Chiefs could make huge statement in Oakland

There aren't a handful of minds in Kansas City who would have sanely stated this just two weeks ago, and even I've been second-guessing the rationale here.

But you know what? The Chiefs could make a huge statement with a win in Oakland Sunday.

With Cassel, Haley is wasting our time

"I'm excited about our team."

Had this been the third preseason game, those words, spoken by Chiefs' head coach Todd Haley after the team's 20-17 loss in San Diego, may have felt slightly more fitting.

Instead, the Chiefs are 0-3 in the regular season, and proved nothing more Sunday than the disturbing fact that the team can't depend on its starting quarterback when they need him most.

Berry's injury is another strike for Haley

It looks as if the worst news out of Arrowhead Stadium Sunday had nothing to do with the final score.

The Chiefs announced Monday that safety Eric Berry, who left the season-opener on two seperate occasions early on before heading to the locker room, is out for the season with a torn ACL.

And here's the kicker:  It may have been avoidable.

The Chiefs and Arrowhead return to relevance on Monday Night Football

More important than a last-second victory, a 1-0 start, or being alone in first place in the division was the resonating feeling every Chiefs fan at Arrowhead Stadium or watching at home surely felt in the moments after the team's triumphant 21-14 victory over the San Diego Chargers Monday night.

It was in the hugs and the high-fives. It was in the fist pumps and the cheers. It was in the war chant being belted out by fans on the walk in and out of the stadium.

Everyone felt it and everyone knew. On Monday, professional football in Kansas City became relevant again.

Memoirs of a Misguided Sports Fan

This past weekend was a fairly interesting and eventful few days on the Kansas City sports front. The Chiefs, with their seemingly popular new rookie class, opened up their preseason schedule against the Falcons in Atlanta on Friday. Meanwhile, the struggling Royals hosted the hated New York Yankees for four games in yet another David vs. Goliath style matchup.

This is how it all looked from my vantage point..

* * *

Let's start with Friday, which, at least when the weekend began, was the day most fans in this city (including myself) were looking forward to the most. It was amazing to see how quickly the hype and excitement surrounding the Chiefs coming into this season seemed to vanish. In my previous post, I mentioned a few things to look for during the game that might help clue us in on how much this team has really improved.

Well, if we were to use that as a basis, the results are mostly mixed. Branden Albert looked okay, but the ultimate goal of him improving is to see the offensive line perform better as a whole. That did not happen, at least while the Falcons first-team defense was still in the game.  In limited play, new addition Thomas Jones had little room to the run the ball between the tackles, and it wasn't until the second quarter when Jamaal Charles checked in that the running game really even got going. By then, the Atlanta starters were already out of the game, making the results less signifcant. Also, right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan whiffed on a block on the second offensive series, leading to a sack and fumble by quarterback Matt Cassel.

Cassel didn't look great at all Friday, either. His final stats (other than the fumble) may have looked up to par - six of eight for 25 yards - but you have to look deeper. During one series on third down, Cassel took a sack when he had an opportunity to throw the ball away and secure a very makeable field goal attempt. The sack led to the attempt by kicker Ryan Succop being much longer, and of course, he missed it. Playoff quarterbacks do not make those kinds of mistakes.

It was surprising to see that, at least to my knowledge, Cassel (or any of the quarterbacks) never even targeted receiver Dwayne Bowe on a pass attempt. Now, it's possible that was more of a product of conservative play-calling than anything else. Still, even in the first preseason game, it's a bad sign.

And we haven't even elaborated on the fumble play, which could have easily been avoided. The block was missed by the right tackle, which isn't a right-handed quarterback's blind side. So your guess is as good as mine as to why Cassel didn't simply step up in the pocket and roll to the outside, which he clearly had plenty of room to do, to try and make a play. Instead, he tried to rush his throw, but his arm was hit by Atlanta defensive end Kroy Biermann, and the ball was knocked loose before the tuck rule could come into play.

