BigRedChiefsMachine

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel has become the center of some controversy in Kansas City, given a disappointing performance from the team and Cassel personally in 2011 — and in light of an acknowledged effort by the team to sign Peyton Manning during the offseason. Instead, Cassel must fend off Brady Quinn, who already knows the new offense given his time in Cleveland, along with up-and-comer Ricky Stanzi, who could indeed be the team’s quarterback of the future.

But Cassel isn’t ready to concede anything.

“I believe in myself, and I know I’m a good quarterback,” Cassel told Sports Radio 610 in Kansas City on Monday. “Of course there are going to be criticisms and everything like that, and that’s part of the business. But at the same time at the end of the day I know that I’m going to go out there and I’m going to compete each and every day. I’m going to give you 110 percent. And hopefully it’s all going to go in the right direction, we’re going to win a lot of ball games, get in the playoffs, and ideally we’d like to win a Super Bowl.”

Cassel then went Balboa in defending his track record.

“Do I feel like I can you out there and win ball games? Absolutely,” Cassel said, while also conceding that it’s part of his job to be a game manager. “Do I feel like in the fourth quarter, do I want the ball in my hands with two minutes left? Absolutely. Have I done it before? Absolutely. I’m mean, the two years I’ve started full seasons, I’ve won 10-plus games, which is hard to do.”

In separate comments to the media, Cassel talked about the importance of Organized Team activities to the team’s preparations for the 2012 season.

“I think you come together as a team,” Cassel said, via quotes distributed by the team. “You build that camaraderie. You’re out on the field, you’re working on technique, you’re working on skills and you can’t spend enough time together as a group, as a unit, especially offensively with the new offensive scheme to really tone our skills. These OTAs are pivotal for us as an offense and also as a team. . . .

“I think we get a lot out of these OTAs. I think every day that we can be out here together as a unit, as a group, build that camaraderie and continue to hone our skills and work together is going to be a step in the right direction. These OTAs are pivotal for us, especially being that it’s a new offense, new offensive terminology and scheme, and just try to get better each and every day.”

One guy who isn’t getting better with the team is receiver Dwayne Bowe, the team’s unsigned franchise player. Cassel told 610 that he has tried on several occasions to call Bowe, but that Bowe keeps changing his phone number.

He’ll likely start answering his phone once the team gives him the right number of a different kind.

http://profootballta...he-ota-process/

Does anyone have Dwayne Bowe's phone number?

Here's a partial list (that are unconfirmed):

Nate Eachus, RB, Colgate
Josh Bellamy, WR Louisville
Brandon Kinnie, WR Nebraska
Ethan Johnson, DE, Notre Dame
Neiko Thorpe, S, Auburn
Dexter Heyman, LB, Louisville
Cam Holland, OC, UNC

http://kansascity.sb...-undrafted-free

I don't have time to look any deeper right now. If anyone finds out more, please post.

EDIT: Here's our QB:

Chiefs | David Legree agrees to terms

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:05:34 -0700

The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to terms with undrafted rookie free-agent QB David Legree (Hampton). Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Read more: http://www.kffl.com/...s#ixzz1tTo821b3

Profootballtalk.com has created a tracker to keep tabs on potential draft pick visits to specific teams. If you aren't aware, each NFL team gets up to 30 visits where they can invite a player to their facility. Some use quite a few, some hardly use any.

WARNING: The visits can be an interesting topic for discussion, and allow you to see some potential players, but sometimes teams draft players that they never brought in for a visit. PFT.com also has an article about how useful (or not) paying attention to these visits can be (link below). In any case, here are the players the Chiefs have visits or private workouts scheduled with so far:

LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers
Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins
Arizona receiver Juron Criner
West Virginia linebacker Bruce Irvin
Montana defensive back Trumaine Johnson
Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler
Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill

Note the three QB's. I'm highly doubtful Tannehill makes it to 11 (although some mocks have him lower than others). However, Cousins and Osweiler might make it to the second round - and we still need a third QB on the team (and a first and second, but that's a different story...).

The list will be updated at PFT.com up to the draft:

http://profootballta...orkout-tracker/

Article on team visits written after the draft in 2011:

http://profootballta...s-and-workouts/

About a 13 minute interview/video with Pioli on Profootballtalk.com if you care to watch (link below).

Subjects discussed/highlights:

*QB 'competition'

*Peyton Manning not wanting to negotiate

*Peyton Hillis wanting to reunite with Daboll

*Eric Winston being a Chief

*Some jibber-jabber about KC (the city) and as a team players want to come to

*Talks about QB situation at about 9:30. Says Cassel, Quinn and Stanzi are 3 legitimate NFL starters (no, seriously, he said that)

*Cassel is our starter and "Matt, Brady, and Ricky know that"

*Carr's departure and Routt's arrival. Danced around it, but basically said he wasn't confident they could keep Carr, so they signed Routt preemptively.

http://profootballta...gm-scott-pioli/

Free agency starts this afternoon. I've posted a list of other teams' free agents elsewhere. Below is a list of the Chiefs free agents. Obviously, names that stick out are Carr, McClain, Belcher and Orton (considering how things are looking on the Manning/draft front). In all, I think most of these guys won't be back next season, that includes 2/5ths of our starting offensive line.

http://www.arrowhead...efs-free-agents

Exclusive Rights Free Agents

QB Tyler Palko (ERFA): As an exclusive rights free agent, Palko's rights are totally controlled by the Chiefs. If KC offers him a contract, he can play for KC or not play at all. The Chiefs may not do that, though. As of last week, Palko hadn't heard from the Chiefs on what they're going to do. I bet they let him walk.

