Welcome back to double-days in St. Joseph. In full pads once again the Chiefs ran through a familiar morning practice schedule, specifically focusing on the perimeter run game and play-action passing during the team portions of practice. Friday is the final day of work before the Chiefs host their annual training camp scrimmage as part of Family Fun Day on Saturday.
“Portions of that will be live,” head coach Todd Haley said. “We’ll try to throw some special teams situations in there and we’ll have some form of in-game situations.”
Spratt Stadium Gates are set to open at 11:30 AM on Saturday. You can find more information here.
Practice Inactives
Only Waters and Gilberry were outside working out on the bikes during practice. Johnson missed his second consecutive day of practice and Harris missed his first after limping off the practice field on Thursday. Both Johnson and Harris were not outdoors on Friday. Page has yet to report to camp.
The Inevitable
It happens every year. Really, it’s inevitable.
Chiefs P 
“The specialists are here,” Colquitt joked after practice.
Chiefs fans love their left-footed punter, and why shouldn’t they? Kicks such as Friday’s have been a regular occurrence for Colquitt over his five years in Kansas City. Colquitt owns Chiefs career records for net punting average (39.92), gross punting average (44.09) and punts downed inside the 20 (145).
A New Wrinkle to ILB Rotation
The training camp competition that everyone has their eye on offered a new wrinkle Friday morning. Though the inside linebackers continue to share first-team duties, the pairings switched up a bit.
Typically,
“It’s hard to say if it’s the first time that Corey and I have worked together because we are switching up repetitions so much, but it’s definitely the longest we’ve been paired together,” Johnson said following practice.
Haley re-iterated earlier this week that competition for starting roles in the position group is wide-open.
Third-and-Short
When the Chiefs coaching staff decides to go live, there isn’t a more physical part of practice. Add in the fact that today’s focus was third-and-short situations and you’re offered a reminder of old-school training camps. The session didn’t last long (just four plays), but there was enough thumping going on to feed the football fix.
The offense and defense split the drill, trading off victories against one another. LB Jovan Belcher had the big play for the defense when he made a great run read, shooting through an inside gap to stop FB
Each of the four snaps was taken in a third-and-one setting.
Developmental Sessions
The Chiefs have gone at a live tempo during various points of the past three practice sessions. Haley is calling the periods “Developmental Sessions.” Essentially, these sessions consist of full-contact drills relative to a certain game-like situation. Today’s point of emphasis, as mentioned above, was third-and-short.
“We’ve started what we’re calling developmental sessions towards the tail end where we’re giving some of these young guys as close to live looks as we can get,” Haley said.
The developmental sessions are a product of how the New York Jets conducted practice sessions in the 1990s. During that time period, Haley was joined in the Jets organization by current Chiefs coaches Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Maurice Carthon, Richie Anderson, Bill Muir, Bernie Parmalee, Anothony Pleasant and Otis Smith. Scott Pioli was also part of those Jets teams.
“We thought about doing something like this last year, but didn’t think that, team-wise, we were at a point to where we could have guys sitting out,” Haley explained. “I do feel like we’re getting to a point where guys are starting to establish themselves as closer to front-line players for us.”
Water Weight
Just how hot are training camp practices? Over the course of camp, Haley said that some players have lost up to 19 pounds of water weight in a single practice. As a result of the extreme temperatures, Chiefs trainers and coaches are constantly monitoring the health and hydration of each player in camp.
The training staff monitors the weight of each player before and after every practice session. Players are continually offered Gatorade and access to cold tubs as well. For some, pushing fluids through IV is the best route to staying healthy. For every player, it’s different.
“It’s a constant job, and something that I handle with a great deal of seriousness,” Haley said of keeping his players healthy and hydrated.
Quote of the Day
Todd Haley: “You could get about 18 or 19
CCVI Game Approaching
The Chiefs hosted sponsors for the 2010 Chiefs Charity Game at practice on Friday morning, which reminds me that the annual event is quickly approaching.
The 27th annual Chiefs Charity Game will be played vs. Philadelphia on August 27th at The New Arrowhead coinciding with the inaugural football game at the newly renovated Home of the Chiefs. For the second year in a row the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) is the game’s beneficiary. Funds raised through the Chiefs Charity Game are designated for the CCVI Infant Program and operational endowment.
The Chiefs Charity Game Committee, lead by Event Chairs Stu and Dana Stram has raised more than $700,000 in cash sponsorships and in kind donations in support of CCVI. If you’d like more information on how to support the CCVI through the 2010 Chiefs Charity game, please visit www.chiefscharitygame.com.
PM PRACTICE UPDATE
Gilberry Returns
DE Wallace Gilberry returned to the practice field for the afternoon session and participated in 11 vs. 11 drills. RB
Status Quo on O-Line
With both Brian Waters and Darryl Harris currently inactive for practice, Kansas City is a bit short-handed at the position. The Chiefs do, however, have plenty of versatility along the interior offensive line to give them options at the position.
“We are going to stay status quo right now and continue to let those guys get comfortable with what we’ve asked them to do,” Haley said. “Knowing that there are some options across the line there and some versatility. So right now it’s Ikechuku’s opportunity and I think I’ve seen some step-up from him and again that’s what those guys have to understand, that if they are out there and able to go every day, and be the same guy every day, is that they’re opportunity is going to come. It’s just a matter of being ready for it.”
Another Big Finish
Yesterday, it was rookie TE
During a Red Zone period to end practice, QB
Hayward, who ironically happens to be a St. Joseph native that attended Missouri Western and even played on first football team in the university’s history, had WRs
Play of the Day
When TE
It’s obvious that the Chiefs QBs are trying to use Pope’s height as an advantage. Croyle attempted a similar throw to Pope just a few plays later, but went a bit too high.