There were some encouraging signs to speak of Friday. Although first-round draft pick Eric Berry didn't make any big plays, he did seem to be around the ball on almost every play while he was in the game. The two second-round picks from the 2010 draft were the real stars, though. It was somewhat of a shock to see Dexter McCluster lined up as a running back more often than a receiver after the team made it clear he'd contribute primarily as a slot receiver in the offense. That didn't seem to matter one bit, though, after the ball was in his hands. It's pretty obvious to me that, if he can stay healthy, McCluster will quickly become a star in Kansas City. His quickness was absolutely unmatched by the Falcon defense as he repeatedly beat the linebackers to the outside on sweeps and pitch plays for big chunks of yardage. On the end of one run, McCluster took a big-time late hit by a Falcon defender but immediately popped back up with a smile on his face. Let's hope he can continue to do that into the regular season, when the wear and tear begins to take its toll on the players' bodies.

The other second-round pick, cornerback Javier Arenas (who is also known for his speed), shined as well. It looks like the Chiefs may have finally found a comparable replacement to Dante Hall in the return game. Arenas returned three kickoffs for 85 yards, including a 42-yarder. He also had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown taken off the board because of a holding penalty called on rookie free agent Justin Cole. Not bad at all for a debut.

Overall, though, the team and its fans got a healthy dose of reality Friday. Maybe all those playoff predictions were a bit premature. Or maybe not. On the one hand, you got the feeling Friday that if the starters stayed in the game, the Falcons would have won by five touchdowns. On the other, it is preseason. Just as we may have put too much stock into a solid offseason and smooth (so far) training camp, we should apply that to our analysis of Friday's disappointment and avoid jumping to conclusions just yet.

* * *

Saturday was a change of pace, as I, for the first time since April visited Kauffman Stadium to see a Royals game.*

*On April 10th, after yet another Royals' loss, I left Kauffman with the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach and vowed not to give owner/soul reaver David Glass one more dime of my money until the team put a respectable product on the field. At the time, I figured my boycott would last until opening day 2011, when there should be more reason for optimism than there is currently. What I wasn't considering was the annual trip to Kauffman some of my extended family (who come in from out of town) and I have been attending for some years now. So I went.

There was definitely some electricity in the air, as would be expected with the Yankees in town. Now, these may not be your daddy's Yankees, but the new-look Bronx Bombers did not disappoint. After splitting the first two games of the series, the Yankees brought the bats on Saturday in a big way. Alex Rodriguez, the newest member of the 600-homerun club, led the way with three absolute monster homers against three different Royals pitchers. By the time A-Roid had rounded the bases on his second long-ball, at least half of the crowd at Kauffman had joined in for a loud "Let's Go Yankees!" chant. After the third homer - which landed in the left field fountains - I was completely in awe, as I'm sure the rest of the spectators on hand were as well.

It wasn't until after the game that it really dawned on me that I had just witnessed history, or something close to it. It's not every day you get to see a member of the 600-homerun club play ball, let alone blast three in one game. Obviously, in A-Roid's quest to join the elite group (there are now only seven members) there was a lot of talk about how big of a deal the 600th homerun would be, considering his use of steroids while in high school, which he admitted to a few years back.

It's sad, really. Baseball statistics are what allowed the game to stand out. Numbers in baseball seemed to matter more, or at at least most fans believed that to be true. Now, because of steroids, the numbers just don't seem to be relevant at all. They're not real. It's impossible for the casual fan to respect the sport anymore, and the game's popularity has taken a hit because of it.

As for the Royals, they were able to split the series (which seems like a miracle in itself) after a 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon. Former first overall draft pick Brian Bullington picked up his first major league win after tossing eight innings of two-hit ball against the Yanks. I could only think of two possible explanations for this happening:  Has Bullington finally, after eight years as a pro, figured out how to pitch, or was Sunday's anomaly simply a product of Jeter and co. having one too many drinks late-Saturday night on the Kansas City bar scene? I'll let you decide on that one.*

*The players are human, too, and I'm in no way knocking having a few beers at the bar on a Saturday night. But if that indeed did take place, the Yankees ought to be embarrassed after being shutout on two hits Sunday. I feel it's worth noting that during the game Saturday, I had a conversation with my uncle where we discussed the possible clubs and bars some of the pin-stripers may hit after the game. I commented to him that if the Yankees looked sluggish the next day, then we could safely conclude they hit the town hard the night before. Combine that with the fact that they probably didn't get the chance to do much after Friday's game because of multiple rain delays, and it's pretty obvious to me how they spent their Saturday night.

