Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is a fan of new signee Louis Rees-Zammit, who most recently played for Gloucester Rugby in England.
However, Kelce believes that the new running back, who is listed at 6’3″, 194 pounds, is in for a large learning curve in the NFL. That and more in today’s Chiefs news!
Kansas City Chiefs News Today
Travis Kelce Knows Louis Rees-Zammit Will Have a Learning Curve
Kelce spoke about the transition for Rees-Zammit on the “New Heights” podcast and how it wasn’t an easy change from rugby to football. Not only are the rules for a forward pass different, but the extra gear hinders one’s ability to move as freely and helmets limit vision.
“It’s going to be a humbling experience at first,” Kelce said. “It’s not easy to just make that jump, they’re two completely different games. He is an athlete, and that’s what the Chiefs saw. He’s a smart kid, a smart player. So he’s gonna be able to pick up the offense eventually.
“But it’s gonna be a tough few months for him here while he’s getting acclimated to the NFL. We’ve been doing this since we were kids, so we’re gonna have those little instincts that we’ve built over the years that he’s got to catch up with.”
Rees-Zammit’s top-end speed was listed at 24.2 miles per hour, drawing comparisons to former Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill.
READ MORE: Who Is Louis Rees-Zammit?
Taylor Swift Fans Make Chiefs Go Global
Ever since Kelce and Taylor Swift started dating, there’s been a heavy investment of her fans’ time in the Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has noticed the difference in his team’s fanbase across the globe.
“[The Chiefs] went from a nationwide team that was kind of global to a full global worldwide team. That came from Taylor’s fanbase,” Mahomes said to People News.
“We like having that visibility. At the end of the day, football has always been this bruising sport. We want to make it fun, where kids grow up and play football and show their personality and be who they are. This year really magnified that.”
RELATED: Travis Kelce Jams Out to Taylor Swift on Golf Trip
Chiefs Could Look for Complementary Back in Late Rounds
Isiah Pacheco has been productive in the first two seasons of his career with Kansas City. The 2022 seventh-round pick has 375 carries for 1,765 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in his career.
Yet, despite the re-signing of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson writes that a complementary back may be an option for the Chiefs in the NFL Draft.
“The Chiefs re-signed former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire to back up Isiah Pacheco in 2024, but they could think about adding another piece to their backfield in the draft,” Robinson wrote. “While Pacheco is clearly the club’s RB1, Kansas City might want to draft a pass-catching back unless it plans to re-sign free agent Jerick McKinnon.
“With plenty of other needs — including WR and OT — on their roster, the Chiefs probably won’t use an early-round pick on a running back. However, finding a receiving specialist like New Hampshire’s Dylan Laube on Day 3 could be the way to go.”
KEEP READING: 10 Most RB-Needy Teams Ahead of the NFL Draft
Keon Coleman to Kansas City?
The Chiefs lack a ton of height in their receiver room, but they more than compensate for it with speed and quickness. If the Chiefs were to look in the direction of a jump-ball receiver, PFN’s Owain Jones believes that Florida State wideout Keon Coleman could fit in nicely to complement the speedsters as a red zone threat.
“Keon Coleman is the perfect prospect to complement the existing WR room in Kansas City, which would thrive by creating space for Patrick Mahomes to exploit,” Jones wrote. “The 6’3”, 213-pound receiver can pluck the ball from anywhere and has fantastic awareness and ball tracking to come down with any ball.”
Jones additionally mocked Washington offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten and Auburn cornerback D.J. James to the Chiefs in his three-round draft.
CONTINUE READING: Jones’ Recent NFL Mock Draft
