Post by lazarus on May 10, 2003 9:52:43 GMT -5
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
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Larry Johnson, the Chiefs' first-round draft pick, carried the ball in Friday's team minicamp at Arrowhead. Johnson, selected 27th overall, ran for 2087 yards last season for Penn State. By DAVID EULITT, The Star)
The calendar has turned, and Chiefs defensive coordinator Greg Robinson wasn't going to skip his chance to make that point.
The Chiefs gathered Friday for the first time in 2003 to begin their three-day minicamp. When the defensive players walked in to a pre-practice meeting, the words "2002 season" were scrawled on a greaseboard.
Robinson entered and promptly wiped the board clean.
It's tough to miss the symbolism there.
"Last year is in the past," said linebacker Shawn Barber, signed shortly after the start of free-agency to help repair the NFL's worst defense. "We definitely don't want to forget. We want to make sure we've learned our lessons, but the more time we spend dwelling on what happened last season, the less time we'll have to work on getting ourselves ready for the upcoming season.
"The first thing coach (thingy) Vermeil and coach Robinson talked about in front of the whole team was to say that what we needed to do was no secret. We have to get better on defense. We accept that challenge."
If only their problems were that easy to fix. The defensive problems last season were all over the spectrum, from a passive pass rush to sloppy tackling to blown assignments, and the Chiefs finished last in defense.
Coach thingy Vermeil retained Robinson and the entire defensive staff, making a strong statement that he believed the players were responsible. The Chiefs then signed Barber and nickel back Dexter McCleon in the days after the start of free-agency.
They later added end Vonnie Holliday. The Chiefs also welcomed back two injured starters, tackle Ryan Sims and free safety Jerome Woods, and Robinson tinkered with the system.
The Chiefs unveiled the product Friday. They were missing an important element in Holliday, who left Kansas City before the start of practice to be with his girlfriend, who is experiencing difficulties with a pregnancy.
Woods was also held from much of practice because he's recovering from a broken leg.
It might be easy for Barber to forget about what happened last season. He played with the Eagles, who had one of the league's strongest defenses.
But for those who were part of it, getting back on the field for the first time since last season was almost medicinal.
"Some of us have waited a long time for this," end Eric Hicks said. "We were always coming off the field and felt like you had to apologize all the time. Our offense was so prolific, and we kept letting them down. I never want to go through that again.
"We're going to be better. We've changed some things from a scheme standpoint. They've freed us up a little bit and let us use our athleticism."
Woods missed the entire season. The Chiefs obviously missed his experience and range, using the combination of the aging Jason Belser and the untested Shaunard Harts.
"My leg hurt a lot," Woods said, "but having to watch that hurt a lot worse."
The Chiefs went through Friday's exercises without pads, making it difficult to gauge their progress. But Barber showed good speed and range, the qualities that led the Chiefs to sign him.
He raced downfield on one play and caught Dante Hall from behind after Hall had gathered in a long pass.
"We want to move into the top 10 as far as scoring defense," Barber said. "That's always the most important thing. You don't want to let a team score. You don't care if they move down the field, but when they get in the red zone and it's time to put points on the board, you want to make sure they don't get in the end zone.
"If we start off in the top 10, then we're going to try to get into the top five. If we're in the top five, we want to eventually get to (No.) 1. When that first snap starts, everybody is the No. 1 defense."
