Chiefs: A Sunday “All-Mix’t-up” Bag

Chiefs: A Sunday “All-Mix’t-up” Bag – Kicking off another week of the “dead” time, I decided that with all the focal points that have come to the fore, I could take a peek at a few of them — but they are not contingent on one another – truly all mix’t up (a genealogy bit of humor in that term).

Unfortunate News of Alfred’s Demise

I will say that I can’t see a reason to have great worries. I do hear in conversation now, “…no worries….” in response or generalized repartee. Alfred’s demise was destiny ever since MAD Magazine ceased publication though I occasionally use his image for humorous or rhetorical purpose. I’ll still use Alfred every now and then.

How quickly will Mecole Hardman be ready for offensive snaps & what will Hill’s punishment be? 

I have already written about this before but let me iterate about Hardman specifically.

1) He was already on Veach’s draft board before the Hill Fiasco story broke. I think he moved up the board from round 3 due to the question about Hill being available.

2) Now that we know Hill will be available, the question becomes what sort of suspension can be levied? I am sure the NFL will impose a sanction. Comparative to 8 games or a season, the sanction should fit the infraction, let’s say it’s 2 games or 4 games.

That would give Hardman a bunch of reps with the ones, all preseason and either 2 or 4 games as a starter at the front end of the 2019 season. Enter stage right, the 3rd over the top WR who would give the NFL a top story to have written at the end of 2019’s regular season.

Bieniemy’s Pride and Joy

By the time week 3 or week 5 arrives (?) Hardman will be a somewhat experienced NFL player. I am sure he is that intelligent and savvy to how things are done the Chiefs way already. We move on from that point with 3 WR’s who can take the top off any defense. Who is the secondary going to cover with a double team? With focus of front end and back end? Add in Kelce to that 3 WR group?

Eric Bieniemy’s Pride and Joy –

• • Part Two: the Run Game

With those 4 players running routes  as noted above, let’s breakout the run game for Eric Bieniemy. We have starter Damien Williams, backup Darrell Williams followed by Carlos Hyde and rookie Darwin Thompson. Imagine this crew running behind a run game which takes off due to the 11-personnel aerial game noted above! The run game is going to take off — who can cheat up in the box for the run defense at this point? If the OL can disguise it’s run-blocking and pass-blocking so that they look alike, as the plays start… then I can see a running game that might give you an average gain of 5 yards per snap, no matter who is running the ball.

I like our OL. Not perfect but very good.

• • A top 10 type group or close to it

Eric Fisher is a very good run blocking OT. So is Mitch Schwartz. We have 2 young horses in the interior -Austin Reiter and Andrew Wylie — plus an experienced Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. This OL is a good run-blocking group. If they can begin their pass blocking as they would for the play-action… and their run blocking to appears the same… then the defense has to hold to wait on a potential pass, and the run game breaks wide open. Fisher has eliminated most of his pass blocking woes and the others, though learning, and a group that must gel in preseason, I see this as a strength that has not existed since before Reid arrived in KC.

What’s Patrick Mahomes to work on?

• • Can he repeat 2018 numbers & win a 2nd MVP in a row?

I think based on the offense he surely could repeat his numbers and be MVP again. What I think he is working on is his footwork coming off the snap and moving around the pocket as well as seeing things his WRs cannot see and prevent passing them into serious contact catches. Your Thoughts?

Will Brett Veach make another move before the pre-season?

• • $23.7M cap space remains available & more could be had with discretionary player releases

If had to guess, Brett Veach wants to have $2 to 4M prudent reserve as the Chiefs open the season. This might be viewed as monies available to make one more major acquisition for the 2019 season and still perhaps close one contract extension (see below).

All salaries are covered and the rookies are put to bed with sugar plums dancing in their dreams above their heads. This would leave Veach with 2 major contracts that would be great to get contracts extended for: Tyreek Hill and Chris Jones, before we get into preseason games.

Who is going to be the surprise Cap Casualty?

There are players who could be cap casualties for reasons of a lack of a skill or the need to expand Cap Space for extensions or player acquisitions. Who will be released  that will come as a surprise and why?

I propose that Dan Sorensen will be one such cap casualty. The reason he would depart is lack over top end speed which reduces his effectiveness in the free safety role (intercepting the play at the point of completion). Otherwise, I like Sorensen a bunch for his intelligence, reads and ability in the Nickel, Dime and Stunt game. These things could be valuable to Spagnuolo however, nor am I predicting this release. If Veach did cut Sorensen, the deal would be adding $1M dead money to the accounting book but the Chiefs would re-capture $3.7M in cap space. 

Do you have a proposed player for release to recapture Cap Space?

Will Veach Consider a Trade?

You bet. Sure. He already is because that conversation has already been enjoined. I can’t know who it would be but suspect that as camp gets underway and/or the preseason, the depth the Chiefs have at WR or the OL could be a strength for negotiation. [Think about trading a 6th round pick, Parker Ehinger for Charvarius Ward in the deal with Dallas last year.]

The Weak Rooms

Cornerbacks: Sure, Ward needs proving up and coaching up for a full seasons work in the NFL. Externals would tell us that Ward will succeed but he remains an exposure until he proves out.

It’s true that I wanted to go get former Chief and then former AAF player Keith Reaser after watching film from the AAF Games. He would likely be the 4th CB as things are aligned right now. This is also a risk for a player that the Chiefs would gamble in placing on the 44 man game roster. 2018 demonstrated that Reaser had the ability and needed to show it but a small injury ended up having major effect since it occurred at the time Reaser was being eyed for the 44 man game roster in 2018. He is back and rightly so (my own play review from the AAF). Reaser though, is another must-prove-it Cornerback.

Still, such a player as Ward, for example, or a player of greater and proven skill could arrive due to a trade due to other team’s emergency needs.

If I am answering this question it would be for the team to add to either the Cornerback or the Linebacker rooms. Those two areas have our greatest exposure due to unproven players or those who did not show well in 2018. Both groups must have significant play from players who have question marks and undecided halo’s or… devils horns… penciled in above their helmets.

Linebackers – I do think the linebacker situation worry is not resolved but it is a lot better off than it was before the addition of Darron Lee. I am still not certain due to the poor play from the interior LBs in 2018 but again, I believe this was due in great part to what the defensive coordinator was doing. He is gone.

Do you have a player in an room for the defense who you believe should be a question mark?

Is Andy Reid a believer in the strength of the Offense’s Power?

Andy Reid quotes tell us a lot about what he thinks of his offense. If you take a peek back up at my view on Hardman and then the OL entries, I think you can see what Reid sees. Keep in mind he is adding a whole series of offensive plays to the mix. He might even have fun setting the offense up for dominating the game… the score and the clock!

Who is the surprise keeper from the UDFA’s?

• • You may need the Spy vs Spy playbook to figure out your choice!

My guess here? Well, I have two. First Vanderbilt’s Bruno Reagan – 6’3″-315 OC who started in 40 consecutive games. Since I believe games are won from the trenches, it makes sense to keep such a player in the mix. Too, Center is a weak point in our player mix with both Morse and Devy released. Another reason to keep him is that he is versatile across the OL but especially all three interior positions will make the Chiefs 63 man roster. Cody Thompson, WR from Toledo, is an intriguing player for me so I will give him a nod also along with the possibility of CB Mark FIelds.

Who is your favorite UDFA to make the “63-man” Roster?

That’s Sunday’s “All Mix’t Up Mixed bag.

David Bell – ArrowheadOne

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