SB Nation - Brad Cottam

Chiefs Send Brad Cottam to IR

Joel Thorman — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:43:18 -0000

Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star reports that the Kansas City Chiefs have placed second year tight end Brad Cottam on injured reserve, ending his season.

Babb reports that medical tests revealed a cracked cervical vertebra. That's the bad news.

The good news is that there is no spinal cord damage and he still has full movement in all of his extremities.

Whew. I know his season is done - and that sucks for everyone - but I'm glad it doesn't appear his long-term health will be jeopardized.

I can say that Cottam moved just fine last weekend catching four balls for a career high 62 yards. He had a nasty-looking spill in the second half where he appeared to land on his neck. He got up fine and moved around without limitations. After the game he said of the hit, "It is just a little sore but I got back in there and was able to play. I don’t think it’ll be a big deal.”

With this roster move, the Chiefs now have one open spot on the 53 man roster. Expect that to be filled before tomorrow's practice.

Who Should the Kansas City Chiefs Cut, Re-sign, and Keep for 2010?

Jon Yoon — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:00:17 -0000

by Charlie Riedel - AP

View full size photo »

It's hard not to let my frustrations get the best of me when writing about this year's lowly Chiefs. Rather than vent and curse and scream, I'm going to instead focus my frustrations on a few specific players who I believe are bringing the team down. Some have played their way off the roster and probably out of the NFL; others have played their way out of a starting job; still others have been monumental disappointments.

Let's look at this position by position, starting with the offense.

Quarterback: I've been very patient with Matt Cassel. I understand the situation he's in--his supporting cast isn't great, his receivers are dropping easy passes, and his offensive line has been shaky and inconsistent in pass protection. I get all those things.

That being said, there are a few things that scare me about Cassel. Despite improved protection over the past few games, he is still inconsistent with his downfield throws. In many cases, he's not hitting his receivers in stride and he's making far too many goofy mistakes for a player of his experience level. The excuses are over. His pass protection has gotten better and he is now surrounded by a decent running game. Yet, we're not seeing much improvement from him. All that Cassel has done this season is prove that he's a lousy quarterback for three quarters, but a pretty decent one in the fourth quarter (assuming the Chiefs are still in the game).

I'm not saying Cassel has played his way out of the job, but he certainly hasn't done anything to justify keeping it or securing his place as the QB of the Future. It would be reckless for the Chiefs to enter this offseason without bringing in another strong option at QB. Worst case, Cassel ends up playing really well and the Chiefs can trade their backup away. If the Chiefs don't bring in a strong young option now, it could set the franchise back two or more years.

Because if there is any QB who can push Cassel for a starting job, he's not currently on the roster--Brodie Croyle is too injury prone and Matt Gutierrez is as big of a longshot as you'll find in the NFL. Cassel's poor performance this season has led me to question whether Pioli's loyalties might be clouding his judgment. I like Cassel. I like his work ethic and I want him to succeed, but if he becomes the indisputable starter going into 2010 with no competition, it will really compromise Pioli's no-nonsense, high accountability environment he's building toward. If Pioli is gung-ho about sticking with Cassel next season without bringing in a competitive option, he better be right, or else it could be a decision that haunts him for the rest of his career.

Stays: Matt Cassel (#1 QB), Brodie Croyle (#3 QB)
Bring in: Strong competing #2 QB Option
Dump: Matt Gutierrez

Running back: The good news is that Jamaal Charles is a legit primary back. He's done an incredible job of doing a lot with very little help up front. The play that sticks out in my mind was the toss sweep against the Broncos where he almost made it out to the edge, but couldn't make it there. From what I recall, the guy that got in his way was weakly blocked by Mike Cox. I remember thinking to myself: "Man, if that was Tony Richardson a few years ago, that guy would have been leveled!"

With better blocking up front, Charles has the potential to be a very good "lightning back" who can take on about 15-20 carries a game. He needs to be more careful with the football, but hopefully he can do that with some better awareness and maybe a little bit of strength training. The problem is, Charles is not a primary back in the way LJ was. He shouldn't be a workhorse back nor should he be an all-purpose back. We saw that on Sunday. The Chiefs seemed scared to pound the rock on the goal line. It's because they don't have a "thunder" back to bulldoze forward on short yardage situations. The Chiefs need one of those backs--a big bowling ball that wears out defenses and can muscle a few tough yards on short yardage situations. It would provide more balance to their running game and create a great change of pace for Charles' shifty running style.

