Login or Register

Blogs

Add

Chiefs Release Four Players wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:28 pm The Chiefs have released four players in order to meet the required 75 man roster limit that'll be enforced in just a few days. The players that had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting with the team Turk this week include RB Kestahn Moore, QB Bill Stull, TE Cody Slate and OL Tyler Eastman. Eastman and Slate were obvious cuts seeing as they were unimpressive during camp, OTA’s and all three preseason games that they managed to barely participate in. Stull knew his fate when he originally signed on with the Chiefs. Basically his role was as another throwing arm while second string QB Brodie Croyle came back 100% healthy. Moore is the only semi-surprise of the group considering how well of an off-season he had. Sadly when it came to the game day action he couldn’t stay healthy, run the ball effectively or pass block with any effectiveness. Plus the team is five deep with quality runners anyways (Mike Cox, Tim Castille, Jamaal Charles, Thomas Jones and Jackie Battle). Making Moore all the more expendable. Of the four players Stull and Moore have the best chance of making the teams practice squad. The next set of cuts come into play September 2nd when all the teams will need to have their final 53 man roster established. Quick Hits: Philadelphia Eagles wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:27 pm 2010 Fifth round pick OLB Cameron Sheffield was carted off the field after sustaining a neck injury while attempting to tackle Eagles RB Mike Bell. The extent of the injury is unknown but Head Coach Todd Haley made it known to the press that the Chiefs and himself send his prayers. Only two players were scratched from Thursday nights game; CB Maurice Leggett and G Darryl Harris. RT Barry Richardson started the game at RT and finished the game at LT. The teams linebackers had an all-around amazing game, recording C Casey Wiegmann has started the last two games at center and has taken the majority of in-game snaps. Player Evaluations: Philadelphia Eagles wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:25 pm QB Matt Cassel - 85 yards passing and only completing check down passes wont win the Chiefs many games this year. QB Tyler Palko - Accuracy issues prove to be Palko's liability and cement the fact that the Chiefs need Brodie Croyle to be their number two QB. RB Thomas Jones - Four receptions, tough inside third down converting runs, a TD and 30 yards rushing all spell success. RB Dexter McCluster - 5.8 yards a carry on eight rush attempts to go along with three receptions and an excellent night of kick and punt returning means the Chiefs have an excellent backup returner, third down RB and slot receiver. RB Jamaal Charles - Fumbled on the first play from scrimmage but made up for it with 40 rushing yards on six attempts. Charles is the most explosive RB in the NFL. RB Jackie Battle - Battle should be the official short yardage back seeing as he ground out 49 yards on ten attempts behind a third string line and with the Eagles stacking the line of scrimmage. FB Mike Cox - Is an absolute run blocking beast that led the way for Thomas Jones' TD run. FB Tim Castille - Was fairly non-existent but still deserves a roster spot thanks to his special teams play and pass catching ability. WR Dwayne Bowe - Had a TD, broke tackles, run blocked and caught every pass thrown his way. What more can you ask for? WR Chris Chambers - Seemed to lack effort but still wound up with two receptions for 17 yards in a limited number of snaps. WR Jeremy Horne - Downed a Colquitt punt inside the five yard line and was very close to making several big plays. Horne should make the team as the fifth WR. WR Jerheme Urban - Didn't see the field long enough to do anything but run block. Should be replaced by Horne on the final 53 man roster. WR Lance Long - Has done nothing but make plays when given the opportunity unfortunately the team seems to have given up on him and has decided to limit his chances on the field. TE Leonard Pope - Helped block the way for Thomas Jones' TD run. TE Tony Moeaki - Was the worst receiver on the day. Moeaki was targeted twice, knocking one of the passes in the air causing an INT and dropping another pass. OT Barry Richardson - Is a run blocking phenomenon who can handle his own on passing downs. Richardson showed his tremendous value by showing his versatility by playing both RT and LT in the game. OT Branden Albert - Performed like the first round pick he is. If he continues to show that kind of production throughout the season the sky is the limit. OG Jon Asamoah - Helped pave the way for many of Jackie Battle's and Dexter McClusters long runs. Asamoah will be starting this time next year. OG Brian Waters - Was consistent just like you'd expect a four time Pro-Bowler to be. OG Ryan Lilja - Was penalized