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WHO’S OUT THERE?

February 19th – 2:09 PM

Friday afternoon brings us to our fourth offensive position group – the quarterbacks. The Chiefs obviously have a starter in place for 2010 with Matt Cassel, but 66% of the remaining cast will need to be tendered/re-signed if they are to play alongside Cassel in Kansas City next season. We’ll know the status of those contracts in the coming weeks.

Until we get the word as to what the Chiefs situation looks like involving reserve quarterbacks, here are some available options available for addition via unrestricted free agency.

KCChiefs.com Free Agency Snapshot

Position: Quarterback

Degree of Need: Low

Chiefs Under Contract (1): Matt Cassel

*Chiefs Without Contracts (2): Brodie Croyle (RFA), Matt Gutierrez (RFA)

Chiefs Who Opened Camp in 2009 (4): Cassel, Croyle, Ingle Martin, Tyler Thigpen

*(UFA) – Unrestricted Free Agent; (RFA)—Restricted Free Agent; (ERFA) – Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Whose Out There (restricted free agents excluded)?

Chad Pennington (6-3, 230; age: 33) – Remember when the Chiefs were reportedly shopping for Pennington in 2007, only to see the former Jet land in Miami? Back then, Pennington was released to clear the way for Brett Favre to wear another shade of green. Favre then ultimately paved the way for rookie Mark Sanchez.

Never flashy, but considerably efficient, Pennington guided one of the greatest one-year turnarounds in NFL history by putting the previously 1-15 Dolphins in to the 2008 NFL Playoffs with an 11-5 record. He turned in one of the best seasons of his career in the process (331-of-476 passing for 3,653 yards with 19 TDs, 7 INTs and a 97.4 QB rating). Pennington’s 2009 season came to a close after just three games due to a shoulder injury which required surgery.

Coming full circle two years later, Pennington’s services are once again on the open market for NFL clubs to pluck. Most would think that Pennington would want a shot somewhere as a starter, but that’s not necessarily the case according to Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News.

No team is going to hand Pennington a starting spot, and he’s okay with that, Cimini wrote.

“There’s always flexibility and I think there’s always a need for good quarterback play in this league,” Pennington said. “There’s always a need for leadership and you don’t necessarily have to lead from a starter’s role.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2010/02/05/
2010-02-05_chad_pennington_willing_to_return_to_new_york_jets_to_backup
_mark_sanchez.html#ixzz0g0Fyq8oT

Daunte Culpepper (6-4, 265; age: 33) – Since we just reviewed Pennington, we might as well throw another guy out there that the Chiefs had been rumored to have at least flirted with the idea of bringing to town over the past few years. If you can think back to 2008, you can remember both Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard going down to injuries and Tyler Thigpen turning in a terrible NFL starting debut in Atlanta.

Not long afterwards, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports actually reported that Culpepper was in Kansas City, working out and nearing a contract. Regardless of how close Culpepper became to being a Chief, he didn’t, and ended up landing in Detroit for the past two years. In 13 starts with the Lions, Culpepper went 0-13 and posted a 64.4 QB rating.

Culpepper works as his own agent, fyi, and plans to explore the free agent market.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35426318/ns/sports-player_news/

Rex Grossman (6-1, 218; age: 29) – Everyone remembers Grossman’s up-and-down ride as the Bears starting quarterback (which did lead to an NFC Championship), but what most don’t realize is that Grossman owns just one season of eight starts or more in the NFL. Yep, his lone season as a full-time starter was the Super Bowl run in 2006.

Fair or not, the criticism Grossman endured over the Bears Super Bowl season inevitably led the former first-round pick to the hot seat. Three games into 2007 it was over, Grossman found his way to the bench in favor of Kyle Orton and has been a backup ever since. This past year, he was a reserve QB in Houston.

Grossman is worth mentioning because he spent his rookie season (2003) with Todd Haley in Chicago. Multiple media outlets have reported that the Texans are unlikely to re-sign Grossman.

David Carr (6-3, 216; age: 30) – NFL fans grew up with David Carr as we all cringed at the amount of sacks he took as the starting quarterback for an expansion franchise. In total, Carr was sacked 249 times over his five-year career in Houston. Over that same time period, he only missed four games due to injury. There is no question that this guy is tough.

The on-field results haven’t matched those that you’d like to see from an overall number one selection, which is why Carr has found himself as a reserve the past three seasons in Carolina and for the N.Y. Giants. In limited playing time with the Giants, Carr has quietly posted excellent numbers, going 21-of-30 for 225 yards with a TD, 0 INTs and a 93.6 QB rating the past two seasons. The sample size, however, is also incredibly low.

