SB Nation - Reche Caldwell

Can Scott Pioli Fix The Chiefs Receiving Issues?

Matt Conner — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:00:23 -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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There are holes here. Too many for a fan to really be able to stand, but then again, you have to be realistic after going 2-14. After all, when a friend hits rock bottom, you're just happy for him to stay sober for a night, right? So as we move forward here in Chiefland, we're frustrated but happy to see signs of life. Rookie and veteran playmakers making their first appearances in K.C. give us signs of life on the defensive side. QB depth being a plus is a wonderful move. And, of course, snagging a guy who won NFL Executive of the Year from various publications in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007 is the best move of any NFL team this off-season.

But much has been made of the weakness that used to be a strength - perhaps our only real strength. Our receiving corps is subpar, to put it lightly. Dwayne Bowe has emerged as a solid-to-brilliant playmaker depending on the drive, but that was in the shadow of the greatest TE in the game. We might be glad for that 2nd rounder a year from now, but for now we have a new scheme, new coach and new QB intended for a high octane offense... with no true skill position players to make it happen.

Thus we turn to the man who built New England into the best team of the last decade to come through in the Midwest and turn up or acquire skill players like he did for the Pats. Right? I mean, one team had the cajones to grab Randy Moss while the getting was good. One team saw the diamond in the rough on the Dolphins roster and signed Wes Welker to that restricted free agent deal when the Fins were high on Ted Ginn's possibilities. One team made the perennial disappointment of Jabar Gaffney into a legitimate receiving threat who could run crisp routes and provide a solid option for Tom Brady when no one else was open. And lets not forget the great hands of Kevin Faulk out of the backfield or Ben Watson at the tight end position.

But a closer look reveal some moves that seem rather Sylvester Morris-esque. Or was that Snoop Minnis? High draft picks during the Pioli regime include a second rounder wasted on a guy named Chad Jackson - a burner out of Florida that fell for a reason. Remember Bethel Johnson from Texas A&M? Another second rounder there. Then there was the multi-year FA deal for Kelley Washington and failed experiments with Doug Gabriel and Reche Caldwell.

Of course, I'm leaving out Pioli's greatest strokes in the draft concerning wideouts - the wonderful draft class of 2002 that netted both Deion Branch and David Givens late in the draft. As difficult as the position is to properly gauge, grabbing two starting wideouts like this is certainly impressive.

So it simply remains to be seen what our WR corps will look like once the regular season rolls around. Perhaps we strike quickly with a trade no one sees coming (like the ones listed above and the one already executed for Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel). Or perhaps some of the young guys on our roster display some Givens-like skills like we hope for (crossing my fingers for Quinten Lawrence). But while Pioli seems to strike it rich in the draft on linemen on both sides of the ball, he's apparently as susceptible to the quandary of the WR position as anyone else working in a front office. And that's not only going to be frustrating for a coach built to move the ball through the air but a fan base who just watched their best player walk out of the door.

NFL Draft 2009 Review: WR Percy Harvin

Skeller — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Gonzalez - AP

Minnesota Vikings' first-round draft pick Percy Harvin speaks to the media on Sunday, April 26, 2009, at a news conference in Eden Prairie, Minn. (AP Photo/Star Tribune, Carlos Gonzalez)

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So what do these NFL players all have in common?

- WR Chad Jackson
- WR Taylor Jacobs
- WR Andre Caldwell
- RB Ciatrick Fason
- TE Ben Troupe
- QB Rex Grossman
- WR Jabar Gaffney
- K Jeff Chandler
- WR Reche Caldwell
- QB Jesse Palmer

If you answered "They're all guys I'm never drafting on my fantasy team" you're actually close. They are all (not some, all) the fantasy position players drafted in the first four rounds out of the University of Florida since 2000. And also you're never drafting them on your fantasy team.

It's not a smart fantasy move to discount every player out of a certain school just because of past history, but everybody who follows college football realizes that some programs are hyped and some are not. Florida is one of those schools that are hyped a lot. While their college success may justify the hype, the NFL production of their alumni does not. Percy Harvin went from "a mid-level RB" to "Not good enough to play RB in the NFL so he'll play WR" to "Percy Harvin will be very good NFL WR" to "Percy Harvin is the ultimate weapon!" to first-round NFL draft pick over the course of four months. I'm not sure how that happened. You should think about how that happened before you draft him too.

Harvin is small and fast and has great hands in a Maurice Jones-Drew / Brian Westbrook sort of way. The problem is that the Vikings aren't going to give Harvin the number of carries that Jones-Drew and Westbrook get (the Vikes have a pretty good RB already) so that reduces Harvin's fantasy value quite a bit.

He's too small to catch the ball over the middle. He may be the deep receiver the Vikings have lacked, but he only had two games with 4+ catches last year at Florida. I don't see exactly how Minnesota is going to integrate him into the offense. Have him return kicks? Run eight reverses every game? How many times can they direct-snap to him?

