Chiefs Rookies Playing Catch-up After Strange Offseason
August 4th, 2011 by Jim Field
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) – Ricky Stanzi didn’t pick up his first NFL playbook until about a week ago. He’d better be good at digesting that thick binder full of information, though, because his first preseason game with the Kansas City Chiefs is little more than a week away. The disorganized and disjointed offseason brought on by maddening labor strife has been particularly hard on first-year players trying to find their way in professional football. Without rookie minicamps and organized team activities, guys such as Stanzi must play catch-up throughout the first week of training camp. The Chiefs open their preseason a week from Friday against the Buffalo Bills, making that adjustment period more condensed than perhaps ever before.