Chiefs Summer Mailbag: Mahomes, Roster Building, and Nonsense – as we enter the dead season of the NFL and await further news on Tyreek Hill, it seemed like a perfect time to tackle mailbag questions. All the queries here come from twitter, but if you didn’t get a chance to get yours in, be sure to ask them below in the comments section.
With training camp looming, it’s no surprise that a number of questions center around roster construction.
The Kansas City Chiefs will keep four Defensive Tackles. Jones and Nnadi will take the lion’s share of snaps, with Saunders seeing significant action. Either Hamilton or Williams will make the roster, but not see a ton of action, as some of the pass rush snaps, where you might see Nnadi off the field, will be taken by Defensive Ends. I think Chiefs keep five DEs. Clark and Okafor will take the bulk of the snaps, with Ogbah getting into the rotation. I don’t think the rotation will go terribly deep there. You see a pretty substantial drop, in quality, from the top two.
First of all, I would not characterize my beard as majestic. It has more of a modern Mennonite vibe to it. Full, and well groomed, but not expansive, or ostentatious. I have a beard, because it took me from a 20 year-old kid, who got mistaken for a High School Freshman, to a camp counselor who got asked how many children he had, in a single year. Now that I have three kids, I wouldn’t have the time to shave it, even if I wanted to.
Mahomes will be better, but his supporting cast will probably never be as good as it was, early last season. With a short suspension for Hill, I think Mahomes throws for 48 TDs, and 5,000 yards, if he plays 16 games. Though, if Mecole Hardman is truly a special returner, the yards could wind up closer to 4,800. The offense still has too much talent, and Reid is too innovative, for opposing defenses to handle. Against a tough schedule, Chiefs should still be able to win 15 games, but they generally drop one they shouldn’t, so 14-2 seems likely. While I think they could beat the Patriots, they’re likely to hold the cards close to the vest, as their week 14 meeting will certainly not be the last time they see each other. That represents, to me, the one likely loss.
A 53 man roster would be an article in itself, but I’ll give you what most people want to know anyway: the last guy to make the roster, at each position group. TE John Lovett has the attitude and the hands to make the roster, and will. Cody Thompson is an excellent WR, and core Special Teams player, he makes it. Chiefs don’t keep a 3rd QB, and Henne retains the number two spot. Chiefs hang on to last year’s prize acquisition at RB, Darrel Williams. He fits what they like, and has a year in the offense under his belt. Chiefs Offensive Line room will be a battle. 2019 draft pick, Nick Allegretti, earns the final spot. Special teams only players (punter/kicker/long snapper) remain unchanged.
Finally, Laddie asked me to answer this one. The player who made me fall in love with football was Jared Allen. I lived in Tucson, most of my life, and we didn’t have cable, so the only time I generally got to watch Chiefs football was when we visited my grandparents in Wichita, Kansas. I don’t recall what year or was, or who they were playing, but Allen just absolutely wrecked the game and lived in the backfield. I was incredulous, later, when I found out they’d traded him. He remained a dominant player, for the next six years, never missing a game. Allen turned out to be, for Minnesota, what the Chiefs expected Justin Houston to be, when they extended him.
Got more questions?
Hit the comment thread below. While players and coaches take a much needed break, we’ll be here, analyzing and re-analyzing every last bit of info, till the Chiefs hit training camp. This has the makings of a great year. Chiefs may have secured their own Allen, in Frank Clark and the DL room, as a whole, will be one of the most interesting groups to watch, at training camp. It’s getting hot out there. Stay cool, hydrate, and Go Chiefs.
Ransom Hawthorne — ArrowheadOne
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