SB Nation - Ricardo Colclough

Kansas City Chiefs Sign Two, Release Three

Joel Thorman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:56:08 -0000

There's been a lot of movement in the last hour so scan the front page to get caught up but here we go...

The Kansas City Chiefs officially announced the arrival of former Arizona Cardinals tight end Leonard Pope. They also announced that the team has added T Chris Patrick to the practice squad.

Here is our story on the Pope signing.

Patrick was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He's had stints with the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs also announced that the club has released LB Monty Beisel and CB Ricardo Colclough.

Beisel is a bit of a surprise considering the team brought him on this offseason. He was behind Demorrio Williams and Derrick Johnson on the depth chart.

The Chiefs have tried Ricardo Colclough out as a punt returner at times but he hasn't seen much game action in that capacity. The team has worked out multiple defensive backs in recent weeks so the writing may have been on the wall for Colclough.

We're not done yet: The team also announced that Tom Crabtree has been released from the practice squad.

Make the jump to walk through all of today's roster moves with me and see how many roster spots we have open.

Subtractions

Tyler Thigpen
Monty Beisel
Ricardo Colclough
Tom Crabtree (PS)

Additions

Leonard Pope
Chris Patrick (PS)

By my count that leaves two spots open on the 53 man roster. Folks, we've still got some moves to be made!

Savage, Wade Move Up in Chiefs Latest Depth Chart

Joel Thorman — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:52:23 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

2 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs running back Dantrell Savage (29) is brought down by Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (21) after completing a pass during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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There was some movement with the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart as they begin to prepare for the Philadelphia Eagles.

There were changes at a handful of positions. Here they are with a few notes under each one.

Wide Receiver

Quinten Lawrence moves ahead of Terrance Copper
Bobby Wade on first team
Mark Bradley and Bobby Engram move to second and third team

Lawrence did not record a reception against the Raiders but started the game with a 16 yard run on a reverse. Wade led all Chiefs receivers with six receptions and 72 yards.

Tight End

Jake O'Connell moves ahead of Brad Cottam

Cottam's been non-existent in two games this year. O'Connell saw some time yesterday but did not record a reception. Remember, Todd Haley tight ends have historically been asked to focus on blocking, as well as receiving.

Running Back

Dantrell Savage moves from fourth to second
Jamaal Charles now third

Savage had a good game yesterday. He recorded 26 rushing yards on three carries. You can also add in the seven yards per reception he had in the receiving game (six receptions). Charles was listed as inactive.

Defensive Back

Donald Washington moves to the second team ahead of Ricardo Colclough

Leggett is still listed behind Flowers but Washington, a rookie, leapfrogged Colclough.

Punt/Kick Returner

Wade now No. 1 punt returner
Savage now No. 1 kick returner (Charles third team)

Wade returned all six punts yesterday for a total of nine yards. It was hardly impressive but no one has separated themselves from the pack. Because of Sebastian Janikowski's booming leg yesterday, the Chiefs didn't record any kick returns.

H/T stagsdp in the FanShots. Check out the full depth chart here.

Kansas City Chiefs Release Bernard Pollard, 12 Others

Joel Thorman — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:56:02 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

4 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rodney Wright (11) makes a catch while chased by Houston Texans cornerback Glover Quin, left, during the first quarter of their NFL football exhibition game in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. Wright gained 12 yards on the play. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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The Kansas City Chiefs have just announced the final round of cuts to get down to the league mandated 53 man roster.

Biggest shocker? Bernard Pollard. Wow.

Offense	Defense
TE Tom Crabtree	CB Jackie Bates
G Darryl Harris	DE Dion Gales
WR Taurus Johnson	DE Bobby Greenwood
WR Ashley Lelie	DT Derek Lokey
RB Javarris Williams	S Bernard Pollard
WR Rodney Wright	LB Zach Thomas
G Colin Brown (IR)	S Ricky Price

After the jump, we take a look at the circumstances surrounding each of the cuts.

The following were released:

S Bernard Pollard

Wow. There were trade rumors recently and apparently they had some legs. This is far and away the most shocking move by the Chiefs.

Frankly, I don't understand this move. This leaves DaJuan Morgan, who was injured for much of last season as a rookie, and Mike Brown, who has been injured much of the last five years, as your strong safeties.

CB Jackie Bates

This shouldn't be much of a surprise. The Chiefs decided to keep five cornerbacks and it was down to Bates or Ricardo Colclough. Colclough has been a return man in the past and provides a little more experience.

TE Tom Crabree

It's not surprising, either. This leaves three tight ends on the Chiefs roster (Sean Ryan, Brad Cottam and Jake O'Connell). Crabtree had a couple of nice plays in last week's game against the Rams but ultimately it came down to a numbers game. Remember, the Chiefs gave up a draft pick in a trade to get O'Connell.

