SB Nation - Corey Smith

Will the Chiefs Sign Any Rookie Mini-Camp Tryouts?

Chris Thorman — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:28:53 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Kansas City Chiefs running back Javarris Williams (40) worked alongside an unknown tryout running back during rookie camp at the team's football practice facility in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Through some creative Internet sleuthing and Bob Gretz's blog, we've identified almost positively five of the six try out players from last weekend's rookie mini-camp at Arrowhead Stadium. They are QBs Drew Tate and Chase Patton, SS Glenn Williams, C Dominic Green, LB Bobby Abare and an unknown running back.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said the team hoped to make a decision on some of these guys by last Monday. We haven't heard anything yet on whether or not any of the six made the team but then again, I don't think we would have heard any announcement by now anyway if a decision had been made. Such is the nature of the Pioli regime.

Let's check out these guys one at a time.

QB Drew Tate

One of the two quarterbacks the Chiefs invited to the rookie mini-camp, the 6 foot tall, 192 pound Tate started for three seasons at Iowa before being picked up by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2007. Before his college and brief pro career, Tate was a high school standout from Baytown, TX, (Seriously) whose high school numbers are on par with Graham Harrell and Colt McCoy. The three of them share quite a few Texas high school football passing records.

Tate fared quite well while at Iowa, gaining notoriety in the 2005 Capital One Bowl when he made a game wining TD pass with no time left to beat the LSU Tigers.

Skip ahead to the about the 4:50 mark to see that pass.

He only stuck around St. Louis for about three weeks before being let go. After his 2007 release, Tate has been spending time playing in the CFL for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.

Tate's lack of size (6' tall, 192 pounds) is likely the major reason he did not get drafted in 2007.

"In my opinion if Drew were two inches taller he would have been a third or fourth round selection in last week's NFL draft," said Roughriders general manager Eric Tillman. "He has a strong arm; he's mobile, intelligent, tough and super competitive."

I highly doubt Tate makes the roster with four QBs already on it.

QB Chase Patton

For those not aware, Chase Patton is the Matt Cassel of the 2009 NFL Draft class. Patton rode the bench at Missouri for 99% of his career, backing up Heisman finalist Chase Daniel in the process.

Patton has great size for an NFL QB - 6'4", 220 pounds. That size and potential is what has scouts at least interested in him as an undrafted free agent.

"You simply have to take a hard look at a guy who has those types of measurables at a big school," says one. "Because there's no set way to find a quarterback."

Like with Drew Tate, I don't think there is room on the Chiefs' roster for Patton to break through as a #3 quarterback. It's likely he wouldn't remain on the practice squad long either.

LB Bobby Abare

We covered Yale LB Bobby Abare just recently when I jumped the gun and called him one of our officially signed undrafted free agents. He would be a good special teams addition for the Chiefs.

Click here to read more on Abare.

SS Glenn Wiliams

I have to admit that my knowledge of Glenn Williams was non-existent before he entered the Chiefs rookie mini-camp. Safeties from Duke don't exactly get a lot of national attention.

The 5'10", 185 pound safety doesn't have a lot of ink on him either. By far the most info on him comes from Duke's web site. Williams was a four year starter who moved from cornerback to safety before the 2008 season. From what I can find on Williams, he seems to be a reliable, smart safety who just doesn't have that "next level" athelticism and talent.

C Dominic Green

This 6'3", 295 pound offensive linemen has that versatility thing going on for him, just like Pioli and Haley like. Green has started games at center, tackle and guard during his career with the University of Nevada WolfPack. He earned a number of pre-season distinctions before the 2008 season but ended the season on a pretty terrible note - by getting a DUI on December 12th, 2008.

Green was arrested and charged with DUI and driving with expired tags. He lost his captain spot for the WolfPack's upcoming Bowl game and he lost his scholarship.

***

The odds are very long for any of these five players to make the Kansas City Chiefs squad at the beginining of the 2009 season. The nearly complete rookie mini-camp attendee list is after the jump.

