Positional battles heating up as Chiefs continue first week of training camp
By Calvin Silvers
The Kansas City Chiefs obtained some speedy weapons for the offense in the offseason, hoping to erase last year’s offensive woes and become more consistent for the team to rely on. One of those weapons, six-year veteran Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, is joining the Chiefs after three years with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore and two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
Despite being the new guy, he’s already gained the respect of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
“How he runs routes downfield, being able to track the football with Patrick, but then also not make the same mistake twice,” Nagy said. “He’s really in good mental shape, physical shape, all of that right now.”
It’s not just Nagy’s attention that was caught, but the entire receiver room has latched onto the newcomer’s leadership and skill.
“Just come in and show the guys that if I could come in and I could be on top of things, and I just got here pushes everyone else, you know, to be better,” Brown said. “It raises the competition in the room.”
Speaking of new weapons, the Chiefs drafted offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia this year, and Wanya Morris the year prior.
The biggest question for the offensive line falls on the left tackle position, where these two are getting a healthy dose of training camp competition, as both have rotated with the first-team offense.
“The competition is healthy. They’re going to get plenty of reps and they know it’s going to be a focal point for us this year,” Nagy said. “But being able to kind of understand what to do in protections, what to do in the run game, bring out your strengths, and compete against each other.”
However, it’s not always about new, as the Chiefs have on their roster former first-round pick Kadarius Toney.
The raw athleticism is there and the nation has caught glimpses of what he can do once the ball is in his hands. The Chiefs want to utilize his 4.38 40-yard dash and elite ability to cut on a dime, so they’ve placed him in running back drills.
“The biggest thing right now with KT is just us being able to use his strengths. He’s super talented. He can do a lot of things,” Nagy said. “We did some last year with him and I think he’s a weapon.
It’s not just the offense that has spots up for competition, as the defense is looking to replace the cornerback spot left by L’Jarius Sneed.
“I’m approaching it like I want it, you know,” cornerback Joshua Williams said. “I’m sure they do, too. They’re great athletes. They’re great competitors. I’m sure we’re all attacking the same way, but I want to do everything I need to do to step in there and continue competing.”
