After being saddled all his life with a name that sounds like a vulgar insult, “Mr. Irrelevant” felt like an identity upgrade.

So when he appeared before the Kansas City media during a rookie minicamp on Saturday, the last player taken in the 2009 NFL draft was ready for question No. 1.

Your last name – uh, exactly how is it pronounced?

“It’s ‘suck-up,’, believe it or not,” Ryan Succop said with a big, good-natured grin.

When the room fell silent, he looked around and grinned again.

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Here’s a look at the Kansas City Chiefs’ minicamp.

The Chiefs are very excited about the potential of rookie defensive linemen Tyson Jackson and Alex Magee, praising both for their versatility.

Former Iowa QB Drew Tate and former Missouri QB Chase Patton are at camp on a trial basis.

The Chiefs were running the 3-4 defense exclusively during the portion of practice open to reporters.

The Chiefs are looking to create competition in the kicking game.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley likes the attitude of Mr. Irrelevant, Ryan Succup, the final pick in the NFL Draft.

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That mere fact wasn’t cause for the Chiefs to celebrate. It was just a rookie minicamp and veterans Glenn Dorsey and Alfonso Boone weren’t around to defend their turf.

Still, it’s May and a time for dreams, so the Chiefs are hopeful the Jackson-Magee combination is something they’ll see soon — and for many years to come.

They played in college in different parts of the country, Jackson at LSU and Magee at Purdue, but became friends while preparing for the combine together last winter in Florida.

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Here’s a look at the first day of the first rookie minicamp of the first season of the first new head coach to be hired by the first new G.M. in Kansas City in 20 years. . . .

When eyeballing the salad that is his class of first-year players, coach Todd Haley found not a single rat:  “There are some physically good-looking guys.  As far as practice went, their heads are spinning.  There were a lot of errors out there for sure.  There’s no doubt about it.  It’s hard to evaluate them off one practice, but as far as the eye test, there are some guys that passed it, clearly. . . .  To see them in a Chiefs uniform and helmet, it’s a big thing.  It makes it real.”

A total of 33 draft picks, undrafted rookies, younger veteran players, and tryout-basis guys were present for the start of the camp.

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From Agent Drew Rosenhaus' twitter account:

Zach Thomas is happy to be playing middle linebacker again. He expects to a big season for the Chiefs returning to his best lb position.

source...

Todd Haley breathed a sigh of relief Friday as his first draft class opened a three-day rookie minicamp.

All eight draft picks, including first-round defensive end Tyson Jackson, reported for duty and showed they belonged on an NFL practice field, at least athletically.

“There are some physically good-looking guys,” said Haley, the new Chiefs coach. “As far as practice went, their heads are spinning. There were a lot of errors out there for sure. There’s no doubt about it. It’s hard to evaluate them off one practice, but as far as the eye test, there are some guys that passed it, clearly.

“You put a lot of time into evaluating these guys, and I know it’s an exciting time for the scouts and it’s an exciting time for anyone that’s put time in on the evaluation process. Most of these guys, we’ve just seen on tape. We don’t get to see them up close, at least the coaches. We don’t get to go to practices or see them live other than the combine or if they’re in here on a visit. To see them in a Chiefs uniform and helmet, it’s a big thing. It makes it real.”

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