One of the more exciting moves the Kansas City Chiefs made this offseason was signing former professional rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit.
It was an outside the box acquisition for the Chiefs that comes with a low risk and could potentially have a high reward. Rees-Zammit is just 23 years old, which gives him plenty of time to get acclimated to the NFL. He is also a superb athlete who coach Andy Reid could have a lot of fun utilizing in his offense.
Rees-Zammit has the speed and shiftiness to make an impact in the league. As a former rugby player, he also has experience absorbing and delivering big hits. From a physical standpoint, he has all the tools. With training camp now underway for rookies, Rees-Zammit is learning that he will be challenged mentally just as much as physically.
When speaking to reporters after his second day of practice on Thursday, Rees-Zammit noted that the biggest learning curve he faces is the playbook.
“I think it’s just learning all the plays," Rees Zammit said. "(It’s) so different (than) what I’m used to. Obviously, in rugby you don’t have to learn as much, but I think physically I’m in good shape. I think rugby really prepared me for this with the conditioning (and) just being in physical shape. I think the biggest difference is just mental. Just staying on top of things, staying on top of the playbook and making no mistakes.”
Reid's offense can be complex. Timing is an important factor in his passing game, as well as knowing blitz protection pickups. As a running back, if you can't figure out how to pass protect, you're not going to get a lot of playing time for Reid. Fortunately, Reid is also great at simplifying things for his playmakers.
Reid knows that Rees-Zammit has a lot of learning and growing to do. He'll get him comfortable by getting the ball into his hands in space and letting his athleticism shine. The more Rees-Zammit settles in, the more Reid will give him to do. Not to be forgotten is special teams, where Rees-Zammit can also make an impact.
Special teams isn't as complex mentally, allowing players to use their physical gifts to fly around and make plays. Rees-Zammit will have opportunities to contribute on punt and kickoff coverage as well as a return specialist. This will be his best path to cracking the 53-man roster, with any contributions on offense being a bonus.
