LB Jesus and his Apostles rejoice
 

Curry, Raji among minicamps' stars
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

The first weekend after the draft is always the biggest for minicamps.

Twenty-six teams held either full or rookie camps to orient their draft choices and get a read on how they did over the two-day draft in New York City. It's hard to make conclusive judgments on selections. Players aren't allowed to wear pads. No hitting is allowed. Rookies' heads are swimming with the overload from the new playbook being thrown at them.

Still, any time you can put 26 coaching staffs on a field with new players, things can be learned. Here are eight things we learned from this weekend.

1. Mark Sanchez is destined to be the starting quarterback of the New York Jets in Week 1. Politically, the Jets did the right thing by having offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer say Kellen Clemens was ahead of Sanchez. Clemens is entering his fourth season. He has eight NFL starts. He should be ahead of Sanchez. But anyone doubting Sanchez' ability to win over the coaching staff and Jets fans is wearing a blindfold. Sanchez showed everyone at the minicamp that he can make all the throws. More than that, he showed leadership. The story of how he got a good portion of the offense together at the hotel Thursday night to go over the playbook is a classic example of how Sanchez's head might be more important than his arm. It's pretty clear what direction the Jets are heading. Head coach Rex Ryan is going to try to run the ball 35 times a game in order to give Sanchez light throwing days during the regular season. Of all the draft choices working this weekend, Sanchez was probably the biggest winner.

2. Matthew Stafford isn't going to be rushed into service as the Detroit Lions' starter. General manager Martin Mayhew concluded the Lions' minicamp by saying he trusts Daunte Culpepper as a starter and he'd like to sign a veteran backup. The Lions' roster isn't like the Jets. The Lions are coming off an 0-16 season, and they don't have the offensive line or two-back combination to run the ball 35 times a game. Despite playing only 16 games as a collegian, Sanchez was supposed to be more prepared to play earlier in the NFL than Stafford. Minicamp proved that. Stafford unleashed incredible throws, but he's still a work in progress. That's not to say Stafford won't play this season. The plan is for Stafford to work with the coaching staff. When he's ready, he will play. The Lions are handling Stafford's entry into the NFL the right way.

3. Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora wasted no time making Aaron Curry his starting strongside linebacker. Curry was one of the stars of the Seahawks' minicamp. He's 15 pounds heavier than traded linebacker Julian Peterson, but he moves so well and has such a natural instinct for moving to the ball. Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu marveled at how naturally Curry fits into the defense during his first weekend. With Curry, Tatupu and Leroy Hill, the Seahawks have one of the best linebacking corps in football.

4. The Washington Redskins have a completely different plan for first-round choice Brian Orakpo than some people expected. At the Redskins' minicamp, Orakpo was used as the starting strongside linebacker. The plan is for him to blitz from the strong side on first and second downs. On passing downs, he will line up at right defensive end next to Albert Haynesworth, the former Tennessee Titans star who appeared dominating at his first Redskins camp. Orakpo was drafted to rush the passer. The surprise is that he won't just be doing it from a defensive end position.

5. Linebacker Shawne "roidman" Merriman served notice that he plans to be a dominating force again this season for the San Diego Chargers. "Lights Out" knows the spotlight is on him. He missed all but one game of the 2008 season because his knee needed surgery. He also knows management is looking at him with a judgmental eye. The Chargers drafted Larry English as a possible replacement if Merriman doesn't come back and dominate. Merriman is in the last year of his contract. English, though not tall, showed a relentless pass-rushing style. He's not ready to unseat Merriman, who questions those whom he said questioned his "football-hood."

6. The Carolina Panthers liked what they saw from second-round choice Everette Brown, who cost them a 2010 first-round pick to acquire in a trade. Coach John Fox knows the importance of getting a pass rush, and Brown showed he can help. Everyone noticed his first step and how he can get an edge on a blocker with that first step. One of the knocks on the pass-rushers of this draft was their lack of height compared to previous crops. For whatever reason, scouts feel more comfortable using first-round choices on pass-rushers who stand 6-foot-4 or taller. On the Panthers' official roster Brown is listed as 6-1, but he showed he can get around blockers. Julius Peppers wasn't at the minicamp because he hasn't signed his franchise tag. He probably will miss a good portion of training camp, but management feels he will be there for the regular season. In the meantime, the plan is to develop Brown as a rusher.

