RICK BURKHOLDER:"Just a couple updates on some people that will be at this camp that are injured and going through some stuff. The first one you guys don't know about, Chris Jones had his knee scoped back on July 12th. He got injured working out on his own and he's been scoped. He'll be up here doing rehab. He'll start training camp on PUP and we'll just see how it goes over the next week or two and we'll give you an update on him as we get updates. Parker Ehinger, who you know was hurt last season, he'll start this camp out on PUP and do rehab with us. But he's doing fine, he's right on schedule. Dadi Nicolas, who got hurt in the last regular season game and was operated on the 5th of January, he's also in the middle of the rehab process, or late in the rehab process. He'll start on PUP and do work with us here. With those three guys we'll keep you updated as we have updates. It won't be an everyday thing, but we'll give you updates as we need to. Two players that were hurt during the year or had off season surgery, Derrick Johnson who had the Achilles surgery, he will not start on PUP. He'll be in this camp, we'll work him out and we'll bring him along. He's able to do a good bit, and we'll just rely on Coach Reid and the coaches to monitor his reps and he'll continue to do rehab with us, but he'll be in this camp. And then, Travis Kelce had his left shoulder operated on in February and he will also be in this camp, not a PUP person, and he's the same as Derrick. We're just going to rehab him and have him practice and monitor his reps. So those are the guys that will be in this camp, and then if we have anybody when the veterans get here we'll update you."
ANDY REID OPENING STATEMENT:"Good to be back at training camp here. There is nothing like it and we sure appreciate the people here at Missouri Western State University and the great job that they do for us. Some things have happened obviously. We know that. You had an opportunity to hear from Clark this morning and Brett Veach. I would say that when we are talking, I am going to address John and that situation, but again it is going to be following on what Clark said. Clark takes the opportunity to evaluate Mark, myself, John and the general manager position, the head coaching position and the president position. We do answer to him. This is a decision that Clark made. I absolutely stand by that. I am happy to be a Kansas City Chief. I think I work for a great organization. I love the leadership in this organization and the players. I feel like I am in a great situation here. I also know that on the other hand, that things are going to work out for John. I appreciate everything that he did here. Obviously, we have been friends for 20 some odd years, but I do understand the personal side and I do understand that there is a professional side to this thing. It is not going to stop me from being a friend of John's on that side. On the other professional side, I know that good things are going to happen to him down the road. He will be able to help another team work to become a good football team from a personnel standpoint.
As far as my contract goes, I am glad that I am here. I am glad that I have an opportunity to be here for a few more years to see you guys and to enjoy these [training camp] openings right here. To have Brett Veach on board I think is a good thing. Again this is something that Clark has spent a lot of time doing. I was not involved with the evaluation process there, although I am very happy that it worked out this way. There were some real good candidates that were in the mix there and I know Clark talked to you about that. I think Brett will do a nice job for us. I think the more you get to know him, the more you will appreciate him and the way he goes about his business. I am not going to sit here and compare John and Brett. I am not going to do that and really I think Clark probably said it the best this morning and wrapped it up. I think he is a top owner in the National Football League. I have been very honored and privileged to have worked for him and continue to work for him and his family."
Q:Do you think the Chiefs are closer to being a Super Bowl team than you were before these changes?
REID: "I would surely tell you that we have an opportunity to do that. Now we have to do our work here. We have had a good offseason. We got the players here and the coaches here to do it. You have to put in the time and you have to catch some breaks in the National Football League. I mean we know that. It starts now. I expect the guys to be coming back here in shape. We get to hang with the rookies here for three days and the quarterbacks and a couple of selected vets that are coming off injury. We are starting now and build up when the rest of the guys get here. I sure think we have a shot, absolutely."
Q:What is the best way to get things back on steady ground after the drama of the last two months?
