David Bell
Rick Burkholder gives Super Bowl Trophy a Smack – Photo courtesy of his father, Richard
.
Rick Burkholder Honored
With Trainer HoF Entry
Rick, like his father Richard, has been inducted to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. They are the only father/son combo to receive this honor. I will comment on the recent player rating of the facilities and training staff. I thought when I saw that, I thought, “something is fishy here”. It’s another recognition of the quality of the Chiefs organization, from top to bottom. Special things continue to bless the Chiefs now entering the second decade under HC Andy Reid. In an article at ArrowheadPride, they said:
.
“Burkholder has been with the Chiefs since 2013, coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles with head coach Andy Reid; he had been in Philadelphia since Reid was hired in 1999. In Kansas City, he began as an athletic trainer — but added the responsibility of being the VP of Sports Medicine and Performance in 2018.”
.
Charles Goldman Gives Andy Reid Top HC Billing
Andy Reid – Dustin Bradford Photo c/o Getty Images
.
This is one that I did not anticipate when the Chiefs hired Andy Reid as their new Head Coach. I commented at the time that he was a good coach, but one who always appeared to suffer a blowup and fail to get the Lombardi. Mea Culpa on that. I have, of course, since shifted my view of Andy Reid, nor will I bet against his team again. Reid has honed his skill in many areas including his play design and bringing the best out in his players. He deserves much credit that I was unwilling to send his way when he arrived.
Charles Goldman gave him a ranking of “1A,” and he is the only coach [among active coaches] in that tier. We fans of the Chiefs need to recognize how special the Chiefs are. We have had a decade of success to wallow in, and Andy Reid has provided the mud-hole. I think that owner and CEO Clark Hunt deserves a ton of credit to boot! In Goldman’s article for Yahoo Sports, he quotes Tim Weaver, his Seahawks Wire co-hort as saying:
.
“The cheeseburger king gets his own spot because Andy Reid is coaching in a league of his own right now. It helps to have the most dynamic quarterback in NFL history on his side, but it’s difficult to imagine Patrick Mahomes having the same success with literally any other coach. Kansas City has won two of the last four Super Bowls and at least nine games 10 years running.”
.
.
Nate Taylor’s Observations: The Athletic
Nate Taylor wrote a piece for The Athletic (subscription required) called: “Chiefs will enter camp with just 13 new players on projected 53-man roster” and in his article he said:
.
“This summer, as the Chiefs return to Missouri Western State’s campus in St. Joseph to begin their annual start to the season, Reid’s objective is quite different: He must use camp to further polish, enhance and invigorate the talents of his players, the men who represent the NFL’s reigning champions.”
.
His article covered an important fact: Only 13 “new” players are in training camp. I think it is 14 because he did not have La’Michal Perine in his list. Still, the fact that so many players are present for the upcoming camp who have Chiefs experience says a lot about player continuity in the Kingdom.
When you think of last season’s draft class, there are nine players returning for their second season, and eight of them found a significant niche in 2022. This year, the Chiefs add seven more rookies while at the same time, the remainder of the camp players have NFL Experience. That bodes well for internal organizational quality and competition within the various position groups. It’s true that KC has UDFAs. That list of guys coming to St. Joe is significantly smaller than prior seasons. We hear accolades heaped on a running back who made waves in the OTAs and mini-camp which has whetted the appetite of fans around the Kingdom. It will be interesting to watch things develop, especially for Deneric Prince, aUDFA from Tulsa.
.
Deneric Prince – Kansas City Star photo credit
.
Jerick McKinnon also had complimentary thoughts on Prince, saying he was big and fast, strong and tough. That view matches other remarks that I have seen, including comments that compare Prince to Pacheco or Knile Davis. Here is a video of Jet talking about Deneric Prince (0:56):
.
.
Pete Sweeney, writing for Arrowhead Pride, had a nice feature on Prince called: “Why Deneric Prince is a good bet for Chiefs’ 53-man roster” in which he said:
.
“The 6-foot, 216-pound Prince has already drawn comparisons to Pacheco, and his measurables at the NFL Scouting Combine — highlighted by the 4.41 40-yard dash — place him in a similar overall percentile as Atlanta Falcons first-rounder Bijian Robinson.”
.
Sweeney also indicated that he was a good dark-horse candidate for the 2023 roster. In 2022, the lower picks in the draft were great choices, including Cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams, as well as RB Isiah Pacheco. it seems that suddenly, the late draft picks and camp invitees by Brett Veach are garnering a lot of attention–and rightly so.
.
Will Chris Jones get his Extension?
.
