Answer Bob/Act Three

From River Falls, Wisconsin

And finally, we get to answer all the questions you left us over the weekend.  I was overwhelmed by your interest and this third version should clear up the backlog.  As training camp and pre-season go along, I will try to jump on and answer individual questions to certain stories and commentaries.

But finally, here are my answers the questions from visitors to the site.  Again, thanks for finding bobgretz.com and taking the time to comment and e-mail us.

TENAND6 says:

Joe Namath once said if he was playing today, he would wear a shaded face mask on his helmet to prevent the defense from reading his eyes. Is there any chance the Chiefs would ask their QB’s to do this? It seems like a great idea.

• This is a personal preference thing as far as NFL teams are concerned. There are not many NFL players even wearing shields, let alone tinted. Just remember this: if it’s tinted on the outside, it has an effect on the look from the inside. I’m going to be most quarterbacks wouldn’t like that. It’s been done before; if memory serves didn’t the Bears Jim McMahon wear a tinted shield in the 1980s?

SIVVADNAR says:

Will Dantrell Savage make the team?

• I don’t think so, but I would expect he will find himself with a spot on the practice squad after the final cut. The Chiefs like what they’ve seen from this young man, but there are just too many bodies ahead of him right now. Of course, injuries can change that equation. If he isn’t claimed on waivers when he’s released, expect the Chiefs to bring him back.

LANIER63 says:

Hey Bob: Can you tell how Eric Price is doing and do you think he is a good fit in the NFL as a coach? Are the players responding to him? Thanks!

• We will need to see how the receivers develop this season under Price before we can have an educated opinion. He certainly has some young players to work with and mold. Much like Charlie Joiner before him, Price is pretty quiet on the practice field. As long as he earns the respect of the players, it should work out fine.

I MISS T-RICH says:

I think a largely overlooked aspect to last year’s dismal offense was the lack of a quality FB. I’m a huge Boomer fan but he’s a mad dog special teams player not a FB. Do you see Manderino or Cox being that guy that can pick up a blitzing Shawn Merriman or open a hole for LJ? Does the FB position have a significant role in Chan’s system?

• Significant role, no. A role? Yes. Gailey pretty much uses whatever tools are put in his toolbox and if he doesn’t have anybody that can play the position, he won’t try to force somebody to make it happen. It’s down to Manderino and Cox and one of them will stick on the final 53-man roster. Whether either one can pick up a blitzer remains to seen.

JON says:

Up here in Canada we have to hunt pretty hard to find any good Chiefs info, so thanks for the site! What’s the extent of Kevin Robinson’s injury? Will he be back soon enough to compete with B.J. Sams as the KR/PR? Or might they just throw him on the PUP or IR for next year?

• Robinson had arthroscopic knee surgery after the team’s off-season program ended. He should be ready to begin practice soon. He’d better hurry up or his chances of competing with Sams will go out the window. If he can’t return, the Chiefs will try to find some way to keep him.

MENINRED says:

Just a simple THANK’s Bob

• Thank you for finding the site and taking the time to reply.

 

PHILDO SHART says:

Congrats on the new site and thanks for all the input!

What about Mike Merritt? When will he sign and practice and is it looking like he will spend the year on the practice squad?

At MLB assuming Napoleon Harris doesn’t get the message, does he really stand a chance of being cut? Pat Thomas is a guy I’m looking forward to see play against the Bears. What about Nate Harris who got released? Does Johnny Baldwin figure in the mix once healthy or is he likely done with KC? Maybe we should have kept hold of William Kershaw, is he on a roster? Thanks again!

• The Chiefs will sign Mike Merritt about a day before the league’s cutdown to 75 players after the third pre-season game. Then, they’ll move him to the Non-Football Injury list where he will probably spend the rest of the season.
• I think Napoleon Harris has a real chance of getting cut. He still has time to fight his way back onto the roster with four games to play. I wouldn’t count him out just yet. Nate Harris simply had not progressed on the mental end of the defense. Baldwin would have figured in if he was ready to play physically, but he’s still trying to get into top shape after going through knee surgery last fall. Kershaw would not be much of a factor in making this team.

JOSH G says:

Hey Bob, what’s going on with Brackenridge? I think it’s ridiculous that Brandon Carr will probably be the nickel back when Tyron was starting to fire up at the end of the season. As of now I assume he is better and I don’t see how Carr can be working with the first team off and on with Pat Surtain when Pat is three times better. I don’t understand.

• In the opinion of the coaching staff, Surtain is not three times better than anyone on the roster right now. I think Surtain will make the team, but this will be his final season in KC. He doesn’t have the speed to play the position the way the Chiefs want from their cornerbacks to play. Here’s the difference with Brackenridge and Carr: Tyron is a college free agent, a guy who wasn’t drafted, while Carr was a fifth-round pick. That tells you that coming into the league, they were on very different expectation levels. Now Brackenridge should be helped by his year of experience, but he does not have the physical tools that Carr possesses. Carr will have some ups and downs, but he’s going to be a good player in this league.

JOSHUA P says:

Bob, thanks again for the blog. Great stuff man

My question: Every site I read about the Chiefs training camp keeps talking about how Boone keeps blowing up McIntosh, whether it be in drills or live action. Is this because Boone is going to be a great fit at DE or is McIntosh just struggling that bad at RT?

• It’s a little of both. Boone can play defensive end and he should be a very active and contributing player there. McIntosh has struggled with the transition to right tackle, plus he’s got a bum knee that sometimes limits his mobility.

SCOTT says:

Bob: Keep up the great work! Love the site.

1. What’s your take on the fullback situation? There’s been rumor that Manderino is starting to pull away. Do any of them stand out to you as a real smash-mouth fullback?

