KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- New DT Jarran Reed and TE Blake Bell talked football with the media today. Following are their comments.
DT JARRAN REED
Opening Statement: “Well first and foremost, I’d like to thank you and Chiefs Nation for having me here. I'm happy to be here. It’s a great opportunity and I'm ready to get started.”
Q: What did you do to work on your pass rush game or did it just come naturally?
REED: “Well I challenge myself in practice every day and my coach, Clint Hurtt, challenges me as well every day to just continue to get better. I watch Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, you know those type of guys who excelled in the pass rush game and I took bits and pieces and worked every day in practice. I just continued to work to get better and it started paying off for me on the football field.”
Q: What do you think you, Frank Clark and Chris Jones are capable of in the pass rush part of the game?
REED: “Those guys put a staple in this league and put a staple on this team as well, and I'm just coming in, joining those guys and I'm doing what I can and you know I'm going to do my best to be the best me I can be. Follow those guys that are here leading this team. The goal is to come in and wreak havoc and just play some good football, some good old school football.”
Q: What do you feel like worked with you and Frank when you were both in Seattle?
REED: “It was the chemistry we had. You know being around each other every day and it was the whole line you know, the whole defensive line that year, we had some great chemistry and just being around these guys they have that here, being in the building today, they have that here and that’s the formula. You’re a family when you’re out there on the football field. That’s how we’re going to try to bring it, that’s how we’re going to try to keep it the same way and once again, I’m joining these guys. They have their own thing already. They put a staple in this organization and I'm just coming in and joining in to do what I can do. Of course, we’re going to go out there and try to make plays for each other and bring that same type of chemistry.”
Q: Have you been able to talk to Coach Steve Spagnuolo and Coach Brendan Daly about your role and how you specifically fit into this Chiefs defense?
REED: “I talked with Coach Spags and Coach Daly a few days ago especially during the process, and I’ll kind of be used the same way I was in Seattle. Wherever the team needs me to play you know I'll be there to play it. I'm coming in and joining these guys’ organization, once again and it’s exciting though really to see what’s going to be drawn up, where I’m going to be at, wherever they need me to play, whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do it.”
Q: What about the Chiefs organization impressed you?
REED: “To me, especially when the Seahawks released me, it wasn't about the money. I wanted to be on a contending team and a chance to win a championship and a chance to go play in the Super Bowl and just the family vibes that’s around the building, the team that they have, the way that they work is great and it attracts players and it attracted me as well, excuse me. I just wanted to be somewhere that I was going to have a chance to play for a championship, have a chance to play for a Super Bowl ring because you know we all play football to provide for our families, but same time you know the game is to get a ring, not just to keep playing for regular seasons. It’s to keep playing after the regular season is done and that's been done here for a number of years and hopefully, we can do it again.”
TE BLAKE BELL
Q: What goes into the mentality to be a blocking tight end?
BELL: Yeah, it’s just I’ve gotten better each and every day. I’m going into year seven, I've had some great coaches and that’s starting with Tony Sparano in San Francisco and been all over the place. Obviously Coach (Tom) Melvin has done a great job and with Travis (Kelce) in there, I’ve learned so much in that 2019 season and I'm looking forward to getting back out there and grinding away too.”
Q: What made you want to come back to Kansas City?
BELL: “You know with the free agency stuff and just how crazy everything is, you just never know what’s going to happen, but my agent talked to the front office of the Chiefs and once he said that, it was a no brainer. I wanted to get back. Great front office, great coaches, great fan base and with my uncle playing there and just growing up a Chiefs fan, it was a no brainer.”
Q: What does Travis Kelce do that pushes and motivates you and do you think you can push him to help him break the records he set last year?
BELL: “Every time I step on a field or in the tight end room, I'm just trying to help those guys get better and Travis does the same thing. When I was there, he helped me every single day whether it was talking routes or seeing coverages or even blocking and I know that. I know my role and whatever my role is, I'm going to be there and try to help the team win so I know it's going to be a great room and we're just going to get right in there just like we started it and keep pushing.”
Q: What is it about your skillset that you believe fits well into this offense and how does the offensive coaches utilize that second tight end spot?
BELL: “Well you know just like I was saying 12 personnel is awesome. Obviously I love it because you get more tight ends out there and just like I said with a guy like Travis (Kelce), it is so good out there that when I'm out there I'm just trying to make the team better and if my role is to block that six technique and make that run spring for 50 yards or whatever it is or to get the first down then I love it and that's why I'm pumped to come back to KC and whatever my role is, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability.”
--CHIEFS--