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Thread: River Falls Wrap: Day Nine

  1. #1
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    Default River Falls Wrap: Day Nine

    By Josh Looney

    VIDEO: Camping wih the Chiefs - Day 9:


    Breakdown: Friday was a travel day for the Chiefs as they ventured to Mankato, MN for a scrimmage against the Minnesota Vikings. Check back tomorrow for a recap of the trip.
    Vikings Info: The practice is set to start at 6:30 PM at Blakeslee Stadium on the campus of Minnesota State University. Tickets prices are $10.00 per ticket ages 4 and up; children ages 3 and under are free. Tickets are available through any of the following avenues:
    • Vikings Ticket Office 612-33-VIKES (612-338-4537)
    • Ticketmaster 651-989-5151 or 507-625-7919
    • Greater Mankato Chamber 507-345-4519 (Cash Only)
    • Vikings Ticket Office Tent - Located outside the Vikings Welcome Tent July 27-August 3 (Cash Only)
    Chiefs Chatter: Chiefs Insiders Rocco and Stuckey checked in to answer questions submitted by fans.
    Ray R.: “How has S Bernard Pollard looked in coverage?”
    Rocco: “Some critics called the pick a reach when the Chiefs drafted Pollard in the second-round of the 2006 NFL Draft. They claimed he was a little too slow to play safety and was more of a “tweener” between a linebacker and a safety. He has showed no signs of what those draft gurus claimed thus far in camp. He’s really done a great job in the secondary so far.”
    Stuckey: “The other thing that has stood out about Pollard this camp is that he’s been a playmaker. That’s what they got him for; to be a big hitter and to cause disruption at safety. He showed that on the second day of camp when he picked off two straight passes and again on Monday when he tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage, grabbed the interception and ran it back for a touchdown. If those are the types of plays that he can make; who cares if he’s a step slow.”
    Brett S.: “How is the battle at fullback progressing between Boomer Grigsby and Kris Wilson? I’m really curious to see how the transition from linebacker affects Boomer this season.”
    Stuckey: “Honestly, I think it has gone a little bit better than people expected, myself included. This may end up being a pretty decent career move for Boomer. He’s still going to have to make this team by being a special teams standout, but if he can develop as a fullback this might be a position change that ends up prolonging his career.”
    Rocco: “The one thing Boomer is going to have to do is continue to show he’s progressing each day in camp because of the number of talented tailbacks the club has in camp. Keeping a pure fullback might be a luxury. One thing that helps him out is that Kris Wilson isn’t a one-dimensional player; meaning if you keep both him and Boomer the club isn’t using roster spots on two players who can only play fullback. Wilson is still listed as a tight end. He didn’t start seeing duty in the backfield until FB Ronnie Cruz suffered a season-ending knee injury at Pittsburgh last season. Another guy in the mix is FB Greg Hanoian who was on the practice squad for much of last year.”
    Stuckey: “Boomer is clearly a fan favorite, so everybody is pulling for him to make the squad. What he has shown so far in camp is that he is capable of catching the ball. That was a big question mark whether a guy who has played linebacker all of his life would have the ability to catch the ball. He’s caught a few passes and has shown that he’s not afraid to catch the ball in traffic either. He has that linebacker mentality that doesn’t prevent him from catching the ball across the middle of the field.”
    Rocco: “Really, we won’t get a true read on Boomer as a fullback until we see him catching passes and throwing blocks this weekend against the Vikings in a scrimmage situation. He’ll definitely have the eyes of fans, scouts and coaches on him throughout the preseason schedule.”
    Tim L: “Is there any chance that we could see Priest Holmes playing fullback?”
    Rocco: “Nope.”
    Stuckey: “Agreed, next question.”
    Sgt. Franklin: “Given the experience of QB Damon Huard, his tenure with the Chiefs and his great performance last year filling in for injured QB Trent Green, is there a realistic chance that Brodie Croyle could be the starting quarterback for the Chiefs on Opening Day?”
    Rocco: “Of course he has a realistic chance. Herm Edwards has said that it is an open competition and that’s exactly what it is. The fact of the matter is that Damon is 34 and Brodie is 24. The Chiefs aren’t the only NFL clubs looking for a long-term answer at quarterback. If Brodie proves himself in the preseason and the Chiefs are comfortable that he’s ready to be the starting quarterback, there is definitely a legitimate opportunity for Brodie to be the starter on Opening Day.”