What are Carr’s plans going forward? Mike Garafolo of the New Jersey Star-Ledger gives us a look…

“From the sound of things, Carr is still looking at the landscape and trying to find an opportunity to start. I would think things will come into focus during the scouting combine late next week and into the weekend.

“Gun to my thigh, I say he comes back. But that’s just a guess right now.”

Kyle Boller (6-3, 220; age: 28) – Boller was thrown straight into the fire as a rookie starter in 2003 for a very solid Baltimore squad. He started the first nine games that season with mixed reviews, but Baltimore still found their way into the playoffs with a 10-6 record. Over the next two seasons the offense in Baltimore became Boller’s and the results were below average.

In 2006, the Ravens handed the offensive keys to Steve McNair and Boller has been a backup ever since (although he has managed to post 12 starting assignments since 2007).

Here in Kansas City, Chiefs fans saw a glimpse of Boller during his earlier days in Baltimore. Boller has posted a 0-2 record with a 57.7 QB rating as a starter vs. the Chiefs.

Boller becomes an unrestricted free agent for the second time of his career this March and he’ll likely be looking for as place to serve as a number two quarterback. Word across Interstate 70 suggests that the Rams could be looking at drafting a quarterback on Day One of the NFL Draft. Just how that would affect St. Louis’ desire to resign Boller remains unseen.

In other Boller news, he recently became engaged to Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California. Congrats to Kyle.

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/02/08/
2010-02-08_former_miss_california_carrie_prejean_
engaged_to_st_louis_rams_quarterback_kyle_.html

Chris Redman (6-3, 221; age: 32) – A career backup, Redman has found a way to carve out a nice NFL career as a reserve. He’s only played in 23 total games (12 starts) since entering the NFL as a third-round pick in 2000, but has continued to find gainful employment every season.

Filling in for an injured Matt Ryan in Atlanta, Redman threw for over 300 yards in his last start (12/13/09 vs. New Orleans). Will that be enough for the Falcons to make a play at re-signing the veteran? If not with Atlanta, Redman will likely find work somewhere.

UP SATURDAY: GUARDS

WHO’S OUT THERE - RBs
February 19th – 4:10 AM

This morning we shuffle our way to the running backs pool of unrestricted free agents. Sure, the Chiefs have quite the player in Jamaal Charles, but what about the rest of the cast? Will the Chiefs aim for a bigger back in the draft or try for something a bit more proven through free agency? Maybe someone steps up from within?

If free agency is the choice, here are some of the players Kansas City has to choose from.

KCChiefs.com Free Agency Snapshot

Position: Running Back

Degree of Need: Moderate

Chiefs Under Contract (5): Tim Castille, Jamaal Charles, Javarris Williams, Kestahn Moore, Dantrell Savage

*Chiefs Without Contracts (3): Kolby Smith (RFA), Jackie Battle (ERFA), Mike Cox (ERFA)

Chiefs Who Opened Camp in 2009 (8): Battle, Charles, Jed Collins, Cox, Larry Johnson, Savage, Smith, Williams

*(UFA) – Unrestricted Free Agent; (RFA)—Restricted Free Agent; (ERFA) – Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Whose Out There (restricted free agents excluded)?

Kevin Faulk (5-8, 202; age: 33) – Faulk likely jumps off the page at Chiefs fans solely from his time spent in New England and Scott Pioli’s familiarity with the free agent. Even though he’s a bit older, an asset to Faulk is that he’s spent virtually his entire career (1999-present) as a complimentary back, or part of a running back by committee system.

Over the past two years, Faulk has excelled in the role that the Patriots have asked him to play. In 2008 Faulk averaged 6.1 yards per carry (83 attempts) and last year he averaged 5.4 yards per carry (62 attempts). Faulk is also a nice back on third downs, owning over 400 career receptions (he had 58 in 2008 and 37 in 2009).

Faulk isn’t a “big back,” which seems to be catching the eyes of most Chiefs fans this offseason, but he certainly has the history of excelling as a reserve. He finished second on the Patriots rushing in 2009 and third in receptions. It was another productive year for Faulk in the Northeast.

Chester Taylor (5-11, 213; age: 30) – Taylor seems to be generating the most interest of any free agent running back, at least from a national media perspective. People love the story of a superstar’s back-up ready to take on a feature role with a new team. Just take a look at current Atlanta RB Michael Turner.

The difference between Turner and Taylor, however, is age and experience. Many people tend to forget that there was life before Adrian Peterson in Minnesota and Taylor was the focal point of that rushing reality. In his only season as a full-time starter (2006), Taylor rushed for over 1,300 yards and averaged 4.0 yards per carry. That’s not bad, but it’s not eye-popping either.

