Just when you thought the Broncos were young, here comes Kansas City, with a team youthful enough to make the Broncos’ locker room look like a retirement home.
The Chiefs have 15 rookies on their roster, five more than the Broncos, and most of any team in the NFL.
Five of those rookies are starters: offensive tackle Brandon Albert, fullback Mike Cox, cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr and defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. The Chiefs’ kick returner, Dantrell Savage, also is a rookie.
Of the 53 players on the Chiefs’ active roster, 34 have been in the NFL for three years or less.
The defense is particularly young, with a rookie, two second-year players and a third-year player on the defensive line, and two rookie corners.
“This year we completely committed to doing this, to rebuilding the whole thing,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “We’re starting from ground zero.”
The Broncos have three rookies starting on offense as well as a rookie punter. Yet they have managed to start 3-0, while the Chiefs are winless.
“They had different situations,” Edwards said. “I think the quarterback situation was more solid than ours is right now, I think that has something to do with it. They had a core of veterans there who were still pretty good when they went young. I mean, this is a whole different deal here now.”
Shaw out; Robertson ailing.
Defensive tackle Josh Shaw suffered a torn groin Sunday against New Orleans and will be out two to three weeks.
Signed by the Broncos after he was among Oakland’s final cuts, Shaw suffered significant injuries in each game he has played this season.
Another defensive tackle, Dewayne Robertson, was held out of practice Wednesday because of a sore right knee. Coach Mike Shanahan said Robertson is expected back on the practice field today.
No Nalen.
The Broncos practiced Wednesday for the first time since knowing center Tom Nalen would not return this season. Nalen, the team’s most veteran player, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday because of a knee injury.
The loss of Nalen makes the Broncos look smart for signing Casey Wiegmann in March after he was released by the Chiefs. Wiegmann started 111 consecutive games for Kansas City and has started the first three for the Broncos in Nalen’s place.
Quarterback Jay Cutler hasn’t noticed much difference between Nalen, a five-time Pro Bowler, and Wiegmann. At least not on the field.
“Tom is a little grumpier maybe,” Cutler said Wednesday, smiling. “They are both great leaders and they go out there and do their job. We haven’t lost a step with Casey in there.”
Edwards said Wiegmann was still a “good player” but was a casualty of the Chiefs’ decision to go younger. His replacement at center, Rudy Niswanger, is in his third year.
“He’s a pro and he’s playing well for Denver,” Edwards said. “But we were heading in a different direction and Casey knew that.”
Footnotes.
Wide receiver Darrell Jackson remains out while he recovers from a calf injury suffered in practice Sept. 12. . . . Guard Dylan Gandy and safety Vernon Fox practiced after signing with the team Tuesday to replace Nalen and safety Hamza Abdullah. . . . The Broncos signed cornerback Josh Bell to the practice squad. Bell is a rookie who was waived by the Chargers on Aug. 31.
Lindsay H. Jones and Mike Klis, The Denver Post
