Laddie Morse
A lot goes into any positions performing well in the NFL. Without a good RB, the OL can look silly. Without a solid DL, the LBs can look plain bad. You see… it’s all connected. So, let take a look at the Chiefs WR position in 2024 and what needs to happen for them to excel, instead of smell… as in skunkliness.
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Offensive Linemen
Who doesn’t remember Super Bowl LV when Tom Brady and the Buccaneers handed the Chiefs offense their lunch and it didn’t taste very good. That day, the Chiefs OL was made up of backups mostly and the Bucs came out on top 31-to-9. This year, the Chiefs will be going with a solid lineup from the LG to the RT: Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Jawaan Taylor. Taylor played miserably much of last year because of penalties. He led the league in that department. You can see him lining up with his right leg too far back in most clips.
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Andy Reid and Andy Heck, the OL Coach, should have that fixed in Training Camp, if they haven’t fixed it already. The point is, the Chiefs will be solid this year in 4 out of 5 positions along the OL and possibly 5 out of 5 if Wanya Morris and or Kingsley Suamataia work out.
If Patrick Mahomes has time to thrown deep, expect that to happen on a regular basis. However, I’ve already heard that Maxx Crosby — of Raidersville — and Joey Bosa — of the LA DeadBolts — are licking their chops at the very thought of Morris or Suamataia providing Mahomes with K.C.’s blind side protection.
The difference may be the Running Game of the Chiefs. With Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy providing the deep threat, Isiah Pacheco should be able to slice and dice opposing defenses. Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice should be able to make defenses pay because of the deep threat alone. Plus, you can count rookie TE Jared Wiley as being one of those who will be big contributors (0:23):
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We’ve come to expect Travis Kelce to overstate the possible performance of a teammate. However, in this case Kelce may be right on the money. Draft Buzz said of Wiley prior to the draft:
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“Jared Wiley enters the NFL Draft with a skill set that
flashes potential for versatility and impact at the pro
level. His frame, catch radius, and ability to snag
contested throws position him as a viable red-zone
threat and a mismatch option against smaller DBs in the
seam. Wiley’s alignment versatility and fluidity in space
highlight his potential as a chess piece in an
offensive coordinator’s playbook.”
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If Wiley excels at all, the Chiefs offense will be nearly unstoppable. I say nearly because we haven’t even begun to play ball yet. A lot will be determined once the pads come on in Training Camp later in July and during the preseason games in August.
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Rashee Rice
A lot of fans want to know what will happen with Rashee Rice and rightfully so. Just know that the NFL does’t make moves to suspend players until their full legal situation has played out. With Rice’s court date set to begin on December 9th of this year, you can expect delays and extensions filed on behalf of Rice by his attorney’s and we may not see it settled until sometime after the season is completely over.
Will that have an effect on the Chiefs season? You bet it will.
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Charles Omenihu
Same goes for the return of Charles Omenihu. While I expect him back earlier than originally thought, the Chiefs are slow to make moves that put a player in jeopardy, especially when it may effect that player’s future. While the return of Omenihu doesn’t directly effect the offense, it should be noted that he is ahead of schedule for his return.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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