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New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel has been traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs also got linebacker Mike Vrabel from New England in exchange for their second-round pick (34th overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft. The agreement is good only if both players pass their physicals, but I don’t think that will be an issue. Chiefs new GM Scott Pioli (formerly of the Patriots, of course) was thrilled to bring old faces into new places:

“I have a long history with both players. Mike and Matt are men that I respect both personally and professionally. I look forward to having them as new members of the Chiefs family.”

I am shocked that the Patriots gave up both players for only a second round Draft choice. I think this is an incredible steal for the Chiefs. Granted, Matt Cassel could be a “one season wonder” and Mike Vrabel is in the twilight of his career, but this has the potential to be a very big deal for the Chiefs.

I knew the Patriots weren’t going to keep Matt around as a $14.5 million backup to Tom Brady. So they must be very secure that Tom’s knee rehab is going well. Matt had a great season by anyone’s standards last year (3,693 yards and 21 TDs to only 11 INTs). So, why let him go for so little — especially with what appeared to be a high demand for his services this offseason?

The Kansas City Chiefs, though, are an organization headed in the right direction in a hurry. After finishing the 2008 season with a dismal 2-14 record, they fired head coach Herm Edwards (one of my favorite head coaches, by the way) and brought in aforementioned general manager Scott Pioli to help get things going in the right direction. I’d say he’s doing a great job so far. And that’s what I expected. He hired new head coach Todd Haley just days after coach Haley’s Arizona Cardinals lost Super Bowl XLIII. He’ll be an outstanding young head coach in this league. And with the additions of Cassel and Vrabel, the Chiefs are on the road to greatly improving their personnel. Just like that the Kansas City Chiefs are ready to contend in the AFC West.

Source: KCChiefs.com, Photo: Newscom

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Patriots Trade Matt Cassel to Chiefs

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A record 11th NFL team will be looking for a new head coach this offseason. The Kansas City Chiefs fired head coach Herm Edwards today. New GM Scott Pioli arrived last week and he and coach Edwards have had a number of conversations since that evidently didn’t produce what Mr. Pioli felt was a workable relationship. So he decided to go in a different direction, understanding that the Chiefs were parting ways with what he described as “a great man and a tremendous football coach.” I couldn’t agree more. I’m a Herm Edwards fan. But a 15-33 regular season record after three years isn’t really getting the job done, so I’m not all bent out of shape about the Chiefs searching for a new head coach. Being the class act that he is, Coach Edwards took the time to release the following statement:

“First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Hunt Family for the opportunity to spend nine seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to serve as the head coach of ‘Lamar’s Team’ the past three seasons. Lamar was a special, special man, who provided tremendous opportunities to so many, myself included.

“There is not a more gracious family in all of professional sports than the Hunts. To Norma, Clark and Tavia, Lamar, Jr. and Rita, Sharron and David, and Dan, I would like to thank them for all of them for the encouragement and many kindnesses they extended to me, my wife, Lia, and our entire family over the years. The Chiefs franchise is clearly in good hands for many years to come under Clark’s leadership. I have no doubt that Clark and Scott Pioli will continue to steer the Chiefs in the right direction.

“I would be remiss if I did not thank Carl Peterson for his support and friendship over the years. He gave me my first opportunity as a player in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also gave me a chance to coach in the league both as an assistant and as a head coach. What a remarkably positive impact Carl made on the lives of so many.

“There are many fine, fine people in the Kansas City Chiefs organization too numerous to mention who worked so tirelessly to help our football team. I am fortunate to call so many of them friends. I am a better man and a better coach in so many ways because of them. Hopefully, they feel the same way because of our time together.

“Finally, to the players and coaches who worked so hard for our team, I appreciate their efforts. This is going to be a very good football team. The support of Chiefs fans across the country has been tremendous. They are truly passionate about their football team. Chiefs fans will be proud to cheer for this team for many years to come. With the tremendous nucleus of young talent on this roster, I sincerely believe that his team is poised to do great things. I respect the tough decision that was made to move in a new direction. I wish the players and the organization the very best as they move forward.”

