Kansas City Chiefs training camp returned this week, going from zero to 100 miles per hour instantly. Whether the story was Michael Vick being hired as a quarterback coach intern, Brett Veach’s introductory press conference, or Anthony Sherman’s outfit, the Chiefs had a fast-paced week. Fortunately, the overtone was positive for most players; a tone that took a dramatic and warranted shift from the severe doubt that persisted through the Chiefs community this off-season. Dramatic overtones persist among management and the players, but for now the fresh air of training camp is the main story. The Kansas City Chiefs training camp for 2017 started on a high note, offering plenty of analysis on the process, Tamba Hali, and new general manager Brett Veach.
Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp – Week One Takeaways
Day Zero and One – Tuesday
Tuesday morning began with that air of excitement only fresh cut grass and the clack of cleats can bring. Football and the Kansas City Chiefs training camp was back. And back with training camp was the fresh air of hope that all 32 franchises have this time of year.
Akin to Super Bowl media day, Tuesday only brought so much excitement. In fact, there were only 28 players residing at the Chiefs training camp home at Missouri Western State University. Although not all 28 players will be Chiefs come August, the process begins here for rookies and injured veterans.
Travis Kelce, recovering from shoulder surgery, and Derrick Johnson, recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, made appearances after evading the physically unable to perform (PUP) list during trainer Rick Burkholder’s Monday injury report. Both will be full participants at camp.
Both Johnson and Kelce made highlight plays on Tuesday, showing signs of a full recovery by the regular season. The Chiefs will need both players at full health. Kelce plays a primary role as a go-to receiver, and Johnson leads the linebacker core. Further, Reid hinted at Kelce’s importance in a more ‘creative’ offense. Football is football, but Tuesday was mainly about getting rid of rust.
“It was good,” quarterback Alex Smith stated. “It was needed. Obviously, having five to six weeks off, it feels good to get back out and work our way to real football. Guys can press again, get real defensive looks.”
Opposed to the quiet news on the field, three moves were made straight away on the personnel management staff. After Veach was introduced as the general manager, he wasted no time to commence organizing a new staff.
Mike Borgonzi, a nine-year scout with the Chiefs, was promoted to director of player personnel, Michael Davis was hired as a personnel executive from the Philadelphia Eagles, and David Hinson was hired as an area scout. While these moves may not be reflected on the field in 2017, they show that Veach is wasting no time to get the front office structured.
Surprise! Michael Vick as an Intern
Michael Vick is a name that draws a plethora of controversy since being charged with leading a dog fighting ring in 2007. However, since his time in jail, he has made all intentions to mature. He also brings an impressive football resume of 13 years in the NFL, four Pro Bowls and was one of the most dynamic quarterbacks of the 2000s.
Vick’s appearance was the cause of debate among fans – does he deserve a chance or the opportunity to coach in the NFL? Fan opinion aside, head coach Andy Reid knows Vick well after coaching him from 2009-2012, the closing seasons of Reid’s time coaching the Philadelphia Eagles.
“He’s one of those guys that whatever he wanted to do, he could do,” Reid said of Vick after Tuesday’s practice. “He could go into TV, radio, coaching, whatever, I mean he he’s a good people person, you know he’s quiet, but he’s a good people person and he speaks well, and just has a good way about him.”
Vick showing up as a coach should not come as a surprise. First, in speaking with ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s on the June 2nd “Know Them From Adam” show, Vick shared, “At some point, I’d definitely love to help work with young quarterbacks and develop them and still compete, you know, with the team and with the coaches.”
Second, Vick is coming to the Chiefs as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship, a tool akin to the Rooney rule key to establishing full-time positions in the NFL for minority coaches.
Rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes is a player that could learn a lot from Vick during their three-week window together. Mahomes’ running tendencies are akin to the way that Vick broke through the league after coming out of Virginia Tech as a pioneer of the mobile quarterback. Yet, Vick had controlled mechanics in the Reid offense, a contrast to Mahomes’ raw style.
“He’s giving us tips that he learned when he was with Reid and the Eagles, talking about the drops and how you want to time them up,” Mahomes stated when explaining the beginning of their relationship. “I mean, he had one of the best seasons in NFL history in this offense, so you just listen to everything he says.”
Alex Smith could learn more about the playbook and risk-taking from Vick. While Vick never took the Atlanta Falcons to a Super Bowl, he dominated on the field and took ownership of managing and understanding the way the playbook was formed; both factors that would serve to make Smith a better quarterback in 2017.
Day Two – Wednesday
Compared to the fresh air and excitement of Tuesday, Wednesday was largely quiet. The same 28 guys appeared, and fans would need to wait one more day for veterans to make an appearance. The main focus was interviews with Andy Reid and backup quarterback Tyler Bray.
Coach Reid gave praise for the hard work of players and how the rookies were looking. The biggest news was no news as no injuries needed to be reported. Vick’s personality was praised, and day two with him as intern went well. “Guys are attracted to him [Vick]. They like his presence and the way he carries himself, so they are not afraid to talk to him and likewise, he is not afraid to talk to them.”
