At 36, Chiefs' Roaf has earned a few days off

[Bob Dole]

All-Pro to get breaks before, during season



It's not as though he wants to be maligned as Willie Loaf, but Chiefs left tackle Willie Roaf has about 36 good reasons to lobby for extra days off during his 14th NFL season this year.
"Last year I practiced only once a day (during training camp), but it was always in full pads, and I probably should have backed off some," Roaf said. "Early in the season I was hurting, and that led to the hamstring problems."

Just to recap, Roaf's aching hamstring * a muscle pull that prevented the then-35-year-old 10-time Pro Bowl player from using leverage in his lower body * also hamstrung the Kansas City offense.

Roaf was inactive in six games and missed most of a seventh after going down in the second series of the season opener. The Chiefs lost three games in which Roaf didn't play, and a fourth in San Diego when he started but couldn't finish. Pass protection was a factor in each of the losses as still-young tackle Jordan Black struggled at Roaf's left tackle spot.

Now 36 and determined to play one last season after putting aside the retirement thoughts that arose naturally during 2005, Willie Roaf looks forward to a 2006 campaign under a new coach who is determined to keep him as healthy as possible.

"Herman Edwards has told us that he takes care of his big guys," Roaf said. "His philosophy is that he doesn't have to worry about getting me and Will (Shields) ready like he does some of his young guys.

"He said not to worry, that his practices would be set up to keep guys fresh for Sunday. He said that there would be days when some big guys wouldn't do anything."

Don't misunderstand. Edwards' practices are known to be intense, but likely shorter than the old-school sessions of Dick Vermeil that sometimes stretched to 2 1/2 hours.

And while Vermeil often did not ask older players such as Roaf, Shields (who will be 35 in September) and John Browning to practice on Wednesdays and occasional Thursdays, Edwards seems to sense that 11-time Pro Bowlers like Roaf and Shields know how to get ready for Sundays without the wear and tear of midweek workouts.

It's an approach that appeals to older players who understand that staying available is as important as being prepared.

Edwards is known, for instance, to have let veteran cornerback Ty Law * making a comeback last year from a major foot injury * practice on a schedule some Jets saw as overly generous. Law, however, responded with a 10-interception season, tied for the best in the AFC.

Law's appreciation of Edwards' approach might be the biggest recruiting tool the Chiefs have in their attempts to secure Law for their left cornerback spot. Law's salary demands, however, remain the biggest stumbling block.

But Edwards' philosophy was a factor in the decision by both Roaf and Shields to delay the retirement they have certainly earned.

So, too, was the idea that the window of opportunity for a productive but aging Kansas City offense might remain open for one more season.

"The window has already closed for some of the guys who were the corps of this offense even before I got here," Roaf lamented. "Priest Holmes * we don't know if he's coming back. Tony Richardson is gone (via free agency to Minnesota), and he was a big part of everything that happened here.

"We've got to make the playoffs now and give ourselves a chance."

Roaf also was excited by the elevation of his offensive line coach, Mike Solari, to the offensive coordinator position opened by the departure of Al Saunders to Washington. The architect of the vaunted Chiefs ground attack that operated equally well with Holmes and Larry Johnson, Roaf and his fellow linemen feel they now have a kindred spirit in charge of the offense.

"I think it's a good choice," Roaf said. "He's had a lot to do with our running game all these years. He set up our short-yard and goal-line package. And I know he's working hard to get better in the passing game, where coach Saunders was strongest.

"He understand the passing game, I know that, but I think we may be more run-oriented than in the past. And that will help when we get up on teams and go to a four-minute (game-killing) offense with Larry Johnson running the ball."

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