DE Dion Gales

A little surprised here. Gales didn't necessarily separate himself but the Chiefs will be a little low on defensive ends.

DE Bobby Greenwood

See above.

G Darryl Harris

I thought about the best chance he had to make the team was due to the low number of offensive linemen. Harris' name was rarely mentioned and ultimately proved to be expendable.

WR Taurus Johnson

Chiefs had a lot of wide receivers and, for a position where they needed playmakers, he apparently couldn't cut it. It doesn't help that he didn't return kicks and/or punts as well.

WR Ashley Lelie

A little surprising considering he showed a little promise and is one of the few Chiefs receivers with some experience. He's a fast receiver and the Chiefs don't really have that right now.

DT Derek Lokey

He was playing nose tackle behind Tank Tyler and Ron Edwards. It was going to be tough to beat out one of those guys.

S Ricky Price

Again, a numbers game. He couldn't beat out Jon McGraw and starter Jarrad Page.

LB Zach Thomas

Rumored to be injured and looking at retirement. Apparently he was healthy enough for the Chiefs to part ways with him without an injury settlement.

RB Javarris Williams

The Chiefs 7th round draft pick and the only draftee released. He's certainly eligible for the practice squad.

WR Rodney Wright

29 year old player who hasn't shown much thus far.

Placed on Injured Reserve

G Colin Brown

When did he have an injury? Behind Pollard, this is the second most surprising move. There were no indications he was injured. He was the team's fifth round draft pick.

Chiefs Quarterbacks, Secondary Biggest Unknown Heading into Cutdown Day

Joel Thorman — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:13:15 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

4 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley, left, talks with general manager Scott Pioli during NFL football training camp in River Falls, Wis., Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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First off, we've got a must read for you. Over at the Mothership, Josh Looney has a nice chart posted that lists the number of players kept at each position for the '08 and '07 Chiefs, Cardinals and Patriots. It definitely helps give us an idea of how many players the Chiefs might keep at each position this year.

I stress might because, well, the more we learn about this team the more we realize we don't know.

One note to mention is that the '08 and '07 Chiefs didn't run a 3-4 defense so the number of defensive linemen, ends and linebackers will be much different.

Today, however, I want to point out the two positions where I think we'll see good players from the Chiefs hitting the waiver wire. Predicting the cuts for this administration is difficult but as we wind down to the league mandated 53 man roster, it's becoming a numbers game.

Here are the two positions where I think the biggest question marks remain.

Quarterback

I won't spend much time here because, if you've looked at Arrowhead Pride in the last month, you know the quarterback debate has been heated and well discussed.

Matt Cassel is safe. There's no question about that. In my humble opinion, Brodie Croyle is safe as well.

That leaves Tyler Thigpen and Matt Gutierrez as the two battling it out for what is likely to be one position. There's a chance the Chiefs carry four quarterbacks, especially in the early goings as Cassel's injury isn't quite known, but I deem it unlikely. Just my opinion, which would mean something only if I was on the Chiefs payroll.

My best guess: Gutierrez is cut, Thigpen remains.

***

Secondary

Prior to training camp, or even a week into training camp, I never would have guessed this would become arguably the most interesting position battle.

DaJuan Morgan's return from injury is what made this one of the best battles in the '09 version of Chiefs training camp.

We've now heard two rumors about the Chiefs trying to move a safety. The first came a couple weeks back when the Chiefs were rumored to have offered the Lions DaJuan Morgan for a fourth round pick in return. Schwartz and Lions didn't bite. The next rumor, reported by Brad Biggs of the National Football Post, stated the Chiefs were shopping Bernard Pollard. As of this posting, there's been no movement on that front.

The Chiefs worked Mike Brown out in early June then had a month full of OTAs looking at the current safeties and brought him on board. Doesn't that say to you they thought Brown has a very good shot to make this team? It does to me.

Here's my thought process on the whole secondary:

If the Chiefs keep four cornerbacks, they'll probably keep five safeties and we won't be discussing the Pollard/Brown/Morgan issue. This is definitely a possibility. Here are the current corners and who I would release if only four were retained:

Brandon Carr, Brandon Flowers, Maurice Leggett, Donald Washington, Ricardo Colclough and Jackie Bates
That would leave the following safeties: Jarrad Page, Jon McGraw, Bernard Pollard, Mike Brown, DaJuan Morgan and Ricky Price

If the Chiefs keep five cornerbacks, then they're likely keeping Colclough or Bates and it could mean only four safeties are retained:

Page and McGraw probably safe
Two spots for Pollard, Brown and Morgan

With a pair of trade rumors involving Chiefs safeties, something tells me they don't want to keep five. Or it tells me they'll hang onto five, for now, and move one of them. Just a hunch.

