Little Big Deals: Things Chiefs Must Get Right This Year, For Next Year – This off-season, the Kansas City Chiefs sit in a unique position. While the top of their roster is, by and large, excellent, the future success of the team depends on decisions that Chiefs will make, concerning depth, this year. From Cornerback to Offensive Line, some of these position battles are a lot more important than fans realize. For Chiefs General Manager, Brett Veach, making the correct cuts and keeps, at the deadline, could be the difference between building a dynasty and just winning a single championship.
Here are the calls Chiefs have to get right:
Backup Quarterbacks: This is the last thing on fans minds, but it will be an extremely difficult decision, for the Chiefs. Chad Henne is what he is, you’re not going to find a team who wants to trade for him, but Reid values a veteran QB. For all that Mahomes has done, he’s still pretty young, so having a guy who’s been around, and seen a thing or two, is absolutely helpful to him. On the other hand, Chase Litton continues to look good and possesses the kind of arm talent that could have other teams bidding for his services, if it’s properly developed. Ultimately, Chiefs could keep both, but they’re already squeezed for roster spots. They probably need to pick one or the other. Henne seems like the safe pick, but if Litton goes on to be a starter elsewhere, Chiefs will be kicking themselves for letting a golden trade asset slip through their fingers.
Cornerback Corral: Chiefs have two sure things at CB, one likely thing and whole bunch of maybes. Barring extraordinarily good fortune, something Kansas City is not accustomed to, injury will force one of the maybes onto the field, at some point. Chiefs would like to keep guys they can control, next year, since neither Fuller or Breeland is under contract in 2020. That means that players like, draft pick, Rashaad Fenton, and undrafted free agent, Mark Fields, are the ideal guys to make the roster. Unfortunately, neither is liable to be ready for professional football, from day one. On the other side, you have Keith Reaser. Getting older, no long term control, but a lot more experience and a much better chance of holding his own, if disaster strikes,early in the season. If the Chiefs gamble on the young guns, and they flop, it could ruin a championship run. If they gamble on Reaser, and lose, they’ll be shot at CB for this year, next year and maybe years to come. At least a single CB, who’s under contract next year, besides Charvarius Ward, has to emerge. If that means Brett Veach executes a trade, so be it, but you can’t go into this year, without a plan at CB, in 2020. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Offensive Line Depth: In 2018 Chiefs undertook a project, to change Kahlil McKenzie from a Defensive Tackle into an Offensive Guard. From a physical standpoint, he already in excellent shape. From a technique standpoint, we don’t know, but he’s likely still a work in progress. With a number of tough roster decisions, K.C. will need to decide whether they want to carry McKenzie as a 9th OL again this year. If Veach and Reid are right about him, he’s a future pro-bowler who you need to hang on to. If not, they can’t afford to waste any more time on an experiment. Andrew Wylie was a pleasant surprise last year. The Chiefs seem to be getting better and better at digging those guys up. You’d hate to see them cut one loose, just to keep a roster spot for a project so, if McKenzie stays, he’s got to be able to play this year, and projected to start, next year.
Extensions: With Chris Jones, Kendall Fuller, and Tyreek Hill eligible for extensions, Brett Veach has some tough calls to make. Every one of those could be make-or-break going forward. Jones is special. While his contract will be tough to fit, he makes the defense much better, and his loss could really impact the pass rush. Hill is the fastest player in the NFL and besides Mahomes, no one makes a bigger impact, on offense. As more information comes out that paints Hill in a better light, Veach basically has to find a way to extend him, without breaking the bank. Finally, while Fuller might not have the name draw, or impact, of the other two, he’s also Chiefs’ best CB by far, and K.C. is already thin at the position. Locking up Fuller, would make the defense much better, going forward, while letting him walk represents a massive gamble.
Barring Major Developments: Barring any major developments, the Chiefs should be primed for a championship run this season. Life comes at you fast in the NFL, though and if they want to avoid a dramatic drop in production next year, they’ll have to get some, seemingly minor, decisions right. Don’t let value at QB, depart for free. Make sure you’ve got good offensive linemen in the pipeline when cap space gets tight. Get at least one additional starter, for next year, locked up, at CB. Finally, pick the right players to extend. Mahomes will be getting paid before you know it. The Chiefs can’t make a Justin Houston/Eric Berry type mistake again. If they hand out a big contract, it HAS to pay off. Veach is entering his third year, as a GM. The decisions he makes, this year, can establish the Chiefs as a dynasty, or leave us wondering what might have been. Training camp won’t feature many battles for starting roles, but make no mistake, these competitions will be the most important we’ve seen in a decade. Get them right and… Go Chiefs!
Ransom Hawthorne — ArrowheadOne
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