****The Official 2009 Training Camp Update Thread****

[DaWolf]

Figure we might as well have one?

http://www.bobgretz.com/
http://www.uwrf.edu/chiefs/prev_updates.php
http://www.kcchiefs.com/default.asp
http://chiefsblog.kansascity.com/
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/
http://twitter.com/kb_kcstar
http://twitter.com/brandoncarr
http://kan.scout.com/
http://www.arrowheadpride.com/
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/page/KC

[wasi]

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/08..._back_to_work/

10:33 AM - Team periods have begun and Richardson continues to work with the first-team offense at right tackle. To my knowledge, this is his first practice working with this group during camp.

Dmac was the only starter who played at least a series or two with the second oline unit in game 1. He took a false start penalty and the camera was on him he didn't look happy.

[The Franchise]

God I hope Richardson can actually step up and hold the RT spot down. McIntosh needs to be riding the bench this season.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

God I hope Richardson can actually step up and hold the RT spot down. McIntosh needs to be riding the bench this season.

If Richardson can step up maybe we've seen Sackintosh's last stand

[-King-]

Word is that Bowe still isn't with the 1st team.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by KcChiefsKing

Word is that Bowe still isn't with the 1st team.

Haley is over-coaching the Bowe situation. Let him get in synch with Cassel instead of some continued public humiliation.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Haley is over-coaching the Bowe situation. Let him get in synch with Cassel instead of some continued public humiliation.

This. It's getting to the point now where Cassel and Bowe need to get on the same page.

[wasi]

Originally Posted by KcChiefsKing

Word is that Bowe still isn't with the 1st team.

word from where or whom?

[shitgoose]

Monday, August 17: Morning Practice

It was a good start to the last week of practice during Summer Training Camp. It was partly sunny and 67 degrees to begin practice and by the end of practice it was about 77 degrees. The dew point was at 60 and the humidity was 78 percent. A nice breeze was present throughout the entire practice at an average of five miles-per-hour towards the southwest.

There were nearly 110 people at the 19th Kansas City Chiefs Practice. This was also Seniors' Day, which made up for 77 people alone. The sun was perfectly hidden behind light clouds making people less eager to hide inside for the day.

Offense

Quarterback Tyler Thigpen was not in pads today for the first practice since the preseason opener on Saturday. Also unavailable were guard Tavares Washington and running back Kolby Smith.

Wide receiver Ashley Lelie was signed by the team on Monday. He was in full pads and participated in some of the drills. Receiver Jeff Webb was released to make room on the roster for Lelie. Lelie was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 2002 NFL Draft with the 19th overall selection. Lelie attended the University of Hawaii.

Offensive Line Coach Bill Muir made sure the linemen realized the Minnesota Viking linebackers were going to be quick in Friday’s preseason game. “Oh those linebackers this week are quick. You gotta be quicker!” Muir said.

Quarterback Matt Cassel and Brodie Croyle worked on field 2 with the defensive backs while fellow quarterback Matt Gutierrez ran the team’s 7-on-7 run drill on field 1.

Receiver Mark Bradley caught some grief from Head Coach Todd Haley after Bradley ran a route too far. You can’t go 15 [yards], you can go 10 to 12 [yards!]” the head coach yelled.

Running back Jackie Battle lost the football during the team’s 11-on-11 goal-line situation drill. The defense picked up the ball and the offense started arguing that he was down. After a short argument, Head Coach Todd Haley stepped in and yelled, “I called him down!”

Defense

Linebacker Zach Thomas sat out of practice, again, this morning. He was the only inactive defensive player during practice.

After defensive end Wallace Gilberry made a good stop during a drill, linebacker Mike Vrabel encouraged his teammate, saying, “Good job, Wallace. Good job, man.”

Linebacker Andy Studebaker had his entire right arm taped up this morning. Studebaker still practiced and was as intense as normal.

