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Tight end Martin Rucker, a St. Joseph native and former University of Missouri standout, hasn’t practiced since injuring his right knee in a goal line drill last Friday. Unfortunately, the prognosis doesn’t look good and Rucker could be facing ACL surgery.

“He’s going to get a second opinion on it and then he’s going to make a decision about what he wants to do, but it doesn’t look good overall.” Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel said following Thursday’s OTA session.

It’s a tough break for Rucker who was offered a contract following a two-day tryout at Kansas City’s rookie minicamp last month. He has been rotating with the reserve tight ends behind Kevin Boss throughout OTAs.

Rucker suffered what appears to be the first serious injury of the Chiefs offseason program. The three-year NFL vet was originally a fourth-round draft pick of Crennel’s in Cleveland.

Kansas City began OTAs with six tight ends on its roster, but only four are healthy with Tony Moeaki continuing to rehabilitate the left knee injury he suffered last preseason.

The Chiefs have taken a cautious approach with their trio of left knee injuries - Moeaki, Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles - throughout OTAs. Each has participated in the offseason program, but stayed away from practice drills.

Berry, Charles and Moeaki have appointments set with doctors for June 18^th in order to clear them for training camp.

Crennel Comments on Exonerated Linebacker

ESPN’s Rick Reilly recently wrote an excellent story on former top-tier high school football recruit Brian Banks. Within his story, Reilly broke the news that Kansas City has shown interest in bringing in the exonerated linebacker for a private workout.

Banks has been making the media rounds this week after being cleared of a rape conviction that put him into prison for five years and forced him to wear a GPS ankle bracelet for another five. Banks was 16 years old and had a full-ride scholarship to USC when he was accused and convicted of rape in 2002.

From Reilly’s story…

But on a summer day that year, he and a girl named Wanetta Gibson decided to go make out in a stairwell at school. When they came out, she accused him of rape.

No semen traces in the rape kit. No witnesses. And yet Banks' attorney insisted he cop a plea, saying his size, age and race would mean a sure conviction of 40-plus years. He said no, no, a hundred times no and finally, reluctantly, yes.

Banks got six years. He served 62 months.

Ms. Gibson received a $750,000 settlement from the school, but has since admitted that she lied to law enforcement. Banks was exonerated in May.

Crennel gave an update Thursday regarding Kansas City’s interest in the former blue chip recruit.

“Scott (Pioli) has talked to Brian Banks and it’s all kind of in the works,” Crennel said. “I don’t know if anything will get worked out, but there is a possibility. You know Brian’s story and I think that anytime a guy can get a second chance that’s good for him considering the circumstances of the situation he was in.

“If we can get him in for a workout, we’ll get him in for a workout and see where he is.”  

Banks had a private workout scheduled with the Seattle Seahawks and former USC head coach Pete Carroll today. His workout apparently went well and the Seahawks have offered him a tryout at next week’s minicamp.

Draft Class at Full Go

For the first time since rookie minicamp the Chiefs had all eight draft picks on the practice field.

Half of Kansas City’s draft class has missed time this offseason, most recently second-round OL Jeff Allen (ankle), fifth-round DB De’Quan Menzie and sixth-round RB Cyrus Gray. All three were practicing Thursday after missing most of OTAs.

Held out of Thursday’s practice was S Eric Berry (knee), OL Rob Bruggeman (finger), DE Ethan Johnson (personal), S Kendrick Lewis (shoulder/pectoral), TE Tony Moeaki (knee), TE Martin Rucker (knee) and LB Brandon Siler (Achilles). WR Dwayne Bowe continues to stay away from the Chiefs offseason program with an unresolved contract situation.

Play of the Day

Travis Daniels is having a repeat of his 2010 offseason when he seemed to tally an interception during every practice session. The veteran cornerback, who has moved to free safety for OTAs, is wreaking havoc on quarterbacks in practices again this offseason.

After notching a pick-six off Ricky Stanzi on Monday, Daniels was back at it again with a Red Zone interception off Matt Cassel on Thursday.

Overall, however, it was a day for the offense. Cassel, Stanzi and Brady Quinn each connected on Red Zone touchdown passes during competitive work against the defense and Cassel added another touchdown with his feet on a bootleg that fooled most every defender.