by David Bell | May 12, 2019
Arrived at this point, we now have 90 men. It’s not the same 90 that were listed on Monday. Already 5 players have shifted out, and five in including the latest over the past 48 hours which saw RB JD Moore depart and offensive Guard, former Ram Zach Goldich, added to the roster.
A Malleable Roster
From this point on, we can wait and see things unfold and about all we can say is that a nearly full contingency of players at the top of things will be the basis for the roster. Among that number, hopefully the Chiefs will have playmakers and that the number of playmakers needs to be about 12 mixed between offense and defense.
UDFA’s Making the 53?
Each season players are added who might make the 53 man roster and others in addition, will be added to the Practice Squad (10 players deep). Last year, 3 players made the roster from this type of recruit.
Some names to keep an eye on from the list of UDFA’s would include CB Jalin Burrell (NM), LB Gary Johnson (UT), and WR Cody Thompson, or maybe even Andrew Soroh, DB (FAU). I don’t know about any of these being sure bets or any other. I sort of think though that the Chiefs are trying to figure out how a multi-position player like John Lovett out of Princeton might fit (QB, FB, H-back, & TE). I think that is an interesting effort at the very least.
Chiefs Roster Basics
Without creating much controversy, I think I can create a decent facsimile of an opening day starters list and add a few impact players for depth at the same time. There is a caveat to add in that Tyreek Hill may or may not be a Chief come September… or might be a Chief but suspended. At any rate, the roster below is created sans Hill and it gives a lot of room for the work to be done with young player additions.
20 on the Offense
- QB: Patrick Mahomes
- QB#2: Chad Henne
- RB: Damien Williams
- RB2: Carlos Hyde
- RB3: Darwin Thompson
- FB: Anthony Sherman/John Lovett? Lovett likely to the PS
- WR1: Sammy Watkins
- WR2: Mecole Hardman
- WR3: Demarcus Robinson
- TE #1: Travis Kelce
- TE#2: Undetermined (need a true offensive threat at #2)
- TE#3: Blake Bell?
- LOT: Eric Fisher
- ROT: Mitch Schwartz
- LOG: Cam Erving
- ROG: LD-T
- OC: Austin Reiter
- OC#2/OG: Nick Allegretti
- SW/T: Andrew Wylie
- SW/G: Kahlil McKenzie
22 on the Defense
- DE: Frank Clark
- DE: Alex Okafor
- DT: Chris Jones
- DT: Derrick Nnadi
- DE #3: Breeland Speaks
- 1-tech/3-tech: Emmanuel Ogbah
- 1-tech: Kahlen Saunders
- 1-tech/3-tech: Xavier Williams
- SILB: Anthony Hitchens
- MLB: Reggie Ragland
- WILB: Dorian O’daniel
- SAM: Damien Wilson
- LB Need: Undetermined – experience Vet LB
- OCB: Charvarius Ward
- OCB#2: Bashaud Breeland
- SCB: Kendall Fuller
- OCB #3: Keith Reaser
- CB Need: – Undetermined(Experienced Quality vet needed)
- SS: Tyrann Mathieu
- FS: Juan Thornhill
- S#3: Armani Watts
- S#4: Jordan Lucas
3 On Special Teams
- PK: Harrison Butker
- PU: Dustin Colquitt
- LS: James Winchester
Any Major Weaknesses?
I’ve given my views on this topic and the top 3 areas of need are: CB, LB, and TE.
Further Speculations?
A lot has been written about pending Free Agents. Laddie observed on Saturday that no moves had been made to add quality players. I suspect though that in the background, GM Brett Veach, his staff and the coaching staff are using the phones to find players who can fill needed areas of weaknesses. I highlight what those were. There are a couple of players that could really fit KC’s needs available and one just became available –-> Kyle Rudolph, TE of the Vikings could provide the Chiefs a legitimate, proven player for TE#2.
I’d like to pencil in Jamie Collins for the Chiefs at LB but, no information turns me to a belief that he is a true possible signing. The Chiefs would have to work a trade to get Rudolph and his cost plus is going to be at the $7.5M+ type range and the Vikings balked at going with that. Craig Stout had written weeks ago about adding Collins to the LB crew. He fits, according to Craig’s work, as the 43 SAM LB. He would add speed to the LB posited Stout: “Would give a solid vet in the LB crew at the same time.” At any rate he is going to be an off ball LB if brought about and would give the Chiefs an added quality player to the House group of Linebackers. I think he would take put a pressure on Anthony Hitchens. Hitch would either strut his stuff or fail and Collins would step it up. That competition would be good for Hitchens but it would be costly. It could though, give a solid upgrade for the LB room overall and that is what the weakness is about. Collins would likely be a $10M+ investment at age 28. I doubt this occurs but, Cody Benjamin ID’d the Chiefs as a high potential landing spot in a statement made for CBS sports.
So far, it’s nothing more than speculation on any of the higher quality possible players being a target of Veach & Co.
Right now? Veach has a bit over $17M in cap space to work with. An aside observation as an example only: I did not include Dan Sorensen in my group of players.
E N D N O T E S
We haven’t gotten to the OTA’s so this is all an initial review. It’s a long road to get to opening day. The roster looks strong with a lot more depth than previous seasons. It has exposures, like previous seasons, but it certainly appears at the outset to be a lot farther along toward a team of strengths than it has been in the past 6 seasons.
The Chiefs have gone through a lot of players who were mainstays for the roster. It’s difficult to imagine the changes until you begin to examine them in detail. Offensive Linemen have come and gone. Many were fill in players but Mitch Morse and Jordan Devey were the most recent players to depart. At the same time, offensive line depth is very much improved: Austin Reiter and Andrew Wylie were added and proved much in 2018. McKenzie will have to do this in 2019.
At Tight End Demetrius Harris departs and there’s no proven #2 TE is on the roster. Deon Yelder is the most likely candidate at this point, Blake Bell adds veteran depth but not the starter type output that is needed opposite Kelce. This is especially true since the Chiefs loss of Kareem Hunt — and due to Ty Hill’s uncertain status – nor to diminish potential WR’s such has Hardman, Pringle or Robinson.
Myself? I don’t worry about RBs or even WRs. I listed the 3 positions where I would like to have quality talented. I guess I would have to say that the Chiefs have about 15 WRs on the 90 man roster. My personal wish is to see Gehrig Dieter make a tremendous splash along with Mecole Hardman in Hill’s absence.
My special wish? Gehrig Dieter to become a secret weapon for Mahomes, real time, but that is my wish list and who knows what will happen?
WHOOSH-BAM: Extended Wish List
What would be very tough to beat? Shuffle the deck such that Veach could add 3 aces to the roster: 1) trade for Rudolph, 2) add Peterson and 3) sign Collins. What say you? This is my wish list! What’s yours?
David Bell –- ArrowheadOne
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