What’s Up Doc? 10 Worries for the ArrowheadOne Complaint Department

What’s Up Doc? 10 Worries for the ArrowheadOne Complaint Department – This will be a Hoot! Sure. I am a bit worried, but, I have faith in Brett Veach, his staff, Andy Reid and Co.. Plus, the Chiefs whole front office is “wunderbar”! So the Buc’s are in the same boat as the Chiefs were in 2020 and they’re returning their basic roster. Every team in the NFL will work to knock them off their square. It’s the way of things. Last season, the Chiefs were on that “Pedestal.” Ha, now it’s the Bucs turn.

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So, You Have Complaints?

I follow the NFL because I am a football nut. I follow the Chiefs because they provided Kansas City with a professional football team when we had none. No longer would I have to choose an old time NFL team to follow. We were the Chiefs. I’ve been a fan ever since then, and will always be a KC fan. Today? I am reading a lot of moaning and groaning because we lost the Super Bowl… or this or that Free Agent has departed. Woe is us, many complain — on various venues — that we released our bookend tackles and so the sky is falling.

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Our Maverick GM is ‘One of a Kind’!

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Hey, the Chiefs have played for 3 lamar Hunt Trophies in a row… we almost made it to the Super Bowl in 2018… we won it in 2019… then returned to the Super Bowl in 2020. –> AND THEY ARE COMPLAINING? Let’s go over to the “ArrowheadOne Complaint Department,” but before you do, you’ll have to take a number.

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It’s laughable. No. Really. It is a bunch of spoiled fans who didn’t get their 5 cent lollipop at the corner drug store because a bully pushed us a round and took our change. C’Mon Man!

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Where Things Really Stand

Yeah, I was up ’til Dawn, with Veach Who Had Cards Up his Sleeve

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Let me first assure you that the Chiefs have a plan. Let me secondly observe, they are not going to overpay for any particular player. They obtained a top OG with the signing of Joe Thuney. They brought in Kyle Long — a versatile OG who is hopefully healed and ready. Now, if this is true, then he’s another great acquisition. They missed on Trent Williams, but Veach put in the effort to make that deal. K.C. signed players of their own Free Agent list and they don’t believe that they’re in dire straights… though they perfectly understand their own exposures.

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ArrowheadOne has had some stand-up material over the past few weeks. We looked at the Offensive Line with Alan Haupt taking a deep dive on roster players… James McGregor revealed the Tight Ends in the coming draft… we examined Martinas Rankin in depth and had a couple of articles on how the roster appeared. We’ve also shown where the weaknesses were, what needed to be done, what possible position groups should have a Free Agent signed, or where a draft pick is necessary.

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The lead on all these approaches was to take a hard look at the Chiefs and provide “entertaining pieces” which would intrigue Chiefs fans and provide value to them. To top this off, Travis Rose has contributed his timely reviews, and humorous observations as well as musical cliches.

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The Chiefs have the players to field a team — right here, right now — no question in my mind. It should be a team which wins the AFC West, again! For the 6th time in a row! If the position groups find the right player to make that group stronger? Then that is exactly what we’ll see happening over the next 3-to-4 weeks.

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Brett Veach and Co., with advisement from Andy Reid and Co., have made the right moves with a reduced overall cap. They cleared room and brought aboard one of the Top Offensive Guards in the NFL. They signed another Guard to the fold. It’s possible that Kyle Long takes over on the right side and if not, LDT. I suspect that Long is chewing nails and horseshoes to play football again. Best thing? Long gives LDT a hard run. Added to that, Long has versatility in his repertory. He can play Offensive Tackle, and won a Pro Bowl assignment for just that. Laddie Morse and I have both written about other Offensive Linemen on the roster to provide a positive Frame of Reference: Review the article that Ladner wrote casting the aim of the spotlight on how valuable an acquisition Martinas Rankin was in reality. See the article here! –> Chiefs Martinas Rankin: Hidden Gemstone

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RBs and FBs re not big bugaboos by any means. Signing a player, existing players or drafting a RB are a still a possibility. However, with a solid ONE-TWO punch of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrell Williams… I can’t see a worry here.

