The Kansas City Chiefs have broke the huddle for the last time until training camp begins on July 24.
There are plenty of stories surrounding the team, and the pressure is on after a successful 2018 season. So how does the current iteration of the Chiefs stack up? They could be a lot worse off after a few weeks of what new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo calls “pajama practices.”
Here are eight takeaways from mandatory minicamp:
The Chiefs are deeper at WR than they’re getting credit for
Wide receiver has been a big offseason story for the Chiefs because of what has happened with Tyreek Hill. There have been plenty of questions about whether Patrick Mahomes will be capable of managing without having Hill on the football field.
The Chiefs have been quick to praise Sammy Watkins, and that includes head coach Andy Reid.
“Him being used to the program, he was here the whole offseason, and then used to the offense,” Reid said. “He was able to play faster. He’s in great shape. He did a heck of a job. He had a nice camp. He got a lot of reps, obviously, and he wanted those. I thought overall he did a really nice job.”
While increased repetitions for Watkins are refining his chemistry with Mahomes, his progress isn’t exactly transcendent. He’s playing a bit faster in his second year in a system. That’s to be expected. He’s healthy, which is perhaps most important to his success in 2019.
The truth is Watkins won’t make or break this receiver group. Third-year receivers Gehrig Dieter and Marcus Kemp, along with fourth-year receiver Demarcus Robinson, are far more important. These are players that the Chiefs are relying on to make significant strides.
Robinson, in particular, is intriguing. He has had a lot of repetitions with Mahomes dating back to his rookie season and is taking on a new role with the Chiefs in his fourth season. He explained that role to the media recently.
“Just being a leader,” Robinson said. “Making plays. Teaching the younger guys, filling their spots, doing what the coaches ask.”
Leadership is new for Robinson, but so far he’s taking to it well. If he keeps doing what the coaches ask of him, he should be in for a big role on offense in 2019. Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a contract year for Robinson.
Let’s not forget about the rookie talent the Chiefs have brought in as well. Second-round pick Mecole Hardman seems to be making some positive strides. It’s not clear how much he’ll be utilized on offense early on, but he’s bonding with Mahomes, which is important.
Second-year receiver Byron Pringle is drawing immense praise from the coaching staff. There is also a trio of talented undrafted free agent receivers: Felton Davis, Jamal Custis and Cody Thompson. One name that everyone is sleeping on right now that is drawing rave reviews from the coaching staff is Rashard Davis. His ability as a punt returner on special teams could be his meal ticket to making the 53-man roster over some other players.
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Tight end could become a problem
While the receiver position is looking flush with talent, the tight end position is lacking stability.
Travis Kelce is expected to be back for training camp after ankle surgery, but the Chiefs would be wise not to push Kelce too much during the offseason program. The rest of the group behind Kelce leaves much to be desired.
Injuries have kept the Chiefs churning their tight end group. Deon Yelder had secured the No. 2 spot before a hamstring injury shut him down. Blake Bell has been dealing with back spasms. Those two players should have opportunities if they can get healthy in time for training camp.
A name that seems to come up often is John Lovett, but the former Princeton QB is changing positions. While he’s shown some promise, there is also no denying that he’s quite raw. He could need some developmental time on the practice squad before the team feels comfortable putting him on the 53-man roster. Jody Fortson is also very much a project. He needs to fill out his frame to become an NFL tight end. David Wells has practically been invisible as far as I can tell.
The Chiefs have brought in two new tight ends over the past two weeks: Nick Keizer and Neal Sterling. It remains to be seen if either of those players can step up, but something has to give for this position group eventually.
It seems that tight ends coach Tom Melvin has his work cut out for him this year.
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Patrick Mahomes is honing his game
How do you follow up an MVP season in which you threw for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdown passes? It’s a question that many people have been asking, and it’s a reason many people are doubting Mahomes’ ability to repeat his success.
The thing is, Mahomes is not content with his performance in 2018 and he’s not content with the work he’s done so far in the offseason program. During the Chiefs’ break between mandatory minicamp and training camp, Mahomes has some things he plans to work on.
“I feel like it gets repetitive with me saying it, but my footwork,” Mahomes said. “I make a lot of off-scheduled plays, scrambling around and throwing the ball. There are so many little plays that I will miss because my feet aren’t in the right position and I rely too much on my arm. That’s one thing that I have to repeatedly work on. Decide when and when not to take chances. That’s another one. I’ve had a lot of big plays happen and I’ve had plays where I’ve thrown an interception when I’m trying to force it a little too much. So, those two things are stuff I work on every single year.”
Mahomes is looking for balance in his game. He’s trying to master those moments when he should go full Emeril Lagasse and kick things up a notch. At the same time he’s also trying to dial things back when risk is too high. This is the type of introspection that only masters of their craft have.
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The team is higher on Carlos Hyde than anyone suspected
It was a bit of a shock when the Chiefs released pass-catching UDFA RB James Williams. There was a growing suspicion that if he showed promise as a receiver he could potentially edge out a veteran like Hyde. Turns out the Chiefs are much higher on Hyde than anyone realized.
Right now, every indication is that Hyde will back up starter Damien Williams. Hyde has shared the backfield with Damien in split-back shotgun sets. When it comes to second-team repetitions, the Chiefs have been working in a rotation of Hyde, Darwin Thompson and Darrel Williams.
I’m told that Hyde even got some repetitions lined up out wide during the third phase of the offseason program. That puts to rest any potential concerns about his pass-catching ability.
