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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Before Andy Reid began his vacation in California this week, Kansas City Chiefs head coach made an amusing yet literal request to his players: Please don’t report to training camp next month on crutches.
The Chiefs finished their offseason program last week without any significant injuries. Reid has enjoyed tinkering with his offensive playbook and watching his new defense, led by new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The biggest hope for Reid is that none of his players need crutches or have to removed from the practice field on a cart during camp, which begins July 24 at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo.
The projected roster below assumes player is healthy and in top shape. An NFL season, however, is loaded with variables and the unexpected. In order to reach the Super Bowl, the Chiefs will need contributions from veteran backups and production from young, unproven players. The Chiefs were the biggest surprise of last year, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the NFL’s reigning MVP, led the team to the AFC Championship game. Reid wants his reconstructed defense to be another surprise this season.
After 12 practices, six of which were open to reporters, the Chiefs do appear to be a more balanced team. Reid and general manager Brett Veach will have difficult decisions to make at various positions, including wide receiver, linebacker and along the defensive line.
The three minicamp practices last week gave reporters the best indication of what the Chiefs’ depth chart looks like. From notes, observations and Reid’s preference in past seasons, here’s our early projection of the Chiefs’ 53-man roster.
Quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne
Analysis: The quarterbacks’ room shouldn’t change from last year. Mahomes has been supported by Henne, who also understands the offense better in his second season with the Chiefs. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, quarterbacks assistant Mike Kafka and Reid will continue to brainstorm on how Mahomes can stay ahead of opposing defenses. Henne, an 11-year veteran, is a suitable backup who can smoothly operate the Chiefs’ offense.
Practice-squad consideration: Chase Litton is entering his second season with the Chiefs after performing well last year in the preseason. If Litton continues to develop in camp, he’ll likely stay with the Chiefs and win the third-string battle over undrafted free agent Kyle Shurmur.
Running backs: Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde, Darrel Williams, Darwin Thompson
Analysis: This is an interesting group. All four players are capable of being additional receivers in Reid’s offense and Damien Williams appears to be ready for his role as the Chiefs’ primary ball carrier.
Hyde should be most effective in short-yardage situations and on swing passes out of the backfield. Last season, Darrel Williams performed well in his six games, showing toughness in space. The most unpredictable player at the position is Thompson, who could be used in screen passes, on special teams or as a gadget player for Reid. Thompson has enough speed that he should see the ball in space at least a few times this season. The Chiefs don’t need their running backs to be spectacular. The goal for this group should be consistency in keeping opposing defenses balanced.
Fullback: Anthony Sherman
Analysis: As one of the best fullbacks in the league, Sherman will continue to do a little bit of everything. Sherman will block for Mahomes and Williams, catch critical passes and be a plus on special teams. Another Pro Bowl appearance seems reasonable.
Tight ends: Travis Kelce, Deon Yelder, John Lovett
Analysis: Kelce, who missed the offseason practices to rest his surgically repaired ankle, should be fully healthy in time for camp. He is Mahomes’ favorite target, and that shouldn’t change this season, particularly on third down. The real intrigue in camp is who will play with Kelce as Reid’s second and third tight ends. The reason for two backups here is simple: Reid wants to run plays with two tight ends, and both Yelder and Lovett have the most potential. Yelder, the more traditional tight end who excels at blocking, spent most of last season on the Chiefs’ practice squad. The preseason is going to be critical for him. As for Lovett, he’s one of the best athletes on the roster. He made impressive catches during the open offseason practices and spent plenty of snaps with the projected starters with Kelce and Yelder out with injuries.
Practice-squad consideration: Nick Keizer is another young, solid option in case of an injury. Keizer spent last season on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad.
Analysis: After the NFL Draft, Hill was not on our projected depth chart ahead of the team’s organized practices. Although he’s indefinitely suspended by the Chiefs, Hill could rejoin the team in camp since he’s no longer under criminal investigation from the Johnson County (Kan.) District Attorney’s office. The Chiefs believe Hill could receive a suspension from the NFL as soon as next month for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy.
Beyond Hill’s potential return, the rest of the position is a steady group. Watkins was a star during the offseason program, and Robinson has received greater responsibility within the offense. Pringle and Dieter are players who can contribute on offense and special teams. Hardman, the speedy rookie, should have an increased role as the season progresses and he better understands the offense.
