Welcome back to another installment of Kansas City Crossfire. Barry and I skipped down in the draft to cover a guy we’re both really excited about. We’re also discussing one of the team’s bigger name vet acquisitions. Barry is impressed. I’m not.

JAVARRIS WILLIAMS. A small college standout, Tennessee State tailback Javarris Williams spent his sophomore, junior, and senior years demonstrating exactly why so many Big 12 teams pursued him out of high school. Williams posted three consecutive seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He also posted 711 receiving yards. He was selected by the Chiefs in the 7th round (212th overall) of this years’ draft.

Barry’s Take: This is one of those players that really caught my attention when the Chiefs drafted him. I couldn’t believe that he had slipped as far as he did. Make no mistake about it, folks. This kid can play. Some analysts see him as a fullback in the NFL, which could still be a possibility, but one way or another Javarris Williams needs to find himself a roster spot on this football team. This is the kind of player that you build a team around.

He owns four of the top seven spots on Tennessee State’s single-season record list for rushing yardage. He set an ALL TIME mark for his school with 44 career touchdowns. There were only two other players at TSU that ever rushed for more than 1,000 yards, and Javarris did it three times! He is just flat out decorated. That’s the best way I can put it. He has very good size and bulk. He’s very quick, has great balance, nice vision, and he’s very strong and powerful. This kid should be a VERY productive player, and the lower on the radar he stays, the better BarryinStlouis feels about it.

Nathan’s Take: I don’t really have a lot to add here. I too hope he stays under the radar. He could struggle to find a roster spot right at the beginning of the season, but the Chiefs are toting around a bevy of injury cases at running back. Besides, Larry Johnson is one sip, slap, spit, punch, or brandish away from a one-year suspension. I think it’s safe to say a tailback on the practice squad won’t stay there for long. If Williams delivers on his promise, this pick could be a major coup for Kansas City.

BOBBY ENGRAM. Thirteen-year veteran Bobby Engram joins Kansas City’s ever expanding wide receiver corps. In five seasons with Chicago and eight seasons with Seattle, Engram has amassed 7,690 yards, averaging a utilitarian 11.9 yards per reception. He is only one season removed from his career best: 1,147 yards on 94 catches.

Barry’s Take: On May 27th, Bobby Engram was a guest on Soren Petro’s show on www.kcchiefs.com. Bobby seems very excited to be a Kansas City Chief. He loves his new quarterback, and he feels this thing can turn around pretty fast. The Chiefs have been one of Bobby’s favorite teams since he was a kid, and he talked about how excited he was to put on the home red. Let’s call him what he is: Dwayne Bowe’s savior. Having a veteran receiver around Bowe like Engram isn’t ANYTHING but good for Dwyane Bowe. Bobby has been around the league for a while, and we are all aware of what he is capable of. I think they intend on using him in the slot, and at 36 years old, that seems to be the best spot on the roster for him. Bobby feels great, and he says the game is not getting harder. He looks forward to being part of this new team in Kansas City, and quite frankly I just love this player’s attitude.

Nathan’s Take: Barry, I think you may be wearing your Koolaid-colored glasses again. Yes, Engram is good for Bowe in a mentoring capacity, but that’s about the only value he serves to the team. He’s old and his body is broken. We all remember seeing Jerry Rice play after his expiration date. It was painful. I watch Engram and I see a player who is at that same point. The wheels are falling off the bus.

Aside from that, he was never that great of a player anyway. He’s a B-list player, and even on some offensively challenged Chicago and Seattle teams he wasn’t a full-time starter. It’s one thing to fight for playing time with Darrell Jackson or Koren Robinson. It’s quite a different thing to fight for playing time with Ricky Proehl or the aforementioned 42-year old incarnation of Jerry Rice. My biggest hope for this receiver corps is that Engram and Bradley platoon their injuries. I guess if Engram can hold us off from seeing another Devard Darling spot start, the money isn’t completely wasted.