Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
OPENING STATEMENT: "Let me throw a couple of injuries at you here – Kareem Hunt has a hamstring strain, we held him out today. He's fine. Mitch Morse continues to rehab off of surgery. (Byron) Pringle has a calf strain. De'Anthony Thomas had leg surgery so he's recovering from that and Spencer Ware likewise is recovering from surgery. Dee Ford was partial today, so he just came out and worked on the individual stuff and we went from there. It's good to have all these guys out here and working as hard as they are. We're getting better every day and that's the idea. We have a lot of new faces and we welcome new faces and they're learning and they've got great energy."
Q: Talk about having an official doctor on your offensive line – are you proud of him?
REID: "Well I am proud of him. He's a sharp kid, I think we know that. A lot of work went into that. It's not an easy thing to do, I think we also know that. I think the way he handles himself is first class."
Q: Mitch Morse shared a story where Laurent (Duvernay-Tardif) was studying for 11 hours on the flight back from London – do you recall examples like that?
REID: "I've given him time every offseason to do work. The work that he wants to do for his post-football career so he takes full advantage of that. I know every time that he gets a block of time he's putting it back into what he is now, that doctor part of it. A great university, McGill is a great place."
Q: What was the thought process of switching the linebacker role to inside and outside with the coaches and has it worked so far?
REID: "Yeah, I think it's working fine. That's a big position to just have one person doing, so we did split it up and it seems to be working fine. They've been able to get more individual work, more film study, specific to their positions and they're completely different positions. The outside position in the three-four defense and then the inside linebackers in the three-four are completely different spots for them."
Q: Every time you guys meet, is the purpose to do more than you did a week ago?
REID: "Yes. It is. So we keep building the file for the guys that they can draw from once we get into the season. Everything that we do now we're not going to take into the first game, it's something that you can pull out and learn from all the different schemes, fundamentals – all the different things that are involved in each play we try to teach now and during training camp."
Q: What stands out about the new guys on defense and just what you guys have gone up against offensively?
REID: "Well they're flying around and there are a lot of new faces. These guys are so wired into learning right now, the young guys that have been here and the new fellows that have joined us there's great energy. Bob (Sutton) has done a phenomenal job with them along with his coaches and just teaching. Then you see the result out here. You guys have been out here, watching, and you can see them flying around and making plays. That's what it's all about. Like I said, I can't say enough about the energy level."
Q: Using Executive AirShare, what puts their hospitality above everyone else and how does that help you with recruiting?
REID: "I'd tell you that they're phenomenal. I'm talking about the people you're actually dealing with are phenomenal. I'm saying that the hospitality is incredible. They treat you like gold and they get you where you need to go, fast and safe. So that's a plus. For what we do and the time constraints that we have, it becomes an important thing to have to be able to fly and get on a plane quickly and not wait in lines, jump on it and get you where you need to go. Once you're there and you're done, hop on a plane and get back. I mean I can't say enough about it."
Q: It's only two weeks, but do you have a feel for your new defensive players, guys like (Kendall) Fuller, (David) Amerson, (Anthony) Hitchens, some of the other draft picks?
REID: "Yeah, as much as you can get out of the camp without the hitting part. Absolutely. You get to see, number one, how fast they're picking things up and being able to come out here at a fast pace and being able to execute what they've been taught in the classroom. I've been impressed with that. I'd say right across the board with the young guys and the veteran players that we've brought in as free agents, I've been very impressed by how they pick things up. Bob (Sutton) has got a complicated defense and one where he's going to give you a million different looks with, and so for these guys to be able to pick it up is a great job of the coach's teaching and then the guys executing and studying."
Q: What's the most encouraging thing you've seen so far from Sammy Watkins from when he first got here to now?
REID: "Every day he does something a little better than he did the day before. You see the quickness, the speed, the strength – phenomenal strength off the ball. You know we can't do bump and run here but you get an idea when he comes off the ball he comes off with a lot of energy and strength. Again, you guys have been out here, so you know this, but his ability to catch the football is incredible, he has very good hands."
Q: Can you talk about the communication between Eric Bieniemy and Patrick Mahomes ?
REID: "It's very good. EB (Eric Bieniemy) is an attention to detail guy, he's not going to let anything slide and we've got a young quarterback that wants that detail thrown at him. It's been very positive that way."
Q: What have you seen from Parker Ehinger?
REID: "It has been a long road back and he's handled it the right way. He was very diligent with his rehab. He comes out to work every day and works. Again, he missed that second year, that transition year where you learned it as a rookie and now you come out and now you've got to go. He's picking all of that up now and not everything is perfect. The energy is right, the effort is right. He's learning and will continue to do that, but there's definitely potential there and we like that."
