Chiefs Camp: The Wide Receiver Log Jam-or-amma
Laddie Morse
Chiefs Camp starts at 9:30 this morning.
Here’s what Weather.com for Saint Joseph Missouri this morning projects as. HC Andy Reid may call outdoor practice off, and head in doors, if he sees or hears about any lightning associated with this storm. Otherwise, practice will commence as usual.
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“Whatever else anything is, it aught to begin by being personal.”
– Dialog from “You’ve Got Mail“
These cut-down dates are personally meaningful, especially to the players who are cut. There’s no denying that the Kansas City Chiefs have more talent at the wide receiver position than they’ve perhaps ever had before. The dilemma that the Chiefs find themselves in comes as a result of having train loads of talent at the position, and little time to decide who’s staying, and who’s going. The NFL cut-down dates for 2022 are:
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- August 16: 90 to 85 players
- August 23: 85 to 80 players
- August 30: 80 to 53 players
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Yes, as early as today, the deadline date — August 16th (by the end of business today) — the Chiefs will have to make five total cuts (most of which they made yesterday) to their roster and it’s likely that a couple of those cuts will be a WR. While K.C. has another preseason game this Saturday, the 20th (at 3:00 CDT) to help them determine who should be released… next Tuesday, the 23rd, they’ll have to trim the whole big banana down to 80 players. Meaning, five more total players must be shown the door.
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It was just nine days ago that GM Brett Veach signed another WR, Devin Gray (8-7-22), to give Andy Reid and Joey Bleymaier, WR Coach, yet another WR for their on field evaluation. If you’re keeping track, that would make the 13th WR for K.C., or 14th if you’re counting Jerrion Ealy as a WR instead of a just a RB (which is what it looks like the Chiefs are doing, judging by their roster info).
Last season, in 2021, the Chiefs kept five (5) wide receivers including:
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Tyreek Hill
Mecole Hardman
Byron Pringle
Marcus Kemp and
Demarcus Robinson
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Hill is now in Miami, Pringle is with the Bears, Kemp signed with the NY Giants, Robinson has turned-coat and plays for the Raiders… and now Hardman is the only one of the 2021 five WRs still with the Chiefs (which is looking like the right move). Although K.C. kept five WRs last year, I predict they’ll keep six (6) this year and here’s who they have to choose from:
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- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Mecole Hardman
- Skyy Moore
- Justin Watson
- Daurice Fountain
- Cornell Powell
- Corey Coleman
- Josh Gordon
- Omar Bayless – cut on 8-15-22
- Aaron Parker
- Gary Jennings – cut on 8-15-22
- Devin Gray
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If you take the top 5 WRs from this season, 2022, they are better than all of the 2021 WRs 2-through-5. That should mean QB Patrick Mahomes will always have someone open to complete a pass to, as long as his #1 in the NFL OL can continue to keep pressure off of him. The eleven play drive resulting in a TD to start the game, in Preseason Game one, was a great example of what we can expect from the offense this season. Longer, more sustained drives, means the defense will be on the field less and the defensive players should remain fresher as a result. Which also means we should see more 3-and-outs… multiplying the happiness in Chiefs Kingdom!
It’s hard to imagine that all of the players mentioned above will still be on the roster come Wednesday morning, tomorrow. The first five (5) WRs seem like a lock to me, especially with Justin Watson’s performance in Preseason Game One. Watson was a 5th round pick, #144 overall, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018.
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That leaves one spot open and a couple of Practice Squad roster spots, if they clear waivers. For the moment, I’m sticking with Daurice Fountain as the 6th man the Chiefs will keep.
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My six (6) WRs who stick with the Chiefs are also the exact same WRs that Charles Goldman selected in his 53-man roster projection:
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This means the following WRs will be cut, just as Goldman has projected:
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“Released: Cornell Powell, Corey Coleman, Josh Gordon, Jerrion Ealy, Aaron Parker, Omar Bayless, Gary Jennings and Devin Gray.”
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Of course, Goldman is referring to those who must be cut by the final deadline of August 30. My guess for the first WR cut today is Josh Gordon (update: looks like Gordon is safe for now). Andy Reid might say that Gordon has performed well and is one of the first one’s to be released so hopefully he can catch on with another team… as if it’s a favor to him to cut him first (so, maybe it’s CB Lonnie Johnson who was cut early so he can catch on with a lesser team). I’m guessing K.C. does the same with Gary Jennings (WRs Jennings and Bayless were the one’s cut). That would leave five WRs to be cut over the next two weeks.
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The question then becomes: who will K.C. want to re-sign after 24 hours to their Practice Squad? My projection would be:
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Cornell Powell, Devin Gray, and WR/RB Jerrion Ealy
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Who are you predicting ends up on the cutting room floor this week, and/or in weeks to come? I’m also projecting that K.C. will want to bring back Cornell Powell, Devin Gray, and Jerrion Ealy to the Practice Squad if possible, so let me know what you think about the PS returnees too.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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P.S. Yesterday was Danny’s Day: the first day for 345 lbs. DT at Chiefs Camp. Welcome to K.C. Danny!
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