Chiefs Camp, Offense: Just Who is Who and Why?

Chiefs Camp, Offense: Just Who is Who and Why? – My guys to watch  on the various player groups on offense is not a long list but I think it is an interesting group, one with some good internal fired up competition. Before we get into the offense, let’s quickly hit on the secondary.

The Secondary

Here are my thoughts for the the  is the competition that I feel is good for the secondary — most are on this list: Reaser, Fields, Harold J-Q, Soroh, and D’Montre Wade. I want all to push like crazy and battle it out, show their talent. Reaser? I have him succeeding to be the #4 CB in 2019. Keith Reaser because I followed him closely with the AAF and pulled for Veach to bring him back aboard and it has unfolded that way. I would like Reaser to show very well giving our two to watch above targets to emulate or attempt to overcome. Mark Fields has a heck of a lot of talent. It’s very possible he can also make this roster. So, this list has most of the guys in the secondary before you get to the assigned numbers in other words.

[Editor’s note: D’Montre Wade had the best day of any CB while stepping in for the injured Bashaud Breeland who cut his thumb]

Tight Ends: John Lovett and Blake Bell

On my list of important considerations is Tight Ends and this spells two players. The first is the hybrid ability of former QB John Lovett. Lovett is making the transition to TE but I think even more. He could be H-back, a backup QB on the 53 man roster and a surprise passer on the offense. I have read at least two other articles who wrote about the ability of Lovett to throw passes, a gimmick type think which Andy Reid likes to employ.

The way I see Lovett though is as a backup TE who can give the TE position a second player who will provide speed and YAC. In fact, this past week Lovett put that in the mid of the viewers on just such a play along the sideline seam. This is how I think Lovett could be kept aboard and provide valuable play plus Special Teams. Consider that both Lovett and Bell would be providing important roles to the offense with offensive punch by Lovett and top level blocking by Bell. Both also would provide solid contribution to Dave Toub.

Blake Bell, is the player I think the Chiefs can really use to help keep Mahomes panties clean but who can also make the catches as a more traditional TE. YAC is not going to be his way of contributing but he can get to the mark and make the catch and move the chains and is a very good blocker at the first level and in getting out into the 2nd level to make additional blocks.

John Lovett makes my list because I think he will make the 53 man roster due to multi-skills and position ability plus the ability to use his hybrid mix of talents is going to be something HC Andy Reid covets and then Bell has the NFL Skills developed having an NFL pedigree.

The Starting Offensive Line: Turn the Page

This is a group that is crucially important to protecting their QB and blocking for the RB’s and made a lot of progress in 2018 despite injuries to LDT and Mitch Morse. Here I am hoping to see a lot of plays called out of play action but also using RPO with PM2 making the run game even more formidable. The interior starters change from last year but all the players were also together as a group last season despite injuries and departures.

Starters left-to-right:

• LOT – Eric Fisher
• LOG – Andrew Wylie
• CEN – Austin Reiter
• ROG – Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (LDT)
• ROT – Mitch Schwartz

With the injuries that flowed with the season, having Reiter sub for Morse set the stage for his being called the center for the 1’s. Similarly, Wylie proved he belonged as a starter at guard.

Cam Erving Demoted?

This puts pressure on former starting guard Cam Erving who will now be the Swing Tackle (SW/T). Actually Erving has played and started in games at every position on the Offensive Line. I think his length makes him a Tackle but call him Super Sub for 2019. No, I am not down on Erving as some are. It appears to me that from the start with Cleveland and now in KC that he is versatile enough to play multiple positions which has value. Consider the next topic though.

Future Guards and Who They Are

If I consider that Erving is moving out of his Guard role to SW/T, then the “two’s” category are Kahlil McKenzie, Nick Allegretti which gives us 8 offensive linemen for the 53 man roster. Adding one more and perhaps 2 players to the PS will also occur.

