Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy
Q: What is the dynamic like to have an offensive coordinator that hadn't coached the quarterback position?
BIENIEMY: "This is actually a unique position because I get to touch every position on the offensive side of the ball. I get to sit with the O-Line, spend a lot of time with the quarterbacks, I still feel I'm a part-time running backs coach, and I spend some time with the tight ends and receivers. It's a unique situation to be in because I get to watch all of the guys work. On top of that, just the evaluation process and seeing the coaches work and players detail the little things that we are coaching."
Q: Are there things you are looking for Patrick (Mahomes) to improve on every day?
BIENIEMY: "The generic improvement is what we look for each and every day. It's about the little things. We always want each and every one of our players focusing on the details, mechanics and fundamentals we need to be at our best to help us grow. When we have some growing pains, it's okay. Sometimes without bad luck we wouldn't have any good luck at all. He can live and learn and study from learning from the things he didn't execute the proper way."
Q: What is the dynamic like between Mahomes, yourself, Coach Reid and Coach (Mike) Kafka?
BIENIEMY: "That dynamic is very unique. Coach Reid has always had it work that way. Where he is involved as well as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. We all sit there and study together. We over-communicate with one another. Obviously, Mike Kafka is doing an outstanding job. He's doing a tremendous job coaching all the quarterbacks. The communication is the key to success. I learned this been married now for 23 years. So we do an outstanding of job making sure we are on the same page."
Q: How do you feel like Sammy's (Watkins) addition to the wide receiver group affects what you all are able to do and how you use Tyreek (Hill)?
BIENIEMY: "We have a great group of guys. The addition of Sammy with Tyreek, Chris Conley, De'Anthony Thomas, Demarcus Robison, there is a number of guys in that group who bring tremendous experience. That group is a hard-working group. One thing I respect about that group is that they hold each other accountable. One thing Sammy is learning is how to do it our way. Sammy is a heck of a player but he is learning how to do it our way and those guys have a great chemistry together. It's going to be something to look forward to moving forward."
P DUSTIN COLQUITT
Q: Obviously from a team standpoint, there are things you can still accomplish. What about personally that's out there that you haven't done so far in your career?
COLQUITT: "Personally, it would probably be like an All-Pro nod, but really the biggest thing is winning that Super Bowl, it's the trophy. I look at every year as trying to keep the return game for the other team dead. Everything I can for Harrison (Butker), make sure he feels comfortable with everything we're doing beforehand so he can just think about himself and where he's going to put the ball. So really, we just have to focus on that. My dad (Craig Colquitt) told me when I came into the league that the biggest compliment you can have is for Coach (Andy) Reid or Dave Toub to say, 'I know these guys are getting their work done, we don't even have to look over there.' I focus on doing that, trying to get our work done, trying to be the best that we can be, so when the team has a three and out or just can't get it down I can get them out of trouble, or if they get down and they're stalling out and we're in range for Harrison, he knows that we're going to get three points."
Q: How difficult has it been dealing with your brother (Britton Colquitt), with his ring and you not having a ring?
COLQUITT: "That's tough. Especially after (saying), let me see the picture of it, I thought it was going to be a picture of the ring in the box and it was (a picture of him), and so then my dad has two, I'm like the only male Colquitt that doesn't have one in my family. We're all under one roof, so that kind of starts getting cranked up pretty hard. I think we talked about it this training camp already is that everybody is fighting time. This year, we want to do that, that's everybody's goal. Rookies on in. I love hearing some of the rookies talk about, 'I'm glad I got here for the first three days because then the run seemed a little bit easier,' and they're already talking that way. I like that, young guys talking like that, being ready to go. We just have to put it all together and bring all our talents to the table, and try to get that trophy back into Kansas City.
Q: This is your 14th year now, how has this experience changed for you over the years?
COLQUITT: "Still in a dorm room, always tough, kind of, moving in there. I always think back to River Falls, (Wisconsin), when there was no elevators and the four stairs so if you forget something when you get to the bottom, you're like, 'no way!' Then you're on a bike, so you're like, ' this is great.' I actually met some young ladies that watched our Wembley (Stadium) game in 2015, they came here to training camp, so they're going to bring us luck. That's when we kind of turned it around that year, so I'm just going to go with that. They signed my hat, I made them. Training camp is what it is, you get a chance to get in there, just work on stuff that you've been ironing all summer. Make sure it works, then we hit 12 days 'til the first preseason game, we get the Texans again, start working on our stuff, making sure we are 90 to nothing as soon as we hit the season."
WR TYREEK HILL
Q: How has Eric Bieniemy done working with every position instead of just the running backs?
HILL: "The thing about Eric B is, I mean he is obviously a tough guy. He is hard on everybody no matter who the guy is. He is always going to be hard on every guy and push every guy to the limit trying to make each and every guy better."
Q: How has he been hard on you? What has he said to you?
HILL: "Work like a pro. Come in everyday and work hard. Don't take any days off. Everybody wants to make the team and everybody wants to be great, but the great ones don't take days off. That is what he said to me."
Q: What do the fans say to you about this football team?
HILL: "The fans love the football team. Especially with Pat (Mahomes) at the helm. Fans are ecstatic. Everybody just can't wait for the season. I am excited, my teammates are excited and we can't wait to get rolling."