My best guess: Chiefs keep four cornerbacks (Carr, Leggett, Flowers and Washington) and five safeties (Page, McGraw, Pollard, Brown and Morgan).

How it all really shakes out? I guess we'll know in about eight hours.

Chiefs Training Camp Update 8/10 PM

Chris Thorman — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:52:58 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

4 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Tyson Jackson (94) works with defensive line coach Tim Krumrie during NFL football training camp in River Falls, Wis., Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Updated 8:43 PM

We're still waiting on the UW-RF updates but we've got the usual sources of Kansas City Chiefs training camp info for you after the jump.

A couple of highlights:

WR Rodney Wright continues to get his name called out for good reasons
Ryan Succop didn't miss any of his four field goals today
Eight Chiefs missed this afternoon's practice to attend rehab
Two fans at practice today hung up a sign that read, "Brodie Fans 4 Life." The sign was referring to quarterback Brodie Croyle. Later in practice Head Coach Todd Haley made a comment about it following a Croyle interception. "They took your banner down, Brodie," Haley joked. (UWRF)

More updates, after the jump.

General Stuff

Former Chiefs T John Alt visited practice today (UWRF)
Overall, the defense dominated the offense (UWRF)

Offense

OT Colin Brown, the Chiefs' fifth-round pick, is getting work at guard in afternoon practice. He played only tackle at Missouri. (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)
Chiefs coach Todd Haley says all starting jobs are open and no decisions are final. So take note of this: WR Dwayne Bowe hasn't worked with the No. 1 offense today. Taking those snaps have been Devard Darling and Mark Bradley. (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)
It’s extremely difficult to put a football in the bucket and when a QB does accomplish this task, the crowd gets going. Today QB Brodie Croyle looked to have the only make of the day until QB Matt Cassel got the crowd roaring with a make at the end of the period. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
WR Rodney Wright did turn in a big play for the offense (it seems he’s turned in a lot of them this camp) by getting loose on a post route that moved the chains. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
The offense did get on track late in the 7 on 7 drills, though, with TDs on each of the final two plays of the segment (WR Quinten Lawrence and TE Brad Cottam). (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
The tight ends all make great catches today during the 11 on 11 drills. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Receivers continue to get challenged...the dropsies are still there some (Mitch Holthus)
TE Tom Crabtree had a "sweet" one-handed grab (UWRF)
In a 3 DBs vs. 2 WRs drill, Cassel was intercepted by Pollard but hit Bradley and Darling for big gains (UWRF)
In the 7-on-7 drill, Cassel was 2/5 and Croyle was 2/3. Both series were highlighted by a couple drops (UWRF)
Thigpen had the play of the drill hitting Rodney Wright between three DBs for a first down (UWRF)
In red zone work, Cassel was 3/5 with a pick, Croyle threw two completions before throwing a pick, and Thigpen and Gutierrez both had touchdown passes (caught by Lawrence and Cottam, respectively) (UWRF)
Haley after a diving O'Connell catch: "That’s the way 4-5. We need more guys like that [putting their body on the line], laying out to make catches like that." Sean Ryan had a diving catch the next play. (UWRF)

Defense

Today’s 7-v-7 period consisted of all third-down situations. By my count the defense, led by several nice plays from LB Derrick Johnson, won the session handedly. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
The D kept the momentum rolling into the red zone portion of 7-v-7 drills, getting two INTs from CBs Brandon Carr and Ricardo Colclough (Colclough had a pick in the scrimmage on Saturday as well). (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Vrabel helps a bunch...great cover in red zone. (Mitch Holthus)
The defensive line practiced a drill where they engaged a sled then had to charge an assistant coach who would pop out from either side of the sled (UWRF)
C Cameron Goldberg knocked DE Tyson Jackson to the ground, who then had to work one-on-one with an assistant coach (UWRF)
DE Glenn Dorsey jumped off sides, swore loudly, then had to run (UWRF)
CB Ricardo Colclough intercepted and deflected two consecutive Croyle passes (UWRF)
Jarrad Page hit Jamaal Charles after catching a pass and caused a fumble (UWRF)
S Ricky Price intercepted a Thigpen pass (UWRF)
Dorsey would have had a sack on Croyle if the game was live (UWRF)
The entire defensive line stayed 20 minutes later than everyone. But Tank Tyler, Tyson Jackson and Tamba Hali stayed even later working on drills (UWRF)

Special Teams

The Chiefs continued Monday's emphasis on special teams in afternoon practice. WR Rodney Wright and RB Jackie Battle lined up as first-team kick returners. (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)
Chiefs K Ryan Succop was 4 for 4 on field goals in afternoon practice. He hit from 37, 37, 42 and 45 yards. (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)

Injuries/Not Practicing

Eight Chiefs are missing afternoon practice to work with the rehab team. The only starter in the group is ILB Zach Thomas. (Bob Gretz at CBS Sports)
Also missing were LBs Demorrio Williams and Monty Beisel and S DaJuan Morgan (UWRF)

Chiefs Training Camp Update 8/8 PM

Chris Thorman — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:41:16 -0000

View full size photo »

Updated: 5:18 PM

Family fun day is underway in River Falls, WI, at the Kansas City Chiefs training camp, as this picture from the Chiefs twitter feed shows.

