Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 7/30

With Vets Having Reported, Full Team Practices Begin on Saturday from Chiefs.com

In many ways, this is the start of the 2016 season.

Although the team has technically been working out and preparing since mid-April, the start of full team practices at training camp with Chiefs Kingdom cheering and in attendance is the unofficial start to the season.

"The main thing is that we get ourselves right and ready to play," head coach Andy Reid said of what he's looking for from his team at training camp. "We're going to get out there and work. Nothing comes easy if you're going to win the Lombardi Trophy."

Five Observations From Training Camp's First Three Days from Chiefs.com

Speaking of Gaines, he practiced both Wednesday and Thursday and looked to be in good form.

Gaines tore his left ACL last season during a Week 3 matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.

Now he says he's nearly 100 percent.

"I'm definitely climbing towards that way," he told the media after practice Wednesday. "There's definitely some rust to knock off, but if feels good to be able to come out here and run around with everybody. And it's my first time playing football since the Green Bay game, so this feels good to be able to have the opportunity to play, and I'm going to try to make the most of it."

What We Learned From Friday's Media Availability from Chiefs.com

Q: Can you explain the relationship between Albert Wilson, Jeremy Maclin and yourself?

CONLEY: "We spent pretty much the whole off-season together. We spent about two weeks at home and after that, we came back up here. We were staying with each other, we worked out with each other every day and we spent a lot of time together off the field. Just getting to know each other -€” getting to the point where we trust each other, so we can call each other out. Really Jeremy (Maclin) has helped us understand our game better and understand what this offense needs from us receivers to do their job."

Q: What were the benefits of staying in Kansas City?

CONLEY: "It eliminates travel time. Travel time does a lot of things to your body. It dehydrates you, messes with your joints. Just being able to be here with our strength staff -€” they do a great job of preparing us. Just being able to watch film in our building and workout with our guys. It keeps us at home, keeps us centered and keeps us focused."

Charcandrick West Receives Gift from Fan at Training Camp from Chiefs.com

"When I pulled up to training camp two years ago, nobody had a clue who I was," West explained. "To come up now and people recognize me, it's truly a blessing.

"That's why I take the time and show love to the fans."

The fans are obviously showing some love to him as well, and Barkalow particularly appreciates the way in which West interacts with fans.

"He's such a humble guy," Barkalow noted. "He's my favorite player by far. He replies to you on social media and there's not a single game he doesn't come and say ‘Hi' and to see how you're doing."

Chiefs' Eric Berry is a no-show for training camp on veteran reporting day from The Kansas City Star

Because of the league's rules regarding franchise players, Berry — who the Chiefs tagged as a nonexclusive franchise player earlier this offseason — cannot be fined for missing training camp days because he is not under contract.

When he wants to play this year, he'll have to sign the franchise tender for $10.8 million and report; but technically, he could wait out the preseason, sign the tender right before the season and still collect his full $10.8 million salary. That has been a popular route for franchise players to take.

And his teammates, who filed into Scanlon Hall on the campus of Missouri Western on Friday, seem to understand that business is business and harbored no hard feelings.

Chiefs' Eric Berry not among veterans reporting for training camp from Chiefs Digest

Berry's absence shouldn't cause a distraction among his teammates.

"When it comes down to it, it is a business," wide receiver Chris Conley said. "And in this business, it's always next man up. That's the way that they coach, that's the way this team has always been. If one person goes down or is not there, another person stands up. We'll be ready."

Berry overcame Hodgkin lymphoma in 2015, less than a year after being diagnosed. He made his return to football by reporting for training camp with the rookies and quarterbacks. Berry appeared in all 16 regular-season games (15 starts), totaling 61 tackles (55 solo), two interceptions and 10 passes defensed.

What to look for when Chiefs begin training camp from ESPN

The Kansas City Chiefs haven't reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons in more than 20 years. The process of trying to break that streak begins at Missouri Western State University on Saturday, when the Chiefs begin training camp.

Here are five issues to watch at camp as they attempt to return to the postseason:

Eric Berry is a no-show for report day at Chiefs camp from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

The Chiefs and Berry's representatives were never close to reaching a long-term agreement by the July 15 deadline, even though there was plenty of goodwill between the sides. The Chiefs stood by him during his treatment for lymphoma and Berry has been a steadfast face of the franchise.

Now, their contract talks must be shelved until after the season.

The Chiefs could still rescind the franchise tag, something that Reid did twice in Philadelphia -- with linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and defensive tackle Corey Simon. But doing that would not only make Berry a free agent, it would significantly weaken the Chiefs in the defensive backfield.

Chiefs lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif still aiming for medical degree, but focused on football from The Kansas City Star

It was less than a week ago when a 6-foot-5, 321-pound man with a bushy ear-to-ear beard was hustling around the trauma center of a Montreal hospital.

In his three weeks — 15 shifts — working in the Canadian hospital, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif inched closer to finishing medical school at McGill University in Montreal and becoming Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. But as he was engulfed by media outside Scanlon Hall at Missouri Western a day away from the start of training camp, Duvernay-Tardif was just the Chiefs' starting right guard.

He traded out his lab coat and scrubs for a red t-shirt and a backward cap. For the next six months, one of his goals — to become a doctor — will sit on hold while he chases the other.

"After the Super Bowl," Duvernay-Tardif continued after a laugh, "I'll go back to Canada, and I'll finish my four more months of med school, and then I'm a doctor."

Chiefs veterans report to training camp in playoff state of mind from Chiefs Digest

Amid the players funneling into the dorm with pillows, mattress pads and televisions, fullback Anthony Sherman displayed his fashion sense sporting denim bib overalls. It was one last opportunity to have fun before getting back to work.