Q: Have you ever had a quarterback that can hit you in stride on a fly route and is Mahomes the first one?
HILL: "No, I still don't think that Pat (Mahomes) can hit me stride. (laughing) Nah, Pat is the first guy that I have played with that has the arm strength, that's not taking anything away from other quarterbacks I have played with, but Pat is something special."
Q: Do you see yourself retiring at a member of the Kansas City Chiefs?
HILL: "Yeah, I do for real. I kind of have gotten acclimated here. It is fun, I love the city. People are chill, people are nice and I love the environment. I live in a nice town. I am surrounded by nice neighbors. I love it, man. My family loves it. I love Kansas City."
DL CHRIS JONES
Q: Chris I noticed you were wearing a brace on your leg today. Is everything going ok? Is that just for support? What's going on with that.
JONES: "Mainly for support. I was dealing with the injury last year. I just think it's a safety precaution that I wear the brace for the rest of the year."
Q: A lot of new faces on the defense this year, how are you guys gelling as a unit and working together to get better.
JONES: "It's good for us, the competition level we got a lot of great guys. Dealing with the young guys, [Derek] Nnadi and Dee Liner. We brought some new faces in. We brought Jarvis Jenkins back. The competition level is high and that's what we want around here. We want to create a high competition level, group of guys that want to get after it."
Q: Do you have a sack goal this year?
JONES: "Lead the NFL. I've been talking about it all summer. I've been voicing it to my teammates. I want to lead the NFL in sacks. I believe that wholeheartedly. You have to speak it to believe it."
Q: Do you think you guys have the personnel to be able to accomplish, everyone says they want to get to the Super Bowl, this team has the offensive talent everyone thinks. Defensively are you guys good enough to get there?
JONES: "Of course we are. You look at the talent we have on defense. I think Coach Reid and Brett Veach, the amount of talent, the group of guys they brought in to this. Starting from our safety, Eric Berry, Justin Houston, Dee Ford, Allen Bailey, just those group of guys. You bring young guys in, who love to compete it makes us better. It's all about competition around here. Competing day in and day out. We challenge each other every day and that's what we like to have around here. People who are going to go out balls to the wall and challenge every day."
T MITCHELL SCHWARTZ
Q: How nice is it to have the entire offensive line together and healthy to start this year?
SCHWARTZ: "Yeah, it's big. Since I've been here, it's the most experienced offensive line we've had and it's pretty much all the same guys coming back. So, it's been good. You just gain so much experience playing with the guy next to you and it gets to the point where you just understand each other – whether it's the way your bodies work or not stepping on one another. That's a common thing with guys who haven't played together – that's the footwork with the limited amount of space. The next level stuff is more kind of about the things you don't have to talk about on the field – the things that you just kind of intrinsically trust the guy next to you will be there. On a certain look, you're seeing something at the snap and you're trusting that he's seeing it with you and you can make a good decision together on the run. So, it's definitely a huge benefit. "
Q: What does Mitch Morse's presence mean now that he's back?
SCHWARTZ: "It's great and I'm just excited for him to get back. Last year was tough for him – getting hurt so early in the season and getting back and I think you could see it didn't feel the way he wanted it to. So getting that fixed and just feeling more like himself is exciting for our offensive lie. He's an experienced guy that's been the center for a few years and he knows how to run this offense – he knows what we want. Obviously with Patrick (Mahomes), Pat is doing a really good job with kind of assuming all the calls and all those things but being able to help out with a young guy when you need to – and with the rest of us being experienced, we can help out too. It's really a team effort on each play."
Q: You've become one of the better right tackles in the NFL, how do you stay sharp during the offseason?
SCHWARTZ: "I don't see myself like that as much – I kind of have a pessimistic view of things and having the perfectionist aspect of always achieving. The unfortunate part about playing with Joe Thomas for four years is seeing him do things pretty perfectly and look perfect. There's games when you're graded out and he'd have a perfect game – you'd get close and have two minuses – but he'd have a perfect game with perfect technique. It was pretty incredible. Just being able to see that model and just the way I tick, that's the goal and that's what you strive for. I would say that I'm nowhere near his level, but that's something I always try to attain. I think that's what motivates me. As you go along and you get a second contract and get accolades - that puts more pressure on you. There's no sense of satisfaction that you get paid or you get praised and how people are looking for you and expecting you to play like an All-Pro and to be the best right tackle. That just puts more pressure on you and really makes sure you focus and do your job."
Q: Tomorrow, you guys get the pads on for the first time. How big is that for the offensive line?
SCHWARTZ: "It's awesome. That's what you look forward to really the whole time – getting into certain physicality. It's something that you want to have that mindset, but it's also a learned thing – where throughout training camp you have to work at it every day. You see guys that are great finishers and guys who aren't. For the most part, that's engrained into someone at some point in their life or in their career - whether that's a parent, whether is a coach, or whether it's in the NFL or maybe in high school. So, that's the biggest thing with getting the pads on, working that every day and with this stuff you can only do so much – so much with the shoulders and being able to use them and being able to respect your teammates and their bodies. Now you get to use really the entire arsenal. That's really the fun part about football."
