HEIGHT/WEIGHT:      6'1" / 239lbs

 DOB:                        6/12/1980

 AGE:                        28

 COLLEGE:                Michigan

 

The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers put an end to one of the few distractions they've had this offseason. The team granted veteran linebacker Larry Foote his release after he wanted out of Pittsburgh because of a reduced role.

 Steelers part ways with unhappy Foote.

 

Career Stats
			Tackles			Sacks			Interceptions			Fumb.			Misc.		KO Ret		Punt Ret
Year	Team	G	Solo	Ast	Total	Sack	Yds	Yd/Sk	Int	Yds	IntTD	Rec	TD	Frcd	Pass Def	Sfty	Yds	TD	Yds	TD
2002	PIT	6	11	7	18	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2003	PIT	14	5	1	6	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2004	PIT	16	53	17	70	3	20	6.7	1	1	0	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0
2005	PIT	16	76	26	102	3	20	6.7	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0
2006	PIT	16	62	29	91	4	29	7.3	1	11	0	1	0	2	3	0	0	0	0	0
2007	PIT	16	45	36	81	3	21	7.0	1	14	0	0	0	3	5	0	0	0	0	0
2008	PIT	16	34	29	63	2	8	5.3	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	0

 

 

The Steelers couldn't get anything for Foote in a trade, but he's only 29 and shouldn't have trouble finding a new home. The Colts and Lions are possible landing spots.

Larry Foote on Rotoworld

Pioli said that he's always looking to upgrade his roster, so Foote should be a strong consideration in the front office.  Whether or not Larry wants to sign with the Chiefs remains to be seen.

The Linebackers currently on the roster:

Jersey #          Name              Height / Weight          Age

50              Mike Vrabel           6-4            261             34

51              Cory Mays              6-1            245             26

52              Monty Beisel          6-3            244             31

53              D. Williams            6-1             232            29 

55               Zach Thomas       5-11          242             36

56              D. Johnson             6-3            242             27

57              Weston Dacus        6-1           232             24

98              Darrell Robertson  6-4           246              26

 

UDFA Rookies

Bobby Abare          6-2      220      Yale

Pierre Walters       6-4       265     E. Illinois

Jovan Belcher        6-1       229     Maine

Cory Smith              5-11    220     Cincinnati

 

 The Chiefs completely ignored the Linebacker position during the 7 rounds of the draft.  Strange considering that that was the weakest position we had on defense, and we will be putting 4 on the field instead of  3.  The only additions to the LBing corps were older veterans.   There must be concern of the availability of the older guys in regards to remaining healthy throughout the whole season. 

The only attempt to bring in younger Backers was after the draft.  It would seem almost like common sense that Pioli should pursue a veteran linebacker who is younger than Beisel, Vrabel, and Thomas.  Especially ones who are experienced in the 3-4 system which should be on the top of his priority list leading up to training camp. 

 

 

http://www.kansascity.com 

Brown was so huge there was no wondering why he’d been designated a "man mountain" at Mizzou. He had muscles you couldn’t have Photoshopped on the first two photos. He looked big. He looked strong. He looked like a different person.

"I put on 100 pounds to play football," he said with a laugh.

Here's to hoping that this guy becomes another gem that Don Pioli found in the fifth round.  I'm always optimistic right after the draft about our picks, especially since our offensive line was quite .....ahm...offensive! 

I look forward to seeing Colin develop and become another piece to the puzzle of our O-line.

 

Instead, everyone discovered some things in the long shot: Footwork and size, athleticism and the ability to be very, very good. Brown put on 100 pounds that first year. He saw some playing time his second year, including as a reserve left guard. He started all 13 games in 2007. He was downright great last year.

By the time he graduated, he was a 335-pound behemoth projected to go anywhere from the fifth round to undrafted. He’d seen bowl wins and Border War showdowns. He’d learned to battle with the best in the trenches and protect his quarterback. He’d long since given up basketball. He’d fallen in love with football.

