Chiefs Replacing Gonzalez proving to be a chore in K.C. - Page 9

Quesadilla Joe · 07-12-2009, 03:27 PM

http://www.profootballweekly.com/200...-a-chore-in-kc

Replacing Gonzalez proving to be a chore in K.C.
Posted July 11, 2009 @ 6:50 p.m.
By Michael Blunda

Nobody in the Chiefs' organization thought it would be easy to replace departed TE Tony Gonzalez, a 10-time Pro Bowler and surefire Hall of Famer, but they probably didn’t think it would be this difficult, either. In one of the more surprising developments of the team’s recent minicamp, head coach Todd Haley declared the competition for the starting tight end job wide open, dispelling the widely believed thought that the spot belonged to Brad Cottam. From what we hear, Cottam, a 2008 third-round pick by the Chiefs and the favorite to capture the job, struggled mightily during offseason workouts, frequently dropping catchable passes. His failure to seize the opportunity has opened the door for others — like veterans Sean Ryan and Tony Curtis and seventh-round rookie Jake O’Connell — to enter the mix for starting duties. Although the Chiefs aren’t expected to utilize their tight ends as receivers very often, the offense would be lacking without a skilled pass catcher at that spot. Thus far, Cottam has “dropped the ball.”

07-12-2009, 03:27 PM	Topic Starter
Quesadilla Joe Abolish The Salary Cap! Join Date: Mar 2008 Casino cash: $3408675	Replacing Gonzalez proving to be a chore in K.C. http://www.profootballweekly.com/200...-a-chore-in-kc Replacing Gonzalez proving to be a chore in K.C. Posted July 11, 2009 @ 6:50 p.m. By Michael Blunda Nobody in the Chiefs' organization thought it would be easy to replace departed TE Tony Gonzalez, a 10-time Pro Bowler and surefire Hall of Famer, but they probably didn’t think it would be this difficult, either. In one of the more surprising developments of the team’s recent minicamp, head coach Todd Haley declared the competition for the starting tight end job wide open, dispelling the widely believed thought that the spot belonged to Brad Cottam. From what we hear, Cottam, a 2008 third-round pick by the Chiefs and the favorite to capture the job, struggled mightily during offseason workouts, frequently dropping catchable passes. His failure to seize the opportunity has opened the door for others — like veterans Sean Ryan and Tony Curtis and seventh-round rookie Jake O’Connell — to enter the mix for starting duties. Although the Chiefs aren’t expected to utilize their tight ends as receivers very often, the offense would be lacking without a skilled pass catcher at that spot. Thus far, Cottam has “dropped the ball.”
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