The team ran three separate drills at one time this morning. On field 2, most of the team worked on some situational plays. On field 1, the offensive and defensive linemen faced off, as is familiar. Also on field 1, the linebackers worked against an offensive linemen. The linebackers ran back and forth between the drills on field 1 and field 2. Some of the linemen that made the exchange were Tamba Hali, Andy Studebaker and Pierre Walters. During the linemen’s drill, defensive end Alfonso Boone jumped offsides and had to run to the south fence and back as is the familiar consequence.

During 11-on-11, defensive tackle Ron Edwards, defensive ends Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, linebackers Mike Vrabel, Corey Mays, Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali, cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr and safeties Jarrad Page and Mike Brown saw time with the first-string. Spending time with the second-string were defensive tackle Tank Tyler, defensive ends Wallace Gilberry and Alex Magee, linebackers Turk McBride, Andy Studebaker, Monty Beisel and Jovan Belcher, cornerbacks Donald Washington and Ricardo Colclough and safeties Jon McGraw and DaJuan Morgan. Cornerback Maurice Leggett continued to see time as the team’s nickelback.

During the team’s 11-on-11 drill, Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast was pleased with a stop cornerback Brandon Carr put on the play. Carr was able to defend quarterback Matt Cassel’s pass to wide receiver Terrance Copper. “Way to go, Carr,” Pendergast hollered from the sidelines. Later, Carr recovered a ball that was loose on the ground. The play was “ruled” as down, and Carr wasn’t credited with the fumble recovery. Safety Jarrad Page looked at Head Coach Todd Haley and said, “Challenge it. Challenge it.”

Cornerback Ricardo Colclough picked off quarterback Brodie Croyle during the team’ 11-on-11 drill.

After practice, safety Jarrad Page told members of the media that he thinks practice will continue to be intense this week, even though it’s a short one. “I don’t expect him (Head Coach Todd Haley) to take it easy on us,” Page said. “If he does, we’ll all be surprised.” Page said the team is looking at the preseason game on Aug. 21 as “just another chance to face another team on the field.”

Linebacker Corey Mays talked to reporters for a few minuets after practice. Mays was asked if he was happy on how camp was going thus far. “We haven’t done anything yet. We are still at ground zero!” Mays was then asked about his personal performance and said that everyday is competition and he just has to keep working.

Special Teams

Kicker Ryan Succop was 3-4 in today’s kicking drills. Succop hit from 39, 41, and 50-yards, before missing from 54-yards.

Head Coach Todd Haley had to jog out of the way of a punt from Dustin Colquitt. Cloquitt’s punt was caught by wide receiver Quinten Lawrence.

Receiver Bobby Engram, running back Dantrell Savage and cornerback Maurice Leggett spent time returning punts. The three have not been seen spending time as part of the return game through training camp thus far. Head Coach Todd Haley said the team's preseason game versus the Houston Texans on Aug. 15 was an awakening to the fact that the team needs to improve their return game.

Extra, extra...

At 9:23 a.m., the team finished with stretches and warm-ups and began their intense morning practice.

As the clock turned to exactly 11:00 a.m., the team broke their final huddle, and practice was finished.

NFL.com’s Vic Carucci and Gil Brandt were present this morning for the practice. Brandt was sporting the Cowboy’s Super Bowl Ring from Super Bowl XII. Brandt was a talent scout for the Cowboys, before joining NFL.com.

Todd Haley Press Conference

Head Coach Todd Haley held his usual post-practice press conference this morning, opening by saying he thought the morning’s practice was intense. Haley said that his team has a lot to do in a short week. “By Wednesday, I’d imagine we’ll be doing opponent work,” he said.

When asked about the preseason game on Aug. 15 against the Houston Texans, Haley said the defense shed a positive light on things. “On third down, our defense was excellent,” Haley commented. It was turnovers that had the head coach upset. “Turnovers had me down in the tank most on the plane ride back,” he said. As far as the offense is concerned, Haley said, “We’ve got to be better, got to be faster. We need to have fewer turnovers.”

