Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/5

Chiefs Training Camp Update 8/4: What You Need to Know from The Mothership

During one-on-one drills between the linebackers and running backs and tight ends, veterans Derrick Johnson and Jamaal Charles put on a show for the crowd.

After Charles did a solid job in pass protection during two of their reps, Johnson had his turn as he undercut an out route in pass coverage, snagged the ball out of the air with one hand and took it back for what would have been a pick-six interception return for a touchdown.

A little bit later in practice, fans were welcomed with a vintage Johnson tackle for loss as he met the running back out on the edge trying to get up the field and was brought down immediately. Johnson threw a shoulder into the thigh of the ball carrier.

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

Toub provided an update on the ongoing long snapper battle between Andrew East and James Winchester.

"They're really close," Toub said. "I think both of them are both NFL caliber guys, there's no question, which is a good thing for us because we're going to pick the best one.

"It's going to take a while I think. We're looking at at least two preseason games I'm guessing before we really know. You need to get some good live reps. You try to mimic that as best you can here, but you really can't."

Sports Illustrated's Don Banks on Andy Reid: "He's an upper-tier NFL head coach" from The Mothership

This will be Sports Illustrated's Don Banks' 25th year covering the NFL in some capacity.

On Monday, Banks was at Kansas City Chiefs training camp and shared a few thoughts on his impressions of the team heading into 2015, starting with coach Andy Reid.

"He just brings stability and he's very incredibly thorough and professional," Banks said. "You know you're getting a guy who has a plan. He's an upper-tier NFL head coach because he's been there—he's done that.

"He has an offense that he believes in and knows like the back of his hand and yet I think he still shows he can improvise. I think he's got a talented team here."

Chiefs Download Podcast: Five Storylines Heading into the Chiefs Season

Mitch Holthus to be Inducted Into K-State Athletics Hall of Fame from The Mothership

"I was overwhelmed," Holthus said, describing the moment he found out. "I was actually driving from Waco, Texas, where I had spoken at a convention, to Port Arthur, where I was going to be part of Jamaal Charles' celebration. I pulled over to the side of the road and I remember the cars and trucks just whizzing by me. I just sat there, got emotional, and my mind drifted back to those times.

"Then I just had this feeling of humility and being blessed and overwhelmed, actually. I was thrilled, I mean just thrilled. As a little kid, growing up as a K-State fan and being a part of it ever since I can remember, to be given that honor is so special. It's hard to really put into words but it was overwhelming."

Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano Wore a "Be Berry" Shirt to Practice Tuesday from The Mothership

Pagano was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia in September 2012 and needed to take three months off in order to receive treatment. Pagano returned to his head coaching post in December 2012.

That's why it shouldn't come as a surprise that Pagano could be seen wearing a "Be Berry" T-shirt on Tuesday during Colts training camp.

Chiefs' Phillip Gaines leaves practice with knee injury from Chiefs Digest

Cornerback Phillip Gaines (knee), WR Armon Binns (ankle), WR Jeret Smith (hamstring) all left practice with their respective injuries and did not return to the field.

Gaines briefly left Monday's practice after tweaking his knee, but was able to return and finish.

Starting CB Phillip Gaines leaves practice with sore knee from ESPN

The starting defense dominated early in practice when both sides of the ball had their starters on the field. Twice in the first four plays of a full-team drill, the defense got quick pressure on quarterback Alex Smith and made him pull the ball down, signaling the end of the play. Later, Smith and the offense made their share of plays. Smith connected with Jeremy Maclin twice against the starting defense for sizable gains.

Chiefs prove their willingness to give players second chances from The Associated Pres via FS Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs have demonstrated a willingness under general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid to give players who have run into trouble a second chance.

They've also proven there's no such thing as a third...

"...I wouldn't say there's a hard-and-fast policy because every situation is different," Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. "It's up to John and his staff to do the research when a player has an incident and make a judgment call whether it's going to work out. That particular situation, it didn't, but John is very aware we don't want guys who are going to be a problem."

Conditioning will have role in Chiefs DT Dontari Poe's snaps from Chiefs Digest

Whatever concerns lingered over snaps is now magnified by Poe's recent back surgery, which landed the two-time Pro Bowl selection on the physically unable to perform (PUP) to start training camp.

The Chiefs also need to evaluate whether Poe can handle a heavy load when he eventually returns.

"He's got to get into playing shape as well," defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said Tuesday. "So we are probably going to have to manage some of those things until he is back to 100 percent. As you people know, Dontari likes to play; he doesn't like to come off the field. I would say that is an usual thing for the big guys like that, so I'm sure he is going to want to stay in there."

Mike Catapano gives Chiefs an interesting pass-rush replacement for Dontari Poe from ESPN

Catapano is a part-time player for the Chiefs but hardly an afterthought. They're using him as a replacement for the injured Dontari Poe as an inside pass-rusher in their nickel defense.

He's an interesting option in that role. The Chiefs drafted Catapano, then 265 pounds, in the seventh round in 2013 out of Princeton because of his pass-rush skills.

Since then, he's added those 25 pounds and become a down lineman.

Chiefs again fail to take advantage of turnover chances from ESPN

Linebacker Derrick Johnson was in the middle of a passing lane but somehow let the ball go through his hands, where it was caught by wide receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. On another play, Hammond was surrounded by three defenders and deflected a pass into the air. He beat the three defenders to the loose ball and made the catch.

