Kansas City Chiefs: OTA phase of offseason begins today
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Chiefs are about to kick off the third phase of their offseason practices as OTAs begin today. One step closer to the start of the season.
The 2011 NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement broke the offseason up into multiple phases. The Kansas City Chiefs begin the third phase of their offseason today with the start of Organized Team Activities (OTAs). This is the first time the entire roster will get to take the field for the Chiefs in the 2017 season.
For a lack of a better word, OTAs can be described as walk-throughs. While there will be plenty of conditioning, and the team will be running plays, there is no contact in these practices. Also, the players will be donning helmets and shells instead of full pads. These practices serve more as an introduction to the season than anything else.
However, there is plenty of value that can be gained here, especially for the younger players on the roster. This will be a chance for everyone on the roster to start getting used to normal NFL workouts. It also presents an opportunity for players to familiarize themselves with the playbook
The #Chiefs begin Phase 3 (OTAs) of the offseason program tomorrow afternoon.
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) May 22, 2017
They can go OFF vs DEF, but there's still no contact allowed.
As for what to take from these practices…well, don’t expect much. There really is not any way to determine how good or bad a player, unit, or the team as a whole will perform based on these practices. Very little will be determined or figured out here. It’s just an opportunity for the team to get back into the flow of things.
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Of course, virtually nobody will remember what I just said once the tweets start flying. That is especially true of new quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City Chiefs rookie quarterback is going to be the subject of virtually every piece of “analysis” out there. That should be even more true of OTAs than other practice sessions.
One thing to keep in mind with Mahomes this week is that he’s got a huge advantage with the defense not playing contact. That means there will probably be plenty of big throws down the field. You can be sure that those who get to watch the practices will be conveying that on their twitter feeds.
Patrick Mahomes is going to be the big story all throughout the offseason, and probably well into the regular season as well. The Chiefs have been pretty clear about their plans for the young quarterback, but that won’t stop anyone from getting caught up in the excitement.
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to not only repeat, but build on their success from the 2016 season. The roster looks strong, and we have seen this team compete with the best in the NFL for the past couple of years. OTAs will be another step towards a successful 2017 campaign.