Laddie Morse
This time of the year, you’ll see a lot of articles sharing their view of the final 53 man roster for the Kansas City Chiefs. This piece turns that on it’s head and is all about the payers who we might not expect to see their name called when it come to sticking with the team this fall.
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TE Kendall Blanton
Blanton turns 29 years old this coming November who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 262, which is big for a tight end, even though Andy Reid is heading into the season without any Fullbacks on his roster. Blanton is not likely to be one of those players kept to perform that once-every-so-often kind of duties. He was signed as a UDFA TE by the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 and then started for them in Super Bowl LVI, which they won. I’ve not heard anything positive that jumps out at you about Blanton in camp that would make him stick out either so, my projection is… Blanton won’t be on the list.
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DB Dicaprio Bootle
Bootle turns 26 years old in September and stands 5-foot-10, and goes 180. He was a UDFA for the Chiefs in 2021 and while he has spent time on the Chiefs practice squad the past two plus years, you would think he’d kept his mouth shut when it comes to irritating TE Travis Kelce in Training Camp practices (0:25).
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With guys like Ekow Boye-Doe and Nic Jones coming on strong, the need to keep a player like Dicaprio Bootle seems a waste.
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LB Cole Christiansen
The Chiefs may be more loaded at the Linebacking position than any other position this year. Cole Christiansen was a UDFA with the L.A. Chargers in 2020 and signed to the Chiefs practice squad in September of 2022. He then signed a reserve/future contract in February of 2023. The Chiefs other Linebackers of note include: Nick Bolton, Willie Gay, Leo Chenal, Drue Tranquill, Jack Cochrane, Isaiah Moore and Cam Jones. Obviously, K.C. can’t keep them all, but one of the first to go will likely be Christiansen.
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OT Chukwuebuka Godrick
Chukwuebuka Godrick is a player from the International Player Pathway Program. This is a program run by the NFL to add to the number of non-American (and Canadian) players in the league. Chukwuebuka Godrick is one of those players but in reality, it means he likely won’t be on the Chiefs final roster cut down to 53.
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RB La’Mical Perine
La’Mical Perine is one of the odd men out in the RB room. With Deneric Prince garnering loads of attention, and with CEH, Isiah Pacheco, and Jerick McKinnon as the locks to make the team, La’Mical Perine appears to be one of the first to get his pink slip.
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S Isaiah Norman
The Chiefs are once agin loaded at Safety. A couple of weeks ago, I published a piece here at AO called: “Chiefs Camp Choices: Safeties” in which I listed Justin Reid and Mike Edwards as top dogs of the Safety group. However, I neglected to mention Bryan Cook who will likely provide the replacement parts for Juan Thornhill, who now lays for the Cleveland Browns. Norman is a rookie UDFA from Marshall and stands 6-foot-0 and weighs in at 206 lbs.. The challenge for Norman comes in coverage because he runs a 4.58 40 yard dash, and the Chiefs have LBs who run a faster 40 time.
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WR Kekoa Crawford
Kekoa Crawford seems like the least likely WR to make the final roster, as far as I’m concerned. With Kadarius Toney having surgery this week, it still leaves a full corral of stallions to choose from at WR including: Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling (MVS), Justyn Ross, Justin Watson, Rashee Rice, Richie James, Jerrion Ealy (RB/WR), Ihmir Smith-Marsette, TyFryfogle, Ty Scott, Cornell Powell, and Nikko Remigio. With all these WRs challenging for the Chiefs 6 open spots (7 at most), Kekoa Crawford looks like a long shot at best (1:50).
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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