Chiefs Training Camp Day 15: OPEN THREAD

Chiefs Training Camp Day 15:

OPEN THREAD

by Laddie Morse

Patty Takes: Syncing Up

Andy Reid says that Patrick Mahomes mostly needs reps and making sure he is syncing up with his receivers stride for stride. Take a listen:

Mahomes has the ability to make plays that other QBs do not. Monday he had one of those plays that left Twitter buzzing:

You might think they’d have gotten a video of that one but I haven’t come across one yet.

It Was Marcus Kemp Again

Marcus Kemp keeps making plays downfield to make the competition steep at WR.

Fording the Stream of Ford Options

Dee Ford. Say the name and you get as many opinions as there are people. Lyle Graversen at AA has said of Ford:

“Ford’s upside as a pass rusher is still there, but he simply hasn’t been able to give the Chiefs reliable pressure opposite Justin Houston.”

While that perfectly describes the state of affairs concerning Ford, Graversen goes on to make what I think may be a false assumption:

“Then when you add in the fact that Ford is a liability against the run, it equals a player that the Chiefs simply can’t afford to invest in going forward.”

Why “False?” Because Brett Veach has made sure to draft someone who can play the edge on running downs, in Breeland Speaks. The Chiefs also have Tanoh Kpassagnon to insert when and where needed to offset any difficulties they may have in leaving Ford on the field. Adam Teicher spells out what the Chiefs practiced on Monday, an idea which I’ve been hearing and reading about since February (rush 3 with Ford and Houston as part of the 3).

Coaches have been praising Dee Ford and saying that he’s been having a great camp. Could that be hyperbole? Sure. However, teams usually don’t use that kind of language at this time of year… right before the teams will all be cutting players. Could they be saying this to hype his value to seek a trade partner. Sure. However, the team is admittedly short on pass rushers and while Ford has been an overall disappointment, he has been able to put some pressure on the QB on rushing downs.

Speaking strictly of sack numbers, I placed the numbers for Zombo, Hali and Houston’s best year, to give a perspective on what Ford’s performance has been like over these last 3 seasons. Not great, obviously, but nowhere near the tragedy that happens every time Zombo enters the game. If Ford can focus solely on rushing the passer and not have to deal with the run, his numbers should improve. Will that justify his contract? Not likely.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to see Dee Ford traded away at this point. However, like the Chiefs brass, I’d like to see the team get something for him in return. That’s one of the reasons why I believe they have this plan for him. If his value improves, then maybe they could get a 3rd round compensation pick for him if they have to allow him to walk next offseason.

Dandy Duel of the Day

De’Anthony Thomas takes on the ascending rook… and loses:

Westward Ho Down

Oakland Raiders- the Raiders have a game scheduled outside of the country like the Chiefs this year. Their game was originally scheduled at the brand spanking new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London but since it’s not finished, no spanking will ensue. Consequently, their game vs. the Seahawks will be moved to Wembley Stadium.

San Angeles Chargers- Travis Wakeman at boltbeat.com says the Chargers have 3 key position battles. The first one being a QB tussle: Cardale Jones vs. Geno Smith. I still recall writing a piece calling for he Chiefs to draft Geno. Ah, some regrets are so sweet. The second position battle Wakeman lists is between backup tight ends. It’s possible the Chargers have an eye on whomever the Cheifs end up cutting because they only have Virgil Green as TE#1… they haven’t re-signed Antonio Gates yet (if they ever do) and that leaves these 4 to duke it out for TE#2 (and possibly #3): Braedon Bowman? Sean Culkin? Ben Johnson? Cole Hunt? That leaves one more hot position battle for the Chargers at CB. With three very good corners on the roster (Casey Hayward, Trevor Williams and Desmond King) the battle for backup CB is between: Craig Mager, Michael Davis, Tony Brown, Brandon Facyson and Marcus Edmond.

Denver Broncos- Paxton Lynch has a problem… or depending on how you look at it, the Broncos have a problem which is Paxton Lynch:

When you have spent a first round pick on a QB and he turns out to be less than stellar (knock on wood), it throws everything off in your team-building process. That may be exactly what’s going on.. or down… in Denver. What seems to be making matters worse is that fans are upset. No… REALLY upset:

There are plenty of tweets to re-post like that but I won’t bore you with poor poor ole me Denver problems. However, one fan has decided to start a fun raising project to get Lynch out of town:

Chiefs Training Camp: “From the Beginning”

Instead of calling this “The End” of training camp, it’s really just the beginning of a new season. Although this is the last day for Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joe, it’s hard ot believe it came and went so fast! Now, I just wish the regular season would hurry up and get here!

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