Chop Talk Highlights From Sunday Night

As the Kansas City Chiefs football seasons gets closer to kickoff, BJ Kissel, Matt Conner and Craig Brenner will continue to be there each and every Sunday night with another edition of Chop Talk ~ A Kansas City Chiefs podcast that airs from 7-8:30 p.m. CT.

On this past Sunday's edition Chop Talk was thrilled to welcome guests: Jay Binkley, from 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City and Nick Jacobs, from TWC Metro Sports in KC.

Highlighted below are a few of the points by the guests on this weeks show. However, if you would like to hear the show in its entirety then please just follow this link.

Jay Binkley, from 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City

As far as chain of command with Matt Cassel and Brian Daboll, I think this going to be a much better working relationship than he is used to in Kansas City, going back to almost like when Charlie Weis was here. But then again, how much was Todd Haley interjecting his opinions into what they could do? But, it’s just gonna be one guy calling the plays and I think that is nothing but good things for the Kansas City Chiefs so that Cassel and Daboll can be on the same page at all times without interference.

But I’ll be honest with you, these players love playing for Romeo Crennel. I mean, to a man, when you even bring him up… I had a chance to talk with Kendrick Lewis and I asked him, you know, what kind of leader Romeo Crennel is, and he is like, "He’s great man, he is players coach." I said what do you mean by players coach... does that mean: no discipline and all fun? He goes, "No, no, no… plenty of discipline, but a guy that we can get behind." And that’s so true to these guys man, I mean they were chanting his name in the locker room last year, you didn’t hear anybody complaining that Todd Haley was gone... which tells me everything.

But these guys genuinely want to play for Romeo Crennel, when he walks into these press conferences, he’s got that demeanor about him, he’s kind of jovial when he comes in and he put us at ease. I can only imagine if we feel at ease around Romeo Crennel, how the locker room feels about the head coach as well.

Well I think that overwhelming is a little bit strong. Yeah, I honestly think they are going to win the division at 10-6. You know Peyton Manning is just one hit away from Brock Osweiler or Caleb Hanie and I guess Osweiler is kinda standing out in that training camp even better than Caleb Hanie in Denver. But, you know, Denver is gonna be right there. I think towards the end and we won’t see until week 12, but I think that Kansas City edges Denver this year, I just think that they’re deeper football team then the Denver Broncos.

San Diego, I’m not expecting big things from at all. I mean you lose Vincent Jackson and then you bring in Kansas City re-treads like Jackie Battle and LeRon McClain for back-up running backs in San Diego and Norv Turner is on the hot seat. I could see, if they get to a slow start, it’s going to be dead man walking, lame duck head coach. Um… Norv Turner, you should have been fired a year ago.

But, the Raiders… that’s the one question man. You know, they’ve been 8-8 the last two years. They’re cap strapped as far as being as going out and doing a lot of things, but from what I’ve been hearing about Dennis Allen, who came over from the Denver Broncos as their defensive coordinator last year. I’ve heard the discipline is back in Oakland, and the mere fact that Al Davis isn’t making the decisions for the Oakland Raiders, and the fact that they have a true personnel guy in Reggie McKenzie in Oakland… Oakland scares me a little bit, not necessarily this year, but in future years, I think the Oakland Raiders are on the right track. And let’s face it, Peyton Manning is a what? A one, possibly maybe two year experiment in Denver. So I think Oakland could eventually surpass the Denver Broncos as a bigger threat to the Kansas City Chiefs.

I just think the Chiefs have enough with the other things, with the defense, in running the football. When Dwayne Bowe gets back here in and Jonathan Baldwin has looked good this training camp, I really like what Steve Breaston, his attitude, the way that he’s come in and you have a speedster like Devon Wylie, kind of a home run threat, he is not going to get a lot of action this year, but when he does, I think he is going to turn some heads for this football team, because wherever he catches the ball on the field, he can take it to the house at any point. I just they’re the deepest roster BJ, and that’s why I think the Chiefs will win the division.

Kevin Boss was a great addition, because he looks great, he looks fresh. I mean the way that he can catch the football, his 6-6 frame and he is also a pretty good blocker as well. Oh, and they have been kind of rotating the tight ends, stepping off the line and coming back to the fullback role, like a H-back, and you know, I even asked Romeo the other day in the press conference, "Is the fullback a necessity for this football team?" Because, they’ve been banged up they got out and get DiMarco, a rookie free agent out of South Carolina, but I’m half way wondering if they are going to carry a fullback at all.

Because in a lot of these sets, they have been using on offense, they have a tight end come back and that’s a guy like Steve Maneri, a converted offensive linemen to tight end, you know, they back these guys up and put them in that fullback role, but if you want to see a true tight end set, Tony Moeaki is going to have to be healthy, because you’re not going to run a two tight end set and have any effect with Jake O’Connell or Steve Maneri paired with Kevin Boss. It’s going to have to be Boss with Moeaki, but if one of those guys is hurt, go ahead and scrap a two tight end set being effective.

Here’s why I think he does end up making the team, it’s just for the fact that he can also play running back. He’s working with the wide receivers, but will just say we are in game situation and Jamaal gets hurt or Peyton gets hurt or something like that. If he is sitting out there and he is activated, you can move Dexter there, he’s not a long term answer there. But in a game situation, he has the flexibility to do that. And I think that is what keeps Dexter on the Football team, is that he can run the football, he can be a wide receiver and he can help out on special teams.

Now Devon Wylie, he going to be pushed for playing time with Devon Wylie, because Devon Wylie has looked pretty good at the receiver position. He and Dex, kind of battling for the same role. And also, Devon Wylie has proven to be an explosive punt returner on this football team. I mean, when he makes that first cut, he’s gone, I mean he’s got that kind of speed, but I think he makes the team because of his versatility.