Things could obviously change once the pads come on at training camp, but it looks like it’ll be fairly difficult to unseat Hyde.
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Some underrated defensive contributors are beginning to show
Alex Okafor is a guy who hasn’t received a lot of hype, but an interception against Patrick Mahomes has everyone talking about the defensive end. When Mahomes was asked if the play that yielded Okafor an interception was a risky play, he gave Okafor a ton of credit.
“Not really,” Mahomes said. “I actually had checked to the play, checking to a screen because a guy was kind of uncovered over there on the right side. He just made a really good play. I always joke, that man’s arms are so long. It’s hard to throw around him. He has to be living the best life possible because if he tips it, he intercepts it every single time. He’s a guy that I’m excited to have on the defense. He kind of goes under the radar. He’s going to be an impact player that is smart, athletic and can make plays.”
Having Okafor in the rotation is going to make the Chiefs a whole lot better, but he’s not the only player standing out and making some noise on defense.
This may come as a shock to you, but I’ve heard a ton of good things about Anthony Hitchens. He’s looking leaner than he did in 2018, which should potentially improve his speed. He’s also looking a lot more comfortable playing in the 4-3 defensive scheme. On top of that he’s taken on a leadership role for the defense.
“(Anthony) Hitchens is unbelievable,” Andy Reid said. “Hitchens kind of keeps everybody intact. You like to have that guy, just like we were talking about with Austin (Reiter), he’s your transmitter from the back end to the front end. Those guys become important.”
Hitchens is the guy who will be setting the defense and making sure that everyone gets the play call. That’s not a role that the team just hands out lightly, and for new linebacker coach Matt House to entrust Hitchens with that role early on is a good sign.
Another player that is standing out is cornerback Charvarius Ward. He took the loss in the AFC championship game a bit hard. In an instant he went from the hero that sent the Chiefs to the Super Bowl to the guy who got an interception erased by a teammates penalty. As soon as the season broke he went to work.
“I trained, I trained all offseason,” Ward said. “I didn’t really take a break after the conference championship loss. I didn’t take a break, I was working all offseason, two or three times a day.”
All that work that Ward put in paid off. He’s had some flashes of brilliance during phase three. His body looks a bit more filled out than it had in 2018. The Chiefs also appear willing to give Ward every shot at becoming an everyday starter for the team.
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Frank Clark is better than advertised
The Chiefs traded for Clark because they believed he was one of the top defensive ends in the NFL. There are probably some skeptical that Clark can come in and instantly be that guy for the Chiefs, but word out of Arrowhead is that Clark is the real deal.
Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney went on 610 Sports radio to share some observations from mandatory minicamp and he raved about Clark.
“Frank Clark was making Eric Fisher look silly,” Sweeney said. “If he’s doing that to a solid left tackle, there are some teams he’s going to embarrass this year. That’s why they went out and got this guy.”
One Chiefs Wire reader who was present at the first look event for season ticket holders at mandatory minicamp said that Clark looked, “better than any pass rusher for the Chiefs since Justin Houston’s 2014 season.” Keep in mind all of this is coming from padless practices, and some of it against lesser competition on the 90-man roster.
Still, it seems like Clark is off to a red hot start in Kansas City.
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Chiefs players aren’t concerned about Chris Jones
Several players have been asked about the defensive tackle’s absence throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Most of them have said the same things on the subject, including Mahomes.
“I’ve talked to Chris, and I know he’s still working hard out there,” Mahomes said. “I’ll be excited to get him back, but as of right now, I’m just working with the guys that are here.”
Players don’t seem too concerned or distracted by Jones’ absence. They know that as soon as Jones gets back he’ll add that energy to the defense that he’s known for. Jones is a competitor and he wants to continue building on his 2018 season, so there’s really nothing to fear when it comes to him being away from the team.
Should players be worried about Jones being with the Chiefs beyond the 2019 season? Players tend to root for each other to get paid, whether it happens with the team they’re currently on or not. Should fans be worried about the same thing, though? That’s an entirely different story.
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Hill isn’t out of the woods just yet
A recent report revealed that the child abuse investigation into Hill was no longer active. We learned that the investigation hadn’t been active for some time, suggesting it was never reopened in the first place. Some have taken this as an indication that Hill might not face any punishment from the NFL, and that he could be back with the team as soon as training camp, but things aren’t that simple.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has indicated that the NFL is waiting for the conclusion of Hill’s family court case involving the Kansas Department of Children and Families before taking action. Hill is reportedly engaged in what is called a “child in need of care” (CINC) case. You can read more about how the Johnson County DA handles CINC cases here. Every case is different, but we’ve learned that some CINC cases can remain open indefinitely while parents receive counseling or treatment mandated by the court.
So what does that mean for Hill’s situation? If the Chiefs do lift Hill’s suspension and allow him back with the team for training camp, the NFL could intervene. This would likely come in the form of placing Hill on the commissioner’s exempt list ahead of the start of the season. It’d be highly unusual, as the commissioner’s exempt list is typically something reserved the regular season and not the offseason. A move like that could potentially be challenged by the NFLPA.
If Hill lands on the commissioner’s exempt list during the regular season with an indefinite timeline in his family court case, that’s when things could get ugly. The NFLPA would likely need to get involved in order to pressure the NFL to make a decision on Hill and take him off of the list. Really, we’re in uncharted territory here. There are few precedents set that relate to the specific nature of Hill’s situation, which means that any number of things could happen.
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