Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/19

Chiefs Training Camp Update 8/18: What You Need to Know from The Mothership

It might have been Alex Smith's best day of training camp so far in regards to chunk throws down the field.

He hooked up with several different receivers down the field that resulted in the crowd full of Chiefs Kingdom cheering with excitement.

Within about a five-minute span, Smith found Travis Kelce deep down the right sideline on a go route as he placed the ball perfectly over Kelce's shoulder for a 45-yard touchdown strike.

Moments later, Smith found rookie Chris Conley deep down the field (40-plus yards) on a post route that also resulted in a touchdown.

What made this even more impressive is that it happened as the conditions on the field worsened, as rain began coming down late in practice.

What We Learned From Assistant Coach Media Availability from The Mothership

Q: On your list of concerns, where does the uncertainty of a starting offensive line settle right now?

PEDERSON: "You have to, I think by the time you get to your third week when your starters are playing a lot, three quarters, you should have that ironed out. Going into that last week, where you play all your backups, those starters now get ready for that opening day, so you've still got a couple of days here to really get that thing ironed out. From there, it's all hands on deck. Give the starters all the reps they can handle, and they get ready for that first game."

Q: If Houston, or anyone else you play this season shows the same blitz that got the pick in Arizona, will Mitch Morse be ready for that?

PEDERSON: "Yes. There's no question in my mind. We see it from our defense every day so he understands it. It's reactional, reaction play, and he knows what he did. That play is fixed and corrected and we can move on."

Be sure to check out the KCChiefs.com Video Page for new content.

Chiefs LT Eric Fisher ‘day-to-day' with high-ankle sprain from Chiefs Digest

"It is what we call a high ankle sprain," head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said. "We really never put out timeframes because all these are different, so he's literally day-to-day."

Fisher suffered the injury Monday during 9-on-7 drills when defensive end Allen Bailey landed on the third-year pro's ankle. Fisher limped off the field to the trainer's tent before being transported up the hill to the indoor training facility.

A good sign, however, came Tuesday as Fisher worked off to the side with trainers during the morning practice.

Chiefs need to make offensive line decisions soon from ESPN

Offensive coordinator Doug Pederson indicated the Chiefs were still in an "experimental phase" with regard to settling on starting linemen. But he also said the Chiefs would have to make decisions soon.

"By the time you get to your third (preseason) week and your starters are playing a lot, three quarters, you should have that ironed out," Pederson said. "We've still got a couple of days here to really get that thing ironed out. Then it's all hands on deck and you give the starters all the reps they can handle and you get ready for that first (regular-season) game.

"I would say this: Not everything would be set in stone after the third week. There's still going to be an injury that happens, there's still going to be some rotating there."

Chiefs aim to have offensive line set for third preseason game from Chiefs Digest

Given the injuries to Allen and Fisher, of course, both tackle spots are at least temporarily up for grabs. Filling in for Allen and Fisher could be Jarrod Pughsley and Donald Stephenson, both of whom can play on either side.

Another position in question is center, where the Chiefs started rookie Mitch Morse in the first preseason game. The young player is far from a lock to win the position, however. Third-year pro Eric Kush is also in the mix. Pederson acknowledged Morse had highs and lows Saturday, but he agreed it would be reasonable to say Morse could be ready to start by the regular season opener.

"Here's why I say that - we've got so much football in," Pederson said. "We're changing plays every day. We're still installing plays in our meetings at night, so we haven't even game planned anybody yet. So when you game plan and you hone everything in to a specific task, now you focus on that task, and so yes, he will be ready. He'll be fine."

Chiefs take signs of passing game progress where they find them from ESPN

Offensive coordinator Doug Pederson is looking for signs of progress from the Kansas City Chiefs' passing game, and those aren't evident every day. They certainly weren't in last week's preseason game in Arizona, where quarterback Alex Smith passed for just 42 yards and threw a costly interception in his one quarter of play.

But there was a nugget in Tuesday's training camp practice that Pederson and the Chiefs can offer up as proof. Smith took a quick drop and fired a back-shoulder pass to Jeremy Maclin, who caught the throw before cornerback Marcus Peters, otherwise in good position to knock the ball away, could turn himself around.

Just the mention of the play brought a smile to Pederson's face. Smith and Maclin couldn't have connected on that pass, say, when training camp began less than three weeks ago.

OL Jarrod Pughsley emerging, turning heads at Chiefs training camp from Chiefs Digest

Chiefs offensive lineman Jarrod Pughsley flew under the radar entering training camp, and it could be attributed to his low-key nature.

"He's a nice guy," coach Andy Reid said. "He's very soft-spoken."

Place the 6-4, 310-pound Pughsley on the football field, however, and a transformation occurs.

"On the field, though, he'll take care of business," Reid said. "He's very competitive. Very smart and very competitive."

Those qualities contribute to Pughsley's emergence in recent weeks from the second-team offense - where he lined up at left tackle - to now taking repetitions at right tackle with the starters in two straight days.

Chiefs' Emmitt Thomas on Marcus Peters: 'He's what we've been missing back there' from ESPN

Emmitt Thomas knows what it takes for a cornerback to become a prolific ball thief. Thomas, who played 13 seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, holds the franchise record for interceptions with 58.

Thomas, now the Chiefs' defensive backs coach, said he believes Marcus Peters has the necessary qualities.

"He's what we've been missing back there,'' Thomas said of Peters, the Chiefs' first-round draft pick. "He's a guy that can intercept the ball and get turnovers back there.''

Chiefs RB Charcandrick West catching passes, turning heads from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

In an otherwise sloppy training camp practice, little-used running back Charcandrick West gave Chiefs coach Andy Reid a moment to smile.

