AFC West: New Englad Patriots
Source: K.C. will get first chance to hire Crennel
Crennel would reunite with general manager Scott Pioli and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. They were all in New England together during its Super Bowl run. Weis was hired by Kansas City last week.
The source said that four other NFL teams have called about Crennel. The New York Giants are reportedly one of the teams, but Crennel will give the Chiefs the first chance to hire him if they want to. The Chiefs have not fired defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.
The Chiefs tried to hire Crennel last year. However, he turned down the opportunity because he had hip surgery.
Chiefs make some noise as they trim roster
Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson
The Chiefs’ cut down to the league mandated 75-man roster Tuesday couldn’t have been any more newsworthy.
Usually, the cut down from 80 to 75 is filled with no-name free agents. Not the Chiefs’ list.
Kansas City cut veteran receiver Amani Toomer and defensive end Alfonso Boone. Toomer was signed in early August and Boone has been with the Chiefs the past two years and he was working with the first team defensive line at times this summer.
Kansas City also put receiver Devard Darling on the injured reserve after he suffered a serious knee injury Saturday against Seattle. Running back Kolby Smith was put on the reserve physically unable to perform list. He can be activated later in the season.
Rookie tackle Cameron Goldberg was also released. But he’s not the story Tuesday.
Toomer, a former standout for the Giants, was signed to bring leadership and maybe create a spark at receiver. Yet, by all accounts, he offered little on the field, so the Chiefs quickly ended that experiment.
His career is probably over. If the receiver-hungry Chiefs don't have room for Toomer, who'll turn 35 next week, not many teams likely will.
Boone’s release means the Chiefs must feel like their youngsters on the defensive front are ready to carry the load. Young players Tyson Jackson. Glenn Dorsey and Alex Magee are all going to play a lot.
Darling was going to be in the receiving rotation. The Chiefs were planning on scouring the waiver wire and free-agent list after the final 53-man rosters are announced and this will only make that a certainty. It looks like the newly-signed Ashley Lelie has a strong chance of making the team.
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson
The Kansas City Chiefs announced several additions to their scouting department Friday.
General manager Scott Pioli hired Phil Emery as director of college scouting. Emery was previously with Atlanta and has 12 years of NFL experience.
The Chiefs also added Jim Nagy as a regional scout and Jay Muraco and Pat Sperduto as area scouts. Nagy and Muraco worked with Pioli in New England.
The team announced that Ray Farmer will stay on as the team's director of pro personnel. Earlier this week, the team fired several members of the scouting team, including college scouting director Chuck Cook and personnel executive Bill Kurarich.
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson
• Still no word out of Kansas City on Larry Johnson's future. The team will likely try to trade him, but he could end up getting cut in the coming days.
• If Dallas cuts safety Roy Williams, Denver could be an option. The Broncos are looking at safeties in free agency. New England's James Sanders also is a possibility.
• The Broncos could be in on St. Louis cornerback Ronald Bartell in the coming days. If Dallas defensive end Chris Canty is unsigned after the first couple of days of free agency, Denver could get into the picture.
• The Chiefs extended tenders to restricted free agents safety Jarrad Page, center Rudy Niswanger and receiver Jeff Webb.
• The Broncos are set to gain about a $4 million in salary-cap credit for bonuses linebacker Louis Green didn't achieve. Denver has more than $40 million in salary-cap room as free agency is about to start.
• It will be interesting to see if San Diego shows any interest in guards Brandon Moore and Kendall Simmons, who were cut by the Jets and the Steelers, respectively. The Chargers might be in a market for a guard.
• The Broncos, at this point, are not looking for a replacement for young kicker Matt Prater, who struggled in the second half last season, but rather someone to compete with Prater.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Bill Williamson
Williamson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Denver Broncos for the Denver Post. He previously covered the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
