Chiefs Minicamp: Day 2 Practice Recap from the Mothership
On the offensive side, the top play was a catch across the middle from tight end Travis Kelce, who leapt up with one hand and was able to snag the ball out the air more than 15 yards down the field.
Alex Smith placed the ball between a couple of defenders and Kelce showed the kind of ability that Chiefs fans are excited to see more of in 2015.Finally, there was one perfect pass from Alex Smith to
Jeremy Maclin on a crossing route about 20 yards down the field. Smith threw the ball into an open window that had Maclin coming out of nowhere as he broke open across the field and made the catch.
What We Learned From Day Two Mandatory Minicamp Press Conferences from The Mothership
Smith said, in year three, this is "hands down" the most the playbook has been installed by this time.
That said, there can always be more.
"The crazy thing with coach Reid is there's no end game," he said. "It's never-ending because he's always thinking of new stuff."
Even from a statistical standpoint, Smith said the offense seems improved.
"We get our stats every single day that come back to us, especially as quarterbacks," Smith said. "It's not even close as far as this has been our best offseason for sure as far as any numbers in the passing game, whatever you're looking at— completion percentage, touchdowns, all that stuff."
KCChiefs.conm Photo Gallery: Chiefs Mandatory Minicamp, Wednesday
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WR Albert Wilson limited to warming up on second day of minicamp from Chiefs Digest
The second-year pro originally suffered a hamstring strain on June 3 during organized team activities, and the Chiefs have taken it easy on him since.
Inside linebacker Derrick Johnson (knee) and defensive tackle Dontari Poe (back) participated fully for a second straight day of practice after missing a good portion of organized team activities.
Running back Cyrus Gray (knee) continues to participate in warm-ups without his helmet, but not practice while he recovers from last season's ACL injury.
QB Smith says this is best spring he's had with Chiefs from FS Kansas City
And yes, you are forgiven for being a tad cynical about glad tidings, given Smith's fiduciary ties to Mr. Dink and Mr. Dunk and the whole no-wide-receiver-touchdowns-in-an-entire-regular-season-for-the-first-time-in-modern-NFL-history thing. If the Andy Gang has earned your love, they have also earned at least a little constructive skepticism.
Or, as they say in a certain state motto: Show me.
"It's fun, especially this spring," Smith said of his toys, old and new. "It's a ton of fun to move (guys) around. Who's going to have the big day? You don't know. I think that's the fun part, even for us, is going out and you don't know who it's going to be, because everybody's had their turn."
Tuesday: Jeremy Maclin. Wednesday: Da'Ron Brown. Thursday: Kenny Cook. Every day, a new face. Every day, a new gold star.
Kansas City QB Alex Smith encouraged by offense's offseason success from ESPN
Practice has seemed more balanced between offensive and defensive successes than in the past couple of years. That in and of itself guarantees the Chiefs nothing when the regular season begins.
But it's a start for a passing game that struggled to get the ball down the field all of last season. Smith and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, the Chiefs' prize free-agent acquisition, don't look like strangers. The two appear to have had a productive month of practice together.
OT Tavon Rooks looks to apply experiences to making Chiefs roster from Chiefs Digest
The Chiefs, who opened the 2014 season with 10 offensive linemen, currently have 16 linemen in minicamp and training camp competition should be fierce.
But Rooks has already walked the hard path before when considering the stops in New Orleans and Arizona since the former Wildcat entered the league.
He hopes what he absorbed with the previous teams will help in Kansas City.
And now that he is back in familiar territory, Rooks can also recall lessons learned from his former college head coach on facing adversity while accepting the challenge to make the Chiefs' roster.
Travis Kelce is demanding the ball, and that's a good thing for Chiefs from ESPN
"You're doing things at the line of scrimmage, changing plays with him, (depending on) how they're playing him leverage-wise," Smith said. "He wants a different route so he can get the football. Yesterday in practice, I can hear him make calls at the line of scrimmage because he wants the football.
"Things like that are encouraging. Obviously, he's a tremendous player, but it's so great to kind of see that confidence there on the field, him calling for when he wants the football. As a quarterback, that's encouraging. You want a bunch of guys out there that are feeling good about their matchup and want the football."
