SB Nation - Andy Alleman

Chiefs Confirm Kestahn Moore Signing

Joel Thorman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:01:14 -0000

More photos » by Reed Hoffmann - AP

8 days ago: Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley talks to his players during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

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Rookie running back Kestahn Moore cleared medical tests today and officially became a Kansas City Chief. Of course, if you read Arrowhead Pride, you knew about this last night.

(Ed. Note: To be clear, Moore joined the practice squad, not active roster. I wasn't clear on that before. Chiefs still have one open spot on the 53 man roster)

Because of the weather, the Chiefs took practice indoors today.

Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com reports that G Andy Alleman and RB Dantrell Savage participated in practice, although it appears to be on a limited basis. While Alleman was in half pads like the rest of the team, Wade Smith took the first team snaps at RG. Savage was moving around in a boot on his ankle.

Jamaal Charles participated in practice despite at one point coming up gimpy in last Sunday's contest against the Denver Broncos.

The way things stand now, the Chiefs may not be done shuffling the roster.

Ron Edwards is the lone NT on the roster with Kenny Smith's release yesterday. Since it's one of the most physically demanding positions there are a few folks wondering if Todd Haley will promote Derek Lokey from the practice squad. Lokey spent time with the Chiefs in training camp and appears to be the only backup for Edwards.

As Looney points out, Moore's signing puts six running backs on the Chiefs roster including Jamaal Charles, Tim Castille, Dantrell Savage, Mike Cox and Javarris Williams. Moore is the only practice squad member.

Broncos Inactives for Today's Game

John Bena — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:43:06 -0000

Here are the Inactives for today's Broncos/Chiefs game. No surprises here - the Broncos are healthy and ready to go!

QB Tom Brandstater
NT Chris Baker
OL Brandon Gorin
OL Seth Olsen
WR Brandon Lloyd
OLB Jarvis Moss
WR Kenny McKinley
RB LaMont Jordan

Chiefs Inactives include -

WR Mark Bradley
CB Donald Washington
LB Justin Rogers
G Andy Alleman
LB Pierre Walters
TE Jake O'Connell
RB Dantrell Savage
QB Matt Gutierrez (3rd QB)

Chiefs LB Mike Vrabel, Others Return to Practice in Healthy Fashion

Joel Thorman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:55:34 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Chiefs LB Mike Vrabel returned to practice today. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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The Kansas City Chiefs returned to practice today in preparation for Sunday's matchup against the Denver Broncos. The good news? The Chiefs appear to be getting healthier.

The only player in the rehab area of OL Colin Brown, who is on injured reserve.

New Chiefs NT Derek Lokey and OL Jermail Porter were on the field, wearing No. 69 and No. 77.

After missing last weekend's game due to injury, the following players returned to practice (info courtesy Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com and Bob Gretz of BobGretz.com):

LB Mike Vrabel

Vrabel suffered a knee injury against the Oakland Raiders that kept him out of the next two contests. LB Andy Studebaker has done a solid job backing him up.

It should be mentioned that Vrabel attended the early portions of practice last week but was later downgraded and did not play.

Vrabel wore a brace on his left knee during practice today and was practicing with the first team.

RG Andy Alleman

Alleman has had an ankle problem that's kept him out of the last couple of games. OL Wade Smith has been filling in for him.

Alleman's participation is encouraging and his return could be important in case another lineman goes down and the swingman, Smith, needs to be called upon.

Alleman was not working with the first team today, however.

RB Dantrell Savage

In the wake of Savage's injury a couple weeks ago, the Chiefs signed RB/FB Tim Castille. Savage had a key fumble and a dropped pass the last time he stepped on the field, which appeared to draw the ire of Haley.

When/if Savage returns, he'll see a crowded backfield with new starter Jamaal Charles likely looking at the majority of the snaps. Kolby Smith is also ahead of Savage on the depth chart.

Justin Rogers

He was out last game with injury but returned to work today.

Injury Report: Week 12

John (obviousman) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:34:52 -0000

First, some news about the possible blackout. The Chargers have been granted another 24 hours, and now have until 1pm on Saturday, to sell the remaining 1,350 tickets. Considering the Chargers have sold more than 2,000 tickets in the last 24 hours, I think there's now a very good chance of this game not being blacked out in San Diego.

Now, onto the injury report.

Chargers

Doubtful

Luis Castillo, DE (calf)

Questionable

Nick Hardwick, C (ankle). Scott Mruczkowski will start at Center.

