News and notes from Chiefs HC Andy Reid ahead of preseason Week 1
The Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up to face the Chicago Bears in the team’s preseason opener on Saturday.
We already know that Andy Reid plans to play the starters for anywhere from a few series to the full first quarter, but what about some individual players who are new to the team, getting acclimated, or even returning from injury? Guys like Orlando Brown Jr., Carlos Dunlap, Rashad Fenton, Jody Fortson and Taylor Stallworth — will they get a chance to play come Saturday?
“I think they’re in shape where they could do that,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid told reporters on Thursday. “We’ll just see how that goes. We haven’t put together the rest of that playtime with the other guys. I just gave the coaches the part I gave you.”
While they’ll surely want to get a look at some of these guys, the preseason is mostly meant for evaluating the young players who are trying to make the team. Expect Reid and the coaching staff to try and get the young guys on the field early and often in order to evaluate them.
Undrafted free agent QB Dustin Crum, for instance, is making his first appearance in an NFL game. What exactly does Coach Reid want to see from him in that first game?
“I want to see execution,” Reid explained.”I want to see how he controls the huddle, the offense, how he handles the bright lights, although the lights won’t be on. Just see how that goes.”
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, Reid is pretty comfortable with where his team is at from the saltiest of veterans down to the freshest of rookies. He’s seen progress from all phases of the game throughout training camp. Right now, it’s just about getting the chance to evaluate young players in live game action.
“Yeah, I like what I see,” Reid said. “We’re making progress, we’re getting better every day. I like the way the defense is coming along. They got the majority of the young guys on that group. I like the offense and the (competition) there with the new players and a couple of the young guys. I like that. I’m curious to see how the young guys do in games. I’ve seen the older guys play before, but I want to see those younger guys (and) see what they can do.”
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Predicting which Chiefs will stand out in preseason Week 1 vs. Bears
