Kansas City's Morris Placed on IR

Sunday, September 1st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Wide receiver Sylvester Morris, Kansas City's first-round draft pick in 2000, was placed on injured reserve Sunday and will miss the entire season for the second year in a row.

Also, the Chiefs placed wide receiver Marvin ``Snoop'' Minnis, their top pick in 2001, on the physically unable to perform list.

Morris injured his right knee during an offseason workout in 2001 after catching a team rookie-record 48 passes in 2000. He missed all last season and worked hard to be ready this season.

``I don't think Sylvester Morris' career is in jeopardy,'' coach Dick Vermeil said. ``It's just, as we all know, he made a tremendous effort to come back off that knee and he just can't do it.''

Morris had some good moments during training camp, giving hope that he was ready to play.

``He just could look good one day and the next day he can't go,'' Vermeil said. ``It's just safer for his own career and the stability of his knee to take a slower pace and give him a lot more time to gradually work that back to 100 percent.''

Kansas City could get Minnis back by the seventh game. The slender 172-pounder, who led all Chiefs wide receivers with 33 catches for 511 yards last year, broke his right foot during minicamp on May 3.

``We've been working him out and he's not there, he's not 100 percent,'' said Vermeil.

The Chiefs will ask for two-week exemptions for tight end Tony Gonzalez and rookie defensive tackle Ryan Sims, who ended long contract holdouts last week. Both can practice with the team and could be activated.

Players who were waived or had their contracts terminated were defensive tackles Nate Hobgood-Chittick and Norris McCleary; wide receivers Reggie Jones and J.J. Moses; guard Darnell Alford; quarterback Joe Germaine; linebackers Richard Jordan, Tony Newson and Maurice Rodriguez; fullback Paul Shields; centers Jason Andersen and Shawn Lynch; defensive tackle Devin Wyman; tight ends Dwayne Blakley and Ryan Collins; defensive ends T.J. Bingham and R-Kal Truluck; defensive backs Clint Finley, Brandon Godsey and Ahmad Hawkins; tackle Ian Allen; and kicker Lawrence Tynes.