2. There’s been question on Tamba Hali’s performance at his new position, especially since coming up short against Herb Taylor within the past couple of days. Is this a lack of game on his part or a showing of skill from Albert and Taylor?

3. Our ‘favorite’ Star reporter just wrote a particularly scathing article on the Chiefs offense. Do you think the offense will be inept and boring like he does? Also, what is your analysis of the right side of the line (Niswanger, Jones, McIntosh)?

4. Who in your eyes has the edge on the kicking competition? Everything we’ve heard so far has been about dead even. Does either one have the ability to be a solid long term solution?

5. Reports indicate that while Croyle is doing well, both backups are doing HORRIBLY. What, if anything, should be done about the backup QB situation?

6. The middle linebacker shakeup has been making a lot of news lately. What’s your opinion of Harris and Thomas? Does either one have what it takes or do you think the team will be looking for someone before the season starts?

• 1. I don’t think either Manderino or Cox has the edge at fullback yet. Both are getting equal time and both are heavily involved on the special teams. I don’t think there’s any difference between the two.
• 2. Hali’s camp was disrupted by a cut on his forehead that would not heal. So they sat him down for a few days. The few battles with Taylor that we’ve seen since his return have been good ones. It’s very hard for any observer to judge watching practice whether a pass rusher would have gotten to the quarterback, because they are not allowed to hit the passer. In fact, under Herm Edwards they aren’t allowed to touch him at all. I think both Hali and Taylor are better than the pundits give them credit for being.
• 3. I think Chiefs fans are going to be shocked by some of the wrinkles that Chan Gailey brings to this offense. Like the direct snap to the running back that they’ve been practicing the last few days. Here’s the scenario that Edwards and Gailey dream about: a first half with an exciting offense full of gadget plays and the like that builds a lead and then a second half where the Chiefs grind out the ball on the ground, killing the clock and winning the game. If this offense helps win games, it will be exciting enough.
• 4. The kicking competition is a dead heat right now. Novak has the only edge I can find, because he at least has some NFL experience.
• 5. I don’t Tyler Thigpen has had a horrible camp at all. He’s really shown his strong arm and his running ability. Damon Huard is not getting enough snaps to make any evaluation on him.
• 6. At MLB, the job belongs to Thomas until he shows he can’t get done what Gunther Cunningham wants done. If that happens, somebody else will be in there. Right now the best players are going to play and how they came to the team, how much money they make, etc. will have no bearing on the decisions.

 KYLE says:

Hey Bob,

1. I’ve heard reports that Bernard Pollard is lining up at linebacker for a couple of snaps so far in training camp, and that DaJuan Morgan is playing SS in his place. That’s great that Morgan is playing well enough to unseat Pollard, but do you think that the Chiefs are doing the right thing trying out Pollard at linebacker? The position is thin and he did play a little bit of it in college.

2. Do you think Tamba’s injury to his face has anything to do with his struggles (supposedly) so far in camp? He could be playing a little timid so as not to get his head busted open again.

3. Do you think Will Franklin and Devard Darling are worthy of starting for an NFL team or are they just having a good camp?

4. How much better is Croyle this year as compared to last year?

Thanks a lot!

• Kyle, this is what happens when media types come to camp and don’t know what they are watching, and then they pass along information that just isn’t associated with reality. Pollard has never lined up at linebacker in the Chiefs base 4-3 defense. Sometimes he comes down into the box, as most strong safeties in the league do, and sets up close to the line of scrimmage. Sometimes in the team’s quarter defense when they have three safeties on the field with three corners, three down linemen and two linebackers, he’ll play up on the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs are not trying Pollard out at linebacker right now.
• I don’t think Hali has been timid at all. What’s hurt him has been missing practice time with the facial injury. I think Tamba will be just fine.
• I’m not sure either Franklin or Darling have had camp performances that are noteworthy. They’ve not separated themselves from the other receivers. Darling is more consistent than Franklin. Whether they are worthy or not remains to be seen.
• Croyle is better this year because he’s strong, he’s smarter, the offense is more designed to his skills and abilities to move in the pocket and he’s just better because of the experience of starting six games last year. Now, whether he’s improved enough to be the long-term starter he will have to show on the field. But yes, he’s more advanced this year.

VINCE D says:

Has there been any word on if Branden Albert will resume the starting position right away when he is healthy, or will they keep in the “more experienced” Herb Taylor until Albert gets more practice time in?

• All that is a bridge the Chiefs do not have to cross right now, so they haven’t given it much consideration. I’ve got to figure that as soon as Albert is healthy, he’s going to be back on the field.

ANDY LAB says:

Hi Bob, what are the chances that the Chiefs will finally be able to develop a young QB of our own?

• We are all about to find out. If the ownership, front office and coaching staff are patient, then we’ll all see if Croyle is the first Chiefs draft choice who develops into a successful NFL quarterback. The chances on any quarterback making it are less than 50-50. Just look at the history. For just about every team, if someone names a successful starter at quarterback, I can name two or three in the last 20 years that were failures. We all have to be patient.

ANONYMOUS says:

Bob, how is Croyle’s work ethic? On a scale of 1 to 10 with Peyton Manning being a ten where does he rate? How about Thigpen?

• From what I’ve seen, I would have to say that Croyle and Thigpen’s work ethics are good to very good. I would put them somewhere around a seven or an eight. I think both of them will move up to 9 or 10 when they are fully established in the NFL as a starter. They both seem to have the drive and the intelligence to understand how important the mental preparation is for NFL quarterbacks. Let me put it this way: should they fail as NFL starters it won’t be because they didn’t work at improving.