for holding on a 20+ yard run play when he clearly didn't hold. Other than that Lilja held up fairly well. OG Ikechuku Ndukwe - Is the teams special teams offensive lineman and will be depth on the roster when the regular season comes around. C Casey Wiegmann - Has been seeing the majority of the snaps and has proved to be semi-effective on passing downs and a detriment on running downs. Wiegmann should clearly be the number two center on the roster. C Rudy Niswanger - Saw little to no snaps on the night. K Ryan Succop - One for one from 43 yards out with one touchback and two returns for an average starting field position of 28 yards. The high return yards should be blamed on the tackling unit more than the kicking unit. Overall a solid job though. P Dustin Colquitt - A stellar All-Pro performance; Seven punts, four inside the twenty, one inside the five , a long of 72 and ten total return yards. SS Eric Berry - Had a pass deflection that was nearly a pick six to go along with a team leading six tackles. Several of which were momentum changing hits. SS Reshard Langford - Was solid enough to prove that he should make the roster as the second or third string safety. SS DaJuan Morgan - Is a bubble player that had several strong stops late in the game. Morgan will likely be cut but still shows some talent. SS Kendrick Lewis - Had his first career INT which bodes well for the rookie starting tandem experiment that's coming up in the next few weeks. FS JonMcGraw - Started the game and was solid yet unspectacular, the story of McGraw's career. FS Donald Washington - Washington hasn't shown enough or garnered enough playing time to show why he should make the team. CB Brandon Carr - Should've had a big-time 30+ yard pass interference call but was otherwise his solid self. CB Brandon Flowers - Should of had an end-zone pass interference call made against him. Was taken out of before he had time to make an impact. CB Jackie Bates - Got burnt several times for big plays. It should be easy to spot that Bates is the odd one out on the roster. CB Travis Daniels - Has been adequate, but adequate wont win you a spot on a roster with this much defensive back talent. CB Javier Arenas - His 17 yard punt return, clean fielding technique and his ability to play the nickel position proved why he will be the starting return man who will play at the teams third and fourth corner position. CB Mike Richardson - Will be cut in the first round of waivings along with Jackie Bates. CB Ricky Price - Price is buried too far down on the roster to prove he's worth keeping around. OLB Andy Studebaker - Had five tackles, two sacks and an additional QB pressure. All of which will go a long way in Studebaker's eventual transition to starter. OLB Tamba Hali - Played a limited number of snaps but played them well. OLB Mike Vrabel - Is productive and is still the obvious leader of the defense. OLB Cameron Sheffield - Left the game with a neck injury early on but showed flashes of ability as the backup to Tamba Hali. OLB Pierre Walters - Will be cut depending on the status of Cameron Sheffield. OLB John Russell - Is another casualty waiting to happen. ILB Derrick Johnson - Had a forced fumble to go along with a QB pressure. Definitely earning his spot on the latest depth chart, as the number one inside LB. ILB Jovan Belcher - Is a run stuffing beast who has a knack for rushing the passer. Belcher has all the potential in the world and eventually he will take this league by storm. ILB Demorrio Williams - Had an MVP caliber night; recording two sacks, five tackles, nearly an INT and a QB hurry. Meaning both DJ and DW will likely split time throughout the 2010 season based on their production and playmaking abilities. ILB Corey Mays - Is a solid tackler who is mediocre at stopping the run. Mays would ideally be suited for the backup role behind Jovan Belcher. ILB Justin Cole - Rarely saw the field and failed to make an impact when he did. ILB David Herron - Was responsible for the wiping out of a 30+ yard kick return due to an unsportsman like conduct penalty. A mindless penalty that should eliminate the chances of an already on the bubble player. ILB Cory Greenwood - The team has too many LB to keep Greenwood and his fourth quarter only appearance proves that. DE Glenn Dorsey - Had a tackle in a limited number of snaps. DE Tyson Jackson - Jackson has repeatedly shown that he can’t hold up against the run or get off blockers to pass the rusher. Unless he progresses and progresses fast, he’ll be one the biggest busts of all time. DE Dion Gales - One sack in a reserve role may be enough to persuade the Chiefs to keep the second year player. After all the teams thin at DE and a promising young player just may be what the doctor ordered. DE Shaun Smith - Watched almost the entire game from the bench for unexplained reasons. DE Alex Magee - Redeemed some of his draft value by recording a Kevin Kolb