Kansas City Chiefs

Denny Medley-USA Today Sports The Kansas City Chiefs are lauded by many experts as having the best offseason of any team in the NFL. KC has received an offensive injection by hiring Andy Reid as head coach and dealing for quarterback competency in the name of Alex Smith. Vegas has responded kindly as well, boosting the Chiefs’ two-win effort in 2012 up 5.5 games for the 2013 win total line. I’m a bit torn on whether choosing the over or under seems most logical, but it’s hard to imagine them repeating as the No. 1 selection in next year’s draft. The Chiefs were a chic pick among experts as AFC West champs last year before falling well short of the postseason, but retain much of a roster core that has been rightly lauded for the many talented components there. Outside of defensive line and maybe wide receiver, KC is probably above average at all positions. The horrible play from Matt Cassel, Tyler Palko and Brady Quinn at the single most important position in professional sports held KC back primarily. Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston give them one of the league’s best linebacking corps, but they have suffered from poor play ahead of them. Dwayne Bowe has given them one of the most underrated No. 1 receivers in the league, and yet the quarterback lowers the ceiling here too. The Chiefs are getting 60-to-1 Super Bowl odds, tied with the division rival San Diego Chargers in that regard. The two are also knotted in AFC West title odds as +650, with the Oakland Raiders far behind at +2000. Thomas Emerick is a Senior Writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasEmerick, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

The Chiefs have revealed plenty of two-tight end formations during their offseason program and spent plenty of time at least trying to throw the ball to both of their new tight ends, Anthony Fasano and Travis Kelce. The signs are everywhere that the tight end as a pass receiver is back in the Chiefs offense under new coach Andy Reid.

Memorial Day weekend is here! Exactly how much BBQ and/or adult beverages do you plan to consume during the next few days? Tell us about your Memorial Day weekend plans, or discuss whatever comes to mind in Friday's open thread.

Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports Tyler Bray left the Tennessee Volunteers last year after a disappointing season in which Tennessee, home to one of the most explosive passing offenses in the country, didn’t even make it to a bowl game. The Volunteer defense was terrible, and some bad decisions down the stretch led to Tennessee’s poor performance. Bray left the Volunteers expecting to be picked in the 2013 NFL Draft. He wasn’t, but the Kansas City Chiefs signed him as an undrafted free agent. There isn’t a better quarterback that was drafted this year; just remember what he did to David Amerson at the beginning of last year. Amerson, who in the preseason was expected to be the top cornerback, was torn apart and never recovered after leading the NCAA in interceptions the previous year.  He can throw the ball as long and as accurately as any quarterback who was picked in the draft this April. His major flaws are his decision making skills when he’s not passing well and his work ethic. Both of these flaws are things that other NFL players can work with him on to make better, and Kansas City knew that when signing him. The Chiefs will start Alex Smith at the start of the season, but Smith isn’t the top caliber quarterback that Kansas City needs to be in playoff contention. Unfortunately for Smith, if the Chiefs start playing poorly he will be benched. Bray will get playing time sometime this season, and he will prove that he was overlooked. The Chiefs’ receivers are fast, and Bray has a huge arm. If Dexter McCluster and Dwayne Bowe can get behind the defense, he can get the ball to them every time. The Chiefs are built to let a young quarterback achieve great things. Kansas City has an outstanding running back and offensive line, both of which are essential for a successful young quarterback. This will take some of the pressure off Bray’s decision making since he will be handing it off much of the time. Expect Bray, if he gets playing time early in the season, to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He just has that much raw talent, and Kansas City has such skilled players that would be around him.