Derrick Johnson was also praised for his ever-youthful excitement. “He [Johnson] comes out like he is 20. That is the way he practices anyways, and that is the way he is coming out here and done this. His attitude has been great.”
And finally, when asked about Kelce’s red zone use, Reid did not give specifics, but dropped the ever-important word: creativity – “Well, he is pretty good in there. We can use him even a little bit more and just keep staying creative with it.”
After being undrafted out of the University of Tennessee in 2013, Bray has served as the Chiefs backup quarterback. Yet, this training camp he may be fighting against Mahomes and Joel Stave for a roster spot. The good news for Bray was him being attributed the number two quarterback spot on the depth chart.
Bray’s press conference focused on Vick, and in a humorous moment Bray revealed the generation gap by stating, “I used to play as him in Madden.” Bray also discussed his mental growth as a football player and his transition to becoming a better quarterback and leader.
“I am able to get guys lined up, run the offense. I don’t even need to think about what I need to do as far as calling the play and just getting out of the huddle.”
Day Three – Thursday
While football would take place later in the afternoon, it was Anthony Sherman’s outfit and Charcandrick West’s Skittle bag that stole the show. Sherman has made news in year’s past for his eccentric outfits, but this year’s leather biker jacket and mullet may be the winner. West’s Skittle bag was also a welcome sign that lightened the mood. Both players reminded everyone why they play – football is fun. Their attitude was a welcome interruption to a tense offseason.
Chiefs president Mark Donovan also made headlines by stating that by the end of training camp, the team will decide whether to stay at Missouri Western University in St. Joseph, Missouri for training camp, or move their operation elsewhere. St. Joseph is beloved by both Reid and Smith, although some fans struggle to make it to camp. However, Donovan argues that, “From the fans perspective, you are standing six feet away. You can’t do that just about anywhere else.”
Long snapper James Winchester also jumped in praising fans, “…Walking into practice every day with all the screaming fans, it just brings the energy to camp. Like Arrowhead, they bring the energy here. I know there are a lot of people that travel and a lot of people that are local and we love it, it’s awesome.”
Day Four – Friday
Full team-oriented football was set to return on Friday, but first the front office had a move up their sleeve. Early Friday morning, the Chiefs traded Pro Bowl special teams linebacker D.J. Alexander for Seattle Seahawks linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis. Alexander was seen as a leader for the special teams squad, which led to questions as to why the trade occurred. However, a leading theory is that the Chiefs wanted a backup linebacker compared to a special teams player. Pierre-Louis has served as a reliable backup since being drafted in the fourth round of 2014.
Another roster move was conducted as wide receiver Alonzo Moore was placed on waivers in exchange for wide receiver Antwan Goodley. Goodley is a second-year receiver out of Baylor who has bounced around training camp before. However, he also has an interesting family story in which he reconnected to his father, an ex-con man, during his senior season at Baylor.
While moving fifth-string wide receivers around is no news, it may become a familiar sight as Veach and Reid look to establish a new core after the release of veteran Jeremy Maclin.
No matter, football returned as the Chiefs team took the field in the afternoon for the first publicly open practice. Chiefs reporter BJ Kissel captured the anticipation as fans began to pour into the practice facility. Needless to say, the excitement was unprecedented. Both fans and players know the improvements that demanded for training camp 2017.
All eyes immediately turned to the wide receivers with the emphasis on how ‘creative’ Reid would make the offense. Tyreek Hill caught the first pass of camp, with no defense guarding him, but it was still a comforting notion. The starting core began with Hill, Chris Conley, and Demarcus Robinson. The second set of receivers, still operating with the number one unit, was Robinson, Albert Wilson, and De’Anthony Thomas.
Important to note is the impact each of these receivers training camp session carry. Although many of them will be on the roster, for the Chiefs to succeed, one of them must become the nine receiver. Conley is a leading favorite due to his height and speed ratio. However, Thomas displays some attributes that Hill has. Heading into his fourth year, seeing a full utilization of Thomas’ athleticism would be an unexpected bonus.
The Chiefs defense took the field next, and began with the press looking for Tamba Hali. After his recent Twitter rant, keen observers would be watching his performance. Concern rose for about an hour when he was ‘missing.’ Fortunately, Reid knew exactly where he was – on the PUP list and inside working hard in the weight room.
Everyone knew the defense would impress; the demand for 2017 is how aggressive, consistent, and healthy they would be. During the day, the pass coverage was back to their old tricks, as Eric Berry picked off a pass from Mahomes during 11-on-11 drills.
More takeaways on the defense will occur next week, day one did not hold a lot of football observations. Yet, in conditioning drills, linebacker Justin Houston impressed both the media and coach Reid with his passion for this training camp.
“I’d tell you he [Houston] did a great job on his conditioning test. I think he really worked hard this offseason,” Reid emphasized. “He looked good doing what we were doing. We did not do much today football wise. He did good with what we asked him to do.”
Houston backed up his mentality during his own press conference. “My expectations are higher. I want to be more dominant than I’ve ever been. That’s my goal. That’s my plan and I’m going to work until I get there.”
Follow @LWOS_KCChiefs for more updates throughout training camp! Back Monday with takeaways from Saturday and Sunday.
