With the addition of receiver Jeremy Maclin, the Kansas City Chiefs want to open up the offense.
Alex Smith believes the veteran's presence, along with speed on the outside in Albert Wilson and De'Anthony Thomas can help improve the Chiefs' deep passing attack.
"Absolutely. I think two things: For one, the deep ball for sure is something that gets a lot of attention," Smith said, via ESPN.com. It's a matter of time and striking when it's right and being able to take advantage of those opportunities that are few and far between -- and when you get them, you've got to be able to hit them. That's kind of the nature of it.
"They are a lower percentage just across the board. I think as far as Jeremy goes, I think he's the type of receiver that excels in all the areas. I think that's his biggest strength is just watching from afar. I don't think you can kind of pigeon-hole him as just a speed guy or over-the-top guy. His game is way more complex than that, and he can do a lot of different things."
Maclin has certainly been a focal point of the Chiefs offense this offseason and preseason. Smith appears willing to trust the receiver enough to target him in traffic, a trait the quarterback was reluctant to do with his wideouts last season. (To be fair to Smith, his receivers also couldn't shake defensive backs to save their lives last year.)
Yes, the Chiefs want to open up the passing game. Yes, Maclin could help them do so. But it seems like every preseason we have this discussion about Smith, then he reverts to his conservative ways once the regular season starts.
The Chiefs' offense has looked potentially enticing in the preseason, but we'll believe it's changed when we see it in the games that actually count.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Jordy Nelson's knee injury and gives its winners and losers from Week 2 of the preseason.