Written by Rich Arleo Edited by Marc Caviglia To help better prepare you for your upcoming 2013 fantasy football drafts we have has decided to take a close look at each team’s depth and predict how each players role will play out during the 2013 NFL season. These fantasy football depth charts will cover every position, however the main focus will be on the running back and wide receiver positions, since fantasy football owners have the toughest time projecting these positions. Keep in mind our NFL Depth Charts are fantasy football specific. Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart QB1: Alex Smith | QB2: Chase Daniel | QB3: Tyler Bray RB1: Jamaal Charles | RB2: Knile Davis | RB3: Shaun Draughn | RB4: Cyrus Gray WR1: Dwayne Bowe | WR2: Donnie Avery | WR3: Dexter McCluster | WR4: Jon Baldwin TE1: Travis Kelce | TE1: Tony Moeaki | TE2: Anthony Fasano K: Ryan Succop 2012 In Review It was another rough year for the Kansas City Chiefs. One of the worst offenses in the league was anchored by a struggling Matt Cassel before he was hurt. Brady Quinn failed miserably filling in for him and the entire offenses faltered because of it. Dwayne Bowe struggled to put up numbers for fantasy football owners, but it wasn’t all his fault. He finished with 803 yards and only three touchdowns (the only receiver to score more than once). Dexter McCluster was second with 452 yards and one touchdown and tight end Tony Moeaki had almost identical numbers as the top tight end. Star running back Jamaal Charles was able to produce all by himself, however he was inconsistent as an RB1. He finished with over 1,700 total yards and seven touchdowns. Peyton Hillis failed to do much of anything as his counterpart while Shaun Draughn showed he’s basically as valuable as Hillis. Kicker Ryan Succop didn’t have many scoring chances but was able to nail some long kicks. What to Expect in 2013 The Chiefs made a big move this offseason bringing in Alex Smith and he should make the Chiefs offense somewhat respectable. Smith can be a decent QB2 and will help the fantasy football value of every other key offensive player…especially Bowe. The veteran Bowe can again be drafted with confidence and should return to the high end WR2 form he had back when Cassel at least had a respectable year. Donnie Avery as the second wide receiver should also help Bowe. Avery probably won’t be as valuable as he was last year with Andrew Luck , but he could be roster worthy. McCluster and Jon Baldwin will get looks here and there, but they will be few and far between. Charles should also be able to score more as the offense will actually move the chains. Hillis is gone, so Charles will have basically all of the carries to himself, though the Chiefs did invest a draft pick on Knile Davis. Davis is explosive, tough to tackle and will spell Charles the majority of the time. Draughn has good hands and may be able to see some touches through the air with Smith under center. Moeaki could improve a bit but the Chiefs also brought in Anthony Fasano and drafted Travis Kelce in Round 3. None of the tight ends are fantasy relevant in re-draft leagues as of now, though Kelce is a solid late round pickup in fantasy football dynasty leagues and is fairly advanced despite being a rookie. Don’t be surprised if… ...Smith becomes a very good QB2 and Bowe is a very solid WR1 all year. Bowe is too talented to be kept out of the end zone as much as he was last season, and Smith should thrive with a top-flight receiver and great running back behind him. Plus the selection of Eric Fisher at No/ 1 overal helps bolster the offensive line. AFC EAST DEPTH CHART: BUF | MIA | NEP | NYJ AFC WEST DEPTH CHART: DEN | KCC | OAK | SDC AFC SOUTH DEPTH CHART: HOU | IND | JAC | TEN AFC NORTH DEPTH CHART: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT NFC EAST DEPTH CHART: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS NFC WEST DEPTH CHART: ARI | STL | SAN | SE