Taylor will get his chance for a bigger role this offseason, and with Peterson’s fumbling problems coming to the spotlight in the playoffs, we’ve already seen a recent preview. He’ll probably find his way into a two-back system again, but extend his carries (he only had 94 in 2009). Don’t count out Minnesota for resigning him just yet either.

Vikings VP of Player Personnel Rick Spielman spoke to NFL.com on Sunday about Taylor: Spielman said it’s the Vikings “goal and intent” to re-sign unrestricted free-agent RB Chester Taylor.

“Chester Taylor brings so much to this football team,” Spielman said. “He’s like the unsung hero of the offense.”

Adrian Peterson (5-10, 210; age: 30) – No, not that Adrian Peterson, but since we’re talking Vikings we might as well discuss “the other Adrian Peterson.” Peterson hits the open market after eight seasons in Chicago where he’s provided depth throughout his career.

Peterson’s gets relatively few touches per game (just a total of nine a year ago), but he excels on punt and kickoff coverage. He owns the most special teams tackles by a Bears player since that stat began being tracked in 1995.

One thing which we know is that Kansas City’s reserve runners will be asked to play plenty of special teams.

Willie Parker (5-10, 209; age: 29) – “Fast Willie” broke onto the scene with Pittsburgh in 2003 with three-straight seasons of 1,200 yards or more. He even won a Super Bowl as the feature back, pairing up with Jerome Bettis in “The Bus’” final season as a pro.

If the Chiefs were to make a play at Parker, Kansas City would certainly have one of the fastest – if not THE fastest – rushing tandems in the NFL. Ultimately, Parker’s opportunities have diminished considerably with the rise of Rashard Mendenhall in Pittsburgh, making Parker expendable.

The word out of Pittsburgh is “wait and see” with Parker. The Steelers would reportedly bring Parker back, if he goes unsigned by other club’s and is willing to come back to the Iron City at a reduced rate.

Parker wearing red and gold may be a far-fetched scenario for the Chiefs, but I’m just throwing out the available names for discussion. Discuss away.

Chris Brown (6-2, 235; age: 28) – Brown was the feature back for about two seasons in Tennessee, pre-dating Chris Johnson, and for about a week last year with Houston. If you’re looking for a big runner with experience, who’s not a fullback, Brown might be right up your alley.

Outside of his stints as a feature back, Brown has been parts of teams that have used committees to run the football. He missed all of the 2008 season with an injured back, but proved healthy in 2009 once more playing in 14 games (four starts) for the Texans.

Reports out of Houston indicate that the Texans won’t make a play at re-signing Brown.

Justin Griffith (6-0, 232; age: 29) – Let’s move to some of the fullbacks. This is where Griffith comes in. A blocking back throughout his career, Griffith was in Atlanta as the lead blocker for the shifty Warrick Dunn when the Falcons led the NFL in rushing back-to-back seasons (2004-05).

From Atlanta, Griffith went to Oakland (2007-08) and then over to Seattle last season. It’s unclear what Seattle’s new administration has in store for Griffith and its very conceivable that he calls somewhere else home in 2010.

Dan Kreider (5-11, 250; age: 32) – When you think of the Arizona Cardinals offense you don’t typically think fullback, but that’s where Kreider comes from. So erase those thoughts and think Pittsburgh Steelers. It was there that Kreider made a career out of taking linebackers head-on in order to spring lighter backs (entered NFL in 2000).

Kreider only spent one year in Arizona, so he doesn’t have the Todd Haley ties, but he does carry the reputation of springing running lanes for his backs. He was the primary blocker in Pittsburgh for the better half of the 2000s and was a major factor in Willie Parker rushing for nearly 1,500 yards in 2005.

Think back, most fans can remember Pittsburgh’s “heavy” backfield with Krieder and Jerome Bettis from 2002-05.

Tony Richardson (6-1, 238; age: 38) – Undoubtedly the most beloved non-Chief still active in the league, amongst Kansas City fans. Some would even argue that “T-Rich is still a Chief.” Approaching 40 years of age, Richardson is the NFL’s fullback version of Brett Favre – he’s timeless.

Richardson takes care of his body and still plays at a high level. He led the way for the Jets to lead the league in rushing a year ago and has been instrumental in the development of young running backs no matter where he’s played. Before tutoring Adrian Peterson and Shonn Greene, Richardson was doing the same for Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes.

No matter where Richardson goes, solid rushing attacks seem to follow.

UP NEXT: UFA QUARTERBACKS

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