The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs had been again at coaching camp follow at Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, Missouri on Saturday.
Following the break day on Friday, the Chiefs saved the power excessive throughout follow. There have been loads of standout performs on each offense and protection, with the staff taking part in a number of staff 11-on-11 durations all through the course of follow. The protection acquired work on blitzes and their dime package deal. The offense labored on issues like staff run drills, the fast passing recreation and the two-minute drill.
With all of that in thoughts, listed below are a couple of of the issues that we’re taking away from the most recent follow session:
Trent McDuffie appears to be getting extra comfy
AP Picture/Charlie Riedel
McDuffie has seen a quiet coaching camp up to now, however one thing actually appeared to click on for the rookie on Saturday. He’s had some points with the size of larger receivers like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster, however he’s making progress there. He’s continued to indicate sticky protection in opposition to a number of the sooner wideouts too.
There have been two performs that basically stood out from McDuffie on the day. One got here in opposition to JuJu Smith-Schuster on a nook route the place he acquired his hand on the ball for a move defended.
One other one got here in 11-on-11 staff drills, the place McDuffie performed by means of the catch along with his fingers and popped the ball out on Mecole Hardman.
“Getting up to now of camp, I believe a giant factor for me is simply ending,” McDuffie mentioned after follow. “All the pieces doesn’t go good (on each snap). I would mess up on the road with my method or on the prime of the route, however with the ability to struggle by means of that adversity and end on the ball on the finish of the play, I believe is one thing I’m working exhausting at and one thing that you just noticed on the market in the present day. It’s one thing I’m making an attempt to do each day.”
The rookie nook appears to be steadily constructing confidence and good habits that may certainly translate to the common season.
Defensive position boasting versatility
The Chiefs combined issues up on the defensive position fairly a bit throughout follow on Saturday. Throughout their earliest 11-on-11 interval, the staff appeared to be working a few of their blitz packages and that included some distinctive alignments from the defensive position. Media and followers in attendance noticed snaps with Chris Jones lining up on the skin at defensive finish, one thing that he’s carried out at occasions prior to now.
FOX 4 Kansas Metropolis’s PJ Inexperienced noted Steve Spagnuolo’s NASCAR alignment with Jones and Mike Danna on the within and George Karlaftis and Frank Clark on the sting. Different durations of follow featured a mix of Jones at edge, Khalen Saunders at nostril deal with and each Danna and Clark dashing from the skin. One other time they’d Jones on the skin with Karlaftis on the within. This group appears to have the flexibility to do lots of various things and as soon as Carlos Dunlap will get in control it’ll add one other component to the group as properly.
Slimmed-down Orlando Brown Jr. flashing in move safety
May a slimmed-down Orlando Brown Jr. have a higher edge in move safety this season? The franchise-tagged left deal with confirmed as much as coaching camp trying like he’s put within the work to lose some weight throughout the offseason. A number of media members and followers in attendance famous that the left deal with appeared slightly bit faster in move safety throughout follow on Saturday.
Frank Clark, George Karlaftis, Carlos Dunlap — all of them tried Brown in 1-on-1 drills and he shut them down. It’s robust to inform if this was a operate of the actual issues they had been engaged on within the 1-on-1 drills, however Brown seems good regardless. He additionally flashed in staff drills, the place he helped lock down the blindside for Mahomes throughout the early blitz interval. Maybe an indication of a giant season to come back for Brown as he seeks a long-term extension from the staff.
Mecole Hardman is the grasp of metaphors
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman was in uncommon type after follow on Saturday. He had lots of enjoyable with the media, talking in metaphors and asking them some enjoyable questions as properly.
When requested about his function on particular groups as a punt returner, he described himself because the Amazon Prime choice and everybody else because the common Amazon choice.
It was a little bit of a head-scratcher, however I took it to imply that he’s the popular choice (Prime), however generally that choice received’t be out there. Hardman is predicted to play a bigger function on offense this season, which might imply he’s unable to contribute as ceaselessly on particular groups. That is much like the best way that Dave Toub used Tyreek Hill when his function on offense elevated. He by no means dominated out utilizing Hill on punts as a result of he was all the time a risk to take it the space, however he saved these alternatives for when the staff actually wanted a play.
This wasn’t the one metaphor that Hardman busted out after follow, although. Hardman made a slick one-handed seize over rookie CB Nazeeh Johnson in 1-on-1 drills early on throughout the day.
“I actually didn’t wish to contact the bottom, man,” Hardman mentioned of the play. “Form of like if a cat falls or one thing, they don’t wish to fall. Talking of that, have you ever ever seen ‘Cats: The Musical’? That’s sort of how I really feel on the market, actually.”
What precisely did Hardman imply with the “Cats: The Musical” remark? Nicely, I’m undecided he even absolutely is aware of.
Possibly the following metaphor we’ll get out of Hardman will probably be from Will Ferrell’s “Blades of Glory.”