Thoughts on the chances any of these guys make the team?

Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Mini-Camp Attendees

Draft Picks	1st Year Players	UDFAs	Try-outs
DE Tyson Jackson	WR Rodney Wright	DT Dion Gales	QB Drew Tate
DT Alex Magee	G Edwin Harrison	DE Bobby Greenwood	QB Chase Patton
CB Donald Washington	LB Darrell Robertson	DB/WR Londen Fryar	LB Bobby Abare
OT Colin Brown	TE Jed Collins	LB Pierre Walters	SS Glenn Williams
RB Javarris Williams	DT Derek Lokey	WR Taurus Johnson	C Dominic Green
TE Jake O'Connell	G Tavares Washington	LB Jovan Belcher	Unknown RB
K Ryan Succup	LS Tanner Purdum	OT Cameron Goldberg
WR/KR Quinten Lawrence	*LS Thomas Gafford	S Ricky Price
		LB Corey Smith
		CB Jackie Bates
		TE Tom Crabtree
		G Darryl Harris

Poll

How many of the tryout players will the Chiefs sign?

0

117 votes

1

218 votes

2

176 votes

3

65 votes

4

36 votes

5

14 votes

6

14 votes

640 votes | Poll has closed

Tracking the Chiefs 2009 Undrafted Free Agents

Joel Thorman — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:25:57 -0000

The Kansas City Chiefs were quick to target and sign some UDFAs within hours of the NFL Draft's conclusion last night. Here are the players we've bagged so far:

DT Dion Gales, Troy (6'7", 288 pounds)

LB, Bobby Abare, Yale (6'2", 220 pounds)

DE Bobby Greenwood, Alabama (6'5", 278 pounds)

DB/WR Londen Fryar, Western Michigan (5'11", 185 pounds)

LB Pierre Walters, Eastern Illinois (6'4", 265 pounds)

WR Taurus Johnson, South Florida (6'1", 190 pounds)

LB Jovan Belcher, Maine (6'3", 235 pounds)

OT Cameron Goldberg, Duke (6'4", 286 pounds)

S Ricky Price, Oklahoma St. (6'1", 195 pounds)

LB Corey Smith, Cincinnati (6'1", 225 pounds)

CB Jackie Bates, Hampton (5'10", 172 pounds)

Rumored Interest

DT Adam Hoppel, Cincinnati (6'2", 300 pounds)

P Chris Miller, Ball State

LB Daniel Holtzclaw, Eastern Michigan

K Jared Keating, Mesa State

G Matt Huners, South Florida

WR Thomas White, Baylor (6'2", 205 pounds)

TE Tom Crabtree, Miami (OH) (6'5", 255 pounds)

QB David Johnson, Tulsa (6'3", 220 pounds)

QB Chase Patton, Missouri (Camp invite)

This post will be updated with more signings. Leave any signings you come across in the comments.

Here are a few sites I check that are pretty good about getting these out:

Draft Daddy

OLB, Corey Smith, Cincinnati

Jeremy Bolander — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:42:02 -0000

OLB, Corey Smith, Cincinnati

At A Glance
Position 1: Outside Linebacker	Height: 6-0
Position 2:	Weight: 224
Class: Senior	Age:
Projected Round: 7th	40time: 4.64

Combine/Proday Results
Bench Reps: X	Vertical: X
20yd Split: X	Broad Jump: X
10yd Split: X	20yd Shuttle: X
3 Cone Drill: X

Pros: Strong, muscular upper and lower body. ... Long arms to stay off blocks and wrap up ballcarriers. ... Chops down big backs and receivers in open space. ... Very active, will run sideline to sideline and chase plays downfield. ... Stays low in his stance in coverage, can drop deep, get to the flat, change direction and attack the ball.

Cons: A bit short for the position. ... Will take false steps and react slowly at times in zone coverage. ... Must become more consistent swarming to the ball in space.

