Getty CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - DECEMBER 05: Chris Glaser #69 and Wayne Taulapapa #21 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrate a touchdown in the second half during a game against the Boston College Eagles at Scott Stadium on December 5, 2020 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs brought in 40 players to their rookie minicamp to try out for the team. But of all 40 players that tried out, Kansas City only gave a contract to one of them.
The Chiefs signed offensive lineman Chris Glaser after rookie minicamp, according to Glaser, who announced the news on Twitter.
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Glaser was a full-time starter at offensive guard for three of his four years at the University of Virginia. He was named as an honorable mention for Pro Football Network’s 2021 All-America Team, per the University of Virginia website.
Kansas City drafted one offensive lineman in April’s draft: Darrian Kinnard in the fifth round. Kinnard played right tackle while at Kentucky, and said at rookie minicamp he’ll play tackle for the Chiefs as well despite thinking he might have to compete at another position. So, Andrew Wylie, Nick Allegretti, and Mike Caliendo are the only other players who can compete along Kansas City’s interior offensive line this summer.
Signing Glaser allows for more competition behind starting guards Joe Thuney and Trey Smith.
Chiefs Set to Have Strong Competition at WR
Among the positions to shine the most at Kansas City’s rookie minicamp were the wide receivers.
“Many receivers looked good in camp, but it seemed that [D’ionte] Smith, Andrew Boston (Incarnate Wood) and Mathew Sexton (Eastern Michigan) had very good camps,” Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest wrote on May 9.
The strong play of the receivers at minicamp foreshadows a fierce competition amongst the receivers when training camp is underway in July.
First-year players such as (but not limited to) Boston, Smith, Sexton, Justyn Ross, and Skyy Moore will compete with veterans such as JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Corey Coleman, and Josh Gordon to make the 53-man roster next season. The only guarantee in the receiver room to make the 2022 regular-season roster is Mecole Hardman, who is in the final year of his rookie deal with Kansas City. So despite being a lock, Hardman needs to play at a high level in 2022 if he wants to be valued in free agency next offseason.
Having many young, talented bodies in the receiver room, along with many positions on the roster, is appreciated by head coach Andy Reid.
“It was great. It was great getting everybody in here, these young guys in here. (General manager) Brett [Veach] did a nice job of supplying us with two deep for every position at least. We were able to get some good team work in,” Reid said during his press conference on May 9, the final day of Chiefs rookie minicamp.
“I think it’s a good foundation for the young guys that are coming back. Not everybody is making the team, obviously, that’s out here, but the ones that are coming back in a week will at least be able to hit the ground running, know the snap count, right? You’re down to the basics. Snap count, how to get into the huddle, what the coverages are, fronts, so it’s good.”
With rookie minicamp officially over, next up on Kansas City’s offseason schedule is organized teams activities (OTAs), which go from May 25 to May 26. After a three-day break, the team will meet again for more OTAs from May 31 to June 2. Their last set of OTAs will be from June 7 to June 10.
After OTAs, the last time the Chiefs meet before summer break will be for mandatory minicamp from June 14 to June 16.