Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel recently took some time out this morning to talk to NFL.com about several topics — from the young impressive secondary to the loss of Charlie Weis. What came through loud and clear is that Cassel is hopeful that the team built a successful foundation last season and that new weapons like Steve Breaston can help the team take off even further in 2011.
Concerning the team’s 2010 performance, Cassel realized that it was an important win for so much more than just the win column. Instead it was about establishing the overall direction and tone under head coach Todd Haley.
:“Last year, I thought, was a great year for us in so many ways it was so successful because we were able to establish that foundation,” said Cassel. “Going into this year, it’s about building off that foundation that we set. We’ve got a great core group of guys that are coming back. The offense hasn’t changed at all. For the most part, almost the entire coaching staff has come back. So now it’s about taking advantage of the time we have in camp, because obviously this off-season was a little screwy for everybody. But I think that everybody is motivated to come in, work hard and get ready for a great 2011 season.”
When it comes to Breaston, Cassel says he hopes he can help shore up one of the few weaknesses from last year’s offensive unit.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get out there to throw with him yet, but I know he’s an explosive player,” says Cassel. “He’s the kind of guy who can run and blow the top off of the coverage, and that’s something that we lacked a little bit last year. Hopefully he can come in and immediately give us some speed on the outside and be a guy that can give us that deep threat.”
Cassel also appreciates the continuity under new coordinator Bill Muir, who he said has kept the offensive changes to a minimum. It’s helpful as a quarterback to have that kind of smooth transition, and Cassel realizes it could have been different. Make sure to check out the rest of the interview for even more quotes from Chiefs training camp.