* * *

Sunday, as it turned out, was the highlight of my weekend. I actually wasn't able to watch the Royals game live, because a few friends and I made the somewhat spontaneous decision to head to St. Joseph to check out a Chiefs training camp practice.

We got to Missouri Western State University with over an hour to spare until practice was scheduled to start, so we decided to walk around campus and take it all in. It didn't take long (maybe two minutes) for us to find a way to disrupt the goings-on, as we were able to stumble upon what appeared to be a player parking lot (The 250-pound beasts getting in and out of the Escalades and Camaros were a dead giveaway.). After we walked past a sign that said "Chiefs VIP Parking - not open to the public", we decided to hang out by the front door of the building, which looked to be the cafeteria, presumably where the players were eating before practice.

Just as we were considering moving on, Cassel, Brodie Croyle, and (I assume) Tyler Palko came rushing outside to head to practice. None of them had the time to stop for an autograph or picture, but as Croyle explained (he was the only one we actually asked, and I don't think Cassel liked that all too much), they would have plenty of time after practice to chat and sign an autograph or two. It wasn't long after they hopped in Croyle's (it had Alabama plates) Avalanche that a security guard came outside and pointed us toward the practice fields. Off we went.

The practice was fairly uneventful. I was impressed with the fan turnout - my guess is the total number of spectators was easily more than half than the number of people who attended Sunday's Royals game. There weren't necessarily many plays of note. The highlight was probably watching offensive coordinator Charlie Weis move around on the rascal. I mean no disrespect to people who deal with disabilities, but an NFL coach telling 300-pound grown men what to do from the seat of his rascal is comedic gold.

I've never attended an NFL training camp, so to be fair, Sunday's practice may have very well been the most interesting Chiefs practice they've ever had. I mean, it's safe to say the Chiefs are the only team with a coach calling shots from his rascal, so we have that. But with no real point of reference (I may attend Wednesday's night practice), I can't be certain.

* * *

So, what did I learn over, what some might consider, a pretty fun and entertaining weekend from a sports fan's perspective? I found out the Chiefs, even with all the perceived improvements over the offseason, still look a whole lot like they did last year. I found out the Royals have the ability to be very good and very bad in a very short period of time, but overall, they still stink. We know now, and we may have known before, just how insignificant baseball numbers and records have become.

And in St. Joseph? Well, I'm still torn as far as what to take from that experience. I know now just how entertaining it can be to watch a grown man drive a rascal all over a football field. Right now, as sports fans in Kansas City, we have to take our happiness in small, sometimes minute doses, so I'll take it.

If I get any further than that, I'll let you know.

Chiefs Must Show Progress In Atlanta

Well folks, it's here. Football is back. On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs will visit the Georgia Dome to take on the Atlanta Falcons in their first preseason game of 2010.

With what had to be one of the more impressive offseasons in recent memory, the Chiefs, after two full weeks of a mostly smooth training camp, are finally starting to make believers out of the usual skeptics. Friday, though, will be the team's first test, and it will be GM Scott Pioli and Head Coach Todd Haley's first real opportunity to show the city and fans the progress they've made.

Progress is the operative word here. It's really all I'll be looking for Friday overall. Still, there are a few specific things I'll be looking for that will help us get a better understanding as to where this team is and what we can realistically expect when the games begin to count.

My eyes will be, for the majority of the evening, on the left tackle position. More specifically, I'll be watching Branden Albert. The Chiefs had many weaknesses in 2009, possibly none bigger than the offensive line's inability to protect the quarterback. While Pioli improved the interior line via free agency and the draft, the left tackle position, or the blind side, was left unaddressed.

There hasn't been much talk about Albert during training camp, which may be a good sign. Here's to hoping it is. Many experts are predicting the Chiefs offense to be much improved this season, but it'd be hard to imagine things getting any better without the third-year tackle taking a major step forward.

If the line can protect, the Chiefs have an opportunity to be much better in the passing game this season. It will be interesting to see, in limited play Friday, if quarterback Matt Cassel has developed better timing and chemistry with his receievers compared to 2009. Chris Chambers, whom the team picked up off waivers from the Chargers mid-last season, quickly developed into Cassel's favorite target because of the continued inconsistent play of Dwayne Bowe. Everyone knows it's now or never for Bowe. Pioli and Haley have shown rare patience with the controversial wideout. Now, to be fair, early reports from camp have shed Bowe in a positive light. It's been said, but not confirmed, that Bowe worked out with All-Pro Arizona Cardinals receiever Larry Fitzgerald this past offseason. For our and his sake, let's hope it pays off. If all we see is more of the same (bad routes, drops), don't be surprised if this ends up being his last go-round in Kansas City.