Shawne Merriman, OLB (foot)

Probable

Vincent Jackson, WR (ribs)

Travis Johnson, DE (groin)

Shaun Phillips, OLB (ankle)

Mike Scifres, P (groin)

Chiefs

Out

Andy Alleman, C/G (knee)

Justin Rogers, LB (thigh)

Dantrell Savage, RB (ankle)

Questionable

Mike Vrabel, OLB (knee)

David Herron, LB (knee)

Probable

Kolby Smith, RB (ankle)

Three Chiefs Out on Sunday With One Roster Spot Still Open

Joel Thorman — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:13:04 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Chiefs RB Dantrell Savage has been ruled out for Sunday's game. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley has ruled three players as out for Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers.

Mike Vrabel will also be listed as questionable. He did not take part in practice today and multiple reports have said he is expected to miss several more games. If he played, I think it would be a surprise.

The Chiefs operated alright without Savage, Vrabel and Alleman last week so don't expect a whole lot to change there. The Chiefs will likely be infused with some extra help at RB they missed for a half last weekend. Kolby Smith is listed as probable after missing the second half of last Sunday's game with injury.

When the Chiefs activated Lance Long from the practice squad, the first reports didn't come out until Saturday evening. This is a similar situation so expect someone to be promoted from the practice squad.

After the jump, I've listed all the practice squad players. Who do you think gets the nod?

CB Jackie Bates

DT Marlon Favorite

DE Dion Gales

DE Bobby Greenwood

G Daryl Harris

WR Quinten Lawrence

S Ricky Price

RB Javarris Williams

(H/T stagdsp for the first FanShot)

Chiefs S Leggett Missing From Practice Again

Joel Thorman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:07:14 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

2 months ago: Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (2) throws over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Maurice Leggett (31) in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. The Raiders won 13-10. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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Once again, Kansas City Chiefs S Maurice Leggett was once again absence from practice today fueling speculation that his injury is a serious one. He left Sunday's victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers with a shoulder injury and didn't return.

Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com is providing us with a practice update this afternoon.

Those in the rehab area

The other headliner is that LB Mike Vrabel was not participating in the team portions of practice like he was yesterday. Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star suspects Vrabel could be out for several weeks. His participation yesterday was encouraging but apparently there was a setback (or this is precautionary).

RB Dantrell Savage also did not participate today after missing Sunday's game with injury. He was practicing yesterday in a limited capacity.

LB Justin Herron also did not participate. He missed last weekend's game with a thigh injury.

Alleman back, Smith No. 1 for now

G Andy Alleman returned to the practice field for a second consecutive day. He had an injury that prevented him from playing last weekend. Despite his presence on the practice field, Wade Smith was lining up with the No. 1 team at right guard.

No Changes to the Chiefs Depth Chart Against Chargers

Joel Thorman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:17:44 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

about 1 month ago: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) is hit as he passes by San Diego Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips (95) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chargers beat the Chiefs 37-7. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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Maybe he's happy with the way his team played, or maybe it's superstition but Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley didn't change anything on the team depth chart as the preparation for the San Diego Chargers begins.

The only changes came because of injury reasons.

RG Wade Smith is on the first team for the injured Andy Alleman.
OLB Andy Studebaker is the on the first team for the injured Mike Vrabel, who's expected to be out for several weeks.
WR Mark Bradley is on the first team for the suspended Dwayne Bowe.

The kick and punt returners remain the same. Jamaal Charles, as he should be, is the No. 1 kick returner. The defensive unit gave up over 500 yards but there were no shakeups. The receivers will likely stay the same throughout Bowe's suspension.

The Chiefs are starting to get a core group of players playing on a consistent basis. The coaching staff had previously shuffled things around quite a bit but as we get further into the season they seem to be figuring out who they want to keep around.

Father Son Duos Highlight Chiefs and Steelers Connections

Chris Thorman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:48:42 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

"I love Oklahoma Joe's BBQ!" (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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It's that time of the week, wake up, wake up....

Yes, that time of the week for checking out the connections to the opposing team. This week, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chiefs have a solid Pittsburgh pedigree.

Haley, Perles and Colquitt all have dad's that played/coached for the Steelers at some points.

And this week, we have an opposing player who was actually born in KC.