REID: "I don't know if drama is the word. There are things that happen in the National Football League. That is how it works. I have been doing this for a couple years so I understand how things work. Sometimes change can be good. That is just how things work sometimes, whatever the situation is. Sometimes that can be good. Time takes care of that, but you find out. This has not been one where I have sat there and been stressed out over the things here. I don't see that as a drama offseason. I do not put it in that category."
Q:You said you had no role in the process of choosing the new general manager. Did you campaign for Veach?
REID: "No, that is not how Clark operates. That is not how he rolls, which is probably the best way to put it."
Q:Did he ask for your opinion on how Veach was as a candidate?
REID: "He knows how I feel on him. Did he talk to me about him? He did, but I wasn't in on the interview process or any of that for any of the guys for that matter. That is not how he operates. Is he thorough? He is thorough, but I did not sit there and campaign for him."
Q:Clark said that during his evaluation that he found issues in the personnel department. Did you feel like there where issues in the personnel department?
REID: "I am not going to get into that part. That is a whole separate area. One nice thing here is that it is cut and dry. There is personnel. There is the front office and then there is coaching. That is one thing I really like. You know where you stand and what you are responsible for. That is not my area and I do not want that to be my area. That is not where I am at. When Clark says that, it is pretty cut and dry."
Q:Brett spoke about the respect you guys have had for each other in the last ten years. He said you guys have respectfully disagreed in the past but there is always respect. Is that a fair way to assess your relationship?
REID: "I would tell you this, and you know, you are here and you understand this. When I talk to you, everybody here, fans included, I talk about competition. I mean let's bring it. We are not going to get any better if you are sitting there comfortable. That is not how this works. You get the best out of you when you have somebody pushing you and challenging you. I would say the same thing, and I do, to my coaches and people I deal with in the organization. Let's go. Bring me your best shot. The best thing I think Brett said there was if you come with an issue, have a well thought out answer of why you bring it. Don't just bring it to bring it. Think through it. I love that part of it. I am going to tell you, I am not always right. That is not how I go into this at all. I listen and I try to surround myself with good people on the coaching side. Tell me what you think. Let's go. That is the only way we are going to get better."
Q:Why didn't Tamba play more against the Steelers?
REID: "I probably should have addressed the Tamba situation too, because I am so much into social media. I am just learning how to text and we are on to all of this other stuff. I am obviously not into the social media, but that is part of today. I understand that. I get it. The one thing you love about Tamba is he loves to play. I can't tell you he is getting any younger. I can't tell you that. I do love the fact that he bugs on you that he wants to play. As coaches, we have to make that decision. We make a decision that if he plays seven plays or 27 plays or 47 plays. That is what we do. Is a player always going to be happy about it? No, but that is not how it works. Do I love the fact that he wants to play? Yeah. He is going to be 50 years old and probably still tweeting out those things that he wants to get in his plays. Will I talk to him when he gets here? Yes, we do not want to do it through the social media part of it. Let's just talk about it and if you have a problem let's talk about it."
Q:What do you see Tamba Hali's role being going forward?
REID:"We will see. We will see how his wheels hold up. That's been the issue, just his knee. We will see how those hold up and what we can get done there and I'm glad he is with us. Let's go."
Q:Tamba Hali seems to disagree with the trainers on his health, is he healthy?
REID:"I will talk to him about all that. If your knee is puffed up, it is puffed up. If you can practice, you can practice. That's just something you have to do. Do you love the fact that the guy just wants to get out there and go? Absolutely. Let's just not do it through tweeting or whatever he did."
Q:Tamba questioned on if the World Champs had any missed OTAs, is that something you need to address?
REID:"That will all work out when they get here. He is like the big brother of the group and does all that stuff. We don't need to do that, obviously, I am not condoning it. I'll get all that when they get here. I don't see that as a big deal."
Q:Do you think it is better for the coach to address that early or let the men take care of that themselves?
REID:"It is voluntary. It is something as a coach that is out of your hands. Do you want everybody here? Sure, you want everybody here. But it is a voluntary camp. Tamba sounded like an angry coach there. He doesn't need to go there, he doesn't need to do all of that. Those guys understand Tamba. They know him better than anybody. Every team goes through this. Every team, there are guys there and not there because of the voluntary part of that. That is the rule and that is what it is and we go through it."
