Reid looking forward to seeing revamped team

ST. JOSEPH, MO. » Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid arrived Sunday on the campus of Missouri Western State University to start his 20th season as an NFL head coach, yet finds himself energized by what’s new on his football team for 2018.

“There’s more new I would say on both sides of the ball,” Reid said. “Some of the old guys that have been here aren’t here.”

The team lost several veterans during the offseason, trading quarterback Alex Smith to Washington and parting ways with longtime linebackers Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali among other moves.

The offseason changes result in a team navigating through its most significant turnover since Reid’s 2013 arrival in Kansas City.

“Whether it’s the quarterback position, inside linebacker position, outside linebacker position, you’re missing a few of those guys and you have new guys coming in that you have an opportunity to see perform,” Reid said. “That’s exciting to me, I’m looking forward to that.”

The biggest change comes at quarterback with Smith giving way to Patrick Mahomes, the No. 10 overall selection in last year’s draft. Smith won 50 regular-season games as the team’s starter since 2013.

“Alex was phenomenal, he’s going to continue to be phenomenal for the Redskins and we feel very lucky to have Pat, to be able to step up and watch him grow here,” Reid said. “Let’s see how he does. He can’t be in any better place, man, than with the Kansas City Chiefs and I know he’s fired up about that.”

Mahomes arrived in camp Sunday along with the team’s other quarterbacks and with coaches, rookies and select veterans. A three-day minicamp starts on Monday before the full squad checks in on July 25. The first full team practice kicks off July 26.

The 22-year-old faces no competition for the starting quarterback job. The team acquired veteran Chad Henne as his understudy and to serve as a sounding board for Mahomes as he navigates his first full season as a starter. Mahomes hopes to use his time in camp to become a more efficient quarterback.

“I want to make sure I can get in and out of the huddle fast, we can make the right checks and just really have a lot of positive plays,” Mahomes said.

“Not necessarily the huge plays but just have positive plays and move the chains. That’s how you have success in the NFL. You keep taking those yards, taking those yards and then when you have guys that can stretch the field you make those plays and those come within the flow of the game.”

With new faces arriving in camp this week, Reid had good news about some of the team’s key players returning from injury.

The coach said he expects only wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas and cornerback Ashton Lampkin possibly starting camp on the sidelines. That means center Mitch Morse, linebacker Dee Ford and running back Spencer Ware, all returning from seasonending injuries a year ago, expect to practice with the team.