Tag: LB

Chiefs rookie LB Willie Gay Jr. impressing defensive teammates at training camp

Chris Jones and Ben Niemann spoke about Chiefs rookie LB Willie Gay Jr. recently.

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Kansas City Chiefs rookie linebacker Willie Gay Jr. is making an early impression on his defensive teammates.

He’s already earned a nickname, for his penchant for playing fast. Fans first got a look at Gay Jr. in action when he was mic’d up for practice at training camp. They saw his athleticism and colorful personality firsthand. Now, some of the rookies’ teammates are sharing their thoughts on what he brings to the table in Kansas City.

Fellow linebacker Ben Niemann has been impressed so far with what he’s seen.

“Willie’s doing a great job,” Niemann said. “He’s definitely a talented kid and he’s been fun to have in the room. He brings it every day and he’s a great teammate, got a fun personality. So excited for this year and what he can do to help the defense out, for sure.”

A fun person in the linebacker meeting room, but also a competitor in practice. That’s not a bad combination to have in the NFL. Niemann isn’t the only one who believes that Gay Jr. can help the Chiefs defense out.

Fellow Mississippi State Alumnus, Chris Jones, took things one step further when talking about Gay Jr., describing him as special.

“I mean, he’s a special kid,” Jones said. “He’s just got to keep it up. Keep it up, keep competing day in and day out and keep striving. He’s young. He’s a Mississippi State Bulldog, which I love. But he’s just got to keep at it you know.”

That’s the biggest thing for rookies in the NFL, it’s easy to see a little bit of success in training camp or the preseason and get complacent. We’ve seen rookies fall into this trap before. Just last year players like Khalen Saunders and Darwin Thompson each hit what is sometimes described as the rookie wall. Saunders eventually made his way out of it, but Thompson never really did.

Jones knows the type of special talent that Gay Jr. can be, but he needs to heed Jones’ advice and keep striving. Otherwise, Gay Jr. could be destined to hit the dreaded rookie wall himself.

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WATCH: Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. mic’d up during training camp

The rookie linebacker got the mic for the first time at training camp.

Kansas City Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. was mic’d up at training camp this past week. He jokingly took issue with getting the mic on a “hard” day of practice, while fellow rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire got the mic on an “easy” padless practice earlier in training camp.

“Imma be tired,” Gay Jr. says.

We get to see the athletic rookie put his signature speed on display early and often during the mic’d up video. He gets some work done on the sled dummies, before getting on the practice field with the second-team defense.

“We’re off to a good one,” Gay Jr. says to the camera. “Keep it rolling.”

When Gay Jr. is on the sideline he isn’t taking any time off, instead, he’s loudly cheering on his teammates.

“Defense! Let’s get it D,” Gay Jr. yells.

Gay Jr. shows off his impressive ability in coverage during team drills, working against TE Nick Keizer.

“Way to make a play, man,” Keizer says, encouraging the rookie.

This is the perfect teaser of what Gay Jr. will bring to the table in Kansas City and should leave a lot of fans excited to see him suit up for the first time.

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Chiefs rookie LB Willie Gay Jr. has already earned a nickname from his teammates

Why do Kansas City Chiefs defenders call Willie Gay Jr., “Turbo”?

Kansas City Chiefs rookie linebacker Willie Gay Jr. is making strides during training camp.

The second-round draft pick out of Mississippi State has been making quite the impression on his teammates and coaching staff. He’s developed a bit of a reputation in training camp, which has led to a very fitting nickname from his teammates. Chiefs veteran linebacker Anthony Hitchens shared the rookies’ nickname and an explanation during yesterday’s media availability.

“He’s learning a lot quickly,” Hitchens said. “Putting a couple of different positions on his plate, playing the SAM in base, the BUCK/WILL in sub defense. He’s learning a lot, he’s moving fast. We call him ‘Turbo’, sometimes he moves too fast. He’s learning, we’re all teaching him the ropes and he’s coming along well. I mean if you guys have been watching practice, he’s making plays. As long as we can keep having him do that, I think he can make our defense a lot better.”

Hitchens isn’t the only one who appreciates how fast Gay Jr. moves at practice. Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke about Gay Jr. and his role on special teams on Thursday. He’s also taken notice of how fast Gay Jr. plays.

“Willie’s doing great,” Toub said. “He’s will be a four-phase guy for us starting out, as any draft pick would be. They start off as a core special teams player until they’re not. If he earns a starting job on defense, we’ll have to cut him back on some of the phases that he’s playing. But right now he’s a four-phase guy. I’m very, very impressed with the way he’s come along. He’s a smart guy and he plays fast. That’s one thing, you don’t have to ever tell him to play faster because he plays as fast as can be, which is a good thing to have on special teams.”

