TE TRAVIS KELCE
Q: You recently signed a contract extension. What led to you wanting to guarantee that you will be around next season and how many years do you have left?
KELCE: “I can’t put a timeframe on it. I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know that there’s opportunities outside of football for me, and I think you have to keep in perspective that I’m still a little kid when I come into this building. I know I’m 34 years old, about to be 35, but I have a love to do this right here in the middle of the heat in June. I love coming to work every single day and doing this. I’m going to do it until the wheels fall off. Hopefully that doesn’t happen anytime soon, but I can definitely understand that its towards the end of the road than it is the beginning of it. I just have to make sure I’m set up for after football as well.”
Q: What are Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown going to do for you all?
KELCE: “It’s unbelievable that (General Manager Brett) Veach finds ways to bring in – not only guys that have talent, that have unbelievable skill sets but are good people. Just being able to get to know them (Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy) over this offseason, it’s just been cool that Hollywood and X are just – they’re down to earth, humble guys and they love coming to work and they love football. When you bring that kind of mentality into a building that has that culture already set, the sky is the limit for those guys. I’m excited that they’re here.”
Q: Going into year 12, how do you keep your consistency to ensure that your approach to the game doesn’t change?
KELCE: “I only know one way at this point, it’s the (Head Coach) Andy Reid way. You have a certain focus to each day set yourself up to get better and better. Seeing where the team is now, you have to find a way to play your best from this point on all the way till hopefully January and February. The road has started, and I’m excited for it but I only know one way and that’s the only way and that’s the Andy Reid way.”
Q: On Jared Wiley.
KELCE: “J Wiley man, I’ll tell you what, he’s got a lot of upside. He’s got a lot of upside. (He’s) very comfortable, smart guy. I would say he’s a lot further along than I was as a rookie in terms of just understanding the offense and really seeing the field. He’s trusting what he’s seeing right now and I’ll tell you what, 15 (Patrick Mahomes), 11 (Carson Wentz), the quarterbacks are on time with him. It’s fun to watch him kind of take off and get more comfortable out there.”
RB ISIAH PACHECO
Q: How has this offseason been for you and how do you feel being back at minicamp?
PACHECO: “It’s been fantastic, just soaking all the offseason in as much as I can. No offseason surgeries this year around, so it’s just been about finding ways to get better off of the field.”
Q: You’re known to be an energy guy, how do you keep that going into year three?
PACHECO: “Finding ways to get better every day, just bringing the mindset of being unsatisfied into the room. Just know I’m unsatisfied, people always say there’s a limit. There’s no limit for me, and (I’m) just finding ways to get better.”
Q: This time last year you had the gold non-contact jersey on, what do you think having a full offseason this year will do for you?
PACHECO: “That’s funny, I was just talking about that today, the red and gold (jersey). I’m one of the first to do it as a running back position. It felt special, but I don’t want to go back that route (laughter). I’m just trying to lock in and just be there for my guys that are in those positions right now and that are looking forward to getting healthier.”
Q: Can you talk about the verbal competitiveness in camp, is that fun for you?
PACHECO: “Yes, it’s important to have that competitiveness in this type of camp. We’re just throwing the ball, we’re not running, not that much contact, bodies off the ground. It’s just getting that little edge on the next guy, finding ways to get better every day. Competing is the most important (thing) because (we) can’t have guys on the ground out there so getting in their ear, making them a little bit worried and (then) next play.”
LB DRUE TRANQUILL
Q: When you first got here last year, was there anything that surprised you?
TRANQUILL: “I don’t know that anything surprised me. There’s a championship culture here and that starts at the top with our ownership all the way down to our players. It’s very apparent. You see guys like Travis (Kelce) who is going into his 12th year and dude just loves the practice. That’s just uncommon, and I think those uncommon characteristics are everywhere in this organization and you pick up on those and it makes you better. Hopefully we can keep that going into this year.”
Q: What can you see from the team’s defense that indicates that you are progressing in the right direction?
TRANQUILL: “I think our ability to just play off one another. A lot of it’s pre-snap communication, that’s dialed in. We’re just advancing and the nuances and the details and being able to do more things within each call. As you evolve as a defense, you’re able to do that and give the quarterback a lot of different looks. Evolving on the scout packages and what not but it’s great being out there with guys who have been in it for so long. It starts in the middle with Nick (Bolton) and goes all around our defense.”
Q: How are you adjusting to learning the playbook this year compared to last year?
TRANQUILL: “I think last year obviously having to be thrust into the Mike position for a large stint of the year, I’d call that probably the most difficult position in our defense. At the Will and at the Buck I kind of knew those things and we’re doing those things and kind of cross training. It’s been nice to be able to focus a little bit more on that. I still have to know Mike, but it’s been fun. I’ve been able to kind of focus on some more technique things and developing my game.”
Q: What are you anticipating during the Ring Ceremony when you get to see the ring for the first time?
TRANQUILL: “I’m looking forward to an awesome date night with my wife out in the great city of Kansas City. I’m sure when I unbox that ring it’s going to be special. There’s going to be a sentimental value attached to that that you can’t necessarily replicate. It’s going to be a fun night with teammates, seeing guys that are no longer here anymore and being able to reunite with those guys. It’s going to be fun.”