sack, broke up a screen pass and was in on several other QB pressure plays. DE Wallace Gilberry - Has proven to be the teams best defensive end if not the teams best defensive lineman. Gilberry will likely replace Jackson on the line. NT Derek Lokey - Really didn’t show up much in the game despite earning praise from coach Haley earlier in the week. NT Ron Edwards - Two tackles and enough pressure to make a person remember why Edwards was the starter last year. NT Garrett Brown - Didn’t see enough playing time to properly judge. Which doesn’t bode well for the undrafted college free agent. Quick Hits: Tampa Bay Buccaneers wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:23 pm FS Jon McGraw, QB Brodie Croyle, RB Kestahn Moore and G Darryl Harris all were scratches in game two of the preseason against the Bucs. FS Kendrick Lewis started the first game of his NFL career, even if it is a preseason game. The Chiefs led the Bucs in rush yards allowed, passing yards allowed and time of possession but still lost 20-15. Rookie free agent Jeremy Horne recorded his first NFL touchdown pass. Rookie CB Javier Arenas returned a kickoff 54 yards in what would be the Chiefs only touchdown possession. OLB Tamba Hali was disruptive in the backfield of the Bucs. Breaking starting QB Josh Freeman's thumb and deflecting backup Josh Johnson's throw the following series. RB Thomas Jones fumbled and lost the ball on the first offensive series of the game. CB Brandon Flowers went to strip the ball instead of make a casual tackle in the second quarter of the game and was burnt for a TD in the process. QB Matt Cassel finished the game with a 108 passer rating. The Chiefs recorded 152 total rushing yards on the day. According to rookie safeties Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis, Jon McGraw has been instrumental in their development from a leadership and knowledge standpoint. RT Ryan O'Callaghan was injured during practice after the teams game against the Bucs. Barry Richardson switched from LT to RT to fill the starting void. Post Game Injury Report: Tampa Bay vs. Kansas City wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:23 pm The neck injury sustained by CB Maurice Leggett that required the third year player be carted off the field on a stretcher is now determined to be non-career threatening. Head Coach Todd Haley even said that Leggett is expected back "Sooner than later". Report Card Game Two: P, K, KR wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:22 pm P Dustin Colquitt - The sixth year punter had a net average of 39 yards and a gross average of 44.3 yards. A number that would and will make Colquitt one of the top five punters year in and year out for the next decade. Colquitt knocked one kick inside the 20, had one fair catch and had two kicks returned for a grand total of 21 yards. Ten return yards or less would be ideal, than again, perfection's a hard achievement to come by. GRADE: B+ K Ryan Succop - Had a perfect day kicking two touchbacks on three kicks and giving the opponent an average starting field position at the 11 yard line. Succop also recorded two field goals on two attempts (28 and 29 yards). It would be nice to see Succop get a few more chances on long field goals just to get the game day experience in, but it's not Succop's fault that he didn't get the chance. Other than that it was an absolutely flawless day for the second year player. GRADE: A KR/PR Javier Arenas - Was the teams special teams MVP. And that's high praise considering how well every facet of the special teams did. Arena's is already the most accomplished kick returner to dawn the red and gold since Dante Hall and the game against the Bucs just cements that face. Arena's was forced to down two long kickoffs for touchbacks which is a surprisingly astute move considering the youth of Arenas and the obvious desire to make an impact. Arena’s made the most of the one kick he was able to return, returning the ball 54 yards through sheer power, agility and speed. A rare and deadly combination of talents that will go a long way into the development of Arenas as not only a returner but as a corner as well. GRADE: B+ KR/PR Quinten Lawrence - Lawrence was the polar opposite of Arenas; slow, clumsy and unable to break tackles. His 17 yard return average and long of 23 don’t bode well for his future on the team. Not to mention he fumbled the ball on one of his four returns. Truly an awful outing by the second year wideout. GRADE: F Post Game Injury Report: Atlanta vs. Kansas City wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:21 pm The Chiefs walked away from their preseason debut relatively unscathed. At least from the more serious injuries, but a few of the injured Chiefs include promising rookie offensive lineman Jon Asamoah, OG Darryl Harris and RT Barry Richardson. So with the team down two possible starters in Richardson and Asamoah, or at the