On Sunday, July 23, the Kansas City Chiefs’ first training camp will be open to the public, giving fans their first preseason look at the 2023 lineup. With so many interesting names to keep track of, keeping track of the action on a given day can be challenging.
Going into the season, I think three particular site groups are worth focusing on as you watch practice. Whether it’s maneuvering for position on the depth chart or eyeing new team members, these are the players who have to keep a close eye on the fields at Missouri Western University in St. Joseph, Missouri.
full back
I’m most excited to see my linebackers fly down the practice field — whether they’re filling running lanes or playing coverage. There are four who have the talent to contribute legitimately to the starting defense.
Nick Bolton has cemented himself as a MIKE midfielder, calling plays and setting formations. Aside from that, the trio of Willie Gay Jr., Drew Tranquill and Leo Chenall will work to fill the other midfielder roles for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnolo.
Tranquill is the newcomer after a season he was in Started 16 games for the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s more comfortable working pass coverage over the middle or shooting in the background in the blitz. he He had five sacks last year but also defended four passes and caught another.
He has the experience to earn Spagnuolo’s trust; This can lead to Dime linebacker, the only linebacker on the field with six defensive appearances in a pass-down situational package. Bolton stayed on the field for those plays last year because he was the only MIKE trustworthy, but those scenarios are not where he thrives.
In previous years, the Chiefs defense primarily used a starting linebacker—former linebacker Ben Neiman—for the dime pack. Not only will Tranquill be a better version of that; This move would keep Bolton fresh for regular relegation.
The thing is, Tranquill could do more than play that spot – and this is where this camp becomes very important to Gay and Chenal. Jay needs to prove he deserves to stay in a contract year. Chenall is a hard-hitter only in the second year, but he showed enough blinks last year that tells me he’s not going quietly to the bench.
The three will fight each other for playing time, which should lead to some electric moments in training.
sleep to check: Two undrafted signings Cam Jones (No. 44) and Isaiah Moore (No. 45) flew around the field throwing hits in college. Check them out on the back set sidelines.
wide receptors
If you think you know how this parlor room is going to rock, you might want to wait a few weeks to be on the safe side.
Veteran Marques Valdes-Scantling and dynamic Toni Cadarius will play the roles you’d expect from them at first, but do we really know what happens next? I think a breakout year for sophomore receiver Skyy Moore might come, but he’ll have to avoid rookie receiver Rashi Rice — who gets a head start at camp with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Then you think about what a veteran receiver like Richie James could bring to the unit, someone whose athleticism as a ball carrier translates to being a good returner, but who can do so much more than that. It doesn’t hurt Mahomes’ personal trainer, Bobby Stroop, was also on the hype train.
I am telling you. Richie is a playmaker
– bobbystroupe July 18, 2023
This doesn’t mention Justin Watson, who apparently built a relationship with Mahomes last year; he He saw 34 goals and scored two goals.
With the Chiefs increasing their use of multiple tight ends in the formation, the pool of receivers who will get a legitimate chance is whittled down to four, five depending on the game. This is where it can get interesting among young players like Moore and Rice; Neither of them will contribute to special teams if not a rookie, but one of them might need to if they haven’t proven themselves to be reliable players at camp.
asleep to check: Ihmir Smith-Marsette (#82) is entering his third season since being a fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at 6-foot-1, 181 pounds in the pre-draft process and has running back experience in college and the NFL – maybe he offers value that way.
rush pass
The Chiefs are looking for a passing method that can maximize the advantage that comes when teams focus all of their efforts on stopping defensive tackle Chris Jones.
The three candidates I see on the team are:
- Defense line Charles Omeniho
- Defensive end George Karlaftis
- Rookie defensive end Felix Anodic-Ozuma
First on the list was a free agent signing this spring, coming off the season with the San Francisco 49ers where he is Recorded 6.5 sacks and forced fumbles between the regular season and playoff games. He did most of his damage as an inside rusher, making for an exciting prospect alongside Jones in the bottom third.
Still, it would be an excellent short- and long-term development for the defense if a first-round draft pick went up in this way. Last year’s Karlaftis production might indicate that, but I think it will still be more solid than it is.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah has an impressively flexible body for being well-built and long-lived.
His long levers help him curve around the outside, but he does a great job of bringing his hips through his upper body to turn the corner just right. pic.twitter.com/rlcm7cgc1I
—Ron Kopp Jr. (Ron_Kopp) May 2, 2023
Anudike-Uzomah has the ability to be the one who adds pressure to offensive attacks constantly, both mentally and physically. It may not be fair to predict it right away, but it will be useful to track its progress as the pre-season progresses.
asleep to watch: The starter, in the fifth round, BJ Thompson (#53) was a flashy college speed racer. He’ll need to work physically as a pro, but he can still deliver some camp highlights.