The Chiefs received the highest rookie pool numbers by the NFL, a source said on Wednesday. With 12 draft choices — two first-rounders taken in the top 15 — the Chiefs have a rookie pool of $8,221,790, tops in the league. Not only do they have two first-rounders to sign, but they have a second and three thirds.

Even though agents and teams get around the rookie pool with contract escalators, post first-year option bonuses and one-time incentives, the rookie pool was created to somehow slot the signings of draft choices by the position they were selected. Each selection in the draft is given a value, which is a predetermined cap number. All rookies, including undrafted rookies, have to fit within the assigned rookie pool.

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Fans can pick up a complimentary ticket at any of the Kansas City Metro area Arby’s locations. Parking is free with lots opening at 9:30 a.m. Stadium gates will open at 10:30 a.m. and the Chiefs will take the field for practice from approximately 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

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Hunt, who died in December 2006, was a three-year reserve end on the SMU football team during 1952-55. However, he is being inducted because of his support of the university throughout his lifetime. Hunt’s No. 80 jersey was retired by SMU in 2000. The 2008 class also includes former football player, coach and athletic director Forrest Gregg, swimmer Martina Moravcoca and golfer Payne Stewart.

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Leak, you’ll recall, led Florida to the national title in 2007 by beating Ohio State. Leak was the title game’s most valuable player.

But Leak, who is 6 feet, 207 pounds, didn’t get drafted. He signed as a rookie free agent last year with the Bears but was cut before the season.

Head coach Herm Edwards said he will view Leak as a quarterback rather than trying to convert him to another position.

“We’re definitely looking at him as a quarterback,” Edwards said. “He’s got the arm strength. He’s kind of got a different game than the other quarterbacks we have. So we’ll check it out.”

Leak had been preparing to play in the All American Football league, but its inaugural season has been postponed.

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Rookie Free Agents Signed

DT Maurice Murray
College: New Mexico St.
Height: 6-3
Weight: 334
Notes: Murray appeared in 22 games at New Mexico State after transferring from Long Beach City College. He tallied 48 tackles, seven stops for loss and 3.5 sacks.

S Ron Girault
College: Rutgers
Height: 5-10
Weight: 204
Notes: Girault appeared in 45 games at Rutgers, recording 271 tackles, 1.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and 10 interceptions.

G Ian-Yates Cunningham
College: Virginia
Height: 6-3
Weight: 296
Notes: Cunningham started all 25 games over his final two seasons with the Cavaliers.

DE Jason Parker
College: Arizona
Height: 6-3
Weight: 265
Notes: Was named PAC-10 Honorable Mention in 2007.

CB Maurice Leggett
College: Valdosta St.
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Notes: Played in 45 games during his college career, including two NCAA Div. II national championship contests.

WR Jabari Arthur
College: Akron
Height: 6-3
Weight: 228
Notes: Has great size and is a powerful runner and blocker, but does not have great speed or quickness.

LB Jonal Saint-Dic
College: Michigan St.
Height: 6-1
Weight: 255
Notes: Has a very quick first step and is very explosive pass rusher, but can be a liability against the run.

G Chris McDuffie
College: Clemson
Height: 6-4
Weight: 330
Notes: Has excellent size and a great motor, but has poor technique and footwork. Started just one season at Clemson.

WR Sean Bailey
College: Georgia
Height: 6-1
Weight: 174
Notes: Has great hands and can pull the ball out of a crowd, but has marginal speed and is not a very good blocker.

FB Mike Cox
College: Georgia Tech
Height: 6-0
Weight: 254
Notes: Very strong and physical, great lead blocker, but offers very little as a runner. Was a three year starter at Georgia Tech.

LB Steve Octavien
College: Nebrasksa
Height: 5-11
Weight: 238
Notes: Super athlete with sideline-to-sideline range, but has some trouble getting off blocks. Has a lot of upside.

DT Johnny Dingle
College: West Virginia
Height: 6-1
Weight: 265
Notes: Strong and powerful, coming off a great 2007 season, but is a bit of a ‘tweener who might not have a true NFL position.