As far as a replacement for coach Edwards, negotiations are apparently underway between the Chiefs and former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. No comment from the Chiefs on this yet, but if a deal gets done, coach Shanahan will need to give up some of his control to Mr. Pioli.

Sources: KCChiefs.com, ESPN.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Chiefs Fire Head Coach Herm Edwards

It would appear that Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has issues. He’s being investigated for allegedly spitting a drink in a woman’s face at a nightclub, the fourth time in five years (and second in the past couple weeks) he’s been accused of assaulting a woman. Kansas City police are looking into a report of non-aggravated assault against Larry for telling a woman that he was going to kill her boyfriend, then spitting in her face. Larry hasn’t been charged and the case has been assigned to a detective and will be investigated as resources allow. Chiefs team president Carl Peterson issued the following statement:

“We are aware of the most recent incident involving Larry Johnson and we are very disappointed with his involvement. We will cooperate fully with the Kansas City authorities who are investigating the matter. We have also made the NFL office in New York aware of the incident and officials there are conducting their own independent investigation. Based upon the NFL Player Conduct Policy, we will have no further comment.”

Larry was deactivated for yesterday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, but according to Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards it had nothing to do with any of these recent alleged charges. He merely violated unspecified team rules. Which makes you wonder all the more what the heck is going on with this guy. I know enough about his family (his dad is well-respected on Joe Paterno’s staff at Penn State) to understand this isn’t the way they raised him to behave. And while we don’t know all the facts, the history of allegations involving his violence against women is disturbing.

Source: ESPN.com

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Larry Johnson Under Investigation

Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has been deactivated one game for violating team rules. Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards refused to specify what team rules Larry broke, but did say his decision had nothing to do with the charge of simple assault filed against Larry earlier this week:

“This is the first time it’s happened to him, and hopefully it’s going to be the last time. Hopefully it’s going to be the last time I have to do it with anybody on this football team. I had to do it one time (as head coach of the New York Jets) in five years. I hope it never has to happen again.”

This doesn’t bode well for the 1-4 Chiefs who will host the undefeated Tennessee Titans Sunday. They will get starting QB Brodie Croyle back from a shoulder injury, but I question whether the Chiefs will have enough firepower to score against the NFL’s stingiest defense (11.2 ppg).

Source: ESPN.com

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Larry Johnson Deactivated

Just minutes after the National Football League’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline this afternoon, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards said nine-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez was still with the team:

“He’s going to be at practice tomorrow. That’s what he’s paid to do. He a professional football player ….. Tony’s going to give 100 percent as a professional football player. He always has. That’s one thing you can count on him. He takes a lot of pride in being who he is. If not, he couldn’t have achieved all the goals that he’s achieved thus far in his career. I’m not worried about that.”

Still, I have to think Tony is pretty disappointed. He made public his desire to play for a contender at this late stage of his career and asked the team to explore any and all trade possibilities to a team that had a shot at going to the Super Bowl. Chiefs President Carl Peterson is known as a tough negotiator and obviously wasn’t hearing what he wanted from the teams (N.Y. Giants, Buffalo, Arizona, Philadelphia) that were interested in Tony’s services.

Source: KCChiefs.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Tony Gonzalez Stays in Kansas City

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After a disappointing end to an up-and-down four-year career with the N.Y. Jets, offensive lineman Adrian Jones just wanted another opportunity. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards (who drafted Adrian when he was coaching in New York) gave him that chance. Adrian has resurrected his career in KCMO and reunited with coach Edwards, where he’s the starting right guard on an offensive line that blazes a trail for superstar running back (and this week’s FedEx Ground Player of the Week) Larry Johnson. I caught up with AJ after practice today to talk about the Chiefs impressive Week 4 win over Denver and the road back from an 0-3 start.

