Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/8

Chiefs Training Camp Update 8/7: What You Need to Know from The Mothership

Player Spotlight - Safety Husain Abdullah

There were only two players on the Chiefs defense that finished the 2014 season with more snaps than safety Husain Abdullah's 1,025, and that was cornerback Sean Smith (1,037) and linebacker Justin Houston (1,033).

Abdullah couldn't often be found in the same place twice, working as defensive coordinator Bob Sutton's personal chess piece in the defensive backfield.

On one play, he'd be lined up in the box as a linebacker and then the following play he'd be 20 yards deep from the snap at a traditional safety spot.

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

Pederson said he believes "a lot" in quarterback Alex Smith's ability to throw the ball deep down the field and said that training camp is the time to test that.

"Each year we kind of come away with, 'Okay, this is the time,'" he said. "If you're going to throw an interception, training camp is the time to do it. Let's test our skill and ability. Let's see what our guys can do. Let's see what the quarterback can do. Let's see what our receivers can do. This is the time to test that, and we've got all the confidence in the world as a staff, so when we call those plays, one, they're completion plays, and Alex will do the right thing with the ball."

Chiefs QB Alex Smith on NFL Network's Inside Training Camp Live from The Mothership

On how much they want to push the ball down the field this season:

"We're always trying to stretch the field; trying to stretch it horizontally, trying to stretch it vertically and certainly play-by-play it's a little different. But when we get those opportunities, we need to make that happen and it's on all 11 of us. When we get them, we have to hit them. That's part of the deal. But certainly with the West Coast offense once again, you're trying to spread the field all of the time and when we do get those shots we have to be opportunistic, we have to be able to hit them."

Notebook: Chiefs taking it easy on RB Jamaal Charles from Chiefs Digest

Training camp observers on Friday were often overheard asking if something was wrong with Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.

A legitimate question since Charles barely touched the field during 11-on-11 drills, instead giving way to Knile Davis.

It turns out that move is by design.

"He's getting blitz periods, he's getting the 9-on-7 run, the inside run periods and he's getting anything where we're not going at the legs," offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said of Charles. "We've just got to be smart during those live periods."

Jamaal Charles withheld from many contact drills in practice from ESPN

With Demetrius Harris unable to practice, the Chiefs are already thin at tight end. They lost another tight end, Ryan Taylor, during practice. He took a hit to his leg after catching a pass and was carted away with what the Chiefs called a quadriceps injury. His absence leaves the Chiefs with only rookie James O'Shaughnessy, Richard Gordon and Adam Schiltz behind starter Travis Kelce.

Still young himself, Chiefs TE Kelce has been forced to be mentor from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

When practice had ended earlier this week, James O'Shaughnessy dutifully picked up Kelce's shoulder pads and helmet and trudged toward the locker room.

"He warned me during OTAs that I'd have to do a little bit of rookie stuff," O'Shaughnessy said, "but it's expected. Nothing I can complain about."

A few years ago, it was Kelce toting shoulder pads off the practice field, going through a similar dose of rookie hazing. But after a breakout season in which the former Cincinnati star led the Chiefs in receptions and yards receiving and tied for the lead in touchdown catches, he has become the de facto leader of a tight end corps without much veteran presence.

Chiefs release initial training camp depth chart from Chiefs Digest

Keep in mind the depth chart is always fluid leading to the regular season.

More importantly, there are plenty of battles yet to be settled with training camp still underway and four preseason games to play.

Players have time to close the gap provided they rise to the occasion.

No surprises as Chiefs issue their depth chart from ESPN

At cornerback, first-round draft pick Marcus Peters is on the second team ahead of veteran Marcus Cooper. The depth chart is accurate in each instance.

No rookies are in the starting lineup, though Peters is playing a lot as the third cornerback.

Chiefs dealing with more training camp injuries from Chiefs Digest

Tight end Ryan Taylor (quad), rookie offensive linemen Garrett Frye (left knee), wide receiver Armon Binns (left knee) and defensive linemen Nick Williams (concussion) all left Friday's practice with their respective injuries.

Chiefs continue to wait patiently for Chris Conley to return from ESPN

With every practice and every snap he misses, Conley's chances of being able to help the Chiefs, at least early in the season, dwindle. He's attending meetings and doing what he can to immerse himself in the offensive system, but there's no escaping the fact Conley is falling behind.

Chris Conley's smarts should help compensate lost time at Chiefs' camp from Chiefs Digest

The lost time could be cause for concern, especially for a rookie in coach Andy Reid's version of the West Coast offense, which is regarded as complex.

That anxiety, however, may not apply to the 2014 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

"Working with Chris Conley, he's a very smart individual, he's a very smart football player," offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said Friday. "He really knows our system well already. He's getting mental reps - I challenged him here and there - just talking to him on the sideline."

Quarterback Alex Smith agreed with Pederson on Conley's intelligence, but he raised a legitimate point.

