Thigpen 'Not Ok' with Being Backup in Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs made a high-profile trade with the New England Patriots for quarterback Matt Cassel, very early in free agency, it is assumed that he will be QB1 this season for the Chiefs. Incumbent starter Tyler Thigpen is "not ok" with the demotion and isn't ready to give up his starting role so easily.

Thigpen said after the Chiefs’ final game that he thought he had done enough to begin the 2009 season as the team’s starting quarterback. Over the weekend Thigpen was running the second team offense while Cassel led the first team offense. So by early appearances Thigpen is buried on the depth chart once again, but he’s willing to trust coaches’ judgment and hopes he’ll get a chance at the starting job.

“It’s life,” Thigpen said Sunday. “Everything happens for a reason. You may not see the reason right now, but I know there’s a reason that they brought a guy in like Matt. I’m behind him, and all I’m doing is pushing him, making him better. Hopefully me doing that is going to make this team better.”

Thigpen has been in this situation before, he began last season as the No. 3 quarterback and wound up starting 11 games after Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard suffered season-ending injuries. Thigpen passed for 18 touchdowns and seemed to grow more comfortable after a few early-season struggles.

"Unless you come from a high-profile college, you’re always the underdog,” Thigpen said. “I’m back in that situation again. I don’t mind in that situation.”

LenDale White Slimming Down

Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White, who lost his starting spot to rookie RB Chris Johnson, is getting himself ready to battle and take it back. His first step is coming into camp in better shape.

White's other motivation? It's his contract year, so if he is not going to be the starter in Tennessee, he wants to get paid big somewhere else.

Christopher Brantley, who represents White, acknowledges that certainly White wants to do well as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, but said White’s motivation stems more from wanting to prove his professionalism than anything else.

“Everybody in that final year gears up to put their best foot forward, but whether it’s a contract year or not, he’s been getting a lot of flack about his weight and his work ethic, and he just wants to set the record straight on all that,” Brantley said. “He wants to show that he’s a solid professional and a good back in the NFL, and when he’s been given the opportunity, he produces.”

White, who showed up to last years off-season workout program at a bulky 270lbs, signed in this season at a much slimmer 238lbs. Although still big for a running back is a drastic improvement from previous years.

“Before he went down to work out, he was home back in Denver working out with his uncle who helps him get ready and did so when he was in school [at Southern California],” Brantley said. “There are certain drills and programs that they do to get ready, and he kind of wanted to go home and get back to basics and be really ready to go when the program started.”

RB Peterson Wants to Gain Weight, Vikes Hope it Won't Slow Him Down

Vikings All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson has decided to add an additional 7-12 lbs this off-season but the team's vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman was cautious when asked about the subject.

"Adrian's trying to be the best football player he can be, and I know there's a lot of still untapped potential in how much better he can get," Spielman said Thursday while talking to reporters at the NFL scouting combine. "I know the coaches and Tom Kanavy, our strength coach, and [coach] Brad [Childress], they will all monitor that to see if that's affecting him. But Adrian works extremely hard at his craft to be the best he can be. That's something that will be discussed internally."

The idea first came about at this years Pro Bowl, Peterson, the NFL's leading rusher in 2008 with 1,760 yards, explained the additional weight will help him endure the long season and make him "more explosive."

"Adrian is very lean, very lean, muscular ... maybe 5 percent body fat," Spielman said. "Whether [adding weight] helps him taking the shots that he takes ... I'm sure if he came back at 270 pounds, there would be some concern. But he's such an explosive athlete, and if you're able to add more muscle mass to what he has, it could be more of a benefit. I know Adrian is smart enough to know what weight he would want to put on before it would affect his speed and quickness. You wouldn't want that weight to affect how he is or what type of player he is."