• 0:08 – Chiefs upset previously unbeaten Denver to get their first win
• 0:54 – No time for rebuilding in the National Football League
• 1:32 – As the offensive line goes, so goes running back Larry Johnson
• 2:04 – One chapter ends in New York, another begins in Kansas City
• 2:54 – Adrian’s hard work earned him a starting spot on the O-line
• 3:00 – Comparing Kansas City and New York City
• 3:32 – Herm Edwards believed in Adrian enough to pick him twice
• 4:17 – Coach Edwards encourages the Chiefs to play with emotion
• 4:54 – Getting that first win offers a small sigh of relief
• 5:22 – Appreciating life more after a car accident ten years ago
• 6:34 – Adrian never really considered himself an NFL prospect
• 7:18 – Previewing Sunday’s game vs. the Carolina Panthers

Links: KCChiefs.com, NFL.com

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EMQB Interview: Adrian Jones

The winter storm that has an icy grip on Indianapolis has slowed things down outside. But as promised, today was a whirlwind of activity around the Media Work Room here at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine. The players being shuttled in and out were mostly wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks.

My day was really one big press conference with a few of my own interviews thrown in for good measure. I took part in every head coach presser — Tom Coughlin (Giants), Brad Childress (Vikings), Gary Kubiak (Texans), Tony Dungy (Colts), Herm Edwards (Chiefs), Scott Linehan (Rams), Jim Zorn (Redskins), Jack Del Rio (Jags), Mike McCarthy (Packers) and Romeo Crennel (Browns).

Several team VIPs were also speaking with the media — Packers GM Ted Thompson, Texans GM Rick Smith, Redskins VP of Football Ops Vinny Cerrato, Jags VP of Player Personnel James Harris, Browns GM Phil Savage and Rams Executive VP of Player Personnel Bill Devaney.

We also had a surprise guest — Cleveland Browns RB Jamal Lewis who recently signed a new three-year contract with the team. Jamal said he wants to play three more years and finish his career as a Cleveland Brown. He was thankful the team gave him that opportunity. He just wants to help the Browns get to the Super Bowl and feels they are making strides to get there. When asked how much gas he had left in his proverbial tank, he said:

“I’ve been answering that question for the last three years. I’m the old Jamal. A lot of gas is left in the tank. I work hard in the offseason to prepare myself for a 20-to-24-game season. I’m healthy and when I’m healthy I’m a good Jamal.”

Coach Childress gave some great insight into the career of Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson. While Tarvaris had an up-and-down 2007 season, his second half play in a loss to the Broncos in the final game of the season was what the team would look for mentality and physically next fall. Coach said he looked forward to Tarvaris logging more games in his third season as a starter. Personally, I think I would’ve pulled the plug by now. But I would like to see Tarvaris succeed. He certainly needs to keep working on his mechanics and he needs to be more consistent. Coach Childress also mentioned that DE Kenechi Udeze, who is battling a form of leukemia, told him: “Coach, this is nothing more than a cold. I’m gonna beat this.”

That would have been a full day in itself. But the offensive skill position players were in and out of the Media Work Room all day as well. Big names that are expected to be called very early in this upcoming Draft — like Matt Ryan (Boston College), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) and Mario Manningham (Michigan) — all stopped by for a visit. And Brian Brohm (Louisville), who hopes to have a great Combine workout to challenge Matt Ryan for the top QB spot, felt his game was NFL-ready:

“I think the system I was in is going to help me tremendously to play in the NFL. Under Coach Petrino, it was pretty much the same type of system the New York Giants run. It’s where he got the offense when he was with Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville. We were in that system for three years. Then we switched over to a more accountable one back spread with zone running my last year. But just being able to adjust to new systems and being in a pro style system, I think is going to help me out a lot.”

I couldn’t agree more, but I don’t think he’ll be able to do enough to be the first QB taken in April. I think this is a solid group of QBs. The aforementioned Matt Ryan and Brian Brohm. Kentucky’s Andre Woodson. Michigan’s Chad Henne. USC’s John David Booty. Hawaii’s Colt Brennan. These guys were superstars in college and I feel like they can make an impact in the NFL.

Finally, what better way to end the day than to slide (literally — remember, I’m stuck in the middle of a winter storm here in Indy) four blocks down Maryland Ave. to Conseco Fieldhouse for the Pacers/Nets game. A special thanks to Pacers Director of Media Relations David Benner for the hook-up. By the way, Indiana won 113-103. (Check out our Sports Channel’s NBA blog — NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.)