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley attended Upper St. Clair HS in Pittsburgh. His father, Dick Haley, served as Steelers Director of Player Personnel (’71- 90) and played DB (’61-64). He was a RB at the University of Pittsburgh.
KC def. quality control coach Pat Perles attended Upper St. Clair HS. His father, George Perles, coached with Pittsburgh (’72-81).
Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt's father, Crag Colquitt, played seven seasons with Pittsburgh (’78-84), winning Super Bowl XIII and XIV rings.
Chiefs LB Mike Vrabel spent four seasons with Pittsburgh (’97-00).
Pittsburgh off. coord. Bruce Arians coached RBs for KC (’89-92).
Steelers LB Keyaron Fox played four seasons with KC (2004-07).
Kansas City COO Mark Donovan, OL coach Bill Muir and CB Maurice Leggett were all born in Pittsburgh, PA.
Chiefs asst. OL coach Joe D’Alessandris is a native of Aliquippa, PA and coached at the University of Pittsburgh (’96).
Kansas City LB Tamba Hali played collegiately at Penn State.
KC asst. coach Nick Sirianni coached at Indiana (PA) from 2006-08.
Chiefs C/G Andy Alleman played collegiately at Pittsburgh.
PIT OL coach Larry Zierlein coached at Ft. Hayes State (’70-71).
Steelers C Justin Hartwig played at Kansas, while DE Ziggy Hood played at Missouri.
Pittsburgh K Jeff Reed was born in Kansas City, MO.

And with that, I am seriously considering going to bed now. I woke up at 2 AM this morning and for the life of me could not go back to sleep. That has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/12

NJ Chiefs Fan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:55:23 -0000

via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Todd Haley rattled off a bunch of statistical areas where the Chiefs rank quite well among the league’s 32 teams. But he allowed after he was done that "stats are for losers." There’s no doubt the ‘09 Chiefs are losers right now, tied for the worst record in the NFL.

Then there are all those others numbers, losers of 27 of their last 30 and 37 of their last 44.

So many fans and pundits wanted change at Arrowhead and rebuilding. It’s doubtful they remembered just how painful it can be. After eight games, the current Chiefs rebuilding job is the ugliest in franchise history.

Ultimate Rebuilding Pain … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

The Chiefs, tangled in recent weeks in the storm surrounding the suspension and release of running back Larry Johnson, are trying to move past the controversy and find a way to win a game.
That will put things out of kilter Sunday when the 1-7 Chiefs play the 2-6 Raiders in Oakland. The Raiders have had a tumultuous season, even by their standards, but things in Oakland have been relatively peaceful the past couple of weeks.

The Chiefs aren’t strangers to controversy, particularly as it relates to Johnson, but normally that’s an area where they can’t compete with the Raiders. Oakland almost always had a drama or two keeping the Raiders occupied.

Raiders won't gloat over Johnson's departure from the Chiefs from KC Star

Chiefs guard Mike Goff was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, and the shoulder injury that kept him out of Sunday’s starting lineup also will end the veteran’s season.

Kansas City signed Goff during the offseason, after he had played his first 11 seasons with Cincinnati and San Diego. Goff, 33, started the first seven games this season.

Coach Todd Haley said Wednesday that Andy Alleman probably will move into the starting role. Alleman, whom the Chiefs acquired in a trade earlier this season with Miami, started against Jacksonville.

Goff will miss remainder of season from KC Star

The Kansas Chiefs and Oakland Raiders have been making plenty of headlines the past few weeks, but not for any reasons they'd like.

In a matchup of two of the worst teams in the NFL, the Chiefs will take the field Sunday without Larry Johnson, who was released for making inappropriate comments, against a Raiders team dealing with more allegations of coach Tom Cable's history of violent behavior toward women.

Kansas City (1-7) is set to play its first game without Johnson on its roster since 2002 after the two-time Pro Bowl running back was released Monday. He was initially suspended for posting on his Twitter account a gay slur, insulting followers and questioning the competence of coach Todd Haley.

Riders vs. Chiefs from CBS Sports

A ROSE: My congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs Football Club for taking a principled stand on the actions of team members. Mr. Larry Johnson has a substantial record of disregard for the efforts of others and Missourians do not take this lightly.

Roses & Thorns from News-Leader.com

Brought in for his breakaway speed that Oakland hoped would revive the vertical passing game, Heyward-Bey has only five catches for 74 yards and no touchdowns in his first eight games as a pro.

