Chiefs gather with Mahomes in Texas to begin offseason

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The new faces of the Kansas City Chiefs offense are getting to know one another in the nice and cozy Texas solar, moderately than the chilly Kansas City rain, after Andy Reid determined to make voluntary offseason exercises a digital train this season.

In a departure from his earlier three many years of offseason work, Reid stated Monday that he’s encouraging his gamers to Zoom into voluntary conferences — moderately than attend in particular person on the Chiefs apply facility — in order that they’ll proceed their exercises from wherever in the nation forward of extra formalized staff actions subsequent month.

“There’s a number of guys here lifting,” Reid stated, “but again, these are all voluntary camps, all three phases.”

That hasn’t stopped numerous gamers from congregating round Patrick Mahomes in Texas, the place the star quarterback spends the offseason. Many of them are new faces that the Chiefs have added to the offense after buying and selling three-time All-Pro Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins and shedding broad receivers Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle in free company.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster are the most important names that Chiefs common supervisor Brett Veach has landed to assist fill Hill’s void in the offense. The Chiefs even have signed Ronald Jones II to assist at operating again, and there are a number of different gamers which have been signed to compete for a spot on the roster subsequent season.

The work towards that objective started this week in the digital assembly room with Reid and his coaches, and on the Texas apply fields with Mahomes, who is aware of the muse for a profitable season begins lengthy earlier than kickoff in September.

“The biggest thing for the work we’ve been getting in Texas is to build those relationships,” Mahomes stated by Zoom. “That’s what has made us great the last few years, the bond of our team, the chemistry we have, so we can be who we are. I wanted to get everybody together so they can meet each other, get to know each other and build those friendships.”

There are all the time new faces, even for probably the most profitable of franchises, however the near-total revamp that the Chiefs have had this offseason is uncommon for a membership so steady that it has hosted the previous 4 AFC championship video games.

Hill was the most important departure, shipped to the Dolphins for a slew of draft picks that would additional remake the offense subsequent week. It was a transfer that made eyebrows increase throughout the league each for the worth that Hill has had for Kansas City and for the report contract that Miami gave him the second he arrived in South Florida.

Smith-Schuster, who confirmed flashes of stardom in Pittsburgh, and Valdes-Scantling, who have to be residing proper to go from Aaron Rodgers to Mahomes as his quarterback, are high-upside gamers that Veach believes can steadiness Hill’s manufacturing.

“Myself and Brett keep it wide open with Patrick. There’s a pretty good chance change will take place throughout your career. That’s all part of it,” Reid stated off the offseason maneuvering. “It’s important that they see that it’s part of this game, and change does take place, and I think you beat around the bush on it, I don’t think that’s good, either.”

The change hasn’t been solely on the offensive facet of the ball, both.

Veteran security Tyrann Mathieu, who was so necessary in setting the protection the previous three seasons, stays on the free-agent market. The Chiefs additionally launched linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who typically relayed the defensive performs.

The Chiefs signed Justin Reid, previously of the Texans, to take over Mathieu’s spot in the secondary. The linebacker group is being turned over to second-year professional Nick Bolton and Willie Gay Jr., a pair of youthful gamers with increased ceilings.

“In this day and age, unfortunately, you can’t just pay everybody,” Reid stated. “It’s hard thing to do to extend contracts. You’re going to lose a guy here and there. There’s how it works.”

The result’s a staff that’s sure to look little or no just like the one which misplaced in the AFC title recreation to Cincinnati, and even much less just like the one which went to back-to-back Super Bowls and received the Chiefs’ first championship in 5 many years.

“I don’t need them here right now,” Reid stated. “We’ve played a lot of games the past four or five years, maybe more than anybody in the National Football League. I think some time away and bonding with new players is important. And when they get here, they’ll be revved up, and we’ll be here for quite some time. So these next two weeks they can work and get to know each other away from here and I think that’s important.”

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