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What We Learned from Friday's Media Availability

Andy Reid, Kareem Hunt, Ukeme Eligwe and Bennie Logan spoke with the media on Friday

HC ANDY REID

REID:"As far as injuries go, Keith Baxter had wrist surgery. We will just see how that goes. Travis Kelce had a little bit of swelling on his knee. We kept him out today. I think he is going to be fine. He has had that from where he had the surgery before and it flares up every once and a while, but he will be fine. Terrance Mitchell has a hamstring strain. It's not a tear, it should be pretty good. Steve Nelson, groin spasms. We sat him today. Charcandrick West came out to practice, but his ankle is a little sore. He is working through that so we pulled him out. Mauga's hip flexor tightened up on him, so he went about three quarters of the day and came out. Good work the last few days here. The guys are challenging each other and getting better. We have a lot of room to improve. The one thing we see, they are going back and forth against each other. Offense and defense, working hard on special teams. The biggest thing is they are giving effort and pushing themselves through this. With that, the time is yours."

Q:What are your thoughts on how Justin Houston is?

REID:"I like what I have seen. It looks like he is doing well. He would tell you that he has to keep pushing and keep going, which he is doing. He is working his tail off. And just make sure he gets back into the swing of things. But he sure looked pretty good to me."

Q:With Kelce out, what do you see from the other tight ends?

REID:"It gave them good work today. It gave us an opportunity to see them in different spots. Saw some good things. Saw some things we need to work on, but we saw some good things, too. But, most of all, they will get tape on this and will be able to study themselves doing it."

Q:Has Ross Travis come a long way since last year?

REID:"Yeah, he is improving. He just has to keep going. Every day there is something new that he sees. So he will work through that, then better himself. It is important he just keeps that attitude."

Q:Are you seeing a lot of good things from the offensive line and defensive line now that they have the pads on?

REID:"Yeah, they are going after each other. Kind of trading back and forth, which is good. Today was all one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three stuff. I thought they went back and forth and competed in the run and the pass game. I thought that was a positive."

Q:That relationship between Tyreek and Alex, how have you seen that grow?

REID:"They have worked out pretty well together and they are trying to get used to all the different looks. And just making sure it is on come game time. So, it is one thing when he goes out and does it, but it is another thing for the quarterback to anticipate and throw it to him on time so the defense can't react to it. But there have been some really good things, too."

Q:Derrick Johnson said a lot of teams don't have these live sessions, what are your thoughts?

REID:"Somewhere, I still thinking blocking and tackling is important. So we do it. We try to use our fundamentals that we teach. There is so much emphasis, everybody thinks about the negative like hitting with the head. There are ways of doing this where you can kind of relay that, but you have to practice that. You have to do that, so we do it. It has worked out ok."

Q:Getting rid of two-a-days makes the game safer for players, but does it make the game better?

REID:"I don't know, the game is pretty good. I still think, when it comes down to if you are going to maximize yourself as a team, you have to be able to do those two things. You have to be able to block and you have to be able to tackle. And then you have to practice it. Whatever the leagues rules present you, you still come back to that. It's a big part."

Q:What is the biggest area of growth you have seen in Eric Murray?

REID:"I like what I have seen there. He is competing and he is seeing things. He is diagnosing routes. He is anticipating well. He is doing some good things."

Q:How is Kareem Hunt doing?

REID:"He is a smart kid. He is picking it up. That is a tough positon because we ask the running back to do a lot of stuff. I like the way he is going about it. There are times when things jumble together, but for the most part, I have been around a lot of good backs and smart backs, and he is right in there. He picks it up quick."

Q:Can you speak to the development of Daniel Sorensen?

REID:"He's gotten better every year. The one thing that you are guaranteed is that he is going to work hard and give you his best effort every day. Are there things he needs to work on and continue to work on? Yeah, that is the way it is. That's the way this game is. But, you have the confidence that he is going to do it and give you his best shot doing it."

DT BENNIE LOGAN

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Q: A lot of people talk about your ability to stop the run, that's kind of how you define yourself. When it comes to what you enjoy doing most when you're out on the field, is that what it is or is it getting after the quarterback? When do you have the most fun on the field?

