Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 7/20

Five Storylines to Follow During Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp from Chiefs.com

With three straight winning seasons, two playoff appearances and the first postseason win in more than two decades to begin the John Dorsey-Andy Reid-led era in Kansas City, the optimism has never been higher and the goals have never seemed more attainable.

With a draft last spring that was given straight As across the board from the experts at NFL.com, plus veteran talent returning with players like linebackers Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and numerous others, there's reason to feel good about where things are headed for the Chiefs.

Fans have the opportunity to witness the start of this season's journey when training camp opens to the public on Saturday, July 30.

With all that said, here are five storylines to keep an eye on throughout camp for the Chiefs this year:

Pre-Camp Reads: Looking at LB Justin Houston from Chiefs.com

Houston is one of the unquestioned leaders of the Chiefs defense, and his health is one of the major storylines to follow throughout training camp and the early part of the season.

While the defense is obviously better with him on the field, the opportunity is there for players like veteran Tamba Hali and former first-round pick Dee Ford to step up if Houston does miss some time.

Sports Illustrated Names Jeremy Maclin Among NFL's Best Receivers from Chiefs.com

While Maclin isn't strictly limited to playing the slot position in Andy Reid's offense, landing on this list is an impressive feat, especially considering the company. Jacksonville's Allen Hurns came in at 10 and New York's Odell Beckham Jr. came in at 9, both below Maclin's No. 8 rank.

Social Recap: Chiefs Wrapping Up Vacations As Training Camp Looms from Chiefs.com

With just a week remaining before they head to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp, the Chiefs were out and about enjoying their summers all over the country.

Talent ranking suggests Chiefs won't be better offensively from ESPN

As has been the case every year since Andy Reid arrived as head coach, the Kansas City Chiefs again hope to get more consistent production from their sometimes balky offense. The Chiefs were ninth in scoring last season but only with considerable help from their defense, which scored six touchdowns and forced 29 turnovers, and kicking game.

But is a better offense realistic for the Chiefs, who will welcome back Jamaal Charles but otherwise go into training camp with the same cast of skill players as last season?

Can Chiefs expect better times ahead in the next three seasons? from ESPN

ESPN ranked the prospects for each of the NFL's 32 teams over the 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons based on several factors, including the quality of the overall roster, quarterback, coaching, the draft, and the front office. The Chiefs are a respectable 11th, their strength according to this ranking being Reid's coaching ability.

Eleventh doesn't sound bad, but it doesn't represent an improvement over what the Chiefs have been over the past three seasons.

Chiefs offseason report: Kansas City looking to sustain last year's momentum from USA Today

When coach Andy Reid was asked about what led to the turnaround from a 1-5 start, which included a season-ending injury to star tailback Jamaal Charles, he pointed to quarterback Alex Smith. Reid entrusted Smith with the offense, and the veteran passer took over.

"I tell him he's got the keys to the car," Reid says. "He's got ways in and out of plays, really every play, and I've got confidence that he can do it."

Behind the scenes with the Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders from KSHB

Back in March, 33 women made this year's cheer squad and 12 of them are Chiefs cheerleaders for the first time. With 20 routines to learn, they started practicing almost immediately. Since June, they have met twice a week for three hours at the Chiefs' practice facility.

Former Chiefs cheerleader and now cheer director, Stephanie Judah, says, "It's about learning material. It's cleaning the material. It's allowing their bodies to have muscle memory and the endurance training of all of it and building that team."

Raiders 2016 pre-camp season preview: Kansas City Chiefs week 6, 14 from Silver & Black Pride

Alex Smith is a lackluster game manager whose running backs and tight ends usually lead the team in receiving. The team went an entire season without a wide receiver catching a touchdown until Jeremy Maclin came on board last offseason to finally break the curse. But they still have Jamaal Charles and that goes a long way.

For the updated look at the Chiefs heading into training camp we put you over to the very capable hands of Arrowhead Pride.

Workers prepare Missouri Western for Chiefs Camp from The St. Joseph News-Press

Workers began giving Spratt Stadium a Kansas City Chiefs makeover Tuesday morning by setting up tents and unloading heavy training equipment onto the field.

Last night, the 2016 Chiefs Training Camp officially kicked-off inside Mosaic Life Care's medical center exploratorium.

Many St. Joseph community partners were there, voicing their excitement to begin their seventh year collaborating with the only NFL team in Missouri.

Building the building blocks for life from The Lompoc Record

Building blocks.

More specifically -€” building blocks for life.

That's what Will Shields has set out to create, the building blocks for success for all children, not just athletes.

And that's what brought the National Football League Hall of Famer to the Central Coast this week.

Sports & Recreation from The Palm Beach Post

Kansas City Chiefs receiver and Port St. Lucie High School graduate Albert "Junior" Wilson hosted his Youth Skills Football Clinic at Lawnwood Stadium in Fort Pierce on June 25. Some 200 kids enjoyed a chance to run, jump and toss a ball with NFL players including Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Giorgio Newberry and Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Other weekend events included bowling and softball tournaments mixing community teams with NFL players.

Bengals among handful of NFL teams to miss Forbes list from The Cincinnati Business Courier

If you think the problem is the Bengals' market size, think again. The Green Bay Packers, playing in the NFL's smallest market, are valued at $1.95 billion. They're in a special situation, but plenty of other small-market NFL teams show up on the list. The Baltimore Ravens rank 27th, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 29th, the Indianapolis Colts came in 31st, the Carolina Panthers are 40th, the Kansas City Chiefs are 43rd, the San Diego Chargers placed 44th and the New Orleans Saints came in 45th.

Snapshot: NFL mascots vs. Carmel Pups from The Carmel Current

During halftime, Colts Senior Director of Marketing Stephanie Pemberton presented awards to mascots. From left, Staley da Bear won Video of the Year; Toro of the Houston Texans won Stunt of the Year; KC Wolf with the Kansas City Chiefs won the Lifetime Achievement Award; Blue of the Indianapolis Colts won Mascot of the Year; and Sir Purr of the Carolina Panthers won Skit of the Year.

Zika concern leaves Eugenie Bouchard unsure of Rio Games participation from The Montreal Gazette

Former Olympians Bruny Surin and Joannie Rochette will join former Alouettes safety Étienne Boulay and Kansas City Chiefs offensive-tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in a tennis exhibition Wednesday on McGill College Ave., between Ste-Catherine St. and Maisonneuve Blvd., at noon, while WTA players will display their skills at the same location on Thursday at 5 p.m.