As we know, Pioli did nab speedy running back/slot receiver Dexter McCluster in the second-round of the 2010 draft. If the upcoming season goes south in a hurry, McCluster may be the only reason for Chiefs fans to continue watching late in the year. He's already become the standout fan-favorite amongst the training camp spectators in St. Joseph, and if things go according to plan, he should eventually provide Kansas City with some national star power for the first time since Jared Allen wore the red and gold. New Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis probably won't give the Chargers (the Chiefs' first regular season opponent) too much game film on McCluster, especially since it is just the first preseason game, but this will still be fun to monitor.

Another fan-favorite in camp so far has been the team's first-round pick, safety Eric Berry. Berry has impressed just about everyone so far - from the coaching staff to the fans - with the way he conducts himself on and off the field. It'd sure be nice to see him make a play Friday. It won't mean much of anything if he doesn't, but it's been a long time since we've seen an immediate return on such a high draft pick in Kansas City. Many are expecting the former Tennessee star to make an impact early for the Chiefs, but it doesn't mean much until we see it happen. The sooner Berry makes his presence known (Like during the first defensive series Friday possibly?), the better.

It's safe to assume we won't know much more about this team after Friday than we do right now. We will find out, though, just how superstitious Haley and the rest of the coaching staff is. I'm, of course, talking about whether or not the Chiefs will be wearing their white pants against the Falcons. See, throughout the 90s (otherwise known as "the glory years" in my inner-circle), the Chiefs wore all white on the road. And, as we know, the Chiefs won a lot during that time period. Then, when Dick Vermeil took over in the early 2000s, the team switched to the red pants on the road. It seemed like a fashionable enough move at the time.

Now, I believe it's time to bring back the white road pants permanently. In the past couple seasons, the team has used them for a game or two here and there, and it would immediately remind me of the glory days of the 90s when our entire city stopped everything for three hours to watch Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith and Dale Carter dominate opposing offenses. The white pants on the road could be symbolism for the tide turning in Kansas City.

Overall, the coaches, players, and fans just need something positive to take from the first preseason game. Last year, with a young roster, the team played poorly during the preseason and it carried over well into the regular season. The team is still very young this year. The fans still haven't completely bought into a complete turnaround (Word is, the Chiefs still have plenty of tickets they need to sell - to the extent that it's likely one or both of the home preseason games will be blacked out.). So a solid performance Friday - and maybe a victory - sure couldn't hurt.

The Revis Situation

It seems there is a pretty intense situation going on in New York these days. It involves New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and his desire for a new, long-term contract.

There was plenty of talk leading up to training camp that Revis would holdout after putting together a monster 2009 campaign. The third-year cornerback established himself as the face of the NFL's number one defense while helping the Jets make it to the AFC Championship game (with a rookie quarterback, no less). The nickname "Revis Island", a term used for Revis and/or the side of the field he's playing on, refers to the fact that he's often allowed to matchup with the league's top receivers without any help from a safety.

Revis, of course, did not report to training camp. He's now 10 days into his holdout, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Jets owner Woody Johnson has said he doesn't think Revis will play for the team this season.

Here's the deal. ESPN is reporting that Revis, who is due to make $1 million this season with three years left on his current contract, is looking for something in the range of 10 years and $160 million (wow). The Jets brass, according to the New York Daily News, have offered him a 10-year deal worth $120 million.

These dollar amounts all seem ridiculous to the casual fan, but as we know, it's all relative. Before the 2009 season, the Oakland Raiders gave premiere cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha a major pay raise, making him the highest-paid corner in the league at about $16.5 million per year. Revis, believing (correctly) that he is as good as or better than Asomugha, or any other cornerback for that matter, wants to get paid like Asomugha. In this light, Revis' request seems understandable, given the precedent that has been set.

