Observations From Day 4 of Chiefs Training Camp
Kent Swanson, Matt Lane and Tucker Franklin were back in St. Joseph for Day 4 of Chiefs training camp. Here's what they saw.
It was a wet day in St. Joseph, Missouri as the Kansas City Chiefs showed out in front of the largest crowd at training camp so far.
Not practicing today were tackle Mike Remmers (back spasms), tight end Nick Keizer (back spasms), safety Armani Watts (foot), tight end Travis Kelce (back and hip tightness), linebacker Anthony Hitchens (hamstring) and running back Darwin Thompson (COVID-19 protocol).
Ben Niemann (hamstrings) started to practice but left midway through the first team scrimmage.
Head coach Andy Reid, guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, cornerback Mike Hughes and running back Jerick McKinnon spoke to the media after practice today.
Reid touched on a variety of topics including the rookie offensive lineman, tackle Lucas Niang’s fitness and the offense’s ability to run the ball. He said that while he would like to have experience on the offensive front, he’s had success with rookies on the line.
Duvernay-Tardif talked about his year off and trying to win the right guard position while Hughes and McKinnon both talked about their time in Kansas City so far and their health.
For the second straight day, Matt Lane, Kent Swanson and I were at training camp on Saturday. Here are their thoughts.
One of the hottest topics for the Chiefs this offseason is how their linebacker rotation is going to shake out. With two recent Second Round Draft Picks being on the LB position over the last two years, all eyes are on Willie Gay Jr and Nick Bolton. With Anthony Hitchens still not participating in practice and Ben Niemann leaving practice early, that left the majority of LB reps up to the two youngbloods.
Willie Gay Jr has been one of the more impressive players for the Chiefs defense so far through training camp and that continued today. His athleticism flashes consistently and he’s found himself in a position to make a handful of plays in coverage on tight ends or wide receivers.
Nick Bolton hasn’t been as dynamic as Willie Gay through camp but today he got his chance to share play-calling duties with Gay. After Niemann left practice with a hamstring injury, Bolton and Gay took turns with the green dot calling plays.
Until pads come on it may be hard for Bolton to fully utilize his skill set. When the entire LB was healthy, Bolton saw most of his action as a base LB and that appears to be the best use for him early on in his NFL career. He has struggled in some of the man and zone coverage drills throughout camp but once pads come on his run defense can be on display.
It’s so easy to normalize some of the talents that the Chiefs have on their roster. It’s so easy to be dismissive of special performances from star players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill.
Hill was outstanding today — running away from defensive backs, winning at the catch point, and destroying angles of pursuing defenders. It’s not breaking news that Hill is one of the best players at his position in football, but that also doesn’t mean we don’t need to stop and appreciate the special talent that he is.
Hill was utilized in a lot of different ways in Saturday’s practice — getting touches behind the line of scrimmage, and every level of the defense. He excelled throughout the day with whatever he was asked.
Hill is one of the biggest energy givers in Chiefs camp. He put on a show the entirety of the day, and did it while interacting with the fans that came to see it.
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Check out the latest One-on-One podcast with Mike DeVito and Jeff Allen
Former Kansas City Chiefs lineman Mike DeVito (DL) and Jeff Allen (OL) are back after a short break to talk about Chiefs Training Camp and their fondest memories about their times in St. Joseph. Mike and Jeff also discuss some of the drills and tests they would go through in an Andy Reid camp and talk about how things have changed.