Off-season report card: Kansas City Chiefs from Sports Illustrated
So, the Chiefs seem to have their paradigm for success: A fundamentally limited quarterback, decent receivers, a good rushing attack led by Jamaal Charles and a defense that will have to hold everything down. Smith saw success in a similar structure when he was in San Francisco under Jim Harbaugh, but eventually, the decision was made to replace Smith in favor of someone more impressive and explosive. Before the Chiefs can hit that next level, they may have to make the same decision. As it stands, it seems as if they're banking on an offense that isn't quite what the NFL requires at the top tier.
Grade: B-
NFL: Kansas City Chiefs Ready for Another Run from Pro Player Insiders
The Chiefs are ready to get back to be a contender in the AFC. With the Patriots and Broncos being a year older and the Colts and Bengals still not being able to get over the hump yet, Andy Reid and the Chiefs must take advantage of their talent while they can. Alex Smith isn't getting any younger and neither is the players mentioned above. In a division with an aging Peyton Manning, and aging Philip Rivers, and an inexperienced Derek Carr, the Chiefs may not get a better chance than this year. Will they let it slip away?
GRUBBS STANDS TALL ON KC'S O-LINE from Warpaint Illustrated
Even though rumblings suggest veteran Guard, Evan Mathis, might be flirting with the Chiefs to change zip codes, that doesn't mean KC's offensive line isn't in good shape today. With Ben Grubbs in the fold, Kansas City has infused an experienced lineman into the mix that should bring stability to a group that lacked it a year ago.
Last year KC's line did everything they could to open up holes for Running Back,Jamaal Charles and protect the backside of Quarterback, Alex Smith. For the most part, they failed at both.
This year that's all going to change.
Chiefs guard Duvernay-Tardif continues to adapt to NFL game from FOX Sports
The Chiefs' patience with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif could pay off soon.
Kansas City refused to put the 6-foot-5, 321-pounder on their practice squad last year for fear he'd be snatched by another team. He stuck on the 53-man roster without appearing in a single game -- that's how highly his team thought of him.
The Canadian prospect wants to reward that trust by improving his technique and proving he can play at the NFL's pace.
Chiefs linebacker Johnson: 'I'm feeling good' from The Kansas City Star via The Salina Journal
You might be hard-pressed to find a player more vital to the Chiefs' defense this season than inside linebacker Derrick Johnson.
Without Johnson, who missed 15 games last season with a torn Achilles tendon, the Chiefs' run defense dropped from 11th in 2013 to 28th.
So when Johnson had to miss a few practices during organized team activities due to inflammation in his knee, it would make sense to wonder if there was any concern about his health.
14 Muslims On Instagram That You Need To Follow This Ramadan from The Huffington Post
Husain Abdullah, who plays safety for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, dedicates himself to the Ramadan fast every year -- even during football season.
"I'm putting nothing before God, nothing before my religion," Abdullah told The Associated Press. "This is something I choose to do, not something I have to do. So I'm always going to fast."
Chiefs linebacker Johnson ready for training camp from The St. Joseph News-Press
Derrick Johnson is ready to play football — real football.
The veteran Chiefs linebacker is back on the field this summer for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon last year as the team gears up for a return to St. Joseph for training camp.
Wednesday marked the second day of the three-day mandatory team minicamp in Kansas City. Today the camp wraps up, the final activity for the Chiefs before trekking north to camp out at Missouri Western for training camp in July.
"You know what, I missed a lot of football last year," Johnson said. "So training camp, I am itching to get back."
Pro Football Players to Touchdown in Israel from Shalom Life
The "Touchdown in Israel - Mission of Excellence" program will have 19 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame visit Israel this Thursday for a week of events including meeting local Israeli football players...
...Some of the players reported to be attending the weeklong celebration include Green Bay Packers great Jim Taylor, former Patriots and Jets running back Curtis Martin, former Baltimore Colts wide receiver Raymond Berry, and Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Curley Culp.
JJ Birden: Conversing with a motivator from EndZone Score
Well, there were a couple of things that were happening with me. The first year I spent on injured reserve. The second year I was literally the last receiver cut in training camp...
...I'm credited for two years in the league and I've never played a game. For a player in this league, if you haven't gotten that shot by year two or three, they move past you. They go to someone else. I had three or four teams interested in me, and I carefully picked the team. I picked the Chiefs because, A; Marty (Schottenheimer) was there. Marty drafted me in Cleveand so I felt he was going to give me a fair shot. And B; they did not have speed. They had great players but they didn't have 4.3 guys or 4.4 guys. My biggest asset was my speed and quickness and here was my chance to showcase it. It was a careful, methodical decision to select the Chiefs. And it was the right decision.