The list of tasks the Chiefs need to accomplish in the next month is massive. They need to work in a considerable number of rookies and other new players, learn coordinator Chan Gailey?s new offensive system and reestablish Larry Johnson as the centerpiece of their offense.
They will have no more important job than resetting their offensive line, which after years of being among the best in football crumbled into severe decay last season.
Coach Herm Edwards said he plans on wasting no time in getting to that once offseason practice begins on Monday.
?After the (offseason practices) and the minicamp, you?ve got to have the five starters,? Edwards said. ?You?ve got to know who the five are going into training camp. Really, you?ve got to know who the seven (including the two top reserves) are. They?ve got to work together. I was talking with Brian (Waters) last week and he told me that?s what killed us last year. We never seemed to practice together.
?You?ve got to have the five guys playing together. That?s how the good offensive lines play. That?s why they?re good. They know each other and have a feel for each other.?
Edwards wouldn?t talk about his plans, but the Chiefs will probably line up with rookie Branden Albert at left tackle, Waters at left guard, Rudy Niswanger at center, Adrian Jones at right guard and Damion McIntosh at right tackle.
Albert, Niswanger and Jones are new starters. McIntosh is moving from left tackle. Only Waters is a familiar face in his same place.
The Chiefs promised a revamped line from the moments after the end of last season?s debacle. They initially followed through by releasing John Welbourn and Chris Terry and allowing Casey Wiegmann to sign with Denver as a free agent.
They weren?t as aggressive in finding replacements. Jones and backup guard Anthony Alabi were claimed off waivers, backup center Wade Smith was signed as a free agent and the Chiefs drafted Albert in the first round and backup tackle Barry Richardson in the sixth.
?The coaches have been telling us that they like the guys, the linemen, who are still here,? Niswanger said. ?Coach Edwards does not have a problem playing young guys. They expressed a lot of confidence in a lot of us. It?s a good time to be a Chief and a good time to be an offensive lineman for the Chiefs. They?re going to give everybody the opportunity to play.?
The Chiefs can feel reasonably sure what they will get from Waters, a three-time Pro Bowler, and McIntosh, who arrived as a free agent from Miami last year. They are taking a leap of faith at the other spots.
Edwards is confident Albert can play left tackle well. But he was a guard in college at Virginia, and his coaches there weren?t inclined to play him at the line?s most important spot.
The left tackle protects the quarterback?s blind side and usually is responsible for blocking the opponent?s best pass rusher.
?It doesn?t matter,? Albert said recently when asked about the possibility of playing a new position. ?I don?t feel any pressure. I?m just happy to be here and help the team. I?m ready to go and ready to help the team improve.?
Niswanger played some at guard for the Chiefs last year before tearing knee ligaments late in the season. He has been cleared medically for practice and will play at center, replacing Wiegmann.
?My talents and qualities are best-suited toward playing center,? he said. ?I feel more comfortable there. There?s just something about that position. I feel comfortable snapping the ball. A lot of people don?t feel comfortable with a defensive lineman two inches from their face. I don?t mind that. That?s my range, my zone.?
Jones, who played in college at Kansas, was drafted in 2004 by the Jets when they were coached by Edwards. He was mostly a tackle with New York and started one season for Edwards.
He also will be learning a new position. Jones played in just one game at guard for the Jets.
The Chiefs will practice without pads until they get to training camp in Wisconsin in late July. There might be a danger in settling on line starters before the pads come on, but it?s one Edwards said he believes is worth the risk.
?Most of these guys, we?ve seen them play,? Edwards said. ?We?ve got tape on them. We drafted Adrian Jones. I kind of know what Adrian Jones is. Anthony Alabi has been in the league four years. We?ve got enough film on him to kind of know what he is. Rudy has been around here for two years. Wade Smith has played in the league for a few years. We kind of know his strengths.
?We have to do it this way. They have to play together and practice together. We were a little bit out of kilter in camp last year because we weren?t able to do that. It?s no one?s fault but you?re a little bit out of kilter. It affects a lot of what you do. We?ve got to do a better job of that. We have to stay intact.?
