Chiefs Casting: A Prep View for Alchemy Day

Well, it’s over. The Chiefs go 3-0 in an abbreviated preSeason. Next up is the “Club” House internals where the powers that be decide who is on the active roster or the practice squad. Along with Laddie Morse, I contributed to an article four days ago called, “The 53-Man Roster Blitzkrieg.” Click the link to get a refresher is you like.

I looked at it again before sleeping last night and still thought it was a good stab at predicting the Chiefs final roster. After last night’s contest vs the Vikings, I decided to approach it a different way. Here are those thoughts based on the questions that I posed to myself in this simplified process.

My list of players who impressed me is lengthy:

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Along with the Vets: the ‘Usual Suspects’.

Biggest disappointments? Cornell Powell… however… that doesn’t change my original view of his potential.

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On Offense

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QB – Did any starters change to this point. My point is, would the performance of Buechele make me adjust the roster? My answer is no. I was very impressed with Shane Buechele. I can see him in the Chiefs future, but my QB list doesn’t change. Patrick Mahomes and Chad Henne, I discussed this with Laddie on Saturday. Would I think the Chiefs keep 3 QBs? No. Would another team think highly enough to acquire Buechele? Possibly, but that would mean the other team has suffered a QB loss or they are willing to carry 3 QBs on the active roster, because if you select a player from another team’s PS, they must go to the Active Roster of that team. PS Roster: Shane Buechele.

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RB – The initial list that we proposed was: Proposed RB Group: CEH, Williams, McKinnon & FB Michael Burton. Did any other RB do enough to supplant any of the Four? Yes: Derrick Gore? Did any RB make a bid so that the RB group would require 4 RBs on the roster? Now, here is a possibility. Some analysts and sportswriters indicate that Darwin Thompson would be the #4 RB, and that the Chiefs, like many teams, could subtract out the FB position due to other roster needs (such as TE/H-B). Let me turn this question around a bit. Do I think Darwin Thompson has done enough to retain a roster spot? My Answer: is no. Did Derrick Gore do enough to make a bid to replace Darwin Thompson if they retain a total of 5 players for the backfield? Yes. My view of this shifts to overall roster spots and needs as well as player talent. Would I give up Reid’s coveted FB role to keep Derrick Gore on the Roster? Possibly.

Caveat for both the TE position and the RB roles: Chiefs go with 4 men and not 5, then take into account the value of coveted roster spots. Here, I can free up 1 potential position by releasing Darwin Thompson. Another spot could be retained due to my Caveat note below. I merely cannot see D-Train as offering something different enough among the RB’s to be retained. I believe a choice between FB and Thompson is going to go to Burton. Then I consider that Gore could go to the PS. Would he be a player poached by another team? Very possibly. If I add Gore to the PS, then I now have two players on that list.

Another Caveat: TE/H-Back, Noah Gray might allow Reid to consider giving up a true FB in favor of keeping Gore and using the athleticism of Gray (FB, TE, H-Back). Odd Man Out: Darwin Thompson.

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Wide Receiver – This has become a very problematic group. The players who have made their top bid to be among six WRs were altered in preseason games. WR List: Hill, Hardman, Pringle, Robinson, Fountain, Powell. Despite how much I really believe in Cornell Powell, he did not showcase his talents for an active roster spot. Both Laddie and I felt that Robinson was a player on the bubble. However, he’s never been my optimum choice as a WR. Does his time with the Chiefs, and knowledge of the playbook, as well as his familiarity with QB Patrick Mahomes, make him an asset? Answer: Yes.

Looking at the same list and understanding how S/T Coordinator Dave Toub sees it, I would retain Powell over Robinson. Has anyone made a bid via preseason performances to force his way onto the list of six WRs? Yes: Marcus Kemp and Daurice Fountain. In our Blitzkrieg article, we listed Robinson as the potential bubble player, but what makes this more difficult to entertain is Dave Toub’s recent public remarks about Robinson –> “He drives me nuts.” At the same time, Cornell Powell has played special teams and also had 3 receptions in preseason games. Marcus Kemp played extremely well and was a top special teams performer to boot. In our list, I move Kemp to the 6 active roster players but feel I must strike Powell from the list. He won’t likely be a candidate for another team to select from our PS Roster. However, as noted, Cornell Powell hasn’t convinced me he should retain a roster spot but I remain confident that he should be retained. Strike Cornell Powell and add Marcus Kemp.

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PS: Cornell Powell. I had thought that Robinson could be included in a trade package. He remains my “out” if another change is made on the original list. If that could happen, were I Veach Reid, Bieniemy, Blaymeier, I pull the plug on that deal without question. I doubt it really is plausible.

