FanHouse CraphonsoThorpe

NFL teams love sigining discarded players from division rivals, if for no other reason than to pick their brains -- which ends up being all they ever do with those players most of the time. After all, there's a reason those players were dscarded in the first place. Still, insight into an opponent's playbook is always valuable, so NFL teams will keep looking for free agents who have that.

This is the primary reason why former Indianapolis Colts receiver Craphonso Thorpe (Craphonso!) signed a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend. The Jags probably aren't all that interested in him as a receiver, even if he probably could play better than Matt Jones. They just want to know a little more about the inner workings of the Colts' pass-heavy offense, and who better to tell them about it than a former Colt receiver?

I suspect there's a pretty slim chance that Thorpe will make the final cut. This particular story seems more likely to end with either a practice squad offer or a nice big "injury settlement check" that will leave other teams free to give him a shot. Still, if Craphonso! can help the Jags can get a leg up on their AFC South rivals, it's worth a shot, right?

So Junior Siavii got his hair cut. His shaggy, long locks were exchanged for a smooth, Mr. Clean finish.

It makes you wonder why the rest of him wasn't cut.

It makes you wonder what the Chiefs are waiting for. You would think that a 6'5", 330 lb. mammoth would have an easy transition into the NFL. When you're that enormous, all you really have to do is stand there and be big. For a player that big to bust in the NFL, that's like a brick wall failing to stop a sprinting man.

Why did Siavii fail? I don't know. It could be one of many things: persistent knee injuries, lack of motivation, or another blatant misuse of the "potential" card. It doesn't really matter. I'm just wondering if he's still on the team because of where he was drafted rather than how he's performed. Consider Craphonso Thorpe. Thorpe has had one year less to prove himself in the NFL. The major difference? Siavii was a second round pick (arguably the equivalent to a low first rounder) and Thorpe was a 4th round pick. You have to wonder if Thorpe was more expendable because he was drafted two rounds lower than Siavii.

Let's evaluate. Potential: Thorpe, too, has a special talent. In his case, it's freakishly fast speed. Thorpe is 5 years younger than Siavii; Siavii is nearing 30 (despite being drafted very recently, Siavii will be 28 in November). Advantage Thorpe. Need: the Chiefs are stacked at defensive tackle, with Ron Edwards, James Reed, Ryan Sims, and Lionel Dalton being virtual locks to make the squad. The Chiefs are frighteningly thin at wide receiver, with 33-year old Eddie Kennison, Samie Parker, Dante Hall, and then.... everybody else. Advantage Thorpe. Granted, my argument is not about Thorpe alone. It's about 12 players who were cut despite pouring their heart out on the field and one player who was retained solely on upside and speculatively on draft value.

What the Chiefs are waiting for, I don't know. He is going to be cut at some point. That's inevitable. At best, he'll see third or fourth team reps in the final preseason game. Barring a knockout preseason game where he bullrushes his way to a 5-sack game, it's hard to imagine he moves beyond fifth or sixth on the depth chart. It makes you wonder how far you can live off of draft value alone. How far can the Chiefs stretch the word "uuupppsiiiddddeeee" until it recoils back in their face like a rubber band?

The Chiefs need to admit they made a mistake and cut Siavii right now, even before they can reach the final cut deadline. There are plenty of players on the Chiefs busting their tails to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster. Upside and draft value should only take you so far. It's just a shame that the only person willing to make a cut on Siavii was his barber. At least his hair gave us something to talk about.

The Chiefs bid their first round of adieus, as they officially announced their first round of cuts.

Let's break this down player by player.

The Chiefs placed Priest Holmes and William Bartee on the PUP List.

• Priest Holmes: the Chiefs are still praying for the Priest to return
• William Bartee: how ironic that he is just now making the Physically Unable to Perform list. Most Chiefs fans would contend that he's always been physically unable to play

The Chiefs waived the following players:

• Craphonso Thorpe: yes, it's true. The Chiefs dumped Crap. This is easily the biggest surprise cut of the offseason. There was some writing on the wall, but I thought he would cruise at least past the first round of cuts. I guess it goes to show you that you can't make the NFL on speed alone. Thorpe is as fast as any receiver in the league, but today, slower receivers are on a roster and Thorpe is not.
• Nick Reid: your alma matter alone doesn't get you into the NFL. He was a fan favorite, but only because he played for the beloved Jayhawks.
• Scott McCready: NFL Europe this is not.
  
• Justin Perkins: I never thought the kid was bad. Then again, I never thought he was all that good either
• Arrion Dixon: the Chiefs were hoping they could manage to get a steal out of NFL Europe who would walk into Arrowhead and surprise everybody. Unfortunately, Dixon was never that guy.
• Darrell Hill: two times is a charm. Chances are pretty good that there won't be a third chances.
  
• Jeff Smoker: there just wasn't room for a fifth.
• Others: Jerald Brown, Robert Docherty, Steve Franklin, Peter Heyer, Adam Johnson, Tyler Lenda. The Chiefs hardly even knew ya. No, seriously. Who are these guys and how did they get access into Arrowhead?

The Chiefs cut some fairly noteworthy names, at least to anyone who follows the Chiefs. It should be interesting to see which players get the axe in the second round of cuts.