Styg's Broncos Fit: Smith is an overall complete package at LB, but his skills project better to a MLB in a 4-3, which is no surprise, since that was his position every year except 2008, when he moved due to team need. He has missed time due to, and played through, various injuries. A tough player with good instincts in coverage but will bite too early on underneath routes through his zone. Smith is a solid late-round pick, but less-than-ideal scheme fit should cause Denver to pass.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From "Top 25 Big East Defensive Players in 2008" at Card Chronicles:

17. COREY SMITH, LB, CINCINNATI

The leader of a talented trio of Bearcat linebackers, Smith ranked second on the squad a year ago with 80 tackles. In spite of a relative lack of size, he figures to be a preseason All-Big East honoree heading into his final year at UC.

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

An athletic linebacker with the burst and speed to track down the ball and run sideline to sideline. Possesses very long arms for his frame and does a great job keeping defenders off his body. Plays with natural leverage at the point of attack and does a nice job fighting through blocks and attacking up field. Is an effective blitzer off the edge. [see more...]

2009 NFL Draft - Sideline to Sideline -- Outside Linebackers Ranked for Denver

Jeremy Bolander — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:30:06 -0000

Lets check out the rankings:

OLB--Aaron Curry

1st

Aaron Curry, Wake Forest: Easily the top linebacker in the class and quite possibly the top overall prospect in the draft. He makes plays, hits hard and is physical in coverage or playing around the line. Against the run, he dominates FBs in the lane and releases well from blocks to make the tackle. Rushing the passer, he runs right through running backs and most TEs and has the speed to beat tackles to the outside. Against the pass, he drops well but can't be left hanging too long in a zone, since his less-than-stellar hips force him to commit early to a responsibility. Is tenacious on special teams and forces teams to account for him there. He could work on being a more punishing tackler, as he too often relies upon his great reach to bring a player down, rather than breaking down and uncoiling with force from the lower body. If he works on this, there won't be a player in the NFL that he can't bring down.

OLB--Brian Cushing

1st

Brian Cushing, USC: A top prospect at outside LB, with legitimate talent to move around a bit without a drop-off in play. As a LB he has great flexibility, good hips, quick feet and can stay with TEs even over long or deep routes. Sheds blocks well, but is too reliant on elusiveness to avoid blocks, and needs to take advantage of his superior upper body strength to forcefully engage and discard blockers. His injury history is a concern, but he has managed to stay healthy for a while now, so maybe that is behind him. Overall a top LB with the versatility to drop in zone, slide into the middle or line up as a rush end.

OLB--Clay Matthews

1st

Clay Matthews, USC: Very inexperienced player who flashes some upside. Has good burst off the snap as a rush end and shows agility and good hips in coverage. Not very physical in taking on blocks and must continue to work on disengaging, as he can get corralled pretty easily. With only 10 starts under his belt, he is more of a guess than a sure thing, and belongs with the rest of the guesses on Day 2, but with his pedigree (father and uncle were both Pro Bowlers) some team's analysts may be hoping to strike late-blooming gold.

OLB--Larry English

1st-2nd

Larry English, Northern Illinois: MAC attack!! Decent frame and build, just slightly undersized, and suffered early in his career when asked to put his hand in the dirt as a rush end. But with the change to a stand-up rusher, English shows great quickness, terrific awareness and instincts, and a suitable amount of zone and pass coverage awareness. He is energetic making plays near the line, keeping his feet and hands active, maintaining his balance in pursuit and disengaging from blockers. Despite his quickness, he is too slow to legitimately pressure the outside edges and may not be able to keep up with elite TEs.

