Chiefs in a growth period

Youthful team has Edwards hopeful

If NFL teams were to be paired with television shows, the Kansas City Chiefs undoubtedly would be "Extreme Makeover" - the program where an outdated home is spruced up with modern updates.

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards inherited one of the NFL's oldest rosters when he was hired prior to the 2006 season, but the team that visits the Patriots next Sunday in the NFL's season-opening weekend now has a much different look; gone are the wrinkles, and in their place is a baby face.

"We have to transform this, and we're going in a direction where we're trying to build with youth and through the draft," said Edwards. "It's kind of been the other way - try to get 5-10 free agent guys and do it that way. But now it's this way, and I'm excited about the direction we're headed."

Indeed, of the Chiefs' projected 22 offensive and defensive starters, seven are rookies or second-year players. Another five - including starting quarterback Brodie Croyle - are in their third year.

The youthful transition has taken a bit of a zigzag course.

Edwards knew it would be a knock-down-and-rebuild job in 2006, but the Chiefs finished 9-7 that year, backing into the playoffs on the season's final weekend. That put Edwards and general manager Carl Peterson in a tough spot: Should they keep rebuilding or take more of a win-now approach?

They sprinkled in a bit more of the win-now option last season, but the results didn't follow; the Chiefs lost their final nine games, a tailspin that left them 4-12 and further committed them to rebuilding. That was reflected in their decision to trade speed-rushing defensive end Jared Allen (15.5 sacks in 2007), who was entering the final year of his contract, to the Vikings for a first-round draft choice.

By many accounts, the Chiefs had one of the better drafts, selecting defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey (No. 5) and left tackle Branden Albert (No. 15) in the first round, and cornerback Brandon Flowers in the second. All three will start, although it doesn't appear Albert will be ready next Sunday after missing much of the preseason with a foot injury (Herb Taylor, a 2007 sixth-round pick, steps in).

Of the team's 12 draft choices, nine project to dress on the 45-man game-day roster - and it probably won't be long before cornerback Brandon Carr (fifth round) is starting. That crop augments a few other rising stars, such as receiver Dwayne Bowe, the team's first-round draft choice in 2007 who totaled 70 receptions for 995 yards (14.2-yard average) and 5 touchdowns in a strong rookie campaign.

Such a commitment to youth comes with the understanding that things might not click right away. Still, Edwards - who admires the way the Colts and Steelers annually restock their rosters through the draft - strongly resists any suggestion that the Chiefs are on a three-year plan.

"There are going to be some growing pains, we know that, but there is nothing that is saying just because you're young you can't win," he said. "We don't think that at all. We think we can win."

If they come into Gillette Stadium and do so against the Patriots, it will be the biggest upset of the weekend.

"That's tough," Edwards said of his team's opening draw. "That's a tough place to play, a heck of a football team, with a Hall of Fame head coach, and a Hall of Fame quarterback.

"In New York, we played them twice a year, so I understand it, but these young guys on our team have no idea of what they're walking into. But that's part of the experience they're going to gain when they walk in there."

As with most teams, the Chiefs' progress and success will be affected most by the play of their quarterback, Croyle. The jury remains out on the 2006 third-round draft choice from Alabama, who is 0-6 as a starter.

"I like his mannerisms, I like his calmness in the huddle, I like his command with the players. The players respect the guy," Edwards said. "He just needs a chance. Like all young quarterbacks, they all struggle early, and last year was tough for him in the fact that we were so beat up offensively. I think he withstood that and grew up some.

"He's a much different player right now. We have to play to his strengths, too, and I think that's the key for quarterbacks in this league: You have to ask them to do things they can do, and put players around him that can make plays."

The Connecticut connection
When former University of Connecticut offensive lineman Donald Thomas arrived in Miami for the first time this spring, he delivered an unexpected message to first-year Dolphins coach Tony Sparano.

"He came running in here the first day of rookie camp and told me that one of my high school history teachers said hello," Sparano recalled. "We got a little bit closer at that point."

Sparano, who like Thomas is a native of New Haven, now jokes that it's nice to have someone from his home state on the roster.

"We know a little bit about some fine dining down there in Connecticut," he cracked.

While those ties make the Thomas-to-Dolphins transition a New England-style feel-good story, the part Sparano is most excited about is how the 6-foot-4-inch, 310-pound Thomas - a sixth-round draft choice (195th overall) - has all but seized the starting job at right guard.

A walk-on at UConn who had never played high school football, Thomas was inserted into the top spot in Miami after three practices and has not relinquished his ground, outperforming veteran Trey Darilek and fellow rookie Shawn Murphy.

Sparano, the former Boston University assistant, sees Thomas as a "big, strong kid that's athletic." In a compliment, he also called him "heavy" - meaning that when he delivers a blow, defenders feel it.

Thomas's emergence has generally slid under the radar, as most of the attention has naturally focused on the left side of the line, featuring No. 1 overall draft choice Jake Long at tackle, and top free agent signing Justin Smiley at guard. At right guard, Thomas is playing between center Samson Satele, a 2007 second-round draft choice out of Hawaii, and right tackle Vernon Carey (first round, 2004).

Bills hope Stroud can be a roadblock during rush hours
When the Buffalo Bills acquired burly, athletic defensive tackle Marcus Stroud from Jacksonville in an early March trade, they undoubtedly had these run-defense statistics in mind from the last three seasons:

2007 - 4.4 yards allowed per rush, 28th out of 32 teams

2006 - 4.7 yards allowed per rush, 28th out of 32 teams

2005 - 4.5 yards allowed per rush, 29th out of 32 teams

It's a football cliché that if a team can't stop the run, it won't win many games, and from 2005-07, the Bills went 5-11, 7-9, and 7-9.