The Chiefs ended the 2012 campaign with a lousy record of 2-12. The fans nor the front office want to see this out of this team again back to back years. They cleaned house and have picked up some solid players in free agency and even the draft. In order for the Chiefs to have a bounce back season they need these players to have a breakout year: 1) Jon Baldwin, WR - The Chiefs have not had a solid No. 2 wide out since 2008 and I see great potential in Baldwin to become one of the best wide receivers on this Chiefs' roster. Of course the trouble of injuries and some "team" issues he has had a slow progress to become that receiver the Chiefs need. He has the skill set and the body type to become a beast of a receiver, but if he doesn't show up this year he will continue to drought of having a bad No. 2 WR. 2) Tyson Jackson, DE - To me, a fan of the Chiefs, one of the biggest disappointments is Tyson Jackson. I understand that the end of the 2012 season he showed some nice play, but they need that game after game from him. He had only two sacks to end the 2012 season. He has some room for improvements and if he doesn't do so he could end up what Glenn Dorsey happened. 3) Dexter McCluster, WR/RB - Now I hate to say this, but if Dexter cannot provide in the new Chiefs' offense I could see as far as less play time on the offense. He is a beast on special teams and is one of the most versatile player on this team. He is my favorite player on this team and I could see him as a top 10 player after this season. He has the skills to do it and we may see it come out this year. 4) Alex Smith, QB - I know what your saying "he is a new guy", and "he is a great quarterback". I say this because the Chiefs to me hasn't had a solid QB since Trent Green. That's saying something. The fans and the front office has huge expectations for Alex Smith and I think that he will provide a smart-type QB the Chiefs have been looking for years now. I will be VERY upset if he is a bust. I hope not. 5) Kendrick Lewis, FS - I think that Lewis has some great play making skills and could be one of the best safeties on this team. The only thing in his way his injuries. The Chiefs had made some smart moves in the offseason in order to try to keep this from happening or to have a safety net in case of Lewis recurring injuries. In 2011 he managed three interceptions, one touchdown, 47 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 10 knockdowns. I really like what I see out of him when he is playing. Those are my players who I think that could be in need for a breakout year in order to stay in the race in the AFC West. Let's watch and see. The Chiefs ended the 2012 campaign with a lousy record of 2-12. The fans nor the front office want to see this out of this team again back to back years. They cleaned house and have picked up some solid players in free agency and even the draft. In order for the Chiefs to have a bounce back season they need these players to have a breakout year: 1) Jon Baldwin, WR - The Chiefs have not had a solid No. 2 wide out since 2008 and I see great potential in Baldwin to become one of the best wide receivers on this Chiefs' roster. Of course the trouble of injuries and some "team" issues he has had a slow progress to become that receiver the Chiefs need. He has the skill set and the body type to become a beast of a receiver, but if he doesn't show up this year he will continue to drought of having a bad No. 2 WR. 2) Tyson Jackson, DE - To me, a fan of the Chiefs, one of the biggest disappointments is Tyson Jackson. I understand that the end of the 2012 season he showed some nice play, but they need that game after game from him. He had only two sacks to end the 2012 season. He has some room for improvements and if he doesn't do so he could end up what Glenn Dorsey happened. 3) Dexter McCluster, WR/RB - Now I hate to say this, but if Dexter cannot provide in the new Chiefs' offense I could see as far as less pl

Perseverance is just one of the WR's biggest strengths

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. is installing an outside zone, one-cut blocking scheme in organized team activities in favor of their old power and inside blocking scheme. The Steelers are changing their approach to take advantage of their big and nimble offensive line personnel. Pittsburgh got poor production from their running backs last year, and RB Jonathan Dwyer led the team in rushing with only 623 yards, the lowest total by a rusher in team history since Merrill Hoge ran for 810 in 1991. Bicknell had success with the blocking scheme with the Kansas City Chiefs last year. "We are going to be dedicated to the zone," RB Isaac Redman said. "We are still going to be a power team, but we are going to have this zone scheme in so we can keep the defense on its heels and keep them running." Huddle Up: It's not a complete overhaul for the Steelers, which should hopefully prevent the same kind of learning curve issues that derailed Darren McFadden and the Raiders' ground game last year. And kudos to the coaching staff for realizing something had to change after the team finished 26th in rushing last year. It's another reason to like the potential of rookie Le'Veon Bell, who should take over as the lead dog in Pittsburgh's backfield by committee.

