Chiefs Get Lilja Back

On Tuesday the Chiefs corrected a mistake made nearly six years ago when they signed G Ryan Lilja.

It’s a three-year contract, but no financial details from the club.

The six-year veteran from the Indianapolis Colts returns to the Chiefs, the team where he began his NFL career. He was released in early September in 2004 when the Chiefs were cutting their roster to the regular-season limit of 53 players. Dick Vermeil and his staff hoped to get Lilja passed through waivers and sign him to the practice squad.

But the Colts claimed him on waivers and by the next season, he was a full-time starter at left guard. Lilja played in 66 games, started 59, as well as eight games in the playoffs including a pair of Super Bowl starts. Those eight starts in the post-season are more than the rest of the current offensive linemen on the Chiefs roster combined.

The 6-2, 290-pound Lilja prepped at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, then went on to Coffeyville J.C. and K-State. He signed with the Chiefs in 2004 as an undrafted college free agent.

Lilja missed the 2009 season because of a knee injury. He also missed time during the ‘06 season because of a knee problem. He will celebrate his 29th birthday in October.

Jets Say Good Bye to T.J.

The Jets were busy on Sunday. They signed LaDainian Tomlinson to replace Thomas Jones.

But they wanted to thank Jones for three strong seasons, so they bought a full page ad in the Kansas City Star. If you want to you can check it out in Sunday’s paper on page A-11.

Or, if you’ve grown out of handling the daily fish wrap, just click on read more and you can see the ad.

Given how unusual placing this ad is, one wonders why the Jets didn’t keep Jones, especially in a season where there’s no salary cap.

Take a look: Read More..

Day No. 10 Free Agency Update

It will go down as one of the worst draft day trades in the history of the NFL.

That’s all that can be said for the Cleveland Browns decision back in April 2007 to trade back into the late first-round of the NFL Draft so they could draft Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn (right).

On Sunday, the Browns traded the disappointing Quinn to the Denver Broncos for FB Peyton Hillis, a sixth-round selection in 2011 and a conditional choice in 2012.

Here’s what Quinn gave the Browns on the field in three seasons: 14 games played (out of 48), 13 starts, 184 of 353 passes (52.1 percent), 1,902 yards (5.4 yards per attempt), 10 TD passes and nine interceptions.

To acquire Quinn, Cleveland sent a second round choice (No. 36) in the ‘07 Draft and a first-round pick in the ‘08 Draft that turned into the 22nd choice to Dallas for the 22nd spot in the ‘07 first-round. The Browns had already made a great decision taking OT Joe Thomas with the third pick in the first round.

It’s one of series of draft day blunders that have haunted the Browns since they returned to the NFL in 1999. That year, they had the first pick of the draft and selected QB Tim Couch, who was a bust. The next year they had the first choice again and took DE Courtney Brown, who was also a bust. In 2001 their third pick was DT Gerard Warren; a bust. A year later they used the 16th choice for RB William Green; a bust.

What followed were C Jeff Faine, TE Kellen Winslow, WR Braylon Edwards and LB Kamerion Wimbley; all first round picks from 2003-2006. When the Browns also traded Wimbley on Sunday to Oakland that meant all of those choices were no longer part of the Cleveland roster.

Also making headlines on Sunday was the New York Jets signing RB LaDainian Tomlinson; more on that in the morning.

Here’s what went down on Sunday in the league: Read More..

Day No. 9 of Free Agency Update

Rather than return back to New Orleans, where the Super Bowl Saints were interested in having him serve as a backup to Drew Brees, it’s Cleveland where Jake Delhomme (left) plans to continue his NFL career.

Delhomme agreed to terms on Saturday with the Browns, where he has a chance to winning the starting quarterback job for new football guru Mike Holmgren and head coach Eric Mangini. They’ve booted Derek Anderson to free agency and they are ready, willing and able to trade Brady Quinn. They picked up Seneca Wallace in a trade with the Seahawks.

So Delhomme has a chance to continue as a starter after ending his run at Carolina with a benching last year. He threw eight TD passes during the’09 season, against 18 interceptions. His passer rating was a horrible 59.4.

Here’s the activity from a quiet Saturday around the league: Read More..

Day No. 8-Free Agent Update

A lot of things are changing in Larry Johnson’s life these days.

He’s going to be a Daddy in the coming months; it will be his first child. On Friday, he found a new football home, signing a three-year contract with the Washington Redskins where he’ll play for Mike Shanahan.

It’s also a chance for L.J. to return to his roots; he was born and raised in the state of Maryland and growing up, his favorite football team was the Washington Redskins.

The former Chiefs back signed for $3.5 million a year in base salary, with the chance to earn another $500,000 a season through incentives.

“It’s funny, the first baby outfit I ever was put in was a Redskins outfit,” Johnson told a Washington radio station this week. “And that’s all we watched, was Redskins and Cowboys in our house, so I grew up a Redskins fan.”

Johnson will give Shanahan a two-headed monster at running back with Clinton Portis.

