Laddie Morse
With the scouting combine in full swing, and the Kansas City Chiefs in attendance in Indianapolis taking in every move of every prospect, it’s time to cough up the list of the players I’d hate to see leave the Chiefs Kingdom even if they are able to remove those players with suitable replacements.
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LB, Willie Gay
Willie Gay should probably be much higher on this list but it just shows that the Chiefs have a boat load of players who will probably be leaving and fans will be unhappy to see them go. Harrison Reno has an article out for SI.com called, “Cowboys to Sign Chiefs LB to Replace Leighton Vander Esch?” in which he Cody Benjamin as saying:
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“Gay has now been a part of two title-winning defenses in K.C., even though his numbers have never been gaudy. He’ll probably be among the most affordable of their homegrown free agents on this side of the ball, but even then, re-signing Drue Tranquill or leaning on Nick Bolton is probably more likely.”
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I’d have to agree with Benjamin about Drue Tranquill or Nick Bolton, as I’m hoping both will return. I’m afraid that leaves Gay out in the cold. I was relating this stroy to David Bell the other day. When I left the school I was teaching at to move to the dallas area in the late 1990s, the school counselor came up to me and said the nicest thing ever: “I feel like you leaving is having the spirit of the school leave us.” I was shocked and… complimented of course. That’s the way I feel abut Willie Gay. He is the Spirit of this team and his loss will be felt by many.
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TE, Jody Fortson
Fortson may make his way back onto the Chief roster but he’ll have to do it as an RFA. Since Fortson converted to TE and signed a UDFA deal with K.C. in 2019, he’s been around long enough to be an RFA. That means he can talk to and sign with any team but K.C. would probably want something in return if he did sign with someone else.
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WR, Mecole Hardman
Many may be surprised by this take. However, I’m thinking about the transition the wide receiver room is going to go through this offseason and Andy Reid will want some stability in that room, and Hardman is exactly the guy who can provide that. No, I’m not thrilled by what he had to say recently that may get the Chiefs in trouble, of possibly even fined, but on the field, he knows the offense inside and out and can be a steadying influence.
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DT, Tershawn Wharton
Tershawn suffered an ACL tear in week five of the 2022 season. When he came back in 2023, many were still concerned about his health. He ended up appearing in every game of the 2023 season but only played in 399 snaps or 37% of the defensive efforts. I’m unsure if the 2022 season counts as a full season for him but he’s not listed as an RFA. He came out in the 2020 season and was signed by K.C. as a UDFA out of Missouri S&T. In any event, if he moves on, the Chiefs will once again be very thin at the interior of the defensive line and I will miss his contributions.
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S, Deon Bush
Deon Bush was a fourth round draft pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2016 NFL Draft. Bush spent five seasons wit the Bears and the last two with the Chiefs. He became a valuable player for K.C. and the won the last two Super Bowls with him playing most of his snaps on Special Teams. While Bush only had 74 (18%) Defensive snaps he had 120 (77%) on Special Teams. While Special Teams coach may miss him more than I would, his presence would be missed if he moves on.
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RB, Jerick McKinnon
Although I thought McKinnon deserved to get at least a two year deal last offseason, I’ll take it as a positive sign that he could return to the Chiefs roster again in 2024. However, it looks like K.C. is ready to move on with both McKinnon and CEH going the free agency route:
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If the Chiefs are holding meetings with RBs in this draft, and it appears they are, McKinnon’s and Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s time in K.C. may have already come to an end.
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IOL, Nick Allegretti
Nick Allegretti deserves a shot as a full time offensive lineman. Too bad that won’t be with the Chiefs. The “Next Man Up” theory for the Chiefs has worked out great this year. Not only has Allegretti played in the Super Bowl in replacement of Joe Thuney, but he did that with great success. Nick will turn 28 in April and if he’s going to cash in on his promise, now is the time. Best of luck Mr. Allegretti.
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DE, Mike Danna
After averaging 47% of the Defensive Snaps in his first three years with the Chiefs Danna jumped up and took 74% (745) of the snaps in the 2023 season and that came about presumably because Frank Clark was gone. In any event, Danna had 6.5 sacks and totaled 17 sacks over his four seasons in K.C.. While I believe it’s time for Felix Anudike-Uzomah (FAU) to step up and into the starting role at DE, Danna will be missed and I’m hoping the FAU is as capable as Danna has proven to be.
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CB, L’Jarius Sneed
The Chicken or the Egg? The battle for which came first will never be decided. That’s the same battle as… is the sack because of coverage or because of the rusher? That’s why I have a hard time deciding if L’Jarius Sneed or Chris Jones is more deserving of the bag of money from the Chiefs. Either way, it’s a good problem to have. All of it. It’s looking more and more like Sneed will be going to a contending team in NFC and with that said… he will be missed. I remember when he was drafted in 2020, with the 138th pick — late in the 4th round — and by the time the end of the year rolled around  Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports had done a re-draft and placed L’Jarius Sneed as the 7th pick in the draft. Will L’Jarius Sneed be missed? 100% Yes.
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DT, Chris Jones
I’m not even sure it’s right to call CJ a Defensive Tackle. When he started playing Defensive End two years ago, I was not impressed with the outcomes. At all. Then this past season. DC Steve Spagnuolo starting giving CJ the option of flipping to DE whenever he decided to take on the offenses Tackle on that side, which ever side he lined up on. In the end, Stone Cold, as he’s often referred to, made easy work of who ever he lined up against and offenses around the league always had to prepare for him, no matter where he lined up. That flexibility with a big man has made Chris Jones indefensible. If he were to leave via free agency, he would be missed so much that teams who play the Chiefs could return to the days of when they just had to outscore K.C. and it looks like that would be much more possible. Would Chris Jones be missed if he left Chiefs Kingdom? In more ways than we’ll ever know. CJ will one day be in the NFL Hall of Fame, I just hope it’s all with the Chiefs.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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