You often hear about rookies needing to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. Given the multiple accounts of how fast Gay Jr. is playing during practice, I don’t think that will be an adjustment this rookie needs to make.

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5 Alabama players are “top 10 players” in SEC according to 247Sports

247Sports named their top 10 SEC football players, and half of the list are players from Alabama.

Alabama looks forward to 2020 as a revenge season, after finishing 11-2 with a Citrus Bowl win and an absence in the College Football Playoffs. However, they are also missing a few key pieces that hey have leaned on in previous seasons.

Players such as quarterback Tua Tagvailoa and wide receivers, Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy, left the Crimson Tide to pursue a professional career in the NFL.

While the team may miss the aforementioned players, that does not mean that the 2020 Crimson Tide team lacks talent. In fact, five out of 10 players listed in 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello’s ‘Top 10 players in the SEC‘ are from Alabama.

Here’s where they ranked:

10. Dylan Moses, LB

Dylan Moses
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Moses returns to Alabama, despite many believing he would enter the 2020 NFL draft. After missing all of 2019 due to a knee injury he suffered in the preseason, Moses is expected to be a defensive leader on, and off, the field.

“The college football world forgot about Dylan Moses until there were questions surrounding his future in January,” says Marcello. “Would he return to Alabama or would he chase a professional career after sitting out the 2019 season with an injury? Well, he’s back and an All-American season could be on the docket for the versatile linebacker. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award as a sophomore in 2018 after recording a team-high 86 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.”

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Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Mississippi State C Darryl Williams

How does Mississippi State UDFA C Darryl Williams fit with the Kansas City Chiefs?

Williams was recruited to Mississippi State out of Bessemer City High School in Alabama, where he was viewed as a four-star prospect at the guard position. He showcased intriguing versatility in high school, playing all five positions on the offensive line for his team.

Once he arrived with the Bulldogs, he’d go on to play no offensive snaps during his first two seasons. He took a redshirt year in 2015. He played in seven games in 2016, but only played on special teams before suffering a neck injury. In 2017, Williams would first establish himself as a starter, playing left guard next to current Chiefs teammate Martinas Rankin, who played left tackle.

By his senior season, Williams was voted in as a team captain by his peers. He earned a number of academic and athletic honors during that span, helping to anchor one of the top offensive lines in the SEC conference.

Stats:

2015: Redshirt

2016: Seven games played.

2017: 13 games played at left guard. PFF Grade: 66.7

2018: 12 games played at left guard. PFF Grade: 71.1

2019: 13 games played at center. PFF Grade: 64.2

Combine/pro day results

Height: 6-2
Weight: 304 pounds
Hands: 9 3/4″
Arms: 32 1/8″
40-yard dash: 5.23
10-yard split: 1.80
225-pound bench: 23
Vertical: 25 1/2″
Broad Jump: 103 inches
20-yard shuttle: 4.76
3-Cone Drill: 7.88

Highlights & Film:

2017

2018

2019

Fit with the Chiefs:

General manager Brett Veach believes that Williams is a player who can have center-guard positional flexibility in Kansas City. Veach also hopes that he can crack the roster and compete early on in his career. Their financial commitment in terms of guaranteed money would indicate they have quite a bit of faith in this player and his ability to contribute.

Williams is a bit undersized compared against what the Chiefs typically look for along the interior offensive line positions. But he also plays bigger than his size. He has a feistiness about him and he’s eager to learn, which is never a bad thing when you’re an undrafted free agent. He told reporters back in May that he wants to go out and impose his will for 60 minutes every time he plays.

In 1,031 pass-blocking snaps over the course of his career at Mississippi State, Williams allowed just two sacks according to Pro Football Focus. As a run blocker, he gets the most movement working on outside and inside zone plays. He’s surprisingly nimble and does a good job latching onto linebackers at the second level. The big area where he struggles is handling power in 1-on-1 situations.

Williams was one of our five most-likely undrafted free agents to make the 53-man roster. Kansas City has a need for competition along the interior offensive line and center is one of their weakest positions. If Williams shows potential during training camp he could find himself in a backup role this season. At worst, I see him as a practice squad player that continues to develop his body in an NFL training program.

Chiefs’ undrafted free agent

Position Player School Article Release Date
QB Shea Patterson Michigan 5/26
WR Maurice Ffrench Pittsburgh 5/28
LB Bryan Wright Cincinnati 6/2
OC Darryl Williams Miss. St. 6/6
CB Hakeem Bailey West Virginia TBA
P Tommy Townsend Florida TBA
WR Kalija Lipscomb Vanderbilt TBA
DB Rodney Clemons SMU TBA
OT Yasir Durant Missouri TBA
DE Tershawn Wharton Missouri S&M TBA
WR Justice Shelton-Mosley Vanderbilt TBA
CB Jalen Julius Ole Miss TBA
WR Aleva Hifo BYU TBA
LB Omari Cobb Marshall TBA
WR Cody White Michigan St. TBA
CB Lavert Hill Michigan TBA
WR Andre Baccelia Washington TBA
OG Jovahn Fair Temple TBA
CB Javaris Davis Auburn TBA

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Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Cincinnati LB Bryan Wright

How does Cincinnati UDFA LB Bryan Wright fit with the Kansas City Chiefs?

