Sports
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Grain Valley Parks and Recreation Offers Preschool Instructional T-Ball Grain Valley Parks and Recreation is offering an instructional T-Ball program, Preschool Players, this summer. Preschool Players is a 6 week parent interactive program that focuses on skill development and fun! This program will rotate participants through stations that focus on major skills of the game. Parents/guardians will be asked to be station volunteers. Fee includes a t-shirt and a medal for each player! The program is open to boys and girls age 3 to 6 years.
When: Every Saturday from July 14— August 18 3 & 4 years: 9:00am—9:45am 5 & 6 years: 10:00am—10:45am Where: Armstrong Park Ball Fields Fee: $40.00 per participant (includes t-shirt and medal)
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Call 816-847-6230 ext. 9 with your Visa, Mastercard, or Discover. In person at the Grain Valley Community Center.
The last day to register for this program is Sunday, July 8th.
There are three ways to register for the Preschool Players program. 1.
Register online with a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover at http://grainvalley.recdesk.com.
Will Chiefs make selection in NFL Supplemental Draft? by John Unrein
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto
The National Football League (NFL) Supplemental Draft, which usually takes place in July, is designed to help teams take a look at players who have not participated in the main NFL draft due to various circumstances affecting their eligibility. The Supplemental Draft began in 1977, and while teams are not drafting large numbers of players this way, the last player having been selected in 2015, several players who have come out of the draft through the years have had great success. Wide receiver (WR) Chris Carter and eventual Hall of Famer was a Supplemental Draft pick who played for the Dolphins, Eagles, and Vikings. The Cleveland Browns selected another WR, Josh Gordon, in the 2nd round of the Supplemental Draft, and he finished well among the rookie receivers that year. Seven Pro Bowlers have emerged from the Supplemental Draft. In 1992 the Kansas City Chiefs selected Defensive Lineman (DL) Darren Mickell from the University of Florida in the 2nd round of the Supplemental Draft . He had missed his senior season for violation of team rules. Mickell would go on to have a
nine-year career with the Chiefs, Saints, Chargers, and Raiders. His best season was with the Chiefs in 1994, when he accumulated 7 sacks rushing the passer. Mickell would go on to compile 13.5 sacks during his 4-year tenure with the Chiefs. Not a bad return on the team’s investment. Why does the Supplemental Draft matter for the Chiefs right now? On paper the team appears to have three areas of uncertainty heading into training camp. Who will start at left guard (LG) along the offensive line? What will depth at the tight end (TE) position look like behind Travis Kelce with Demetrius Harris serving a one game suspension from the league? How will Steven Nelson and David Amerson hold up at cornerback (CB) on the outside with the announcement of leaving Kendall Fuller as the slot cornerback? It appears the most glaring of these positions is cornerback. Steven Nelson out of Oregon State enters his fourth year in the league after being drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2015. He missed time last year with a sports hernia before returning to action and playing admirably. Nelson has the respect of his teammates like Eric Berry and is often complimented by them for his leadership and enthusiasm for the game. Pro Football Focus gives Nelson a 76.8 overall grade or as an average CB in the league. He will be given the chance this year to start. This is exactly why you draft and develop players- for this type of
opportunity. Opposite of Nelson will likely be David Amerson. The Chiefs signed Amerson away from Oakland this offseason after his release from the Raiders. He missed eight games last year with a foot injury, along with starting six games in the Raiders secondary. No one disputes Amerson’s physical ability to play the position, as his predraft measurables were outstanding. He was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Washington Redskins out of North Carolina State in 2013. However, Amerson was also benched last year in the Chiefs October loss to the Raiders in Oakland. Pro Football Focus gives Amerson a 39.7 overall grade or as a poor CB in the league. So the organization must be confident that Amerson will rebound under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Emmitt Thomas and Al Harris, his defensive backfield coaches with the Chiefs. There are worse people to learn from. Sometimes it does take players who were drafted young like Amerson some time to find their way in the league. At the end of the day, Nelson and Amerson do provide the organization with two players who no doubt possess the ability to play press man as much as the Chiefs like to be in that coverage. The NFL Supplemental Draft provides two intriguing options at the cornerback (CB) position for the Chiefs to consider. They would be CB Sam Beal of Western Michigan and CB Adonis Alexander of Virginia Tech. Beal is listed at 6’1’’ and 185 pounds and appears to possess good awareness and physical characteristics for the position. Alexander is listed at 6’3’’ and 193 pounds with long arms and the ability to create pass breakups.
Both players have dealt with academic issues that have led them to the Supplemental Draft. Each has been projected as being selected anywhere from the 3rd to 6th by varying media outlets and prognosticators. The Chiefs do have an extra second round pick next year they acquired as part of the Marcus Peters trade to the Rams. Therefore, they could part with a second-round pick or lower if their scouting department feels that either Beal or Alexander could make an immediate impact with the team without losing a lot of draft capital for next year (teams lose the round of draft pick in the following years draft for where they selected in the Supplemental Draft). On the other hand, two young cornerbacks are already on the Chiefs current roster. Keith Reaser and Will Redmond were former San Francisco 49ers draft picks. They were taken in the 5th and 3rd rounds respectively. General Manager Brett Veach has spoken admirably about both and the talent they possess. Speedy Tremon Smith was selected by the team in the 6th round of this year’s draft out of Central Arkansas. Arrion Springs of Oregon and D’Montre Wade of Murray State are undrafted college free agents added to the roster after draft. All these players have had the opportunity to make an impression on the team during Organized Team Activities heading into training camp. The Chiefs will have to evaluate and decide if they stay with the status quo or dip into the Supplemental Draft to bring further depth to a potential position of need.
