Chiefs CBs: Not Braggadocio!

David Bell

A Recent Tale of Many Tales

I deliberated about this topic for a few days and had to put getting this ready For ArrowheadOne until Friday Night. I have traveled central Texas extensively for three weeks, from Bandera, to San Antonio, to San Marcos, across to Houston, to Rockport and Corpus, back to New Braunfels Canyon Lake… and more. Not only this, but my younger son’s Mother-in-law passed away last Sunday. She was younger than I at age 71, and the funeral services will be held in Houston on Monday Morning. That culminates all that has gone on over the past weeks. Sure, it is personal, but sometimes life gets in the way of marriages – in this case, I to the Kansas City, Chiefs. I arrived back in the Houston area and have worked to assist my elder son’s (Francis/Frank) efforts to re-establish himself, State Side. after a six-year hiatus living in Europe, including Turkey, Spain, Cypress, and Estonia. I am here in Katy, TX to support my younger son, Ian, and his spouse, Mary Adkins Bell. It was the passing of Mary’s mother that saw me arrive a few days ago, but I had to take a sojourn to assist Frank(as best as I was able for four days). All I can say is that all this has worn me to a frazzle.

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Ideas I Have Promoted at AO

Recently, I have written about the prowess of different position groups with a focus on Defense. I have touted the upcoming linebacker corps as a group that will become a top-five group during the play of the 2023 season. I also wrote about the Chief’s Safety group, which I believe will join the elite team groups in the NFL rankings in 2023. In my mind, those are two position groups that I think will be superior in their execution during the upcoming season.

Today’s Date –> Adding a Third Position Group to my list of Superior Units — the Chiefs Cornerback Unit

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L’Jarius Sneed INT – Forbes photo

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L’Jarius Sneed: Superior Talent

Sneed can play effectively at a high level both Inside and Outside. This versatility is a boon to Dave Merritt’s Group, and without apology, I must give Giant credos to Merritt as we witnessed in the 2022 Season. He took on three Rookies, and all three players provided significant play-making moments during the season and in the playoffs. Dave Merritt deserves all the accolades for that reason. Meanwhile, he has tutored Sneed whose ability to be in the right place at the right moment, came to fruition for the Aerial Defense and in Run-Defense support. Not only did he perform well in both categories, but he did this whether he was playing the edge or the slot. Not only that, but Sneed added to DC Steve Spagnuolo’s overall scheme-to-scheme playcalling with quick, timely blitzes that were part of the complete defense’s ability to shut other teams outside the scoring zone. LJ may not yet be a “Shutdown Corner,” but he is getting close. It’s my view that 2023 will see the culmination of his growth in the NFL. For that matter, from what I witnessed, week-in-week-out was an extremely solid Cornerback that joined other Stalwarts such as Chris Jones(DT) and LB Nick Bolton.

That Being the Case?

Laddie and I had at least two phone conversations about Sneed and his import with a view of what it will take to retain him. Sneed is in his contract year and remains un-extended. I made a note for Laddie in one of those ArrowheadOne article conversations that I would prefer to extend CJ and retain Sneed as a more important expenditure of funds than either bringing DeAndre Hopkins to the fold or making Frank Clark’s return a priority (when FC was still possible). Why, you may well ask? My answer revolves around versatility and multi-faceted contributions.

Sneed has become one of the leaders of the back end of the Chief’s defense. He coordinates with Safety Justin Reid while communicating with the Chief’s LB corps. To lose LJ would be to lose a crucial cog on the defense, and that’s my biggest worry, aside from how the Front Four performs in 2023. I raise no sweat of the LB Crew, and believe the safety corp is in solid hands. For example, the quiet, serious Spoken Justin Reid grew solidly in his takeover from the oft Volatile Tyrann Matthieu. I believe Sneed fulfills a serious, well-taken leadership for the CB group to that displayed by Reid. Translate that to the green-dot LB in front of the CBs. Nick Bolton has a similar maturity about him that bodes well for the second tier of the Chief’s defense. If you look at the import of communication among the defense units, I firmly believe in the import.

Trent McDuffie: Outside Dependability

McDuffie missed five games due to injury in 2022. It was a bit of a freaky thing. In truth, I wasn’t worried about how well McDuffie would fit save his height. When he was drafted, I was all over it and believed he would be a solid, year-one contributor. His play proved my point. Bryant Stewart at ArrowheadPride wrote a piece called: “Trent McDuffie looks like the real deal” in whi he said:

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“McDuffie is proving to be much more the exception than the rule in that he checks so many boxes a defensive coordinator would want — all besides length and overall size. He shows the necessary foot speed to compete, and the internal instincts that made him such a fun watch through his college film continue to pop.”

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Stewart goes on to show film study so you might want to check it out. Here’s one of his shared videos:

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One stat that is his biggest credit of his 2022 accomplishments, was passes defensed stat: seven (7). McDuffie can also play inside, and he did so in 2022. That is important. He also recorded a sack from an outside blitz. Of course, we need to see him in action in 2023 and find out if the proof is there in his second year. Sure, that is an expectation at this point. I believe it is a solid proposition that helps bind the CB Group!

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Two More Players:

Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson

These two players are likely the next tier of defenders. Both players had play-making moments in 2022. Both have a valuable and uncoachable asset — > size: they are tall at 6-2 and 6-3. When a CB is missioned with a taller, wideout or the coverage responsibility for a Tight End, the Chiefs can cope well with the situation.

Watson’s big moment was a 99-yard pick six for a TD vs the Chargers. What a play. A succinct article about the play can be found, here at Touchdownwire called: “Anatomy of a Play: Inside Jaylen Watson’s game-winning pick-six.“

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Doug Farrar Image credit

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In the playoffs, Watson accounted for 11 Solo tackles… in the Divisional Playoff Game, the AFC Championship and Super Bowl. That is tough work for a CB, and Watson did well. Joshua Williams accounted for 7 PDs during the season, also adding an INT during the regular season. I had Watson on my draft list, and dag-nab-it if the GM Brett Veach didn’t select him, albeit in the 7th round.

Williams was not on my radar at all. I think the 5th round selection of Williams must be credited to the Chiefs Scouting crew. One of the factors that aid players from my frame of reference is secondary player’s height and arm length. Both Watson and Williams add to those mysterious physical assets, which cannot be coached. Williams came out of an HBCU School, Fayetteville State. His story book in year one is worthy of notice as this Fayetteville Observer article details and is called: “How Fayetteville’s Joshua Williams can make history with Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl.” Check it out.

I cannot make a judgment about who is of greater import: Williams or Watson. Flip a coin. The Chiefs are fortunate to have them both.

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Joshua Williams vs Bengals game photo

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How well do these two Corners — Williams and Watson — advance in 2023 remains to be seen, but the word out of the OTAs from the coaching staff, is that the group is extremely confident. At that juncture, it’s about all we can expect. The Cornerback group may be the effluvial growth we all hope will come to fruition. There are more players to note, such as Nic Jones, and Dicaprio Bootle has returned to camp.

I keep in mind that there are veterans vying for a role among the crew.

As for me? I think our Cornerback room is in solid hands from Dave Merritt down to and through the players competing for a final 53 roster spot.

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David Bell — ArrowheadOne

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