The Kansas City Chiefs are a buzz pick as a sleeper team this season, but any success they may enjoy won't be explained by gritty senior leadership.
The Kansas City Star pointed out Saturday that the Chiefs are the NFL's only team without a player over the age of 30. The team has six players sitting on 30 -- including quarterback Matt Cassel -- but no one beyond that age.
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The opposite of the Chiefs? The New England Patriots, who have a whopping 13 players on their roster at 31 or over. This can't be considered a surprise if you remember the personnel habits of one William Stephen Belichick. Three other teams -- the Arizona Cardinals (11), Baltimore Ravens (10) and Buffalo Bills (10) -- crack double-digits in the 31-Plus Club.
The second-youngest roster belongs to the Seattle Seahawks -- only 31-year-old cornerback Marcus Trufant qualifies.
Of course, this wasn't necessarily some grand plan orchestrated by Romeo Crennel and the rest of the Chiefs brain trust. Back in March, the team tried and failed to sign both Peyton Manning (36) and Reggie Wayne (33).
"I'm not saying we didn't try to get some veterans," Crennel said. "We had some guys in who made decisions to go other places. As it works out, we've got a younger roster, so we'll coach those guys and try to get them better quickly."
So no, don't get too wrapped up in the Chiefs' relative dearth of experience. The team will get by without reaching out to the city's teenage babysitter community.
