Mini-Camp Practice #2 Report

From the Truman Sports Complex

The Chiefs wrapped up the first day of their weekend mini-camp with an afternoon practice that was quite a bit hotter and more uncomfortable than the Friday morning session at their facility.

It was hot and it was humid as the team rolled through a 90-minute session that pretty much stuck to the focus from the morning workout: review and fundamentals.

The receivers and running backs had some one-on-one drills against the defensive backs and linebackers and  that provided some glimpses into what type of athletes are currently on the roster.

There were 85 players on the field. Punter Dustin Colquitt was missing. No official word on his absence but he and his wife are expecting their third child any day now.

Some observations from the afternoon session:

• The same group that missed the morning workout watched the afternoon session as well: Charles, Flowers, Cottam, Lawrence and Long. QB Brodie Croyle threw a handful of passes during the afternoon work. It’s apparent there’s no long-term problem with that right index finger because in the 7-on-7 portion he drilled a couple of throws.
• Croyle was also picked off in the 7-on-7 by fellow Alabama product Javier Arenas. He grabbed a tipped ball and was off to the races.
• When the Chiefs went to the team work portion, the offense ran several plays out of the Wildcat, with RB Thomas Jones taking the snaps, including a hand-off to WR Dexter McCluster on an end around.
• QB Matt Cassel and WR Chris Chambers hooked up on a nice deep ball. Cassel threw the ball away from the trailing defensive back and Chambers went down and caught the ball low and maintained control.
• K Ryan Succop was not bothered by a change in holder with Colquitt gone. QB Tyler Palko jumped in and held as Succop hit seven of seven FGs, all from between 28 and 31 yards. There was a considerable cross wind out of the south that he was forced to deal with.
• As you can surmise, FGs and FG defense was the focus during the afternoon special teams segments.
• We got a clear view of the RBs and TEs against the LBs in one-on-one pass coverage and an occasional glimpse through the bodies of the WRs against the DBs. Here  are some observations from that drill:
• RB Thomas Jones ran two great routes to get open, one against Derrick Johnson and the other against David Herron. However, on the second one Jones dropped the ball.
• Rookie TE Leroy Banks continues to show up, catching a pair of passes in this drill and beating Andy Studebaker and Johnson, who he ran away from on his second catch.
• OLB Tamba Hali was asked to do something he’s seldom going to do and that’s pick up a receiver short and cover him down the field. He was badly beaten by TE Tony Moeaki and RB Kestahn Moore.
• CB Travis Daniels did a nice job of breaking up a deep throw for WR Terrance Copper.
• Rookie LB Cory Greenwood showed very good athleticism in his coverage opportunities, running very well and showing agility.
• McCluster ran past CB Maurice Leggett on a deep sideline route. Leggett, who was probably the fastest player on last year’s team, showed some closing speed, but McCluster founda second gear and caught the ball running away from the coverage.