This guy is HUGE!  Colin Brown is #61.  Plus that's Grunhards old number.

 

I'll take a line from one of my all time favorite movies Unforgiven, If you take away a person's HOPE  "you take away everything he's got and everything he's ever gonna have" ...  if you take away a mans hope what are you left with? 

The block qoutes are taken from the KC Star.

 

"Nothing is guaranteed from year to year," he said. "You look at Dallas, where I was last year. We were guaranteed to make the Super Bowl and we didn’t even make the playoffs. So nothing is guaranteed and teams change from year to year.

 

 I guess this is why a lot of people got worked up when Tony G. asked for a way out, hoping to get his shot at winning a Super Bowl trophy.  I can see both sides of the debate in which both sides have compelling arguments, I am left indifferent.  Ultimately Tony gave up all hope of our chances of ever improving quickly enough to make it to the big show, and for that I cannot forgive him.   Tony's hopelessness can only leave a negative impression on the chances of both teammates and fans alike.  Imagine working your butt off only to concede that we will never be good enough to make it to the Super Bowl. 

The loss of hope can only leave a hollow feeling of confusion, creating an almost self destructive nature within the consiousness of a teammate that the season would be lost even before it has started.  

Tony became the player who he is today not only through his hard work, but because he was blessed to spend his career on a team that would highlight him in its offense year after year.   Could you imagine if Tony had the misfortune of being on a team that did not utilize the TE position effectively?  Teams like Arizona and Pittsburgh  both appeared in the Super Bowl.  Both teams also do not feature the TE position as a first option offensive threat,  viewing the position as more complementary in nature to the WR and RB's. 

Now the question that needs to be asked is, How about if Tony did have the opportunity to play in a Super Bowl, maybe even win a Lombardi trophy?  Yet did not have the numbers at the end of his career to warrant a serious consideration in the HOF.  Will Tony be remembered in the history of the NFL as a good TE on a maybe Championship team? or will he be immortalized in the HOF as the greatest player to have ever played the TE position if not for his time in Kansas City.  

Tony no doubt would have been a good player on any team simply because of his work ethic, but he became GREAT because of his time as a CHIEF! 

 

"I was a little skeptical coming in at first, to be honest," Thomas said. "Once I came in and talked to (Haley) … he was straight to the point. He wanted to change the mind-set of the players. He really grabbed me right there.

 

 When Pioli came on board, I'm sure Tony quietly continued to pursue a trade.  Which went against what Pioli was saying in the beginning when he wanted to find players who wanted to be here, the right 53 not necessarily the best 53? 

How do you change the mindset of the team if individual players are only thinking about their needs versus the greater needs of the whole team? 

 

 

I’d like to be there for that transition, that change, kind of like Miami did last year. It can be done

Unlike Tony, Zach provides a positive role model for the younger players.  Both Zach and Tony are hard working, and extremely competitive.  The only glaring difference is that one chose to come to this team while the other was constantly looking out the window.   

 

"I have high expectations for this team. I’m excited to come out here and try to make a difference. I’m not coming to be a coach or help this team try to rebuild. I’m not here for that."

This statement of Zach is what does it for me when I think of Tony.  "I have high expectations for this team."  Tony didn't, that's why he wanted out.  He lost all hope in a team that helped make him great. 

 I don't blame Tony for thinking that the grass would be greener on the other side, but am always reminded that you better careful what you wish for ..... because you might just get it. 

I wish Tony only the best.  He left me with a lot of great memories, but the CHIEFS will have a better chance at winning a Super Bowl with Zach than we would with Tony's hopeless attitude. 

The Chiefs now plan to use Glenn Dorsey at defensive end in their new 3-4 alignment.

Dorsey played nose in pre-draft camps, but he's slated to start opposite Tyson Jackson with Alex Magee and Alfonso Boone other options outside. Tank Tyler is the nose tackle. This defense still projects to be soft against the run.

