Chiefs Update 10/1
From The Truman Sports Complex
The Chiefs went through a practice that lasted just over two hours on Wednesday, as they enjoyed the sunshine and cool temperatures.
It was especially enjoyable for WR Mark Bradley, signed by the Chiefs this week to their active roster. The former second-round choice of the Chicago Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft, Bradley is wearing No. 83. He took the roster spot of B.J. Sams who was released.
Bradley, 6-1 and 201 pounds, was released by the Bears on September 23. In three games this season, he was inactive for the season opener and then played only on special teams in the next two games.
Throughout his time in the Windy City, Bradley battled injuries. As a rookie in ‘05 he tore an ACL in his knee and played in just seven games. In ‘06, he missed five games with an ankle injury and in May of this year he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
Overall, he’s caught 36 passes for 583 yards and four touchdowns. He’s 26 years old and out of the University of Oklahoma and Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
“He’s very athletic and explosive,” Herm Edwards said of Bradley. “He can run. I remember watching him at Oklahoma and he was a good football player. He got into one of those situations where he got hurt and kind of got lost in the shuffle.”
Sams was trying to return to full-time work in the NFL this season coming off his own knee injury. But he never showed his returns kills with the Chiefs. In three games he had a 20-yard average on nine kickoff returns and an 8.3-yard average on seven punt returns.
What ultimately did Sams in was his lack of a position; he was a returner only.
“It’s tough to carry a return guy, because he takes up a spot,” said Herm Edwards. “It’s hard to do that. For us (Dantrell) Savage is doing a pretty good job for us. Is he a great punt returner right now? No, he’s not. But he’s pretty good.”
Savage will handle all punt returns now and he will split the kickoff return duties with RB Jamaal Charles.
LT Branden Albert, QB Brodie Croyle, LB Donnie Edwards are all out of Sunday’s game in Carolina. Albert and Edwards did not practice. For the first time since suffering his shoulder injury in the season opener, Croyle was on the practice field wearing shoulder pads. He took part in individual drills but did not take any snaps in the team work, for either offense or the scout team.
CB Pat Surtain practiced on Wednesday but he remains questionable coming back from his shoulder injury. CB Dimitri Patterson was limited in his participation because of a quadriceps injury.
The Chiefs also did some addition and subtraction on their practice squad. We already knew that WR Marques Hagans returned to the practice list after being released from the active roster last Saturday so LB Wes Dacus could be brought up.
Added this week are CB A.J. Davis (5-10, 193), DE Jermaine McGhee (6-3, 242) and G Anthony Oakley (6-3, 306). Davis was a fourth round p ick of Detroit in 2007 out of North Carolina State. McGhee played collegiately at Prairie View A&M and Oakley played at Indiana and Western Kentucky and has been with the Browns, Bears and Cardinals over the last four years.
To make room for those additions, the Chiefs moved CB Travarous Bain, WR Micah Rucker and DE Jason Parker off the practice squad.
I’m learning to hold my rhetoric and trust Herm’s evaluation process who, so far, seems to know that he’s doing on the personnel front. That’s a fairly big leap of faith for me as I was one who thought this team was a total grease fire after the the first two weeks of the season.
Now, I’m beginning to trust and believe that Herm and his plan really, REALLY knows what they’re doing. I’ve always liked the guy’s personality but not his plan. Now, I’m coming around.
Amazing what a win can do? Amazing.
By the way, before I forget? I should have mentioned this in my initial post but THANKS, Bob, for the excellent info on Bradley who completely missed my NFL radar screen.
In the event that Pat Surtain and Dimitri Patterson are both unavailable for Sunday’s game, what type of personnel packages would the Chiefs put on the field to deal with multiple-receiver sets?
I’m guessing that at least one of those two guys will play, but if they didn’t, I guess Maurice Leggett would be moved up to the nickel spot? And if they need to bring in personnel for a 4- or 5-wide formation, would the Chiefs go with multiple safeties with McGraw and/or Morgan coming onto the field with Page and Pollard?
Interesting options. Hopefully either Surtain or Patterson will be able to play.
—Tim
Not that Bradley has had a huge career or anything but I’m glad the Chiefs are trying to find a #2 receiver. Will Franklin may be that guy before the year is over but Webb and Darling haven’t shown much as of yet. Bradley is worth the roll of the dice. He’s just 26 so he fits with the youth movement and Sams is a cut of little consequence. Glad Savage and Charles will be returners from now on. Still hoping Kevin Robinson shows something as well once he’s off the PUP.
If Patterson and Surtain miss the game, I’d like to see some fronts with three safeties so Dejuan Morgan can get on the field. I know he’s a raw talent that probably needs lots of polishing but he needs to get some playing time in over Jon McGraw.
I agree colby, I for one am happy the Chiefs are not setting on their butts, now I just wish they would do the same thing at LB and on the O-line.
Tommie Harris, for one, was sorry to see Bradley go.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-080923-mark-bradley-released-chicago-bears,0,7875831.story
That’s good stuff MarkIntexas!
I hope we have picked up in steal here.
I apologize, for the lower case T, but it’s my own personal protest.
Silly huh!
JohnNDallas….protest duly noted!
Touche’ LOL, I love Texans, I Married two!
I still would like to know how Erik Walden is coming along as a LB. He is a beast on special teams and he seems to show up everywhere. It was Walden that hit the donky in the back that prevented the recovery of the onside kick.
Also, by the way Carr and Williams played I think it would be hard to go back to Surtain and Edwards when they are healthy IMO.
I agree Shawn, But it looks like Carr is hurt, hopefully him or P. Surtain can go.
Carr is hurt? where did you see that?