Practice-squad consideration: Cody Thompson, an undrafted rookie from Toledo, was the second-most consistent receiver in the offseason practices behind Watkins. Thompson caught almost every ball thrown to him during the open practices and his route running, especially in the slot, was impressive. If Hill is suspended, Thompson could start the season on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster if he performs well in the preseason.
Offensive linemen: Mitchell Schwartz, Eric Fisher, Austin Reiter, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Andrew Wylie, Cam Erving, Kahlil McKenzie, Jimmy Murray, Nick Allegretti
Analysis: The Chiefs’ starting lineup appears set with a healthy Duverney-Tardif and an emerging Wylie as the projected guards next to Reiter as the center. Schwartz and Fisher are quality tackles. But one reason the Chiefs have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL is because of their depth and versatility. Erving, who spent much of last season as the starting left guard, appears ready for a new role as the swingman tackle. McKenzie learned the guard position last year as a rookie and should get plenty of snaps in the preseason. Murray and Allegretti are athletic enough to play both the center and guard positions.
Practice-squad consideration: Tackle Ryan Hunter should be given another year to learn from Schwartz, Fisher and assistant coach Andy Heck.
Defensive linemen: Frank Clark, Chris Jones, Alex Okafor, Emmanuel Ogbah, Derrick Nnadi, Breeland Speaks, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Khalen Saunders, Xavier Williams
Analysis: Spagnuolo is going to place a lot of his faith in these players. The trio of pass rushers in Clark, Jones and Okafor is a quality group that should put consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Jones, who is seeking a sizable contract extension, is expected to return to the team early in camp after missing all of the offseason practices. The two wild cards are former second-round picks Speaks and Kpassagnon. Spagnuolo wants the two players to play both on the edge and in the interior based on the matchups against the opposing offensive line. Speaks and Kpassagnon haven’t done that since their college careers. Nnadi, Saunders and Williams are all capable defensive tackles who can rotate and be stout in Spagnuolo’s 4-3 defense.
Practice-squad consideration: The Chiefs are very high on Tim Ward, an undrafted rookie defensive end who missed all of the offseason practices because of a knee injury.
Linebackers: Anthony Hitchens, Reggie Ragland, Damien Wilson, Darron Lee, Dorian O’Daniel, Ben Niemann
Analysis: The position appears to still be fluid for Spagnuolo, as Hitchens is the lone unquestioned starter. Ragland, Wilson and Lee could all be starters at some point this season with O’Daniel as a situational option. One of the most fascinating parts of camp will be how often the Chiefs run snaps with three linebackers. The change in scheme appears to benefit Ragland the most, who could play in the middle or as the strong-side ‘backer. The winner of these position battles will likely be the players who can sprint sideline to sideline and be effective in pass coverage. Niemann is the perfect role player who is disciplined and strong on special teams. O’Daniel is also a plus option on special teams.
Practice-squad considerations: Darius Harris, an undrafted rookie, has potential. Raymond Davison should get another year to develop after being on the Chiefs’s practice squad last season.
Cornerbacks: Kendall Fuller, Bashaud Breeland, Charvarius Ward, Keith Reaser, Tremon Smith
Analysis: Something unforeseen would have to happen in camp or the preseason for this position to change. Fuller, Breeland and Ward are the Chiefs’ primary options. Reaser is a reasonable option in dime coverage if he can stay healthy, which has been his biggest issue in the NFL. Spagnuolo likely will leave Fuller in the slot position and the burden will increase for Ward, who blossomed late last season as a rookie. Smith, a second-year player, is the projected winner of the final spot on the roster since he was excellent as the team’s kickoff returner last season.
Practice-squad considerations: Rookies Rashad Fenton and Mark Fields will need to perform better than expected in the preseason, both on defense and special teams, for them to make the roster. If they prove competent, both players should spend the season learning Spagnuolo’s system.
Safeties: Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill, Daniel Sorensen, Jordan Lucas, Armani Watts
Analysis: The order of this position is set entering training camp with Mathieu and Thornhill as the starters. Sorensen, Lucas and Watts are all capable backups who can make contributions on special teams. Spagnuolo just needs this group to stay healthy.
Specialists: Harrison Butker (kicker), Dustin Colquitt (punter), James Winchester (long snapper)
Analysis: All three players rank among the best at their position in the NFL with coordinator Dave Toub as their guru.
Practice-squad considerations: Undrafted rookie punter Jack Fox has a big and consistent leg; he’ll continue to develop under Colquitt and Toub.