7. Even though Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy plans to have Ryan Pickett as the starting nose tackle, it's pretty clear the 3-4 defense is being built around first-round choice B.J. Raji. The former Boston College star didn't disappoint. For a while, Raji was practicing as the first-team nose tackle and second-team defensive end. He moves well for his size. He also seemed to fit in well with his teammates.

8. The Philadelphia Eagles' draft for offense looked even better on the field because fifth-round choice Cornelius Ingram did well over the weekend. The 245-pound tight end is coming off ACL surgery, yet caught the ball well and moved well on the field. He left camp with the thought that he could be in the playing mix this year. The team is also cautiously optimistic about the first-year impact of first-round draft pick wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Head coach Andy Reid warns it might be hard for Maclin to match DeSean Jackson's 62-catch rookie season because Maclin comes from a spread offense. Jackson played in more of a West Coast offense at Cal. Reid said the intermediate routes are different in the spread because spread receivers run downfield or break shorter routes. Fortunately for the Eagles, Maclin seemed to pick up the intermediate routes well over the weekend.

All here-say, east/west coast media bias.

I wasn't aware that the Chiefs had their min-camp this past weekend

Anyone else think Haynesworth might make Orakpo look WAY better than he actually is?

Yes

no doubt, but who else is shocked orakpo is playing lb in a 4-3 when brown dropped because he lacks the athleticism to play 3-4 olb?

Has Sanchez been named league MVP yet?
Posted via Mobile Device

Yeah, he's got it locked down for the 2009-2024 seasons already.

I mean you thought it was bad with Brett Favre. I gaurantee that opening week the media will make the Sanchez debut the arrival of the Christ child.
Posted via Mobile Device

I think he came for a visit and then left.

:harumph: I wont say a word...

It will be funny if Curry turns out to be all-world. The Gang Greens won't be able to bitch and moan because they didn't want him either.
Posted via Mobile Device

#1 all but ensures all of you Sanchez disciples are going get a good taste of bust pie.

I am impressed with the story of how Sanchez prepared for the first day of minicamp practices. I know I have bashed this kid for a long time, but I will give him credit when it is due.

He landed in a good situation, other than the NY media. He is basically going to be asked to do what Flacco did last year... 'manage the game'. I am sure that I will follow this guy closer than I ever have followed a non Chiefs rookie.

does this mean that all you cult followers of Curry ensures he turns out to be Bosworthesque?

The problem is that Haynesworth is going to decline BIG TIME. He was only good in his contract years.

the excitement level in KC would be off the charts if we had drafted him and he was doing that here....


Cassel has been doing the same thing, and no one even notices....perception....

Yep. Big money free agent DT's are the biggest disappointments...

Neither one of them play for the Chiefs, so why are we still talking about them?

Because this board is moving away from being about the Chiefs to being correct in your draft prognostications so you can say "I told you so, I am a CP draft guru."

It kind of seems that way, doesn't it?

Yep, it's ****ing stupid. It is basically unpopular to be a Chiefs fan and this is a Chiefs' message board.

Truth.

No one in KC has the proper NSA Security Clearance necessary to observe or report these things.
I shouldn't even be speaking of these things. Oh shit! They've triangulated my position; gotta' go!

No, but he was "probably the biggest winner this weekend".

It's a start. We'll see you in Canton. LMAO

Yes, it has NOTHING to do with exciting, first round players you ****ing crybabies.:deevee:
Get over your Cassel Pity-Party; it's getting ****ing annoying.

Who's having a Cassel pity-party? Why would anyone have one of those, he is our QB? If anything you are having a Sanchez pity-party with all of the millions of threads and posts about another team's QB you are littering this forum with.

You! You are having a Cassel Pity-Party every time someone mentions or posts something about a Quarterback or other high-round draft pick that happens to play for a different team.
These guys are exciting, young Quarterbacks. And their progress will be followed by football fans and media the entire season and beyond.

ROFL

I don't feel sorry for Cassel. I didn't even WANT Cassel. I wanted Sanchez.

So yeah, it's ME that's being annoying. :rolleyes:

Okay, I felt somewhat bad lumping you in with those other two, but the fact remains that Chiefs are giving us nothing to post or report regarding rookie camp, OTA's, or well, anything. You can be a Chiefs fan when it's time to play football and win games.
Hell, Detroit isn't even in our Conference; I'm such a turncoat! :rolleyes:

I don't think so.

