Off Topic » New Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve

ST. JOSEPH Kendall Sheffield Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Spagnuolo acknowledged after a spirited practice this week that he generally is reluctant to start rookies until they’ve earned their stripes.“I’m still old-fashioned that way,” Spagnuolo said.Might be time to enter the modern age.As part of a vast offseason overhaul of the Kansas City defense, the Chiefs released longtime safety Eric Berry and several other backups. Then, they used a second-round draft pick on Juan Thornhill, hopeful that the big-play ability he showed at Virginia would translate quickly to the NFL.So far it has.Of all the youngsters to make an impression in training camp, the ball-hawking centerfielder in the No. 22 jersey stands out. He has made a habit of breaking up passes while covering speedsters Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, and more than once he has baited Patrick Mahomes into an interception.“We got to see him play corner and safety in college. He did a little of each,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “The one consistency was that he made plays at both spots. He’s doing that out here. Early on, he was getting his hands on the ball but he wasn’t getting the picks. Now he’s making the picks.”That bodes well for Spagnuolo’s revamped defense.One of the biggest problems last season was the back end, where Berry was sidelined nearly the entire season by injuries and his fill-ins weren’t particularly good. The Chiefs addressed the issue by giving a big contract to Tyrann Mathieu and then selecting Thornhill in the draft.Suddenly, one of their biggest weaknesses has become one of their biggest strengths.“I’ve been playing a bunch of safety spots right now,” Thornhill said, “but like I said, I will step in and play any position that they need me to play — like http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/john-cominsky-jersey , if I need to play nickel, safety, corner, it really doesn’t matter. I’ll just step in and do what I have to do to help the team.”Thornhill was listed second behind veteran Daniel Sorensen on the initial depth chart released for Saturday night’s preseason opener against Cincinnati. But what shows up on paper is far different from what has shown up on the practice field: Thornhill has been running with the No. 1 defense just as much, and there are times that all three safeties have been on the field at once.He clearly has the most upside. The trick now is finding his ceiling as quickly as possible.“When we first got out there a bunch of our guys were playing a little slow because guys didn’t really know what was going on. I mean everything was pretty much new to everybody,” Thornhill said. “But now since we had OTAs and minicamp, guys are picking up things a lot faster and picking up the defense and we are making a lot more plays, so that is definitely helping us.”Thornhill isn’t the only rookie the Chiefs are eager to see against the Bengals.Wide receiver Mecole Hardman, their other second-round pick, and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, their third-round selection, are among seven rookies that showed up on the initial two-deep. And that doesn’t include running back Darwin Thompson, who could supplant Carlos Hyde and Darrel Williams for the No. 2 job with a good showing in preseason games.“They’re improving. In general, I’d tell you that they’re improving every day Qadree Ollison Jersey ,” Reid said of his rookie class. “They’re working hard at it. One advantage of being up here (at Missouri Western) is that there’s not a lot else to do other than meet, eat and practice.”Reid showed the same reluctance as Spagnuolo to start rookies early in his career, but that has changed in Kansas City. Left tackle Eric Fisher, cornerback Marcus Peters, defensive tackle Chris Jones and wide receiver Hill are just some of the first-year players to start meaningful games.All of them earned their jobs during the offseason and training camp.Thornhill appears to be following in their footsteps.NOTES: The Chiefs finalized a one-year deal with CB Morris Claiborne on Friday. They had reached an agreement Thursday but needed Claiborne to pass a physical and sign the contract. He will miss the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. … Reid said Mahomes and the rest of the starters will play the first quarter Saturday night. Backup QB Chad Henne will get the second quarter, third-stringer Kyle Shurmur will get the third and Chase Litton the fourth. TEMPE, Ariz. — Even stronger than usual and in the best of health, Arizona Cardinals guard Mike Iupati is mowing down everything in front of him this preseason.“I’m just playing ball,” the 6-foot-5, 331-pound left guard said after the team practiced in the heat Monday. “Taking that year off makes you appreciate football, made my body feel young again.”A triceps injury in the opener wiped out the rest of the 2017 season for Iupati.In the offseason, as he entered the fourth year of a five-year, $40 million contract he signed with Arizona, Iupati agreed to a $3 million pay cut to come back for what under the new deal could be his final season in the desert. He will earn $5 million this year.“I just figured it was better than going somewhere else to start new Brian Burns Jersey ,” he said. “I’m starting new here.”And so far Iupati seems to love the physical, run-oriented offense installed by new coach Steve Wilks and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.Pro Football Focus gave Iupati a 97.2 rating for his 31 snaps in Arizona’s two preseasons game. That made him the NFL’s highest-rated player this preseason.“The man is playing about as good as anyone I’ve seen play up front,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “This camp, just watching him play, it’s been pretty impressive both in the run game and the pass game. He just seems to be kind of swallowing guys up out there.”Left tackle D.J. Humphries sees Iupati at work up close. This is, Humphries reminds people, a player who has been to four Pro Bowls. But injuries have kept Humphries and Iupati from playing together much, and Humphries loves what he’s seeing.While Iupati is a quiet guy who rarely says much, Humphries said he’s seen the big guard explode with emotion on the field this preseason.“I can look over and see that dude pumped about whoopin’ somebody, seeing him beating his chest for the first time on the grass, with me beside him, it gives me chills,” Humphries said. “It’s a scary feeling to see that dude — as calm, cool and collected as he is (normally) — out of his mind on the field. The first time I’ve ever seen him like that.”The first team’s offensive line play probably has been the most impressive thing about the Cardinals in their first two preseason games. Newcomers Justin Pugh and Andre Smith are at right guard and right tackle http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/greg-little-jersey , respectively. Starting center A.Q. Shipley went down with a season-ending knee injury before the first preseason game, but rookie Mason Cole has filled in well.Iupati calls the line “awesome.”“We’re doing good, just communicating with each other and having fun,” he said.Wilks calls the offensive line the strength of the team.“I think they’ve proven that the way they performed in the first two games, particularly the Ones, coming off the ball and creating a new line of scrimmage,” he said. “I think they’ve accepted the challenge and they’ve taken a lot of pride in that.”Iupati, 31, is entering his ninth NFL season.The first five were with San Francisco, where he was a first-round draft pick — the 17th selection overall — out of Idaho in 2010. He started 75 regular-season games and eight postseason contests for the 49ers before signing as a free agent with the Cardinals in 2015.He has said he wants to play in the league for 10 years and he’s showing lately that he still can be an elite blocker.As usual, his reaction came in just a few words.“I’m doing it for my family and my teammates,” he said. “I’m just out there working to get better.”Notes: General manager Steve Keim’s five-week suspension by the team for a DUI arrest is up Tuesday. There was no word officially on whether he will be back. … The Cardinals have Tuesday off, then practice each of the next three days. They play at Dallas on Sunday night.