They will have no more important job than resetting their offensive line, which after years of being among the best in football crumbled into severe decay last season.
Coach Herm Edwards said he plans on wasting no time in getting to that once offseason practice begins on Monday.
?After the (offseason practices) and the minicamp, you?ve got to have the five starters,? Edwards said. ?You?ve got to know who the five are going into training camp. Really, you?ve got to know who the seven (including the two top reserves) are. They?ve got to work together. I was talking with Brian (Waters) last week and he told me that?s what killed us last year. We never seemed to practice together.
?You?ve got to have the five guys playing together. That?s how the good offensive lines play. That?s why they?re good. They know each other and have a feel for each other.?
Edwards wouldn?t talk about his plans, but the Chiefs will probably line up with rookie Branden Albert at left tackle, Waters at left guard, Rudy Niswanger at center, Adrian Jones at right guard and Damion McIntosh at right tackle.
Albert, Niswanger and Jones are new starters. McIntosh is moving from left tackle. Only Waters is a familiar face in his same place.
The Chiefs promised a revamped line from the moments after the end of last season?s debacle. They initially followed through by releasing John Welbourn and Chris Terry and allowing Casey Wiegmann to sign with Denver as a free agent.
They weren?t as aggressive in finding replacements. Jones and backup guard Anthony Alabi were claimed off waivers, backup center Wade Smith was signed as a free agent and the Chiefs drafted Albert in the first round and backup tackle Barry Richardson in the sixth.
?The coaches have been telling us that they like the guys, the linemen, who are still here,? Niswanger said. ?Coach Edwards does not have a problem playing young guys. They expressed a lot of confidence in a lot of us. It?s a good time to be a Chief and a good time to be an offensive lineman for the Chiefs. They?re going to give everybody the opportunity to play.?
The Chiefs can feel reasonably sure what they will get from Waters, a three-time Pro Bowler, and McIntosh, who arrived as a free agent from Miami last year. They are taking a leap of faith at the other spots.
Edwards is confident Albert can play left tackle well. But he was a guard in college at Virginia, and his coaches there weren?t inclined to play him at the line?s most important spot.
The left tackle protects the quarterback?s blind side and usually is responsible for blocking the opponent?s best pass rusher.
?It doesn?t matter,? Albert said recently when asked about the possibility of playing a new position. ?I don?t feel any pressure. I?m just happy to be here and help the team. I?m ready to go and ready to help the team improve.?
Niswanger played some at guard for the Chiefs last year before tearing knee ligaments late in the season. He has been cleared medically for practice and will play at center, replacing Wiegmann.
?My talents and qualities are best-suited toward playing center,? he said. ?I feel more comfortable there. There?s just something about that position. I feel comfortable snapping the ball. A lot of people don?t feel comfortable with a defensive lineman two inches from their face. I don?t mind that. That?s my range, my zone.?
Jones, who played in college at Kansas, was drafted in 2004 by the Jets when they were coached by Edwards. He was mostly a tackle with New York and started one season for Edwards.
He also will be learning a new position. Jones played in just one game at guard for the Jets.
The Chiefs will practice without pads until they get to training camp in Wisconsin in late July. There might be a danger in settling on line starters before the pads come on, but it?s one Edwards said he believes is worth the risk.
?Most of these guys, we?ve seen them play,? Edwards said. ?We?ve got tape on them. We drafted Adrian Jones. I kind of know what Adrian Jones is. Anthony Alabi has been in the league four years. We?ve got enough film on him to kind of know what he is. Rudy has been around here for two years. Wade Smith has played in the league for a few years. We kind of know his strengths.
?We have to do it this way. They have to play together and practice together. We were a little bit out of kilter in camp last year because we weren?t able to do that. It?s no one?s fault but you?re a little bit out of kilter. It affects a lot of what you do. We?ve got to do a better job of that. We have to stay intact.?