Being a "draft guru" and wanting a young, Chiefs drafted & developed QB is entirely different. Personally, I'm sick of the Chiefs organization's inability to draft and develop a QB of their own. I've lived through it my entire life, dating back to Len Dawson.

FINALLY, the Chiefs were in a position to grab a young QB to develop and instead, they again chose the "safe" option and traded for a QB with ties to the new regime. And IF he fails, the Chiefs will be in the same position then as now but likely without the opportunity to draft such a player.

Gigantic difference.

Herm tried it with Brodie Croyle. I suppose you'll be pulling for him to unseat Cassel.

Bullshit.

Croyle was a third round QB, not third overall.

Anyone who thought that Croyle was a franchise QB in any way, shape or form should be neutered.

Immediately.

reerun!!!! reerun!!!!! reerun!!!!!!
You don't even get an explanation for why that was the stupidest thing I've read this morning.
http://kimandjason.com/blog/images/idiots_breathing.jpg

You can only try and develop QB's you draft in the first round? Shit. Someone tell the 49ers they made a mistake with Montana and call Belichick to stop playing Brady.

Just shut the **** up.

Really.

You are truly a ****ing mouth-breathing, football reerun.

if you killed yourself, no one would care...just saying

This. ROFL

Rebuilding; get over it.4321

This. ROFL

Matthews still isn't a first round talent? He won't get picked before the other USC linebackers? Does it hurt your ass hairs to have ROR swinging from them all day long?

Way to stay on topic, moron. And Cushing went before Matthews.

And FTR, I don't have ANY hair on my ass.

Did Douchey get your balls nice and clean this morning? Do you see how ****ing reeruned it is to make more out of this than people happen to agree with other people more than others?

Do you think I would give two ****s if you, Douchey, and the Talking Clap were hit by a metro bus?
Just sayin...
:shrug:

are you saying that cassel isnt?

Hard to say; all I can find on him are a few interviews and an 8-minute highlight reel.
I sent one of my agents to film a Chiefs practice, but all I got was a fish wrapped in a newspaper at the end of the day.
:shrug:

what does that have to do with being young and exciting?

I'm not passing judgment on Cassel just yet but I'd rather take my chances with Sanchez than Cassel.

Maybe they'll both end up to be great NFL QB's. Maybe neither will be great. But with all things being equal, I'll take the younger guy over the older guy any day of the week.

THATS the ONLY argument that can make ANY sense at this point in time

Why do the rest of us have to suffer because all of your intelligence DNA leaked out and dried up on your moms sphincter? Can't you go root for the Jets?

post whatever stupid pics you want. are you saying cassel is old? boring?

MY intelligence????

You cite Brodie Croyle as legit attempt to develop a QBOTF, and I'M the one who's riding the short bus?
I don't think you've suffered enough.

Do actually read the posts or just react? Aside from not being a drafted 1st rounder, and aside from being 26/27 years old, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE **** CASSEL IS!
NO ONE DOES!!!

ok so in your estimation any qb that isnt 22-25 years old and not drafted in the 1 st round CANT be exciting or young? just because YOU dont know what he is doesnt mean NO ONE doesROFL



oooooppps i forgot you annoint the ones who have done NOTHING and degrade the ones who have you know played in the NFL and proven something(albeit still with things to prove, but its better than minicamp only)

Goddamn you Sauto; go back and look at the topic and the original post! Where is Matt Cassel in the article???? WHAT IS THE TOPIC AT HAND????

Ooops! And now you revert to same, tired argument about Cassel's ONE season as a starter in the NFL!
Yay! Whoopie! reeruned!:thumb:

You could actually watch the entire Patriots season from last year and get a pretty good idea. I heard he actually played in the NFL and played well. I know a full, successful season in the NFL isn't comparable to a two-day Jets minicamp, but it's a start.

I've been trying and have asked repeatedly about getting a hook up for said games since we traded, but no such luck.

But by all means and dead seriously; if you know where to look, please point the way.

Thank you!

If the Chiefs had a chance to grab Stafford, I would have agreed. Great arm, great smarts, great kid.... Just perfect prospect.

I am fine with drafting and developing a guy if you have faith in him, but don't just draft a guy because he is a QB.

Oh, and if Cassel fails, then we will certainly have another opportunity to draft a franchise QB.

To be fair, the Chiefs have gotten more press since trading for Cassel than I can ever remember.