“It’d be just like how me and Priest Holmes was way back in the day,” Johnson said. “It’d be nice to be able to play aside somebody like that.” Read More..

Wiegmann Returns to Chiefs

Free agency can make for sometimes strange circumstances like two years after he left, C Casey Wiegmann returns to the Chiefs.

His signing was announced on Friday by the team. Wiegmann was released before the start of free agency by Denver; he played the last two seasons with the Broncos. The Iowa native signed in the Rockies as an unrestricted free agent in 2008, after playing seven seasons with the Chiefs.

Wiegmann has played 14 seasons with the Colts, Jets, Bears, Chiefs and Broncos, appearing in 195 games with 168 starts. Right now, he has a streak of 143 consecutive starts at center and has taken 9,078 consecutive snaps at the position.

He will turn 37 in July.

Chiefs Add Wide Receiver

Wide receiver is one of the positions the Chiefs needed to infuse with more talent in the current off-season. They re-signed Terrance Copper and Chris Chambers and now they’ve added another pass catcher through free agency.

The Chiefs announced the signing of UFA WR Jerheme Urban on Thursday.

Urban is entering his seventh NFL season after playing with Seattle and Arizona. A graduate of Trinity College in Texas, he’s played in 47 games with six starts. He’s caught 87 passes for 1,231 yards and seven touchdowns.

Last season, he played in 10 games for Arizona, catching 18 passes for 186 yards.

He first hooked up with Chiefs head coach Todd Haley in Dallas during the 2006 season when he was part of the practice squad. When Haley moved to the Cardinals in 2007 as offensive coordinator, Urban signed as a free agent with Arizona in September, after he was released by the Cowboys.

Urban was a talented athlete at Trinity, where he also participated in track, winning 12 conference individual titles in six different events: 100 meters, 400 meters, 400-meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump and javelin.

Day No. 6 Free Agent Update

T.O. is still looking for a new football home. Antonio Bryant is not.

Both receivers were in Cincinnati this week. Bryant got a contract, Owens did not. Whether any of that makes Chad Ochocinco happy, we’ll have to check on Tweeter to find out.

“I’m happy we have my friend Antonio Bryant, but I’m hurt at the same time,” he wrote from Los Angeles where he’s practicing for his upcoming appearance on Dancing With The Stars. “It would have been great teaming up with 1 of the best.”

Bryant signed a four-year, $28 million deal, a contract similar to the one the Bengals gave last year to UFA WR Laveranues Coles who was a disappointment during the ‘09 season.

As for Owens, he tweeted what might have been.

“I’m en route back 2 LA imagining wht WE could hv done 2gether!! Holy delta skymiles Robin! U talk about unstoppable!!” is what he posted.

Here’s what else went down on Wednesday, as free agency pushed towards the end of its first week: Read More..

McClain Discloses Illness

Alabama LB Rolando McClain said on Tuesday the he suffers from Crohn’s Disease, an intestinal affliction that he controls with medication.

McClain made the announcement at the Alabama Pro-Day workout, where he ran the 40-yard dash (right) in 4.6 seconds, but then became ill when running other agility drills.

Whether this has an effect on how he’s viewed by teams – like the Chiefs – in next month’s NFL Draft remains to be seen. But McClain said he has dealt with Crohn’s since his freshman year in high school. If that’s the case, then it should not be a concern to teams because of how McClain played during his college career with the Crimson Tide.

He’s considered a top half of the first-round draft choice and certainly should be someone the Chiefs will consider at the No. 5 pick, although that may be too high for McClain.

McClain also revealed that he played most of the last month of the season with a hamstring injury that was never revealed, even to his teammates.

Chiefs Sign Big NT

Day No. 6 of free agency has brought a big move for the Chiefs.

That’s big as in size, not importance. The Chiefs have signed NT Shaun Smith, a UFA from Cincinnati to a one-year contract.  The 6-2, 325 pound Smith is entering his seventh season in the league and he’ll be 29 years old in September.

Smith has played in 63 games for New Orleans, Cleveland and Cincinnati, but has started just 27 times. He has 152 total tackles and two sacks, both of those coming in 2007 when he was with the Browns.

His most famous moment in the NFL wasn’t even on the field. It came in December of 2008 when he punched teammate QB Brady Quinn in the Browns weight room. That the Chiefs have gone ahead and signed him with Romeo Crennel – the former Cleveland head coach – as their defensive coordinator tells you something about what they think they can get out of Smith.

At least it gives them another player on the roster who has nose tackle size after veteran Ron Edwards.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Smith finished up his high school career at Wichita Heights H.S. in Wichita. He went to Butler County Community College for two years and then the University of South Carolina. He signed as an undrafted free agent with Dallas in 2003.

Day No. 5 Free Agency Update

This time of year can be tough on players as they are cut loose by teams, or must sit down and decide where they want to move their family if they are going to continue their careers.

Sometimes the emotions get the best of them. Take now former Cleveland QB Derek Anderson.