 

It looks like the Chiefs Management want to give Dorsey a look at playing DE.  He's kind of small to play the position in regards to his height which is 6-1 and change.  Ideally the Defensive End in a 3-4 should be taller in the range of about 6-4.  The weight of Dorsey is about right for a DE in a 3-4. 

We'll see if the position will best maximize his talents, or will it hamper his development playing in a position that he is uncomfortable.  Time will tell I suppose.

 

“Obviously, they’ve had a little trouble stopping people (last year), and I don’t think in this league you have much of a chance to win if you can’t slow the other offense down,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said about drafting defensive players with the top three choices. “Just the way it worked out I would say more than by design. But it’s something I’m happy about.”

Jackson and Magee can play a variety of defensive-line positions. Jackson will be starter at end but could move to tackle in passing situations. Magee’s role is less defined, but he probably will move around as well.

 

Kansas City Star

  

After the first day of the draft I'm always interested to find any listings out there for the other college prospects still available. Unfortunately, those other listings are always on the sites that you need to pay for, so for the cheap people out there like myself here you go.

 

There are several big names guys that are still out there that we have had discussions about here at AP. Day two should be the more interesting part of the draft, and were Pioli really earns his money. 

I hope that when the Chiefs make their pick we as a community will have known about these guys already, and not scratching our heads asking ourselves...we chose who?

 

DE Michael Johnson                Georgia Tech

TE Cornelius Ingram                Florida

WR Derrick Williams               Penn St.

OT Gerald Cadogan                Penn St.

FS Rashad Johnson               Alabama

OT Jamon Meredith                 So. Carolina

TE Chase Coffman                  Missouri

CB Donald Washington          Ohio St.

RB Andre Brown                       NC St.

OG Duke Robinson                 Oklahoma

WR Brandon Tate                    N. Carolina

TE Jared Cook                         S. Carolina

TE Shawn Nelson                    So. Miss

CB Coye Francies                   San Jose St.

WR Louis Murphy                    Florida

RB Glen Coffee                        Alabama

OLB Marcus Freeman            Ohio St.

WR Mike Thomas                    Arizona

TE Travis Bechum                   Wisconsin

SS Michael Hamlin                Clemson

TE James Casey                     Rice

DT Alex Magee                         Wake Forest

RB Mike Goodson                   Texas A&M

CB Asher Allen                        Georgia

WR Juaquin Iglesias              Oklahoma

ILB Jasper Brinkley                 N. Carolina

OT Troy Kropog                        Tulane

OG Kraig Urbik                         Wisconsin

DT Jarron Gilbert                     San Jose St.

CB Victor Harris                       Virginia Tech

CB DJ Moore                            Vanderbilt

RB Shonn Greene                   Iowa

ILB Darry Beckwith                  LSU

WR Austin Collie                     BYU

FS Curtis Taylor                       LSU

FB Tony Flammetta                 Syracuse

OLB Kaluka Maiava                 USC

CB DeAngelo Smith                Cincinnati

ILB Jason Phillips                   TCU

OT  TJ Lang                              E. Michigan

CB Ryan Mouton                      Hawaii

RB Cedric Peerman                 Virginia

WR Demetrius Byrd                 LSU

CB Jerraud Powers                  Auburn

WR Sammie Stroughter          Oregon St.

QB John Parker Wilson           Alabama

DE Lawrence Sidbury              Richmond

DT Ricky Jean-Francois           LSU

TE Anthony Hill                          NC State

CB Mike Mickens                      Cincinnati

OLB Jonathan Casillas           Wisconsin

WR Brooks Foster                   N. Carolina

CB Bradley Fletcher                 Iowa

RB Javon Ringer                      Michigan St.

WR Brandon Gibson               Washington St.

