KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters showed up for the first day of Kansas City’s mandatory minicamp Friday, admitting he was a bit out of shape but refusing to say whether he still wants a trade.

Surrounded by reporters following a 90-minute workout, Waters did make one thing abundantly clear: He did not knowingly stand up a charity event on Wednesday, as had been reported.
“Out of all the things that have been said, it was probably the most offensive thing I’ve had to deal with over the last few months,” Waters said.
Earlier this year, Waters told a Kansas City columnist that he wanted to be traded because of the disrespectful way he had been treated in a meeting with new head coach Todd Haley, and because new general manager Scott Pioli refused to meet with him.
One of two players who performed with distinction during last year’s 2-14 season, Waters did not attend any of Haley’s voluntary workouts this spring.
“I’m glad to be here with my teammates,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Whatever happens in the future is going to be between me and the organization and something we’ll work out either way. But as of today I’m a Kansas City Chief, and this is about football today. So any questions regarding anything that may happen in the past or anything that may happen in the future, I’m not going to ask.”
Making his first appearance in a Chiefs uniform Friday was veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel, who was traded in the offseason from New England.
“I think it was good to see them out there with their teammates practicing and getting involved,” Haley said. “You could tell there’s going to be a learning period. But I thought for the first time out, it was OK.”
Haley said he had spoken with Waters but refused to say how that went.
“He is here. He’s practicing. That’s what I want,” Haley said. “I’m not, Scott’s not, in the business of giving players away. He’s here. He’s working, trying to learn what we’re teaching, trying to do it the way we’re teaching it. We obviously need as many players as we can get.”
In explaining why he missed the fundraiser for First Downs for Down Syndrome, Waters may have given a hint that things between him and the club are strained.
“I had no idea the charity was going on at that particular date and time,” he said. “I hadn’t communicated with anybody and nobody had communicated with me.”
He reached into his locker for a sheet of paper listing various upcoming events for players.
“This is the way we communicate around here,” he said. “This letter is set on everybody’s (locker room) seat. All the offensive linemen, quarterbacks, tight ends received this letter. This was the way guys were supposed to know who was supposed to be at the charity or not.
“If you follow this little saga, I have not been here, so I did not receive this. So I did not know there was something going on. In no way, form or fashion would I ever take away from anything as great as the charity First Downs for Down Syndrome.”
Vrabel said he skipped the voluntary workouts for a reason.
“For lack of a better term, just trying to exercise my rights within the (collective bargaining agreement),” he said. “We bargained for rights to make these workouts voluntary, and that’s all I was trying to do, to exercise my rights within the CBA. I’m happy to be here right now. It was fun to get out there with the guys. I’m being dead honest. After one practice, I’m excited to be here.”
The three-day minicamp will wrap up on Sunday.