Teicher: Chiefs want Wade in the mix quickly

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs want Wade in the mix quickly
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Bobby Wade is a late arrival to the party, so his world was a blur Wednesday. The newest Chiefs wide receiver crammed the playbook and joined his team at practice in an effort to be ready to play in Sunday’s game against Oakland at Arrowhead Stadium.

“It’ll be determined on my learning curve,” said Wade, who signed his contract only the day before.

“I’ll put in as much time as possible to try to learn and get on the field as early as possible. Other than that, it’s just about making plays once I get out there. I’m just going to continue to work, and we’ll see where it falls on Sunday.”

Having Wade against the Raiders is also a priority for the Chiefs and coach Todd Haley. Haley would like Wade to be available, if nothing else, as a punt returner, where the Chiefs have sorted through several candidates and found them all lacking.

But Haley may give a game-day roster spot to Wade only if he can do more than return punts, so the ability to master at least a portion of the offensive playbook is important.

“We’ve got to get him quickly into the mix,” Haley said. “He’s got some punt-return ability. He’s done it at a high level at times.

“If we are going to use him as a punt returner, he needs to be able to play some other plays. Five or six (punt returns) at the end of the day isn’t enough. We’ve just got to get him up to speed fast.”

Wade has returned punts at times during his seven-year NFL career with Chicago, Tennessee and Minnesota. He was one of the best in the league for the Bears in 2005.

“I’m looking for the opportunity,” Wade said. “It’s something I kind of got away from last year. I did it the year prior and all the other years before that. The coach talked to me about it. If that’s what they want me to do, I’m definitely ready.”

Eventually, though, the Chiefs signed Wade to help at receiver. The Chiefs have Dwayne Bowe as one starter, and Bobby Engram appears solid as the slot receiver.

Otherwise, there’s little depth. Mark Bradley is the other starter, but despite his 50-yard catch-and-run in last week’s opener in Baltimore, Haley was unhappy with Bradley after the game because of his failure to convert on some crucial third-down catches.

Wade is the third at his position to join the Chiefs since the start of training camp. The others, Amani Toomer and Ashley Lelie, have since departed.

Wade, 28, has staying power. He had 50-plus receptions in each of the last two seasons for the Vikings.

But the Vikings drafted a receiver, Percy Harvin, in the first round this year. Wade became expendable, though his release still came as a surprise.

“It was very surprising, caught me off guard,” he said. “Other than that, it’s the nature of the business. Nobody is safe. Everybody understands that regardless of pay or how many years you’ve played or even production for that matter … I’m just fortunate to have this opportunity.”

Backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen was a teammate of Wade’s in Minnesota’s training camp in 2007.

“He’s a great player,” Thigpen said. “He understands the game real well. We’re glad to have him here because he’ll give us another playmaker on offense.

“He was kind of a slot guy. Sometimes he played outside receiver. He’s a guy that’s not afraid to go across the middle and make plays.”

The Chiefs had to fight off some competition, mainly the Colts, to sign Wade. His relationship with Haley may have been the difference. Haley was the Bears’ receivers coach in Wade’s rookie season in 2003.

“He drafted me there in Chicago,” Wade said. “I’m very grateful for what I learned my rookie year. It carried me a long way the past six years. He kind of showed me the ropes.

“He was hard on you but high on you, really excited about your opportunities but willing to push you to get there. That’s what I’m looking forward to in this opportunity. You can get a little relaxed in this league, but if you continue to push yourself or have somebody pushing you, you can continue to get better.”