CB Cary Harris                         USC

ILB Dannell Ellerby                 Georgia

DE Henry Melton                      Texas

SS Nic Harris                          Oklahoma

DE Kyle Moore                         USC

ILB Scott McKillop                   Pitt

DT Dorell Scott                         Clemson

OG Herman Jonson                LSU

DT Corvey Irvin                         Georgia

FS David Bruton                      Notre Dame

QB Stephen McGee                Texas A&M

RB Rashad Jennings              Liberty

C Antoine Caldwell                  Alabama

RB James Davis                      Clemson

OLB Ashlee Palmer                 Mississippi

FS Courtney Greene                 Rutgers

CB Keenan Lewis                    Oregon St.

CB Chris Owens                      San Jose St.

FB Brannan Southerland         Georgia

WR Ramses Barden                Cal Poly

DE Brandon Williams               Texas Tech

QB Nathan Brown                     Central Arkansas

QB Rhett Bomar                        Sam Houston St.

OLB Zack Follett                        California

TE John Phillips                       Virginia

DT Darryl Richard                    Georgia Tech

TE Bear Pascoe                       Fresno St.

DT Terrance Knighton             Temple

CB Brandon Hughes               Oregon St

DT Vance Walker                     Georgia Tech

CB Gregory Toler                    St. Paul’s (Va.)

WR Johnny Knox                     Abilene Chrisian

OT Lydon Murtha                    Nebraska

QB Willie Tuitama                    Arizona

 

I'd also like to add that I like the Tyson Jackson pick at number 3.  Jackson has what you can never coach up....SIZE!  He's 6-5 298 lbs and can move, the average height and weight of our other D-linemen is 6-2 289lbs. 

Just wish there was more movement in round one for us.  Especially in making moves that would bring in additional draft picks.  Maybe day two will have more of that in store for us.

 

aPacificChief comes through yet again for us talking about college quarterbacks and the Kansas City Chiefs. If you're not familiar with aPacificChief's earlier QB FanPost, make sure you check it out.

So for this morning, we've got offense and defense to talk about, with Primetime's defensive coordinator post right below this one.

aPacificChief's full post is after the jump.

-Chris

Continue reading this post »

Well fellas it looks like another candidate if off the Usual Suspects list.  I actually liked this guy if Pioli thought that he would of been a good fit for us. 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3843174

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 via assets.nydailynews.com

The Jets are planning to make a formal offer to the Ravens' defensive coordinator and, barring an unexpected glitch in negotiations, they will announce his hiring Monday, multiple league sources told the Daily News Sunday night after the Ravens' 23-14 loss to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

Ryan, 46, has said publicly he will accept the Jets' offer, which may have been presented as early as Sunday night. He's expected to be introduced Wednesday at a news conference. The Jets will wait until then out of respect for Tuesday's presidential inauguration.

"If I get that opportunity, that would be fantastic," Ryan said after the game, responding to questions about the Jets' head-coaching vacancy.

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The man feels no pressure from outside influences.  The only pressure he feels is on himself to make a right decision and take out as much error as possible from making the choice on who will be the future head coach of Kansas City.

 

People could be all around Pioli reminding him hourly on the coaches that are no longer available, and the shrinking list of candidates the longer he waits to methodically evaluate Herman Edwards.

 

The Pioli's actions are speaking louder than his words.  Why rush the decision on the new coach?  I mean we could of signed the hottest coach on the market right now.  Like Schwartz or Spagnuolo right off the bat and have fired Herm immediately, but what would that have accomplish if the decision proves wrong again.  Can we guarantee that either of those candidates will be successful the next 3 years? or are we gonna find out the hard way that Spag's did in fact was a terrible head coach, and would have wasted those precious years of the careers of our few stars searching again for another head coach replacement. 

 

Whatever the decision Pioli makes on our next Head Coach I know it will be the right one.  Because Scott (stand back here it comes to all those Herman Haters another Herminism) is basing his decision on solid research and on the facts not on mere emotions.  I also stand behind him because I don't have much of a choice anyway. If he gets it wrong we all will suffer, but if he gets it right???  Wow....How about if he gets it right?