Kicker Cairo Santos says he's ready.

"I don't know if I'm getting much sleep tonight just because I'm so excited to get 2016 rolling," Santos said.

Training camp begins in earnest Saturday, with the first practice open to the public at 3:30 p.m. Admission is $5 and the players will sign autographs after the workout.

NFL's best, worst in the red zone, and what it means for 2016 from ESPN

There were three teams to "underperform" by a comfortable margin in the red zone last year. They were pretty successful without being dominant red zone forces, though. The Broncos had the league's best defense by points allowed per possession but were just 15th on red zone trips for a 14-rank gap, a difference they shared with the Chiefs. The only other team with a gap of 10 spots or more was in New England -- Bill Belichick's defense has often been described in the past as a bend-but-don't-break unit.

It's gotta be the shoes? Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos changes cleats before training camp from The Kansas City Star

In the sultry days of summer, it was the bitter cold days that forced Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos to change the shoes he'd be wearing this season.

Through 2015, Santos sports two different Nike cleats: a football cleat for his plant foot, a soccer cleat for his kicking foot. That kicking cleat was a Nike Vapor, but the leather padding on the toe was so thin that it left Santos' foot bruised when he went through his pre-game kicks with footballs hardened by cold winter weather.

This year, he's switched to a Nike Tiempo shoe on his kicking foot, which includes a more padded toe to protect his foot.

Kansas City Chiefs welcome public to training camp this weekend from FOX4KC

Practices are free except for the first public practice, at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30, and American Family Fun Day at 8:15 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6. For those practices there will be a $5 admission charge, with children under the age of 3 free. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the gate. There is a $5 parking fee per day for cars, and a $15 fee for buses and RVs. A season parking pass good for the duration of Training Camp is available from the Missouri Western Department of Athletics for $35.  Click here to purchase and print your advanced tickets.

Local sportswear stores prepare for Kansas City Chiefs season from KSHB

The team at Rally House is rolling out its Chiefs attire and expects to sell more this year than last season thanks to the positive publicity from sports analysts.

Once undrafted, Chiefs' West and Wilson now are key pieces from The St Joseph News-Press

One day after the [2014] draft, the Chiefs signed one of the top-30 leaders in NCAA history in all-purpose yards. The next day followed the signing of a running back who eclipsed 900 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior year.

Albert Wilson and Charcandrick West went undrafted in 2014. In 2016, they return to the field as two of the Chiefs' biggest impact players.

NFL Fans: This Is the Year for Your Team! (No It Isn't.) from The New York Times

The draft is over, and free agents have been signed. Training camps are springing to life around the country. It's the peak moment for a feeling often in short supply among N.F.L. fans: optimism. There's no reason all 32 teams can't overachieve this year, right?

Here's a look at the league through the rose-colored glasses of late July by Victor Mather, and a somewhat more jaundiced view from Benjamin Hoffman:

Training camp still holds appeal from The St Joseph News-Press

The economic impact of the camp on the community has been touted at nearly $5 million annually, but no doubt it is less than what some had anticipated, particularly at restaurants and retail stores. Fortunately, most folks didn't sign on to this idea solely for the financial gain.

For three weeks each year, St. Joseph and the surrounding region get to experience the Chiefs up close. The city also enjoys valuable media attention that raises its profile with prospective college students, economic development prospects, tourists and football fans nationwide.

And new this year, fans will be treated to some additions to camp — two Social Media Days on Sunday, July 31, and Friday, Aug. 5, and three Tailgate Tuesday events on Aug. 2, 9 and 16 that will feature Chiefs-themed tailgating gifts to the first 1,000 fans.

Not your normal (NFL training) camp stories from The Los Angeles Times

Marcus Allen unflinchingly ran through the heart of just about every NFL defense. He would plunge over a wall of defenders at the goal line without hesitation. When he got into a war of wills with Los Angeles Raiders owner Al Davis, Allen didn't blink.

It wasn't until he got to training camp with Kansas City that the star running back met his match — the extreme weather in River Falls, Wis., where the Chiefs staged their summer workouts.

"We had a thunder and lightning storm that had me begging for an earthquake," recalled Allen, who grew up in San Diego. "It scared the daylights out of me. Living in California, we only had thunder and lightning maybe a handful of times. But when I got to the Midwest, the thunder shook the entire campus.

"If you weren't used to that, it was pretty scary."

It's refreshing to see a Regular Guy on the ticket from The Sacramento Bee

Of course, we have had some people who were somewhat close to regular guys as presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Harry Truman, with his failed haberdashery, poker games, Hawaiian shirts and a wife named "Bess," was pretty much a Regular Guy, but that's about it in the modern era. Gerald Ford was also a regular guy; he made his own English muffins and had Michigan roots, but then he picked Nelson Rockefeller as his vice president, blowing away his Regular Guy bona fides.

Tim Kaine's Regular Guyness exceeds anything I can recall in politics.

With his my-wife-picked-out-my-shirt-and-tie look, his oh-so-regular-ya-sure-you-betcha St. Paul, Minn., birthplace and Missouri residency, and the level of geniality you would encounter borrowing your neighbor's lawn edger while discussing the fortunes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kaine screams normal.

4 Tight NFL Stadium Tours for Your Next Group from Leisure Group Travel

4. Arrowhead Stadium

Kansas City, Missouri

Home to the Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead Stadium provides guided tours for groups. Plan to spend about an-hour-and-a-half. You'll be visiting the Chiefs locker rooms to get into the game day mood. There are plenty of photo opportunities on the field, and you can test your passing skills with a few tosses on the sidelines.