Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/2

Chiefs Training Camp Update 8/1: What You Need to Know from The Mothership

Top Plays from Saturday's practice

The play that most people will be talking about tomorrow was the second play from scrimmage from the first-team offense. Quarterback Alex Smith went deep to his newest target, receiver Jeremy Maclin on a go route up the right sideline. The pass traveled more than 40 yards in the air and landed perfectly in Maclin's hands as he got over the top of the defense.

What We Learned From Saturday's Chiefs Media Availability from The Mothership

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid first offered his gratitude for the thousands of fans that showed up to watch the team Saturday.

"I'd like to thank the fans, number one, for coming out," he said. "They really came out in numbers and we appreciate all of their support. Obviously, for some of the young guys that have been out here for the last couple of days, they haven't seen this because practice has been closed, so it's kind of a nice greeting for them. The veteran players know about it, but it's always nice."

Around the AFC West: Jerry Rice Believes Raiders WR Amari Cooper is the Next Tim Brown from The Mothership

Linebacker Manti Te'o is reportedly seeing the game "way faster"

Foot injuries have plagued Chargers linebacker Manti Te'o thus far in his short, two-year career.

But he recently told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he's entering this 2015 season in better shape, which hopefully will prevent such injuries from happening again.

"I'm doing everything that I can in my power, just working out, eating right, just trying to be in the best shape that I can," he said. "And that's all I can do— take care of my body and take care of my feet."

KCChiefs.com Video Page

KSHB Video: Kansas City Chiefs hold first full squad workout in St. Joseph

Chiefs offense entertains big crowd in Saturday's practice from Chiefs Digest

Offensively, the script for Saturday's work was very basic by design, the first steps in what football folks like to call the install. It was very much a replica of the plays the team ran in its first OTA practice and then mini-camp back in June.

The difference was there weren't several thousand people watching back then.

"Each and every day is going to be a different story," said Maclin. "We'll continue to go out here and get work in. If it's down the field, it's down the field. If it's anything else, it's anything else. All we can do is go out there and execute the plays."

Chiefs QB Alex Smith wastes no time getting deep ball to Jeremy Maclin from ESPN

This was exactly what the Chiefs envisioned when they brought in Maclin during the offseason as a free agent. It will be more difficult for Smith to get Maclin the ball during games, when he will be a focus of defensive attention.

Still, the Chiefs served notice with the play that they intend to get Maclin the ball.

"We've got a new weapon,'' Smith said. "We've got to test it out a little bit. We've known for a while what we've got with him.''

Chiefs DT Jaye Howard has opportunity to fill Dontari Poe's role from Chiefs Digest

Poe's absence could forecast doom for a run defense coming off a 2014 season where the unit ranked 28th against the run (127.2 yard allowed per game).

Concerns heighten when considering the murderer's row of running backs awaiting the Chiefs from Weeks One to Seven in the form of Arian Foster, C.J. Anderson, Eddie Lacy, Jeremy Hill, Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson and La'Veon Bell.

But the nature of the NFL means the Chiefs won't have time for self-pity without a critical member of the interior defensive line.

Mailbag: How many games will Dontari Poe miss? from ESPN

The Chiefs haven't provided a timetable. Coach Andy Reid did sound hopeful Poe might return at some point early in the season. That sounds optimistic. Poe presumably can't lift weights or otherwise work out for some time. Getting back into football shape will be a process for him. I would think if the Chiefs get Poe back at any point this season it's an unexpected bonus.

Eric Berry working with the second team as Chiefs begin camp from ESPN

Safety Eric Berry, who was declared cancer free and is back on the practice field eight months after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, worked with the second-team defense. Ron Parker and Husain Abdullah were the starting safeties. Meanwhile, Sean Smith and Phillip Gaines were the starters at cornerback. Smith won't play in the first three games of the regular season after being suspended by the NFL for a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy.

Healthy, motivated Derrick Johnson a big plus for Chiefs from ESPN

A motivated Johnson is a plus for the Chiefs, who suffered without him last year when opponents ran the ball. The Chiefs had one of the NFL's worst run defenses, allowing 127 yards per game. They missed Johnson's ability to get into the backfield to make tackles for negative yardage, his ability to get sideline to sideline and his sure tackling.

"I'm not the savior that's going to save everything from what went on last year with the running game," Johnson said. "But am I going to help? A lot."

Projecting the Chiefs' initial 53-man roster from Chiefs Digest

Training camp paves the path to the first round of roster cuts from 90 to 75 occurs Sept. 1, followed by cuts from 75 to 53 on Sept. 5. The establishment of the 10-man practice squad can begin Sept. 6.

With those dates in mind, here is an initial prediction on the Chiefs' 53-man roster - based on spring practices - before the pads come on in training camp.

Jamaal Charles: I'm the LeBron James of football from NFL.com

"Sometimes I feel like I'm the LeBron of football," Charles told reporters at Chiefs camp, according to Terez Paylor of The Kansas City Star, "because I can do so much."

Charles may have gone out on a limb here, but his boast is a comparison worth exploring.

While James is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, as capable on offense as he is on defense, Charles is a top dual threat out of the backfield; he ranked in the top ten in all-purpose yards in four of the last six seasons and is a fantasy workhorse.

Still, King James does undoubtedly surpass Charles in one significant category: championships.

Large crowd braves heat for 1st open Chiefs practice of camp from The St. Joseph News-Press

When the Kansas City Chiefs officially opened their 2015 training camp Saturday, it was to a warm welcome.

Even after the start of the 3:30 p.m. workout on the campus of Missouri Western, a line of fans snaked its way behind Spratt Stadium and well into the lower parking lot. Even halfway through the one-hour, 45-minute workout some of the 5,027 fans kept arriving to get their first glimpse of the new-look Chiefs with Mizzou product Jeremy Maclin. And the free-agent signee at wide receiver did not disappoint. Early on in the 11-on-11 portion of the practice Maclin produced a big cheer by hauling in a deep pass from quarterback Alex Smith.

Training camp practice opens to public from KCTV5

While it was an awfully hot day for practice, it didn't stop fans from coming out in droves. The admission line stretched for hundreds of yards as fans took the Missouri Western State University campus by storm.

"I'm so excited for the Chiefs, for Jeremy Maclin being there. Very excited," Joyce Smith said.

They were wearing costumes and had balls and apparel to sign.

"It's about passing that torch. What it means to be a part of Chiefs nation," said superfan Ty Rowton.

Fort Scott standout takes unconventional road to NFL from KWCH

Two years may not seem like a long time, but for former Fort Scott CC standout Kevin Short, the wait seemed endless.

The wait ended this summer, and it was well worth it.

Short, who owns the record for career interceptions at Fort Scott, has earned an opportunity with the Kansas City Chiefs, despite not having played a down in more than two years...

...And where he is today, is on the doorstep of his lifelong dream. After going undrafted in the 2015 supplemental draft, the Missouri native and childhood St. Louis Rams fan, was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame Adds 15 new members from The Sun Herald

Daryl Posey: A perennial all-star in youth sports and a multi-sport standout, Posey hit his stride as a football star at Biloxi High School and Mississippi College. He was later drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1983.

Fantasy Football Week in Review (7/25 - 7/31) from Scout.com

Albert Wilson opened up camp as the Kansas City Chiefs' starting receiver opposite Jeremy Maclin. His biggest competition,Chris Conley, was sidelined with a knee strain on the first day of camp and is day to day