essage to them is that’s over

Bob Sutton has been around football long enough to realize that every year brings turnover Theo Riddick Jersey , even when a team is coming off back-to-back division championships for the first time in its history.

It didn't stop him from marveling at how different the Kansas City Chiefs look this year.

The Chiefs' defensive coordinator focused only on his side of the ball, and counted nearly two dozen new names among guys who could be fighting for a legitimate job.

That includes five of their six selections in the draft and Kendall Fuller, the cornerback they got in the trade of Alex Smith to Washington.

"We have a lot of new dudes," Sutton said. "They're all different. They're from young rookies to guys that came here as free agents. It really is a good group of guys. And it really is early in the process, but they seemed to have meshed really good."

It's not just new faces under helmets, either.

The Chiefs shook up coach Andy Reid's staff after their debacle of a playoff loss to Tennessee and following the departure of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to Chicago.

Eric Bieniemy was promoted to that job from running backs coach with Mike Kafka taking over the quarterback coaching, while on defense, the Chiefs replaced linebackers coach Gary Gibbs with Mark DeLeone and Mike Smith.

All those changes came on the heels of a couple of offseasons with very little turnover, both on the roster and among the coaching staff.

And that makes their three-day mandatory minicamp that began Tuesday one of the most important for Reid and Co. since he took over prior to the 2013 season.

"Whoever is in the building, you teach. That's how I look at it," Chiefs secondary coach Al Harris said. "At the end of the day, their performance falls on me. I take that approach."

Well, there's already been plenty of coaching after several weeks of voluntary workouts, and there is plenty more getting packed into the next couple of days at the Chiefs' practice facility.

The goal is to set up the team for a productive training camp beginning in late July in St. Joseph, Missouri, where all those jobs that are up for grabs will get settled.

On defense, the Chiefs are trying to decide how best to fill the outside linebacker job now that Tamba Hali has been released. Justin Houston has one spot locked down Garry Gilliam Jersey , even though he's been injury prone, while Dee Ford is expected to handle the other side despite a rough start to his career.

Then there's Breeland Speaks, their top draft pick out of Ole Miss. He also fits in the mix.

On the inside, the Chiefs are seeking a replacement for longtime middle linebacker Derrick Johnson, who was released and then signed with AFC West rival Oakland. Reggie Ragland showed promise after arriving in a trade last season and Anthony Hitchen was signed as a free agent to stand next to him.

Justin Hamilton was signed to fill the middle of the defensive line, while the defensive backfield is a complete work in progress. Star safety Eric Berry is coming back from a season-ending injury, while top cornerback Marcus Peters was traded away as the Chiefs sought to establish a better locker room atmosphere and veterans Darrelle Revis and Terrance Mitchell are gone on the other side.

Fuller joins free-agent signing David Amerson and holdover Steven Nelson in competing for those jobs.

"They are all very attentive, working hard at it," Sutton said. "This is hard on anybody, but it is really hard on defensive players in this time frame. You can't do a lot of things you want to do, but the guys have really embraced it and gotten as much out of it as we possibly can."

On offense, the biggest question is how well Patrick Mahomes II will fare now that he's not only the starting quarterback but possibly the face of the franchise. Mahomes spent last season learning the ropes under Smith, but he's the clear-cut starter for a team that has playoff aspirations.

So far, he's lived up to the expectations.

"He's put in a ton of hours. He's going behind the scenes, working with guys individually. I'm really proud of where he's at right now," Kafka said.

The question is will he be where the Chiefs need him when the season rolls around?

Will the rest of the new faces be ready, too?

"Everything that we do now Jonathan Quick Jersey , we're not going to take into the first game. It's something that you can pull out and learn from, all the different schemes, fundamentals," Reid said. "We're getting better every day and that's the idea. We have a lot of new faces and we welcome new faces, and they're learning."

— If training camp and the preseason opener have indicated anything positive to the Chicago Bears, it’s young talent at key positions could be deeper than anticipated.

Rookie outside linebacker Kylie Fitts and several other Bears outside pass rushers have stepped up at a need area, while seventh-round draft pick Javon Wims is giving an indication competition for jobs at wide receiver will be fierce.

“I think for all of us outside ‘backers it’s a young group, so we all have a lot to show out,” Fitts said.

Fitts made a sack and four tackles Thursday night in the Bears’ 17-16 Hall of Fame Game loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

It’s not the first time this summer the Bears’ sixth-round draft pick from Utah has been harassing quarterbacks. In training camp, he’s almost been too effective as he made contact or got too close to Mitchell Trubiski, Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray.

“We had to get on him the last couple weeks and even in OTAs on staying away from the quarterback,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said.

With the start of preseason games, Fitts can finally finish off sacks.

“He plays extremely hard,” Nagy said. “I have to sometimes remind him to make sure to stay away from the quarterback and the throwing motion and he actually came up to me and apologized to me for it. But you can’t fault a kid for trying to play hard trying to get to the quarterback. So I told him ‘when we get to the preseason, do it as much as you want.’ “

The Bears needed someone to complement outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, and signed former 49ers defensive end Aaron Lynch. Lynch hasn’t practiced due to a hamstring injury, and Nagy said he’ll likely miss another preseason game.

They also have veteran Sam Acho Nyheim Hines Color Rush Jersey , who has been a reserve for three seasons in Chicago.

So when Fitts and second-year outside linebacker Isaiah Irving each came up with a sack Thursday, and the pass rush piled up eight sacks, the position seemed less of a problem.

“I feel really comfortable with that,” Nagy said. “And again, having Lynch out right now is a struggle, just because we want him out there. But we’ve got to be safe with him and make sure he’s 100 percent when he’s back.

“But once we get him back with Floyd and Acho and you have these other guys, these younger guys that are coming up, I feel like we’re in good shape at that spot and have depth there.”

Except for a minor arm injury, Fitts has been healthy through camp. He finds it refreshing after injuries kept him off the field his last two college seasons, and likely caused a slide in the draft.

“Last season it was tough sitting out all those plays, but I just ignore, don’t think about injuries. I just come out and think about performing really well,” Fitts said.

Like Fitts, Wims also fell in the draft. He went in the final round after a productive year at Georgia.

So Wims said he has something to prove, and Thursday did it with game-highs of seven catches for 89 yards.

“He did a good job using his size and he also did a good job using his release moves, so that was a positive,” Nagy said. “And then in regards to some details Brandon Williams Jersey , he had some sloppy routes too.”

Wims is just another in a large group of receivers to excite Bears offensive coaches. Veterans Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Kevin White and Josh Bellamy, and rookie Anthony Miller have also been productive in practice.

At 6-foot-3, Wims not only lined up outside, but also in the slot.

“I think the great thing about this offense is all receivers have got to know all positions,” Wims said. “Everybody. You kind of have got to be position-less, and just be plugged in at spots.”

The next test for both young draft picks will be continuing their progress Thursday at Cincinnati

“Usually, the biggest thing that you see happen when a guy has a good game — whoever that is; any position — sometimes, those young guys then start to think, ‘OK, I did a lot to help myself out and now I can kind of coast into practice or coast into the next game,’ ” Nagy said. “And that’s not the case.

“So our message to them is that’s over with now. You did that, you played well. Now improve on that and build (on) those blocks.”

NOTES

Safety Deon Busy (left hamstring) and cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc (groin) were injured in Thursday’s game and did not practice Saturday. … Nagy said prior to the opener that talks were “stalemated” between the agent for first-round draft pick Roquan Smith and the team as the holdout continues. Nagy said Saturday there have been no new developments and the sides haven’t talked again.

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