When the Chiefs hired Chan Gailey to be their playcaller this season, it wasn't what some might consider a coaching retread. Instead, it was a shrewd decision to take a coach known for his success running the ball and pairing him with a powerful running back like Larry Johnson.
Gailey will also oversee Brodie Croyle, who is in line to start for the Chiefs this season after a mostly disappointing 2007 where his single-game passing yards high was 214 yards. However, Croyle will be armed with veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez, second-year receiver Dwayne Bowe and may be developing some chemistry with rookie wideout Will Franklin.
Following his first preseason outing as the Chiefs' new offensive coordinator, Gailey took some moments to talk to CBSSports.com about the outlook for his ball club.
Our National Columnist, Mike Freeman, was at your first preseason game and came away quite impressed with the offensive line -- a line minus first-round pick Branden Albert. A lot of people saw that as a possible weakness for your club this year.
Gailey: We've already watched the tape, so I know the good and the bad. The best term for us right now is guarded optimism. We have a chance to be fairly good, but we certainly have not arrived yet. I thought our pass protection was average at best. We had two or three holding calls which were not good, but we were able to hit some creases in the running game by getting our linemen, who are fairly athletic, to push the pile and hit some cutback runs. There were some bright spots, but we don't need to cancel any practices.
When you joined Kansas City, you must have fallen in love with Larry Johnson and what he brings to the table knowing that you love to use a physical running game.
Gailey: He's a big, strong guy, and I've always liked having those big, strong backs wherever I've been able to coach, so this could work out to be very good for both of us.
His foot didn't seem to be an issue in the Bears game, he ran well and plowed into the end zone. What do you see his workload being during the season?
Gailey: We've had a good deal of success before with letting the running back be the first- and second-down back and taking the protection and hits off of a guy on third down. We'll probably try to do that here as well. Let him shoulder the load, and I think he'll be a 20- to 30-carry per game guy.
You don't think there will be any potential problems pulling out a player of his ability on third downs, do you?
Gailey: No, I don't think so. The way we were able to handle Jerome Bettis back in Pittsburgh worked out great. It really prolonged his career because he didn't have to take those hits in projection on third down because people like to blitz. It worked out well. And we might not do it, but that's the thought process for us anyway. He gets a rest and is fresh at the end of games.
Might that cut down on his receiving role?
Gailey: Maybe a little bit, but I don't know. We just have to wait and see. Nothing is set in stone now, I can promise you that.
So if Johnson plays on first and second down, who plays running back on third down?
Gailey: I don't know. Kolby Smith hasn't been able to practice, he's got a leg injury. Jamaal Charles and Dantrell Savage have looked good in practice and did a couple of things (at Chicago). We'll have to see how that one plays out when Kolby gets back.
Charles was an interesting pick by the Chiefs. What drew you to select him?
Gailey: Speed. The guy has got a ton of speed. And the thing that I didn't realize when we got him was how tough he is. He likes to block and enjoys the protection aspect of it. He's not that big, he's only 200 pounds, so taking the ball and running it 25, 30 times a game is going to be a challenge for him.
Charles did well with a 12-yard catch-and-run from Brodie Croyle against the Bears. How are Charles' hands?
Gailey: His hands are very good.
That almost makes him sound like he'd be good for that third-down role.
Gailey: Yeah, it does, but Kolby hasn't been able to practice, and I don't know what he can do.
Let's move on to Croyle. What have you seen from him this summer that tells you he's ready to be your starting quarterback?
Gailey: When you spend as much time with quarterbacks as we do, you get a pretty good feel for how intelligent they are, how well they know the game, how quickly and easily they can learn and retain. You get on the field and look at accuracy and decision making. I have a feeling that Brodie has a chance to have a very successul season this year. The biggest thing for us is to protect him and keep him healthy.
Is Damon Huard getting any consideration to be the starter?
Gailey: No. We feel like Brodie's ready to take the whole deal, and he's got a lot of tools that we feel like we can use and make a part of what we're trying to do here. We feel like that's important for us. It's Brodie's time.
We loved watching Dwayne Bowe last year because of his physical, playmaking ability. How has his development been this summer?
Gailey: It's been good, but I wouldn't call it great. We still have some learning to do about routes, reading routes and adjustments in our offense as opposed to (last year's) offense. So we have some work to do. But he's a very talented young man with great strong hands. We've got to be on the same page in the passing game, and that's why we practice.
Also, rookie receiver Will Franklin came up with a big catch on a long third down to set up a touchdown for you against the Bears. What can you tell us about him?
Gailey: He's a big, strong physical guy as well with a powerful lower body. He can run and is going to be an interesting prospect. His burst is above average for a guy his size. To me, he's very intriguing about where he could be by the time we get to the first game of the season.
In a perfect world, where might that be?
Gailey: I'm not sure where it would be as far as the depth chart, but I know he can make some really big plays down the field and underneath for us.
