Chiefs: Roughing It In

by David Bell | May 2, 2019

Kansas City Chiefs: Roughing it In – Early in the process finds us working to figure out how things will fall during the OTA’s and who will emerge. Already, players have departed leaving 2 spots of the 90 to fill.

Friday’s Addition to this Edition

Brett Veach signed former Ravens TE Nick Keizer to the Kingdom. He is a blocking TE and is added to the competition that is going on for the coveted role that was formerly manned by Demetrius Harris. Now many are saying: “Whew! Thank Heavens we don’t have to worry the drops by Harris. OTOH, we do need to replace his reps and his offensive production. Most decry the need for an offensive threat as a TE. Keizer is not he.

A Skilled, Intelligent, Multi-Tool?

There is one player who might offer an alternative, allowing the Chiefs to keep a hard hitting, blocking TE who can provide a bit of offense, and at the same time, add a player who can play multiple roles. This particular player has turned the heads of players and coaches alike. He is listed as QB but likely to fulfill another role such has FB, or Hback or TE AND he is highly intelligent, skilled, at multiple positions, plays the game at NFL speed and catches the ball as a back or TE that is a threat to break  loose in the field to get YAC — John Lovett. So reserve this thought. Let’s say we want to keep that multiple use player and a Bulldozer TE as well. Blake Bell-dozer might fit or Keizer or Yeldon. Etc. We just don’t know, but put a revisit check mark next to Lovett’s name. Of course this might mean that another back will depart and that candidate might be another over-30 beloved Chief such as Anthony Sherman.

After Some Review – RB Status

I have concluded, and I am not the first, that Carlos Hyde might be out for making the roster. As RB’s go, Damien Williams has the nod from OC Eric Bieniemy. By the time you round things out, It looks good for Darrel Williams also, plus draftee Darwin Thompson. The player that is turning heads in this position battle is James Williams. Heaven knows the Chiefs have been stocked with them William’s’s’s but, James “Boobie” Williams appears to be making his case. I’m getting the view that the Chiefs like him a lot and he at least is going to make the PS (if the Chiefs staff think that they can get away with stashing him there).

Re-Thinking the MLB – Ragland

I am going back to my original thinking about the Linebacking crew. It was my view that Ragland was slow to recover from injury in 2018 and also that Bob Sutton’s deployment of the linebackers was a good portion of the reason the Chiefs linebackers acquitted themselves so poorly. Now here I am not just speaking about the inside players (most of us also didn’t like how Sutton’s defense had Justin Houston or Dee Ford dropping to coverage either). Suffice it to say that what the Chiefs did with the Inside LBs was to misuse them, to wrongly deploy them in a read and follow type role, instead of hitting the hole for run stopping first. I know there was one particular game where Ragland was up and into the LoS making plays but that was the only time I saw him used that way.  I was scratching my head a week later when both Ragland and Hitchens were again 5 yards off the LoS and doing the read first, then tackle after.

Nate Taylor (of The Athletic) wrote that Ragland had indicated he was not fully rehabbed on the 2018 from left knee injury. Then suddenly Taylor is saying what I had been saying about Ragland all along: he’s healthy and playing well in pass coverage, which tells me my initial investigation of Ragland two years ago, was correct and backed up by Taylor’s view. Also Steve Spagnuolo said he, “appreciated what Ragland has shown this offseason” according to Taylor’s article.

Now, Reggie Ragland looks healthier and had several successful snaps in coverage on Thursday. Ragland hasn’t spoken to reporters since the AFC Championship game, but there were indications that he wasn’t fully healthy for 2018 after dealing with a left knee injury in training camp. Spagnuolo been keeping an eye on Ragland. He stated in talking to Taylor: “I think he fits the mold of the Mike linebacker, I know he’s battled some injuries, so hopefully we can keep him free there.”  Ragland has always appeared to me to be the MLB type LB and I felt that he could drop in coverage successfully and make stops pursuing and filling if Hitchens had the S-to-S duty.

Time will tell but that is now how I am looking that the LB competition which his a good thing because Ragland has the body type and heft for the middle — if he can do it successfully.

New Hires and UDFA’s

It appears to me that the Chiefs draft picks are acquitting themselves beyond expectations and the same is true for many of the UDFA’s and Invitees. Since this is the case, all six of the rookies will make the roster (also keep in mind, the players retained from 2018 as well). That gets us to the UDFA’s and there are many players of note in this list:

Toledo WR – Cody Thompson

Middle Tennessee LB – Darius Harris

Texas LB – Gary Johnson

Clemson CB – Mark Fields

Washington State RB – James Williams

San Jose State CB -Dakari Monroe

New Mexico CB -Jalin Burrell

Syracuse WR – Jamal Custis

This is just a list of a few players from that UDFA ranks. More next week.

David Bell – ArrowheadOne

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