Tag: Jack Cochrane

Chiefs GM Brett Veach on the value of practice squad players: ‘We’re going to rely on those guys’

Kansas City #Chiefs GM Brett Veach on the value of practice squad players: ‘We’re going to rely on those guys’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs and every team must trim their rosters over the next few days before the regular season begins.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach joined the broadcast team on KMCI 38 The Spot during the start of the second quarter of Thursday’s game vs. the Chicago Bears for his annual conversation in the booth.

He addressed the mindset of handling the main roster and the value of putting together the practice squad.

“With our schedule, and hopefully every year we’re trying to play a 20-game season, you’re going to need those guys. And we don’t really look at these players as practice squad players. We just look at them as an extension of our roster.” said Veach. “A bunch of guys over the years that started out on the practice squad, whether it be Nazeeh Johnson or Jack Cochrane and last year, Matt Dickerson, so every year we’re going to rely on those guys.”

Veach and his front office staff will work with the coaching staff over the next few days to trim the roster. He appreciates the coaches’ support in making these decisions and getting the most out of potential practice squad candidates.

“We’ve just been fortunate that our coaching staff does a great job again,” said Veach, “Not just with the starters, but they do a great job of coaching up the young guys on the practice squad because it’s not a matter of if but when we’ll need them throughout the course of the season.”

The Chiefs could have several former practice squad players make this year’s regular season roster—a credit to the development and system built in Kansas City during the successful Super Bowl run.

LOOK: Underrated RB makes beautiful catch at Chiefs training camp

The #Chiefs may have a battle brewing behind Isiah Pacheco after this underrated prospect came down with a beautiful catch at practice.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to defend their Super Bowl LVIII title in 2024 with a new-look offense that should have no problem scoring points through the air with a revitalized receiving corps that features Xavier Worthy and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.

Though Kansas City’s pass-catchers have stolen much of the spotlight at training camp in St. Joseph, it was running back Deneric Prince who came down with the best grab of the day during the Chiefs’ practice session on Friday.

In a video posted to Twitter by KC Sports Network, Prince can be seen coming down with a beautiful contested catch while working against linebacker Jack Cochrane in one-on-one drills.

Prince is an underrated asset for Kansas City and was among the Chiefs’ most exciting players to watch during training camp in 2023 before failing to make the team’s 53-man roster at the end of the preseason.

With more showings like this in practice and the preseason, Prince could find himself competing for a role as Isiah Pacheco’s backup for Kansas City’s 2024 campaign.

Chiefs re-sign two-time Super Bowl champion LB Jack Cochrane

The #Chiefs re-signed linebacker Jack Cochrane on Tuesday, two days ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs re-signed linebacker Jack Cochrane on Tuesday night.

Cochrane, a third-year player and two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, has been a key player on Kansas City’s special teams unit since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

Pro Football Talk cited the NFL’s daily transaction report on their initial coverage of the deal, indicating that Cochrane signed his exclusive-rights free agent tender.

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While he has started only one game on defense as a pro, Cochrane has slowly worked himself into a critical rotational role for the Chiefs.

In 2023, he tallied 28 combined tackles, two of which went for a loss, and one pass defended.

Cochrane’s presence with the Chiefs should prove to be an asset for Steve Spagnuolo as the team looks to complete its championship three-peat next season.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid praised LB Jack Cochrane’s performance vs. Packers

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid praised linebacker Jack Cochrane’s performance against the Green Bay #Packers in Week 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered multiple injuries throughout Sunday night’s loss to the Green Bay Packers. One of the significant positions affected by the injury hug was the linebacker position, as the team lost another middle linebacker at the start of the night.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared his thoughts on linebacker Drue Tranquill’s injury and the play of backup Jack Cochrane in reliefs during Monday’s weekly Zoom press conference.

“He rotates in during the practice week and will spot Drue (Tranquill); that’s part of what we do,” Reid explained. “He’s very smart, and I thought he did a decent job in there. He made a couple of nice plays for us. I know everybody’s got confidence in Jack (Cochrane), so it’s too bad about Drue.

“He’s been doing a phenomenal job for us and just took a knee to the side of the head. A fast recovery for (Drue Tranquill), we hope. It was a good experience for Jack to get in there and get some extensive playtime. Jack is not just a throw-in there; he does a pretty good job.”

Cochrane finished Sunday night’s game second on the team in tackles with seven tackles in relief of Tranquill. The looming expectation of Nick Bolton returning soon from injured reserve and Tranquill’s process through concussion protocol could affect the team’s plan heading into Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

10 players on Chiefs’ roster bubble heading into final preseason game vs. Browns

These 10 players could see their time with the #Chiefs come to an abrupt end next week when Kansas City cuts down its roster to 53-players.

The Kansas City Chiefs have just one preseason game left on their exhibition schedule in August, and several players will have to put together outstanding performances against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday to earn a spot on the team’s 53-man roster.

While the Chiefs certainly wish that they could keep all 90 players who are currently on their payroll as they head into the regular season, the NFL mandates that teams cut nearly half of the athletes on their roster at the conclusion of the preseason.

Check out these 10 players who are currently on the outside looking in ahead of Kansas City’s final preseason tilt:

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes addresses team competitiveness, TE Travis Kelce practice punch

Patrick Mahomes talked about the #Chiefs’ competitiveness and Travis Kelce’s punch incident during his comments after Wednesday’s workouts. | from: @EdEastonJr

Preparations for the 2023 season are well underway for the Kansas City Chiefs as they seek to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The challenge for most returning veterans is to remain sharp and improve on the formula that helped them achieve last season’s success.

After a record-breaking season that included both league and Super Bowl MVP honors, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is finding ways to improve at this year’s training camp while meshing with his young receivers.

