KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Connor Barth was recently at an elementary school playground in Kansas City. He talked to some kids about the benefits of an active lifestyle. Then, he refereed a game between the youngsters with his Chiefs jersey proudly displayed. Barth spent the off-season immersing himself in his new town. The problem is he does not know if it will be his town much longer.
A year ago, the Chiefs found Barth working at a golf course. They gave him a training camp spot. He eventually lost that battle to Nick Novak. Novak hit only 6-of-10 field goals. So, Barth was back. He finished the season by hitting 10-of-12 field goals.
"I feel like I finished up strong. All I can do is improve, hopefully."
Field goal accuracy has never been a problem for Barth. However, new Chiefs special teams coach Steve Hoffman places an emphasis on kickoffs. That is an area where Barth has struggled.
"For me, they've been really talking about kickoffs. That's the main thing...I've been working hard in the offseason on that."
Enter Ryan Succop. The Chiefs drafted Succop with the final pick in the draft because of his strong leg. Barth understands just how well Succop can kick. The two competed against each other in high school back in North Carolina.
"Ryan Succop's a good friend of mine. So, it's going to be a fun battle."
Barth has not had any in-depth conversations with Scott Pioli or Todd Haley. He is not sure where he stands with the new management group at Arrowhead. He knows he will be in a fight for his job this offseason. It is something every kicker understands well.
"It's part of the job. As a rookie last year, I'm kind of still unproven because I only played half the season."
