Bennett trade official
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ry/318881.html
Holmes eligible to practice with Chiefs this week
By ADAM TEICHER
Chiefs running back Priest Holmes will finally get a chance to work out with the rest of the team this week at practice.
Facing what soon could be an excess of running backs, the Chiefs traded Michael Bennett to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
What the Chiefs received in return was immediately unclear. The Chiefs declined to confirm the deal, but Bennett said he was informed of the trade by officials of both teams.
“It was a shock to me,” Bennett said. “It really caught me off-guard. I heard the speculation for the past few days, but nobody from the Chiefs said anything to me, so I guessed it wasn’t going to happen. I was wrong. It’s a business. It’s just one of those things that happen.”
Although he was the starting halfback during Larry Johnson’s training-camp holdout, Bennett quickly became expendable once Johnson signed his contract extension. Bennett played sparingly in recent games, and rookie Kolby Smith has been getting more snaps in practice recently, an indication he was about to encroach on at least some of Bennett’s playing time.
Priest Holmes is eligible to return to practice this week. Coach Herm Edwards said earlier Monday that Holmes would participate Wednesday when the Chiefs begin preparations for Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Oakland.
Asked when Holmes might be ready to play in a game, Edwards said, “I don’t know. I’d like to see him practice first. I’ll be able to answer that Wednesday after practice or Thursday.”
Since the start of the regular season, Holmes has been on the Chiefs’ non-football injury list. That meant under NFL rules Holmes was ineligible to practice or play until the Chiefs had finished their sixth game.
The Chiefs moved to 3-3 with Sunday’s 27-20 win over Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium.
Assuming that Holmes practices Wednesday, the Chiefs would then have three weeks to decide on one of three options: activate him to the 53-player roster, release him or place him back on the non-football injury list, which would in effect end his season.
Holmes, who turned 34 last week, hasn’t played or practiced in two years. He left the field during a game against the Chargers in San Diego after receiving a hit that left him with tingling in his extremities.
Holmes only last summer was cleared to play. His arrival at training camp was greeted with great fanfare, but he reported in something less than optimum physical condition, so his long-anticipated return to the field was delayed.
Although he hasn’t been practicing or playing, Holmes has been at Arrowhead Stadium nearly every day, and he appears in much better physical condition than when he arrived for camp.
“He’s been here,” Edwards said. “I’ve been talking to him, about every other day or so. We talk about where he’s at, how he’s doing, what we’re thinking. We’ve communicated. He knows what I expect and I know where he’s at right now. When I talked to him last week, he wanted to know if this (current week) was the week. I said, ‘Is it?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ So I said, ‘Let’s go.’ ”
Edwards said Holmes would begin practice not running Chiefs plays, but those of the upcoming opponent. That’s a duty usually reserved for backups and practice-squad players, not a former rushing champion and one-time single-season touchdown record-holder like Holmes.
But Edwards indicated Holmes could work his way up quickly.
“You’ve got to find a way to get him in the game,” Edwards said. “But we haven’t seen him practice yet. You’ll get a sense of that from how he does in practice. That’s all you can go by. It’s no different than anybody else. You get a feel for when it’s time to get him in a game.”
Holmes might have a difficult time returning to the form that made him one of the league’s top running backs early in this decade. But the Chiefs can’t afford not to find out.
Johnson’s miserable season continued against the Bengals. He ran for 119 yards, but it took him 31 carries. He scored his first touchdown of the season, but he lost another one when he fumbled just short of the goal line. He gained just 13 yards in 15 carries in the second half.
Bennett wasn’t any better in limited playing time. It’s little wonder the Chiefs have played along with Holmes’ return or that Edwards indicated Holmes would play if he earned it.
“I always try to tell the players that if you’re a productive guy, we’ll get you the ball,” Edwards said. “If you’re not a productive guy, we’ll give it to somebody else.”
The Bucs were searching for a running back after losing starter Cadillac Williams for the season because of a knee injury and backup Michael Pittman for several weeks because of an ankle injury.
“I’m sure I’ll get to play down in Tampa, but I’m kind of sorry to leave the Chiefs,” said Bennett, acquired by the Chiefs from New Orleans last year for a draft pick. “I felt this was a great place. I got to be like a big brother to a lot of the other players. I’ve spent all night talking to guys on the team and saying good-bye.”
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by rbedgood
The Ozarks is Chiefs Country 
Bookmarks