There is a scrimmage today from ~2-4 PM, which we'll have notes on hopefully before the Hall of Fame induction.

No pictures up yet from yesterday's practices. Hopefully they get some up soon.

Update: We've got some tweets from Josh Looney coming. Here are a few highlights:

Ryan Succop nails a 58-yard field goal
Tyson Jackson gets his first training camp sack

We've got more updates for you, after the jump.

General Stuff

This is a somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the coaching staff as well with the first preseason game just one week away. The headsets are out and Haley’s staff is putting the press box to full use to mock a gameday atmosphere. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)

Offense

Cassel to Darling on a five-yard corner route to the back left corner or the end zone (Josh Looney on Twitter)
Cassel showing some serious scramble ability today (Josh Looney on Twitter)
Cassel did show some athleticism in the series by avoiding a heavy pass rush and scrambling seven yards to set up the field goal try. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Thigpen to TE Jake O'Connel on a 13-yard wheel route for the first offensive TD of the day (Josh Looney on Twitter)
Cassel hit RB Jamaal Charles on a shovel for a nice gain and then took the next play into the red zone with some nice agility on a scramble. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
RB Jackie Battle then rumbled his way for a first-down to the five before Cassel connected with WR Devard Darling on a corner route in the back left of the end zone for a TD. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
The scrimmage turned situational when the ball was placed on the two-yard line for a third-and-goal situation. It took the offense two plays to score, but when they did it was a beauty as RB Jackie Battle went up and over the pile of linemen for the TD. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
QB Matt Gutierrez got his first opportunity of the afternoon and connected with TE Tom Crabtree to move the chains on third down. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Two new groups took the field with Thigpen hitting Toomer on a 25-yard route across the middle. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
The same two groups did battle once more when the thunder started to roll across the rural Wisconsin sky. This time it was Thigpen’s legs who did some work, taking a scramble inside the five-yard line before hitting FB Jed Collins in the flats on a play-action pass. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Croyle completed a pass to wide receiver Amani Toomer who fumbled the football after being ripped down. The ball was recovered by the defense. (UW-RF)
Thigpen then dropped back to pass but was forced from the pocket and scrambled to his right and went out of bounds for a 20-yard gain. (UW-RF)
Amani Toomer fumbled a 13 yard completion from Cassel (WPI $$$)

Defense

Defense gets its revenge with back-to-back INTs...CB Travis Daniels and CB Ricardo Colclough (Josh Looney on Twitter)
Your #1 pick DE Tyson Jackson records his first sack of training camp (Josh Looney on Twitter)
BIG HIT - DJ puts a lick on WR Amani Toomer across the middle to force a fumble!!!! (Josh Looney on Twitter)
The first-team offense opened things up with RB Larry Johnson converting a third-and-short situation near mid-field, but it was the defense who got on the board first when QB Matt Cassel mishandled a snap and DE Wallace Gilberry took the loose football 50-yards to the house. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
LB Tamba Hali eventually thwarted the drive with a sack of QB Brodie Croyle to set-up K Ryan Succop with his second FG opportunity of the day. (Josh Looney at the Mothership)
Pollard coming up with some big hits (Josh Looney on Twitter)
Continuing the trend as seen in practice thus far, cornerback Maurice Leggett spent time as the defense’s nickel back. (UW-RF)
On quarterback Brodie Croyle’s first drive, linebacker Derrick Johnson had a would-be sack had the team been allowed to sack the quarterback. (UW-RF)
Defensive end Glenn Dorsey and linebacker Tamba Hali had sacks on Croyle. (UW-RF)
On second-and-twelve, cornerback Brandon Carr nearly picked off a Thigpen pass. Carr would later have a successful quarterback pressure on Thigpen. (UW-RF)

Special Teams

Succop's 58-yarder was right down the pipe with some distance to spare (Josh Looney on Twitter)
Ryan Succop missed a 33-yard field goal. (UW-RF)
To end a drive, kicker Ryan Succop hit a 34-yard field goal. (UW-RF)

