CHIEFS MOVES | Team makes its first cuts of the preseason
Thorpe fails to catch on
Second-year wide receiver surprised to be released. Holmes to miss at least first six games.
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
On the eve of a cutdown day that was supposed to yield few surprises, Priest Holmes was shelved for the first part of the season and Craphonso Thorpe found himself without a job.
And at least one of the parties was taken aback.
A couple of months after Thorpe was impressive enough in minicamp to win raves from quarterback Trent Green, he was released Monday along with 13 other players as NFL teams worked to pare their rosters to 75.
Thorpe, a former track star from Florida State in his second year, was considered the front-runner to lock down the No. 4 receiver spot this spring. And the Chiefs saw unlimited potential when they drafted him in the fourth round last year. But Thorpe injured his shoulder at the start of training camp in nonpadded practice and sat most of the summer.
“Prior to that, I don’t think anybody had any complaints about ‘Cro,’ ” said Thorpe’s agent, Matt Couloute. “He was where he was supposed to be on the depth chart … people thought he would be the third or fourth receiver on the team. It’s a little surprising.
“Unfortunately, a new coaching staff comes in and really didn’t have much of a chance to see a lot of him. At that point, he’s like everybody else.”
Coach Herm Edwards said by letting Thorpe go now, he has a better opportunity of latching onto another team. Couloute said he talked to “a bunch of teams” Monday about Thorpe. He declined to say what teams were interested.
With one preseason game left before the final cuts Sept. 2, the battle for the final receiver spot appears to be between rookies Jeff Webb and Chris Hannon. Webb is a sixth-round draft pick from San Diego State; Hannon is an undrafted free agent. Both have shown value on special teams, something Edwards said is necessary for a backup receiver.
The Chiefs have three known commodities at receiver in Eddie Kennison, Samie Parker and Dante Hall.
Another notable cut on Monday was Nick Reid, a popular linebacker from Kansas and the Big 12’s defensive player of the year. Edwards said it’s possible that Reid could be back when the Chiefs assemble their practice squad next week.
The Chiefs are loaded at linebacker with Derrick Johnson, Kawika Mitchell and Kendrell Bell. Keyaron Fox is battling Bell for a starting outside linebacker job, and Boomer Grigsby, Rich Scanlon and Kris Griffin are also competing for backup jobs.
“I just think he was in the wrong place at the right time,” Edwards said. “We have some pretty good linebackers.”
Holmes’ placement on the physically-unable-to-perform list wasn’t a surprise — he hasn’t been cleared by doctors after suffering a neck injury last season — and the Chiefs prepared to go on without him last month by acquiring Michael Bennett to be running back Larry Johnson’s backup. Holmes will sit through the first six weeks of the regular season, and then the Chiefs have 21 days to decide whether to activate him.
He’ll be 33 in October, casting doubts on his return.
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Chiefs moves
WAIVED
QB Jeff Smoker
WR Craphonso Thorpe
WR Kyle Brown
WR Darrell Hill
WR Scott McCready
TE Robert Docherty
TE Adam Johnson
G Steve Franklin
G Peter Heyer
G Tyler Lenda
LB Nick Reid
CB Jerald Brown
CB Justin Perkins
DT Arrion Dixon
PLACED ON PUP
RB Priest Homes
S William Bartee, for Achilles’ tendon
