Babb: Chiefs consider future while molding current roster
 

Chiefs consider future while molding current roster
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs might be bracing for tomorrow, but coach Todd Haley said this week that the team retained players who might help today.

Haley wouldn’t say much about his staff’s strategy for filling out the 53-man roster, but it appeared after the weekend’s mandatory cut period that coaches put an emphasis not only on players who could make an impact this season but also those who could develop into significant contributors.

“We’ve got to get a little better every day,” Haley said. “I don’t even really want to go back to Friday.”

There are several players who fit the criteria for developmental prospects: players who weren’t necessarily drafted, those who showed promise in training camp, and youngsters who might have an upside the Chiefs weren’t willing to give up on. The team seemed to hold on to more of those kinds of players, such as receiver Jeremy Horne and linebackers Cory Greenwood and Justin Cole, than perhaps in recent years.

Whatever the Chiefs saw in those players, the decisions are justified. The Chiefs made room last season for linebacker Jovan Belcher, an undrafted rookie out of Maine. They took a chance on him after a strong training camp and preseason, and whatever coaches saw then is paying off now. A year after making the team as a developmental player, Belcher is expected to start at strongside inside linebacker in Monday’s opener against San Diego.

The more players who fit those guidelines, perhaps the more surprises such as Belcher the Chiefs will find. And also with Belcher in mind, the Chiefs want players who show improvement immediately.

“I’ve been telling these guys from day one,” Haley said, “and that includes just now when we ended practice, is we need you now. We don’t need you tomorrow, we don’t need you next week, we don’t need you next year.

“We’re not waiting on anybody.”

Haley said that means having front-line players emerging as potential Pro Bowlers, backups chasing starting jobs, and role players showing noticeable growth.

The coach said his expectations — and impatience — will extend to the practice squad, where such players as Bobby Greenwood were assigned this past weekend after being released. The Chiefs moved Bobby Greenwood from defensive line to offensive line during camp, and regardless of how taxing that transition might be, Haley said the Chiefs aren’t in a position to wait to see results.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Haley said, “and we need to have this guy ready.”

Haley hasn’t said what his expectations are for 2010, but few outsiders are predicting the Chiefs to reach the playoffs. They went 4-12 last season, and despite some upgrades this offseason, the Chiefs still see themselves in the early stages of a rebuilding project.

One of the more important, if overlooked, priorities is for the Chiefs to develop the bottom of its roster. The high draft picks and starting lineup get most of the attention beyond the walls of the team’s Arrowhead training facility. But within them, each player who exceeds expectations is perhaps one fewer draft pick the team has to burn, one less free-agent signing the Chiefs have to make, one less trade they have to execute.

That’s when moves could be made to strengthen the team for the short-term, rather than reinforcing the roster for months and years into the future.

“We’ve got to do justice for this team,” Haley said. “If there is anybody that can make us better, we’ve got to look at that and make sure we’re doing everything we can.”

Haley said that extends to the lowest end of the roster, those fringe players who made the cut only because they might someday be something more. Haley said the Chiefs hope their gamble pays off.

“I don’t know who they are,” he said, “but 51, 52, 53, don’t thank me. Just show me that we’re right.”

Wow. So many words to say nothing at all.
Posted via Mobile Device

Win or don't come home/Coach Haley

Win or don't come home, Coach Haley.

Fluff.

The lifeblood of the KC Sports media.

Win or don't, come home Coach Haley.

/ Mrs. Haley, after slaving away on a Sunday dinner.

Herm? Is that you?

I like the attitude fluff or not.

Heh. I agree.

Admit it Dane, you secretly do love Tyson Jackson. You've got his big ole' fathead on the walls of your 3000sq/ft. gameroom next to the Gold Plated Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots. Rasta action going on and shit. You wearing his jersey. You sayin, "Dude got paid baby". Down deep you got the mad Respek. Peace.

Unfortunately, that's all Haley's got.

He's Frank Gansz in a Bill Parcells Halloween costume.

Kent Blah

Yep.

Chiefs fans loved Gunther for those first few years. Tough guy, yells at players, makes for interesting soundbytes and gifs. It's going to wear thin after this year.

I think he's got a better balance than Goonther. I mean really, guys...

I hope you're right.

So far Haley hasn't shown us anything special in terms of his coaching abilities.

Well, he's obviously out the picture for the most part in the play-calling dept., so I'm thinking it's whatever he's doing in practice being "his place" more or less.

The players seem more disciplined and tough than in years past, but you may be right.