Post by lazarus on Aug 31, 2005 11:26:12 GMT -5
Green’s absence eclipses all moves
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs completed their first round of roster moves Tuesday, but that activity was overshadowed by the inactivity of quarterback Trent Green.
Green was absent for practice, adding more intrigue to an already mysterious situation. The Chiefs said Green was undergoing more examinations to determine the cause of sudden numbness in his lower leg and foot.
Green was pulled prematurely from last week’s exhibition game against Seattle. Coach thingy Vermeil indicated Monday that Green had been given a complete battery of tests, which turned up nothing unusual.
But Green was not at practice, putting serious doubts on his availability for work the rest of the week and in Friday’s preseason finale at St. Louis.
The Chiefs can live with that. They would head into a serious panic if he can’t play in the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I’m always concerned when you look on the field and your starting quarterback is not on the field and he’s being given examinations,” Vermeil said. “If he couldn’t play, it’s a big hurt. We don’t anticipate those kinds of findings when it’s all said and done.
“They’re going through one thing after another and ruling things out. Hopefully, we’ll be able to say it isn’t anything.”
Green wasn’t available, but his agent, Jim Steiner, said he didn’t believe the problem was major because he had yet to discuss it with Green.
“If it was something significant, I think he would have said something to me about it,” Steiner said.
The moves to trim the roster to 75 players held few surprises. The Chiefs placed former starting linebacker Shawn Barber on the physically unable to perform list. Barber, who missed the last half of last season because of knee damage and surgery, will miss at least the season’s first six weeks.
The Chiefs can then make a decision whether to activate him.
Kansas City waived seven players, all reserves: wide receivers Richard Smith, Darrell Hill and Nathaniel Curry, safeties Willie Pile and Shaunard Harts, offensive lineman Thomas Barnett and punter Nick Murphy. They also placed running back Robert Holcombe on injured-reserve because of a sprained knee.
Pile and Harts started games for the Chiefs as recently as last season. The Chiefs deemed them expendable after acquiring starter Sammy Knight and moving William Bartee from cornerback.
Smith appeared to have a bright future when he joined the Chiefs as a rookie last season, but he didn’t make enough progress to suit the Chiefs.
“He didn’t do enough to distinguish himself from everybody else,” Vermeil said.
The rash of quarterback injuries began as an inconvenience and has evolved into a major problem. The only healthy veteran quarterback Tuesday was Jonathan Quinn, who joined the Chiefs only last week.
Quinn took the first-team snaps in practice. Todd Collins, normally the No. 2 quarterback, is mending from a fractured hand. A concussion forced the other veteran quarterback, Damon Huard, to miss the game against the Seahawks.
It’s appearing more and more as if Collins won’t be available for the Jets game. He recently resumed light throwing but is at least a week away from returning to practice.
Huard did some individual work in practice Tuesday but hasn’t been cleared to play against the Rams.
That leaves Quinn, who played most of the Seattle game. He was 11 of 23 for 126 yards — unimpressive numbers if he had been with the team for a while, but acceptable for a newcomer.
He led the Chiefs to the verge of a late comeback victory, but a final drive stalled on the Seattle 9 with 1 second left.
“I really felt good,” Quinn said. “It was kind of surreal going from watching the game at home on TV one week to playing in it the next. There were some throws I’d like to have back, but overall it was a lot of fun.
“I don’t have any expectations for this. I’m just going to take it as it comes.”
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs completed their first round of roster moves Tuesday, but that activity was overshadowed by the inactivity of quarterback Trent Green.
Green was absent for practice, adding more intrigue to an already mysterious situation. The Chiefs said Green was undergoing more examinations to determine the cause of sudden numbness in his lower leg and foot.
Green was pulled prematurely from last week’s exhibition game against Seattle. Coach thingy Vermeil indicated Monday that Green had been given a complete battery of tests, which turned up nothing unusual.
But Green was not at practice, putting serious doubts on his availability for work the rest of the week and in Friday’s preseason finale at St. Louis.
The Chiefs can live with that. They would head into a serious panic if he can’t play in the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I’m always concerned when you look on the field and your starting quarterback is not on the field and he’s being given examinations,” Vermeil said. “If he couldn’t play, it’s a big hurt. We don’t anticipate those kinds of findings when it’s all said and done.
“They’re going through one thing after another and ruling things out. Hopefully, we’ll be able to say it isn’t anything.”
Green wasn’t available, but his agent, Jim Steiner, said he didn’t believe the problem was major because he had yet to discuss it with Green.
“If it was something significant, I think he would have said something to me about it,” Steiner said.
The moves to trim the roster to 75 players held few surprises. The Chiefs placed former starting linebacker Shawn Barber on the physically unable to perform list. Barber, who missed the last half of last season because of knee damage and surgery, will miss at least the season’s first six weeks.
The Chiefs can then make a decision whether to activate him.
Kansas City waived seven players, all reserves: wide receivers Richard Smith, Darrell Hill and Nathaniel Curry, safeties Willie Pile and Shaunard Harts, offensive lineman Thomas Barnett and punter Nick Murphy. They also placed running back Robert Holcombe on injured-reserve because of a sprained knee.
Pile and Harts started games for the Chiefs as recently as last season. The Chiefs deemed them expendable after acquiring starter Sammy Knight and moving William Bartee from cornerback.
Smith appeared to have a bright future when he joined the Chiefs as a rookie last season, but he didn’t make enough progress to suit the Chiefs.
“He didn’t do enough to distinguish himself from everybody else,” Vermeil said.
The rash of quarterback injuries began as an inconvenience and has evolved into a major problem. The only healthy veteran quarterback Tuesday was Jonathan Quinn, who joined the Chiefs only last week.
Quinn took the first-team snaps in practice. Todd Collins, normally the No. 2 quarterback, is mending from a fractured hand. A concussion forced the other veteran quarterback, Damon Huard, to miss the game against the Seahawks.
It’s appearing more and more as if Collins won’t be available for the Jets game. He recently resumed light throwing but is at least a week away from returning to practice.
Huard did some individual work in practice Tuesday but hasn’t been cleared to play against the Rams.
That leaves Quinn, who played most of the Seattle game. He was 11 of 23 for 126 yards — unimpressive numbers if he had been with the team for a while, but acceptable for a newcomer.
He led the Chiefs to the verge of a late comeback victory, but a final drive stalled on the Seattle 9 with 1 second left.
“I really felt good,” Quinn said. “It was kind of surreal going from watching the game at home on TV one week to playing in it the next. There were some throws I’d like to have back, but overall it was a lot of fun.
“I don’t have any expectations for this. I’m just going to take it as it comes.”
