Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli talked on 101 ESPN in St. Louis today, one day ahead of the Chiefs game against the St. Louis Rams on Saturday night. Pioli touched on a number of topics, going through a quick review of the season for those listening in St. Louis.
He also had some interesting stuff on Dexter McCluster, who impressed in the Chiefs first preseason game last weekend. Pioli said McCluster reminds him a little bit of Deion Branch, who had had in New England, and he also said that they're working on McCluster saving himself from some of those big hits now and again.
Check out what he said about McCluster:
"This year we're using Dexter a little bit more like we did during his rookie season," Pioli said. "The big thing we're going to do is that Dexter is a wide receiver now. There was a decision made by the coaching staff that he was going to play one position and one position only. He's going to line up in the slot.
"He's a tremendous talent with rare quick speed and an ability to get open. He has tremendous hands. He and Matt have spent a ton of time working together.
"Generally speaking, smaller players have less of what we call a catching range but because his hands are so good and because he creates so much separation his catching range is actually pretty darn good. He's going to be an interesting matchup for a lot of people.
"Here's one of the things we've been telling Dexter. We had a guy who was similar but a little bit different when I was up in New England in Deion Branch. One of the things about Dexter is he's pound for pound one of the toughest and strongest football players I've ever been around. But he has to understand that he has to take care of his body a little bit and people call him out in terms of him trying to be tough so he tries to bow up and run guys over. Brian Daboll coached Deion Branch up in New England and he's been telling Dexter that there's nothing wrong with going down once in a while and saving himself."