During the second week of OTA’s for the Kansas City Chiefs, both rookies and veterans are progressing.
The positive feedback from Andy Reid this week is a clear sign that everyone is on the same page and that’s good news! He obviously is focused on improving the team and choosing the right combination of players to be a Super Bowl contender.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo also addressed the media this week, having a lot to say about the possibility of moving cornerback L’Jarius Sneed from the slot to the outside, and put Chris Jones on the edge.
“Chris Jones is an imposing player inside. We all know that “ Spagnuolo said. “If we move him outside on a number of the snaps — and he’s going to have to be flexible to do both — we’ll miss that. Hopefully, we’ll gain something on the edge. When somebody changes a position, obviously the first hurdle is the mental part of it. Chris is working through that — and he’s been great. He’s been here and been part of the whole thing.”
During last Thursday’s voluntary OTA session, a few veterans were absent. Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams did not participate, along with offensive linemen Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Martinas Rankin, defensive linemen Jarran Reed, Frank Clark, Chris Jones and Taco Charlton — and defensive backs Mike Hughes, Charvarius Ward, and Armani Watts.
The rest of the players who were absent a week ago participated in Thursday’s workout — including quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.
On the other hand, cornerback Bashaud Breeland found a new team after two years with the Chiefs. The Vikings became his final choice. Minnesota announced it has agreed to terms with Breeland for a one-year deal worth up to $4 million, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Breeland is a very good player, so it actually looks like a bargain for the Vikings. Sure, he had a suspension due to substance abuse and many penalties during the season, but his aggressiveness helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV and reach Super Bowl LV. He should fit very well in Minnesota. But before leaving the city of fountains, he penned a very touching goodbye tweet.
“This was a tough decision when heart was sold on kc and the brotherhood that I’ve made over the last two years when one door close another always open it’s been my life story but I will always love the Kansas City chiefs organization. I wanna thank the Hunt family, Coach Reid, Coach Spagz, Coach Merrit and my dog coach Madison the love was real and this is a Farewell but not a breakup! To my brothers and the city itself, the memories won’t be forgotten and the love will continue from this day forth. Big Love Breezy.”
And what about a very important piece of the Chiefs defense, Tyrann Mathieu? The extension is still up in the air and many fans would breathe a lot better if the news of an extension would come out!
Mathieu has become very quickly one of the leaders in the locker room and one of the main faces of the franchise. The safety is now heading into the final year of his contract so it will be interesting to see how Brett Veach will handle this situation.
Mathieu is coming off a 2020 regular season where he recorded 62 total tackles, nine defended passes, six interceptions, one defensive touchdown, and one fumble recovery. In coverage, Mathieu allowed 42 receptions for 535 yards and two touchdowns on 67 targets, per Pro Football Reference.
Whatever the future holds, Mathieu said by Twitter that there is still more for him to accomplish, with a photo in the Chiefs uniform. Is this a clue?
On the other side of the ball, Mahomes has made a very big statement this week. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, Mahomes said he wants to be the first team to go 20-0.
“The only record I have my eyes set on breaking, which would be new this year, would be going 20-0,” Mahomes said. “It’s not really a record to be broken I guess you would say…so being able to go 20-0 and being the first one to do that, that would be awesome.”
Head coach Andy Reid, was a little bit more cautious about it though…
“I saw the whole thing just by chance,” said Reid. “I normally don’t see those things, but I did see that one, and he was asked what would be a great challenge for him to work for, so 20-0 made sense. I mean, he wasn’t boasting about it, that’s not what he was doing.’”
The only perfect season in NFL history came in 1972, when the Dolphins finished the regular season at 14-0 before going on to win Super Bowl VII, finishing at 17-0. The 2007 Patriots fell one game short of 19-0, going 16-0 in the regular season before falling to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
This next week will have phase three of the OTAs. The season may still be several months away, but the roster is getting defined little by little the coaching staff. Although the OTAs are not always appreciated in the league, the Chiefs are clearly using this time efficiently to build the best team.
