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August 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Chiefs’ Eric Berry leaves practice with heel pain

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry left the Chiefs’ practice for the second time this training camp on Tuesday as he continues to be bothered by tendinitis in his right heel. Berry missed a few days of practice last week with the heel injury. He eventually returned to workouts but did not play in the Chiefs’ preseason opener against Cincinnati.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that the team will continue to monitor Berry and rest him as needed, though it’s unclear when he’ll return. Kansas City plays at Carolina on Sunday. Defensive end Mike Catapano also left practice with the same illness that has sidelined him for much of training camp. Kicker Ryan Succop remained out with groin inflammation.

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Chiefs finally building up depth at wide receiver

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The past few years in Kansas City, it’s been Dwayne Bowe and everyone else at wide receiver. Bowe is the unquestionable leader of the group, but Junior Hemingway also has emerged as a big, reliable slot target. De’Anthony Thomas already has proven to be an electrifying playmaker, whether the rookie’s taking a handoff or splitting out wide. And a group that includes Donnie Avery, Kyle Williams, A.J. Jenkins and Frankie Hammond Jr. has all had moments of brilliance.

While he put some of the best numbers of his career last year, many of those yards came on dump-offs and short passes that running back Jamaal Charles turned into big plays. Smith hardly had the same kind of big, rangy targets such as Michael Crabtree that he had in San Francisco.