Injuries/Not Practicing

Running back Kolby Smith and guard Wade Smith were not active during practice this afternoon. (UW-RF)
Cornerback DaJuan Morgan and linebackers Mike Vrabel, Monty Beisel, Zach Thomas and Demorrio Williams were not present on the practice field this afternoon. (UW-RF)
Center Wade Smith ran off the field after the first 15 minutes of practice with what appeared to be a knee injury. He resumed practice 15 minutes later and worked on snaps with Tyler Thigpen. (Post Chronicle)
Monty Beisel didn't participate in the sprints. His right foot was causing him some pain. (Post Chronicle)
Kolby Smith and Derrick Johnson were once again working with the conditioning coach and spent most o the day carrying weights up and down the field. (Post Chronicle)
Demorrio Williams, Wade Smith, Dajaun Morgan and Glenn Dorsey were also working with conditioning, mostly working with stationary bikes and doing sit-up drills. (Post Chronicle)
G Tavares Washington did not participate after suffering an injury yesterday (WPI $$$)

The Greatest Kansas City Chiefs, By the Numbers: #30

Chris Thorman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:26:17 -0000

via Best Sports Photos

The list of the players to wear #30 for the Kansas City Chiefs may have the distinction of having the craziest first names of all of the numbers we've done so far.

Cleophus? Gloster? Lyle? Oh yes. They're all in there. Current #30 Ricardo Colclough fits this trend too.

S Martin Bayless (1992-93, 1995-96)
RB Donnell Bennett (1994-00)
RB Curtis Bledsoe (1981-82)
RB Paul Ott Carruth (1989)
RB Cleophus Miller (1975-75)
WR Gloster Richardson (1967-70)
S Mark Robinson (1984-87)
RB/K Jack Spikes (1960-64)
S Lyle West (2002-03)

And don't forget about Donnell Bennett, who has to hold some kind of double letter record for a person's name.

More about the Chiefs wearing #30, after the jump...

S Martin Bayless (1992-93, 1995-96)

Bayless was a long time Charger and Buffalo Bill before spending two separate parts of his NFL career in Kansas City. He started 26 games from 1992 to 1993 in KC, snagging three INTs as a safety. In 1994, he was signed by the Washington Redskins as an unrestricted free agent, where he only played one season.

Bayless returned to Kansas City from 1995 to 1996 and played nickel for the Chiefs. He only started one game in his final two seasons but played in 28 games. That's about right for a rotational player.

RB Donnell Bennett (1994-00)

Man, how many of 1990s Chiefs fan are just so familiar with the name Donnell Bennett? I know I am. He definitely came along at the right time, during the second coming of the glory years.

The Chiefs loved drafting running backs in the mid 1990s. Despite having traded for RB Marcus Allen in 1993, the Chiefs went running back in the first two rounds of the '94 draft - Greg Hill in the first round and Bennett in the second round.

Bennett played almost his entire NFL career in KC, playing fullback for the Redskins in his final season. He played in 86 games for the Chiefs, starting 15 of them. He had 519 rushing attemps; 1,941 yards rushing; and 17 touchdowns.

RB Curtis Bledsoe (1981-82)

Bledsoe was an undrafted running back out of San Diego St. when he came to the Chiefs. In 1981, Bledsoe started one game for the Chiefs and played in thirteen of them. He had twenty rushing attempts for a total of 65 yards in 1981. A significant injury in the '81 season hampered Bledsoe through the '82 season, where he only played in three games.

He left the Chiefs after the 1982 season and spent some time in the USFL. He's also a heck of racquetball player too, apparently.

RB Paul Ott Carruth (1989)

After three seasons of limited action in Green Bay, Carruth came to KC for two games and registered very few stats. He retired after the '89 season.

RB Cleophus Miller (1974-75)

Cleo Miller Jr. was an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas Pine-Bluff who the Chiefs took a flyer on in the '74 season. He contributed a couple hundred yards rushing and just over a dozen kick off returns before being traded to Cleveland mid way through the 1975 season.

WR Gloster Richardson (1967-70)

A 7th round pick by the Chiefs in the 1965 AFL draft, Richardson played four seasons in KC, amassing over 60 receptions and a dozen TDs.

Richardson played collegiality at Jackson St. Which other Chief went to Jackson St.?

S Mark Robinson (1984-87)

Robinson was a 4th round pick in the '84 draft and he would go on the play four seasons in Kansas City. He started a handful of games and played in nearly 50 of them while a Chief. He had three INTs with the Chiefs and twelve INTs in his final three NFL seasons in Tampa Bay.

RB/K Jack Spikes (1960-64)

Here is an interesting little twist to Jack Spikes' career - He was drafted in the first round of the 1960 draft by the Steelers but ended up playing for the Chiefs. The Steelers also drafted RB Abner Haynes in the 5th round of the 1960 draft, only to see him head to KC to play in the 1960 season. Times sure were different back then...

Spikes was a FB/RB/K during his time as a Texan and a Chief. In five seasons as a Chief, Spikes had 329 carries and 1,392 yards rushing. He also had twelve TDs.

As a kicker, the guy was just freakin' terrible. He was 19 of 57 in KC kicking field goals. Naturally, Spikes' field goal attempts dropped off dramatically in his career.

