Nuts and Bolts of Monday's practice

• The Kansas City Chiefs were back at it in St. Joseph Monday morning after having Sunday off
• It was a fully padded practice and coach Reid said afterwards he was pleased with the effort: "That practice after a game is normally a tough one because the guys are a little sore. They worked hard and we're working on getting better," he said in the post practice media presser
• Linebacker James Michael-Johnson was on the field for the first time at training camp after dealing with a calf issue
• Left tackle Eric Fisher left practice early and did not return (ankle)
• Here's the **FULL INJURY REPORT** from Monday's practice
• From a weather perspective, it might have been the most mild day of camp thus far, as temperatures were in the 70s and it was overcast for most of the morning
• Coach Reid, linebacker Ramik Wilson and receiver Fred Williams all spoke with the media after practice
• Find all the details of training camp at http://www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp* *

Some of the top plays from Monday's practice

There were a handful of plays that stood out during Monday's practice, and each of them involved a player catching a pass, although two of them were on the defensive side of the ball.

Rookie first-round pick Marcus Peters, who has already shown a knack for picking off passes at practice, made another nice play in team work on Wednesday. He jumped in front of a curl route that was intended for veteran Jeremy Maclin.

A little bit later in practice, veteran safety Husain Abdullah hopped in front of a slant intended for Anthony Sherman and picked off the pass for what would have been a pick-six return for a touchdown.

On the offensive side of the ball, Jeret Smith made the catch of the day and maybe the catch of training camp thus far when he laid out for a pass across the middle and was fully extended before securing the catch as he hit the ground.

Running back Charcandrick West, who led the team with 92 total yards (43 receiving, 49 rushing) on Saturday night, made a fantastic one-handed catch out in the flat on a swing pass that he turned up the field for a nice gain. It's the kind of pass and play that normally ends up with the ball on the ground, but West showed some soft hands to bring that ball in out in space.

Here are a few other clips from today's practice:

Spotlight – Rookie Defensive Lineman David Irving

There were a handful of young players who stepped up and made plays for the Chiefs during their 34-19 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.

One of those players was 6-foot-7, 273-pound defensive lineman David Irving, who had a blocked field goal early in the fourth quarter.

On Monday, Reid spoke about Irving's progress.

"He did that in college," Reid said of the blocked field goals, which Irving had four of during his three-year career at Iowa State. "He has to continue to grow, though. He's got to do better inline against the run and the pass.

"He's working though, and you've got to give him the credit for that and his improvement."

Irving, who missed playing his senior year of college after being dismissed from the team, couldn't be more appreciative of the chance the Chiefs took on him after missing a year of football.

"The Chiefs were the only team that called me, that gave me an opportunity," Irving said after practice on Monday. "I was at home for a while and wasn't even looking at the NFL. For me it was, do I go to the Marines or transfer to DII? The Chiefs brought me in and I just appreciate it.

"I just played my first NFL game when a year ago I didn't even picture that. I had my family, my daughter there. I can't even stress how appreciative I am."

For Irving, the missed time away from the game has meant a developmental period that is actually being expedited because of the leadership of a few of the veterans helping him with his game.

"Each day I feel myself getting a little bit better, a little bit stronger," he said. "Right now the coaches are really on me about the run defense. I'm really working extra with [Tamba] Hali after practice. I have to learn how to use my hands a little bit better to get around people instead of just going through people."

Irving's combination of size and athleticism has been a welcomed sight for the Chiefs special teams, as evidenced by his blocked field goal on Saturday night.

Because of the new NFL rules that backed up the extra point to a 33-yard attempt, the wingspan of a 6-foot-7 athlete could fit in well once they get to the regular season.

"I like it," Irving said of the new rules. "It gives me a better angle. I'll get as far as I can up the field, have that timer in my head—then get a hand up."

As a defensive lineman, there's work to be done.

But for right now, he's trying to contribute as much as possible, whether it's lining up at different spots along the defensive line or as a four-core special teams player.

"I'm wherever they need me," he said. "I'll go as hard as I can for as long as I can, keep my pads as low as I can. I mean, I'm moving from the five [technique] to the three—field goal, field goal block, kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return.

"I'm happy being wherever they need me. I'm a little dead after special teams but that is just going to get me in shape for the game."

One thing that's stood out to Irving after a few months with his Chiefs teammates is the selfless nature of the veterans willing to help out the younger players, which leads to a group that looks after one another.

"We're really close as a group," Irving explained. "I've only been here for a little while and now I feel just as close, if not closer, as I did to my teammates in college. We'll stay after practice and work if we need to, [the veterans] are on all of us rookies. When we're not getting something right, they're going to make sure we get it right the next time.

"If I'm not in the correct alignment, they make sure I get it right. They really help with the reads, what I'm supposed to do for double teams, things like that."

As he develops his technique in the trenches on defense and looks to continue making an impact on special teams, Irving is just grateful for the opportunity given to him.

"I have so much room for improvement," he said after practice, exhausted and having just finished up extra work with Hali on the sled.

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For all training camp information, check out***Chiefs.com/trainingcamp***