Chiefs HC Andy Reid gives approbative praise to undrafted rookie
The Kansas City Chiefs have a guy no one expected to get this much hype and praise in the offseason, showing out in front of the general manager.The Chiefs, mostly Brett Veach, were the only ones to give Deneric Prince a shot. Veach went to bat for Prince, and in return, he is showing that […]
The Kansas City Chiefs have a guy no one expected to get this much hype and praise in the offseason, showing out in front of the general manager.
The Chiefs, mostly Brett Veach, were the only ones to give Deneric Prince a shot. Veach went to bat for Prince, and in return, he is showing that the organization made the right choice signing an undrafted free agent running back from Tulsa.
Most of this offseason so far, whether it be rookie minicamps, OTAs, or even mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, all we have heard is how good Prince is. On Thursday, head coach Andy Reid was asked how he has done, and he loathed how great he has been so far.
"I think they've both [Rashee Rice & Deneric Prince] have done a nice job," Reid told the media on Thursday. "Again, I think the volume and the tempo and all those things, the newness of the plays, they're in a huddle, you know what I'm saying? So that's all in the speed that we go at and the speed obviously that the defense presents. So they're in a different coverage. So they're working through all that, and that's positive…
"He's [Prince] got really good hands. I mean, it looked like he caught one right when Veach was there. But he's done a nice job again. That's part of the game. So another part is the running game, which we're not doing, except versus air. And so we'll have to see how all of that goes. Once we get there, but he's a sharp kid, he's got skill, it looks like, I mean, he's big, and he can run and has a good feel for things right now."
The Chiefs are one of the best teams in the league at evaluating day-three talent in the draft and guys who go undrafted. Just last year, they did that with Isiah Pacheco, the seventh-round pick in 2022, who is now their starting running back after rushing for over 800 yards last season.
Prince is a guy that can do a little bit of everything, as Reid said. But he didn't mention that he could be good in pass protection, just like Pacheco and McKinnon are. Prince has a frame of 6'1" and 215 pounds, which is pretty big for a running back. The Chiefs like the size he brings, among his other skill sets and talents.
The fact that he made a nice grab right in front of Veach is funny because Veach ultimately makes the final say on who to bring in, as he likely did with Prince. If he keeps doing what he has been doing – impressing everyone, he will not only have a roster spot, but he could also get some valuable playing time at this rate.
Featured Image Via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