A multi-sport athlete at Howard High School, Bryan Wright played football and basketball. In basketball, he was a three-year varsity player, participating in Howard’s State Championship run in 2012-13. In football, he was a multi-position player operating as a dual-threat quarterback, as well as the punter and kicker for the team. He went to a year of prep school before redshirting with the Bearcats in 2015.

Initially, at Cincinnati, Wright played defensive end before making the switch to off-the-ball linebacker in 2018. In his opening game at linebacker against UCLA, he shined, accumulating three total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. He improved at the linebacker spot with each consecutive game, earning a selection as team captain and First-Team All-AAC honors in 2019.

Stats:

2015: Redshirt

2016: Eight games played. 28 total tackles, four tackles for loss

2017: Six games played. 15 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and two passes defended.

2018: 13 games played. 55 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

2019: 14 games played. 100 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five passes defended.

Combine/pro day results

Height: 6-3
Weight: 238 pounds
Hands: 9 3/4″
Arms: 33 1/2″
40-yard dash: n/a
10-yard split: n/a
225-pound bench: n/a
Vertical: n/a
Broad Jump: n/a
20-yard shuttle: n/a
3-Cone Drill: n/a

Highlights:

*NSFW language warning*

2016

2019

Fit with the Chiefs:

Size, length, leadership and production are some of the things that stand out most about Wright. He’s always showcased that team-first attitude, dating back to his high school days when he played multiple positions. He worked his way to an opportunity at Cincinnati after not receiving any offers out of high school.

Wright is at his best when he’s turned loose in the backfield and allowed to attack the football. He does a good job getting pressure and getting his hands up to deflect the ball on designed blitzes. His arm length helps him wrap guys up, stack and shed offensive linemen and pop the ball free from ball carriers.

He’s a good athlete, but I’m not sure he has the long speed to be put in coverage situations often. At the same time, he has really good instincts and was always around the football in 2019. Some of those moments where Wright shoots the gap and knifes his way into the backfield are reminiscent of former Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson.

It’s clear that Wright is still a raw player, going into only his third year of playing the linebacker position. He has some really nice developmental upside with the Chiefs under linebacker coach Matt House, though. He even has the size to play MIKE or SAM linebacker in the Chiefs’ system.

Chiefs’ undrafted free agent

Position Player School Article Release Date
QB Shea Patterson Michigan 5/26
WR Maurice Ffrench Pittsburgh 5/28
LB Bryan Wright Cincinnati 6/2
OC Darryl Williams Miss. St. TBA
CB Hakeem Bailey West Virginia TBA
P Tommy Townsend Florida TBA
WR Kalija Lipscomb Vanderbilt TBA
DB Rodney Clemons SMU TBA
OT Yasir Durant Missouri TBA
DE Tershawn Wharton Missouri S&M TBA
WR Justice Shelton-Mosley Vanderbilt TBA
CB Jalen Julius Ole Miss TBA
WR Aleva Hifo BYU TBA
LB Omari Cobb Marshall TBA
WR Cody White Michigan St. TBA
CB Lavert Hill Michigan TBA
WR Andre Baccelia Washington TBA
OG Jovahn Fair Temple TBA
CB Javaris Davis Auburn TBA

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Chiefs LB coach Matt House says virtual offseason allowed more 1-on-1 time with rookies

Coach House has a favorable opinion of the Kansas City Chiefs’ virtual offseason program.

Matt House is entering his second season as the linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. Thus far, he’s been really pleased with the work that his unit has been able to accomplish despite the challenges presented by the virtual offseason.

“Yeah, I’ve been very pleased with the linebacker room and how they’ve embraced what we’re doing,” House told reporters on Thursday. “I think they’ve grown within our scheme during this time.”

In fact, House has enjoyed the challenges presented by the virtual offseason. He doesn’t feel like the linebackers, specifically, the rookies are missing out on anything right now. He feels like he’s actually getting a little bit more one-on-one time with rookies, such as Willie Gay Jr., than he would during the normal offseason program.

“Well, I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t really looked at it that way,” House said. “As coaches, our job is to adapt and adjust, and in the times that we’ve been in, that’s kind of what we’ve been doing. Really, it’s been great because I don’t know if you get this much individual meeting time normally because you are racing to get out on the field. So hopefully it clears up any questions that he has in his mind so that when we do get out on the grass, we can hit the ground running.”