The Chiefs recently signed wide receiver Ashley Lelie. Haley said that Lelie is different than anything else the Chiefs already have in the receiving position. “He’s a long, lean guy,” Haley said. “He’s got top-end speed.” Haley also said that Lelie is going to have to work “double duty” to get caught up with the rest of the team.

When asked about the special teams performance in the preseason game, Haley said, “Our return game’s got to improve.” Haley also said that he plans to change up the kickoff and punt returners this week during practice. He wouldn’t name names, however. Haley said that he felt the frontline blocking was OK, and the highlight of special teams for him was the fact that everyone seemed to understand what was going on during kickoffs.

When Haley was asked about wide receiver Dwayne Bowe’s progress through camp, he said, “I’m encouraged with him. It’s still a work in progress, but we’re going to get it right.” Haley also said that he noticed Bowe’s “good energy” at practice this morning.

To end the conference, Haley said that he’s glad there are multiple preseason games for his team to practice more. “We’ve got to learn how to win,” Haley said.

[The Franchise]

I'm hoping Mays can turn into starting material.

[Chiefnj2]

The Vikings first string DL got after Manning pretty well in their first game. It'll be a great test for KC.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Haley is over-coaching the Bowe situation. Let him get in synch with Cassel instead of some continued public humiliation.

Originally Posted by Pestilence

This. It's getting to the point now where Cassel and Bowe need to get on the same page.

NO! You are both morans! The Talking Clap, Lzen, and Nonsensical Chiefs Fan told me so!

Lzen: Are you people dumb? You and ROR. Did it ever occur to you that Bowe is playing so well because of Haley being a hard ass? Obviously, Haley knows what he is doing when it comes to motivating guys like Bowe.

Seig Heil to these awesome football minds, and do it yesterday!

[Coogs]

A take from Gretz on the Bowe situation from this morning...


August 17, 2009 - Bob Gretz | Comments (31)

From River Falls, Wisconsin


If I’ve used this story before, then excuse me. But I think it’s very illustrative in explaining WR Dwayne Bowe’s situation with the Chiefs.

Years ago the late defensive coordinator/NFL head coach Bud Carson was talking about players. He said something I’ve never forgotten. Bud said the players on a team fall into three categories: those that know what it takes to win, those that don’t know, and those that don’t know that they don’t know.

“It’s that third group that will get you killed as a coach,” the crusty Carson said. “I’d rather have a guy without a clue, than a guy that thinks he has all the answers but doesn’t know squat.”

So on a rainy Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium, Bowe fights his way out of the head coach’s doghouse, has a nice game and now everybody wants Todd Haley to take his mercurial wide receiver off the choke chain and let him run free again in the neighborhood.

Whether Bowe is back running with the first-team offense this coming Friday night against the Vikings over in Minneapolis remains to be seen. But it wouldn’t make much sense for Haley to suddenly stop what has obviously begun to produce some results.

Bowe definitely falls in the category of players who “don’t know what they don’t know.” There have been a lot of those guys on the Chiefs roster in this decade. They believed they had the plan and answers to create a winning team, but it’s turned out over 10 years that they didn’t even have the right questions, let alone the correct answers. In two seasons, Bowe has caught 156 passes for 2,017 yards and he believes that gives him credibility. Of course, those catches and yards came for a team that finished 6-26.

Bowe and many other young veterans on this Chiefs team have no idea what it takes to be a consistent winner in pro football.
That’s what Haley is trying to create with this team. It doesn’t mean he’ll get that accomplished, or that Haley’s way is the best way. But it’s a tried and true method that has worked dozens of times before in the NFL. The first step in the process is personal responsibility. The second step is consistency.

Go back to what Haley said in the first week of camp: “I don’t want a yo-yo team and I don’t want yo-yo players. I really want to be the same every day. If we get fractionally better each day, or each week, then we’ll be OK.”

Yo-yo: that’s what Bowe has been during this training camp and over his three seasons with the Chiefs. To qualify under what Haley wants requires a consistent approach to practices and meetings. It’s a focus and motivation that gets turned on not when the stadium lights come on, but when the meeting room lights go off and the tape is being reviewed.

