Chris Conley remains out of Chiefs training camp

We're only a week into the Kansas City Chiefs 2015 training camp but already it feels like Chris Conley's chances of contributing early in the season are withering away. Conley suffered what Andy Reid called a knee strain on July 29. The Chiefs have practiced all but one day since then but Conley has missed them all. Five full squad practices doesn't seem like a lot until you note that the Chiefs only have 14 total practices during camp.

The Chiefs rookie receiver needed a big camp to pass Albert Wilson on the depth chart. The already long odds seem longer a week into camp. A veteran player could overcome a week or more of missed practices easier than someone like Conley, who is entering his first year in an offense that is notoriously difficult for receivers to learn. Albert Wilson is an example of someone who took most of the season to begin to show what he can do.

This wouldn't be as frustrating if Conley hadn't shown what he was capable of in OTAs. The Chiefs got a glimpse of him in shorts and they apparently liked what they saw. They also liked what they saw on special teams as a potential return man -- until he got hurt.

"It's really too bad that Chris Conley got hurt," Chiefs special teams coordinator Toub said this week. "I really thought coming out of mini camps that he was going to be a guy, at least as a kick returner, that would be able to push Knile (Davis). I hope he gets back sooner than later ..."

I'm not sure when Conley will be back. He still has time to recover and turn in a good preseason and make his push for playing time. The clock is ticking though. The Chiefs first preseason game is a week from today.