Originally Posted by Mecca:
Just a way to save money I'm pretty sure, which is why I think Jordan Lucas and Xavier Williams are in no way sure bets to make the roster.
After seeing some of the shit some of these 'developmental' guys put on film in their extended run yesterday, are you of the belief that we have obvious replacements for them?
Watts looked like ass and Saunders has disappointed. The vaunted "WR Depth" is a bunch of chaff.
I'm thinking there are maybe 50 guys on this team that have any business on a roster and the 46 man active gameday roster is gonna be awfully easy to put together.
I'm past the point of caring who the 4th CB is on this team right now, let alone the 5th or 6th. Same with the WRs. We have maybe 2 backup OL who are worth a damn (and I can't name 'em) and when you saw a guy like Attaochu out there vs. the rest of our scrubs, Attaochu looked like a damn HoFer in comparison. Attaochu is juuuuuust barely an NFL player, IMO. If he gets cut here, he'll get added to someone else's roster.
That's the bar to clear and when he was out there with guys like DoD and the rest of the vaunted "depth" on the defense, he stood out like a sore thumb as being clearly better than all of them.
I think the Chiefs should be looking to add some veteran depth rather than worry about how they're gonna get assets for all these JAGs. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Shurmer would neuter the playmakers on this team. Watkins might see an uptick but Hill would be significantly diminished and the defenses would crash on Kelce. Litton would turn the ball over more but he'd also force teams to honor every spot on the field.
I don't care what either of them would do with the playmakers on this team. That's not their job. That's not ever going to be their job, neither one of them. They aren't starting caliber NFL quarterbacks, and they never will be.
If Mahomes goes down, the season is over. It doesn't matter if it's Moore behind him, or Henne, or Litton, or Shurmer. Nobody is saving this team if the MVP goes down.
Gotta change the mindset here. We're not in the market for developmental quarterbacks anymore. Gotta stop looking at this like measurements and arm strength mean anything.
Shurmer is a rookie, in his first camp, who to my eye looks like he already has a better grasp of the offense in one offseason than Litton does in two. And that's what their role is ultimately going to be about: understanding what's going on. Not performing like a starter. That's Mahomes role.
Who's going to be the best option at backup in 2020, to take over for the vet when Henne and Moore are both gone? That's the real question. I don't think Litton's a realistic option, either way. Shurmer? Maybe, if he progresses in the next year. And that's why he's in the position he appears to be now. We'll see if he makes the practice squad. I don't see either one on the 53. [Reply]
I don’t disagree with dj but I kinda think there’s some context.
Most of those guys last night didn’t look great as he says but you gotta oook at whole playing around them, in football that matters.
We’re looking for the last couple guys on the roster so I’m not sure it really says much about them how they played last night. I’ve seen some of them play around better players in other games and look good, so them playing with Shurmur or whoever last night doesn’t mean much to me [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
I agree with that, our depth is not great.
Depends on the position.
WR, DL, and RB have good depth. I don’t worry too much about any 1 player going down from either of those groups. We can still win games with the rest. No team can lose multiple players from those and lose nothing.
OL is kinda spotty. Mahomes and Reid seem to be able to scheme the offense to looking better than they are. Schwartz and Fisher are obviously the most valuable.
Safety depth is competent at least. Much better than Ron Parker and Eric Murray.
TE is kind of an overrated position IMO. No one else has Kelce. I think Mahomes and Reid will get some decent production out of our back ups if necessary. Kinda like RB. The WRs will open things up for whoever we play.
CB and LB depth isn’t great, but I don’t think many teams are stacked 6 deep in those positions. Adding a top corner would be great, because everyone else would move down a spot so the entire group would get better (your 1 becomes your 2, 2 becomes 3, etc).
QB depth doesn’t matter. Mahomes or bust. Same with every team. [Reply]
Originally Posted by keg in kc:
I don't care what either of them would do with the playmakers on this team. That's not their job. That's not ever going to be their job, neither one of them. They aren't starting caliber NFL quarterbacks, and they never will be.
If Mahomes goes down, the season is over. It doesn't matter if it's Moore behind him, or Henne, or Litton, or Shurmer. Nobody is saving this team if the MVP goes down.
Gotta change the mindset here. We're not in the market for developmental quarterbacks anymore. Gotta stop looking at this like measurements and arm strength mean anything.
Shurmer is a rookie, in his first camp, who to my eye looks like he already has a better grasp of the offense in one offseason than Litton does in two. And that's what their role is ultimately going to be about: understanding what's going on. Not performing like a starter. That's Mahomes role.
