These aren’t your father’s Chiefs. Yes, it’s the same organization that just went to back-to-back Super Bowls, but the names have all been changed to protect the ignorant… or something like that. The reality is… we’re in a different reality now. These Chiefs have rebuilt a their world using a ⛏ pickaxe tool instead of a 🥄 spoon for a shovel… when it’s a shovel they’ve been using for the past 8 seasons — a lackluster Minecraft reference, yea, but my grandson would like it — and while some have claimed that these Chiefs are, the same team with a few new faces, nothing could be further from the truth. Just look at the organizational changes and what they’ve meant to the team.
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New Team, New Destiny
Over the past 8 years, the Chiefs would typically not cut or waive a drafted player in their first and sometimes not in their second) season. When GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid agreed to allow both Cornell Powell and BoPete Keyes be cut on Tuesday — Alchemy Day — it did more than just signify a change from the way things were done in the past, it was the change itself. Powell was a 5th round pick this year and Keyes was a 7th round pick last year, and normally, the Chiefs would give a drafted player the favor of sticking to the 53 man roster long enough to see if they could be developed.
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Note: BoPete Keyes was poached by the Indianapolis Colts and DE Tim Wards was stolen by the New York Jets.
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The exception to that rule was 3rd round pick, KeiVarae Russell in 2016. However, we never really have known why they cut him so early, especially when they were in great need of a good CB (which he wasn’t, and hasn’t been. Russell has played for 5 teams in 5 years — he’s now onto his 6th with the Saints — but has averaged less than 40 snaps per season).
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Competition, the Price of Admission
The move to cut players like Keyes or Powell is not about them, as much as it is about keeping the players the Chiefs kept instead. That would be Daurice Fountain and Chris Lammons. The Chief kept the best players on their active 53 man roster and by so doing, have made competition the truest of realities. Now, players across the league know for certain, that if they sign with K.C. that they’ll be given the chance to compete for a job, and if they win that competition, they will be rewarded. Period.
No more free rides for players just because they happened to be a draft pick. Look at 6th round pick this year, RT Trey Smith. He’s worked his tail off and taken advantage of the opportunities he got early when others were not available, and now he looks like he’ll be a staple at the RT position, for years to come. Who would have thought that Andy Reid or Andy Heck would allow two rookies (virtually three when you take Lucas Niang into consideration) to be the starters along the right side of the offensive line.
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“Our staff does such a great job of turning over every stone, and I think we were here until midnight last night, just watching all these guys, and seeing, is there a way for us to get better on the active [roster[ and how can we attempt to grow and develop on the practice squad?”
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Veach also indicated they were only going to keep the best players and the most competitive players.
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“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life.”
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Straw, Sticks and Shoestrings
On little pig built his house out of straw and when the wolf came he burned it to the ground. When the second little pig built his house of sticks, the wolf blew that down as well. The shoestring reference is from my years as a public school teacher and we all knew what it meant to run a classroom on a shoestring because it was rare that a school district would reimburse us for the thousands of dollars we’d spend on out classrooms and students.
Why bring that up?
One good example is the Chiefs linebackers. In the Andy Reid era, do you know how many LBs (not referring to edge rushers) he’d drafted prior to last year?
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- Nico Johnson, a 4th round pick in 2013.
- Ramik Wilson, a 4th round pick in 2015.
- DJ Alexander, a 5th round pick in 2015.
- Ukeme Eligwe, a 5th rounder in 2017.
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That means, a Reid era teams has drafted zero LBs in 2019, 2018, 2016 and 2014, plus of the one’s he did draft, none of them were in the first three rounds. Until, last year.
This year, K.C. drafted Nick Bolton in the 2nd round (with the 58th pic overall), and last year, and last year they drafted Willie Gay Jr. in the 2nd round (with the 63rd pick overall), which is an about face on positions not focused on previously.
Another position that marks a departure from their old ways of doing things is their approach to constructing the offensive line. In typical years, Reid has used second hand OL, and players who other teams have gotten rid of, to make up a large percentage of his lineup, up front. Take a look at a comparison of the 2020 OL and the 2021 horses in the trenches:
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Note: That trade for Orlando Brown wasn’t as costly as it looks like at first glance, here I haven’t shown that the Chiefs got back a second-round selection in 2021 (the 58th overall pick), plus a 2022 sixth-round selection.
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The two columns in green show the vast difference in the draft capital investment made. This marks a definite departure in philosophy, in the way the Chiefs have put a team together. You only need to look at the way last year’s OL was created –> with one draft pick (invested) and 4 Free Agents… to… this year’s OL which is made up of –> 4+ draft picks (invested) and only one Free Agent.
The total amount of money the Chiefs are spending on the OL may be less this year compared to the total amount they spent last year, but that’s not the point. The point is, this team is being constructed in a completely different fashion. One that should produce dividends for years to come.
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Quick Change Chiefs
David Bell has made a great point that Brett Veach has made these OL changes in a short period of time during this offseason, in what seems like the blink of an eye. Credos to Brett Veach (and David Bell for noticing), but this goes well beyond our star General Manager’s efforts.
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Altering the Offensive Approach
It’s not only clear that HC Andy Reid has taken the loss in Super Bowl LV to heart, but he’s making changes that look to insure that no team will be able to do to the Chiefs, what the Bucs did to them in that game. Yes, that may begin with the Offensive Line, but it is much more far reaching than that.
A focus on the bigger bodied Tight End’s Reid has brought together is revealing. Outside of the Juan Thornhill interception, my favorite play in these preseason games was the pass from Patrick Mahomes to Blake Bell for a TD. Why? Because it not only shows that Bell is capable of making a play that we’re used to seeing Travis Kelce make, but it also means we’re going to see some creative “14” personnel offensive sets. 14 offensive personnel is a TE heavy package with just one RB and zero WRs. Why is that exciting? Because the Chiefs can not only dominate underneath routes with taller TEs, while leaving opposing team’s LBs and DBs guessing about who they’re going to match up with, but using TE’s who will act as WRs and blockers so they can go to a power running game as well from that set. Imagine Clyde Edwards-Helaire running — and hiding — behind a wall of massive blockers on one play… then on the next play going long with Tyreek and Mecole. It almost seems unfair to even think about.
I’ve been convinced for months that Andy Reid would restructure his playbook this offseason to design options that allow him to go away from using only Tyreek Hill and/or Travis Kelce as his primary options in the passing game… when needed. Not only will this new OL allow the Chiefs RBs to go off more frequently, but the additions of speedster RB Jerick McKinnon, the sure handed Daurice Fountain, and the expansion of the TEs implementation by keeping Jody Fortson… should all make sure Reid reaches his goals.
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This team is a different team than any we’ve seen in the Andy Reid era and don’t let anyone tell you it’s not. The times they are a-changing! Indeed!
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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