By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
It seemed like an ordinary day at Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph Wednesday with sunny, clear skies and the team practicing in full pads.
However, the Chiefs ended the day with a longer injury list.
Tight end Blake Bell is still out with a hip injury he sustained in Saturday's game, and receiver Juju Smith-Schuster missed a second straight day with a sore knee.
Early in practice Wednesday, defensive tackle Chris Jones left practice due to back soreness. Running back Jerick McKinnon missed all of Wednesday due to a hamstring injury and receiver Mecole Hardman hurt his groin after landing awkwardly going after a ball about halfway through practice.
Hardman walked off under his own power and eventually left the field, riding in the front seat of a cart.
No long-term diagnosis on any of these yet, though more should be known following Thursday's practice, which will be the last one of training camp.
Long snapper James Winchester was gone Wednesday due to personal reasons. Punter Tommy Townsend returned after two days away due to personal matters. Right tackle Lucas Niang (knee) is still on the physically unable to perform list.
Wednesday marked the 16th full practice at Chiefs training camp with the 17th and final coming up Thursday. The latter half of camp is often called “the dog days.” The excitement wears off, guys start to feel sore, the days get long and the public focus shifts to preseason and regular season games.
Still, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has seen the kind of growth that he wants to see right now from his unit.
"Certain words are starting to mean something to them," he said. "They're starting to understand the techniques and fundamentals that we're teaching. It's been fun to watch. Has it been perfect? No, it hasn't been perfect, but that's the beauty of training camp. These guys are working hard and are accepting coaching."
One of those players who's continued to grow is rookie running back Isiah Pacheco. He's continued to pop throughout camp, as he snagged a nice wheel route for extra yardage during 7-on-7 drills Wednesday.
Bieniemy compliments Pacheco's speed, work ethic, effectiveness in the pass game and says his pass protection is coming along. There's one skill in particular, though that Bieniemy wants Pacheco to hone in on.
"Allowing the game to come to him," Bieniemy said of the rookie running back. "Learning how to be a patient runner. Understand exactly what's going on up front so now he can have a better feel on how to square his shoulders up, press it and read it out from there."
Cornerbacks learn from each other
L'Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton are the veterans in the Chiefs' secondary, along with safety Justin Reid. Reid is in his fifth year in the NFL, Fenton his fourth and Sneed his third.
Maybe sooner than normal, Sneed has become a mentor for rookie corners Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson. First-year pros Dicaprio Bootle and Brandin Dandridge are also guys competing hard for time, along with several others.
"With the young guys coming in, I feel like I'm the veteran of the crew," Sneed remarked. "But I've learned a lot from (when I was a rookie) to now. From the inside I learned a lot, and I learned a lot from the outside with my techniques."
Williams, who's a fairly safe bet to make the 53-man active roster at this point, was flattered when he heard that Sneed actually looks at Williams for certain techniques and pointers.
"Almost any time I'm coming off the field, I'm asking (Sneed) how I can do this, and what did he do right here," Williams said. "He'll give it to you. He's not one of those guys who's in his own little world. He'll come and offer some of that wisdom. At the same time, him being humble and knowing how to speak to the rookies so we understand it, that's a plus. I love him."
Williams, drafted in the fourth round this year out of Fayetteville State, is one four players on the Chiefs' roster who came up from Division II college football. Another one is Dandridge, who played and graduated from the institution that hosts training camp - Missouri Western.
Dandridge has been, at the very least, making a case for the practice squad. He nearly had an interception in last Saturday's game at Chicago, and had a great PBU against Aaron Parker in Tuesday's practice.
Like Sneed, Dandridge is another player who Williams talks to often.
"I speak to Dandridge about the playbook and try to get some of his skillset," Williams said. "Brandin is a great player. He's versatile. He can play on the outside, he can play some of that nickel spot. You know, I talk to him about some of the things he expects when he sees certain formations or certain looks."
Harrison Butker supports Justin Reid's kicking
Kicker Harrison Butker missed Monday's practice due to ankle soreness, but was back and at full strength both Tuesday and Wednesday.
He was seen giving lead contender for backup kicker, Justin Reid, a hug in Saturday's game after Reid knocked through a point after right before halftime.
Butker says Reid "has a big leg, but not a lot of efficiency." Reid has continued to take a handful of reps placekicking in practice, especially Monday when Butker was gone.
One thing is certain - Butker is glad to have another player willing and capable to at least try field goals.
"I'm all for it," Butker said gladly. "I'm all for evolving the game and pushing the limits. So, to have more people who are enthusiastic about being kickers, I'm all for it."
The Chiefs hold their final practice of training camp on Thursday with an early 8:15 a.m. start.
You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.