S Lyle West (2002-03)

Not a whole lot to say about West. He was a minor special teams/safety for the Giants and Chiefs in four seasons on the NFL. He registered six tackles for the Chiefs.

***

So who's it going to be this morning Arrowhead Pride readers? Make sure you vote and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

Who is the greatest Chief to wear #30?

S Martin Bayless

61 votes

RB Donnell Bennett

343 votes

RB Curtis Bledose

2 votes

RB Paul Ott Carruth

1 votes

RB Cleophus Miller

8 votes

WR Gloster Richardson

61 votes

S Mark Robinson

5 votes

RB/K Jack Spikes

25 votes

S Lyle West

9 votes

Somebody Chris forgot

21 votes

536 votes | Poll has closed

Chiefs' Pollard: 'This is going to be a different defense'

Joel Thorman — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:08:31 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

7 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Quinten Lawrence, right, catches a pass while covered by cornerback Jackie Bates (22) during rookie camp at the team's football practice facility in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, May 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Over at the mothership, Jonathan Rand has a nice article on the Kansas City Chiefs secondary. Continuity (Thanks, Herm) is the key word here as the secondary has been lining up in OTAs the same as they were when they ended 2008.

The two Brandons, Flowers and Carr, are manning the corners while Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page are the safeties. Here's how the rest of the roster shakes out by round drafted:

1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	UDFA
	Colclough	Morgan	Daniels	Carr		Page	Bates
	Flowers		Washington				Leggett
	Pollard						Fryar
	McGraw						Price

Rand uses the old line, "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it" when it comes to the secondary. Rarely does a unit, like the Chiefs secondary, get to grow up together in the NFL.

Bernard Pollard said he is ready to learn one defense together for consecutive years.

For three years we were always playing a cover two defense and a couple of other things and we never got really good at one thing."

Herm Edwards' cover two defense was usually described as a bend but don't break coverage. Don't get beat deep and funnel everything to the middle so players like Pollard can make them pay.

Guys are excited. Our coach is setting us up to make plays – we’re not just sitting back and waiting. This is going to be a different defense. It’s going to be fun.

If (big if) the new 3-4 alignment can create pressure at the point of attack then it will open up even more holes for an already precocious secondary. The Chiefs finished the season with 13 interceptions. Page was the team leader with four.

What's amazing about the secondary last season is that they played well considering all the pressure that was on them. Four of the five leading tacklers were from the secondary, which was expected when you have the 3rd worst rush defense in the NFL.

The way it appears now, the starting secondary will be unchanged from 2008. But if Donald Washington turns out to live up to his perceived potential, the Chiefs could be facing a good problem - finding a way to get all the talent on the field.

Saints 30 @ Chiefs 20: Breaking it Down - The Second Half

Saintsational — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:00:06 -0000

3rd Quarter

Chiefs get the ball to start the half. They don't get anywhere on their first two downs. On third down Thigpen throws for Mark Bradley but, get this, Jason David dives in, gets his hand on the pass and breaks up the play beautifully. No, I'm not kidding. Chiefs punt.
14:05 Remaining - Brees throws incomplete to a wide open Colston on a short route. This one looks like Drew's fault as the pass was behind Marques.
14:01 Remaining - Lance Moore runs straight up the right side, makes a beautiful leaping grab like a gazelle and runs the rest of the way for the touchdown. It's Ricardo Colclough on the coverage again and it looks like he bites on the Brees pump fake. Sucker. 20-10 Saints. The rest of the country is still wondering who this Lance Moore fella is.
13:44 Remaining - Thigpen completes to Mark Bradley. Jason David wraps him up then basically swings Bradley around 360 degrees and slingshots him downfield. Uhhh...whose team are you on JD? Bradley is forced out of bounds. Gain of 11 yards.
11:55 Remaining - 3rd and 1 from the KC 45. Chiefs only need a yard but they decide to pick up 34 instead on a Bradley reception. I can't stand this! It's always on 3rd down! This time it's Jason David on the coverage. The ball is luckily underthrown and Bradley must come back to get it. Had it been on target and hit him in stride it's probably a score.
Someone please shut Brian Billick up about the Pistol Offense.
10:40 Remaining - 2nd and 1. Randall Gay has good coverage on Dwayne Bowe and prevents a big reception. Nice work.
10:35 Remaining - Now it's 3rd and 1 again. Randall Gay again has good coverage on Bowe but this time Bowe is the victor. 7 yard catch. First down. Ugh.
9:27 Remaining - 1st and 10. Larry Johnson takes the direct snap in the Wildcat formation and picks up 13 yards.
The Chiefs have 1st and 10 from the Saints 3 yard line but the Saints defense does yet another amazing job stuffing the Chiefs three times in a row and forces Kansas City to settle for just a field goal. On third down Thigpen lobs up another jump ball for Bowe. That play is getting tired.
4:21 Remaining - Pierre Thomas breaks off a nice run right up the middle for 16 yards.
3:42 Remaining - Brees wings it right into Shockey's hands at about the 3 yard line but Shockey just can't come up with it. Should have been a sure catch. The Brees/Shockey saga continues.
3:36 Remaining - Shockey can't close the deal so Pierre has to clean up the mess. Brees dumps it off to Thomas and Pierre does the rest of the work, gaining 21 yards total on the catch. Thomas runs it 1 yard into the end zone for the score on the very next play. 27-13 Saints.
0:38 Remaining - Dwayne Bowe makes a short reception over the middle. It takes Gay, Vilma and more to take Bowe down. He is that big. Insane. Saints DB's were having a tough time all day trying to take down KC's big receivers.