The diminutive backup headed out on a passing play, and quarterback Chase Daniel lofted a pass to him. But the throw wobbled off to the right, and West had to reach back with one hand to snare the ball. Then, in one fluid motion, he spun upfield and ran for a touchdown.

Not only did Reid smile, the crowd watching let out a collective, "Oh!"

"Charcandrick, he can do everything," Reid said.

The Chiefs need him to do a little bit of everything, too.

Chiefs need to give Eric Berry more playing time in this week's game from ESPN

He needs the work. Between a sore Achilles tendon that forced him to miss much of training camp and the preseason, a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss five games early in the regular season and then his diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma, last season was almost a total wash from a football standpoint for Berry.

If Berry is going to help the Chiefs during the regular season, he needs to play more than eight snaps on Friday and the other two exhibitions.

Chiefs receiver Fred Williams took unconventional career path to end zone from The KC Star via The Wichita Eagle

"He was in a position to get some opportunities and made the most of them," said Culley, who also oversees the wide receivers. "Not everybody does that."

Which makes roster decisions easier. But this one looms as a toughie for the Chiefs. Williams has been superb in camp. So has Frankie Hammond and Da'Ron Brown. Each caught a touchdown pass from Chase Daniel against the Arizona Cardinals.

This from an offense that didn't produce a scoring pass to a wide receiver last season.

If five wide receivers are leaders for roster spots — Jeremy Maclin, Albert Wilson, De'Anthony Thomas, Jason Avant and Chris Conley — the three who reached the end zone Saturday appear to be battling for one or two spots.

A world without Raiders or Chargers wouldn't be as fun for Chiefs from ESPN

The Kansas City Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders have been together since the start, along with the Denver Broncos. They go back to 1960, when the Chiefs played in Dallas and were known as the Texans and the Chargers played in L.A.

So these rivalries have some roots. The teams have played one another twice each year since then, the exceptions coming only in seasons interrupted by player strikes.

Chiefs to host Military Appreciation Day at final training camp practice from The Salina Post

Following the 9:15 a.m. practice, all hosted members of the military will be invited out to the post-practice huddle where Head Coach Andy Reid and the entire Chiefs team will recognize them. Also as part of military appreciation day, Chiefs coaches, players and fans will be treated to a special flyover from a C-130 plane from the 139th Airlift Wing, stationed at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph (weather permitting).

Wednesday camp preview: Jadeveon Clowney itching to practice more from ESPN

Jadeveon Clowney has been eager and inquisitive in his return to the practice field, itching to do more than he's allowed each day. His workload increased Tuesday from Monday, as he participated in some pass-rushing drills. We'll see if he gets any work in team drills on Wednesday. -- Tania Ganguli

Sure You Could Move Chase Daniel but Why? from Warpaint Illustrated

And while the frustrations of the We-Drafted-Aaron-Murray-For-A-Reason camp are noted the ex-Georgia gunslinger is signed, very cost-effectively ($600,000 base in '16; $690,000 base in '17), for another three seasons. Given the musical chairs in the trenches and the fact that Daniel fits — right here, right now — coach Andy Reid's West-Coast dogma of short crossing and drag routes almost as well as Alex Smith does, don't be shocked if all parties stand pat. If Big Red knows anything, it's that luxury under center beats the pants off of necessity any stinking day of the week.

'Delaney' set to premiere on ESPN.com and Grantland.com from Northwestern State Athletics

Wednesday marked the official global release of the eagerly anticipated film "Delaney," part of ESPN Films' 30 for 30 Shorts series, telling the remarkable story of the late, heroic two-sport All-American Demons' star athlete Joe Delaney.

"Delaney" makes its debut at 10 a.m. Central Daylight Time on Wednesday on the ESPN platform, available for on-demand access through ESPN.com and Grantland.com, with specific TV viewing opportunities to be announced by the sports network. A handful of sneak previews were aired in July on ESPN Classic without any advance promotion.

The film tells the remarkable and heroic story of Delaney, the Haughton native, Northwestern State two-sport All-American and Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl running back who died in a 1983 attempt to rescue three drowning children.  Delaney was a two-time All-America running back in 1979-80 for the Demons, and joined Mark Duper, Victor Oatis and Mario Johnson on the Demons' 1981 NCAA championship 4x100 meter relay team, earning All-America honors.

Starting to grow up ... Young Charles realized strength through life's tests from KC Star via The Port Arthur News

Around third or fourth grade, Charles was steered in and out of regular classrooms into what he called "certain classes." Stealthily, hoping no one would see, he'd make his way to the resource room for several periods a day. "That was how I really started knowing something was different about me," he said. "I knew something was wrong then." Something, it turned out, that could be solved. Something that became a springboard toward becoming who he is. Of all that went into navigating this maze and rewiring how he processed information, fundamental to the equation was Charles simply slowing down his anxieties.

Tough-luck Graves rehabbing again from Panatgraph.com

Professional eyes: Scouts from the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts attended ISU practice Tuesday afternoon.

Jadeveon Clowney's biggest challenge in recovery: taking it slow from NFL.com

Monday provided a glimpse as to how slow this process might be for Clowney early on. He participated in a walk-through with the team, worked through individual drills with linebackers coach Mike Vrabel and then watched everything else. To Clowney's credit, he looked like a young man grateful to simply be standing on the field with his friends. He seemed to see the bigger picture in all this -- that everything is geared toward him being available in some form for the Texans' season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was a positive sight, given what Clowney has gone through -- his knee was still swelling during the Texans' organized team activities earlier this offseason -- but it also must be a strange situation for him to accept.