It doesn’t just come when there can be a “Bowe Show” with tens of thousands of people watching. It comes when there are less than 100 folks enjoying a sunny afternoon in River Falls and barely making a sound.

It comes every single day, without fail and without question.

Bowe has problems putting all those elements together for any length of time. His focus can waver from play to play, let alone practice to practice. He’s gotten close to some consistency during two practices last week here in the northwoods and then in Saturday night’s pre-season game against the Texans.

Close enough that he’s got the head coach’s attention. Calling Bowe’s five-catch, 70-yard performance against the Texans a “definite positive”, Haley also made it plain there remains work to get done.

“Like I said, we are going to play the guys that we think are doing it the way we want it done,” said the head coach. “That was the way we went tonight (against Houston), but again that can change. But Bowe … definitely showed something.”

It’s hard to imagine Haley taking Bowe completely off the chain and letting him run free again. That would defeat the purpose of what he’s been trying to get done. More than likely Haley is going to have to pull that chain at various times to get Bowe’s attention.

This is the chance that Haley and his coaching staff have of getting Bowe with the program. Fines and discipline don’t make a dent with most of today’s NFL players. The only thing that really grabs their attention is messing with their opportunities to perform.

With the ‘09 Chiefs, Bowe is the most physically gifted receiver on the roster. That doesn’t make him the best at the position, but it should and could, if he’ll become a true pro and learn how to handle himself. Yes, Matt Cassel needs Dwayne Bowe in the lineup. But not the Dwayne Bowe that drops too many passes, runs too many bad routes and doesn’t always get to where he’s supposed to be in the play.

The Chiefs have already proven then can go 6-26 with that Dwayne Bowe.

They need a different one.

[LaChapelle]

Originally Posted by wasi

word from where or whom?

Babb's tweet page: Bowe took a couple snaps with the 1s, but is running with the 2s.

Also says Haley says...There could be more WR signings. Got a lot of looking to do.

[Coogs]

And Gretz's practice update...


August 17, 2009 - Bob Gretz | 1 Comment

From River Falls, Wisconsin

The Chiefs got back to work Monday morning here in the northwoods with a full pads practice and an energy level that was pleasing to the head coach.

“They were competitive out there and that was good,” said Todd Haley.

Free safety Jarrad Page said more: “We had a lot of energy and that was good to see because we could have come off that game (16-10 loss to Houston) with our heads down and dragging. But everybody was working hard and with enthusiasm. We know Coach Haley isn’t going to cut us any slack., so we responded.”

Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe did not play his way completely out of coach Haley’s doghouse with his five-catch, 70-yard performance in the preseason opener against the Texans. He was still running with the second and third team receivers in Monday AM practice. “We are still a work in progress,” said Haley of Bowe. “I was encouraged with what Dwayne did in the game. There were some highlights and a couple of things Dwayne did that proably weren’t noticed that need to be better.”

There was another new face in the receivers huddle during this practice, as the Chiefs signed journeymen Ashley Lelie. A former first-round choice of the Broncos, he’s played for four teams over his career, the most recent last year with the Raiders. To make room for Lelie, the Chiefs waived WR Jeff Webb.

It looked like the Chiefs got through the Houston game without much in the way of big injuries. QB Tyler Thigpen did not practice, although he was moving around without much problem. SS Bernard Pollard has a right ankle/foot injury that he suffered in the game. Pollard started in practice, but eventually left. Also OLB Andy Studebaker had his right arm wrapped with what looked like a possible elbow injury. But he took part in practice.

Here’s other nuggets and info from the morning session:
– When the No. 1 offense was on the field Monday morning, second-year man Barry Richardson was at right tackle. It had nothing to do with injuries, because Damion McIntosh worked at RT on the No. 2 offensive line, while Herb Taylor worekd with the second group at LT.

– Besides Thigpen, the others who did not take part in practice were RB Kolby Smith, ILB zach Thomas and G Tavares Washington.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Congratulations to the "keep beating a dead Bowe"-crowd; you're Bob Gretz.