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| Thursday, August 31 By Rick Dean Pro Football Weekly | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez spent much of the winter, spring and early summer with a taste in his mouth that not even industrial-strength Scope could clear.
Grade: C+ Running backs: Expect to again see the relay-team approach that produced the league's fourth-rated rushing attack last year. Cloud will get the first shot in two-back sets and has a chance to have a breakout year. He was modestly impressive in training camp. But the Chiefs also like the idea of using fullback Tony Richardson -- their leading rusher in the season's final five games when finally given the chance to carry the ball -- in one-back sets. In short-yardage situations, look for fullback Donnell Bennett or Richardson to get the ball. Kimble Anders has battled back from the torn Achilles tendon that ended his promising '99 season. Anders will be 34 in September, but he provides insurance should something happen to Cloud. Grade: C+ Receivers: Gonzalez remains the go-to guy after catching a career-high 76 passes for 849 yards and 11 TDs. His Pro Bowl berth should be the first of many for this former college basketball player who can outrun most linebackers and outmuscle most defensive backs. With the release of Rison, the Chiefs have only two receivers who've caught a pass in an NFL game. Derrick Alexander is a hot-and-cold playmaker who turned cold last year when Gonzalez heated up. Kevin Lockett is a possession guy who will get the chance to step up in Rison's absence. The Chiefs are quietly hoping for a big initial season from Sylvester Morris, their No. 1 draft pick out of Jackson State. In minicamp and offseason workouts, Morris showed a penchant for catching badly thrown balls, an ability Grbac will test occasionally. If Morris can make an impact quickly, the Chiefs will be OK with a receiving corps rounded out by second-year man Larry Parker, primarily a return guy. Grade: B- Offensive linemen: The foundation of the Chiefs' running attack, which is the foundation of the offense, returns intact, though perhaps for the final year. Pro Bowl right guard Will Shields, the team's designated franchise player, signed only a one-year contract. Center Tim Grunhard is in the last year of his contract. Left guard Dave Szott, the best guard to never make the Pro Bowl, is in the last year of his deal and wants to play in the New York area, where he has moved his family. One of the best interior threesomes in the league might be breaking up. Thinking of the future and the near term, the Chiefs acquired veteran guard Jeff Blackshear from Baltimore and center/guard Aaron Graham from Arizona. John Tait, in his first full year as a starting left tackle, looks like a player with a bright future. Right tackle Victor Riley is reasonably effective when he keeps his weight in check. Marcus Spears is the only backup tackle with any experience. Grade: A- Defense Defensive linemen: Defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, despite his tendency to jump offside, should have been in the Pro Bowl last year. His play wasn't reflected in numbers -- he had only 11½ sacks and 81 total tackles -- but he consistently occupied two blockers and created opportunities for teammates. Clemons is coming off a nine-sack season with the Vikings. He's just OK against the run, but the Chiefs think he has double-digit sack ability. Defensive end Eric Hicks is physically bigger (291 pounds) and mentally stronger now that his infant daughter is healthy after fighting for her life with heart problems last year. Defensive tackle Dan Williams will again try to justify the big contract he got in '99 after holding out for all of '98. New defensive tackle Steve Martin, an acquistion from Philadelphia, provides decent depth in the interior, while former starting defensive end John Browning appears to have recovered well from a torn Achilles. Grade: C+ Linebackers: How Donnie Edwards got bypassed by Pro Bowl voters after picking off five passes -- most among NFL linebackers -- and being in on 143 tackles remains a mystery. With Thomas' death, Edwards becomes the guy Kansas City will turn to as its defensive playmaker. He'll line up in a variety of places, making defenses guess where the attack will come from. Bush inherits Thomas' spot in the regular defense, playing over the tight end. Bush should be better covering the tight end than Thomas was. Middle linebacker Marvcus Patton was the team's MVP last year after taking every defensive snap. Patton is not a huge playmaker at 33, but he gets the job done with few mistakes. Ron George is a solid backup and special-teams player. Grade: B Defensive backs: Starting two 35-year-old cornerbacks in James Hasty and Cris Dishman is a concern, though Hasty played as if he were 28 in tying for the league lead with seven interceptions last year. Third-year cornerback Eric Warfield ultimately will replace Dishman, who struggles to keep up with younger, faster receivers. The Chiefs opted to retain free safety Jerome Woods while letting strong safety Reggie Tongue depart to Seattle via free agency. Woods must now prove they made the right choice. Atkins, the replacement at strong safety, is a 230-pound run stopper whose cover skills will be tested in his first year as a starter. Rookie Greg Wesley might get time in nickel situations. Grade: B Special teams Kicker Pete Stoyanovich no longer has the leg he once had. He hit eight of 14 field-goal tries from 40-plus yards last year after nailing 14 of 15 such tries as recently as '97. Todd Sauerbrun was acquired from Chicago to handle kickoffs (which have been consistently deep) and punts. Parker will get first crack at punt-return duties, with rookie speedster Dante Hall handling kickoff returns. Both returners are unproven in NFL action. Grade: C 
Material from Pro Football Weekly. Visit their website at http://www.profootballweekly.com
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