Patrick Mahomes provides early impressions of Chiefs' offensive rookies
https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2021...ornell-powell/
Organized Team Activities (OTAs) have provided QB Patrick Mahomes an opportunity to work with the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive rookies for the first time. On Thursday, Mahomes spoke with reporters and provided some early impressions on some of his new teammates, beginning with former Oklahoma Sooners C Creed Humphrey.
One of the big storylines with Humphrey ahead of the draft was that he snaps the ball with his left hand. It’s basically unheard of in the NFL, yet Mahomes has hardly noticed the difference and claims to be used to it, spending just a few OTA practices with Humphrey.
“I’ve already gotten pretty much used to it,” Mahomes said of Humphrey snapping with his left hand. “I mean, it’s something that you kind of just get out there and play football at the end of the day. It’s not that big of a deal, you get a couple of snaps under center and you just got out there and continue to play.”
Humphrey has earned work with the first team and looks to be the starting center heading into the season as a rookie. That’ll especially be the case as he continues to garner chemistry with Mahomes.
A few other rookies have earned opportunities working with the first-team offense at times. Those players would be fifth-round draft picks, Duke TE Noah Gray and Clemson WR Cornell Powell.
“They can work, man,” Mahomes said. “They know how to get out there and make plays happen.”
Gray, who has been spotted recently getting a lot of work in with the first team, earned some props from his quarterback. Mahomes is known for his ability to make special plays when things around him break down. It seems like Gray shares the penchant for improvisation.
“Noah (Gray) has been really good out there,” Mahomes said. “I think he has that kind of veteran skillset, where he knows how to get himself open even if it’s not exactly what the play is designed to do. He knows how to get his eyes back, be on the quarterback’s timing.”
As for Powell, Mahomes had high praise for the Clemson product as well.
“Powell— he’s just, he’s a beast, man,” Mahomes. “With how big he is out there, he’s running across the field making a lot of big catches in tough, contested spots.”
That’s a skill set that the Chiefs have distinctly been lacking, even when Sammy Watkins was healthy. While Powell is probably a long shot to crack the starting lineup, it’s clear that he’s made an impression on Mahomes.
When it’s all said and done, Mahomes seems to think that all of these new rookies will improve the depth of this team overall. After Super Bowl LV, that was a very necessary improvement for the team to make.
“To be able to work with those guys, along with the other guys and to continue to improve those rooms,” Mahomes said. “It’s going to help us out a ton in the long run.”
It’s clear that these OTA practices are the beginning of this Chiefs team building the communication and chemistry that will be the backbone for their offensive success in 2021. With four more practices and mandatory minicamp to go before the team breaks ahead of training camp, they’ll look to make each and every day count, especially the rookies.
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Originally Posted by Halfcan:
He just needs to be better than the other team's 3rd or 4th DB- which is very likely, he will be.
I think we will force teams to protect the line of scrimmage better with a solid running game, while gutting them in the middle of the field.
Perhaps.
If he’s maxed out like everybody says he is (“too old!”) then it’s probably more likely that he’s just another Pringle on the depth chart, good for 100-200 yards per season and a TD or so.
Personally, it’s not like he’s some Danny Watkins 30 year old. He hasn’t really had a chance to see action in college, and when he did he was decent. I’m hopeful he’s an exception to the rule
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