Chiefs
The Chiefs signed former 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell in free agency to add to a room with Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. Kansas City HC Andy Reid explained what he likes about Mitchell and praised his versatility.
“He’s got a little quickness and speed,” Reid said, via ESPN’s Adam Teicher. “He’s also got the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield or [the Chiefs can] flex him out. When he was healthy, he did a pretty good job in San Francisco.”
Although Mitchell’s pass game usage has been almost nonexistent since his rookie season, he believes in his ability in that phase of the game because of the countless reps the 49ers gave him in practice.
“When I was at San Fran, I did all the passing game stuff in practice. Just being able to actually do it in KC, it’s going to open up a lot of things, not just for me but for the team. It’s going to be incredible.”
Jaguars
Jaguars GM James Gladstone has spoken highly about TE Brenton Strange, and HC Liam Coen echoed his sentiments during the owners’ meetings this week.
“He’ll elevate just by alone getting more reps, and getting him on the field is a good thing for us,” Coen said via Big Cat Country. “You can tell he’s hungry, wants to continue to get better, and he showed some really nice things last year, especially after the catch. Doing some nice things like breaking tackles and getting extra yards. Brenton plays the game the right way. I’ll say that for sure. I love the way he competes through the whistle. He does it through the whistle, plays with an edge, he’s got some twitch, he’s strong, he’ll get his hands on you in the blocking. I really appreciate it.”
Raiders
Raiders DL coach Rob Leonard is returning for his third year on the team under new HC Pete Carroll with a run game coordinator title added to his position. Leonard outlined what his added responsibilities will be with the new title and how he’s involved in the game planning.
“[As] run game coordinator, you come up with a plan,” Leonard said, via Carter Owen of the team’s website. “You’re really always looking at how you would be attacked. You’re trying to get your mindset from a big picture standpoint, as well as carry the responsibilities of coaching your position. Everything’s interactive and there’s constant talking, but you’re kind of the point man that he [Patrick Graham] can say, “OK, Robbie’s handling that.” You present the plan to him. He gives his two cents. You’re talking with JG [John Glenn], our linebacker’s coach, talking about the safeties in the fit, the safeties not in the fit, the corners in the fit. I guess it’s a Goodyear Blimp view of what’s going on, really with the run and the pass game from a front standpoint and communicating that with the head coach.”
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