S Reshard Langford (ERFA): Might as well bring him back. Like Palko, the Chiefs control his rights. The Chiefs have almost 30 more spots to fill on the offseason roster. I think Langford comes back.

Restricted Free Agents

LB Jovan Belcher (RFA): He's reportedly received a second round tender from the team. Basically, that means the Chiefs are more than likely going to keep him, unless someone offers up a second round pick for him (which they won't).

Unrestricted Free Agents

RB Jackie Battle: He's going to test free agency. He's really looking to be a No. 2 back someplace and I think in Kansas City, depending on what they do in free agency and the draft, he's destined to be the No. 3 back. If someone is willing to pay him more, he could leave Kansas City. If not, I think the Chiefs would take him back at their price. He can perform in multiple roles.

TE Anthony Becht: He'll be 35 years old when next season starts. The Chiefs signed him and re-signed him a few times last year so I'm not really sure where they stand with him. TE Jake O'Connell recently received a one-year contract. This position becomes more important if TE Tony Moeaki has health issues down the line again. In the end, I don't think Becht comes back, but he's indicated he does want to continue playing.

CB Brandon Carr: I think he's gonna leave. As I've said before, I'm not really upset at either side on this one. Carr's one of my favorite Chiefs and he's gonna do what a lot of players dream of doing and that's cash in as a free agent. Can't blame him. The Chiefs got a decent replacement for him at half the price. Can't blame them either. There's not really a big loser here.

DB Travis Daniels: I can see him returning to Kansas City. Daniels came into KC with the Pioli regime in 2009. There won't be a free agent bidding war for him. Bring him back until you find some competition for him.

DE Wallace Gilberry: Yesterday Gilberry tweeted: "It was fun while it lasted." Hmm. That's probably not a good sign. I like Gilberry but for whatever reason his production and playing time dropped from 2010 to 2011. That tells me he's probably not a major factor in the Chiefs plans, if he's in their plans at all. That's too bad because Gilberry seemed to have a lot of promise finishing the 2010 season with the second most sacks on the team.

DL Kelly Gregg: Nothing official has been announced but he's likely to retire. Gregg was pretty much what we thought he would be -- a one year stop-gap. Best of luck him in retirement, if that's what he chooses to do.

RB Thomas Jones: He's 33 years old so you have to wonder where he stands on possibly retiring. Jones might get a look from another team but his yards per carry has dropped four straight years to where it hovered just above three yards per carry last season. I don't think he's back in KC.

FB Le'Ron McClain: Not much brewing here. Remember, the Chiefs weren't hunting him down at the start of free agency last year. It took a little while. I think McClain will look around in free agency. A return to Baltimore wouldn't surprise me.

S Jon McGraw: He's 32 years old. Look at the number of starts from 2008 to 2011: 16, 14, 12 and 10. That's not a good trend. He was banged up throughout the year. I think there's value in having a guy like Jon McGraw on the team, even in just the offseason. We'll see what the Chiefs do. I don't really have an indication as to which way the Chiefs are leaning.

OT Ryan O'Callaghan: Rumors abound that O'Callaghan plans to retire. No confirmation on that but I don't think he returns to KC. He ended the last two seasons on IR.

QB Kyle Orton: GM Scott Pioli said the Chiefs want Orton back and he also said Orton has indicated he wants to come back. If a deal isn't already signed then that probably means Orton is going to look around in free agency. Maybe he can find a starting job after Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn sign. If not, I think the Chiefs would have him back at a somewhat competitive price. Romeo Crennel, in particular, seems to be an Orton fan.

S Sabby Piscitelli: I don't think he really did anything to warrant another shot. Maybe he gets a spot on the offseason roster with a one-year deal but nothing more than that.

TE Leonard Pope: I suppose you bring him back until someone better than him is signed.

OT Barry Richardson: I don't think B-Rich would be an awful pick as a backup/swing tackle but he can't be featured in a starting role. I think his future depends on what the Chiefs are able to do in free agency and the draft.

WR Jerheme Urban: I doubt he comes back. He missed the entire 2010 season due to injury and appeared in just six games last year with one start. Those aren't the numbers of a guy that the Chiefs are going to pursue outside of a minimum contract.

C Casey Wiegmann: His future is up in the air and I think it'll continue like that for a while longer. Maybe Wiegmann does play but at a certain point the Chiefs have to prepare Rodney Hudson, the presumed center of the future.