    Stuckey: “It’s too early to tell at this point in camp who has an advantage right now. Probably nobody has stepped in front of the other and we’re going to have to wait for preseason games to find that out. But don’t be surprised if we Huard starts the season for a couple of reasons; Huard has more experience and it may help the Chiefs get off to a quick start. Also, the Chiefs play three of their first four games on the road and that could be a tough situation for a second-year quarterback with no NFL starts.”
    Rocco: “Overall, what it means for the Chiefs is that they are in a great situation at the quarterback position. If they can turn it over to Croyle on Opening Day, that’s great, but they feel like he’s not ready they’ve got a quality veteran quarterback who has proven himself in the NFL.”
    Chad from Cartersville, GA: “I think there are a lot of people out there like me who want to know how the quarterback competition is going. So far, after a week of camp, there has not been one word on how that match-up is shaping up.”
    Stuckey: “I think one of the reasons that nobody is talking about it yet is because it is too early to make any decisions and Herm Edwards has yet to make any decisions. Probably nobody is in the lead of any sorts right now as it is so early in the competition. Another reason that there haven’t been many reports is because both Brodie and Damon spent the first handful of practices throwing a lot of check-down routes. They were just dropping back and throwing under the cover two defense. Once they put the pads on they started to open it up a little bit and throw more downfield. In the coming days we may start to see a little more separation, but we’ll probably have to wait until the preseason games to really see that.”
    Rocco: “Chad, something else you need to keep in mind is the fact that there have been three major storylines that have dominated media attention throughout the first week of camp. First is obviously the return of RB Priest Holmes, the three-time Pro Bowler who missed 22 months of action due to a neck injury suffered in 2005. Second, you’ve got RB Larry Johnson holding out of camp and, finally, first-round draft pick WR Dwayne Bowe is still unsigned. With those three story lines, there isn’t a lot of space left in the newspapers for stories on Brodie and Damon.”
    Jerry K.: “What do you think of former University of Missouri WR Brad Edwerekwu’s chances of making the team? I saw the guy play for the Tigers the last three years and he’s a great possession receiver that the Chiefs could use.”
    Rocco: “Ekwerekwu is getting his share of reps in practice sessions and he’s looked fine, but he hasn’t made any spectacular plays to set him above anyone else. At the same time, he hasn’t done anything to diminish his chances either by dropping passes. He’s kind of been going with the flow and we’ll see how he fares in game action.”
    Stuckey: “When you’re evaluating his chances, you have to figure that the Chiefs could keep five receivers. Eddie Kennison and Dwayne Bowe are pretty well set; they aren’t going to cut either of those guys. Samie Parker was a starter last season, so we’ll have to see what happens there. You’ve also got exciting young prospects like Chris Hannon and Jeff Webb. They’re also going to have to find a return man somewhere to replace Dante Hall and Ekwerekwu isn’t a factor in the return game. In order for him to make the roster he will have to contribute in the preseason games and also prove that he can contribute on the special teams coverage units. That fifth wide receiver has to be a guy that is valuable on special teams.”
    Tony: “Would there be a chance of making Herm Edwards the defensive coordinator, and hiring a head coach who can run a successful offence?”
    Rocco: “O-Fence?”
    Stuckey: “If you really want a serious answer, the Chiefs just came out of a five-year run under an offensive coach in Dick Vermeil and that amounted to zero playoff wins. Who is to say that the club is wrong to go with a defensive-minded coach? Any head coach that you hire is going to be schooled in one side or the other; offense or defense. It’s just a natural tendency that when that coach takes over, his club will excel on that side of the ball. Trust me, Herm Edwards understands both sides of the ball even though he was raised on defense.”


    http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2007/08...wrap_day_nine/
    Last edited by chief31; 08-04-2007 at 12:00 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default

    Reading makes me sleepy; I'll watch the video. :)

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