Surprisingly, many Jets fans have turned on Revis during this ordeal. It's odd. In most player vs. ownership financial battles, it's the team's brass who find themselves worse off in the public eye. Also, Revis was already one of the more popular players in New York. I couldn't imagine if, during his time with the Chiefs, the late Derrick Thomas asked for a new contract and the Kansas City community then collectively sided with King Carl Peterson and the Chiefs brass. There would have been a boycott of Arrowhead Stadium until a new deal was done.

And let's be clear. Maybe Revis is not yet ready to be compared to the likes of Thomas in terms of his stake in the community, but his importance to the Jets defense going forward is certainly on the same level.

Revis' popularity has also taken a hit due to ESPN's biased coverage of the story. They're biased for two reasons:  The coverage is being dictated by the worldwide leader's employees who, some of which, are New York residents and/or Jets fans, and also because, and this is directly related to reason number one, the bias stems from the networks ridiculous love affair with Jets coach Rex Ryan.

Instead of boring you with the disgusting details of the ESPN/Ryan relationship, we'll go at it this way. On Wednesday, Ryan suggested he would call off practice and bring the whole organization in - including the players - to have a meeting with the Revis camp until a deal is worked out. Ryan claimed to be "absolutely serious" about the idea.

It's a joke. This is why coaches coach and general managers and owners, well, they do what they do. Ryan ought to apologize, take his comments back, and claim he wasn't thinking clearly because of heat exhaustion. As frustrating as the Chiefs tight-lipped shot-callers can be, most fans would still probably choose professionalism over the circus Ryan has created.

Anyway, back to Revis. The key in the negotiations, as it usually is in the NFL, is the guaranteed money. It's been reported that the last offer the Jets made included only $5 million in guarantees. To put that in perspective, Chiefs' first-round draft pick Eric Berry signed a deal two weeks ago worth $34 million in guaranteed money. Needless to say, the Chiefs have high hopes for Berry. Still, he hasn't played a down in the NFL. How in the world could Berry be worth more - that much more - than Revis, coming off the season he had in 2009?

So the total years and money on the contract are almost meaningless. NFL contracts aren't structured like some of the other major sports, and most contracts end up having loopholes in them to where the team can get out of the deal without any major penalties long before the contract is due to expire. Revis would be a fool to accept only $5 million in guarantees, because it's the only part of the contract that really has any substance.

Injuries are something players have in mind, as well. Revis is the best player in the NFL at his position, but is currently being paid (and will be, unless a deal is worked out, for the next three years) like a reserve. Anything can happen in the NFL, and players' careers can end at any moment. Take Revis' former teammate, Leon Washington, for example. The Jets offered Washington a long-term deal with guarantees included during the 2009 offseason. Washington declined, instead opting to play out the rest of his contract in hopes that he could raise his stock even higher during the season. Washington then broke his leg early in the year, ending his season and changing the league's perception as to how high of a level he can play. He missed out on millions of dollars because of the risk he took.

Revis can't afford to make the same mistake, and shouldn't feel pressure to take any risks here. He's the best cornerback in the league and deserves to be paid like it.

Chiefs 2010 Training Camp Wish List

Between the NFL Draft and the regular season getting under way, the most anticipated date on the professional football calendar is the day training camps begin. Late Thursday evening, the Kansas City Chiefs reported to their first training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Most sports fans in Kansas City would agree that, regardless of the Royals performance (maybe), the football season could not come any sooner. So as we welcome the Chiefs' training camp with open - wide open - arms, let's take a look at some of things that need to happen in order for the team to have an opportunity for success this season.



Get Berry in camp

As of Thursday night, all of the Chiefs' draft picks have been signed except for their first-rounder, safety Eric Berry. Of the many flaws the 2009 Chiefs possessed, it's possible none was bigger than the overall play of the defense. If new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is to reverse the defense's fortunes, it will be with Berry leading the way. The Tennessee standout has been tagged as a natural-born leader and compared to the likes of Ed Reed. GM Scott Pioli needs to get a deal done. The sooner he gets on the field, the better.



D-Line must improve

Crennel was hired, more or less, to help maximize the capabilities of defensive linemen Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson. It's certainly his main objective.

Dorsey and Jackson are both former first-round picks out of LSU who have so far failed to meet the expectations that come along with being top draft choices. While Dorsey showed some signs of improvement in his second season in 2009, Jackson was virtually non-existent throughout his whole rookie campaign. It's time to put up or shut up. The defensive line's level of success this season could mean the difference between last place or playoffs for the Chiefs in 2010.