The Saints have held the Chiefs to 4th down at the end of the 3rd quarter. Will they make it? Find out after the jump!

4th Quarter

It's 4th and three so of course not only do the Chiefs get the 3 yards needed to pick up the first down but the Saints defense allows them 35 total yards thanks to a Thigpen scramble. Did you expect something different? Usama Young gets called for a horse collar tackle.
13:59 Remaining - 2nd and Goal. Guess what play the Chiefs dial up to get the touchdown. Here's a hint: it involves Dwayne Bowe, Usama Young, a jump ball and the back of the end zone. Bowe slaps his own face on his end zone poster. 27-20 Saints.
13:50 Remaining - Colston straight up bobbles and drops a short, easy pass.
13:05 Remaining - Brees throws to Shockey but the pass is a little high and behind. Shockey is able to get his hands on it and might have been able to make the catch. Either way, what the hell is going on!?!?
12:55 Remaining - Pakulak kicks a booming 49 yard punt. Good time to get a good punt.
12:34 Remaining - 3rd and 10. Here we go again. Jamaal Charles runs up the left side for 11 yards. What else? C'mon guys!! These third and longs are killing me! And the Saints defense took a timeout before the play just to be better prepared.
11:32 Remaining - Jeff Charleston gets another sack, this one for a 7 yard loss.
Kansas City recovers from the sack and continues to move the ball. The Saints hold them to 3rd and 2. Thigpen throws to a wide open Mark Bradley for the first - coverage courtesy of Jason David - but Bradley just flat out drops it. HUGE break! These are the lucky bounces the Saints are gonna need to win out the rest of the season. Chiefs decide to punt.
When the Saints get the ball back they do what they do best and start marching down the field and keeping the chains moving. Pierre does a good job picking up chunks of yards and eating up clock. Good blocking by the line as well, particularly Jammal Brown on a 9-yard Thomas run. I am proud of Payton for sticking with a sucessful running game deep into the game. It's easier when you're ahead.
5:51 Remaining - Brees throws a pass to Mark Campbell who catches it for a gain of five. Announcer:"...he is still down." Somewhere, stujo4 is smiling. Seriously though it looked nasty.
5:14 Remaining - Shockey catches a pass for 11 yards. It is his 400th career reception. Two plays later Brees goes to Shockey again for 6 yards. Good to see they are still trying. Also of note, Brees had all day to make his throws the entire game. Absolutely no pressure from the Chiefs.
3:32 Remaining - The first real semi-test for Garrett Hartley. He splits the uprights with a 35-yard field goal to put the Saints up by two scores. Sweetness.
3:19 Remaining - First down for the Chiefs. Sedrick Ellis and Will Smith do a good job getting penetration and force Thigpen to scramble in the pocket. Bobby McCray is there to meet him and gets his fourth sack of the season. Loss of 7 yards.
2:18 Remaining - 4th and 10 and the Chiefs have to go for it. Thigpen rolls left and throws it down the sideline. Looks like it is just underthrown as Usama Young makes the easy interception and locks it up. Game over.

