The Kansas City Chiefs have issues at wide receiver, and their first full practice wasn't exactly reassuring.
The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to find some answers to their offensive problems by boosting the performance of their current wide receivers, and Nate Taylor of ESPN covered their ups and downs in his latest daily training camp update.
This was the Chiefs’ first full practice with the veterans present, and Taylor noted that new receivers coach Chad O’Shea “is likely not going to be thrilled when he rewatches film.”
The 90-minute practice featured Kansas City’s first 11-on-11 reps, and the positivity was quickly erased when quarterback Patrick Mahomes found Tyquan Thornton open in the middle of the field and Thornton proceeded to drop the pass.
Taylor added that Jalen Royals was the receiver who struggled the most, as he fumbled after catching a pass on the perimeter when safety Chamarri Conner punched the ball out and sprinted down the sidelines after making the recovery.
Royals then added insult to incompetence by turning his head to try and locate a Mahomes throw, which resulted in an incompletion. Coach Andy Reid defended Royals, although it’s hard to understand why given his struggles to produce so far.
"He's got a good feel for the game," Reid insisted. "He's just got to keep on with the reps and make sure he's got a good relationship there with Pat and keeps developing that.”
The reports on rookie Cyrus Allen were once again more positive, as Allen continues to make an impact after being drafted in the fifth round. He’s showing the ability to make reads and get open against zone coverage, according to Taylor, including one play in a a 7-on-7 drill that featured red zone work.
"Cyrus had a good day," Reid said. "I think Pat's got some trust there. We've got a long way to go, but we've just got to keep going, keep growing. He's got talent and he's been able to retain [information]."
The one receiver who is expected to contribute the most wasn’t on the field, however. Rashee Rice and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed left the practice field after their individual periods, Taylor added, to have more of a rehab day with the training staff inside the indoor facility, but Reid insisted there was nothing to see here.
"It was all positive and it was planned," Reid said. "We'll gradually ramp them up as we go."
This isn’t exactly the news that Chiefs fans want to here, so it will be interesting to see what happens with this group going foward.