Romeo Crennel likes guys who can play multiple positions, we’re seeing that same love with Jeff Allen and we are seeing that same love on defense, with Travis Daniels. The other day, with the night practice where Brandon Flowers left the practice, it was Travis Daniels that came in at that spot where Flowers was sitting and he can also play the safety positions as well. To it goes back to a guy that is able to play multiple positions.

I will say this though; yesterday in the practice out here Brandon Flowers was not practicing. It was Jalil Brown who stepped into that role opposite Stanford Routt with the number one unit and you know (*laughs) Jalil Brown to me, has been kind of a stud in camp. I mean I really like the last two years fourth round picks; in Jalil Brown and Devon Wylie this year. Beause last year, without the OTA’s, without the minicamp, these rookies kind of had to go to the head of the class last year, because it was so much to process when they came into training camp and they didn’t have the kind of extended to time to really learn their roles. But Jalil Brown to me, Jalil Brown has been a real surprise this training camp.

He wants to put it out of his mind, I mean. Every time people are talking to him, he like, "I’m fine, I’m moving forward, I’m here in camp, I’m fine." To me, when I see him, I don’t think he is back to 100%, I mean he just doesn’t have that explosiveness, you know, that you are used to seeing, I mean, when you compare him to a guy like Larry Johnson… At the end of his career, Larry Johnson kind of resembling a dump truck coming off a stoplight compared to a guy like Jamaal who would be just shot out of a cannon…I mean through just the smallest of creases.

Nick Jacobs, Producer / Photographer TWC Metro Sports in KC

I honestly think it’s probably a combination of the two, because Dontari when you take a look at him. He really, he needs to find that nastiness, and I think that is the biggest thing that is holding Dontari back right now. Is that he needs to find that nastiness and mean streak to where he wants to dominate. I mean he talks about having that chip on his shoulder, but we need to see it. I need to see that, that guy almost literally wants to kill people when he is out there on the field. And that’s something that you are always going to want in your nose tackles is, than a guy that wants to dominate.

So with Toribio, I definitely think he has improved and that he has gotten better and had that time to mature in the league and he does really have good pop when he hits the sled. So if you’re looking at him compared to Jerrell Powe or Dontari Poe. I do believe he is better than both of them right now, in terms of what they are requesting him to do, in terms of technique and understanding what they want, but obviously Dontari has the better athletic ability long term.

I do think it’s a fair statement, in terms of, that if you look at the Chiefs from a depth stand point. They honestly have more depth than anybody else in the AFC West. Because if you look at the Chargers. The Chargers have lost Vincent Jackson and they lost Tolbert, which was their most reliable back. And they honestly haven’t really replaced them. I mean yeah, they drafted some people and they have Ryan Matthews. But Ryan Matthews somehow gets hurt, and he’s never really been that reliable back that they he would, when they drafted him.

When you look at the receivers, they did get Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal. And both of those guys are going to be fast guys that going to help them with their intermediate routes and getting the ball out quicker since their offensive line still struggled, but the Chargers are a football team that, you lost two really big parts offensively and then you really didn’t replace them with quality guys that can fit the same mold that those guys did when they left.

And then the Broncos, they obviously got Peyton, but Peyton… It’s gonna take awhile, people are underestimating how long it took Peyton to build what he did in Indy with the offense and the receiving core that he had. And how many players bought into what Peyton was doing over a decade, to where Peyton ran the show and every single player was on the same page with him, that’s something that is going to take time to create and I don’t think you’re going to be able to create all that within one years’ time. I mean they are going to try, but I just don’t think they are going to be very successful and there is obviously still a lot of question marks.

And then looking at the Raiders, the Raiders are trying to rebuild and Reggie McKenzie. It’s going to take awhile for him to get what he wants in that program and get the right type of players with the right type of mentality and get away from just athletic ability but people who also will have technique and also will have discipline. So, I mean the Chiefs have the most depth in my opinion and they have the most solid overall football team. So I do think they have a strong legitimate chance to win the AFC West this year.

At worst case, he is going to be a really good nickel defensive tackle, him (Allen Bailey), Dontari Poe, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are going to be a fantastic nickel formation together. That's going to be the best pass rush that Kansas City has had in town since Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith were together, I can promise you that much. Because I've seen it first hand and it's a heck of pass rush to throw at a team. And Peyton Manning should be very concerned about that, as should Philip Rivers, but it's going to be interesting to see if Allen can transition to the 3-4 defensive end that the fans hope to see.

Dexter McCluster will make this team. I know a lot of people keep saying that he is gonna get cut, that there is not a spot for him, whether it's returner, punt returner, running back, whatever. They think he is going to be replaced at every spot. He's going to make this team.

Sunday's night's edition of Chop Talk featured some great talk about the Kansas City Chiefs. The quotes gathered here by SBNKC only represent a portion of the quotes from the show. If you would like to hear them all, be sure to click this link right here.

Chop Talk is a relatively new podcast in Kansas City. August 5th's broadcast represented the shows 17th episode. Recent guests include the Kansas City Star's Kent Babb and Sam Mellinger, former 610 Sports Radio Host Nick Wright, Chiefs Insider Josh Looney, former Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Bill Mass, and 810 Sports Radio Border Patrol's Steven St. John.

Kicking off the show next week, will be the editor of Arrowhead Pride, Joel Thorman.

Chop Talk airs live every Sunday night at 7pm CT and runs for 90 minutes.

Follow Nick Jacobs on Twitter for Chiefs training camp coverage @Jacobs71