"I haven't made the plays I wanted to make, but I've definitely been solid just looking at my grades that come out of the game. ... I've been very solid. There's always room for improvement as a whole receiving corps. We've been all right. We've been all right."

Oakland's receivers have once again been one of the worst groups in the league, catching just 28 passes the entire first half of the season.

But coach Tom Cable last week singled out Heyward-Bey's performance in the previous two games as one of the highlights of the first half. Heyward-Bey had three catches for 38 yards in those two games, hardly the production expected out of a top 10 pick but better than what he had done in the first six games.

Heyward-Bey remains confident despite struggles from MercuryNews.com

PewterReport.com is issuing a correction about a comment from Charlie Campbell's PI Quick Hits article posted on November 2. After the 2009 NFL Draft the Bucs had some change over in the Bucs scouting department.

In the article it stated that the Bucs "dropped" former scout Dom Green. Since publication of the article, Pewter Report has learned that Green was offered a contract to stay with the Buccaneers, but he chose to take a position with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Correction: Scout Dom Green Chose KC over TB from PewterReport.com

THIS SUNDAY, the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League will honor Native American Heritage Month at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Native American Heritage Month recognizes the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S.

I commend the Raiders organization for honoring the contributions of Native Americans, but I question their choice of opponent — the Kansas City Chiefs.

Is it possible to be any more insensitive in the selection of an opponent for an event that began with, what I view, as good intentions?

Byron Williams: Good to honor Native Americans, but Raiders opponent is an insensitive choice from The Oakland Tribune

Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year created a spoof of The Office to send up their front office operations, now they're bringing again with a riff on 30 Rock.

For the most part, it's spot on, especially in the production values. The moments where it seemed the most strained are when the two guys impersonating Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan are on screen. But given that those are the two most talented performers on 30 Rock, it's a forgivable misstep. That and the KC Wolf character is kind of annoying, but then they have to work in the mascot somehow, I guess.

The video is after the jump, as it's one of those annoying ones that starts automatically when you open the page. A commendable show of humor, especially for a franchise that employs a coach who clearly takes everything way too seriously.
Chiefs Better at TV Spoofs Than Football from The Sporting News

Lance Long. You know, that smurfy slot receiver in his first year from Mississippi State? He’s not a rookie, technically, but Long might as well be.

The 5-foot-11, 186-pound Detroit native has experience in this offense and familiarity with head coach Todd Haley. As you may remember (like it was eons ago or something), Haley called the plays for the Arizona Cardinals‘ high-flying passing attack last year. What you may not have known is Long spent that entire year on Arizona’s practice squad.

Fantasy owners need to start going Long from KFFL.com

No Player Tweets

Media and Fans

Fake_J_Russell: Been real busy this week ... loading up on calories for the game against the #chiefs Lots of burgers and fries. #raiders

Slimlicious99: @superdj56 Come on DJ you gotta get on the field more. Im a Chiefs and a Longhorn. You are my favorite player for sure.

amandarykoff: Let's face it, when the Raiders play the Chiefs, there really are no winners.

SI_JimTrotter: OAK more talented on field, KC is superior in the front office. RT @SportsJunkie854 How long till Raiders or Chiefs make playoffs?

Chiefs' Ndukwe Could Be Seeing Time at Right Guard

Joel Thorman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:45:24 -0000

I can't count how many times I've heard this question in comments on the site and emails to me: 'Why don't the Chiefs try Ndukwe at right guard?'

My answer? 'Uh, I don't know actually...."

(On a side note, if you're asking multiple questions about a backup tackle possibly moving to backup guard then congrats - you've reached full obsession.)

Todd Haley talked about Ikechuku Ndukwe this afternoon and, if you're one of the people that want to him at guard, you'll like this from the head coach.

"That’s probably his best position really," he began. "We tried to force the issue at tackle early but if it came down to it that’s a position he’s really comfortable playing. He’ll have his shot in there. That’s why I feel fairly comfortable with that being the spot."

Haley said it would be "fair" to say Alleman is the starting right guard at this point.

There's been a lot of movement at the position in the last week. Mike Goff went down with an injury last week, which moved Andy Alleman into a starting role, and then Goff was placed on IR today putting Alleman on the first team.

His comments about Ndukwe indicate that he might be the one coming off the bench to spell Alleman or replace him in the unfortunate instance that Alleman's injured. The line's swing man, Wade Smith, will also be in the running to spell Alleman.