ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy and players Demarcus Robinson (WR) and Austin Reiter (OL) fielded media questions Sunday at training camp at Missouri Western State University.
Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy
Q: This is the last time we’re going to speak with you before the first preseason game. Are there any players in particular that you are eager to get a look at in a game situation?
BIENIEMY: “You know what, it’s hard for me to just pick and choose who I want to see. I’m fired up about seeing our guys just go out and play against a different opponent. You get un-scouted looks. You get an opportunity to watch our guys run around, see who can play, who can react against a different opponent. So I’m fired up obviously about our starters going out there, but more importantly, I’m fired up about seeing the young guys go out there and just play football.”
Q: How does Marcus Kemp look to you so far in camp?
BIENIEMY: “Marcus Kemp is just one of those steady-eddy guys. He understands his role. He’s one of those guys that young kids and young players should gravitate to. He doesn’t take anything for granted. He understands his role. He’s fought and scratched from the bottom of the roster, earned a spot on our team as a practice squad guy, has developed a reputation for being a heck of a special teams player, and when he gets called upon – when guys get pulled from practice – he just jumps in there and finds a way to make plays. Those are the types of people that we want in our organization.”
Q: Do you envision an even bigger jump in Demarcus Robinson’s responsibilities this year?
BIENIEMY: “Each year we pose them with a challenge. It is up to him to make sure that he accepts that challenge. We want him to challenge himself to learn every position out there. So when he’s playing wide receiver, he’s not just the Z or the X, we want him to know it all. One thing I will say, he’s done a very, very good job to this point of accepting that challenge and he’s excelled. The thing I always say about him, and I point this out to our team, he always continues to find work. It isn’t by chance that him and Pat connect on scramble plays. He knows that if 11 is on the back side, somewhere along the way he’s going to find him. That’s important. That’s another example for our young players to follow: Continue to find work.”
Q: With Damien Williams not practicing and Tremon Smith now involved in the RB group, is seeing the group in the preseason games more important than what you’ve seen so far to have a better feel for the group?
BIENIEMY: “I think that the preseason is still important because there are guys still learning their way. We still have not seen them against a live opponent. Let me backtrack on that. Without some bad luck, some of us wouldn’t have any good luck at all. So what does that mean? You have other guys having an opportunity to get more reps. That’s important. With those guys earning the reps that they’ve gotten, it is giving them a lot of experience and they’re doing some good things. We want to see them continue with the progress. Are we satisfied with where we are as a running back group? No, not yet. But we want those guys to continue to fight and continue to strain and see who can come alive and be that guy when it’s all said and done.”
Q: Who has made the most of the additional reps because of Damien Williams’ injury?
BIENIEMY: “I think they all have stepped up. We’ve watched some flashes of Carlos (Hyde). We’ve watched some flashes of young Darwin (Thompson). We’ve also seen steady-eddy No. 31 (Darrel Williams). D-Will does a heck of a job. And then we’ve got the young kids; 38 and 30, (Marcus) Marshall and (Josh) Caldwell are stepping up. Then we’ve got this new kid who was lined up at corner a couple of days ago (Tremon Smith). Every time you find a way to put him in there, he just flashes. Tremon has accepted the challenge. He’s doing a very, very good job of learning. (Running Backs) Coach D (Deland McCullough) is doing a great job of working with those guys and getting them to understand what we we’re doing, and it’s showing.”
Chiefs Player Quotes
WR DEMARCUS ROBINSON
Q: Last season, going into training camp you wanted to show the coaches your talent, is that the same going into this year? –
ROBINSON: “I think it’s pretty different this camp. They know I know the playbooks, so just coming out and executing with the quarterback. Making plays on the field.”
Q: Coach Bieniemy said you’re always finding something to work on, what did you do this offseason knowing your role is expanding on the offense?
ROBINSON: “I would say I just got in the playbook more, learning extra positions. Learning what the quarterback is thinking, learning what he is doing. You know what I’m saying, just getting acquainted with what he was thinking of doing on the field.”
Q: How did last season light a fire in Patrick (Mahomes) training this offseason and what did you see from him?
ROBINSON: “I mean he won MVP last year. I think it’s pretty hard to keep that up – to win MVP again – but he has chips on his shoulders. He had something to sustain his MVP last year. He had 50 touchdowns, and I think he is trying to do the same thing again. So, you have to work even harder than last year to do the same thing again.”
Q: Have you ever been with a group of receivers with this much speed? Especially adding Mecole (Hardman)?
ROBINSON: “No, it’s my first time. We have a lot of speed guys and we added Tremon (Smith) to the offense, and he has a lot of speed to. It’s going to be a sighting.”
OL AUSTIN REITER
Q: At the running back position, when you look at film and practices out here, how do you feel the chemistry is going between run blocking with new guys like Darwin Thompson, Carlos Hyde, and so forth?
REITER: “I think in our run game, we have some schemes set up that we all have to be on the same page, but I see some young guys and some old guys making some explosive plays in the back field and it is really exciting.”
Q: What do you want to see from yourself and the offensive linemen in the first preseason game?
REITER: “Firm pocket protection, number one, and in the run game move people off the line of scrimmage, have people down field and have good conversion rates on first and second downs.”
Q: Were there any point of emphasis coming from off of last season that maybe have some room for you guys to want to do tactically or differently?
REITER: “Just a couple of things, but I think the first one would be to be great. You know when we get in those moments like Coach said, be great. AFC Championship, we need to bring that trophy home.”