As the Kansas City Chiefs began organized team activities, or OTAs, this week, they did so with new leadership along the offensive line.
With several starters from the 2015 offensive line having departed, the time has come for others, pointedly fourth-year left tackle Eric Fisher and second-year center Mitch Morse, at the ages of 25 and 24, respectively, to take the reins in the room.
So far, according to those in it, they've done just that.
"The first day I got here, Mitch Morse was the first guy that came up to me and introduced himself and said, 'You're going to be fine. Just take things in,'" Chiefs fourth-round pick Parker Ehinger said. "He's just a year older than me, but he has game experience. He played as a rookie."
Like Morse, Fisher also went out of his way to welcome Ehinger.
"[Fisher] being a Michigan guy, me being a Michigan guy, he kind of took me under his wing too. I feel comfortable with these guys because they're not the veteran guys that may pick on the rookies. They're the guys that want to see you do better and take you under their wing."
The attitude from both Fisher and Morse is one that includes organizing offensive line room gatherings off the field such as paintball last weekend and perhaps a Zac Brown Band concert this weekend.
As camaraderie is built off the field, the collective thought is that it will translate on the field, where Mitch Schwartz explained their leadership qualities are just as apparent.
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A look into day two of phase three of the Chiefs offseason program at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex
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"They've all been really great in terms of questions," Schwartz explained in his media opportunity Tuesday. "Fish has played both sides and having been a tackle I can ask him more tackle-oriented questions. Mitch seems like he's got a great understanding and is kind of the one leading the show in the center there so being able to ask him stuff like, 'What are you seeing on certain plays?' [and] who he's going to point to, things like that. They've all been great."
Asked about his leadership ability earlier this offseason, Morse said he hopes to simply lead by his actions.
"For me, this is my second year—I feel at the center position, you have to own a lot of the responsibility," he said. "I'm not a very big 'rah-rah' guy. Hopefully I can lead by example even if I'm a second-year guy. I'll make my calls. I'll pick the guys up. What I want to do this year is be more of an energy creator."