Kolby Smith has had a nice little career for the Chiefs, but I wonder if he'll ever play a full season ever again. Outside of Charles and Smith, the options at halfback are not good. Almost everyone in this spot is expendable. However, it's possible the Chiefs keep one of them on the roster, simply because they just have too many needs to fill. At fullback, Mike Cox has effectively played himself off the roster. He doesn't block well, he doesn't run well, and he's been invisible in the passing game. What is it you'd say... he does here? There isn't a shred of a doubt that he will be out of a job in 2010. The Chiefs must bring in a legit Fullback. Must, must, must. And it's not like it's that hard. You can get a top-notch Fullback in the late rounds of the draft.

Keep: Jamaal Charles (#1 HB)
Dump: Mike Cox, Kolby Smith, Tim Castille, Javarris Williams
Possibly retain: Dantrell Savage
Bring in: "Thunder" back. Fullback. Both can be found late in the draft. A "thunder" back might be found on another team's scrap pile

Wide Receiver:

Boy oh boy. You would think that a team coached by a Wide Receivers coach would have receivers that were better at catching the football. You would think that players like Mark Bradley and Bobby Wade, who are hanging on to their roster spot by a very thin thread, would be trying just a little bit harder to compete for their jobs.

Dwayne Bowe is a given, though based on the way he's played this season, I'm not convinced he's a legitimate #1 receiver. Chris Chambers has probably earned his spot on the 2010 roster, although we should prepare for a potential sophomore slump as he had in San Diego. If the Chiefs can find a younger receiver with #1 playmaking capability, they need to break the bank and bring him in (which might mean cutting ties with Chambers). I don't think that will happen, so for now, Chambers is a solid stopgap option. Apart from that, no receiver has played well enough to justify keeping their job.

Bobby Wade, on the whole, has not been terrible. He played like he didn't care to be there against the Broncos, but in most games, he's been a relatively solid slot option. I can't see a situation where Mark Bradley is on this team next season. He has dropped way too many passes in key situations. Lance Long, as it turns out, is not Wes Welker. He's not Ricky Proehl. He's just a guy---pretty good at getting open, but wildly inconsistent at making the catch.

Keep: Dwayne Bowe
Likely keep: Chris Chambers
Bring in: Either a #1 receiver to replace Chambers, or a strong rookie prospect to be groomed to replace Chambers
Very on the bubble: Bobby Wade, Lance Long
Dump: Mark Bradley

Tight End:

Based on the way Haley likes to use Tight Ends, I tend to think he wants a multi-dimensional tight end moreso than a one-dimensional one. He may not want a Tight End who is only stellar at receiving. I don't think he'd mind having a Tight End who was primarily a blocker. Ideally, though, I think he would like a Tight End who was equally good at both.

Leonard Pope has been the sole bright spot at the position and that's not even saying much. Pope's role should really be more situational--a great backup, but not someone I'd like to see as an every-down starter. Sean Ryan does not belong on this roster. I have no idea why he's been here this long in the first place. He can't catch. He's a horrendous blocker. What exactly is his value to the offense? Brad Cottam isn't much better. You can't tell me there aren't better options on the street than these guys.

Keep: Leonard Pope (#2 TE)
Dump: Sean Ryan and Brad Cottam
Bring in: Anyone who isn't named Sean Ryan or Brad Cottam.

Chiefs Inactives: WR Bobby Wade, FS Jon McGraw

Joel Thorman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:43:37 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

2 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Bobby Wade turns to escape Washington Redskins cornerback Justin Tryon during the third quarter of an NFL football game , Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Browse more photos »

As expected, Chiefs free safety Jon McGraw is not active. He's been suffering from an injury and is expected to be replaced by SS DaJuan Morgan.

The surprise here is the deactivation of WR Bobby Wade. I considered him possibly the second best receiver on the team. Well, that's before Chris Chambers came on board.

It's possible Wade is the victim of Chambers addition. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

WR Lance Long is active and probably beats out Wade because he plays special teams. He's definitely a "Haley guy."

Here are the rest of the inactives, courtesy of Josh Looney at KCChiefs.com.