OLB--Connor Barwin

2nd

Connor Barwin, Cincinnati: Only one year of defense, but a four-year starter, Barwin shows an exceptional level of maturity and intelligence in his game. Switched from his role as a bruising TE to a bruising SOLB and managed to produce consistently. Coaches acclaim his work ethic and dedication to the game, and it shows in the number of versatile ways he was lined up and used. Engages blockers very well and has the strength to discard, as well as the lower body power to drive them back. Has effective pass-rush moves and uses his hands well to keep blockers out of his frame. He was also a special-teams standout, blocking three punts. A super-intelligent prospect who makes the most of every opportunity, Barwin could be a surprise early pick, even though his fit with Denver's likely scheme isn't surprising at all.

OLB--Clint Sintim

2nd

Clint Sintim, Virginia: Sintim is particularly suited to the outside edges in a 3-4 scheme. He has strength throughout his body, with good height and is able to hold his own against FBs, creating pileups in the running lane. Effective against tackles, is able to defeat their handwork and maintain leverage, but is not likely to beat them around the outside. His ability to drop into coverage is in doubt, and he lacks the straight-line speed to project to be able to cover TEs. Has stiff hips, so may not do well covering the flats on either side. Plenty of upside and flashes of a physically powerful player, but Denver may want to look elsewhere on Day 1.

OLB--Marcus Freeman

2nd-3rd

Marcus Freeman, Ohio State: Like his backfield mate Laurinaitis, Freeman is an instinctual player who relies on his athleticism and intelligence to read plays and find the right spot to be in. Recurring lower body injuries keep hindering him, and he has shown toughness to play through some of them. Breaks down very well in short space, and tackles with good force. Needs to get better at disengaging from blockers, and too often relies on his athleticism to go around them. His injuries, recurring knee ligament damage, are definitely a concern. As a player that doesn't project ideally for Denver's 3-4, this instinctual player only comes in at 3 stars.

OLB--Tyrone Mckenzie

2nd-3rd

Tyrone Mckenzie, South Florida: Has legitimate first-day talent but didn't play on passing downs, so his value on Day One might not pan out. Does a good job of playing around the line and can disengage from TEs and OTs. Has a tremendous work ethic, which shines in his ability to consistently produce despite transferring to three different teams through his career. A good overall build, good upper-body strength and a secure tackler, his one drawback is that there is little way to get a good read on his ability in pass coverage. Without that information, 3 stars is as high as one can go.

OLB--Zack Follett

4th

Zack Follett, Cal: This powerful, downhill player is an intimidating hitter and engages blocks with strength and explosion. As a result he is often in a position to make plays behind the line of scrimmage and forced a lot of fumbles. Not the best at pre-snap reads, however, and doesn't always take the best line to the play. Refused to run the shuttle at the combine, reinforcing what appears to be a poor backpedal and stiff hips, though at Cal he was generally sent toward the play. Follett is a player that can step in and make plays, but also be a critical weak link if opponents scheme against him, so he makes a legitimate backup who must work his way into the starting ranks.

OLB--Kaluka Maiava

4th-5th

Kaluka Maiava, USC: Maiava is a decent depth-player at this point, with only one year of experience where he benefited tremendously from the surrounding talent on the USC defense. His Rose Bowl performance, his best of the year, was obviously a case of capitalizing when the rest of his teammates were accounted for, but he did flash some upside in the game, including some powerful tackling and the speed to follow plays laterally. But most of the year he looked like he was being reactive, instead of proactive. He would often get flushed out of plays, or allow himself to be redirected by OTs. He also has difficulty disengaging from blockers, which significantly reduces his effectiveness tackling around the line of scrimmage. Could be a great developmental pickup and seems coachable, but he isn't head and shoulders above any prospect this early in the draft.

OLB--Jason Williams

5th

Jason Williams, Western Illinois: Adequate SOLB candidate who shows the hips and quick feet needed to cover TEs and RBs in the flat. Was a defensive captain and produced consistently starting in his sophomore year. While he needs to get better at disengaging from blockers, he shows the strength to be able to do that eventually. When attacking the ball he meets the blocker fiercely, and flashes the ability to get the separation needed to make the play around the line of scrimmage. Would be an excellent special-teams coverage player.

