The Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff will evaluate every position during their stay at the Missouri Western State University. The questions in the secondary will need answers immediately for Steve Spagnuolo’s young and athletic defense.
The Chiefs are taking a significant look at their depth at defensive back, most notably the safety positions. The unit performed well last season but will enter 2023 without former starter Juan Thornhill, who departed for the Cleveland Browns this offseason.
Veteran safety Mike Edwards signed with Kansas City after spending four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Edwards was a member of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV team that defeated the Chiefs in 2020. He finished last season with two interceptions in 13 games, one of which was a pick-six.
He spoke with reporters on Thursday about his new teammates and praised second-year player Bryan Cook.
“Yeah, they’re real smart,” said Edwards. “Like I said, J. Reid (Justin Reid) has been in the league for a long time. He’s, you know, the veteran guy out there. So I learn from him. And Bryan (Cook), ‘Big Cookie,’ he didn’t look like he was a rookie last year. He looks phenomenal. He’s making all the calls back there and looks like a vet out there. So my guy, you know, me and him from Cincinnati, so we’ve got our Cincinnati ties. So, gotta love him. We’re doing good back there.”
Cook appeared in 16 games as a rookie last season, playing 32% of the team’s defensive snaps. During that span, he recorded 33 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and two passes defended.
While Edwards didn’t get a chance to see Cook play up close in 2022, it’s certainly a compliment to say that he doesn’t look like a second-year player and commands the defense like a veteran.
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