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James McGregor covered Tight Ends with his great piece called: “Chiefs Potential Tight End Draft Prospects.” The Chiefs do need a #2 TE who is both a good blocker and provides a second threat from the position with or without Kelce on the field. but it should the correct player be on the board to make it impossible not take him. Hat’s off to Veach if it gets pulled off. James also named a dark horse in the deal. Point being, ArrowheadOne covered the position and keep in mind, we have players to handle the roles in house.

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What is needed and what we were witness to in 2020, was the lack of interior pressure on the DL. If opponents would double team a DT, there was no opposite counter. This would mean that the Chiefs try to solve the problem through Free Agency… but as it turns out Veach did just that, signing Jarran Reed. With the pass rush provided via Reed, now the other tough inside work can be managed with Derrick Nnadi, Tershawn Wharton.

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We have all seen concern about the DE, but I am not as wary about this because Taco Charlton returns to the fold to play opposite Frank Clark. He is a very capable DE for the pass rush and along with Clark and CJ, and now we can add in Jarran Reed for the pass rush interior, we should see a resurgence of pressuring the QB across the board. Taco Charlton played well in 2020 until injured. At this point, we can all speculate: will he finally live up to his draft pick billing? Veach’s profile says he finds former 1st or 2nd round picks and that is who Charlton is: a 1st round pick by Dallas in 2017.

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Yeah, I have them too. Why? It’s not like the Chiefs don’t have a true #1 speed merchant to stretch the field, or actually two of them (Ty Hill and Mecole Hardman). True, K.C. lost possession receiver, Sammy Watkins, who has departed for the dastardly Ravens, a team that I love to hate and although Sammy’s talent won hearts big time in 2019, his injury plagued history cost the team in 2020. Demarcus Robinson returns, and along with Byron Pringle, are the two favorites to be WR’s 4 and 5 or better. The Chiefs must answer the question: who is the “X” or Possession WR? They don’t have one so this is Veach’s challenge yet to be resolved. It could mean a draft pick so I’m fairly certain the Chiefs will draft one. I like Hardman, but I I can see the trade market as being an avenue sought by Brett Veach in terms of Hardman. Better for the player as well most likely. He could yield a #3 pick.

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We are all concerned about Center. However, just yesterday, Veach signed Austin Blythe, who started 16 games for the Rams at OC in 2020 and has played in 49 game with over 3,500 snaps to his portfolio. No announcement has been made yet on who will vie for the position. I see Nick Allegretti as the starting Center as a 3rd year pro and last year I mentioned that Darryl Williams could be worked at the position as well. Charles Goldman at Chiefs Wire backs me up on the who would likely win the role (despite Brett Veach tendering an offer to Austin Reiter). Goldman wrote that the same pair will possibly move to the center position. Nick is a tough guy, he plays with a bit of nasty. His size is a very good match for the position. He has good feet, a high football IQ, and a commanding presence. If Reiter signs or doesn’t, I expect Allegretti to compete for, and win, the position. Now, it look like Austin Blythe will be his primary competition.

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The #Chiefs have signed a potential starting center (via @Arrowheadphones): https://t.co/LVZdcLl6Q2

— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) March 30, 2021

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I’ve made this point since the 2016 draft: LBs need major upgrading. In 2020, because of Willie Gay Jr.’s lack of playing time in his last collegiate season, Spagnuolo brought him along slowly in his rookie year. Gay will be a rising star in the NFL at WLB as of 2021. Next to him will be ILB, Anthony Hitchens. In 2020, I was highly critical of Hitch for most of the 1^st half of 2020, but in the second half of the season his play improved. Behind Gay and Hitchens? Ben Niemann, Dorian O’Daniel, Darius Harris, Omare Cobb, and Emmanuel Smith, so, the Chiefs have some depth. However, K.C needs a 3rd LB, one who is top notch and could use a top draft pick to select him. This LB must be a player who has sideline-to-sideline speed, hits the gaps where RB’s are headed, slips blockers and is a general nuisance even spotting as a blitzer. This should be one of Veach’s higher draft picks in rounds 2 or 3. Naming names? Jabril Cox, Cameron McGrone, Baron Browning, Nick Bolton and and Pete Werner. Objective? Get the #3 LB for 2021 and someone who will play next to Gay in the future.