Saints 30 @ Chiefs 20: Breaking it Down - The First Half

Saintsational — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:07 -0000

1st quarter

The Saints start the game with the ball and go three and out.
12:49 Remaining - Payton challenges a catch made by Brad Cottam and - surprise, surprise - loses it. Another timeout wasted early.
12:05 Remaining - Thigpen tries for Gonazalez but amazingly, he is double covered. Holy crap! Incomplete. On the following play Thigpen then tries for Will Franklin down the left sideline but Gay is right there to make a beautiful deflection. Wait a minute. What the hell is going on? What happened to our secondary? Did someone replace them? This is crazy. A guy could get used to this. Chiefs punt.
11:13 Remaining - Stecker catches a pass for 12 yards and limps off the field. I'm not sure he ever returns. The next play Drew throws an interception intended for Devery Henderson who slips on the wet field and can't run the proper route. Wembley all over again. Announcer Brian Billick thinks Jarrad Page would have intercepted it anyway. I used to like Billick.
8:08 Remaining - 4th and one for the Chiefs. Out of the Wildcat offense Larry Johnson gets the direct snap, takes it up the middle and gets the first down. Didn't they know what play was coming?
5:36 Remaining - 2nd and Goal. Dwayne Bowe grabs the jump ball in the endzone for the first score of the game. Usama is tight on the coverage but he does not jump when Bowe jumps. In fact, he doesn't jump at all. He does attempt a swipe at the ball as Bowe heads to the ground. And to also give credit, Bowe continued to hold on to the ball with one hand as he we falling. Make of this defensive play what you will.
After the extra point, Courtney Roby returns the kickoff nicely for 54 yards. One of these days he's gonna take one of those back. Oooh, maybe it will be Monday. Lance Moore makes a nice initial blog to spring him.
The Saints start clicking on offense. Pierre is getting some touches and making some nice gains.
3:15 Remaining - 3rd and 1. Pierre gets the ball in an attempt to pick up just one yard. He runs right up the middle into a huge pile. At first glance it looks like he is stuffed for no gain or a loss but after a couple of seconds he miraculously comes shooting out the other end of the pile for a gain of seven. Watch this one again, it's crazy. I don't know how the hell he got through! Must have just been the angle. Oh wait they're showing the replay from the end zone camera...nope, still don't know how he did it.
2:33 Remaining - Matt Lehr botches a snap. I didn't remember this and erroneously referenced no botched snaps in the "Making the Grade" post. Drop that offensive line grade from a B to a C+.
0:31 Remaining - Hartley makes his third straight field goal. Barely.
The Chiefs get the ball back but the Saints play some pretty good defense. Randall Gay has good coverage on Dwayne Bowe and gets his hand out enough to distract Bowe just a bit.
0:10 Remaining - 3rd and 10 for the Chiefs. Shanle comes in untouched from the left side and gets his arms wrapped around Thigpen who squirms his way out. Will Smith cleans it up and gets the credit for the sack. Chiefs punt and the Saints start the second quarter with the ball.

The second quarter can be found after the jump.

2nd Quarter

14:52 Remaining - Saints decide to take a shot deep down field. McAllister and Brees flick their flea and Brees throws deep to Colston at the 5 yard line. Marques leaps over Legget to make the catch as the ball hits Colston right inside his arms and bounces away. I really think the old Colston would have caught that. Brian Billick mentions that the sun might have played a factor.
A healthy mix of Deuce and Pierre allow the Saints to move well down the field. Pierre had a big catch and run for 24 yards thanks to a missed assignment by a Chief. Deuce caps it off by leaping over the pile and into the end zone for his record tying score.
Garrett Hartley makes a nice kickoff and puts it through the back of the end zone. Certainly the wind played a factor, no?
11:23 Remaining - On a Tony Gonzalez reception, Jason David's attempt to tackle the much larger tight end is laughable. Gay comes in for support.
8:45 Remaining - Larry Johnson makes Jeff Charleston look like a beast by missing his blocking assignment. Because of that, Charleston is able to come in untouched on Thigpen's blind side and make the sack for a loss of 9.
7:32 Remaining - 3rd and 14. This play is typical Saints and it's what drives me mad! After doing a great job on the sack and holding KC to third down the Saints defense gives up a big pass for 42 yards by Will Franklin. ARGH!! Here's how I see it: Dwayne Bowe is covered by Usama at the line but cuts across the field and is wide open. It looks like Young passes him off to someone else, a linebacker maybe? Kaesviharn leaves his spot and comes in for support. Instead, Thigpen throws it deep to Kaesviharn's original spot (where he is not anymore) and Franklin slides in across the field to make the catch. Roman Harper is left to defend himself. Interestingly, Vilma is the next closest player.
5:33 Remaining - Thigpen tosses it five yards to Gonzalez at about the 1-yard line. He pushes and shoves but just...can't...get...across...the...goaline. This proves crucial because the Saints do a great job on the next three plays and shut down the Chiefs attempts for a touchdown including another jump ball situation in the end zone between Dwayne Bowe and Randall Gay. Bowe doesn't time this one as well but Gay does a nice job batting the ball away after Bowe bobbles it. Chiefs settle for a field goal. Bend but don't break.
1:50 Remaining - 3rd and 8. Lance Moore is wide open for the easy 17 yard catch that keeps the drive alive. Ricardo Colclough was the defender on Moore but he falls and leaves Moore wide open. Kharma's a bitch.
The Saints offense does a great job on this final drive. They moved the ball consistently for 62 yards and used up every last second of the half. Pierre and Lance made big contributions. Colston and Shockey also make catches. However, the drive stalls and the Saints have to settle for a field goal and the lead. Hartley, of course, nails it. 13-10 at the half.