With just over two weeks to go until the Kansas City Chiefs face the New England Patriots in the National Football League’s opening night in Foxboro it’s time to take a look at where the organization is at in the process of putting the 2017 team together.
Left Guard and Parker Ehinger
2016 starting Left Guard, Parker Ehinger, has returned to the practice field after rehabbing since last season. Ehinger tore an ACL in a game last November when his knee played Demolition Derby with the Colts Arthur Jones and lost. Yesterday, Ehinger said this:
Stepped back out on the field and practiced today for the first time in 10 months! gotta say my knee and my body feel great! #trulyblessed
— Parker Ehinger (@Big_Park79) August 21, 2017
Ehinger’s replacement this season has been Bryan Witzmann who has played sub-par so far but did show some improvement in preseason game two. As with many of the lower round and free agent linemen Andy Reid employs, I’d expect Witzmann to grade out in the lower half of all NFL Guards in year one but make a leap… or at least a step forward… in 2018. If Ehinger is able to make it back to first on the depth chart this year, we can only hope for a similar step forward… something along the lines of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s improvement in year two as a starter. We already know that Parker Ehinger has shown that he can dominate at times in run blocking while his pass blocking leaves something to be desired. Any improvement in strength to help him support his ability to anchor and keep rushers off of Alex will go a long way towards his being able to reclaim the starting position. Both Witzmann and Ehinger have better feet than Zach Fulton but Jah Reid looks like he’s doing everything in his power to get cut. So, it’s either Witzmann of Ehinger at left guard this season. I’m pulling for Ehinger to make a big return and win back the LG position.
Running Backs and Kareem Hunt
RB Kareem Hunt showed us enough in game two of the preseason to begin to legitimately believe he could be RB#1 by mid-season. While Hunt does not have what we all call “break away” speed, he does possess the ability to break to daylight — which is all about vision — as well as any Chiefs back since Priest Holmes 10 years ago. C.J. Spiller has displayed some top-popping speed and has made a good enough case for a roster spot, good enough to convince me. If Chiefs OC, Matt Nagy, wants a diversified backfield then penciling Spiller in with Ware and Hunt is a must. If Charcandrick West has anything to say about it… he made his case by running for 113 yards on 8 carries on Saturday night. I don’t care if it was against second and third team talents, West’s showing was downright remarkable and if he’s the odd man out in K.C. he will absolutely show up on someone else’s roster this fall.
Right Cornerback and Phillip Gaines
I am torn about Phillip Gaines. He plays the receivers so closely at times yet rarely bats the ball away. Is there a possibility that he’s afraid of contact — because of previous injuries — so he gets close but hesitates hitting his man? I don’t know. However, I wonder if he’s reaching the end of his lifeline with the Chiefs? Gaines has already been around for three season, 48 games. He’s played in 27 games, started 13 of them (that means he’s started only 27% of the possible game he could have started), has averaged 2.4 tackles per game with 1 total INT. As the 87th choice in the third round in 2014, it’s clear now that the Chiefs are not getting a positive return on their investment. Gaines has great quickness and speed but just hasn’t put it all together. I was going to say… “yet”… but I think his time is coming to an end. If not this year, then next. Unless of course, he has a break-out year. While that would be a wonderful surprise… it would be shocking at this point. In 2016, Gaines grade from Pro Football Focus was 34.8. What I can tell you about that grade if you’re not familiar with their system, is that I can’t recall another player at any position who has graded lower. I’m really hoping Terrance Mitchell makes a physical comeback any minute now.
Play Calling and OC Matt Nagy
Is there the possibility that the Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy has been the primary play caller this offseason? 
If he has… he’s been doing a wonderful job of mixing up the menu. Here’s a (really bad) screen capture from the Cincinnati game showing both Reid and Nagy with play cards and headsets. In week one, it was obvious that Andy Reid wanted to get a good look at the passing abilities of his QBs. In game one, there were 30 passing attempts and 14 rushing attempts. In game two there were 28 passing attempts and 33 rushing attempts. Every time I see Matt Nagy on the sidelines he is holding a Reid-sized play card that I’m used to only seeing Reid carry. I don’t know if that’s a sign of things to come but… I’d be happy if it was Nagy was the man.
The Myth of Smith Trade Talks
There are an number of online blogs and fan conjectures that Alex Smith could be traded — or that it would be a good idea to trade him — at some point this season. It’s great to hear that our Kansas City Chiefs are deep enough at the QB position to warrant that kind of conspiracy-QB-piracy-theories but Andy Reid has made it clear again and again that Alex Smith is his guy and he… ain’t goin’ nowheres. I think a more intriguing question is, what if Smith takes the Chiefs to the Super Bowl and plays well in that game too… do you move on from him in 2018? I’m not so sure Smith is set to exit even after this season… especially if he plays lights out… like he’s been doing so far in OTA’s, training camp, and preseason.
Go Chiefs!
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