Now, in the 6-foot-6-inch, 310-pound Stroud, the Bills hope they've found the man to help plug those leaks.

After all, in 2004, the Bills were one of the NFL's toughest defenses to run against. A big part of that was the combination of massive tackles Sam Adams and Pat Williams controlling the point of attack. Opponents averaged just 3.6 yards per rush that season, which was also the last time the Bills had a winning record (9-7).

With that in mind, it's no wonder that as the Bills' preseason came to a close last week, one of the biggest stories was that Stroud - who missed seven games last season with an ankle injury, and five the year before - made it through without missing a practice.

In acquiring Stroud, the Bills surrendered third- and fifth-round draft choices, setting up a risk-reward type scenario. The risk is that Stroud, now 30 and in his eighth season, might break down for the third straight season. The reward is that, given their previous struggles against the run, and the fact that powerful, athletic defensive tackles are a rare breed, Stroud could be a steal.

So far, it's been all reward.

Etc.
Family business
The Steelers not owned by the Rooney family? It's a thought that diehard Pittsburgh fans can't fathom, as Dan Rooney - who owns controlling interest in the club, along with his four brothers - is one of the most revered owners in the NFL. Yet with Rooney's brothers claiming they have an offer for their combined 64 percent interest in the club, it's possible that Rooney - who also has offered to buy out his brothers - could end up on the outside looking in. With that in mind, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with the five brothers for 2 1/2 hours last Tuesday at NFL headquarters in hopes of ensuring that the franchise stays in the family. Goodell reminded the four brothers that even if they accept a bid, it must be approved by three-fourths of the league's other owners. His message seemed to be that if that offer wasn't from Dan Rooney, it very well could be rejected.

Bowie gathers moss
Poor John Bowie. As the player selected by the Raiders in the fourth round last year - the 110th overall pick, acquired in a trade with New England for Randy Moss - he can't help but be linked to whatever Moss does. Bowie, a cornerback from the University of Cincinnati, played in only two games last season while Moss snared an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes. Now Bowie's second season is a wash after Oakland placed him on injured reserve last week with a knee injury. Rock and rollers take note - another Bowie is "Under Pressure."

This Eagle has landed a job
The Silver and Black are adding a shade of Brown this year. In a bit of a surprise, former Boston College linebacker Ricky Brown is projected as a starter at outside linebacker for the Raiders. Brown, who joined Oakland in 2006 as a rookie free agent, followed a familiar road map. He hung around his first two seasons by contributing mostly on special teams, and this summer, he outperformed veterans Sam Williams and Robert Thomas, who split the starting duties last year.

A turn-off in Baltimore
That static you're hearing from Baltimore? It's Ray Lewis's old radio show. When John Harbaugh was hired as coach this year, he talked about the importance of establishing a new culture under his leadership, as the Ravens had been used to doing things a certain way during the nine-year tenure of Brian Billick. One of Harbaugh's requests: No more radio shows. Lewis, never one to shy away from expressing an opinion, has obliged.

Finders keepers
One of the more rewarding parts of the job for an NFL scout is uncovering talent in unexpected places, and that's why the Eagles deserve a tip of the cap for their work with sixth-round draft choice Joe Mays. A linebacker out of North Dakota State, Mays wasn't invited to the NFL combine, but the Eagles - projecting him as a possible fit in the middle of their 4-3 scheme - grabbed him in the sixth round. At only 5-10, Mays doesn't have the physical makeup scouts generally desire, but he's proving that height-weight ratios - and whether you're invited to the combine - don't always tell the full story. Mays, who projects as a backup and special teams contributor, was one of the more impressive players in the Eagles-Patriots exhibition game Aug. 24.

Bicknell toes the line
Chiefs coach Herm Edwards on his offensive line coach, Bob Bicknell, son of former BC coach Jack Bicknell: "He has a great tradition within his family. His dad was an outstanding coach, and Bob has been with him. He spent the last year as assistant line coach, but we made some changes on offense and I just felt that he's ready [for the top job]. He's an excellent teacher who communicates with the players real well. He's done a good job with our offensive line."

Extra points
Speaking on Dan Patrick's radio show last week, Goodell said that if the league expands the regular season, it would not happen until 2010 at the earliest . . . Ravens safety Ed Reed, a perennial Pro Bowler, did not play in the preseason because of a nerve problem in his left shoulder. Reed is in jeopardy of missing time in the regular season . . . Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, the Patriots' former director of college scouting, received a pleasant surprise last Wednesday when a 2007 AFC championship/perfect season ring was delivered to his office. "A class move by a class organization," he said . . . Dimitroff's first draft class in Atlanta will be tested right off the bat, as quarterback Matt Ryan (first round), left tackle Sam Baker (first round), and linebacker Curtis Lofton (second round) are expected to start, while cornerback Chevis Jackson (third round) and receiver Harry Douglas (third round) will be first off the bench in sub packages . . . Packers 2007 first-round pick Justin Harrell's injury woes continue, as the big defensive tackle from Tennessee is opening the year on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing back surgery . . . For all the hype surrounding Adam "Pacman" Jones's reinstatement, he'll open the season as the Cowboys' third cornerback.

Did you know?
Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor has started 130 consecutive games, which ranks seventh among active players. The streak could be in jeopardy as Taylor badly sprained his right knee in an Aug. 23 exhibition game against Carolina. The Redskins open the season Thursday at the Giants.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.