Long and lean Chris Jones – Isabel Reynolds article – Chiefs photo
.
CJ was on my “to draft” list in 2016. He fulfilled the promise that was present when I reviewed the game film for the draft. I cannot conceive of Jones not being tendered a new deal. It will benefit the Chiefs and provide funds for any other player additions that is contemplated or… get the extension completed for L’Jarius Sneed, and even possibly Willie Gay. In my view, Chris Jones epitomizes all that you want from a player who has loyalty to the team.
Let’s see the deal completed and go from there!
.
L’Jarius Sneed: The Multi-Tool
As important to the Front Four as Chris Jones has shown us, the same is true for L’Jarius Sneed who has become the leader of the CBs on the field and in the locker room. Communication is a key element for any position group and especially important for CBs.
.
./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68451871/1273779684.jpg.0.jpg)
Sneed INT vs Chargers – Chiefs Photo
.
That LJ can play inside or outside, move up as a pass defending Linebacker, or even swap back to a safety in a 3-safety defensive set. This makes him an invaluable commodity both for the secondary and for his teammates as they set each play for the next snap. Unfortunately, if Veach cannot get him extended, he will likely depart in 2024. In the past, the Chiefs have not focused on players for the role, but Sneed’s leadership and skill set lend itself to retaining him.
What that will cost is an unknown factor, but if anything can be done to retain him, it is one of the final actions that should be accomplished before football kicks of on 2023 — if it is at all possible. Sportrac.com currently has K.C. with more than $35.5M in cap space for 2024, so there’s hope.
Charles Goldman also wrote a piece called: “Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed named sixth-best slot defender in NFL” in which he said:
.
“In his annual list of the NFL’s top slot defenders, which features 11 players this year, Doug Farrar listed Chiefs’ fourth-year CB L’Jarius Sneed as the sixth-best slot defender in the league. Only Dolphins DB Kader Kohou, Chargers S Derwin James, Texans S Jimmie Ward, Cowboys S Jayron Kearse and Texans DB Tavierre Thomas ranked higher.”
.
Willie Gay
Willie Gay, finishing a play against Denver QB Russell Wilson – Pick Six
.
Gay is a hard-to-read player. What I can say about him is that when he is on the weak side, opposite MLB Nick Bolton, I have great confidence that the defensive front is in good hands. Gay’s pass defense improved in 2022. Further, he is the only LB that has true side-line-to-side line speed which makes him a reliable and crucial commodity for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.
Note: Leo Chenal does have great downhill speed and tenacity.
Here is a video of Gay’s Int vs. Denver:
.
.
.
Drue Tranquill: Flexibility is His Key
Recently I wrote about Tranquill and observed that he is comfortable as an off-ball linebacker with speed and the ability to defend against the pass. What’s more? He can drop back in Spags varied defensive packages and play the safety role up in the box. I don’t know how this will play out but the Chiefs have three LBs that can be on the field at the same time and fulfill multiple roles. That’s very good stuff. All i can say at this point is that with Tranquill aboard, the Chiefs LB crew is going to be tough as nails.
Adding LB Drue Tranquill improves the LB corps. Still, I think Gay wants to remain with the Chiefs. Drue does provide a player who has a similar skill set and good speed but it is not the same level possessed by Willie Gay. I would hate to lose Gay but that may have been part of the planning of the Chiefs, a factor that must be considered.
When they acquired Tranquill, they obtained a LB who is very capable in pass defense and this should shore up the 2nd line of defense with a tenacious threesome.
I am truly looking forward to seeing the Chiefs defense in action. There is not a weakness in any position group except for possible lack of experienced hand depth on the defensive front. It was for this reason that I had hoped to get Carlos Dunlap back for another season and why Laddie focused on the Inside Role in a recent article.
.
The WR Conglomerate
I doubt there is a plan to use monies to bring a player like Deandre Hopkins to the fold, even if CJs extension would provide the funds that could make that happen. There is no position group on the offensive side of the ball that is a weakness. I am pretty sure that when I look at the WR corp, that MVS, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Justyn Ross, Richie James, John Ross, Justin Watson and Cornell Powell… are those to be chosen from. There are 3 more WRs in camp beyond those eight players.
That being said, I am very curious to see if the speedy John Ross makes the cut. The thinking about all of these WRs is that they fill methods and abilities that are unique. John Ross — among them all — offers the over the top speed that has been a missing component since Tyreek Hill departed. If John Ross opened the season on the roster, the Chiefs would have a wicked group of targets for Patrick Mahomes.
That’s something we can all look forward to, no matter how it shakes out!
.
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
.