Additional Photos by David Kindervater

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NFL Scouting Combine 2008: Day Two

It was another beautiful day here in Indianapolis. Cold, for sure. But not a cloud in the sky. I spent most of my day inside as the action picked up considerably from yesterday with more than 15 head coaches speaking with the media and an endless stream of QBs, WRs and RBs.

I arrived early and set up shop in Media Work Room 105 here at the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome. This is one of several “overflow” rooms for the media, but I prefer it because it’s MUCH quieter. I can’t write with all the chaos in the main Work Room.

My first order of business was an interview with NFL Draft Scout Senior Analyst Rob Rang. Rob had just arrived in town from his home base in Seattle and we had a great discussion on the Combine and this year’s Draft class. You can hear the interview on BPR61.

The day officially started with the Cleveland Browns winning a coin toss with Tampa Bay for the right to the third overall selection in April’s Draft. Both teams finished last season at 4-12. Then Miami Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron started the coaches parade with a 10 a.m. press conference. He mentioned he was from nearby Terre Haute, IN. Coach Cameron was eager to develop a good working relationship with the media. He’s not short on words, so that’s a good start. The other coaches who were here today were Lovie Smith (Bears), Tom Coughlin (Giants), Brad Childress (Vikings), Jack Del Rio (Jags), Rod Marinelli (Lions), Herm Edwards (Chiefs), Tony Dungy (Colts), Eric Mangini (Jets), Jeff Fisher (Titans), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Mike McCarthy (Packers), and Romeo Crennel (Browns). In addition, there were GMs Ted Thompson (Packers) and Phil Savage (Browns) and Colts President Bill Polian.

The players began filtering in just before lunch. At one point there were five QBs in the Media Work Room. Obviously I couldn’t talk to all of them so I spent some time at a roundtable discussion with Justin Palmer (UTEP, brother of Bengals QB Carson) and then caught fellow Pitt grad Tyler Palko for a one-on-one which you will also hear on BPR61.

After grabbing a quick lunch (the NFL provides food) and visiting with my friends from the EAS booth across the hall, it was right back to work as wide receivers were everywhere. I spent some time with a couple of very promising prospects — Boise State’s Jerard Rabb and Illinois State’s Laurent Robinson. (Note: As I eluded to in yesterday’s post, I can’t get any decent audio for the podcast by putting my digital recorder on a podium and shouting questions from a distance. I can’t. I won’t. And this is the norm here. So, if I want an interview with one of the “higher profile” Draft prospects, I will just contact their agent in the coming weeks and we’ll try to get something setup. Last year we had players like Maurice Jones-Drew, Antonio Cromartie and Chris Chester — to name just a few — on telephone interviews for the podcast.)

Jerard spoke about Boise State’s miraculous Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma and what impact that has had on his life and the lives of others. It was a good interview, very candid. He’s a cordial, bright kid. Laurent was a little more reserved, but very polite and confident. He admitted it was a dream come true for him to be here at the Combine. You can hear both Jerard and Laurent on BPR61 as well.

I sat in on one more roundtable talk — this time with Penn State RB Tony Hunt. When asked about passing PSU greats Curt Warner and John Cappelletti in the school record books, he said, “It kind of surprised me. It just happened. I didn’t really see it coming. It just happened. I didn’t know how many yards I had, I just heard people talking about it. It’s just an honor to be mentioned in the same category with those guys.”

In today’s workouts, kickers and punters did their thing on the RCA Dome floor while O-linemen and tight ends benched. Texas Tech guard Manuel Ramirez and Texas guard Justin Blalock each bench-pressed 225 pounds 40 times.

One funny thing that happened to me today was when I was walking out of Media Work Room 105. Now, bear in mind that I am working amidst anyone and everyone who is involved with the NFL it seems — you never know who you’ll run into around any corner — head coaches (obviously), former and current players, presidents and GMs, etc. Well, Buffalo Bills legendary Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy had just passed by the door as I was walking out so I said, “Coach Levy!” He turned around and smiled. So, I introduced myself and we had a nice chat.

It was a very good day of work. A long and tiring day of work. I spent 95% of it on my feet. And now I’ve got an eight-hour drive ahead of me, back to NY and the home studio.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Scouting Combine: Day Two