Find the right fit for the O-Line and commit to it

This one is key. The Chiefs had success in the running game late last year mostly due to the fact that the offensive line was able to stay healthy and in turn develop some chemistry with eachother. Still, Pioli addressed the issue in free agency by signing guard Ryan Lilja and center Casey Weigmann, two former Chiefs.

It's essential the running game picks up where it left off last year. The Chiefs saw a star emerge in 2009 in Jamaal Charles and have newly acquired rusher Thomas Jones to help keep him fresh. With so many questions on defense, this team will surely have to score some points if it wants to win consistently this season. A consistent rushing attack will help keep some of the pressure off quarterback Matt Cassel. A comfortable Cassel should equate to an overall improved offensive attack.

All of this traces back to the offensive line. Whoever it may be, the Chiefs must commit to a starting five early in camp and allow them to grow together. If this happens and they can somehow stay healthy, the offense should look drastically different this year.



Solve the Page issue

A once promising young player, it seems obvious safety Jarrad Page's days as a Chief are numbered. It's clear that Page, who is one of the few current Chiefs who was acquired during the Herm Edwards regime, just doesn't fit Pioli's "right 53". He has yet to sign his free-agent tender offer and the Chiefs don't seem to mind. They drafted two players who play Page's position, Berry and fifth-rounder Kendrick Lewis from Ole Miss.

Either way, both sides would benefit if a solution could be found quickly. Page is doing nothing positive for his football career by sitting at home in August, and the last thing the Chiefs need is an off-the-field distraction during camp. (They have Dwayne Bowe under contract for that sort of thing.)



Re-establish the return game

One of the many aspects of the game that has been neglected since the Dick Vermeil days is the return game. It seems so long ago that the Chiefs were the most feared team in the league on kickoff and punt returns because of speedster Dante Hall. Since then, the team has consistently finished in the bottom third of the league in average starting field position for the offense. Naturally, this didn't help an already struggling offense score points last season.

Pioli definitely addressed this in the draft in April. In the second round, the Chiefs selected two college players known for their speed, running back (the plan is for him to be a slot receiver) from Ole Miss, Dexter McCluster, and Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas. While the main goals of these two players will surely be to help improve the offense and defense, respectively, there's no doubt what else the team had in mind when selecting these two. Both project as good returners; my thought is that one will return kicks and the other will return punts.

The team did use Charles on kickoffs from time to time last year, but in turn saw his effectiveness on offense drop dramatically because of overuse. It's obvious McCluster and Arenas were selected, along with the Jones signing, to help keep Charles fresh to where he can be a game-changer. If both rookies can live up their potential, the Chiefs could be a threat to score at any time during the course of a game.

. . .

This has easily been the most anticipated football season in Kansas City in recent memory. Along with that comes even more pressure for the Chiefs to have a successful training camp.

Plenty of other things certainly need to happen for the team to come out of camp and into the season feeling good about themselves. You'd like to see the team stay fairly healthy throughout the pre-season. You'd like to hope Head Coach Todd Haley can keep his cool and not let his ego get in the way when dealing with players (and coaches) during camp. One could only hope that most-to-all of the team will pass Haley's dreaded conditioning test Friday, which is a prerequisite to being able to participate in practice during camp.

And hey, we'd all like to think it's possible that at some point during camp Bowe will come to realize that the family who owns the team is the Hunts, not the Clarks.

But that's probably asking too much.

Pressure Is On Cassel Now

Now that the NFL Draft is complete, football fans across the country finally have a chance to take a step back and see what their favorite teams did and didn't do over the off-season. Not that the off-season is over, there's still about three full months until training camp starts, but any big improvements a team needed to make should have been made by now.*

*It's worth noting Jacksonville Jaguar DT John Henderson and New England Patriot LB Adalius Thomas, both former Pro Bowlers, were both released by their respective teams today. Expect one (probably Henderson) or both of these players to be in Chiefs' red by the end of the week.