You won’t catch House complaining about two more weeks of the virtual offseason program, which the NFL announced on Thursday. At the end of the day, House feels that teaching is teaching no matter the platform.

“Yeah, I think the good thing is it’s still teaching,” House said. “Coaching is just teaching. One of the things, we’ve had to use different platforms, but at the end of the day, you’re still teaching off of the same concepts and using video and using the different avenues you have available to yourself and the group. There’s some trial and error for sure, but all-in-all, it’s still teaching in my mind.”

Perhaps the positive impact from the virtual offseason program will allow for some changes in how NFL teams handle the offseason in the future.

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Willie Gay Jr. on Chiefs defensive playmakers: ‘I can get better from those guys’

One of the newest players for the Chiefs, Willie Gay Jr., is eager to learn from his new teammates on defense.

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The Kansas City Chiefs added speedy linebacker Willie Gay Jr. in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Entering the draft, Gay didn’t know exactly when he would be drafted. A myriad of past off-field issues left teams with mixed opinions of him. He was told that he could be drafted in the range of anywhere from the second to the fourth round. Gay had a feeling he’d be getting a call from the Chiefs, and when he did finally get that call, all he could think about was starting to get to work with his new coaches and teammates.

“Honestly, I was telling my family that my phone interviews with the Chiefs went so well the past few weeks that I said, ‘They can’t pass on me twice’. They could have,” Gay explained to reporters on Friday.” They took a chance on me and right when they called me, I was in shock. I was like, ‘It’s time. I’m ready to work’. So, I’m ready.”

Gay began playing football when he was six years old, and he claims to have always been the fastest player on the field. He didn’t always play the linebacker position, he was just an all-around athlete. When he got into high school football, that’s when he finally started to face competition with an equal skill set. It’s also when he really started to understand the brotherhood that is football.

“. . .When I got to high school, I was able to compete with guys that were just as good as me, it made me fall in love with competing,” Gay said. “When I can hit a guy and he gets up, he hits me, I get up, just the rough part of the game is what I love and the brotherhood. It makes you a better man outside of football. It teaches you life lessons that you never thought football could teach you. That’s really something that helps me a lot.”

Now, in Kansas City, Gay will find a new set of brothers. He’s eager to work and learn from all of his new defensive teammates like Tyrann Mathieu, who is also a fan of Gay, and Chris Jones, who is a Mississippi State Alumnus.

“I know for a fact they play a lot of man,” Gay said of the Chiefs’ defense. “They do a lot of everything. I feel like I’m more speed with Tyrann (Mathieu) on the defense. A great defense all around, around him and Chris Jones and those great linebackers. I feel like it’s perfect for me. I can get better from those guys. I can learn a lot. They can teach me a lot. I’m just a sponge out there taking in every detail. Whether it’s something at practice, something at games, something with film room study. I feel like I’m in a great position, and the defense is awesome, so I’m ready.”

Gay’s eagerness to put in the work and learn from the veterans won’t go unnoticed by his new teammates. As we’ve seen with starting QB Patrick Mahomes, putting in the work is the first step toward walking the path to greatness.

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New Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. already has a fan in DB Tyrann Mathieu

Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu can already tell that Willie Gay Jr. is the right type of different.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have a new linebacker on the team and he already has a very big fan in the locker room.

In the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Chiefs added LB Willie Gay Jr. of Mississippi State. Many consider Gay to be one of the best coverage linebacker prospects in the draft, including defensive team leader Tyrann Mathieu. Immediately after the Chiefs selected Gay, Mathieu took to Twitter to let everybody know his thoughts on his newest teammate with Kansas City.

Mathieu gave Gay, quite the endorsement and appears to be excited to have the opportunity to teach and work with him. Check it out:

After the verbal endorsement, Mathieu had to endorse Gay’s tape with some emojis.

If anyone knows about having a chip on his shoulder, it’s Mathieu. He can see it in other players from a mile away. He could tell exactly what his newest teammate was all about from this interview ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.

“I feel like we all can play football,” Gay said. “We all can run, jump and hit. But my passion is different. I would die for this game and I really depend on this game to change lives around me, not just financially but in any other kind of positive way. Man, when I step on the football field it’s a different Willie then… It’s really all I know.”

Just like Mathieu, Gay is a different type of player. That passion and chip on his shoulder should make him the perfect fit in Kansas City.

Linebacker Kylan Johnson Opens Up About Transferring to Pittsburgh, NFL Dreams

Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kylan Johnson shares how he’s preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft, why he made the “business decision” to transfer from University of Florida to Pitt, and what NFL fans should expect from him after an impressive college career.

Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kylan Johnson shares how he’s preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft, why he made the “business decision” to transfer from University of Florida to Pitt, and what NFL fans should expect from him after an impressive college career.