Speaking via e-mail to a Cleveland area paper, Anderson did not hide his feelings about being released on Tuesday by the Browns.

“The fans are ruthless and don’t deserve a winner,” Anderson wrote when asked for a reaction to being released. “I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured. I know at times I wasn’t great. I hope and pray I’m playing when my team comes to town and (we) roll them.”

Anderson was released less than 24 hours after the Browns consummated a trade that brought QB Seneca Wallace to Cleveland for a ‘11 draft choice.

The signing action has slowed in the first week of free agency. The Denver Broncos made the only splash on Tuesday with the dual signings of DE Jarvis Green from the Patriots and NT Jamal Williams from the Chargers. Along with Justin Bannan who was signed late last week, it provides a complete makeover of the team’s defensive line.

Here’s what went down on Day No. 5: Read More..

Thomas Jones Joins Chiefs

Veteran free agent RB Thomas Jones has agreed to a two-year contract with the Chiefs.

The news popped Tuesday afternoon, Day No. 5 of the free agency period. According to ESPN, Jones will get a two-year deal, worth $5 million and he’ll have the chance to improve those numbers with some incentives.

Jones will be 32 in August and is entering his 11th NFL season.  The Virginia native has played in 148 regular season games with Arizona, Tampa Bay, Chicago and the last three seasons with the New York Jets. Jones has 2,280 carreis for 9,217 yards and 62 TDS and 32 career 100-yard rushing games. Seven of those came last season when he had a career high 1,402 yards rushing on 331 carries and 14 TDs.

Day No. 4 Free Agency Update

Apparently refreshed after sending the coaching staff to a ski resort for the weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly dove into the free agency pool on Monday.

It wasn’t like the Steelers suddenly opened the vault and started throwing the Rooney money around. No, they followed the pattern that’s been a franchise principle since the start of free agency back in 1993. They’ll sign unrestricted free agents, but they won’t be the big names for the big contracts.

They zero in on role players that will help fill out what is largely a home-grown roster. They did that in a big way on Monday, signing WR Arnaz Battle, WR Antwaan Randle El (right), S Will Allen, OT Jonathan Scott and re-signing safety Ryan Clark.

Those are not the type of names that will flash across the scroll on ESPN all night. Battle is 30 years old and will be in his eighth season. With San Francisco for 88 games in the last seven years, he caught more than 35 passes only twice and has 178 catches for 2,150 yards and 11 TD catches. Randle El came into the league as a Pittsburgh draft choice and returns after several mediocre seasons in Washington.

Allen was drafted and played six seasons in Tampa Bay. He’ll be 28 in June and is very good on special teams. Scott started a handful of games for the Bills last year. Clark was a starting safety for the Steelers last year, who was allowed to become a UFA and spent part of Monday in Miami talking with the Dolphins. But he decided to re-sign with the Chiefs.

Combined, those five players signed deals that wouldn’t even equal half of the guaranteed dollars ($42 million) that the Bears will pay DE Julius Peppers.

Here’s the rest of the action from Monday around the NFL: Read More..

Chiefs Re-Sign Chambers

There are two kinds of activity in NFL free agency. There is going out and signing players from other teams. And, just as important, there’s signing your own free agents that you want to keep on the roster.

The Chiefs are getting things done when it comes to keeping their own players as they announced Monday afternoon that they had re-signed vetern WR Chris Chambers. As always, no details were released by the team about the deal. But ESPN reports that it’s a three-year deal for as much as $15 million, with $5.9 million in guaranted dollars.

Everyone knows how important it was for the receiver starved Chiefs to hang onto Chambers. In nine games last year for the Chiefs he caught 36 passes for 608 yards and four TD receptions. After RB Jamaal Charles, Chambers was the most consistent and productive player on the team’s offense.

He will be 32 years old in August and the coming season will be his 10th in the NFL, after playing previously for Miami and San Diego.

Chambers joins OLB Mike Vrabel and WR Terrance Copper as UFAs or potential free agents who have re-signed with the club.

Day No. 3 Free Agency Update

The NFL grapevine bubbled over the weekend that the Chiefs were interested in veteran running backs.

ESPN and various New York media outlets reported that Thomas Jones would be visiting the Chiefs on Monday, after being released by the Jets on Friday.

And the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday evening that Raiders RB Justin Fargas (left) would also be visiting with the Chiefs soon. Fargas was released over the weekend. The team said Fargas did not pass a team physical. Fargas said the whole situation was about money – he’s due a $1.7 million bonus on Monday.

“I was told by the coach that they were moving in a different direction,” Fargas told the Chronicle. “They said it was strictly about money … I know some things were put out there, I guess they said I didn’t pass a physical. I’m a little disappointed by the way it happened but I understand it’s a business.

“I definitely appreciate being able to spend seven years as a Raider. I’ve always loved the Raiders. I just want to do everything I can to help another team win a championship. I still have a lot of football in me. I’m fine (health-wise).” Read More..