to make certain all players are at similar conditioning levels by the time practices return to Kansas City next week.
“If we are that,” he said, “that gives us a chance to survive and be able to play the whole season. That’s the goal.”
Defensive lineman added
The team announced Tuesday it signed defensive lineman Harold Ayodele, a rookie free agent who attended Emporia State. The 6-foot-1, 339-pound lineman, who earlier in his college career played at Tennessee State, had 107 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks in 22 games for the Hornets.
Johnson faces important year
Haley said he noticed linebacker Derrick Johnson’s play in recent days, adding that the sixth-year veteran took a step forward last year — but still has work to do.
“He obviously was a big part of a lot of good things last year,” Haley said, “but I don’t think you’ve seen the top end of Derrick. I think he has the mind-set that he wants to show everyone a little more.
“Here the last few days specifically, I think you’ve seen him really take a step, and you start to see (number) 56 more than we were early on, and I think that’s a good sign for us.”
The offense
Quarterback Tyler Palko again was unimpressive, scrambling too often when he perhaps should’ve planted and passed. One poor pass was intercepted by second-year safety Kendrick Lewis. … Rookie wide receiver Josue Paul made a nice play against Quinten Lawrence, cutting to his right and making an open catch near the sideline.
The defense
Outside linebacker Andy Studebaker ran through the middle and slammed into Palko during 11-on-11 drills, drawing a loud scolding from Haley, who told his players to be smart and to avoid high-impact collisions. … Third-year defensive lineman Tyson Jackson broke up one of Palko’s passes during team drills.
Injury report
Offensive tackle Jared Gaither spent his third full day of training camp on a stationary bike. Wide receiver Steve Breaston and punter Dustin Colquitt joined Gaither on bikes toward the end of practice. Defensive lineman Anthony Toribio and linebacker Eric Bakhtari missed practice.
Daily battle
Gaither’s absence Tuesday suggested the big man might not yet be fully healthy, even a day after he told reporters his back was “100 percent” after an injury forced him to miss last season and that he planned to be in the starting lineup. If Gaither continues to miss practice time, it becomes less and less likely that he’ll be a serious threat to the starting jobs of Branden Albert and Barry Richardson.
Today’s schedule
The Chiefs will hold a walk-through at 10:40 a.m. and a practice at 2:40 p.m.
84 Tuesday’s high temperature in St. Joseph; today’s expected high is 85.
2 Number of remaining practices in St. Joseph; after today’s workouts, the Chiefs will break camp and, after Friday’s preseason game in Baltimore, resume training camp in Kansas City.
2 The number of consecutive days linebacker Derrick Johnson has shown off his speed by chasing down running back Jamaal Charles near the goal line.
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
ST. JOSEPH | The Chiefs made what is becoming an annual trip to the movies Tuesday, a break scheduled by coach Todd Haley, even at the end of the most easy-going training camp under the third-year coach.
Haley, known his first two seasons for his intense practices, has backed away from the hardcore conditioning and full-tilt workouts this year, presumably in an effort to keep players healthy after the more than four-month NFL lockout.
On Tuesday, the team boarded buses and were rewarded with a private screening of several movies at a local theater.
“Took a little detour,” Haley said during an afternoon news conference. “Did a little team building.”
The team cancelled morning meetings in favor of the excursion, which Haley said he scheduled in part due to two previous days of workouts he said were high-energy and particularly physical.
A handful of players had to leave the practice field Sunday and Monday after those workouts, whose intensity has been a rare sight during nearly three weeks in St. Joseph.
“Whenever you’re practicing hard like that,” Haley said, “that’s going to happen. I don’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary.”
Haley said his strategy during camp has been to make certain all players are at similar conditioning levels by the time practices return to Kansas City next week.
“If we are that,” he said, “that gives us a chance to survive and be able to play the whole season. That’s the goal.”
Defensive lineman added
The team announced Tuesday it signed defensive lineman Harold Ayodele, a rookie free agent who attended Emporia State. The 6-foot-1, 339-pound lineman, who earlier in his college career played at Tennessee State, had 107 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks in 22 games for the Hornets.
Johnson faces important year
Haley said he noticed linebacker Derrick Johnson’s play in recent days, adding that the sixth-year veteran took a step forward last year — but still has work to do.
“He obviously was a big part of a lot of good things last year,” Haley said, “but I don’t think you’ve seen the top end of Derrick. I think he has the mind-set that he wants to show everyone a little more.
“Here the last few days specifically, I think you’ve seen him really take a step, and you start to see (number) 56 more than we were early on, and I think that’s a good sign for us.”
The offense
Quarterback Tyler Palko again was unimpressive, scrambling too often when he perhaps should’ve planted and passed. One poor pass was intercepted by second-year safety Kendrick Lewis. … Rookie wide receiver Josue Paul made a nice play against Quinten Lawrence, cutting to his right and making an open catch near the sideline.
The defense
Outside linebacker Andy Studebaker ran through the middle and slammed into Palko during 11-on-11 drills, drawing a loud scolding from Haley, who told his players to be smart and to avoid high-impact collisions. … Third-year defensive lineman Tyson Jackson broke up one of Palko’s passes during team drills.
Injury report
Offensive tackle Jared Gaither spent his third full day of training camp on a stationary bike. Wide receiver Steve Breaston and punter Dustin Colquitt joined Gaither on bikes toward the end of practice. Defensive lineman Anthony Toribio and linebacker Eric Bakhtari missed practice.
Daily battle
Gaither’s absence Tuesday suggested the big man might not yet be fully healthy, even a day after he told reporters his back was “100 percent” after an injury forced him to miss last season and that he planned to be in the starting lineup. If Gaither continues to miss practice time, it becomes less and less likely that he’ll be a serious threat to the starting jobs of Branden Albert and Barry Richardson.
Today’s schedule
The Chiefs will hold a walk-through at 10:40 a.m. and a practice at 2:40 p.m.
84 Tuesday’s high temperature in St. Joseph; today’s expected high is 85.
2 Number of remaining practices in St. Joseph; after today’s workouts, the Chiefs will break camp and, after Friday’s preseason game in Baltimore, resume training camp in Kansas City.
2 The number of consecutive days linebacker Derrick Johnson has shown off his speed by chasing down running back Jamaal Charles near the goal line.