The Three Early Chiefs Training Camp Storylines

The drought that is the NFL offseason has finally come to an end.  While the Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp does not start in earnest until Saturday, July 30th, there are some storylines that have been brewing since the end of last season.

The first, and perhaps the largest, is when will Safety Eric Berry return to the practice field? As we all know, Berry was saddled with the Chiefs’ franchise tag this offseason when General Manager John Dorsey was unable to come to terms for a long-term deal with Berry’s agent. While paying Berry $10.8 million for a single season makes Berry the highest paid safety on the field this year, most Chiefs fans would much rather have the cancer survivor under contract for the long term.

Berry has not reported to any team activities thus far during the off-season which is pretty standard fare for players trying to negotiate a long-term deal. However, training camp is mandatory and Berry could face hefty fines if he chose to no-show. On top of that, there would be nothing for Berry to gain by holding out of camp. Because the deadline has come and gone for Berry to sign a deal, he must now play under the franchise tag this season and wait until next offseason to sign a long-term contract.

At the end of the day, Berry is a fan-favorite in Kansas City–and why wouldn’t he be as his near superhuman return from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year was a thing of fairy tales–and he will play out his franchise tagged season to the best of his ability. And if history has taught us nothing, it’s that John Dorsey should have gotten going on the deal a bit earlier, because should Berry have an out-of-his mind season–like outside linebacker Justin Houston in his contract year–the price tag only continues to go up.

The next major storyline every Chiefs fan should care about is who will step up in the Chiefs secondary to replace cornerback Sean Smith. As most fans know, Smith left the Chiefs for greener–or more criminal–pastures to play for the Oakland Raiders after three season with the Red and Yellow. After posting three solid seasons with the Chiefs, it will be difficult to replace the man who, last season at least, was the Chiefs’ primary cornerback.

Obviously after having a Defensive Rookie of the Year type season (as in he actually won the DROTY), cornerback Marcus Peters now leads the cornerback room not only in stats but in reality. With the departure of his mentor Smith he will need someone to rise and take the spot opposite of him this season. This player could emerge from literally anywhere on the roster as the Chiefs head to camp with 12 defensive backs who aren’t already locked into safety positions and are not named Peters.

Perhaps one of the favorites to step up is third-year cornerback Phillip Gaines. Gaines showed a lot of promise during his rookie campaign as a nickel back. This excitement continued into last season until Gaines tore his ACL on Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers in week three. Gaines fits the “larger-body cornerback” Dorsey seems to like to utilize and could be a solid replacement for Smith. Of course other possibilities include Stephon Nelson (drafted after Peters last year) and the former Notre Damn pass-defender, KeiVarae Russell.

The final storyline to watch in the early days of Chiefs camp is which five offensive linemen rise to the top as the “best five” which has been the head coach Andy Reid and Dorsey mantra since they arrived in the Fountain City before the 2013 season. In all reality, the bookend tackles are set in fourth-year lineman Eric Fisher who has cemented his place on the left side of the Chiefs offensive line.

https://twitter.com/HerbieTeope/status/737716342111899648″ xlink=”href
 

On the opposite side of the line, the one big free agent signing Dorsey managed to pull this offseason will be hanging his hat. Mitchell Schwartz signed a five-year, $33 million deal in March, bringing his talents from Cleveland wasteland to the BBQ City. Centering the Chiefs line should be second-year man Mitch Morse who had a solid season as a rookie despite some injury and concussion concerns.

This leaves the interior line completely open for the taking. In addition to returning names like Zach Fulton who has some experience starting at the guard position and Jah Reid who the Chiefs extended during the offseason with a three-year, $10.2 million contract, the Chiefs also drafted some new blood for the line in fourth-round selection Parker Ehinger. If the Chiefs have any hope of returning to the playoffs in 2016, this position group, perhaps more than any other, must step up and do their job.

As I see it, those are the three biggest storylines to watch as training camp heats up. This is an exciting time of year and for this website, it will be even more fun, as our Editor, Laddie Morse will be streaming live from camp during the first two days.

What do you think? What are the most interesting storylines building up to camp that you see as the 2016 season gets rolling? Comment below, as I’d love to hear your ideas.

Thanks for reading and as always, Go Chiefs!