But Peterson, the Chiefs’ president/general manager, does make this guarantee: New coach Herm Edwards will immediately play at least some of the guys he picks.

“You’ll see how it plays out,” Peterson said, energized by the mere thought. “We feel we’ll be able to come out of the draft with some help. Unlike some of our former coaches, Herm likes to and will play younger players, including rookies.”

“I don’t really run into a problem having young players play,” Edwards said. “That doesn’t bother me. I’ve done that in Tampa. I’ve done that in New York. I’m going to do it here. If a young player is ready to play, if he’s the best player, if he’s the coachable player, if he’s the available player, if he’s buying into what we ask him to do, he’s going to play.”

“We’ll play young guys. You’ve got to be patient with them because they’re going to make mistakes. You’ve got to live with that. I will, because after week eight, they’re going to be better players for it. They won’t get better if you don’t play them.”

Peterson was often frustrated over the years that capable rookies such as halfback Larry Johnson and wide receiver Samie Parker languished on the bench for most or all of the season. His frustration is evident from his not-so-subtle dig above at former coach Dick Vermeil.