The Kansas City Chiefs open training camp at the University of Wisconsin in River Falls on July 31st.

Like every other team in the National Football League, Kansas City has several questions that need to be answered by the end of training camp. The Chiefs had a very busy off season and were able to take care of a great deal of business. Matt Cassel has been locked into a long-term contract by the new regime. They have also done a decent job in getting the team’s draft picks signed, although at the time this article was written Tyson Jackson remained unsigned.

The team has also committed to the reclamation of Larry Johnson and also signed several veteran players to help offer guidance to the young squad that stumbled their way through a 2-14 season last year.

However, there is still much work to do. Kansas City continues to have some pretty big question marks at the beginning of camp. Here is a list of their unfinished business. Hopefully by the end of training camp and preseason the questions will be answered before the Chiefs roll into Baltimore.

1) Who will start at Center and Right Tackle?

Probably 90 percent of Chiefs fans would say that Damion McIntosh is not a starting offensive tackle in the league anymore. He will be pushed by Herb Taylor, Barry Richardson and Colin Brown, the Chiefs 5th round pick.

At the center position it’s an open competition between Rudy Niswanger, the incumbent who started 15 of last season’s games, and Eric Ghiaciuc, the newcomer, who started in all of the 16 games that the Bengals played in 2008.

With All-Pro left guard Brian Waters, emerging left tackle Brandon Albert, and newly acquired right guard Mike Goff, the Chiefs are pretty solid at three out of the five offensive line positions.

Hopefully, by the end of training camp, there will be someone who emerges to solidify the two questionable positions.

2) Will the Chiefs be able to adapt well to the 3-4 Defense?

This will undoubtedly be a process that is ongoing throughout the entire season. Can Hali play at offensive line backer? Can Dorsey play defensive end? Can DJ play middle linebacker? Do Vrabel and Thomas have any gas left in their tanks?

One thing is for sure, if the Chiefs can’t pressure the opposing quarterback more than they did last season, then it won’t matter what defensive scheme they use.

Kansas City has a surplus when it comes to quality defensive backs, but the field can’t be defended forever.

3) Is Ryan Succop the Chief’s Kicker solution?

It looks like the Chiefs think so. They released Connor Barth earlier in the week. On this one I guess we will just have to trust Poli. He did after all allow Adam Vinatieri to walk in New England and Stephen Gostkowski has been brilliant ever since.

It seems as though the Chiefs have become the black hole for under performing place kickers during the past few seasons. A consistent kicking game could make a big difference for Kansas City, who in 2009 may struggle to find the end zone on a consistent basis.

4) How will the Chiefs identify on Offense?

With the pass-happy Haley handing over the reigns officially to the flexible and resourceful Chan Gailey, who knows. My best guess would be that Gailey will go with whatever works. If the offensive line can come together nd LJ can re-commit himself to running hard, Kansas City may go primarily with the power running game, mixing in an efficient short passing game.

However, if LJ starts the season out struggling, don’t look for Chan to ride that horse for too long. Just look at last season when they switched over to Tyler Thigpen running the spread offense.

Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Dwayne Bowe doesn’t have the same ring as Arizona’s triplets, and the Chiefs may not need to resort to throwing 30 passes a game without Tony Gonzalez. However, Jamaal Charles could very well be a receiving threat and welcome change of pace from the backfield if LJ is struggling.

5) Who will take over the remaining spots on the roster at Wide Receiver?

Other than Bradley, Engram and Bowe, it’s unclear who the Chiefs even have at the wide receiver position. Devard Darling, Jeff Webb and Terrance Copper all have NFL experience, although the fact that their development has been slow is a red flag. Quenten Lawrence is a 6th round draft pick who is coming off a senior season at McNeese State that was cut short by injuries. Taurus Johnson from South Florida is a rookie undrafted free agent and Rodney Wright, coming from the Arena Football League, has been signed as a free agent. In other words the Wide Receiver position for the Chiefs is very thin.

It’s a new season for the Chiefs. Hopefully these questions will get answered and the Chiefs are on their way to something special.

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After his rookie season with the Chiefs, Glenn Dorsey came across as a bust for Kansas City fans. Why was this? Was it because he didn’t have 15 sacks or go to the Pro Bowl? We need to be reminded that defensive tackle is one of slowest positions of all to develop for players, particularly rookies. There are not many defensive tackles who have been rookie of the year.