WR Luke Swan
College: Wisconsin
Height: 5-11
Weight: 195
Notes: Excellent route runner with good hands, but not real fast and lacks a burst. Missed half of his senior season with a torn hamstring.

RB Kalvin McRae
College: Ohio
Height: 5-9
Weight: 203
Notes: Natural runner with good instincts, but does not have great speed and lacks a burst. Was a four year starter at Ohio where he set the school’s all-time career rushing mark.

PK Connor Barth
College: North Carolina
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
Notes: Has a big leg and can handle pressure, but is slow on some of his kicks leading to his attempts getting blocked. Was a four year starter at North Carolina.

DL Derek Lokey
College: Texas
Height: 6-1
Weight: 293
Notes: Relentless with a non-stop motor, but does not have the size or bulk you look for in a defensive lineman. Was a two-year starter at Texas. Could transition to an NFL fullback.

QB Ricky Santos
College: New Hampshire
Height: 6-0
Weight: 209
Notes: Has decent mobility and is very accurate, but he did not play against big-time competition in college. Started four years at New Hampshire where he was named the top player in I-AA football in 2006.

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Mel Kiper - ESPN
Grade A

The rebuilding process is on. The Chiefs started the draft with 13 picks, and they made them count. After getting defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey — the No. 1 player on my Big Board — with the fifth overall pick, the Chiefs grabbed tackle Branden Albert, although he will be a work in progress. Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers would have been a mid-first-round pick if he had run better 40 times at the NFL combine. On Day 2, RB Jamaal Charles and Tennessee TE Brad Cottam — who has untapped ability — will be nice complements on offense. Cottam could be a diamond in the rough. DaJuan Morgan is a solid safety, Brandon Carr is another corner who might be a sleeper and Kevin Robinson can make his mark in the return game. Barry Richardson never materialized into a great offensive lineman at Clemson, but he could start right away with the holes Kansas City has on its offensive line. Defensive end Brian Johnston has long-range potential.

John Czarnecki - FOX Sports
Grade A+

On paper, the Chiefs had the best draft of any team. Granted, GM Carl Peterson had the ammunition with seven picks in the first 107. The Chiefs had their eyes on Chris Long but ended up with LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who they had rated higher. Dorsey may need right leg surgery down the line in his career, but Kansas City is not worried. Peterson made a trade with Detroit for Virginia guard Branden Albert, who has the ability to play guard and tackle, although he is a better guard and is tremendous in open space. Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers has the ability to start right away. Texas RB Jamaal Charles will be a great change-up runner to counter Larry Johnson, and Tennessee tight end Brad Cottam has the physical tools to potentially replace Tony Gonzalez when he retires despite only starting 10 games in college. Missouri WR Will Franklin has 4.3 speed and some teams had him graded in the third round.

Pete Prisco - CBS Sportsline
Grade A+

Best pick: They saw Dorsey fall to them with the fifth pick. He was the top player on half the boards in the league.

Overall grade: A+. They had a lot of picks and used them well. Good thing, too. They need a lot of help.

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Carr (6-0, 207) was a three-year starter and a two-year All-American for perennial Division II power Grand Valley State. He brought in 11 interceptions over the past three years and broke up another 37 passes during that time.

Richardson (6-7, 320) earned All-ACC first-team honors the last two seasons at Clemson where he started 45-of-49 games in which he appeared for the Tigers.

Robinson (6-0, 190) proved to be one of the most consistent big-play threats in the country during his four years at Utah St. where he became the NCAA career all-purpose yards per play record holder with a 16.16 average on 6,479 career yards in 401 plays.

In 42 games at Gardner-Webb, Johnston (6-5, 276) started 40 contests. He recorded 268 tackles (124 solo), 21 sacks for minus-140 yards and was credited with 69 quarterback pressures.

Merritt (6-3, 270) is a prototypical blocking tight end. He was used mostly in jumbo packages at Central Florida.

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As a senior, Franklin (6-1, 214) was named All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention. He started all 14 games at “X” receiver, coming up with a career-high 49 receptions for 709 yards and four touchdowns.

