by Ransom Hawthorne | 30, 2019
Excitement will inevitably surround the Kansas City Chiefs new acquisitions. Personally, I’m pretty hyped about Cody Thompson. Experience, however, teaches us that the Chiefs are better at getting something out of 2nd year players. Perhaps it’s learning the offense, adjusting to the speed of the NFL, or having a full off-season to get their bodies right. Whatever the reason, K.C. has a handful of players that have a clear path to playing time… if they can take a step forward. As training camp grows closer, here are some guys you may have forgotten, and probably shouldn’t have. Chiefs: don’t you, forget about me!
Ben Niemann: Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), Niemann was one of the highest graded Special Teams players in the NFL. ST Coach, Dave Toub, has a shiny new toy, Mecole Hardman, and he’d probably like to keep his best blocker in front of him. Even so, Spagnuolo uses enough variety, in his linebacker sets, that guys who make the roster, there, must be ready to play. Niemann is a very smart football player. He’s not the greatest athlete, but his technique, discipline and fundamentals are fantastic. As a SAM Linebacker, Niemann will push Damien Wilson and is likely to wind up with the final roster spot due to his STs prowess.
Byron Pringle: Pringle is a polarizing guy. Some are ready to make him the #2 WR, others aren’t so sure he beats out guys like Marcus Kemp and Gehrig Dieter. It’s worth remembering that Pringle already beat out Dieter last year. Chiefs told him he’d made the roster, before he got injured, whereas Dieter spent part of the year on the practice squad. The Chiefs stashed Pringle on the IR with an inguinal hernia injury, which he had surgery to repair. Recovery time, for such a surgery, is generally about four weeks, so there shouldn’t be any concern about him being healthy now. With a full off-season, in the playbook, Pringle will probably sit 5th on the depth chart (If Tyreek Hill plays), but he can still be productive in limited reps, thanks to his explosiveness.
Jimmy Murray: Murray came from a small program, but he plays with a big attitude. Chiefs love that nastiness on OL, and loved it enough to keep him on the 53 man roster (starting in week 8) so he wouldn’t get poached by another team. He played some snaps on STs, which is generally something they do for players they want developed. The selection of Nick Allegretti makes it tougher for Murray to make the roster, but don’t underestimate the value of knowing the whole playbook. Most are comfortable with Reiter, at Center, but I can’t help but be reminded of Jordan Devey, who looked fantastic in spot duty, and was swiftly injured as a starter. Reiter has four games started and an ACL tear, in his career and if he goes down early in the season, the Chiefs might be more comfortable with Murray, than the rookie Allegretti, due to his familiarity with the playbook.
Darrel Williams: the Chiefs like Carlos Hyde and they’ve also brought in a ton of RBs. That doesn’t mean they’ve given up on Darrel Williams. He’s a big bodied back, with good hands and a full year in the offense. While he didn’t see much action last year, he flashed as a receiving back, catching all three of his targets, and averaging nine yards, per reception. What’s more important, he’s an excellent pass blocker. That’s an aspect of a RB’s game that fans forget, but coaches crave. Now that the Chiefs have a franchise QB, maybe fans will start to properly appreciate that, and him, too.
Robert McCray: McCray is size & speed freak that Chiefs tried at OLB last year, but he didn’t make the roster. With the logjam at DE, I think there’s no chance he makes it at that spot. However, his athleticism and his 6-foot-2, 280 frame make him an ideal candidate to play Spagnuolo’s big MIKE – LB role. That’s a guy who comes in on obvious run downs, and is tasked with obliterating a gap. McCray can do that, while also offering the ability to rush off the edge as a SAM, or emergency depth at DE. He’ll have an uphill battle to make the roster, but he’s more versatile than Ragland, who is his only real competition for that spot.
This might not seem like a super exciting group, but as the Chiefs transition to Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, fans will begin to appreciate role players more. Bob Sutton stuck guys in a spot and left them there, no matter what happened. Coach Spags uses a wide variety of plays, players, and formations. A player, who only logs 30% of the snaps on defense, can absolutely make an impact, in this scheme. That’s something I really look forward to seeing. GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid have done pretty well at finding reserve OL, and I think Murray fits that model. Hopefully, they can start to have some similar success, at WR, with guys like Byron Pringle. Chiefs were 4 inches from the Super Bowl, last year. They don’t need these guys to be starters, but they do need every player on the roster to make some kind of impact. I think that’s something you can very reasonably expect from this group. Go Chiefs!
Ransom Hawthorne — ArrowheadOne
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