Nick Bolton’s Injury vs. the Chargers
Bolton Scoops Up a Fumble, Scampers 36 yards to score – Super Bowl LVII – Fox Photo/NFL+
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In the game versus the Chargers, LB Nick Bolton dropped into pass coverage and did a great job preventing any YAC. Unfortunately, when making the tackle Charger’s WR Keenan Allen, Allen fell on Bolton’s arm, which resulted in a wrist injury. Bolton left the game and would, a few days later, undergo surgery. See the play here (2:11):
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If you watch the play, you can see Bolton making a stop of Allen that allowed only a couple of yards which was an excellent job by Bolton. It shows that Bolton has greatly improved in his pass coverage since his rookie year. The sad part is that Bolton had already missed three games due to an ankle injury, and the Chiefs would lose their green dot LB for another lengthy absence.
That’s bad news: I estimate that Bolton will miss about two months before returning to Active Status. He was placed on the IR due to the dislocation/fracture of his wrist. No metal was inserted for the injury during the surgery on Oct 25th, so I anticipate Bolton could return in the middle of December. That’s the good news part of Bolton’s overall status. Ryan Tracy of RGR football estimated the recovery would take closer to eight weeks than six.
The thing about Bolton is that he had 180+ tackles and assists in 2022, with two interceptions. There is no way his contribution will not be missed. However, the fortunate turn of events in 2023 is that Brett Veach signed Chargers LB Drue Tranquill this past offseason. Thank Heavens!
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In Steps Drue Tranquill
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Tranquill Open-Field Tackle of Vikings Osborn – Photo credit Jeffrey Becker, USA Today Sports
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Previously, I had written that I was ecstatic when I learned that Brett Veach had signed Drue Tranquill. Tranquill has already shown his value as an addition to the LB Group, and it has shown up as completely meaningful. Drue stepped in as the signal-calling MIKE LB almost seamlessly. With Bolton and Gay, the Chiefs fielded perhaps the best LB corps in the NFL. All three players bring different skills to the defense, which in a base-43 gives the DC Steve Spagnuolo great flexibility in his called alignments.
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Willie Gay Suffers Tailbone Contusion
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Gay Vs. the Broncos – Chiefs photo credit
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Gay was injured late in the game at Mile High. He left the field and did not return. That was a scary worry due to the upcoming game in Frankfurt, Germany. The good news is that Gay was able to practice on Thursday, though his participation was deemed LP (Limited Practice). This alleviates some of my concerns about the LB group. He has Friday and Saturday to recover further and be ready for the upcoming game vs. the Dolphins on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, UDFA Jack Cochrane has been filling in for Gay (See the section on Cochrane below).
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From the Raiders Practice Squad
Brett Veach Poaches Former Chief LB Darius Harris
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Darius Harris vs. The Cardinals
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NFL.com Harris photo Credit
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Due to the Bolton Injury and subsequent Gay lower back injury, GM Brett Veach made a solid move and acquired LB Darius Harris from the Raiders PS. Both Laddie and I had high hopes for Harris prior to his being released. The Good News is that Harris is a solid contributor on Toub’s Special Teams and has the Chiefs Defensive Sets in his repertoire already, having spent two seasons on Spagnuolo’s defense. The acquisition makes total sense. Harris was a starter in 4 games in 2022, and the Raiders quickly signed him when Harris was not protected this past spring. I think this is an excellent move for the Chiefs LB corps.
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In the LB Mix: Leo Chenal out of Wisconsin
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Chenal Tackles Miles Sanders, Eagles RB in Super Bowl LVII – Photo credit Charlie Riedel(AP)
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Leo Chenal, in his second season, has become a major component of the Chief’s defense. He is a guided missile LB and has done a wonderful job rushing the passer. Chenal was a great draft pick from 2021, and his ability to stop the run game is crucial (0:31).
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UDFA LB Jack Cochrane out of South Dakota
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Cochrane in Spring Training – Charlie Riedel photo Credit
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I caught Cochrane in film from the Chief’s Preseason Games. like Chenal, Cochrane is in his second NFL Season. He joined the Chiefs as a UDFA. Cochrane has not had much to show us in regular season games but did appear vs. the Jets. It appears to me to be a solid newcomer. We’ll likely see more of Cochrane over the next two months.
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LB Jack Cochrane, Chiefs Wire – Photo
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Injury Reports
The Chiefs are fortunate at this juncture. The only player ruled out for the upcoming game vs. the Dolphins is Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Gay and McKinnon were both listed as LP on Thursday.
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CHIEFS
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Note: Richie James had two days of FP (Full Practice) this past week. It appears that he is close to returning to Active Status. CEH logged days of illness, and what that illness is has not been revealed. Gay and McKinnon are most likely game-time decisions.
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DOLPHINS
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Final Thoughts
The Dolphins injury report is considerably more extensive than that of the Chiefs. I don’t have a big concern about the LBs as the game kickoff approaches. I am not gloating about the Dolphin’s injury list. This will be a tough matchup for KC. Let’s hope that the woes that the Chiefs suffered in Colorado disappear this week.
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David Bell — ArrowheadOne
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