very least their two best backup lineman, the team will need to plug in an even younger and more inexperienced group of players to fill the void and protect their most valuable assets. The quarterbacks. Chiefs Part Ways With A Rookie Free Agent wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:20 pm In the wake of the injured QB Brodie Croyle, the Chiefs have decided to waive DE/DT Jeffrey Fitzgerald in a move designed to open up a roster spot for a fourth quarterback. The new gunslinger is Bill Stull, a former Pitt QB who practiced with the Chiefs when voluntary OTA's were being held earlier in the year. The release of Fitzgerald wasn't really a surprise consiering he wasn't expected to make it pass the first wave of cuts this year, but it does mean there will be an increased workload for the current defensive lineman. Also it's unclear as to whether the team will keep Stull on the 80 man roster when Croyle's relatively minor injury heals. Report Card Game One: LB wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:19 pm Game one of the preseason was anything but spectacular, but the teams defense might have been the one and only shining light in what can otherwise be considered a pretty dark and dismal pre-season opener. Since there are well over 70 players participating in the preseason games I'll choose three position groups a game that are worth dissecting based on position battles and grueling competition. Here's a breakdown of how the linebackers position played out in game one. OLB Andy Studebaker - Recorded three tackles and nearly had a pick six. Another two or three solid games and Studebaker will have an outside chance of stealing Mike Vrabel's job away from him. GRADE: B- OLB Tamba Hali - Hali was only temporarily in the game and like Vrabel still managed to get after the passer. The only negative was Hali jumped off-sides giving the Falcons and first down that led to a field goal. Regardless Hali is a guaranteed starter and a potential Pro-Bowl player if 2010 pans out for the former first round pick. GRADE: B- OLB Mike Vrabel - Nearly got two sacks and recorded a QB takedown in the first and only series he played. A good sign coming from a player that most people have said has lost a step or two in his 15th year in the league. GRADE: A- OLB Pierre Walters - Recorded the second most tackles with five, but looked ordinary while doing so. Walters simply doesn't have the upside to keep around. He's decent third string depth but if he's not dominant in special temas (which he's not) then he's not really worth keeping around. GRADE: C- OLB Cameron Sheffield - Deflected a surefire touchdown pass and managed to hold his own while rushing the passer. It's too early to say but Sheffield might have been a steal in round five of the 2009 NFL Draft. If he develops his technique and works on his fundamentals the skies the limit for this athletic pass rushing linebacker. GRADE: B- OLB Corey Greenwood - One tackle in limited play. Greenwood could be special if he gets the required snaps come game day. Unfortunately those linebacker snaps are hard to get when your team is scouting eight other potential backups at the spot. GRADE: C OLB Justin Cole - Had an unnecessary 99 yard holding penalty that negated a Javier Arenas kickoff return for a touchdown. Undrafted rookie free agents can't afford to make that kind of mistake. Especially rookie free agents that are considered bubble players before preseason even kicks off. GRADE: F ILB Jovan Belcher - Had a team leading six tackles to go along with a showcasing of his tremendous athleticism and ability to go sideline to sideline. Belcher's speed and coverage ability is even more impressive considering he's playing the strong-side "thumper" linebacker position that usually relies on big-bodies stopping the run and being a third down passing liability. If Belcher continues to improve he should be starting in or at least a heavy rotational player when the season opener kicks off. GRADE: B ILB Corey Mays - Recorded four tackles and gave up several passes over the middle. So basically it's the same story as last year; A terrific run stopping linebacker that can drop into coverage without giving up first downs. GRADE: D ILB Demorrio Williams - Was largely ineffective despite having Falcon's RB Michael Turner run it right at him time and time again. Williams wasn't in the game long enough to determine his effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) on passing downs. GRADE: D+ ILB Derrick Johnson - Johnson didn't record a single tackle, deflected pass or quarterback pressure, but what Johnson did do is stick to his assignment and dominate blockers at the line of scrimmage. Allowing other player to come up and make the plays on the ball carrier. I would expect Johnson to be starting with Belcher or at the very least playing in all nickel situations come week one. GRADE: C+ Report Card Game One: RB wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:19 pm The second group I'm choosing to evaluate is the Running Back position. The group as a whole is incredibly competitive and has a number of players that will get picked up elsewhere if their let go here. Here's the list of players competing for a RB spot. RB Jamaal Charles - Charles has four carries for 37 yards, a 9.72 yards per carry average. Yeah, I would say he's ready to continue his stellar 2009 campaign as the undisputed NFL rushing leader. GRADE: A- RB Thomas Jones - Had two carries for two yards and had no holes to run through both times. Jones will get little to know touches in preseason in hopes of preserving the 32 year old back in an effort to spell Charles later down the road. GRADE: B RB Jackie Battle - Had four rushes for five yards against second and third string opponents. It's as simple as saying he's too ineffective as a lead blocker, a pass catcher and too easily injured to be a grind it out type of back. So it's safe to say that, unless the Chiefs are willing to keep Battle around to run goal line scenarios and man the special teams gunner position, he's as good as gone. GRADE: F RB Kestahn Moore - Dropped a first down pass and was relatively ineffective. Running two times for six yards. Luckily Moore's other two receptions were a lot more successful. Resulting in 21 yards, including a 19 yard jaunt that included three broken tackles and a near touchdown that resulted in the Chiefs one and only scoring possession. On the negative side Moore was responsible for the sack that led to the QB Matt Cassel's forced fumble. GRADE: D+ RB Javaris Williams - Had 38 yards on seven carries for a 5.4 yard average. Sadly the yards only started piling up late in the fourth when there were no true NFL talents on the field. So unless Williams can reproduce this as a first or second quarter guys, he's as good as gone. GRADE: D+ RB Dexter McCluster - Ran the ball five times for 25 yards and had 23 yards receiving on a team leading three receptions. That's including one glaring pass reception that was dropped that would've went for at least 10 yards if he had managed to hold onto the ball. Proving that McCluster is going to be the hands down the best offensive acquisition the Chiefs had this off-season. GRADE: B Report Card Game One: FB wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:18 pm The third and final group I'm selecting to breakdown from week one of the preseason is fullbacks. You might be asking yourself "Fullbacks, why choose a position that's so unimportant in the overall scheme of things?" Well that's because it's a heated competition between two extremely talented weapons. Not to mention the fullback this season will ultimately be responsible for opening up holes for what will need to be an explosive offensive rushing attack if the team has any hopes of being successful. FB Mike Cox - Caught one pass for five yards and struggled to run block early on. Luckily for Cox his performance started coming together as the game wore on. If the Chiefs choose to keep Cox the may decide and keep Castille as a backup running back. GRADE: C+ FB Tim Castille - Started the game against the Falcons and managed to haul in one pass for six yards and rarely managed to open up running lanes. And while Castille is clearly more athletic and is a more ffective runner and pass catcher he simply can't block as well. Making him an interesting third running back option should the Chiefs decide to keep both Castille and Cox. GRADE: C+ FB Tervaris Johnson - Johnson was placed on IR effectively ruining his opportunities. GRADE: N/A FB Jackie Battle - Battle has been splitting time at RB and at FB. Due to his ineffectiveness at both positions during the Falcons game and in practice, his chances to make the squad are slim to none. GRADE: F Lewis Out, Russell In wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:17 pm The Chiefs have decided to part ways with G Andrew Lewis. Lewis' replacement is reported to be LB John Russell. Russell is a 6-4, 280 pound rookie free agent out of Wake Forest who just recently found his way to the waiver wire after being released by the Green Bay Packers. Russell will be battling Cameron Sheffield, Cory Greenwood, Justin Cole, Pierre Walters and David Herron for a backup outside linebacker position opposite of Andy Studebaker. Lewis was the odd man out in a battle for the reserve guard spot behind Brian Waters, Ryan Lilja, Jon Asamoah, Ikechuku Ndukwe, Darryl Harris, Tyler Eastman and Lemuel Jeanpierre. One Fullback Down, Two to Go wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:16 pm The Chiefs have decided to part ways with injured fullback Tervaris Johnson. Subsequently they will be adding the services of OL Dan Santucci. Tervaris Johnson is a first year undrafted free agent that was competing for a starting or possibly backup fullback position. Unfortunately