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We have DB question marks. Right now, followers moan about losing Bashaud Breeland… or about Charvarius Ward having a down year… or question the value certain players (i.e., DeAndre Baker, Daniel Sorensen)… or who will play the slot and who will outside. There could be a move in the making so the sweat rag could then be put in the back pocket. The point is, we have players in house who can handle the job… signing Breeland back or not or drafting a CB or a Safety. It will get handled.

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I think Veach will shoot at an OT draft pick in round 1 or 2, preferably someone who is an LOT. Veach brought Mike Remmers back for OT depth and while I see him as the Swing Tackle, his re-signing was another good move. We can anticipate that Lucas Niang might be moved to the left side. Maybe not the optimum move, but possible. Then I would spot Martinas Rankin as the ROT. Niang is a logical candidate for the left side and the idea was to get him ready for NFL play last year but that had to wait with his Covid-19 opt out. Niang has very good feet which is a trait needed to handle pass rushers plus, the man is strong. He can fend for his QB, both those who try to skate the outside or swim to the inside. With his quick feet, he is in a better position to have a strong NFL “rookie” season than Eric Fisher had in 2013. I would prefer to see Niang break in gradually with a lot of “Schooling.”

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Is Offensive Tackle our biggest worry? Sure. However, we’re not out of the Free Agent period yet and still have the Draft ahead of us.

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That covers my ten items. I am sure there are others the reader might figure out so add them in comments, below.

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Last, but not least, Brett Veach himself is being questioned and a couple of observers out there think John Dorsey’s departure is something to cry about: “Woe is me in miserable Kansas City at One Arrowhead Way.” I say… Huh!?

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• I don’t always get a chance to gloat, but I wrote this piece in advance, making the following observations: I focused on the lack of thrust from the defensive interior linemen, as the Super Bowl brought that into sharp focus. That lack has been reflected in my mock drafts where an IDL was often Chiefs pick 1 (#31). That is no longer required as Brett Veach plugged that hole in the dike by signing former Seattle DT: Jarran Reed. Maybe he isn’t a superstar. He is though, “A Force.”
• Folks around KC have bemoaned the lack of Chiefs doing things in Free Agency. I have laughed with Laddie in a phone conversation several times and again just a few 24 hours before Veach signed Jarran Reed.
• Sure, we lost a few Free Agents. Are we naive enough about NFL football to say we’re in shock? Some of this was bound to happen. I don’t like losing Sammy Watkins, truly. However, Veach re-signed Demarcus Robinson and several other players and that’s crucially important for the roster. The fact that the cap is $182.5M and not $210M is part of the point. It hurts, but look at it this way: the Seahawks signed a long term deal with one defensive lineman, Carlos Dunlap so… the advantage goes to the Chiefs, who then signed Jarran Reed. Charlton, Dan Sorensen, Blake Bell, Mike Remmers must be included in the list of re-signed players, and that’s not a bad haul at all. In the meantime, Brett “the Maverick” Veach is keeping his cards close to the vest!

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Brett Veach is doing a top notch job, working along with his staff and cap wizards of the front office.

As for me?

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Can the Chiefs get back to the Super Bowl for the 3rd year in a row? I am anxious to see if it will happen! Now, if you made it this far, you deserve a lollipop!

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Or how about a plug nickel for your thoughts?

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David Bell – ArrowheadOne

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