Kansas City Chiefs share positive takeaways from first day of training camp

Jul. 28—The Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the 2022 Training Camp presented by Mosaic Life Care on the campus of Missouri western Wednesday morning. This was the first time fans, more specifically season ticket holders, could watch the team practice.

After the Chiefs ran through various drills and scrimmages, a select group of players along with head coach Andy Reid took to the podium. There were a lot of positive takeaways, and that was reiterated throughout the press conference.

As Andy Reid enters his 23rd year as an NFL head coach, he was just excited to be back with his team in St. Joseph.

"I enjoy what I'm doing. I respect the fact that one out of 32 guys in the whole world has an opportunity to do this, and I know I'm not getting any younger," Reid said. "I've got more days or less days ahead of me than I have behind me. So I take advantage of every one of those days."

The first player to take the podium was new wide receiver JuJu Smith-Shuster. He was picked up in the offseason as a free agent and is hoping to make an impact early on the offensive side of the ball.

The Pro Bowler suffered a shoulder injury last season in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos that required him to miss 12 games. During his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith-Shuster saw the most productivity in 2018, where he had 111 receptions, 1,425 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns.

"I think over time, you could just see it out here," Smith-Shuster said. "You know, Pat (Mahomes) is making throws and, you know, I'm making those catches... just building that chemistry."

As for what Smith-Shuster is seeing on the field, he had high praise for the Chiefs second round pick in wide receiver Skyy Moore.

Moore was selected 54th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Western Michigan. He has the potential to be utilized in the offense in a variety of ways due to his smaller frame.

"The sky's the limit for him. He, as a guy, has speed, hands, all around smart, smart kid. He's a great player," Smith-Shuster said. "It's going to show he's gonna help us out a lot. Inside, outside, potentially. I can see him playing running back, doing stuff like that, just because he's got it in him."

After getting a sneak peek at a receiving corp that no longer features Tyreek Hill, the attention turned to the offensive line. Discussing the offensive line his has been a touchy subject of late, as Orlando Brown Jr. is holding out of training camp

Trey Smith, who was drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft in the sixth round at the guard position, knew the challenges of not having his friend Brown Jr. by his side.

Now, the second year player is trying to mold in a leadership role and showcase the strengths of the offensive line.

"My knowledge of the game has improved exponentially compared to last year. You know, just having that expectation," Smith said. "I know what that expectation is, you know, sort of what to expect. I know the details and the coaching points. it's time to apply."

"It's something that we take pride in being a tough offensive line," Smith said. "Being a physical force out there and allowing, you know, the skill players and little guys to do what they do."

The last player at the podium was safety Justin Reid. The safety left the Houston Texans to come to the Chiefs on a three-year, $31.5 million contract. He's alongside rookies like cornerback Trent McDuffie and safety Bryan Cook in the secondary.

With the loss of Tyrann Mathieu last season, Justin Reid knows they'll need some extra help from the fresh batch of defensive rookies.

"They've been doing a great job, you know, taking it in stride, listening to the older guys, being learners and not being combative. They're being open to coaching both from coaches and from older veterans," Justin Reid said. "They've been coming along well, we've been putting a lot on their plate."

However, while the defense may not be nearly at full strength as a season ago, Justin Reid likes the idea of starting "new."

"There's something to be said about a fresh start, and this is a new look defense, you could say. We want to be an attitude defense, we want to come out and set the tempo," Justin Reid said. "We want to be physical, we want to be dominant when it comes down to the end of the game. When we have a lead, we want to be the ones that finish it and not have to rely on the offense squad too."

Calvin Silvers can be reached at calvin.silvers@newspressnow.com.