Who's going to be the best option at backup in 2020, to take over for the vet when Henne and Moore are both gone? That's the real question. I don't think Litton's a realistic option, either way. Shurmer? Maybe, if he progresses in the next year. And that's why he's in the position he appears to be now. We'll see if he makes the practice squad. I don't see either one on the 53.
If Mahomes goes down for good, the season is over.
If Mahomes goes down for 5 games and Moore for 3 of those, can Shurmer or Litton do anything to keep us in the race for a bye or at least a home playoff game?
I mean if your position is that neither of them can do anything in that regard then cut 'em both and move along. But I actually think Litton could come in, mix enough good in with the inevitable bad, and let get the ball into the hands of the playmakers on this team to make something happen; go get us 17 points in the middle of the 4th with a punchers chance to steal a game.
Shurmer's a 6 point game waiting to happen. One of those eye-gougingly awful games we saw a couple years back in the midst of those late-season doldrums when we just jack-assed around against the Giants and Jets. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
I don’t disagree with dj but I kinda think there’s some context.
Most of those guys last night didn’t look great as he says but you gotta oook at whole playing around them, in football that matters.
We’re looking for the last couple guys on the roster so I’m not sure it really says much about them how they played last night. I’ve seen some of them play around better players in other games and look good, so them playing with Shurmur or whoever last night doesn’t mean much to me
I don't think it ultimately says a lot to the coaching staff. Maybe for a few players (RIP - Mark Fields) but by and large, I think practices have told the coaches more than these games will.
But I do think it gave us the best look at some of these guys that we're gonna get.
You come away with any confidence in any of them? That dude that wanted to trade Tyreek Hill still out there thinking that maybe when Watkins inevitably gets injured that Byron Pringle can step in here and keep things hummin'?
No - we're not the unicorn it seemed we might be. We don't have a roster full of top tier talent (yes) AND the enviable depth that would allow us to put 20 of our cast-offs on NFL rosters (no). Reality intervened pretty quickly here and as it turns out, this is just a really good team that STILL has vast swaths of shit at the bottom of its roster.
Just like every other team.
Nobody has 53 guys they're comfortable playing. And damn sure nobody has 60.
It's not an indictment on Veach or anything - it's just something of a realization. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
Derron Lee will be good at lb
Think we’ll be fine there
Lee I get the optimism and Wilson looked solid in the games...but Ragland I'm not confidence in and Hitchens we'll see, this is why I was like yea this team should be on Alonso. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
I can make an argument that we could just suck out loud at LB, we really have no guarantee there at all.
Getting ahead of myself here, but I’d still be interest in Dylan Moses in the next draft. With his injury, we might be able to grab him at the end of the first. Some were projecting him to go top 10. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
I can make an argument that we could just suck out loud at LB, we really have no guarantee there at all.
Which was effectively the discussion we had with that condescending dentist yesterday.
This team damn sure isn't in a position to look at a guy like Alonso and say "nah - we're good..."
The LB corps might end up a strength - there were flashes. And like you said, it might just !@#$ing suck.
We just have no idea right now and with that backdrop I think we need to take any clear NFL caliber talent we can get. Alonso qualifies without question. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
I don't think it ultimately says a lot to the coaching staff. Maybe for a few players (RIP - Mark Fields) but by and large, I think practices have told the coaches more than these games will.
But I do think it gave us the best look at some of these guys that we're gonna get.
You come away with any confidence in any of them? That dude that wanted to trade Tyreek Hill still out there thinking that maybe when Watkins inevitably gets injured that Byron Pringle can step in here and keep things hummin'?
No - we're not the unicorn it seemed we might be. We don't have a roster full of top tier talent (yes) AND the enviable depth that would allow us to put 20 of our cast-offs on NFL rosters. Reality intervened pretty quickly here and as it turns out, this is just a really good team that STILL has vast swaths of shit at the bottom of its roster.
Just like every other team.
Nobody has 53 guys they're comfortable playing. And damn sure nobody has 60.
It's not an indictment on Veach or anything - it's just something of a realization.
It’s just hard to evaluate say, WRs that in games are catching passes from 3 and 4 QBs. I dunno if they’re getting open or what.
So no I still wouldn’t trade Tyreek, but we’ve got a lot of rope to give andy and Mahomes here so basically with offensive stuff, whatever andy does is good with me [Reply]