7/26 Camp Recap: Reid Encouraged After First Day With Pads from The Mothership
The sounds of pads popping, along with some Michael Jackson's P.Y.T. to kick-off offensive team work, which was a change from the Metallica that fans had experienced on Friday, was a welcomed sight for the 6,200 in attendance here in St. Joseph, Missouri...
"...The fans were unbelievable," Reid said. "We appreciate them and they kind of push you through that first day in pads when you get a little tired those last couple of periods, those fans get you going and you roll, so we appreciate that."
Chiefs Fans Show Strong Support from The Mothership
"I'm in the Air Force and stationed in San Antonio, but we wanted to make the trip out to Chiefs camp to see the team and experience the atmosphere," dedicated Chiefs fan Jason Seibel said. "We left on Thursday night and stopped in Oklahoma City to stay the night, then woke up Friday morning to drive to Kansas City. We bought some Chiefs t-shirts and memorabilia and then made our way to St. Joseph for Family Day."
Seibel traveled with his wife and two young daughters, all of whom were decked out in Chiefs gear.
Hunt Excited About Team's Direction In Year Two Of Dorsey-Reid Era from The Mothership
Heading into the 2014 season, the expectations will continue to rise as the Chiefs look to get back to the playoffs again, where they fell short last season.
"When you have a great year, the expectations of everybody are higher and our goal this year is to build off of what we did last year," Hunt said. "Clearly, make it back to playoffs and hopefully make it further in the playoffs than we did last year."
The difference this year is one simply of continuity, as Reid and his staff are familiar with the majority of the players and vice versa.
Chiefs Fresh Takes: 7/26 Training Camp Day Three from The Mothership
Andy Reid...
...On the on-field competition: "I thought the execution went back and forth-offense [and] defense-there were some good snaps both ways and that's what you're looking for. You're looking for competition. We had the ones going against the ones today. I just thought it was a good tempo and good challenge in them. Good competition."
KCChiefs.com Video: Chiefs Practice Report 7/26
KCChiefs.com Video: This Is Our Arena
KCChiefs.com Video: Training Camp 7/26: Clark Hunt
KCChiefs.com Video: Training Camp 7/26: Andy Reid
KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Fans At American Family Fun Day
KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: 7/26 Training Camp
TE Sean McGrath Notifies Chiefs Of Retirement from Chiefs Spin
"(Tight end Sean) McGrath is going to retire," Reid said. "That's what we've been told by him and I wish him the best. He's a good kid and it was a personal decision he made."
The Chiefs signed the 26-year-old McGrath on Sept. 1, 2013, a day often referred to as "The Second Draft" due to the players joining the team off waivers, including McGrath, linebacker Dezman Moses, and cornerbacks Marcus Cooper and Ron Parker, among others.
Chiefs Working On Competition At Cornerback from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City
Smith took the demotion in stride.
"At the end of the day," he said. "I control my own destiny. As long as I come out here and compete, work hard and be the same guy I've been in the past, I'll be all right."
Smith, who enters his sixth season with 71 career starts, takes on a mentorship role.
"One thing about us," Smith said, "we're very tight as a unit. We come out here and compete, we push each other. I'm very supportive regardless who it is. Whether I'm first string, second string, it doesn't matter."
Chiefs Waive OL Rokevious Watkins, Claim TE Adam Schliltz Off Waivers from Chiefs Spin
Meanwhile, the Chiefs initially placed Watkins on the non-football injury list with a back injury on the first day of training camp.
Watkins, who was facing a four-game suspension to start the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, wasn't present for any of the team's last three days of practice.
To replace McGrath, the Chiefs claimed tight end Adam Schiltz off waivers from the Tennessee Titans.
Chiefs Camp Report: Day 3 from ESPN
There was a sense of gloom as safety Eric Berry headed into the sideline medical tent toward the end of practice. Turned out Berry only has a dislocated finger, which appears to be the small finger on his right hand. Berry may miss a few days of practice or none at all. Either way, it's not a long-term injury. Still, the scare they received when Berry headed off the practice field highlights just how little depth the Chiefs have at safety.
Fans Take Advantage Of Family Fun Day from Chiefs Spin
Another standing-room only crowd was treated to a lively practice. Saturday was the team's first day in full pads, and the team spent much of the day in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills to the fans' delight.