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TE – we previously listed three TE’s: Kelce, Gray (offers hybrid potential as well), and Fortson. Blake Bell was the odd-man-out. I am more convinced now that Bell will be on the active roster in addition to the three we listed (So, I’m back to Four TEs). The talent of Noah Gray and the fact that he can fulfill multiple roles is a decision point for me. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Fortson makes the group. Blake Bell has to be considered the top traditional NFL TE and a superior blocker.

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OL – This is the Chiefs most problematic group, of the offense. We previously listed:

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We deliberated about retaining Wylie due to his veteran versatility. We also addressed the fact that Kyle Long is on the PuP and LDT would either be retained on the 6-week IR or released outright. Beyond this, Austin Blythe is, likely to be a candidate for retention, but had hernia surgery and he and LDT would likely be available early in the 2021 season, but neither are likely to require the 6-week IR. Anyone on that list uses up a roster spot at the same time.

I am wont to change the list today. It’s at this point that I question myself.

Does NFL experience have an import in the decision-making process about the OL? Yes. LDT, Blythe, or Wylie and it could be all three players. Also, Kyle Long is on the PUP while LDT and Blythe are in rehab, but if either is on the 6-week IR, they will still occupy an existing roster spot. I really like what we have seen from Williams, Durant, and Tega Wanogho. I am not sure now, how this works out, but they are the last three from my original list. It seems to me that this is unlikely. I would replace these three young players with Blythe, LDT, and Wylie. Why? Because It is unlikely that the three young players will be selected by another NFL team. Wylie is versatile enough at the same time to be a value and goes to the PS. The new list would look like this, for example:

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On Defense

There are very difficult decisions for this side of the ball and several players rise to at least capture my attention. But the problems to be considered are good problems to have. Mostly, the list remains intact from previous efforts.

The Front Four

I really like what the defensive Front Four have done and we can now add at least a higher outlook for 4th rounder Josh Kaindoh in the process. I’d make no changes to our original projection, so it looks like this:

DE: Clark, Danna, Okafor, Kaindoh, Ward

Hybrid DE/DT: Chris Jones

DT: Reed, Nnadi, Wharton, Saunders

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I see no reason to think that Tyler Clark at DT made enough noise to make the roster. Also, Demone Harris didn’t surpass Tim Ward at DE.

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Linebackers – the LB group has made significant noise in preseason. I like each of the players for a reason. I’m hyper-excited for 2021 and much of that is due to the draft picks of Willie Gay and Nick Bolton in 2020 and 2021. Yes, I was highly critical of Anthony Hitchens in 2020. Coming to camp and in preseason though, Hitch has impressed me tremendously. Now, I think the LB corps is like money in the bank, for the first time in the Reid era. Here’s our previously LB forecast: Hitchens, Gay, Bolton, Niemann. The player that stands out as having made no noise is Ben Niemann. Did anybody make me want to reevaluate the LBs? Yes. Omari Cobb. At any rate, I still think that this group is a lock. I do want to add a 5th Linebacker and that would be: Omari Cobb. Cobb hasn’t just flashed, but played NFL-quality football throughout camp and in preseason games. My list now contains 5 players on the active roster. At worst? Omari Cobb goes to the PS.

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Cornerbacks – This group is mostly unchanged in my view. It was: Sneed, Ward, Hughes, Fenton, Baker, Keyes. Now, Keyes remains the most questionable, but the first 5 is going to be a very solid group and Chris Lammons may have made his bid. While I’ve worried about the group and wanted to retain Bashaud Breeland (for a veteran presence) we all saw Breezy get beat badly by Tyreek Hill. At the same time, GM Brett Veach added both Mike Hughes and Deandre Baker and we’ve seen both additions play very good in coverage. If anyone failed to impress, it was BoPete Keyes and in the meantime, I really like what I’ve seen from the former Nebraska CB Dicaprio Bootle. I’d put Chris Lammons, Dicaprio Bootle, and possibly BoPete Keyes on the PS.

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Safety – the back end of the defense is going to be very strong for the Chiefs. All the safeties are good in run support. The hybrid-type capability exists due to what both Tyrann Mathieu and Dan Sorensen bring to the table. No Changes here: Mathieu, Sorensen, Thornhill, and Watts.

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We have had a bit of disappointment in the Safety room. Am I disappointed with the group? The opposite. However, who was a disappointment? Devon Key. Key made early splashes, but appears to be an active roster casualty. PS Players: Devon Key, Rodney Clemons of SMU (1 yr of NFL experience), and UDFA Marlon Character.

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Specialists – No changes to this group exist. Winchester(LS), Butker(PK), Townsend(PU)

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This review revises my thoughts and brings a more realistic assessment before Alchemy Day, which is in two days, Tuesday, August 31. I didn’t worry about tallying to 53… because of the caveats. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please let us know about it.

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David Bell – ArrowheadOne

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