OLB--Lee Robinson

6th

Lee Robinson, Alcorn State: This guy reminds me eerily of Wesley Woodyard, and that is a damn good thing. He is a good tackler, reads plays well and is instinctual in following the play to the ball. Like WW, one of his strongest assets is keeping blockers away from his legs and keeping hands out of his frame, which leaves him free to make the tackle at the line of scrimmage. His open-field tackling could use work however, as he doesn't consistently break down but he shows a ton of hustle and is quick to congratulate teammates, making him a respected member of the team. His coverage ability is adequate, though he can't hang very long on deeper routes. Has all the markings of a late-round, high-impact player.

OLB--Corey Smith

6th-7th

Corey Smith, Cincinnati: Smith is an overall complete package at LB, but his skills project better to a MLB in a 4-3, which is no surprise, since that was his position every year except 2008, when he moved due to team need. He has missed time due to, and played through, various injuries. A tough player with good instincts in coverage but will bite too early on underneath routes through his zone. Smith is a solid late-round pick, but less-than-ideal scheme fit should cause Denver to pass.

OLB--DeAndre Levy

7th

DeAndre Levy, Wisconsin: Smart defensive leader, Levy makes up for his lack of speed and playmaking with a steady, physical presence on the outside. A sure tackler inside and in the open field, he doesn't show the hips or feet needed to be a consistent option in coverage. And despite his downhill effectiveness, he too often doesn't show the explosiveness needed to properly engage and shed blocks. He needs to work on his handwork, explosiveness and ability to rush as a 9-technique, but he could be a solid special-teams addition for his ability to break down and wrap up, and his willingness to play within his scheme.

OLB--Mortty Ivy

7th-FA

Mortty Ivy, West Virginia: Another solid tackler who disengages well to make tackles at the line of scrimmage, but Ivy lacks the ability to consistently break down in the open field. This looks like stiff hips and a general lack of athleticism, which shows up in his inconsistent coverage and poor drop-back skills. Has a ton of hustle and knows how to close out downhill plays, which could make him an excellent special-teams contributor. Doesn't have the best hands or the best hand-technique, and will want to prioritize this area of his game along with his flexibility.

OLB--Robert Francois

7th-FA

Robert Francois, Boston College: Good size with rare late-round height (6'3") and can put on more weight. He is very physical, engages fiercely and shows the ability to discard blocks, while also being able to break down in a very small area for solid, powerful tackles. Was the special-teams player of the year for BC. His downside is that he is relatively inexperienced, with only 14 starts since 2006, having been relegated to spot duty behind Brian Toal. What he shows are consistent flashes of rare athleticism for his size, and if he is a player who is getting better with experience, he would be a steal as a late pick or UFA. But he was held out from starting for a reason, and unless that reason is known, it is doubtful that any team would be willing to take a chance on him early.

SB Nation - Corey Smith

Will the Chiefs Sign Any Rookie Mini-Camp Tryouts?

How many of the tryout players will the Chiefs sign?

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Tracking the Chiefs 2009 Undrafted Free Agents

OLB, Corey Smith, Cincinnati

OLB, Corey Smith, Cincinnati

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

2009 NFL Draft - Sideline to Sideline -- Outside Linebackers Ranked for Denver

2009 NFL Draft Coverage-Merry Draftivus!!

OLB--Aaron Curry

1st

OLB--Brian Cushing

1st

OLB--Clay Matthews

1st

OLB--Larry English

1st-2nd

OLB--Connor Barwin

2nd

OLB--Clint Sintim

2nd

OLB--Marcus Freeman

2nd-3rd

OLB--Tyrone Mckenzie

2nd-3rd

OLB--Zack Follett

4th

OLB--Kaluka Maiava

4th-5th

OLB--Jason Williams

5th

OLB--Lee Robinson

6th

OLB--Corey Smith

6th-7th

OLB--DeAndre Levy

7th

OLB--Mortty Ivy

7th-FA

OLB--Robert Francois

7th-FA