Haley Excited Over Wade Addition

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Since head coach Todd Haley arrived in Kansas City, no position has received more attention than wide receiver. Before the draft, the Chiefs inked veteran receivers Bobby Engram and Terrance Copper. In the draft, they were relatively inactive, selecting only Quentin Lawrence in the sixth round. Then it all exploded, as the Chiefs signed veterans Ashley Lelie and Amani Toomer.

The Chiefs have moved and shuffled receivers around like magnets on a blackboard. Haley even tinkered with the receiver depth chart, periodically moving Dwayne Bowe, a 1,000-plus-yard receiver a year ago, to the third team. Forget the coaching carousel, KC’s receiving carousel looks more like Cyclone Sam, the once-beloved Worlds of Fun ride, and the ride’s not over. Tuesday, the Chiefs announced what we all knew over the weekend, the signing of Bobby Wade. Wednesday, they announced the release of Rodney Wright, a training camp favorite, and the signing of former Cardinals’ receiver Lance Long. Wade is a seven-year veteran who spent time in Minnesota, Tennessee and Chicago. Unlike some of the other receivers Haley brought in this offseason, he seems visibly excited about Wade. “I think we’ve got to get him quickly into the mix,” said Haley. “Bobby is a guy that I have some background with. He’s got some punt return ability. He hasn’t done it in a while, but he’s done it, and done it at a high level at times, so we’ve got to get him going quick.” While Haley will probably give Wade a good, long look as a returner, he’s also expecting him to contribute on offense. “If we are going to use him as a punt returner, he needs to be able to play some other plays, because five or six plays, or whatever it is, at the end of the day isn’t enough,” said Haley. “He was in here late last night working hard and early this morning, so we just got to get him up to speed fast.” Wade knows Haley is looking for him to contribute immediately, so how can he make that happen? “It’s just going to be determined on my learning curve,” said Wade. “Obviously, I’m going to put as much time as possible into trying to learn. I’m going to give the best opportunity to get on the field as early as possible. Other than that, it’s just about making plays once I get in.” Wade is coming from an offensive scheme in Minnesota that centered on the running ability of Adrian Peterson. In Kansas City, a former wide receivers coach is in charge, and that’s something he’s excited about. “It’s much different,” said Wade. “This is a really dynamic offense. This offense allows you to do a lot of different things. A lot of players are interchangeable.” The Chiefs were not the only team vying for Wade’s services. It’s been rumored that up to four other clubs were interested, so why did he pick Kansas City? “I wanted to be a part of a program that’s about growing,” said Wade. “I want to be a part of a program that’s excelling, that’s not having a possibility of moving backwards, but only having a possibility of moving forwards.” “I wanted to play with a quarterback that going to be here for a while. Matt Cassel is a proven quarterback in this league. This is his opportunity to really shine. I want to be a part of that. I want to be a part of this locker room, this team, and hopefully a part of this city, if everything works out.” Wade was complimentary towards Haley, who coached him in Chicago for a year. “I had the opportunity to be drafted, he drafted me there to Chicago,” said Wade. “I had the opportunity (for him) to groom me into a player that allowed me to excel and have an opportunity to be productive in this league, so I’m grateful for what I’ve learned my rookie year. It’s really carried me a long way the past six years.” CASSEL REPORT Matt Cassel practiced with a brace Wednesday, but did not fully participate. The media is only allowed to watch 20 minutes of practice each day, and all last week, the quarterbacks did the same simple passing drills. However, this week, the quarterbacks ran a mobility drill where they had to shuffle between bags before throwing. Were the Chiefs putting Cassel’s mobility on display intentionally? During his Tuesday press conference, Haley said the media might notice improvement from Cassel.