Those are the types of plays the Chiefs didn't make last year. They were tied for last in the NFL with just six interceptions but could have been much closer to the league leader, San Francisco with 23, had they taken advantage of what was in front of them.

WR Fred Williams offers upside after time on Chiefs practice squad from Chiefs Digest

The 6-0, 190-pound Williams spent the 2014 season on the practice squad, and the last two years could offer him an edge in what is widely regarded as a complex offensive scheme.

"I'm getting more comfortable with the offense," he said. "It's a tough receiver group, so I try to learn as much as I can so I can be more useful going out there. I just want to continue to learn so I can be on the 53-man roster at the end of camp."

Williams could be flying under the radar to a lot of observers, but he was difficult to ignore during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp leading to training camp.

He has speed and shown an ability to make tough catches, all of which has the coaching staff's attention.

Chiefs continue to move slowly with Eric Berry from ESPN

"We've just got to be smart with him, and he's got to be smart and realize this is going to take a little time no matter who you are," defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said. "When he came back originally he was excited. He was on adrenaline. He was going.

"We've kind of made the conscious effort that we're going to manage this as well as we can, let him be the lead dog in it with what we need. We've got plenty of time. He's played a lot of football, so we're not too concerned about that. He's just got to get back where he feels comfortable and reacts and that type of thing."

It looks like we'll see depleted Chiefs vs. depleted Texans in opener from ESPN

The news out of Houston on Tuesday was certainly of interest hundreds of miles away at Kansas City Chiefs training camp. The Chiefs will play at Houston on Sept. 13 to begin the regular season and now it appears the Texans will be without star running back Arian Foster.

Foster dominated Houston's running game last season much in the same way Jamaal Charles has for the Chiefs in recent years. Despite missing three games with injuries, Foster rushed for 1,246 yards and had a 4.8-yards per carry average, compared to 528 yards and a 3.1-yard average for his backup, Alfred Blue.

The Texans were 1-2 in those games without Foster.

Chiefs look to Jeremy Maclin to lead new field-stretching WR corps from Sports Illustrated

Reid is confident he can get his money's worth out of Maclin as K.C.'s new lead receiver and points out that last year's wide receiver touchdown drought was probably pure anomaly.

"Chip does a great job with that offense, but this offense over the years has been a good productive offense, too, so I'm not necessarily looking at numbers as much as I am scores," he says. "We didn't have any touchdowns by receivers last year, but I had more touchdown catches from my tight ends [nine] and my running backs [nine] than I've ever had. So somebody was scoring, because we were scoring points."

Still, to watch the Chiefs offense last season was to see a unit that couldn't and didn't challenge a defense aggressively enough downfield, sticking primarily to an approach that featured short and intermediate passing. Kansas City is intent on changing that mindset this year, and Chiefs general manager John Dorsey told me he has seen a noticeably more long-ball-conscious Smith early in training camp.

KCTV5 Video: Former Chiefs' standout Will Shields prepares to enter NFL Hall of Fame

KCTV5 Video: Chiefs' staff keeps practices tight, rain or shine

KCTV5 Video: Military families get special spot at Chiefs training camp

ESPN film tells the story of former NSU star Joe Delaney from The Alexandria Town Talk

About 350 people watched a screening of the ESPN 30 for 30 short film "Delaney" on the campus of Northwestern State University, the alma mater of NSU and Kansas City Chiefs star running back Joe Delaney.

The film was directed by Grant Cousins, who has had previous involvement in movies such as "Spiderman" and "Oz." "What I tried to do is get out of the way," Cousin said, "and let Joe, through these others, tell the story."

Emotions flow during advance screening of ESPN 30 for 30 short 'Delaney' from KTAL

"When the film first started and I heard Joe Delaney talk, there were tears in my eyes," said Mark Duper, who was a teammate of Delaney's on the gridiron and on the 1981 NCAA champion 4x100-meter relay team.

"My wife said, ‘Do you want me to get you a tissue?' I said, ‘No, I'm going to be OK. Just to hear his voice, it felt like he was still here."

Echoing the 30 for 30 series' tagline of "What if I told you ...," Northwestern State director of marketing Josh McDaniel posted a teaser for the event with the caption: "What if I told you that one man's death was a perfect reflection of his life?"

Read it: Mitch Albom's first Freep column turns 30 from The Detroit Free-Press

Let's start with an old joke.

On a plane trip home after a football game, Buck Buchanan, a massive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, was sitting next to a sports writer. Buck had the aisle seat. The sports writer was by the window.

Dinner came, and they ate.

Soon Buck fell asleep.

The flight got very bumpy. The sports writer, who had a weak stomach, began to feel queasy. He wanted to get out to the aisle, but he didn't dare disturb Buck's sleep. So he stayed put.

Finally, it was too much. The sports writer leaned over to grab the air-sickness bag. Instead -- to his shock -- he got sick all over Buck's lap.

The big football player stirred, opened his eyes, saw the mess and mumbled, "Grmphuh?"

The sports writer looked up innocently.

"Feeling better, Buck?" he asked.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif marries medicine and Football from ICI Radio-Canada [translated from the original French]

"The training camp, this is by far the most difficult months that I lived my life last year.Both physically and mentally, it's a marathon "

But Duvernay-Tardif believes in his chances. And his second passion for medicine, as demanding as it is, help.

"In my case, to have another plan such as medicine, I can give 100% without being too anxious. "