The Kansas City Chiefs signed former San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants receiver Richie James in the offseason, inking him to a one-year deal worth $1.3 million.
Since joining Kansas City, James has been a standout player in the Chiefs’ workout programs and has been particularly impressive during the first week of training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri. Some of this early success in practice can be credited to his experience and, to some extent, familiarity with the Chiefs’ system after playing with former Kansas City passing game coordinator and Andy Reid protégé Mike Kafka in New York last season.
James told reporters after practice on Wednesday about his acclimation to Reid’s offense.
“I’m pretty comfortable. You know, I’ve been in the league for a while now, so I got a chance to play in different offenses,” James explained. “Some of the things are similar, some of the things are not, but you hear certain [similar] terminology. I’m starting to get more comfortable as we go along in camp.”
The 27-year-old wideout hauled in 57 passes for 569 yards and four touchdowns last season with the Giants – good for career highs in each category.
James’ experience learning Kafka’s offense in New York should be a key advantage for him as he looks to get a fresh start with the Chiefs. The terminology may not be the same word-for-word, but there are bits and pieces that overlap from both sides and, in a system as complex as Andy Reid’s, any leg-up he can leverage at practice is a good thing.
