National Football League

Chiefs will rise or fall with youth

Published Aug. 25, 2010 5:27 p.m. ET

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Leave it to the secrecy-obsessed Kansas City Chiefs to invent a mystery motto.

On the back of almost every shirt worn by coaches and support people during preseason workouts is the cryptic message, ''Chiefs Will.''

So what exactly does that mean?

Not surprisingly, the organization that requires all employees to draw the curtains on their office windows during practice won't say.

''I like to have something in camp to keep your focus on and I will keep it between myself and the team,'' head coach Todd Haley said.

Is it a prediction that the 2010 Chiefs are going to put distance between themselves and the sorry legacy of 10 wins the past three seasons? Or is Haley proclaiming that his team has fire and grit, a plenitude of spunk?

Oh, wouldn't YOU like to know.

''Will is an interesting word in football, and it obviously has a double meaning,'' Haley said. ''But I will leave it at that.''

If Haley is forecasting a big improvement from last year's 4-12 record, the Chiefs must get a host of young players to begin fulfilling the promise that once made them first-round draft picks.

No fewer than five former No. 1 selections, every one of them still in their developing years, have consistently failed to deliver. Four are on the front seven of a defense that was 31st against the run and left intact throughout the draft and free agency.

Safety Eric Berry, the No. 1 draft pick last April, addressed the most urgent need on defense. In addition, supplemental second-round pick Javier Arenas could soon become a starting cornerback, assuming the Chiefs do not turn him into a kick returner exclusively.

But the Chiefs are counting on breakthrough seasons from defensive ends Tyson Jackson, the third overall pick in 2009, and Glenn Dorsey, fifth overall in 2008. Haley has admitted, however, that Wallace Gilberry, who entered the league two years ago as an undrafted free agent, is pushing Jackson and Dorsey. Haley insists he would not hesitate to move Gilberry ahead of either Jackson or Dorsey on the depth chart.

In addition, the Chiefs will need much better production out of linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson, two other first-round selections who have failed to make good on what everyone thought was great potential.

Many fans were aghast when the Chiefs ignored their front seven during the offseason. But Haley and second-year general manager Scott Pioli obviously saw enough raw ability to stick with them.

''In the NFL, the way I know you can have continued success is to develop the young - the first, second and third-year players you have on your team - and that is mandatory,'' Haley said. ''If you're not developing young players on your team, you probably have very little chance of success. That's a big focus of ours from day one going back to last year.''

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has been as big a disappointment as anyone. Taken in the first round in 2007, Bowe had 11 dropped passes last year, most on a team that led the NFL with 48. Big and athletic, Bowe appeared to be doing a better job of hanging onto the ball during training camp and could become a significant weapon for quarterback Matt Cassel.

''It's equally big for all those guys,'' Haley said. ''I cannot stress it enough. Those are the guys that have to take that next step, whether they're backups that become starters, starters that become stars or third-teamers that become backups. Those guys have to take steps and have to make that next step.''

The Chiefs are also counting heavily on Cassel's taking a giant step forward.

In his first season in Kansas City, Cassel threw the same number of interceptions (16) as touchdowns. His numbers should improve this year because an inconsistent offensive line has been strengthened with the addition of two savvy veterans, center Casey Wiegmann and guard Ryan Lilja.

Short-term, the two most significant additions may be coordinators Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis. Both worked with Pioli as members of the highly successful New England staff before failing as head coaches. Now they're eager to prove they're worthy of another chance at being in charge.

Weis, the former Notre Dame head coach brought in to replace Haley as offensive coordinator, admitted that his main job was to ''fix the quarterback.''

''The No. 1 thing that a quarterback has to do is lead the team,'' Weis said. ''It's pretty obvious that (Cassel) is doing a much better job of leading the team.''

In addition, the offense will have more speed thanks to second-round rookie Dexter McCluster, who was dazzling as a running back-receiver during the Chiefs' three-week stay in their new training camp in St. Joseph, Mo. Also new is Thomas Jones, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards each of the past five years, including last year with the New York Jets.

However, McCluster and Jamaal Charles, who had 1,200 yards rushing last year while making only 10 starts, both outperformed the 32-year-old Jones in early going.

As for defense, Crennel has no interest in talking about the run-stopping woes of '09.

''All I can do is try to get these guys to fit where they need to fit to be physical and aggressive and have great effort to the ball and hopefully that will pay off in the running game,'' he said. ''We're going to try to emphasize not letting them run the ball on us. And if we can stop the run, that will help the passing game as well.''

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