Q: Do you think it is better to let the men handle an issue amongst themselves or get out in front of it yourself by addressing it at camp?
REID:"I talk about that kind of stuff. As a coach, that is what you talk about. Getting along and teamwork, and all those things. I am not worried about it. That is one of my responsibilities. They will work on it on their own, too. Especially that group."
Q:Do you have a leadership issue after one leader calls out another leader?
REID:"Two of those guys, all of three of them actually, are good players. Two of them are really good leaders and they will continue to be leaders on the team. And you don't know reasons why they weren't here, you don't know all those things. And I would never get in to all that. You have to look at the big picture of things and see how it works. Those guys are going to come in here and they will be fine. It will all work out."
Q:What do you need to see from the team to consider camp a success?
REID:"So one nice thing about going to camp is that you are stuck in the dorms here and the cinder blocks and the smell. All those things and they bring us comradery. You might complain about the bed, but it brings you together as a team. It helps generate that. Now, obviously, you have to go through the highs and the lows of the season and that continues to build on the team and that starts the foundation of it. And I enjoy that part. And it gives the coaches an opportunity to actually coach when you're not necessarily coaching against a team. You are not game-planning for a team, you are coaching your players to give them an opportunity to maximize their potential. I love that part about training camp."
Q:It's not the case that you both have areas of control, correct?
Reid:"Don't let that boyish look get you down on his age. We have a coach in the NFL that is 30 years old. Brett is an old man compared to him. What is he? 39? Almost 40 now? He has that. That is his deal. But he is a good communicator. It isn't going to be any different than what Dorsey and I did. That's the way I see it."
Q:What do you do without Chris Jones for the time being?
REID:"Well, I think this is one that will be a fairly quick turnover. I am not seeing this as him being out for an extended amount of time. I think it is a pretty routine thing getting him back up here rehabbing with Rick. We will know more and be able to give you more information on it then."
Q: How long are you thinking?
REID: "Let me get that to you as Rick gets into it. I'm not looking at it as midseason, that's not what this is."
Q: What are the areas you are hoping for improvement going into this season?
REID:"So one of the things that make you excited is defense. We are going to be back together as a defense, with a couple young additions. You brought Mauga back in, that gives you some stability at the mike position with some young guys right in there with some playing experience. (Derrick Johnson) is back and will continue to play for us. Dee Ford took a step up last year and then you have Justin Houston on the other side, you have Tamba Hali in the mix there. Zombo is still working all the different positions. Secondary, Eric Berry is now a year out of being sick and can build on the greatest year that he had, which I expect him to do. Our young corners are getting even older as we go here. From a defensive standpoint, I am loving it. The offensive line, you have some good young guys in there that are tough kids that have another year of experience under their belt. The running back situation, we added a nice young running back into that mix. Those guys finally got a taste of being starters, the guys that have been here. Wide receivers, we have some good, young guys we feel good about. Tyreek has an opportunity to step up and add into that. Conley is another year older. These are things to be excited about it. And Alex Smith, who I think the world of, and the way he goes about his game, he is a guy that makes everyone around him better. I left out our fullback position, Sherman. He may be the oldest guy on the team now but he is still an effective special teams player and does what he needs to do at the fullback position. And then Kelce is one of the best in the business and he will be back with us healthy. We are excited about all that."
Q:What is your comfort level on the backup quarterback position?
REID:"We will just see. Competition, put them out there, and let's go. Let's figure out what goes on. Tyler had a good offseason and we bring in Patrick here and that is a nice thing, too. Let them go out there and compete."
Q:What do you do in the meantime with Chris Jones out? REID: "So you have (Rakeem Nunez-Roches), who played in there last year, which is good. So he gets in and we keep on going from there. And then we will see how the depth plays out from there. I am not too worried about it."
