It was a busy offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs as they sought to remake their secondary, particularly with the acquisition of cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and David Amerson.
And though the duo is still relatively new to town, there was reason to be excited about the group's collective progress on Tuesday as Minicamp got underway.
"I think our [chemistry] is good. The main thing is that everyone is here, so I've had the chance just to be around the guys, and the more we work together on the field, the better off we'll be," Amerson said. "That chemistry is important because when you get to the season and there's tough times or good times, you're going through it all together."
Amerson spent the last three years with the Oakland Raiders, where he tallied 42 passes defensed and six interceptions in his first two seasons in the silver and black before injuries limited the veteran to just six games last season.
Now in Kansas City, Amerson is looking to regain the form that made him so effective just a short time ago – and as part of a system that emphasizes man coverage.
"It's a challenge, but it means you're going to be in a position to make a lot of plays," Amerson explained. "Any time you're up in somebody's face every play, they're going to try you. Most offenses are looking to go outside when they're being pressed, so it just gives you more opportunities to make plays."
Speaking of making plays, Fuller is entering his first season with the Chiefs after ranking as the top slot cornerback in all of football last season according to Pro Football Focus. Though as good as the third-year defensive back was inside the numbers in 2017, he's taking on a bigger role in Kansas City's defense.
"I'm just doing a little bit of everything. I think that's one thing the scheme kind of does - everybody has to do everything," Fuller explained. You don't go in there trying to learn one position. You go in there and learn what the corner is doing, what the nickel is doing, what the safety is doing, the dime and the backers. You have to learn how to do everything."
It's a mindset – along with a tenacious desire to compete – that's evident throughout the secondary.
"They're going to bring that edge," said wide receiver Tyreek Hill. "We were out here practicing last week, competing and talking junk back and forth, and it was fun. It brings out more from us as receivers, because we all love football and we love to compete. We're just out here having fun."
And as the Chiefs' offseason program wraps up this week and Training Camp inches closer, Kansas City's new additions are looking forward to bringing that edge when it counts soon enough.
"I don't think we have anybody in our secondary that's comfortable…everybody is hungry," Fuller explained. "Coming in here, the best thing we can do is compete against each other. We're working to get each other better - there's nothing selfish about it - because we're going to need each other on Sundays."