The Chiefs and have put a lot effort into switching Kahlil Mckenzie to OG. They put him on the Roster and did not play him all season — a costly red-shirt year for a team making a run at the Super Bowl. The Chiefs must believe Reggie’s son really has something — that is the first real question and a battle of Offensive Line players to impact roles on the roster. For that reason, we need to keep an eye on Kahlil’s progress.

Adding to the McKenzie project, consider a second player: just how talented is Nick Allegretti ? All of a sudden a lot of hype went into bringing Nick forward after rookie camp but even before that, word came round that the Chiefs considered Allegretti undervalued and they were fortunate to draft him so late. Looking at limited clips of play tells me why: he was indeed overlooked and undervalued and someone on the Chiefs got a look at him and passed that on… or they had a scout find him, which is how he came to be drafted. He is the 2nd player to really watch closely.

Offensive Tackle Watch

That brings us to the 3rd question: if you have 2 nearly ready players on the roster, will that displace someone in front of them, which in my mind would have to be Cam Erving? So, to consider how well either McKenzie and Allegretti play, and replacing Erving would depend on at least one player strong enough to take on the SW/T role. Is there a tackle who is developed enough to play SW/T? I think you can see the drift of my thoughts about this. If Cam Erving has backed out of the starting rotation then it could be that he is going to be a potential roster cut… and that surprises even me.

The Tackles about who I am now looking closely at are Dino Boyd and Zack Golditch. I doubt Zack is the answer, though he has NFL time and I am now researching Boyd: stand by on that one. The Chiefs though are classifying Nick Allegretti as a Tackle which I did not know they were considering (if indeed they are). Internally it very well could be they are thinking of Nick as a Swing Tackle: I have heard that the Chiefs are now thinking about the potential of early impact play by Allegretti.

The last three players to consider are newcomers of course. They are Abdul Beecham, Ryan Hunter and Chidi Okeke. Hunter is a known factor who was on the PS from last year. Beecham and Okeke are rookies and though I have read a couple of positives about both, I do not know how strong they are to be sticking around.

Wide Receivers Situation

Whether playing Inside or out, the Chiefs are loaded with Wide Receivers. I have already covered my thoughts on how deep this is but I will remind everyone that the Chiefs speed demon-ish threesome: Hill, Watkins and Hardman… could be a challenge to any secondary on any team.

How soon Hardman is NFL ready remains the question but again I have seen, heard and read about how hard he is working. The fact that Hill returns is a value that cannot be underestimated either.

Getting to the second group of receivers is a source of strength so I will list the next 3 only. All three should be able to make a solid contribution to the aerial Chiefs: Robinson, Pringle and Deiter. I have no doubt about these 6 players. None. I do think it goes deeper than this as other teams will covet the players the Chiefs have and that may provide a trade opportunity to help get the Chiefs over the top on offense. This is a wait and see deal.

Lastly, there are 3 rookies to keep an eye on, maybe four: Cody Thompson, Jamal Custis, and Felton Davis. All appear to have talent. If there is one I like from film, and from seeing him in front of the camera, I like Thompson. I do think 1 or 2 of these players could go to the PS and it may be that 2nd year WR Marcus Kemp could be displaced.

[Editor’s note: several positive comments surrounded the height of WR Jamal Custis on the first day of training camp]

Final Thoughts

I don’t have a big concern about QBs and RBs. Henne is good enough to help the youngsters but if PM2 goes down, he is not the guy who could carry the team on his shoulders. There is Chase Litton and Kyle Shermer now in the learning mode so 2019 is probably Henne’s last year as a Chief. Running Backs seem to concern pundits. Pshawwhhhh. Damien, Darrel, Darwin and Carlos will handle the ground game just fine thank you very much. We also have the top FB in the game in Anthony Sherman, and if I have my way, add Lovett to the mix also.

I am glad Training Camp has arrived. Two weeks and then we have the first preseason game. It’s happening, finally! You may have other thoughts and I would like to hear them. Thanks for following along.

David Bell — ArrowheadOne

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