QB Matt Gutierrez (3rd)
CB Donald Washington
S Jon McGraw
G/T Ikechuku Ndukwe
WR Bobby Wade
TE Jake O’Connell
TE Brad Cottam
LB Pierre Walters

Notable inactive from the Jaguars: Former Chiefs T Jordan Black.

Dang.

Chiefs Make Changes at Right Tackle, Nose Tackle

Joel Thorman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:56:29 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Ron Edwards has been named the No. 1 nose tackle ahead of Tank Tyler. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Browse more photos »

The Kansas City Chiefs have a new starter at right tackle: Ryan O'Callaghan.

Acquired off waivers on September 6th, O'Callaghan came from the New England Patriots, formerly the home of GM Scott Pioli. O'Callaghan's rise to starter is no surprise - I think that was the plan eventually. But what did surprise me is how quickly it came. Previous starter Ikechuku Ndukwe, acquired prior to the start of the season as well, has been relegated to second team duty.

There's also a new starter at nose tackle: Ron Edwards

Tank Tyler has been the No. 1 nose tackle since the beginning of the season and started the first two games. Edwards got the starting nod against the Eagles on Sunday.

Other changes include:

Jake O'Connell moves ahead of Brad Cottam as the No. 2 tight end

Jamaal Charles moves ahead of Dantrell Savage as the No. 2 running back

H/T GenericBrand and DThomasReigns in the FanShots for the link

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

3 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)

Browse more photos »

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.

Jamaal Charles Inactive for the Chiefs

Joel Thorman — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:43:12 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles is inactive against the Raiders. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Browse more photos »

Ah, the mysteries around the new Kansas City Chiefs.

Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star reports Matt Cassel and Brandon Flowers will be active against the Oakland Raiders today.

Jamaal Charles is not, however.

OK, what happened?

We're assuming this means that there's been some sort of injury. However, Charles was not listed on any of the league mandated injury reports (Wednesday through Friday). Cassel and Flowers were both listed as limited participants in practice.

So, if it's injury related, then we have to assume the injury occurred sometime after the injury reports were distributed at 5:00 PM on Friday.

For the second week in a row, the Chiefs have a surprise scratch from the lineup. It will be interesting to see what, if any explanation there is on Charles and Cottam.

Update 10:47 AM: Here are the rest of the inactives:

Tyler Thigpen - 3rd QB
WR Terrance Copper
QB Matt Gutierrez
CB Ricardo Coclough
RB Jamaal Charles
C/G Andy Alleman
TE Brad Cottam
LB Pierre Walters

The Chiefs can only have 45 on the active roster so eight of the 53 are inactive.

Chris will be posting the open thread around 11:00 AM (CST).

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)

Browse more photos »

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.

No Changes to Chiefs Unofficial Depth Chart for Seahawks Game

Joel Thorman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:12:12 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Jed Collins: Still your #2 fullback. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

Browse more photos »

The Kansas City Chiefs released earlier today the unofficial depth chart for this weekend's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

(Edit: Funny story, actually. For a short time this morning, the Chiefs accidentally put out the press release from a Chiefs/Seahawks game in 2005. It was quickly replaced but looking at the offensive line depth chart - Roaf, Waters, Wiegmann and Shields - wasn't such a bad thing.)

No changes were made but there will be two, however, by the next depth chart. The arrival of Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe mean they'll be added somewhere on the list below.

RG: Mike Goff, Tavares Washington, Colin Brown
C: Rudy Niswanger, Eric Ghiaciuc
LG: Brian Waters, Wade Smith, Daryl Harris

I'm thinking Washington and Brown can fairly easily be jumped. Washington has spent a significant portion of camp in 'No Man's Land' while Brown is just a rookie.

I'll need to wait for a few camp reports before I can decide how the center position might be affected.

Waters, of course, is sticking with the one's but like Washington, Smith has spent some time injured so I can't imagine his spot is secure.

I've got a few more notes on the depth chart after the jump.

Dwayne Bowe on the third team - He's still listed with the third team even though he's clearly been the best receiver on the field in both games. I wouldn't read anything into this - definitely a motivational tool at this point.

Sean Ryan is still ahead of Brad Cottam - We still have no idea where we stand on tight ends. I'm not sure whether to make anything of this.

Damion McIntosh ahead of Barry Richardson - Richardson played with the first team last week and even started Friday's game against the Vikings. He didn't play great, according to more than a few folks, so McIntosh replaced him at the start of the second quarter.

