. — Cheifs coach Todd Haley doesn't mince words when he talks about his relationship with wide receiver Steve Breaston, whom he coached when both were with the Cardinals.
"I tried to break him," he said.
Breaston was picked by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, about the same time Haley was taking over as their offensive coordinator. He had been a standout at Michigan, but was considered a project in the NFL in part because of his slight stature — he stands 6-foot-1 but weighs just 175 pounds.
It so happens that Haley's roots are in coaching receivers, a job he held for a decade with the Jets, Bears and Cowboys. So he had a pretty good benchmark upon which to examine Breaston, and what Haley found was someone who could run every route and catch every pass, but had never been pushed hard enough to bring out the best in him.
"I said, 'This guy, I don't know. I think there's a chance but he's a long way off,'" Haley said. "And you just quickly realized as a coach, for whatever reason, this kid responded. He wasn't shying away from any kind of push, prod, pull, push."
Breaston caught only eight passes his rookie season, using his speed primarily as a kick and punt returner. But he blossomed in his second year, catching a career-high 77 passes for more than 1,000 yards and helping Arizona to a winning record for the first time in a decade.
The Cardinals went all the way to the Super Bowl, where they lost 27-23 to Pittsburgh.
"He called me a yo-yo," Breaston said, holding his hand high and then dropping it low. "He always wanted me to be consistent, and I take that now as being accountable, and just getting to the point where your teammates can trust you."
Breaston caught 55 passes for 712 yards two years ago and just 47 passes for 718 yards last season, when he was hobbled by a knee injury.
"He knows the whole story," Breaston said of Haley. "I'm here because I think he's one of those people who pushed me to be where I am."
Arizona : Quarterbacks Max Hall suffered a partial dislocation of his shoulder.
Baltimore : Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie agreed on a two-year deal. McKinnie was cut in training camp by the Vikings.
Cincinnati : Safety Taylor Mays was acquired from San Francisco for a draft pick.
Miami : Running back Larry Johnson signed.
Minnesota : Former Georgia running back Caleb King , who did not get chosen in the supplemental draft, signed as a free agent.
New England : Albert Haynesworth returned to practice one day after he pleaded no contest to a charge of simple assault.
N.Y. Giants : Second-round draft pick Marvin Austin tore a pectoral muscle on his left side and will miss the season. So will free-agent cornerback Brian Witherspoon , who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
N.Y. Jets : Running back Shonn Greene says his infected foot is fine and he expects to play against the Giants Saturday.
Pittsburgh : Linebacker Lawrence Timmons agreed to a six-year, $50 million contract.
Tennessee : Running back Chris Johnson says he flew to Nashville and he and his agent, Joel Segal , will meet with general manager Mike Reinfeldt this morning.
Former Baltimore Colts player Art Donovan has his 1958 NFL world championship ring back, more than 30 years after it was stolen.
Police in Howard County, Md., said Tuesday they retrieved the ring and returned it to the hall of fame defensive tackle.
Police received a tip the ring was being sold on Craigslist for $20,000 by an Elkridge, Md., seller.
Detectives contacted Donovan about the ring, which was stolen during a 1977 Japan trip, then posed as buyers and met with the seller.
They advised the seller the ring with Donovan's engraved name and jersey number 70 was believed to be stolen. The seller won't be charged.
Police say the ring had been purchased years ago from a sports memorabilia dealer in what was believed to be a legitimate transaction.
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Steve Breaston had his best years in Arizona when Todd Haley, now his coach in Kansas City, was offensive coordinator. (Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)
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