AGRI Biz

The countdown to 53 begins.  An all-state athlete in high school, respected by your peers at the college level, and struggling to earn a single snap in an NFL game.  Such is the timeline of an NFL undrafted free agent.  As tumultuous of an emotional journey as they face, undrafted free agents play a monumental role in the NFL.  Last year, over 50 percent of Kansas City’s roster was comprised of undrafted free agents.    As ...

As fans get amped in the final countdown to the 2010 draft, it’s no stretch to imagine the Kansas City front office looking to the quarterback class of 2011.  The recent trade of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins has removed the “untouchable” label from so-called “franchise quarterbacks.”  McNabb gave Philadelphia 11 seasons with five NFC championship appearances and one Super Bowl game.  If that’s a resume ...

While I am usually opposed to playing in the hypothetical world of mock drafts, it is intriguing to explore what talent is available to Kansas City in the 2010 draft, and where in the draft progression said talent may be available. Therefore, I bring you my first Kansas City Chiefs mock draft. Please note that, especially in the later rounds, the picks are subject to personal preference and will not represent the ...

Mock drafts are silly guesses that mean absolutely nothing. As college basketball fans watch their NCAA brackets crumble under huge upsets, it only goes to show that even the most well-informed predictions bow humbly to crushing reality. Yet, eager for the NFL draft to begin I succumb to the meaningless speculations as most true fans do. The intent is to be informed enough to get excited when management’s decisions coincide with my own ...

Before Jamaal Charles burst onto the scene with a 108-yard rushing performance in week 10, Kansas City fans clamored for a revamped offensive line. Atrocious in protection, the offensive unit surrendered 42 sacks in 2009, but the majority came in the first half of the season. The inability to give the quarterback time to let plays develop is also a cause for quarterback Matt Cassel’s troubling 5.9 yards per completion ...

Billy Kramer asks, “When’s mommy coming back?” “I don’t know, Billy.  Soon,” Ted, his father, replies. “How Soon?" “Soon.” “Will she pick me up after school?” “Probably.  And if she doesn’t, I will,”  Ted insists. “What if you forget?” “I won’t forget.” “What if you get run over by a truck and get killed?” “Then Mommy will pick you up.” At first glance, a quote from the movie, Kramer vs. Kramer , has little place in a football forum.  However, ...

For the past several years, the first pick of the draft was as predictable as a sunrise in the morning.á Sometimes a team with the top pick will even work out a contract with a player before he is named at the podium. At least to this point, that's not the case this year. Everyone in our Kansas City community has been expressing his or her preferences on the Chiefs draft ...

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your nameàá ThatÆs pretty much anywhere for Charlie Weis.á Since serving as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots for all three of their Super Bowl victories since the new millennium, Weis has been widely recognized. Months ago, Weis was the highest paid college football head coach (before Lane Kiffin went to Tennessee in his escape from Oakland) where he achieved mixed results. Weis' offensive wile ...

áWeek 17 is rehashed in our second game examined as part of reincarnation weekend as the Cincinnati Bengals host the New York Jets. The Back Story These teams have a lot in common. Neither team has a ôplayoff experienceö advantage.á Since 1990, the word ôwinningö itself has been foreign to Bengal players, while the Jets start a rookie quarterback. Both teams feature starting running backs who are cast aways from Chicago.áThomas Jones was released by ...

Behold the glory of Reincarnation Weekend!á With three of this weekendÆs four wild-card games being repeats of week 17Æs action, games played only one week ago rise again in the spotlight of the NFL playoffs. The stakes are higher and the matchups more intriguing.á The vanilla play-calling of teams hiding their potential will be swept aside as they showcase their full arsenal of players and array of strategic gadgetry. However, the dubbing of ...