Alfonso Boone ahead of Tyson Jackson - TJ participated with the first team today. He will (hopefully) see a lot more action in game three.

You can view the entire depth chart here.

Chiefs TE Watch: Ryan Passes Cottam in Latest Unofficial Depth Chart

Joel Thorman — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:22:07 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

4 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Brad Cottam (87) and tight end Jake O'Connell (45) celebrate a touchdown during the second half of their NFL preseason football game against the Houston Texans in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Browse more photos »

There are a few changes with the newly released unofficial depth chart. The NFL mandates a depth chart report which is the only reason the Chiefs would provide it (thus the "unofficial" designation).

Here is the page where you can download a PDF of the upcoming game preview (depth chart is on page 16.

Here are the three changes made:

Wide Receiver

A necessary change. Ashley Lelie has replaced Jeff Webb as the #5 receiver.

Tight End

Sean Ryan takes the #1 spot from Brad Cottam. Jake O'Connell and Tom Crabtree round it out again.

Long snapper

The Chiefs released Tanner Purdum last week. Thomas Gafford takes his spot.

WR and LS were necessary moves because of lost personnel.

Cottam had one reception for one yard and one touchdown. Ryan didn't catch any passes including a third down drop near the sidelines in Saturday's loss to the Texans.

Ryan over Cottam...what do you think?

Hoping For These Chiefs-Related Signs of Life

Matt Conner — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:25:27 -0000

Yesterday we posted on what we the Chiefs game should tell us but today, before game time, we air out what we hope the Chiefs-Texans game will begin to reveal. On to the action:

1. Running Game is Set - Larry Johnson can be one of the best backs in the NFL. Jamaal Charles displays Leon Washington-like potential and could become a real gamebreaker on game day. Kolby Smith could provide a more than adequate third down back. Javarris Williams ran like hell in Division 1-AA. It'd be nice in these pre-season games to come away with the feeling that all this pressure isn't necessary.

Think about this. If the running game isn't absolutely set, almost all of the following must happen: Brad Cottam must step up at the tight end position; someone must emerge at the receiver position out of the stuck-in-potential crowd of Terrance Copper, Devard Darling, Jeff Webb, Mark Bradley; veterans like Amani Toomer and Bobby Engram must deliver an unexpectedly productive veteran performance.

Some of these might still come true either way but what if LJ, Charles, Smith and Williams step up in a major way. If the running game is set, the Chiefs could really be a force this season. Think about the success the Vikings have had with a trash can at the quarterback position and a comparable receiving corps. (Of course, it helps to have a killer defense, but the point still stands. Adrian Peterson simply is the offense.)

More hopes after the jump...

2. Old Faces Thrive In New Places - The dream would be to find Tamba Hali finally delivering the pass rush force and Glenn Dorsey blossoming into the force on the d-line we believed he would eventually be when we drafted him. The latter is much more plausible than the former, but both guys have the potential to do just that.

If Dorsey steps up his game and becomes that Sapp-like force on the line, he will elevate the game of everybody around him. Players like that change the entire face of the game with their ability to handle multiple offensive linemen and free up his team mates to make plays on the ball. We don't even need multiple players to step up, but just key guys like Dorsey to realize their potential.

3. Scott Pioli Still Holds His Draft Magic - More than possibly anything else, it'd be wonderful to find Alex Magee and Tyson Jackson are both solid-to-above average starters on the defensive line in their first season in the NFL. It'd be equally as impressive if Ryan Succop can become a great NFL kicker. It'd be fantastic if Donald Washington could capitalize on his athleticism and become a force in the defensive backfield. It'd be a dream if Colin Brown's work in camp at both guard and tackle provided much-needed flexibility and relief on the right side.

4. Matt Cassel's The Real Deal - Preseason won't tell us this at all. We'll really only begin to uncover this when he stares down the Baltimore defense in Week One and makes something happen against perhaps the most intimidating front seven in all of football. But signs of life could be found in the chemistry Cassel begins to develop with Bowe, Cottam, Engram and Toomer. It can be found in the way he carries the huddle and the confidence that could come with a few preseason wins. And really, after last season's performance, there's little reason for this not to come true.

5. No Injuries - This is the bottom line. The ultimate hope is the Chiefs line up exactly the players they want as their 22 starters on opening day, not having to deal with a profound and unfortunate injury to a key performer in the preseason.