<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Thursday afternoon, the Chiefs began a rookie mini-camp at Arrowhead Stadium. On Friday morning, the first year guys and selected veterans will be on the field for the first of three workouts.Gunther Cunningham will be very busy during that first practice. Cunningham will go back to his days as defensive line coach, since Tim Krumrie will miss the weekend because of his daughters graduation from the University of Colorado.The extra workload hasnt wiped the smile from Cunninghams face. He smiles a lot these days. After two of the most frustrating years in his coaching career, Cunningham is starting to see changes in the culture around Arrowhead.It started with the arrival of Herman Edwards as head coach, bringing with him his defensive background and mentality. It continued with NFL free agency, where the Chiefs picked up some young veterans like DT Ron Edwards and CB Lenny Walls; players who havent caught the fancy of the fans or media, but who Cunningham believes can make contributions in the coming season. Then, there was the NFL Draft, where the top two choices went to defensive players. It was another step in improving the depleted talent level on that side of the ball.But what has made Cunningham the happiest is his new defensive coaching staff of Krumrie, secondary coach David Gibbs, linebacker coach Don Blackmon and quality control maven Darvin Wallis, who is the only holdover from last years group.Since he returned to Arrowhead in 2004, Gunther has been trying to tweak the defensive staff. He was never given that opportunity by former head coach Dick Vermeil, who was loyal to a fault with his staff members.They were all people that worked hard and they were very bright people, Cunningham said of the former defensive coaches. I think there needs to be more. There needs to be more in the relationship between coaches and players, and then coaches and the guy running the defense. There needed to be something more and it wasnt there.When Edwards took over in the middle of January, only Cunningham and Wallis survived on the defensive side.Herm called me and said Are you ready? Cunningham said. I told him it was full speed ahead and it took about two seconds and we were talking about putting together a staff.They were on the same page in what they sought from defensive assistant coaches: a strong personality, fundamentally sound in ideas and approach, energetic, demanding and with a track record of coaching in the NFL.Krumrie and Blackmon came off the fired coaching staff of Mike Mularkey in Buffalo, while Gibbs was the defensive coordinator at Auburn last season, after spending the previous four years with the Denver Broncos.We hit a bulls eye, Cunningham said of the new staff. There are very few times in this profession where you can coach with a group of guys that have the same mindset, the same approach, the same passion. It doesnt happen that often. George Seifert and I tried to coach together for 22 years and never got it done.To put together that kind of staff, well, Ive never seen it done, not once. I hope and I think and I feel like we are there for the first time in my career. We have four of us that are all thinking the same way.Putting together a coaching staff is not hard. Putting together a coaching staff thats going to be able to get the most out of the players available is very difficult.Its the same as trying to sign good players, said Cunningham. In fact, its probably harder, because there are more good players than there are good coaches.We had one advantage and that was Herms ability to get in here and make a quick transition from New York. That allowed us to get on these guys before other head coaches were in place.Krumrie played 12 seasons in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals, going to two Pro Bowls and playing in Super Bowl 23 against San Francisco. Hes been coaching for the last 12 years with the Bengals and Bills.He has that feel for the game, Cunningham said. There are things that we dont have to say, it just takes a look and he understands what Im thinking. There are a lot of different ways to play defensive line, but the same basic philosophy is something we share. There are things that happen in the pit that he understands because he played in there, and I learned from spending 10 years coaching there in my early days. We are constantly saying Gotcha and we move on to the next step.Blackmon played linebacker for the New England Patriots over seven seasons, including playing in Super Bowl 20. His on-field career was cut short by a neck injury. He immediately moved to the coaching ranks, spending 17 years coaching for New England, Cleveland, the New York Giants, Atlanta and Buffalo. He spent one year as defensive coordinator of the Falcons (2001) under Dan Reeves.He was a physical player during his time in the league and hes able to transfer that to the players he coaches, said Cunningham. Hes a real professional and an outstanding teacher. Don brings the nuances that other guys try to bring, but cant pull off. There are book coaches, system coaches and there are the real coaches, who can raise up a young player to another level.Gibbs has been in Cunninghams life for some 20 years, back to when he was a high school kid growing up in San Diego. Gunther and Davids father Alex Gibbs worked together on the Chargers staff and became good friends, despite the fact they banged heads for so many years in the AFC West when the two of them bounced between the Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos and Raiders.The younger Gibbs played at the University of Colorado as a defensive back and then immediately got into coaching, where he worked on the college level until 2000, when he joined the Broncos staff. He stayed there until 2004, when he was dismissed during the season by Denver head coach Mike Shanahan in what can best be described as a conflict involving Broncos defensive coordinator Larry Coyer.Cunningham would have hired Gibbs in 2005, if he had been allowed.I had a blue post-it note on my desk for two years with his phone number on it, Gunther said. I would look at it every day. It was an emotional deal for me, because of the tie to his family. I watched him grow up as a man, I watched him grow up as a player and I watched him grow up as a coach.Gibbs was defensive coordinator last year at Auburn. In the time between his first conversations with Cunningham after the college season ended and when he went to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama to sign his Chiefs contract, something big happened for Gibbs: he was offered the defensive coordinators job by new Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak. He decided to sign on with the Chiefs.Hes very astute in the coverage aspects of defense, Cunningham said. Hes a well rounded coach, especially with his experience as a coordinator. I love him.I dont know how long we are going to have any of these guys. When you have the cream of the crop, you arent going to have them for long. Its the NFL, not for long. But its going to be a great ride with them here. They came in as advisers, not as position coaches. We battle it out every day and they bring ideas to me and I usually dismiss them at first, but then we get to talking and if they can back it up with some tape, they win me over and we make changes. All of them have their fingerprints on what we are doing and we havent had a practice yet.This is going to be a very collaborative effort and Im very excited about that.</div>For those who are too lazy to read this it was just a good article on how Gunther Cunningham, our defensive coordinator, was very happy to get so many defensive players in the draft. Although I still don't think we've addressed our largest need, a CORNERBACK, I think out draft was better than people are giving credit for. Bernard Pollard and Tamba Hali could make an instant impact, while players like Brodie Croyle and Marcus Maxey are very talented, but need a couple years of experience under their belts first. Could the Chiefs not addressing their CB need in the draft be a key that we could be in serious talks with Ty Law? You already know that Herm has a relationship with him already. It would be great to see him in a KC uniform next season, but what if we do not get him? What will we do?