LOGAN: "I'm just having fun playing with the guys, but when I'm on the field going against an opponent I just try my best to pretty much embarrass the guy in front of me. If that's run, pass, whatever it's called for, it's my job to be destructive upfront and just get after it."

Q: Can you talk about the linebacker core behind you and how that makes your job easier, specifically Justin Houston what he brings?

LOGAN: "Our outside linebackers and inside linebackers are a really good core. They're very smart and able to move which allows us to play fast. Also if we make mistakes they're able to cover for us. I think just the chemistry that they have here allows for the success that they have, not just up front with the linebackers, our secondary is good. I feel like it's one of the best."

Q: Have you played with as good of a communicator as Derrick [Johnson] is to the defensive line before?

LOGAN: "Yeah, when I was in Philly my first few years I played with DeMeco Ryans, he was a very good communicator. A guy that had knowledge of the game and had been around for a while, so that's something I see in DJ, but he's just a lot quicker with it and able to recognize things and allows us to play faster."

Q: What about this team's chemistry? When you came in did you notice that right away?

LOGAN: "Definitely. That's a thing I tell a lot of guys, even a couple of my friends I have in Philly, I see the reason they had so much success here is just the chemistry they have and they're really tight guys. I think my first day here after we finished work one day we ended up going to lunch and talking and you would think I had been here for years. I said then that I understand and see why they had so much success. That's the thing Andy Reid said, 'We come here as a family. It's just not like teammates. When you leave here you guys are tight' and I've seen that from the first day I got here until now."

LB UKEME ELIGWE

Q:How's it going for you?

ELIGWE: "It's going great."

Q:We hear a lot about Bob Sutton's scheme, how the defense can be moved around quite quickly. What's it like from your perspective?

ELIGWE: "As a rookie, I feel like you've got to just grasp the playbook so you don't second guess yourself, so you're not a step slow out there, so you know what you're doing and you're making plays. That's pretty much bottom line, you've just got to study."

Q: Coming into here and developing into the defense, where do you see your role? Do you see more coverage or more stop and run?

ELIGWE: "Playing linebacker you've got to stop the run, play coverage and even more. So today back there we're guarding wide receivers, tight ends and it seems like it's more coverage than it is run. So you've got to be able to do everything no matter what it is. Run, pass – all of it."

Q: What's the most fun? What would you like to do the most?

ELIGWE: "The most fun is when you're out there. When it's between two guys and you're competing no matter what. When you're out there winning. When you're out there dominating - that's what is fun to me. Being out there playing football." 

Q: Coach (Dave) Toub talked a lot about you playing on special teams. Is that something you take pride in?

ELIGWE: "Yeah, it is. It started in college. Going to Florida State, not starting there and the only thing you can do to contribute to your team is special teams, you take pride in it. That's just something I translate over to the NFL." 

RB KAREEM HUNT

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Q: How has the studying part of the game been off of the field?

HUNT: "You know, I am feeling like I am getting up to speed. I am getting way more comfortable with the plays and just trying to get better every day."

Q: The first game is a week from today. How do you think it is going to go?

HUNT: "It is going to be the first go around. I have to take advantage of every opportunity I get, so I am going to treat it like a real game. I am just excited to be in a situation like this."

Q: What is the balance competing with guys for snaps and reps versus learning with them?

HUNT: "Honestly, we are always trying to help each other no matter what. We are a big family, all of us, whatever we think we can get better at, they will help me. If I have something to say I will try to give them a tip or something like that. We always want the best for each other."

Q: Did you have any doubt that you could physically compete with the veterans and the guys on this team?

HUNT: "I think I can compete with some of the best of the best. I am a guy that is always going to work hard and never give up. It is just exciting to be out here and do this."

Q: When you were drafted did you know about how the Chiefs use running backs as receivers? Are you comfortable with that?

HUNT: "Yeah, I definitely feel comfortable with catching the ball out the backfield. I was definitely aware that they like to use their running backs in the passing game because of Jamaal Charles and (Spencer) Ware and all of those guys. It is just exciting to be a part something like this, getting there in space. I like catching the ball out the backfield."

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