for Johnson, the team already has two potential experienced starters at the fullback position in Mike Cox and Tim Castille. The final nail in the coffin is Johnson's untimely camp injury that forced the player out of action for what would likely have been the remainder of training camp. Santucci on the other hand is a former OC Charlie Weis/Notre Dame player who is entering his third year in the league. Santucci is a long shot to make the roster but will find himself competing for a backup guard position if he does manage to stick around. [Update: Johnson made it through waiver wires and has since been relegated to the Chiefs Injured Reserve List] Chiefs Replace WR wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:13 pm The Kansas City Star has reported that the Chiefs have decided to add WR Verran Tucker to the roster in place of the recently departed WR David Grimes. Tucker is a rookie free agent who has spent the last few months participating in OTA's with the Dallas Cowboys until recently getting cut. Tucker is a long shot to actually make the roster. In all likelihood the 6-1, 204 pound speedster will be just another body to abuse in camp or at best a practice squad player that has a chance at developing in a couple of years. Quick Hits: Training Camp Week One wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:12 pm DE Dion Gales, LG Brian Waters, RB Thomas Jones, FS Reshard Langford, DE Wallace Gilberry, RB Tervaris Johnson, G Darryl Harris, CB Travis Daniels, TE Tony Moeaki and LB Pierre Walters have all missed practices due to injury. RB Jamaal Charles started training camp as the number two back on the coaches depth chart behind RB Thomas Jones. LB Derrick Johnson and LB Jovan Belcher have taken virtually every snap in the nickel defense. LB Andy Studebaker was involved in the first training camp fight when he unintentionally tackled RB Jamaal Charles. Rookie defensive backs Javier Arenas, Kendrick Lewis and Eric Berry all worked together in the nickel defense. RB/WR Dexter McCluster came off the field with what appeared to be a leg injury in the second practice of the first day. DE Glenn Dorsey recorded a sack in which Head Coach Todd Haley decided to force the entire offense to run as a penalty for holding onto the ball too long. TE Leonard Pope and LB Mike Vrabel looked like starters poised to make an impact this season. According to Head Coach Todd Haley WR Dwayne Bowe and LB Derrick Johnson are much improved from their lackluster 2009 campaign. According to Todd Haley DT Derek Lokey is the teams best weight lifter. RB/WR Dexter McCluster has blown out three pairs of shoes since OTA's by making cuts too fast. Todd Haley said LB Derrick Johnson and Demorrio Williams are an unlikely pairing due to their relatively diminutive frames. According to Haley LB Jovan Belcher and Corey Mays are the only players truly qualified to play the strong side inside linebacker position that requires size and strength to maintain blockers. LB Justin Cole has been switched from outside linebacker to strong inside linebacker. NT Shaun Smith has been splitting his repetitions between DE and NT. LG Jon Asamoah is taking reps as the teams left guard. C Rudy Niswanger has been taking snaps at right guard in place of the injured Ryan Lilja. DE Bobby Greenwood has been taking snaps at the right offensive tackle position. S Eric Berry Arrives A Day Late To Camp wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:11 pm The Chiefs have officially signed every single one of their draft picks from the 2010 NFL Draft. S Eric Berry reportedly signed a six-year $60 million dollar deal that will guarantee him and his family security for generations to come. Berry is slated to start at the strong safety position next to veteran Jon McGraw or rookie Kendrick Lewis. Berry's camp competition includes Rashard Langford, Ricky Price and Donald Washington. Chiefs Part Ways With 2010 Free Agent wayne on Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:10 pm According to KcChiefs.com the team has decided to part ways with rookie free agent WR David Grimes. The common thought was that if any rookie free agent had a chance at making the roster it was probably David Grimes due to his days playing at Notre Dame under the tutelage of the Fighting Irish's former head coach Charlie Weis who just so happens to be the Chiefs current offensive coordinator. Apparently that head coach player connection is no longer what it takes to get you on the roster. As roster spots seem to be a true open competition that will be filled regardless of favoritism. That kind of competitive environment doesn't bode well for some of the familiar faces who's skills have steadily declined but have maintained a roster spot on name recognition alone. What that kind of competition does do is create a winning environment that will change the culture of the Chiefs nation; fans, players and coaches alike.