Took a break from covering TC for the Fins and traveled 2 hrs to see the Chiefs in Training Camp (my buddy is a Chiefs fan).
Couple observations from their non-padded practice:
1) Mahomes missed 1 pass all practice. He overthrew a 2nd string WR on a wheel route along the sideline. WR was much slower than others running it. Otherwise he was perfect on the day. Made every single throw in stride.
During some of the team drills, QBs were to the side on their own working on accuracy. Tossing at targets. Tyreek Hill and Kelce were with them. You know you've made it on your team when you get to chill with the QBs while others are doing drills. Both of them made all the same QB throw attempts in the drills. Including a trick shot setup from the sideline.
Mahomes ran to the sideline, back of the endzone, and faced the goal posts. Like trying to shoot a basketball from the deep corner. Mahomes chucked a football OVER the freaking goal posts. It cleared both polls by 30 feet. It looked like a punt in the air. One of the backup QBs barely cleared them on one throw. No one else came close. Even Kelce and THill gave it a go.
Mahomes has this presence about him. Insane confidence (rightfully so). It's like he prances all over the field. I've seen Tua display similar energy in some of the TC vids this past week. I kept thinking Tua is reminding me a little bit of what I'm seeing with Mahomes out here. Especially with their throws on the run.
2) Clyde Edwards Helaire is a compact workhorse. Was not overly impressed with his runs. No flash. Looked average. But he did run 100 yards every single time he ran the ball and took it to the end zone. As in, he might run 5 yards and get tagged ("tackled") by defender, but then he would continue to run/jog all the way to the endzone. EVERY TIME.
3) Kelce had a couple nice plays running across the field. Nothing spectacular but solid.
4) Tyreek Hill. My goodness. He just radiates this energy of explosiveness about him. Even in warmups, you just feel like he is about to take off like a rocket. It's hard to describe. And his legs....I know it's weird to talk about legs, but he has some power. He is the 2nd guy closest to us in the pic. One white sleeve on leg, one without. Watching him practice I kept thinking this guy is much more than just a speedster. No wonder his jump cuts are next level.
I keep hearing and posting a lot of TC reports for the Fins saying Waddle reminds guys of Hill as he practices. If so, it is insane what Waddle can do. Because watching Hill in person is special. Anytime they ran a play on offense and THill was in, your eyes were immediately drawn to him, even if you didn't start out watching him. He operates in cheat mode. He probably had 3 TD runs with crazy YAC on them. He generated a lot of seperation and then turned on the jets. If Waddle can even come close to this....
5) Taco Charlton. Yep the Chiefs have him. And yes, you can visibly see less effort from that guy in drills. They were doing step to drills. As in, defense lines up against trash cans, a few coaches/staff run through the motions of a play so the defense can step to their positions. Normal drill. Just giving them looks. A drill that is easy to relax in and just go through the motions. Which Taco was. But then I look over at the 1st team D going through it 20 yards away, and Frank Clark and Chris Jones are LOCKED IN on their steps. They are going slow, but they are acting as if it is a game. Focused and intentional with their reads and steps. It was a clear distinction between them and Taco. It was a quick glimpse of why a 1st rounder is getting passed around to different teams. Some guys want it every rep. Others, meh.
FINALLY...the Chiefs are going to be the Chiefs. Maybe even better this year with an improved OLine. The AFC likely goes through them still.
Couple observations from their non-padded practice:
1) Mahomes missed 1 pass all practice. He overthrew a 2nd string WR on a wheel route along the sideline. WR was much slower than others running it. Otherwise he was perfect on the day. Made every single throw in stride.
During some of the team drills, QBs were to the side on their own working on accuracy. Tossing at targets. Tyreek Hill and Kelce were with them. You know you've made it on your team when you get to chill with the QBs while others are doing drills. Both of them made all the same QB throw attempts in the drills. Including a trick shot setup from the sideline.
Mahomes ran to the sideline, back of the endzone, and faced the goal posts. Like trying to shoot a basketball from the deep corner. Mahomes chucked a football OVER the freaking goal posts. It cleared both polls by 30 feet. It looked like a punt in the air. One of the backup QBs barely cleared them on one throw. No one else came close. Even Kelce and THill gave it a go.
Mahomes has this presence about him. Insane confidence (rightfully so). It's like he prances all over the field. I've seen Tua display similar energy in some of the TC vids this past week. I kept thinking Tua is reminding me a little bit of what I'm seeing with Mahomes out here. Especially with their throws on the run.
2) Clyde Edwards Helaire is a compact workhorse. Was not overly impressed with his runs. No flash. Looked average. But he did run 100 yards every single time he ran the ball and took it to the end zone. As in, he might run 5 yards and get tagged ("tackled") by defender, but then he would continue to run/jog all the way to the endzone. EVERY TIME.
3) Kelce had a couple nice plays running across the field. Nothing spectacular but solid.
4) Tyreek Hill. My goodness. He just radiates this energy of explosiveness about him. Even in warmups, you just feel like he is about to take off like a rocket. It's hard to describe. And his legs....I know it's weird to talk about legs, but he has some power. He is the 2nd guy closest to us in the pic. One white sleeve on leg, one without. Watching him practice I kept thinking this guy is much more than just a speedster. No wonder his jump cuts are next level.
I keep hearing and posting a lot of TC reports for the Fins saying Waddle reminds guys of Hill as he practices. If so, it is insane what Waddle can do. Because watching Hill in person is special. Anytime they ran a play on offense and THill was in, your eyes were immediately drawn to him, even if you didn't start out watching him. He operates in cheat mode. He probably had 3 TD runs with crazy YAC on them. He generated a lot of seperation and then turned on the jets. If Waddle can even come close to this....
5) Taco Charlton. Yep the Chiefs have him. And yes, you can visibly see less effort from that guy in drills. They were doing step to drills. As in, defense lines up against trash cans, a few coaches/staff run through the motions of a play so the defense can step to their positions. Normal drill. Just giving them looks. A drill that is easy to relax in and just go through the motions. Which Taco was. But then I look over at the 1st team D going through it 20 yards away, and Frank Clark and Chris Jones are LOCKED IN on their steps. They are going slow, but they are acting as if it is a game. Focused and intentional with their reads and steps. It was a clear distinction between them and Taco. It was a quick glimpse of why a 1st rounder is getting passed around to different teams. Some guys want it every rep. Others, meh.
FINALLY...the Chiefs are going to be the Chiefs. Maybe even better this year with an improved OLine. The AFC likely goes through them still.
