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One of many earliest standout rookies throughout the offseason program for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs has been fifth-round draft choose Noah Grey.
He’s impressed Chiefs HC Andy Reid and constructed a repertoire with star QB Patrick Mahomes, combining for plenty of standout moments throughout crew drills at observe. The previous Duke Blue Satan isn’t taking a lot credit score for his offseason success, although. He first famous that having Organized Crew Actions (OTAs) made all of the distinction on this planet — a luxurious that final yr’s rookies didn’t have.
“OTAs was actually a blessing for us,” Grey advised reporters on Saturday. “I don’t know the way the rookies final yr did it, so I believe we’ve acquired to present loads of credit score to these guys who’re sophomores now within the league. However going by means of OTAs actually helped simply from a information standpoint, simply understanding the fundamental ideas that this offense asks you to know. So, it was undoubtedly an enormous assist from that perspective.”
On prime of buying all that further information at OTAs, Grey credit his teammates with serving to his early growth. Up to now, the Chiefs have principally engaged in what Andy Reid describes as “passing camps.” That means, the crew hasn’t but labored on blocking. That’s an space the place Grey is aware of he’ll want enhancements. He’ll proceed leaning on his friends in these moments.
“What I must work on, simply all the things,” Grey mentioned. “Out right here at the moment there have been loads of issues that in OTAs I used to be requested to work on that I must hold constructing on. Route-running, blocking—we haven’t put pads on but however when blocking comes that’s going to be one thing that’s going to wish to proceed to progress. However there are loads of issues within the route-running sport that I nonetheless must get higher at. I’m nonetheless asking questions. Jody (Fortson) has been phenomenal, when Trav (Kelce) will get again he’s been an important instructor and mentor, and actually all the opposite tight ends like Nick (Keizer), all these different guys, Evan (Baylis) and Blake (Bell), they’re simply actually a blessing to be teammates and be part of. So, actually a credit score to these guys for serving to me progress alongside this journey.”
Grey didn’t get an opportunity to go to Travis Kelce’s inaugural Tight Finish College Summit this offseason as a result of he was hosting a football camp of his own. The factor is, Grey will get an opportunity to get on the sphere and work with Kelce usually in observe. The rookie isn’t taking that reality without any consideration and is doing his finest to achieve as a lot information from the veteran as doable.
“It’s great. Like I mentioned on draft day, I don’t suppose there’s wherever else I’d fairly be within the nation,” Grey mentioned. “To have the ability to be taught below Travis Kelce, among the best tight ends within the league, proper now it’s a blessing. To return out right here and to have the ability to achieve that information from him and to be taught from him day-after-day and to have the ability to visualize and watch him on the sphere, that’s been one thing that’s been extraordinarily key to me popping out and with the ability to execute my task. Even guys like Blake, guys like Nick, these guys have been within the system they usually’ve been great in serving to me out with my growth and simply with the ability to come out right here and execute what I must do.”
Even with the early success that he’s seen, Grey is doing his finest to not get an enormous head. Mahomes had some excessive reward for the rookie tight finish again in OTAs.
“Noah has been actually good,” Mahomes mentioned throughout OTAs. “I believe he has a veteran-type talent set the place he is aware of tips on how to get himself open even when it’s not precisely what the play is designed to do. He is aware of tips on how to get his eyes again and tips on how to get on the quarterback’s timing.”
Grey’s response to those feedback was fairly humble and extra harking back to one thing you’d hear from a 10-year veteran.
“It’s a blessing that he thinks that of me, however I additionally perceive that I want to come back out right here and hold grinding, hold hitting the playbook and hold working towards arduous,” Grey mentioned. “From a mentality standpoint, it simply signifies that I must hold doing the issues that I do know that I can do. It’s nice {that a} teammate thinks that of me, however to have the ability to come out right here and be the most effective teammate that I might be, that’s what means probably the most to me.”
Regardless of the success that Grey finds at coaching camp over the subsequent a number of weeks, he gained’t be happy with it. He’ll hold going, doing what he’s already carried out to enhance and stand out early on within the offseason program. He’ll be the most effective teammate that he might be and he’ll hold leaning on the tight finish room for help and information.
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