Report from Chiefsplanet: Chiefs GM Scott Pioli spent most of the afternoon on the phone with the agent for former Arizona State Tight End Zach Miller. Talks focused on a 4-5 year contract. No numbers were revealed.

New Arrowhead Stadium Tours

Odd to think if Haley hadn't called a timeout to ice the Buffalo kicker that our season might be over right now... but it's not and it's a PLAYOFF RED FRIDAY!

Rookie games played -- Tackles -- Sacks -- FF -- INTs

Troy P: 16 -- 30 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0

Ed Reed: 16 -- 71-- 1-- 0 -- 5

Uric Behrry: 16 -- 92 -- 2 -- 1-- 4

@mortreport Filed to ESPN and as Pat Dooley suggested, Charlie Weis is likely bound for U. of Florida as offensive coordinator

@GlennDorsey72

Although we've made the playoffs, don't think for a second that we've forgotten it's Raider week...

Cassel is for real, and people need to start talking about him."

Cassel has the benefit of playing for the league’s top rushing team, but statistically he’s in very good company. Under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, he appears well on his way to becoming the quarterback everyone thought he eventually would be. And when Mayock dishes out endorsements such as these, it’s a good bet it’s worth paying attention to.

Nice to see Mayock give props to Cassel, I always respect his opinion more than those talking head type guys who just spout off to be controversial.

NFL Investigating Broncos filming violation

ChiefsareBACK @LarryFitzgerald Hey Fitz everyone is looking forward to having you in KC..and not just talking about this weekend!

LarryFitzgerald @ChiefsareBACK haha

Consultant Bill Parcells has packed his bags and moved out of Dolphins offices. Miami knew this move was coming, just not this soon.

When the Chiefs whipped up on the 49ers they had played on the previous Monday Night game and had to travel to Arrowhead, just like the Jags do this week. Time to replicate that performance.

You guys remember the debate between drafting Tamba Hali and a guy like Manny Lawson a few years back? It certainly looks like the Chiefs got the right guy in the head-to-head matchup yesterday, especially now that we're a few years in and can accurately judge the players.

The story: The Chiefs are a club on the way back, and this is a perfect draw for them. First of all, they open their season on national TV, and tell me the last time we saw the season unfold at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night. I'll spare you the trouble. It hasn't. Second, the Chiefs play San Diego, and while the Chargers are the best team in the AFC West, they're also a team that starts slowly under Norv Turner. In three seasons, they haven't been better than 2-3 in the first five games under Turner. So it's the right time and the right place for Kansas City.

McCluster has been fabulous in early Chiefs practices, lining up in the backfield, in the slot and at receiver. Jones has been the strong-work ethic guy the Chiefs knew they were buying and will be a good model for Charles. It's not unusual to see Jones, after a two-hour-long practice in the western Missouri heat, going to the Chiefs' weight room and lift for an hour. I don't know what this all will translate to come opening night against San Diego Sept. 13 -- coach Todd Haley is on record as saying he'll play the hot guy between Charles and Jones -- but I do know that Matt Cassel is a lot happier with his backfield options.

Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell walked into the VIP Room of Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood on Thursday night, wrapped quarterback Matt Leinart in a massive bear hug, and whispered in his ear: "I'm hearing a lot of good things."

Word has apparently leaked back to Phoenix of Leinart's daily workouts with fellow USC quarterback alums Carson Palmer and Matt Cassel at top secret locations around Orange County.

From "Inside the Draft" with Pioli @ Arrowhead tonight:

Pioli has gotten his answers down. He said a lot of the same. I wanted to ask about who they were targeting with their second 2nd rounder but he specified to many people that he wouldn’t say WHO specifically they were looking at. My solid money is on Linval Joseph.

As for the Dorsey thing, when we line up in a 4 man front, which Crennel does from time to time, we are going to see him inside and out. In the 3-4, we’ll likely see him at end the majority of the time but he stressed that he can plan anywhere on the front.

From his vaguely hinted words he made it sound like there was still room open from now to September at that nose tackle spot. I know we’ll all be looking for updates on that front.

Someone asked about drafting an offensive tackle and he reminded us that there are several needs on this team that can’t all be fixed in one draft, and that the talent/character/game breaking ability of all our players will get us further ahead than reaching for someone they didn’t have as highly rated.

Last thing, he was pretty excited about Kendrick Lewis and said that too many guys get sucked into the combine numbers and forget what the player had done for 3-4 years previously, and that game tape after game tape didn’t show an abnormally slow guy but instead a tough defender who will come in and make a difference.

About to head to "Inside the Draft" with Scott Pioli out here at Arrowhead...pretty excited to see what he says- anything I should ask?

Per Albert Breer of the Boston Globe, the Patriots are sending a contingent down to McCluster’s hometown of Largo, Fla. on Wednesday to work out the former Rebel.

The interesting thing to note here is that this is now the second time the Pats have checked out McCluster. New England is currently sitting on three second-round draft picks (44, 47, 53 overall), which is right in the range of where McCluster is projected to go.

Moving forward: The Chiefs had a stellar draft that should really help their overall roster and depth. Javier Arenas, Dexter McCluster, Jon Asamoah, and Tony Moeaki in particular all have an excellent opportunity to help the cause as rookies.

McShay compared McCluster to guys like Darren Sproles and DeSean Jackson. That’s not bad company. But the name that stuck out in my head was Joshua Cribbs of the Cleveland Browns. I love the way he ran the Wildcat for Cleveland down the home stretch. He has a little Reggie Bush in him too.

LSU DT Al Woods really is a jack-of-all-trades type of lineman who has the versatility to be on just about every NFL team’s draft board. Is he a guy who will ever be a consistent playmaker at the next level? No. But he’s a prospect who has the ability to win at the point in the run game, develop into a selfless contributing starter and could end up being taken a lot higher than expected on draft day. He looks like an ideal fit for New England, Kansas City or the New York Jets.

Adam Schefter:
From Washington to KC: Steelers free-agent RB Willie Parker is scheduled to visit the Chiefs on Thursday

* There are several distinct differences between Dorsey and Suh, including –

1. Body types: Totally different builds. Suh is a big, square body with minimal body fat. Dorsey is under 6-foot-2, fleshy and a little narrow for a DT.
2. Durability: Several NFL teams had major concerns with Dorsey’s leg. His lack of conditioning was also a concern.
3. Versatility: Suh can play multiple spots in either the 3-4 or the 4-3. Dorsey is better suited as a 4-3 DT. He lacks the power of Suh to consistently 2-gap on run downs.
4. Raw Power: Suh has incredible strength in his lower half and in his hands. Dorsey relied more on his initial quickness and technique.

Sean Payton's aggression is part of what makes him such a good coach. He isn't afraid of anything. He isn't afraid of failure, which is why he can be such a daring play-caller for the Saints' explosive offense.

But that aggression can sometimes boil over on game days, pent-up frustration that pops the top off like an overloaded pot of popcorn on your hot stove.

1. We'll see how this plays out the final six weeks of the season, but no rookie coach has shown more growth throughout the season than Kansas City's Todd Haley.

It could be that Haley had more growing up to do than any of his peers. Whatever the case, he's shown remarkable willingness to remake himself. He opened the season coaching like Bobby Knight. He's settled down, and his team appears to be responding.

20. Kansas City Chiefs (3-7) (Last week: 24). After getting passed by the Chargers, the Broncos now have to worry about being caught by the Chiefs.

"The thinker. There you go. I'm always thinking. Positively."