Chiefs: Team Additions of Purpose and Ending an Author’s Fugue – Let’s begin by talking about the addition of players to the mix this week. One thing is for sure, Injuries occur in camp and preseason and knock players out of the season and the perhaps even careers. In the NFL injuries are part of the daily grind. For the Chiefs? The first major injury was a young player I was following from the AAF getting injured and knocked out of the season: Keith Reaser. Then a back injury occurred to WR Gehrig Dieter, and he is in recovery mode. He can return but has not yet. I am sure that he was considered a player who would likely be selected to the roster. Meanwhile, WR Marcus Kemp had been showing marked development over 2018 and had been earmarked by most as making the roster. He was making plays on a regular basis and was true to form including route running and handling the ball then he tore his ACL and MCL and is now lost for the season.
This probably left the way open for Byron Pringle or Gehrig Dieter, or both, to make the roster or return from the injury list. However, on Tuesday, 8/20, surprising everyone, De’Anthony Thomas (DAT) showed up for practice having been resigned by Brett Veach. His return was in the middle of practice, he stepped in and returned a kickoff for a TD. Teammates cheered, especially a lot of Veterans who had played with DAT before. His leg was broken in 2018 (tibia) but is fully healed and he’s been working out since, cleared for all activity. Thomas has played the role of RB, WR and Special Teams (S/T) Returner and Gunner.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs also signed veteran OG Jeff Allen a player who was with the Chiefs when Reid arrived, and played 2013 with the team, took a big salary hike as a Free Agent and departed KC with some sadness but he felt that he had to take the opportunity for the benefit of his family. After a 2-year hiatus at Houston (2016 and 17) he returned in 2018 after being released by the Texans. He signed a one year contract with the Chiefs in 2018 and started 3 games at guard. The previous season he started 12 games with the Texans and 14 in 2016.
Now, Allen is getting an opportunity to play for the Chiefs for the third time as last years service was a one year contract that was not re-tendered. Allen’s return for another season will be a blessing for the Chiefs due to the fact that Allen has flexibility, as he has played every position the offensive line, including Center and Tackle, which makes him important depth for the Chiefs as a spot starter. He could also take over a starter role at the same time if it were needed at Guard and Center. He is not a good choice for long term replacement of an offensive tackle.
The Chiefs also added Wide Receiver Jalen Tolliver (6-3, 210) to the mix. Released to accommodate the moves were WR Davon Grayson and OG Abdul Beecham.
Major Headaches Revealed
A huge exposure is revealed because Cam Erving is barely performing at a journeyman level as indicated by his PFF numbers for 2018 and his performance this preseason. His play is okay for a spot snap as a depth player but not for a replacement at any position for long term. This is where my Author’s “Fugue” came in and it took a long time on Tuesday to break through my self-imposed parallax view of Cam handling the Swing role and one or the other of the young tackles would play well enough to take on the SW/T role.
This downside gets worse from this point on:
Allen’s return is due to his flexibility. What the action speaks to us is that he may be needed for just that reason but he is not a good choice as an in-season replacement at Offensive Tackle. He is a good choice if a Offensive Guard (OG) or the Offensive Center (OC) was knocked out of several games or a full season.
The first is obvious to most observers, understanding that his return is an indication of the problem at Offensive Tackle thus far in preseason. The young players who are tackles have not played well and are not ready to step up to the Swing Tackle role. That was needed… indicating a problem. First of all (SW/T), we know there is a problem as both Ryan Hunter and Dino Boyd did not have good showings thus far in preseason. That causes concern about having a reliable SW/T to rest the starters, Fisher and Schwartz, or replacing one of them. Chidi Okeke, Pace Murphy are development players.
Suddenly an exposure for depth is revealed because the play of Cam Erving is demonstrating that PFF’s grade is accurate and the eyeball test is true. Erving is not playing well and would be a very high risk taking on the OT role if a starter goes out for any extended period of time.
Further revealed is the fact that if either starting tackle is injured and knocked out of several games or for the remainder of the season, suddenly Patrick Mahomes keeping clean becomes a major problem.
Maximum Head Room
My thinking about the problem continued into the night and then I slept and woke up at 4:50 a.m. and made coffee and the realization struck me: Allen wasn’t added because of the tackle role — he was added back because the coaching staff felt the exposure exists due to offensive guard performance. It appears that the line coach, and/or Andy Reid, are concerned about Andrew Wylie (LOG) or the young backup, Kahlil McKenzie, are not going to be strong enough to take on the 1-2 role of the interior Guard on the left side, which probably means Nick Allegretti is not ready for prime time either.
Allen is a good solution if that is the case and resolves the concern. The problem continues at Offensive Tackle but having Allen can solve the spot snap problem at any position but that leaves the problem of backup experienced tackle and what to do about Cam Erving.
If that leaves you worried, it should. It kept me up last night and woke me early, and that is where this particular piece comes from. I think Allen solves the second problem where Offensive Guard play is concerned. I don’t see that we have a resolution at offensive Tackle, unless Brett Veach is working on a solution (trade or signing).
Back to my headache as it is extended but at least the fugue is gone thanks to ArrowheadOne’s Paul Pulley and Ladner Morse.
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
If you are viewing this in Apple News and would like to join the Discussion, [GO HERE.](http://arrowheadone.com/chiefs-team-additions-of-purpose-and-ending-an-authors-fugue/#disqus_thread)