The reigning MVP spoke with the media after Wednesday’s practice session at Missouri Western State University about the team’s improving chemistry and reflected on Travis Kelce’s punch incident last weekend.

“I think we all have a lot of guys out here that are super competitive,” Mahomes explained. “But it’s about just doing it the right way. I mean, Travis [Kelce] punching the guy [Jack Cochrane] is not necessarily the way you want to do it, but you love to see fire on both sides of the ball trying to finish to the last second.

“But I mean, that’s just kind of [the way] guys we’re gonna compete [against are], we’re going to argue out there on the football field. And we’re gonna love each other in the locker room because we got a lot of dudes that are super competitive on this team.”

In addition to his MVP win last year, Mahomes was the league leader in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, becoming the first player in NFL history to achieve all four in a season. Mahomes’ intensity was on display in the recent Netflix show “Quarterback” wherein the world got a glimpse at his dedication to improvement.

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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce threw punch at LB Jack Cochrane during Saturday’s practice

#Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce threw a punch at linebacker Jack Cochrane during Saturday’s practice session in St. Joseph.

After getting into it with defensive back Dicaprio Bootle at practice on Friday, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce threw a punch at linebacker Jack Cochrane after some post-play contact at workouts on Saturday.

In a video posted to Twitter by Chiefs Wire’s own Nicolas Roesch, Kelce can be seen swinging on Cochrane and exchanging words with the second-year linebacker as his temper flared following a touchdown reception.

Physicality is to be expected at training camp, and intrasquad tussles like these are common, but Kelce’s decision to throw hands was likely a step too far. The eleven-year veteran has made a living catching passes in Andy Reid’s offense, and any injury that might result from a physical altercation like this one could spell disaster for the unit.

Watch for Kelce to make things right with Cochrane after practice and throughout the rest of training camp as he looks to squash any beef he may have with the second-year linebacker.

Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: South Dakota LB Jack Cochrane

Our UDFA spotlight continues with a look at South Dakota LB Jack Cochrane and his fit with the #Chiefs:

Cochrane played at Mount Vernon High School in Iowa, beginning his football career on the offensive side of the ball playing quarterback, tight end and running back. He signed on with South Dakota as a recruit in 2017 because he related to the small-town midwestern vibe, something that likely made Kansas City appealing as an undrafted free agent.

In his first year with the Coyotes, Cochrane was supposed to have a redshirt year. Injuries forced South Dakota to pull Cochrane’s redshirt in October and he would go on to appear in seven games to close out the year, mostly appearing on special teams, but with some snaps at linebacker. His first real action would come during the 2018 season, where he recorded over 100 tackles and earned First-Team MVFC All-Academic honors. For the next three seasons, Cochrane’s teammates would vote him as a team captain and he’d thrive as a defensive leader for the team.

Chiefs UDFA LB Jack Cochrane recaps his rookie minicamp experience

#Chiefs UDFA LB Jack Cochrane is pleased with his rookie minicamp performance, but he knows there is more work to be done.

The Kansas City Chiefs welcomed a host of rookies and first-year players for their rookie minicamp earlier this month. From first-round draft picks to rookie minicamp tryouts to undrafted free agents, a number of players got out on the field for the first time in an NFL uniform.

One of the Chiefs’ initial undrafted free agent signings, former South Dakota LB Jack Cochrane, got his first taste of the NFL. Cochrane recently joined YotesCast host John Thayer to talk about his NFL draft experience, rookie minicamp and more.

While it’s a little jarring coming into the NFL from South Dakota, Cochrane found a silver lining that helped him stay focused while he was a rookie minicamp.

“I’m a very goal-driven dude,” Cochrane told Thayer. “As soon as I got there it was work mode. I was doing everything that I can to compete and produce well on the field. Yeah, it’s bigger facilities with nicer bells and whistles, but the cool thing about the game, no matter what level you’re at it’s still the same game. It’s 11-on-11, wherever you’re at, you put the pads on and it’s the same thing you’ve been doing since you were a little kid.”

Cochrane reports that he felt he had a good outing at rookie minicamp. He was able to show the coaching staff his prowess in the classroom, but also on the practice field too. On the first day of practice, he recorded an interception in 7-on-7 drills.

“It was good,” Cochrane said. “It was a whirlwind, learning a lot in a few days. It’s not going to be perfect, but I really enjoyed getting to be around my teammates and getting to know everything. I also think I did some good things on the field as well. Definitely a good place to start from. I’m excited to continue to take the next step and develop my relationship with coaches and teammates and earn their trust and continue to do whatever the organization asks of me.”

The next step for Cochrane is the integration of veterans with OTAs on the horizon. The rookie says he won’t be starstruck by meeting any of the players that he’s watched in the NFL on Sunday, but instead, he’ll be eager to learn as much as he possibly can.

“I see it as an awesome opportunity to learn,” Cochrane said. “These are some of the best football players in the world on (the Chiefs) and I’m trying to become one of them myself. So, (I’m) just taking everything I can learn from them, whatever their position may be. I just think it’s a great opportunity for me.”

Like most undrafted free agents, Cochrane knows that his best route to making the team and earning playing time is to play special teams. It was something he prided himself on in college with the Coyotes, and something he’ll look to be a part of in Kansas City as well.

“That’s a huge thing,” Cochrane said. “Anyone in the league will tell you, as a rookie, especially a linebacker, if you’re not valuable on special teams, your value greatly decreases. We got a little taste of that in rookie minicamp. I really, really enjoy the special teams staff and learning from them the past weekend. Definitely, that’ll be a big part of the next step for me.”

The Chiefs kick off Phase 3 and OTAs in late May, which will be the next part of the process for Cochrane.

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