A full day of coverage on NFLN the day of the trade, live broadcasts from his first mini-camp, Peter King at Arrowhead on draft day, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

The only people that AREN'T following the Cassel saga are the people here that hate the move.

Footage please.

Amazing that you can find dumb ass photos and youtube videos but you can't find anything on Matt Cassel.

Not on You Tube and not for free. But if I want to find an idiot who thinks Herm tried to develop a legitimate QBOTF in Brodie ****ing Croyle, I know EXACTLY where to look, now don't I?

Bugger off.

Oh really? Like other other opportunities they've had in the past 45 years?

Obviously I can't provide footage. I can only tell you that I've been watching the NFLN pretty much every day since Pioli was hired and the coverage of the Chiefs has been OVERWHELMING since then. I watched a good 6 hours the day of the Cassel trade and it's all they talked about.

LMAO

Nice username, you rebel...

Any OTA coverage, throwing the ball? ****ing anything?

I don't know, go check the NFL website. They had cameras at the first mini-camp - I posted a thread about it, it was the headline story on NFL Now that Saturday or whenever it was.

I'll make this simple for you, because you are a damn inbred reerun with half a dozen missing chromosomes. There is an organization called the NFL. They have a website called NFL.COM. On nfl.com you can look up every single game last year. They have highlights of every single game last year. If you wanted to watch a QB who played last year, you could go to nfl.com and look at last years scores and highlights. Hint: Matt Cassel played for the Patriots. After you look at the video, die.

Ah, my stupid, reeruned, half-brained, kool-aid glugging ****TARD. Let me make this simple for YOU, you stupid, half a ****:

Highlights do NOT in fact tell the tale of a team or an individual players total worth.

Somebody give this asswipe a fresh glass of toilet-juice and a cookie before sending his dumb ass back to pre school, "glue-eating" class, please.

If highlights aren't good enough for you, go on the corner and blow 20 illegal immigrants to raise the $19.99 for full access to the entire 2008 season.

ROFL

I already pimped your mamma' to the curb, bitch; I'm sure she'll raise the green in 10 years or so.

4321

They didn't, though. For Pioli, trading for Cassel is FAR more of a risk than drafting a rookie.

Pioli has put it all on the line with this move. He has to be right that Cassel will be better, or at least just as good, as Stafford and Sanchez. And someone will say we never had a shot at Stafford, but nobody knew if he was going #1 back when the Cassel trade went down. By making the trade, Pioli passed on both rookie QBs. He had to think Cassel was a better option than both of them.

If Pioli is wrong, and he couldn't get a proper read on a QB who was right there in the Pats' system for 3-4 years, he will have shattered his credibility with the Chiefs fanbase with his very first roster decision. That's a big-time roll of the dice.

The only thing that even remotely makes Cassel "safe" is that his track record (one season in a proven system with an all-galaxy WR to throw to) makes him slightly less of a risk than a rookie with no track record at all. But that's practically splititng hairs. Some people act like we traded for Bledsoe or Pennington, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Cassel is nowhere close to a guarantee on the field. Trading for him was a huge gamble by Pioli in terms of credibility and reputation. I have never understood the notion that Cassel somehow represents the safter path.

If he busts, it's game over.

I agree with 90% of what you've stated here. Well done.

The disagreement lies in the fact that you've denied the fact that Cassel isn't the "safer" choice. The only reason he is considered "safer" is that he's been in the NFL for four full seasons and he's played in 16 games (with 15 starts).

In many people's eyes (and I daresay, the overwhelming majority of Chiefsplanet members), he's safer than Stafford or Sanchez because neither have played in the NFL.

Which IMO, is a ridiculous argument. But you're right.

If Cassel busts, so does Pioli.

I don't think he'll "bust", and I've said already that he gives us a faster start out of the gate.
The question is; does he excel beyond game manager and give us a truly exceptional quarterback that you can absolutely count on to make something special happen when you desperately need it to happen?
Or are we looking at Green 2.0 as Stafford and/or Sanchez excel past that benchmark, assuming they can do so?

see the end of the jets game(and please no b.s. about the loss, he did EVERYTHING he could to win that game, they never got the ball in ot) BTW that game has been on NFLN at least 3times since the trade, and the INDY game (another loss where gaffney drops a PERFECT pass for a TD) will be on sunday if you want to watch cassel(not his best game but like i said gaffney drops a PERFECT td pass that would have made the game a W