Morning Practice Update 8/4
From River Falls, Wisconsin
The Chiefs were back on the practice field here in the northwoods on Monday morning for a full pads practice.
Update you on the participation: out of action were WR Kevin Robinson (knee), DT Glenn Dorsey (knee), DE Trevor Johnson (head trauma), LB Donnie Edwards (hamstring), RB Kolby Smith (groin), LT Branden Albert (foot), RT Damion McIntosh (knee), CB Brandon Flowers (groin) and RB Larry Johnson (rest).
Situation remains the same with Dorsey and Albert. Both are undergoing nearly round-the-clock rehab work with the team’s training staff. Flowers injury isn’t serious, but that had the team’s top three draft picks out of work this morning.
Also, Oliver Hoyte has changed positions. He requested a move from fullback to linebacker and the Chiefs agreed. He worked there this morning. Hoyte played linebacker at North Carolina State and actually made the Dallas roster as a rookie in 2006 as a linebacker. He was moved to fullback in October of that season.
That leaves only Chris Manderino and Mike Cox at fullback.
On special teams, the Chiefs worked on blocking field goals, both from the interior of the rush and then from the outside. As Herm Edwards told the players as they went through the drill: “This could win a game for us.”
Here was the No. 1 defense unit this morning:
- Defensive line – Tamba Hali, Ron Edwards, Tank Tyler and Alfonso Boone.
- Linebackers – Demorrio Williams, Pat Thomas and Derrick Johnson.
- Secondary -Â Brandon Carr, Dimitri Patterson, Jarrad Page and Bernard Pollard.
The first offensive line was (left to right): Herb Taylor, Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger, Adrian Jones and Barry RIchardson.
Offense actually didn’t look too bad in the practice work. In 40 plays of team work, they had a positive result 16 times, including one stretch where they had five good plays in six snaps. Brodie Croyle connected with WR Devard Darling on a big pass play that beat Carr that would have gone for a 40-yard touchdown. Tyler Thigpen had a nice completion on a bootleg to WR Bobby Sippio.  Thigpen also hit a nice throw to Jeff Webb on a boot.
Defensively, S DaJuan Morgan knocked a couple of balls loose, S Khayyam Burns had what would have been back-to-back sacks at one point on blitzes off the corner. CB Maurice Leggett hit Sippio hard enough to cause a fumble after a completion. S Bernard Pollard had a big hit on TE Brad Cottam.
Watching practice this morning was former North Carolina head coach and former Chiefs assistant coach John Bunting.
The injury situation with the rookies is a little alarming. Its hard to be in a rebuilding mode when they are injured and unable to make it on the field.
Thanks for the great reports!
I am angry that Herm Edwards “surprised” the team with two practices Saturday. The second practice Dorsey got hurt.
The injury situation is a downer, but not catastrophic. Still, would have liked to have seen those guys in the Chicago game.
Good to hear that Albert has made some progress, however Mcintosh/Albert are both problems at the moment…
Bob, Do you see Kansas City interested at all in Lecharles Bentley for RG…
Also another thought, this Burns Kid seems to really be having a great camp…is there a chance that he beats out Mcgraw? I figured no since hes the team rep and is good on special teams/friends with the Edwards family….however Burns is all over the place and wouldnt pass waivers in my opinion.
If Burns is playing as well as McGraw, I’d say Burns would get the nod because he is younger. But it sounds like Burns is outplaying McGraw – if so, he’ll make the team, no doubt (assuming we keep 4 safeties)
Jumping in here real quick.
Chiefs unlikely to have interest in Bentley right now. That may change if they find big problems at the end of the pre-season.
Burns looked good at safety on Monday, but Jon McGraw would rank among the top five players if you were to list who is having a great camp. McGraw is showing things in the defense that he didn’t show last year. McGraw is on this team, no doubt.
Thanks for reading.
BG
Bob,
I was wondering how Tamba Hali has looked to you. From what I’ve read so far, he hasn’t been very impressive. Would it be safe to say it’s just an adjustment period or should we be worried about our outside passrush?
When do the Chiefs weigh the players? To be specific has Croyle gained any weight?
I’ll answer that for ya Gary. Bob said a few days ago that he as gained something like 8 pounds just in the upperbody.
Bob,
Burns is also a decent individual. After we left family fun night and after all of the post-practice autograph fuss, we finally started to our car. Being parked in the far lot down the trail, we saw plenty of players whizzing by on mountain bikes en route to their dorms. My girlfriends daughter wanted to try and get one more signature on a Chiefs autograph ball we had started on earlier that evening.
We missed a few players as they were in a hurry to get back, get showered and get out for the night. Burns, like all the rest, whizzed by with the always recognizable white ipod bugs tucked firmly into his ears. Only, unlike the guys who passed earlier, he slowed, looked back, and almost reluctantly turned his bike around and started back towards us. We had a good ten minute conversation in which he shed a little light on his time with the Chiefs, and we told him how excited we were for the upcoming season. We wished him luck, and he was on his way. Very nice guy, and he seems to have had a good college career. If he doesn’t make this team, I hope he’ll make it to the K.C. practice squad, and if not, I hope he will be able to catch on somewhere else and stick. Best of luck to him.