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Chiefs bypass CapelBy GREG AUMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, The on-again, off-again NFL career of John Capel took a surprise turn Thursday when the Kansas City Chiefs reversed field, opting not to sign the former Hernando star after he met with coaches and passed a physical on Wednesday. "It's not our intention to sign him," Chiefs spokesman Bob Moore said. "I think we're looking for someone with a little more experience. We have lots of guys in for physicals, but that doesn't always mean we're going to sign them." Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, who was unavailable for comment Thursday, had told the Kansas City Star that "if (Capel) can pass the physical, I think we'll sign him ... he has something I can't coach ... he's got great speed. It's just that he's really raw." Instead of signing a receiver Thursday, the Chiefs added an offensive lineman and were set to move to River Falls, Wis., where training camp will open Saturday. Capel's agent, Robert Alterman, is on vacation in Switzerland, and attorney Michael Hornung of Fort Myers, who has worked with Alterman in representing Capel, wasn't aware of the Chiefs' decision when contacted Thursday. Capel was selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft in April, but the Chicago Bears relinquished his rights two weeks ago after a series of off-field problems. Capel tested positive for marijuana at the NFL combine in February and was arrested in Gainesville in May on misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana. He has since reached a deferred prosecution agreement that will remove that charge from his record so long as he doesn't commit any crimes for a six-month probationary period. Vermeil has shown a willingness to give players with off-field problems a second chance in the past. For example, when he was with the Rams, the team drafted Lawrence Phillips out of Nebraska in 1996 and a year later, TCU lineman Ryan Tucker, who had aggravated assault and public intoxication charges filed against him in college. Return specialist Tony Horne, who followed Vermeil from the Rams to the Chiefs this off-season, was suspended for four games in 1999 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. The Chiefs, however, might have been wary of signing a player with a past arrest, however minor it might be. Former Kansas City receiver Tamarick Vanover served two months in jail in 1999 for his involvement in a federal car theft case, and former Chiefs running back Byron "Bam" Morris was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail last year after pleading guilty to charges of selling marijuana.
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