I'm not criticizing Harvin's ability, he seems to be quite the athlete. With the QB situation in Minnesota being iffy, the WR1 slot being iffy and the offense revolving around Adrian Peterson, I simply don't see how he provides enough fantasy value for your team. He's worth a shot, but don't count on him as anything more than a risky flier.

Injury updates; Anthony Collins; Chad, T.J. and Andre

Kirkendall — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:38:40 -0000

Even though Marvin Lewis said that Carson Palmer has a slight chance, he's likely out against Baltimore, which prompts the reoccurring question, "what's the point?"

Robert Geathers and David Jones left Pittsburgh with hyperextended knees while Frostee Rucker suffered a hamstring injury.

Anthony Collins had six offensive snaps before Thursday night's game. Note: I think he's a keeper. Jayhawk fans take notice.

The offensive line came through, writes C. Trent -- I'd argue that not opening running lanes doesn't constitute as "coming through." However, because of the much improved performance by the line's pass protection, aided by quick drops, the Steelers picked up their first sack with 1:11 left in the first half -- it was their only sack.

The Bengals "'B' team made it entertaining for a couple of hours".

Save for Big Ben, most Steelers think that Crocker's hit deserves a fine. Whatever.

"We know we're not going to bully our way out of Cincinnati. It's going to be Mike Brown's way or no way at all. It's going to be up to Mike Brown. He's going to decide whether or not Chad's going to be with the team in the future and we're going to basically take a low-key approach to that."
- Drew "Oil Slick" Rosenhaus

Houshmandzadeh won't make the Pro Bowl because of the team he's on.

Chad Johnson not showing up isn't one of the reasons they lost Thursday. Chad Johnson not showing up is one of the reasons the Bengals have nine losses this season.

Andre Caldwell is the younger brother of Reche Caldwell.

Solomon Wilcox with Marvin Lewis after the game.

Predicting the Rams practice squad

VanRam — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:52:18 -0000

I'm trying to come up with a Governor's Cup joke here. Every time I get a sentence down though, it erase it, too hackneyed. Let's face it, the Governor's Cup, with most of the starters on the bench, isn't the most exciting football you'll see all season. Might be better than some of those Rams games last season though. For the 20+ guys looking to survive the final roster cut, it is a big game, a last audition.

The Post-Dispatch has a pretty comprehensive look at the final roster as it stands. To kick off the morning, I thought we'd take a stab at predicting the 8-man practice squad. Before I jump in, some housekeeping. I swapped QnA with SBN's Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride, and will have those up later. Don't forget to check out 3k's preview.

Now, the practice squad.

Roy Schuening, G - Reading about this guy after the draft, I fully expected him to cement a backup role for himself in camp. By all accounts he came to the league as force on the o-line. He could still, and after last season's experience with the o-line, you can bet they'll keep another OL on the practice squad. Probably means Dustin Fry's days as a Rams are numbered.

Marques Hagans, WR - This is a position that will get plenty of attention in tonight's game. Hagans and the others battling for an outside chance at the 53-man roster will get plenty of passes thrown their way as well as return opportunities. Hagans has been the best receiver of these fringe guys, but Derek Stanley has an advantage in the return game. Brandon Williams might be a better kick returner, so he has a decent shot at the practice squad too. Reche Caldwell might make it because of his experience, but he could probably find work complementing the depth on another team. This is the toughest spot by far to round out the bottom of the depth chart. The Rams kept two WRs on the practice squad to start the season last year, Stanley and Dominque Thompson, and it certainly looks like they'll do that again.

Lance Ball, RB - Ball will get a lot of carries tonight, passes too. The Maryland undrafted rookie has really impressed, and had the Steven Jackson holdout dragged into the regular season, there's no question he'd be on the team. He will make the practice squad.

Bruce Gradkowski, QB - Last season, when the Rams went with just 2 QBs on their active roster, they had to keep Berlin on the practice squad. Good thing they did too because they needed him. It's possible they'll keep Gradkowski this year, with Berlin favored to retain his old job at #3. However, it's not as likely.

Eric Bassey, S - This is a tough one too because the Rams have some nagging injuries to key starters. If Jerome Carter can play tonight and doesn't completely suck, they'll almost have to keep the 4th year vet to round out depth at safety by making him the fourth. I'm assuming they'll keep 4 safeties and 5 corners. Vinnett has special teams value. I wonder if they'll keep Macklin, a vet, and put Vinnett on the practice squad?

David Vobora, LB - This depends on whether or not the Rams keep 6 or 7 LBs. If they keep 7, he's on the 53-man, contributing on ST. That scenario likely puts Marc Magro on the practice squad.

C. J. Ah You, DE - I suspect they'll keep a DL on the practice squad, and Ah You is the best of the fringe guys at that position. That leaves them a little short at DT, potentially, with just Glover, Carriker and Ryan as the only full time DTs. Of course, DTs Willie Williams and Henry Smith have as many tackles through the preseason as Adam Carriker, so they'll be working hard to make an impression tonight.

That's my educated guesses at the practice squad. We'll have definitive answers this weekend. Stay tuned.