The family atmosphere of Chiefs training camp has been a key part of the event's success since returning to the Kansas City region in 2010. It seemed as if there were almost as many children and parents tossing around footballs and climbing the rock wall as there were fans in the stands watching practice.
Chiefs Smart To Start Charles Negotiations from ESPN
Running back Jamaal Charles publicly revealed an interesting tidbit after recently signing a two-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs. Charles indicated the process started last fall when he was approached by the Chiefs, even though his deal had two full seasons remaining.
Smart move by the Chiefs to be proactive. The entire world knew Charles, who was scheduled to make less money this year than 13 other NFL running backs, was underpaid. By engaging Charles, the Chiefs were able to engender some goodwill with their star running back, who took less money in the extension than he probably could have squeezed from the Chiefs.
Defense Catches Up At Chiefs Camp from Chiefs Spin
After two relatively injury-free days of practice, several Chiefs were nicked up on Saturday. Joe Mays left practice after suffering an apparent knee injury. Reid said after practice that Mays was suffering from a sore knee and had been shuffling in and out of practice repetitions before leaving practice.
The only other player to leave the field and not return was wide receiver Junior Hemingway, who limped off the field after suffering a hamstring injury.
Among other starters, safety Eric Berry suffered a dislocated finger after making a diving interception. Wide receiver Donnie Avery limped off the field after getting tangled up on a play, but later returned to action. Running back Jamaal Charles and center Eric Kush visited the medical tent after limping off the field, but returned to practice.
Kansas City Chiefs Hold Football Safety Training For Mothers from KSHB
The Chiefs helped ease the worries of mothers on the fence about letting their kids play football.
On Saturday the team joined with the University of Kansas Medical Center to teach moms about football safety.
Fantasy Football: Kansas City Chiefs' Jamaal Charles A Solid No. 1 from The Los Angeles Daily News
Actual game action is still a week away, as the preseason will kick off next Sunday in Canton, Ohio, when the Giants face the Bills in the Hall of Fame Game.
In the meantime, here's a look at what the first round should look like for fantasy football drafts that are coming in August:
1. Jamaal Charles >> The Chiefs running back totaled 1,980 combined rushing and receiving yards with 19 touchdowns to rank as the No. 1 running back last year. Still in his prime at age 27, Charles is the consensus top pick in drafts.
Chiefs' Rishaw Johnson, Zach Fulton Locked In Battle from Chiefs Spin
So who has the early upper hand?
"Rishaw obviously has a little bit more (familiarity)," coach Andy Reid said Saturday. "Rishaw really showed well down in San Diego in that game and so he is the one in that first starting position now, and then they are rotating from there."
Fulton pointed out his mindset on rookie report day.
"Mindset is just being consistent," he said on July 20. "That's my whole key. Whoever's the most consistent probably will end up being that guy."
Chiefs Sign Former ESU Football Player from Kansas First News
Schiltz, 24, is listed at 6 feet 4 and 245 pounds. He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent in June 2013 after a senior season at Emporia State in which he had 44 catches for 560 yards and four touchdowns. He was released by the Texans before the season but landed on the Titans' practice squad, where he spent the remainder of the season.
West Column: Bum Phillips Trophy An Impressive Piece Of Work from The Port Arthur News
What a relief to see the Kansas City Chiefs reward Jamaal Charles with a two-year contract extension worth $18 million in new money. In a sport where a guy is always one play away from a career-ending injury, and with Charles already past the age and average service time for a running back, he needed to be rewarded for being the classy face of a franchise that hasn't had much to cheer about for a long time.
Face It, Women: The NFL Does Not Give A Shit About You from Jezebel
In late 2012, Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then killed himself. After that crime, Slate's Justin Peters analyzed NFL player crime statistics and found that 21 of the League's 32 teams had employed someone who had been formally charged with sexual or domestic violence on their roster during the League's most recent season.
Not only does the NFL not care about what its players do to the women in their lives, the league does not give a lightly toasted poppyseed fuck about the women in its employ. Teams treat their cheerleaders like second class pieces of meat, beheld to impossibly retro beauty standards and paid laughably sub-minimum wage for a huge amount of commitment and work. And who can forget how ridiculously wrist-slappy a punishment was doled out to football legend Bret Favre after he sexted unsolicited dick pics to then-Jets employee Jenn Sterger?