Originally Posted by Direckshun
(Post 12993111)
I was at practice today, and I don't know how many original comments I have to add, but here are my thoughts.
1. I think the Chiefs really screwed over their fans who traveled with their children to visit them today. They practiced on the far field away from the bulk of the stands for 80% of practice, and really the nearby field only had a few drills. You could walk around to the other field, but there were no bleachers to sit on, and the fence had a strip on it that you couldn't see through, so you had to LIFT your kids over it so they could watch. It was a dumbshit move by a team on Family Fun Day.
2. The QB competition wasn't much of one, really. Alex was still very conservative compared to the other two, so don't believe much of the hype that he's airing out the ball. He mostly just did that in drills where he didn't face a passrush. Bray and Mahomes today was solidly in Mahomes' favor. Bray's passes are erratic, and Mahomes' anticipation of his receivers rivals Smith already. Mahomes had two back shoulder passes today that connected. In the final two-minute drills, Smith and Bray were intercepted in the endzone, and Mahomes took a sack to kill his drive inside the 5. On the second go around, Mahomes and Bray went nowhere, and Smith was able to engineer a TD drive on a dynamic run that bounced outside by Kareem Hunt.
Mahomes looks like the #2 more and more to me -- although he battled 2nd and 3rd stringers today, while Bray played the 1's. Bray is almost an afterthought out there -- Smith unfurled a gorgeous teardrop pass to Hill who took it for a 99 yard TD. Mahomes came out immediately after and hit Spiller wide open across the middle for a 99 yard TD a couple plays later. They're both playing pretty well.
Speaking of which, why do we even have Joel Stave? They didn't let him engineer one drive.
3. Ware looks like Ware -- all truck, no shake 'n' bake. Hunt looks like the most well-rounded of the bunch, other than struggles in pass protection. He is a lot faster in pads than he looks, and is surprisingly strong -- legitimately pushed a couple piles today, and scored the aforementioned TD. He's also got a little nasty to him, stiffarming tacklers. West didn't really register today, but Spiller sure did. Ho boy, can this guy move. Spiller still has a ton of burst in the passing game, though I didn't see him run the ball today. But he's going to effortlessly fall into the Joe McKnight role we had a couple years back. West simply doesn't have his dynamism.
4. Demetrius Harris had an outstanding day today. He stood up Houston in passblocking drills and he was able to catch a ball with Berry draped all over him. That's $180m of talent he beat today. He's far and away the #2 TE, and he could have a breakout year this year.
At WR, I probably don't need to tell you guys that the Hill hype is for real, but it totally is. Nobody can guard this guy one-on-one, and he catches everything. He looks like a rare talent and could really open up our offense. He will certainly lead our WRs in receptions. 2nd of our WRs will not be Conley, however. Conley still isn't getting separation and only had a catch or two today. Albert Wilson, however, was running very sharp underneath routes in almost a Wes Welker type role. Wilson could possibly top 50 receptions this year, as Alex found him time and time and time again.
But I do think our WR corps is going to struggle outside of Hill. Robinson isn't a playmaker, really, and Seantavius Jones didn't show up today on the field. Chesson may have some play in him, but he's not looking like anything more than a part-time player now. Tevin Jones, actually, had the best catch of the day -- turned his head just as Smith's pass got to him, juggled it a bit and reeled in it with a CB on his back. And this Gehrig Dieter kid, though, a big white kid with the #4, looked very active. Caught everything, got lots of attention from Bray and Mahomes.
Not a dynamic athlete, though. Really, outside of the WRs we already know, Dorsey brought in a lot of huge WRs to try to find a diamond in the rough possession guy. Both Jones' have some ability, but the guy who won today was Dieter. But still, the Chiefs are going to need to use their RBs and TEs a ton in the passing game, because we only have one WR that can make big time plays.
5. The OL struggled hardcore today with the DL talent in the one-on-one passing drills. Kpassagnon had a weirdly ineffective day (more on that in a minute) but he did get into Fisher's grill and pushed him backward. Morse and Ehinger both got dominated by Cam Thomas (more on him in a minute), but Schwartz beat the life out of his challengers, and Jah Reid showed up. All in all the 1st string OL (and yes, Witzmann is your full-time starter now at LG) played well in the scrimmage, though. Alex wasn't touched. Mahomes and Bray both got "sacked" a couple times.
6. I know we just brought on Roy Miller (who didn't play, today), but Cam Thomas may just be your 2nd string NT, folks. I didn't get to watch the running drills, so I don't know how well he anchors, but he devoured Morse and Witzmann one-on-one. He's pretty quick for a monster his size, and has a couple powerful swim moves that neither OL could handle. I don't know much about Miller, but Thomas impressed me. They let Montori Hughes go instead of him a couple days ago, so it's clear they think they may have a three-man depth chart at NT with Miller, Thomas, and Logan. When Logan went out, by the way, they put in RNR with the 1's at NT. Interesting.
I don't think Logan was hurting that bad, but it's a heck of a walk back, so they carted him. David King reeeeeally twisted up his ankle, though. He hobbled off, so he'll still be on the team unless we have to IR him to keep him. But he should be fine by opening day, should he be on the 53. I'm not a professional, though, just noting what I saw.
Kpassagnon is a really explosive kid who I have high hopes for, but the coaching staff kept putting him in a two-point stance at OLB today. I have absolutely no idea why they did that, but it yielded pretty much what you'd expect: a couple bullrushes that went nowhere, and a couple edge rushes that went wide. That's just not what this kid is built to do, regardless of how insanely athletic he is.
7. Because my vantage point was so shitty, I have basically nothing to remark on the LBs. I know that DJ played with the 1's, and almost had a pick. I know nothing else. The Chiefs really ****ed over most of their fans today.
8. Gaines is ... Gaines. He made a very impressive interception today in the one-on-ones, but he also got destroyed on a juke for a short-pass by a 3rd stringer today. Mitchell looked pretty good working out, so I'm sure he'll come back strong, soon. But if he or Peters go out for any length of time this year, Gaines is going to need help. He has all the ability you need to be a good CB, but like last year, he just shows inexplicable errors with regularity that really cost your team. I don't have a lot of faith in him.
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***** 2017 Chiefs Training Camp Megathread *****
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