Chiefs Coach Andy Reid

Opening Statement: "The guys that didn't practice today are Dillon Gordon, Marcus Kemp, Derrick Nnadi, Reggie Ragland, Keith Reaser, and Charcandrick West. We had Eric Fisher tweak his shoulder a little bit and Cam Erving tweaked his knee a little bit. All-in-all, it was a good practice. The guys worked hard and we got a lot done today. We are working through some situations as we go through and today was red zone. Again, great work today."

Q: Did you get to see the depth along the offensive line today?

REID: "Yes, Andy (Heck) does a good job of mixing guys and moving them around so they aren't losing the mental part of it. The guys know they can step in and play all of these positions which is good."

Q: What did you like about working in the red zone today?

REID: "I like the competition. We got to go one vs. one, two vs. two, three vs. three today. The guys competed. There was some good and some bad on both sides of the ball and some stuff we can work on. It was great to get this stuff on tape. That's the best part, so we can get in and study it."

Q: Daniel Sorensen had that red zone interception, how do you feel he is doing so far and where do you see him playing this year?

REID: "So Dan (Sorensen) can jump in and play in dime situations, inside nickel situations. There's great flexibility with him and he's a great special teams player. He's come a long way. He has improved every year. We still have a lot of work to do. That's how it goes, but he's dependable."

Q: What has been the most encouraging thing you've seen from Demarcus Robinson from OTAs to camp?

REID: "That he can play all three spots. The mental mistakes are going away and he is doing a good job. That's a lot to juggle and he is handling it and working hard. These guys got a little tired today and had a lot of plays. They got a lot of work."

Q: Coach (Eric) Bieniemy is new at this too in his first year as a coordinator, how are you coaching him up behind the scenes?

REID: "He has a tremendous work ethic and wants to do everything the right way. He is meticulous about things. You've heard players say it and me too from a coaching standpoint. You appreciate his energy every day. He is positive, but he's going to get after you if you do something wrong, but will praise you if you do something good. He is a very good teacher."

Q: With the first preseason game a week away, are you preparing for the game and are they where you want them to be right now?

REID: "We have a couple more installs we have to get in and then we are done as far as installs go. Then we will worry about the other team later. We don't spend a lot of time on the first game. It's not what we do. I don't think many people in the league do. You are trying to get all the things done that situationally you need to go into a game."

Q: Will Matt (McGloin) get some playing time in that first game and how is that battle between him and Chase Litton going?

REID: "They are both doing good. They are rotating with the third group. They challenge each other. Matt (McGloin) has been doing this a while, but Chase is coming on and doing a nice job."

Q: Has Patrick (Mahomes) changed at all as camp has gone on?

REID: "He is doing a great job. I know people wrote about the interceptions yesterday. I told you all from the beginning I don't care about that stuff. I want him to test the offense. It's so important. We give him a ton of plays and I want him testing it. If you don't have the intestinal fortitude to go test it then you're going to be one of those quarterbacks that checks it down every time and that's not what it's all about. The great thing about Pat is that he never makes the same mistake twice. It doesn't happen. He sees everything. He knows it. When he makes a mistake, he comes back and can talk to you about it. He's done nothing but get better and better as we go. He has a load on him here and is responding exactly how we'd like. You don't see him repeat mistakes. It's fun to watch."

Q: As Patrick is taking on this large load of knowing the offense, how do you work through the process of helping him remember all of the installs you all are having him learn?

REID: "So right now we have about nine to ten installs left. That's going to help carry you through the year. You are putting it in the bank here. There's certain plays you are going to rep over and over again and there's certain plays you have to test. You have to get a feel for it. But you are putting it away. You have mind-tapped it in there and then you can pull it out during the season. Once you get into a game, now everything is cut down. One-tenth of what you put in now."

Q: If a play doesn't work here or in preseason, what is your decision on trying it again or throwing it out?

REID: "You have to go off of feel. Then you have to have communication with the quarterback. We are talking routes, right? You aren't going to force any. That's not what you want to do to someone. You get a feel on what the quarterback likes and doesn't like and you pair it to that and then you roll."

Q: It seems like when you saw Patrick (Mahomes) play in Denver, you saw some things in him that struck you. How much did that affect your own perception of how ready he was going to be?

REID: "I wasn't sure that this whole thing was going to go on. I wasn't sure how everything was going to work out. At that point, that's not where my focus was. I was more focused that I got to work with Mike Kafka because I knew I had a pretty good idea Matt Nagy was going to be gone. On that, I had a chance to work with Mike Kafka. I also had a chance to work with Patrick. I like the way he handled himself. He did it very well. He was able to tell me things he liked and didn't like so much. That communication becomes more important. I feel comfortable with Patrick."