In our second edition this week of the positional breakdown series, we take a look at the offensive line of our beloved Kansas City Chiefs. Despite finishing a brutal 2-14 last year, the offensive line was one of the few bright spots at times.This group suffered some injuries in 2012 with Rodney Hudson going down against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3 with a broken leg and Branden Albert dealing with his well-publicized back issues. All that said, the line ranked by many metrics in the top 10, especially grading out nicely with regards to running the ball. Behind them, Jamaal Charles had another tremendous campaign and Peyton Hillis gained more than he lost. It's Peyton Hillis, you can't expect more than that. So how do they stack up going into this season? Let's go ahead and take an in-depth look: The starters Albert played very well when he was healthy, and when he wasn't Donald Stephenson stepped in and showed some flashes of the future. Of course, Stephenson will be the swing tackle once again with the acquisition of No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher. If Fisher comes close to his potential, we're looking at a perennial pro bowl player, especially on the right side. The guards are young and angry, just the way you want them. Jeff Allen and Jon Asamoah are two big-bodied men in the interior who can move defenders out of the way and keep them at bay in the passing game. Hudson was injured most of the season but with his return, the line should be quite formidable from the inside-out. Don't miss our other position breakdowns All you need to know about a variety of positions on the Chiefs roster, including (so far) receivers, cornerbacks, running backs, defensive linemen and linebackers. We can count on... One of the most mobile lines in the NFL. Very few teams have the combination along their offensive line of being large and fast, but Kansas City does. With Andy Reid's offense, this line will be asked to get downfield often and knock defenders out at the second level on draws and screens. The Chiefs are built to do this with young players who are agile. I can't wait to see a play in which Fisher and Asamoah roll out and meet a panicked safety and undersized linebacker with Charles toting the rock behind them. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports The biggest area of concern... Health. It's a cop-out because this could be said about any position, but that's really the only problem I see. Even with an injury, Kansas City has nice depth with Stephenson who can play either tackle position and Geoff Schwartz who could line up anywhere but center. The Chiefs don't have too much to worry about with this group barring an absolute devastation with injuries. Prediction time This will be a very enjoyable line to watch. I really don't have a scenario where this turns into a nightmare. It's tough to expect this group doing anything but performing at a top-five level with all the talent on it. Alex Smith should have plenty of time to throw the ball and go through his progressions, allowing our receivers more time to get open. This will certainly help a player like Jon Baldwin, who has shown struggles with getting off the blocks. This group will likely be unheralded by the media, but Chiefs fans will be very thankful for them come September. More from AP: Pick a Chief from history Ode to DJ Video from the Chiefs final practice this week OTAs: Down goes Dexter, Tyson's big day Moeaki out til training camp

Sometimes sports are very serious business, both for players and fans alike. Of course on this site, sports is the main hub of life, taking time away from our daily routine of work, family and chores (but mostly just work). The other day while driving I got to thinking about the Kansas City Chiefs, having some scenarios play out in my head about the upcoming season. At one point I thought, wouldn't it be great to go back in time and pluck a great Chiefs player from the past and put him on the current team in his prime? If you could take any Chief from history, and put him on today's team, who would it be? Well, that question is the subject of this column. If you could do exactly that, what player would you choose and why? Despite only winning one Super Bowl all the way back in 1969, Kansas City has had its share of terrific players. Currently, six men who were predominantly Chiefs are in the Hall-of-Fame, with Tony Gonzalez coming in the near future. Five of them come from the defensive side of the ball in Willie Lanier, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Emmitt Thomas and Derrick Thomas. Only Mr. Len Dawson was on the other side of the lines. Looking at the Chiefs current-day squad, there are obvious weaknesses at wide receiver, inside linebacker, safety and the defensive line. Quarterback can be upgraded as well, but that of course is a raging debate with no end in sight. Personally, I would take someone who didn't make the Hall-of-Fame but should have. Give me Otis Taylor. Remembering DT, 13 years later Photo: Andy Lyons Getty Images Sport Taylor was one of the premier receivers in his day, a large man for even today's standards at 6'3'' and 215 pounds. Alongside Lance Alworth of the San Diego Chargers, Don Maynard if the New York Jets and Fred Biletnikoff of the Oakland Raiders, Taylor was in an elite class who dominated his position. Looking at his numbers in the correct context, Taylor's greatness can't be understated. The main target of Dawson for the duration of his career, Taylor amassed two seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards and two others of more than 820 on a team that was considered a running team, even for a time when running was the norm. In 10 seasons (Taylor actually played in 11, but 1975, his last, only consisted of one game before he was traded to the Houston Oilers. He refused to play for another team and retired.) Taylor caught 57 touchdowns, including 11 in 1967, a career-high. In the championship season of 1969, Taylor came up big in the Super Bowl. He snatched up six passes for 81 yards, including the 46-yard touchdown that has become part of Chiefs lore. If Taylor was put in today's game with Dwayne Bowe opposite him, Kansas City would have the best tandem of receivers in the NFL. Taylor was a true superstar in his day, evidenced by the fact he averaged 17.8 yards per reception. How incredible is that? Calvin Johnson has never averaged that in a single season. Biletnikoff and Jerry Rice only did it once. Taylor eclipsed the mark of 20.0 yards per reception twice, including a dumbfounding 22.4 in 1967. Give me Otis Taylor. Who do you have? More from AP: Video from the Chiefs final practice this week Colquitt sounds like a cool guy OTAs: Down goes Dexter, Tyson's big day Moeaki out til training camp