Dorsey will move to defensive end in the Chiefs move to the 3-4 defense. He is too light weight for nose tackle, and it’s true that Dorsey needs to record more tackles and sacks in his new position.

The question is, does Dorsey have enough speed for defensive end? He may need one or two years to adjust to the new position. He could end up as a complete bust or Pro Bowl defensive end.

It’s really hard to say, but one thing is for sure is that we all want to know soon. Tyson Jackson, the Chief’s 2009 first round draft pick, will play on the line opposite of Dorsey with the middle being filled by Tank Tyler. This could potentially be one of the Chief’s most talented defensive lines in a long time.

Kansas City is still one of the league’s youngest teams. The 2008 draft class may be a stepping stone to future greatness for the Chiefs. We may be thanking Carl Peterson in the end for drafting Brandon Flowers, Dorsey and Brandon Carr.

Matt Cassel could be the league’s next Trent Green. Cassel is very talented, but his future depends on the Chiefs shaky offensive line. Kansas City has Brian Waters and Brandon Albert. They are pretty bare after that.

The Chiefs need to use their first pick next year for an offensive lineman. Offensive line is the Chiefs greatest need right now. Following that, perhaps a tight end or middle linebacker that they could pick up in the second and third rounds.

With the draft being nine months away, let’s hope that Kansas City’s current offensive line holds up to give the Chiefs a chance of winning games during this year’s season.

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A source who is close to negotiations between New England and Kansas City says that the Chiefs have signed Matt Cassel, former Patriots quarterback, to a multi-year contract.

The individual, who has requested anonymity due to the fact that there has not been an official announcement, did not reveal the deal’s terms to The Associated Press. The Kansas City Star first reported the signing.

Cassel, the 27 year quarterback, has been obtained along with linebacker Mike Vrabel from New England during the off season for the Chief’s 2010 second round pick. Cassel went 11-5 with New England last season after he took over for the injured Tom Brady, who suffered a knee injury that ended his season in last year’s opening game against Kansas City.

New England had made Matt Cassel the team’s franchise player. Cassel will earn approximately $15 million this year.

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Todd Haley was brought in by the Kansas City Chiefs due to the big successes he had while he was the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator.

The Cardinals offensive was virtually unstoppable by air. In 2007 it was the NFL’s fifth ranked team in passing yards and last season was second.

However, it’s also true that Haley had some of the league’s best offensive weapons in Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Last season Steve Breaston, the third wide receiver for the Cardinals, caught 77 passes, and all three of the Cardinals receivers surpassed the 1,000 yard mark.

Can the Chiefs claim having anything close to the Cardinals offensive weapons? Matt Cassel had a solid season with New England, throwing 21 touchdowns and over 3,600 yards. However, those numbers were far below those of Warner. Cassel also enjoyed some impressive offensive weapons himself. Randy Moss had over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdown catches, while Wes Welker had 111 catches.

Tony Gonzalez, the leader receiver for the Chiefs, is no longer with the team. Dwayne Bowe had a good season, catching 88 passes, but after that there is a huge drop off in production.

In contrast the rushing offense for Haley during his past two years with Arizona was abysmal. The Cardinals were dead last in rushing yards per game in the NFL last year, and in 2007 were 26th and just ahead of Chicago, Detroit and Kansas City.

The expertise of Haley has always been with the passing game. He was a passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach prior to holding the offensive coordinator position in Arizona. That probably explains why he brought Maurice Carthon, former running back, with him to be assistant head coach and retained Chan Gailey, who is very familiar with most of the players who are currently on the team’s roster.

There is one player whose failure or success this season is very much up in the air. That is Larry Johnson. After two disappointing, injury plagued seasons, Johnson is the Chiefs wild car in what Haley, Carthon and Gailey can do on offense.

Edgerrin James, who was at the end of his career, really struggled under Haley’s Arizona offense. Will Johnson be able to pick it up faster? Does he even want to pick it up? Not long after the team hired Haley there were rumors that Johnson wanted to get out of Kansas City.

Lately he has been saying all of the right things about wanting to help build a winner and wanting to play. If Johnson returns to injury or pouting, the Chiefs could definitely wind up being a one-dimensional offense. Does Kansas City have the offensive weapons to pass on every down? Will these be the Chiefs offensive approach even if Larry Johnson is healthy? That remains to be seen.

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