And if you're like me and you're already ready for football because of the way the Royals have been playing, you'll eat up anything and everything NFL, especially with regards to the Chiefs. The problem is, I don't have a strong opinion about the Chiefs' draft. Well, maybe it'd be better put this way: I have an opinion about the draft, but it's probably no more relevant than my 11-year old niece's opinion about the draft. Any real fan knows the history. It's a crapshoot. Some players will end up being busts, few will be stars, and most will be average NFL players. That's all we really know. We don't know who will do what, and that's really the beauty of the whole thing.

So in looking at the Chiefs' off-season as a whole, it seems blatantly obvious to me as to what will determine the Chiefs fate this upcoming season: Matt Cassel. Sure, there are other factors and storylines. How much impact will first-round pick Eric Berry have on the defense? Can the defensive front seven improve, specifically Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey? Can Branden Albert prove himself to be a real NFL left tackle? Is cornerback Brandon Flowers ready to emerge as a superstar? And so on.

Really, to be fair, without most-to-all of those questions being answered positively for the Chiefs, Matt Cassel's play probably won't matter too much. It does, though, seem obvious that GM Scott Pioli is determined to find out wheter Cassel is the real deal by the end of this season. There were plenty of scapegoats last year, including the offensive line's struggles and Head Coach Todd Haley scrapping the playbook two weeks before the season started. It's also easy to forget WR Dwayne Bowe's four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, handicapping an already depleted receiving corps.

Cassel's time to shine starts now. He must show substancial improvement this season to justify the contract Pioli gave him after trading for him last off-season.

The excuses, most of them at least, are gone, and the improvements on the Chiefs' offense are everywhere. It started with the addition of new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. Weis was the Patriots' offensive coordinator for their three Super Bowl victories in the 2000s and some credit him for Tom Brady's emergence into superstardom.

In free agency, the Chiefs improved their offense with a flurry of moves. They re-signed two former Chiefs on the offensive line, guard Ryan Lilja and center Casey Weigmann. On top of that, they used one of their third-round draft choices on Illinois guard Jon Asamoah, who some think could be a starter as early as next season. Along with standout guard Brian Waters, the Chiefs, at least on the interior line, finally have some stability.

The Chiefs also added my personal favorite off-season addition, RB Thomas Jones. Jones ran for over 1,400 yards last season for the Jets, and should help keep the smaller, yet more explosive Jamaal Charles fresh. All of this equates to the Chiefs all the sudden having one of the better rushing attacks in the league, at least on paper.

If it seemed like Cassel couldn't develop any chemistry with his receiving options last year, he certainly will have the opportunity to this year. Along with Asamoah, the Chiefs also drafted potential slot receiver Dexter McCluster from Ole Miss, and TE Tony Moeaki from Iowa. Both are expected to come in and have an immediate impact. While McCluster grades out to be a Dante Hall-type who will create matchup problems for defenses, Moeaki should emerge as Cassel's best friend on third down. I really like this pick for the Chiefs, as long as he can stay healthy (he had injury problems every season he was at Iowa). He won't be Tony Gonzalez. I'm reminded more of a Chris Cooley-type.

With last year's surprise addition of WR Chris Chambers and a (hopefully) more mature Bowe, the receiving corps, and all of Cassel's receiving options as a whole seem to be more solidified. More importantly, though, they seem to be BETTER.

The Chiefs' confidence in Cassel may not have been anymore apparent than when they passed on QB Jimmy Clausen in the second round of the draft on Friday. Clausen was expected to go much earlier in the draft, and Weis recruited and coached Clausen during their time together at Notre Dame. That may have been the Chiefs' best chance at improving the quarterback position on their roster, at least in the next few years. Theoretically speaking, passing on Clausen means the Chiefs feel Cassel is and has the potential to be better than Clausen. This is a great sign for Chiefs fans.

I think the Chiefs can win with Matt Cassel. I don't know if it will be this season, but we should certainly expect an improved Cassel, and with that, an improved team. I like Cassel. I think I like him more than the average Chiefs fan. This season is a chance for Cassel to prove (most of) Kansas City wrong. It's a chance for him to prove Mel Kiper wrong.* It's really an exciting time for Chiefs fans, and I, as much as any of us, cannot wait for what's to come.

*Before the Chiefs passed on Clausen in round two, Kiper noted that he thought Clausen was a very competitive and fiery quarterback, and he didn't feel Cassel was fiery enough to be a winner in the NFL. I hate Mel Kiper.