Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp 2017: First week review
By Ben Almquist
Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp 2017 – Defensive Backs
Winner: Terrance Mitchell
After a breakout year in 2016, Terrance Mitchell has been rewarded with the first shot at the starting job opposite of Marcus Peters. That’s a position that will see a ton of work in 2017 as offenses stay away from Peters. The fact that the Chiefs are showing this much faith in Mitchell is a good sign early on.
More from Kansas City Chiefs
- How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
- The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
- DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
- Fan-Favorite Locks Up Chiefs Roster Spot With Stellar Preseason Performance
- DraftKings NFL Kansas Promo: Bet $5 on Chiefs vs. Saints, Win $150 Bonus!
There will be a ton of pressure on Terrance Mitchell this year. He has to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. Opposing quarterbacks are going to work him hard. Here is where he needs to be honing his craft and figuring out the holes in his own game in order to fix them before other teams can try to take advantage.
Loser: Phillip Gaines
It’s not that Phillip Gaines is having a bad training camp. It’s the fact that he is not the guy running with the first team right now. This was an important offseason for Gaines as he had to show he improved off of last year’s letdown season. So far it appears the Chiefs are content to stick with Terrance Mitchell.
I doubt that Phillip Gaines is in any real danger of losing a roster spot. Teams keep plenty of cornerbacks. However, Gaines is coming up on that point where it’s time to talk contracts. He won’t have a whole lot to rely on in his corner at the negotiating table.
Related Story: Kansas City Chiefs: 5 Training Camp Underdogs To Watch
There is a lot that can still change as we have plenty of training camp left ahead of us. We still have players waiting to get back on the field, and along the way you will see guys start to really step up their game. Sometimes it just takes a bit for the light to come on or the switch to flip. We’ll know a lot more once the preseason games get started.
Next: Kansas City Chiefs: Young Receivers Making Their Mark In Training Camp
The Kansas City Chiefs have built a strong roster for the 2017 season. Training camp is where that roster will start to really take its form though. We will see position battles get intense over the next several weeks. There’s always something unexpected in camp, and you never quite know who is catching the eyes of the coaching staff.