In 48 games at Missouri, Franklin started 36 contests. He ranks fourth in school history with 143 catches for 2,125 yards (14.9 avg) and 13 touchdowns.

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Charles (5-11, 200) was a three-time All-Big Twelve Conference selection and rushed for over 1,000-yards during his junior season.

With their second 3rd round pick (#76 overall) the Chiefs selected tight end Brad Cottam out of the University of Tennessee.

Cottam (6-8, 270) had an injury plagued five-year career at Tennessee. He had flashes of brilliance for the Volunteers, but he underwent five surgical procedures and was also involved in a car accident that kept him off the football field at various times during his college career.

With their final pick in the 3rd round (#82 overall) the Chiefs selected safety DaJuan Morgan from North Carolina State.

Morgan (6-0, 205) was a standout on special teams earlier in his college career before seeing time at safety last season. He received All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-team honors in 2007.

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In 41 games at Virginia Tech, Flowers (5-10, 189) started 28 contests at boundary cornerback, making 158 tackles (99 solo) with 3.5 sacks for minus-28 yards, 17 stops for losses of 71 yards and six quarterback pressures. He caused and recovered a fumble, deflected 32 passes and intercepted ten others for 172 yards in returns and two touchdowns.

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Albert (6′6″, 309) earned All-American third-team and All-ACC first-team accolades in 2007. During his final two seasons, Albert registered 94 knockdowns, coming up with key blocks on 21 touchdown drives…Graded 83.23% for blocking consistency over his last 25 games, as he allowed 6.5 quarterback sacks, but no pressures on 773 pass plays.

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Dorsey (6′2″, 316) was named a consensus All-American and the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. He was also named the Nagurski Award, Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy and Lott Award winners this past season.

In 51 games at LSU, Dorsey started 30 times. He collected 179 tackles (83 solos) with 13.0 sacks for minus 93 yards, 27 stops for losses of 123 yards and seven quarterback pressures. He caused and recovered a fumble and also deflected four passes.

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Allen’s agent, Ken Harris, and Chiefs president Carl Peterson told conflicting versions Wednesday of how and why negotiations broke down to keep the All-Pro defensive end in Kansas City.

Peterson said the sides discussed a potential multi-year contract but that Harris “wasn’t interested in any offers.” Harris told The Star late Wednesday he has the airline miles to prove otherwise.

“We were the ones chasing. We were the only ones to make a formal proposal,” Harris said. “Last year, Jared had me running around the country, to the Super Bowl and the Senior Bowl and the combine and those sorts of things, making proposals to the Chiefs. We didn’t ever really feel like it was going to end up with a contract agreement.”

Allen said in late December he had heard nothing from the Chiefs about a new contract. Harris said Wednesday that as early as last year’s NFL scouting combine, in February, Allen began to believe he wouldn’t remain in Kansas City after his contract with the Chiefs expired.

“It was no secret that me and management had clashes over contract extensions,” Allen said Wednesday.

But Peterson downplayed talk that he and Allen had a tense relationship or any kind of clash. Peterson said he and Chiefs vice president Denny Thum met with Allen but that there were no negotiations.

“There was nothing at that particular time that was on the table. Sometimes, it takes a little time for those things to happen,” Peterson said. “It was still our plan to work on a multi-year contract for Jared.”

Harris said that during one of the discussions, the sides informally agreed that they seemed too far apart on an agreement and that it might be time for Allen to move on.

“There didn’t seem to be a big push on anybody’s side to do anything different,” Harris said.

Harris said when Allen heard about the Vikings’ contract offer, his reaction was more relief than anything else. Harris said it was far different from Allen’s experience with the Chiefs.

“No matter what we tried, it just didn’t seem like it was going anywhere,” Harris said. “Given the history of how this has gone, I don’t think Jared or I thought that was in the cards.”

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Late Tuesday night, the Chiefs and the Vikings reached an agreement on a trade package, and at roughly the same time, Allen reached an agreement in principle on a contract with the Vikings. Upon reaching the contract agreement, Allen headed to the airport and left for Minnesota.

