Jan 23, 2014; Honolulu, HI, USA; Carolina Panthers coach
Ron Rivera(left) and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker
Justin Houston(50) at practice for the 2014 Pro Bowl at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
A three-day mandatory minicamp begins today for the Kansas City Chiefs. Unlike voluntary workouts, players can be fined for failure to attend the camp, so there is some incentive to show up to camp. As a result, this is the most complete look we will have of the Chiefs roster since the end of last season. Here are three things to watch over the next few days.
WILL JUSTIN HOUSTON SHOW UP?
We talked a little yesterday about how the focus of the offseason drama now turns to Justin Houston, who sat out all of the voluntary workouts to presumably argue for a new contract. Sitting out voluntary workouts is one thing, but choosing to accept a fine in order to make a strong case for a new contract is another.
According to Nick Jacobs, the total sum of money for missing the entire mandatory minicamp isn’t too much relative to what Houston will make this season (and with a new pending contract):
What this turns into now is a game of speculation and risk. Most of the reason Houston sat out OTAs is because he didn’t want to risk injury during the negotiating period. He literally had nothing to lose financially or in developing his skill by sitting out. This round of practices at least start to challenge how far Houston is willing to go to make his point about wanting a new deal.
Houston showing up means we’ll at likely get to hear his side of where negotiations are right now with the Chiefs when he’s made available to the media. Not showing up could signal a potential training camp holdout, something that would be less than ideal.