Observations of one-on-one battles on Chiefs' line of scrimmage from Chiefs Digest

But within the camp practices, there are moments when the skills of individual players show themselves.

No drill makes that happen more than the one-on-one matchup between linemen in pass protection and the pass rush. Once full pads go on in camp, these mano a mano battles are every day affairs.

In Friday's practice, the Chiefs had 50 snaps of pass pro-pass rush. Here's a look at what went down in those competitions.

Chiefs' ‘Mr. Available' enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame from Chiefs Digest

Another member of the Chiefs will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Will Shields will be one of eight members joining the Hall during induction ceremonies for the class of 2015. Shields will be the ninth player to enter the hallowed halls who spent the majority of his career with the Chiefs and the 11th modern-era player who did his career work at guard (the modern era is defined by the Hall as coming after 1946).

Early battles with John Randle left Will Shields prepared for success from ESPN

Will Shields would have gone on to a great NFL career for the Kansas City Chiefseven without a chance practice-field meeting his rookie season with one of the NFL's all-time great defensive linemen, John Randle.

But to this day, 22 years later, Shields recalls the impact a joint training camp practice against Randle and the Minnesota Vikings had on him and his development as an offensive lineman.

Shields would go on to play guard for 14 seasons with the Chiefs, retiring after the 2006 season. He reached the Pro Bowl 12 times and credits his early work against Randle, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, for some of his success.

Fred Williams looking for roster spot with Chiefs from The St. Cloud Times

St. Cloud State head coach Scott Underwood, who coached Williams for three seasons from 2008-10, is happy that his former star receiver is getting a chance to make an NFL roster.

"We're excited for Fred. It hasn't been the easiest route for him. He missed a tryout at the University of Minnesota (in the spring of 2011) and had to fight back to get to where he is now," Underwood said.

"Fred's always been a really talented player. He's worked very hard and put in the time and effort. He was a huge reason for some of successes we've had in the past decade."

Former Duck De'Anthony Thomas jukes a defender at Kansas City training-camp: Video from OregonLive

The kick-return specialist turned wide receiver made an impressive move against defensive back against Phillip Gaines during a training-camp drill Friday at Missouri Western State University.

High school athletes hit up Chiefs training camp to learn from the pros from KCTV5

The Liberty High School football team is going through two-a-days and their coach always schedules time for them to watch the professionals in action. Senior Aaron Easley can relate to the full pads, full contact, physical challenge the pros are going through first thing in the morning.

"It's really a grind. You have to want to play football. You have to want to be in it," Easley said.

Every year he and the rest of the Liberty Eagles take the morning off from two-a-days, before their first full pads practice, to watch the big dogs.

NFL players with SCV ties return to training camp from The Santa Clarita Valley Signal

Tavon Rooks - Kansas City Chiefs, offensive lineman (COC alum)

After spending last season on the New Orleans' practice squad, the former COC product signed a one-year, $435,000 contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Still, the offensive lineman has his work cut out for him if he wants to earn a spot on the Chiefs' 53-man roster. He is one of 15 offensive lineman on the team. According to Chiefsdigest.com, Kansas City has experimented with Rooks on the left side of the line, despite Rooks playing right tackle at Kansas State University. He has been practicing at left tackle with the third-team offense, the website reported.

No doubt Hall of Fame where Seau belongs from The San Diego Union-Tribune

Former Kansas City Chiefs guard Will Shields, who is being enshrined in his class, summed up the tenacity and penchant for improvising that so many former foes recall.

"He'd mess up your total offense, basically," Shields said. "He was so undisciplined, but you knew he was going to make your life a living hell. He'd try to make a tackle, get blocked, fall, get up, start running, catch a deflected pass and try to return it for a touchdown - all in the same play."

Ohio State football has fun with parody videos from NCAA.com

Hinton ran popular drills such as the 40-yard dash -- with a well-below average 10.46 time -- and even conducted a post-training interview from his ice bath.

He's already reached out to the Kansas City Chiefs via Twitter. Perhaps Andy Reid and Co. will reach out to Hinton and give him a shot at the NFL.

Social media challenges Chiefs fans for prizes from The St. Joseph News-Press

Friday was social media day at Chiefs training camp and the team's followers on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat had the chance to win some prizes.

Mark Misiewicz, Kansas City Chiefs social media coordinator, said he wants to hear from fans through social media and highlight them since they mean so much to the team.

Washington hoping to stick with Chiefs from The St. Joseph News-Press via The Columbia Daily Tribun

With the signing of wide receiver L'Damian Washington late Monday, the Chiefs now have four former Missouri players on their roster.

Former Tigers standouts Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin and rookie Mitch Morse fill different roles and are at different times of their careers with Kansas City.

Maclin is a shoe-in for the No. 1 wide receiver role after coming over from Philadelphia. Daniel is the backup signal caller. And Morse is fighting to crack the starting offensive line.

Washington is trying to be healthy enough to get back into the game.