Q: You mentioned testing the offense and Patrick not worrying about the interceptions, is this going to be different with Patrick than it was with Alex?

REID: "I think you saw Alex grow into having trust into throwing it down the field because he practiced it. Then he became a very good down the field thrower. He worked on that. He was diligent about it, just like Patrick is doing. Pat had a chance to watch Alex continue to progress in throwing the ball down the field, so it was a great experience for him."

Q: Have you been pleasantly surprised with Tremon Smith after getting him so late in the draft?

REID: "I am curious to see how he does in the games. He is a talented kid. He does have great return ability and has done well in the corner spot too. That's been a plus."

Q: With the NFL Hall of Fame Inductions coming up, what stands out to you about your time spent with Terrell Owens?

REID: "He is one of the most coachable guys I've ever been around. You'd ask him to do something and he would do it at 100 miles per hour and live. There is a difference when you are coaching. Some guys will do it on the bags at 100 miles per hour but when they do it live they kind of go back to what they are very comfortable doing. That wasn't TO (Terrell Owens). You give him something and he would do it. There were times we would be coming out of the huddle and he'd wink at me and I'd know we were probably going to have a good play right there."

S DANIEL SORENSEN

Q: When you look at this defense, do you see an identity starting to form?

SORENSEN: "Absolutely. As you start learning how players interact and how they play on the field – and we start gelling together – definitely. That's what this camp is for."

Q: Can you notice a different sense of chemistry between this year's group versus last year?

SORENSEN: "Yeah, just the personalities seem to all work together. Having Eric (Berry) back this year is a big part of that – with his experience in bringing some of the younger guys along."

Q: What did you learn about yourself last year with Eric out due to his injury?

SORENSEN: "I got to play a lot of safety last year, so there was a lot of learning and catching up to do. Eric was around last year, but wasn't on the field. We're looking forward to this year – having him here. The man has done it all. His experience trickles down to everybody and just being around him you feel like you're getting better."

Q: Have you focused on training differently at all now that you're playing safety as opposed to playing out of necessity last year?

SORENSEN: "Yeah, I had an offseason to prepare to play that position – whereas last year I was more focused on what I thought my role was going to be. So, I've had a whole year to think about it, prepare for it both physically and mentally – it's been great."

CB TREMON SMITH

Q: Are you the second fastest guy on the team?

SMITH: "If you let (Dave) Toub say so, then yes. We've got guys like De'Anthony Thomas that is competition. I just try to play as fast as possible."

Q: You've expressed a desire to have the ball in your hands. One way to do that is being on kick returns and punt returns. How excited are you for that and how much have you learned from Coach Toub?

SMITH: "I'm really excited. Any chance I get to get the ball in my hands, I'm going to be excited – my adrenaline is really going to be pumping. I'm just learning from the best special teams coordinator there is. He's the assistant head coach and is an amazing guy. He's teaching me the little things, always telling me to hit the holes full speed, and teaching me to run through arm tackles. I'm just taking in every little advice I get from him and taking it to the practice field."

Q: How much research did you do on Coach Toub regarding how much success he provided for other guys in the league?

SMITH: "I have done research. He gives me film to watch – tells me to go watch this certain person and just mimic them. Of course, I've also got Tyreek Hill to mimic – run fast and set up my blocks. So, between Toub and Tyreek, it's the best of both worlds."

Q: Who are some of the other players you've looked at?

SMITH: "He's shown me Cordarrelle Patterson and I'm looking at Devin Hester – Toub coached him. So, I'm looking at those types of guys."

DL ALLEN BAILEY

Q: The defense took some heat in the offseason, people didn't like Coach Bob Sutton's scheme and players moved. Do you guys have a little chip on your shoulder?

BAILEY: "As a defense you always have a chip on your shoulder. You just come as a unit and destroy offenses. It's never anything against anybody else, we just want to be a family as a defense."

Q: What's it like to be the veteran in the room with a lot of younger guys?

BAILEY: "I'm kind of a bit of a coach myself too now. That's kind of all it is. It's giving them tips on these I learned over the years."

Q: What about the way Coach Reid approaches training camp makes it hard as a veteran?

BAILEY: "It's not so hard. I'm used to it now. I already know his layout and what we're going to do and how he lays it out for the preseason. Gets you scenarios, gets you game ready so I pretty much understand that point now. Now it's just spreading it out, letting the other guys understand it from the defensive line perspective."

Q: With all the new guys, how is the chemistry this year compared to last year?

BAILEY: "Everyone was pretty much brought in in OTAs. Communication is key. At points last year we kind of lacked communication. This year, it's the emphasis for this year."