TEICHER: Chiefs have some tough personnel decisions to make

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Chiefs have some tough personnel decisions to make
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Casey Wiegmann was a free-agent find for the Chiefs last year. The veteran center returned for his second tour of duty with the Chiefs and played perhaps better than any of their other offensive lineman.

But Wiegmann will be 38 in July and the Chiefs face an interesting decision whether to re-sign him for 2011. Wiegmann isn’t the only player with an expiring contract. He’s just one of 25 players on their roster without a contract for 2011.

The Chiefs have six significant unsigned players on defense, including both of their top pass rushers, outside linebacker Tamba Hali and end Wallace Gilberry. Hali led the AFC with a career-high 14 1/2 sacks last season and added another two in the playoff loss to Baltimore.

Gilberry added seven sacks in the regular season. No other Chiefs player had more than three. Their combined total of 21 1/2 was more than half of the team’s 38.

The Chiefs re-signed some of their better young players during the season, including linebacker Derrick Johnson and running back Jamaal Charles, but made no apparent move to re-sign either Hali, who is 27, or Gilberry, 26.

Outside linebacker Mike Vrabel is 35 and has no contract for 2010. The Chiefs have been grooming Andy Studebaker to take Vrabel’s starting spot eventually. Vrabel lost some of his playing time last season to Studebaker, but the Chiefs would face a leadership void without Vrabel.

Other defensive players without 2011 contracts include cornerback Brandon Carr and defensive linemen Ron Edwards and Shaun Smith. Carr was drafted to play the zone system used by former coach Herm Edwards, but survived nicely last season when the Chiefs asked him to play more man-to-man coverage.

Edwards and Smith are the only true nose tackles on the Chiefs’ roster.

Offensive players without 2011 contracts include Wiegmann and quarterback Brodie Croyle. Wiegmann won the starting job from the incumbent, Rudy Niswanger, during training camp and never gave it back. Wiegmann was a key factor as the Chiefs led the league in rushing during the regular season.

Croyle is 0-10 in his career as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback. The Chiefs lost 31-0 at San Diego last month when Croyle replaced the ailing Matt Cassel as the starter.

The Chiefs have no other serious backup quarterback candidates on their roster, so they will have to acquire one if Croyle is not re-signed.

Because the league’s collective-bargaining agreement is set to expire in March, it’s unclear which of the Chiefs’ unsigned players would be unrestricted, restricted or exclusive rights free agents or whether there will be free agency at all.

The Chiefs had 61 players on their roster at season’s end, including eight on injured reserve. Linebacker Mark Simoneau was one of them and has announced his retirement.

The Chiefs signed on Wednesday the eight players who finished the season on their practice squad: linebackers Justin Cole, Micah Johnson and Pierre Walters, defensive lineman Dion Gales, offensive linemen Darryl Harris and Bobby Greenwood, wide receiver Jeremy Horne and tight end Cody Slate.

To reach Adam Teicher, call 816-234-4875 or send e-mail to [email protected]
Posted on Wed, Jan. 12, 2011 11:05 PM