KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Safety Mike Edwards sees shades of himself in Kansas City Chiefs rookie safety Chamarri Conner.
Edwards, a fifth-year veteran who signed with Chiefs in the offseason after four years with Tampa Bay, also feels like a first-year player himself during the early days of training camp.
Trying to master defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme, Edwards said he “feels like a rookie again,” but he also has a role in helping the actual rookies acclimate.
“I’ve learned a lot,” Conner, a fourth-round pick in April’s draft, said. “I can always ask Mike questions or get some feedback. It’s been great just to see a guy that has been in the league for a while and being able to learn from him.”
As a veteran, Edwards isn’t required to report until Friday, but he wanted to work with Kansas City’s trainers to address a hamstring injury that limited him during offseason workouts.
“I’m trying to get ahead of everything before everyone else comes back,” Edwards said.
When asked what brought him to Kansas City, Edwards said Andy Reid and his staff, specifically Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, as well as the players in the locker room in addition to the franchise’s recent success.
“They won the Super Bowl last year (and are) always a good winning program, so I want to come be a part of something like that,” Edwards said.
He feels like he’s a good fit in Spagnuolo’s scheme, which requires defensive backs to process route combinations and plays quickly but also demands versatility in the secondary.
To that end, Edwards said he’s flexible and eager to learn.
“(I’ll play) wherever they need me — safety, dime, nickel — wherever they want to fit me at,” he said. “I know we’ve got guys all over from top to bottom playing dime, corner ... so, wherever they want to fit me in, I’ll fit in and try to learn — learn the playbook, learn each spot, learn the ins and outs of the defense.”
That’s also at the heart of why he sees himself reflected in Conner, who primarily played safety at Virginia Tech but also saw time at corner and nickel. That positional flexibility is the reason why the Chiefs traded up to select him.
“I’m definitely comfortable with it,” Conner said. “I’ve been doing it for most of my career, so it’s definitely something that I like doing and feel comfortable doing.”
Still, he knows there’s a massive learning curve making the jump to the NFL and working into Spagnuolo’s system.
Conner is working hard to absorb the playbook and show Merreitt he can translate that work in the classroom onto the field — like all the other rookies at camp.
“I’m just trying to play fast and get all the information that they've been giving,” Conner said.
Meanwhile, he’s also adjusting to the star power on the Chiefs’ roster, including lining up in the early days of camp with reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes on the other side.
“It's definitely surreal,” Conner said. “It’s something I've been wanting to do my whole life, just to be able to make it to this level. So, it’s definitely surreal, but I'm used to it. In OTAs, it was like that, but I’m getting comfortable now.”
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