Sources indicated the Vikings might have had to include a second third-round pick (No. 73) in the 2008 draft to get the deal done. They had been offering a No. 1 pick (17th in the first round) and a No. 3 (No. 82). Terms of Allen’s new contract weren’t available.

Updated: NFL.com is reporting that the Chiefs will receive the Vikings’ first-round pick (No. 17) and both of their third-round selections (No. 73 and No. 82) in this weekend’s NFL draft.

Allen, according to the Fox Sports website, will become the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. His new contract will be for six years and just shy of $74 million. Allen told Fox this includes $31,000,069 guaranteed.

Updated: It’s official, Chiefs President Carl Peterson announced on Wednesday that the club has agreed to trade Jared Allen to Minnesota in exchange for a first-round pick (17th overall) and two third-round choices (73rd and 82nd overall). In addition, the two clubs also exchanged picks in the sixth round. The Chiefs acquired the Vikings 182nd overall selection, while Minnesota received the Chiefs 187th overall pick.

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Smith has worked primarily at tackle during his NFL career, but is expected to compete at center with Kansas City. He played in 14 games as a reserve offensive lineman and on special teams for the N.Y. Jets in 2007.

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Allen, the NFL’s reigning sack leader, told FOXSports.com that the Vikings and Buccaneers have held trade talks with the Chiefs and he anticipates a deal will get done prior to next week’s draft.

“It’s a situation that works out best for both sides,” Allen told FOXSports.com. “I can go to a team that is competing for a championship right now. The Chiefs can get valuable draft picks to rebuild with.”

Allen said he is flying to Minnesota and has a visit set up with the Vikings by this weekend. He is tentatively scheduled to meet with Tampa Bay next week. The Jacksonville Jaguars had previously inquired with Allen’s camp as well.

Allen said the two sticking points are working out terms of a deal with a new team and the Chiefs agreeing to compensation for a trade. A package of first- and second-round picks or one of first- and third-round picks in the upcoming draft have been discussed as possible terms. It’s unclear at this point what it will take to get the deal done.

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Foschi appeared in 11 games as a member of the Oakland Raiders from 2004-06.

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The Chiefs schedule features five games against four teams that qualified for the 2007 playoffs, including a season opener at the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots on September 7th. The Chiefs will also play two games against AFC West champion San Diego, while hosting NFC South winner Tampa Bay and AFC Wild Card qualifier Tennessee.

Here is the Chiefs complete schedule:

Pre Season
8/7/08 @ Chicago
8/16/08 VS. Arizona
8/23/08 @ Miami
8/28/08 VS. St. Louis

Regular Season
9/7/08 @ New England
9/14/08 VS. Oakland
9/21/08 @ Atlanta
9/28/08 VS. Denver
10/5/08 @ Carolina
10/12/08 Bye Week
10/19/08 VS. Tennessee
10/26/08 @ NY Jets
11/2/08 VS. Tampa Bay
11/9/08 @ San Diego
11/16/08 VS. New Orleans
11/23/08 VS. Buffalo
11/30/08 @ Oakland
12/7/08 @ Denver
12/14/08 VS. San Diego
12/21/08 VS. Miami
12/28/08 @ Cincinnati

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Quarterback Matt Ryan of Boston College, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey of Louisiana State and offensive linemen Ryan Clady of Boise State and Branden Albert of Virginia were among those who began their visits.

All will be selected in the first round of next weekend’s draft, and at least some should still be available when the Chiefs make the fifth pick.

The visits aren’t a guarantee the Chiefs will select any of the players. But several times in recent years their eventual first-round pick came to Kansas City in the days leading up to the draft.

The Chiefs were planning visits with several other prospects, including many who will be available later in the draft or who could be signed as undrafted free agents.

That list includes offensive linemen Duane Brown of Virginia Tech and Fernando Velasco of Georgia, cornerbacks Brandon Flowers of Virginia Tech, Reggie Corner of Akron and Cary Williams of Washburn and defensive lineman Brian Johnston of Gardner-Webb.

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