Which positions are still up for grabs entering the Chiefs final preseason game?
Gehrig Dieter remembers anxiously sitting in a hotel room a year ago, waiting for the phone to ring with good news.
As an undrafted free agent in 2017, Dieter was a long-shot to make the 53-man roster, and the 48 hours between the Chiefs’ final preseason game and the roster-cut deadline were some of the longest of the receiver’s life.
“It’s like how draft day was — not getting a call on draft day until after the draft was over,” Dieter said. “It feels like the longest day ever, and that’s kind of what those two days after the last preseason game feel like. Last year it kind of sucked, too, because I didn’t have an apartment or anything. I was just in a hotel all day.”
At the end of it, Dieter got the call that he didn’t make the final roster, but he did earn a spot on the team’s practice squad for the duration of the season.
This time around, Dieter finds himself in a similar scenario, but he’ll have the comforts of home to get him through the nerve-racking process that will ramp up after the Chiefs finish Thursday night’s preseason finale with the Packers.
“I’ll probably hang out with my dogs and play video games all day,” he said. “And hopefully it goes by fast and hopefully I make the team.”
Dieter also built a strong relationship with quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the last year, but he won’t share the stress of the day with his friend.
“Most of my good friends on the team are already solidified on the team, and I don’t want to stress them out by trying to make them feel bad for me,” Dieter said. “For me, it’s my situation, I’ll handle it myself and go from there.”
For bubble players like Dieter, the fourth preseason game is a chance to leave a lasting impression on the Chiefs’ brass ahead of imminent roster cuts. It’s also a time to put together a highlight reel that can be sent to other teams if the bad news call comes.
“It’s pretty stressful,” Dieter said. “Obviously last year, not knowing anything really, kind of how it goes. This year, it’s still stressful. Obviously I want to make the team. I don’t want to end up on the practice squad again.”
Dieter isn’t one of the top-tier receivers in the 90-man group, but he’s done enough to be in strong consideration for one of the final roster spots, along with receivers Marcus Kemp and Jehu Chesson.
The Chiefs typically keep six wide receivers, and with Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Chris Conley and Demarcus Robinson locks to make the team, only two spots in the position group are up for grabs. One likely belongs to De’Anthony Thomas for his assets as a punt returner, leaving just one more available.
“There is great competition, and that is fun to watch,” coach Andy Reid said. “Both Dieter and Kemp are very close. And here they are competing for a position on the team. They both have had good practices and good games and that is good. That makes us better when we have that competition.”
Like Dieter, Kemp joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and was signed to the practice squad. But Kemp was activated to the 53-man roster ahead of the Steels game in October to give the receiver group depth after injuries to Chris Conley and Albert Wilson.
Though he had an inconsistent camp, Kemp is building a steady momentum through the preseason games. Against Chicago, the Hawaii product had a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Chase Litton in the fourth quarter.
Unlike Dieter and Kemp, Chesson was a draft pick, selected by the organization in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. He appeared in 12 games last season, first cracking the depth chart as a special teams player. And when injuries began to pile up in the receiver group, Chesson also got on the field with the offense.
While all three guys are battling for a roster spot as a wide receiver, the final decision will likely come down to special teams acumen.
“That wide receiver position has a lot of competition,” said Dave Toub, assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. “It’s going to come down to who’s going to be your fifth, sixth guy that can help you on special teams.
“There’s a great battle going on over there between those guys: Kemp, Chesson, Dieter is in the mix now as well, and obviously De’Anthony (Thomas). Brett Veach and his crew will make the right decisions. There’s a decision that will be made and we’ll go with it.”
Quarterbacks
The top two quarterback spots are locked in, but what about the third spot? Will there even be a third spot?
Those are all questions the Chiefs will look to answer in the final preseason game.
While Chad Henne will get the start, the rest of the playing time will be split between rookie Litton and veteran Matt McGloin.
McGloin didn’t get any action in Chicago, but Litton stayed on the bench in Atlanta.
Litton has consistently turned in solid performances in preseason game action. In his first appearance against the Texans, Litton orchestrated a long drive to the Texans’ goal line from Kansas City’s 4-yard-line. Then, against Chicago, Litton completed 4 of 7 attempts for 67 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Kemp.
In two preseason games, Litton has completed 11 of 20 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, while McGloin has connected on 15 of 18 attempts for 94 yards.
With a solid veteran backup quarterback in Henne already on the roster, the Chiefs could choose to keep the younger Litton as a developmental option. There’s even the chance that the Chiefs choose to keep Litton on the practice squad and only sign two quarterbacks.
In this situation, it seems like the edge goes to the younger backup quarterback, but Thursday’s preseason game could turn the tide in McGloin’s favor.
Inside linebackers/men in the middle
Second-year inside linebacker Ukeme Eligwe, who played in 14 games last season and started once, has garnered the majority of the playing time during training camp along with third-year man Terrance Smith at the inside linebacker spots.
Starters Reggie Ragland and Anthony Hitchens spent most of the preseason sidelined by ailments. For Eligwe, a fifth-round pick in 2017, it’s been a chance to show he’s growing into more than just an athlete.
“Coming in we want to work on — you know, he’s a big, athletic guy — just understanding how to play my run/pass reads,” Chiefs inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone said during camp in St. Joseph. “He’s been excellent with that. We talk a lot in our room about the difference between talent and skill.
“He’s a guy with a lot of talent. We’re just continuing to cultivate his skill and working on his craft and becoming a master of his craft. He’s really done that this camp. He’s improving every day, and you can see it.”
Unless the Chiefs feel like they have a linebacker who can be a swing guy and play either spot, the cold reality appears that they’ll keep only five inside linebackers. Ragland and Hitchens are set in stone as starters, and third-round draft pick Dorian O’Daniel seems like a guy they’ve had pegged to contribute in sub packages since the day they selected him.
That leaves Smith, Eligwe and undrafted rookie Ben Niemann vying for two spots.
Niemann, who went to the same school that produced Hitchens and DeLeone, has been impressive during camp and the exhibition games. Niemann led the team in tackles in the first preseason game and returned an interception for a touchdown in the second.
The likely continuation of Niemann’s underdog story probably means the end of the line for either Eligwe or Smith. Eligwe has one fewer year of experience than Smith, an undrafted free agent signed in 2016.
“We’re still going to evaluate them,” Reid said. “We have a feel up to this point, but they’ve got to play a little bit more. We’ll have a chance to see them this week.”
Defensive backs
The Chiefs’ secondary has been in a state of flux throughout the preseason. Eric Berry was coming off an injury and fellow safety Daniel Sorensen suffered one in camp. The cornerback positions have also been an ongoing saga, with newcomers David Amerson and Kendall Fuller added this offseason and veteran Orlando Scandrick added during the preseason.
Five cornerbacks have set themselves apart either by performance or track record. Steven Nelson and Fuller are the clear starters, with Amerson and Scandrick behind them. Rookie speedster Tremon Smith seems like the clear fifth man at the position, but he may also have the highest ceiling of the group.
If the Chiefs make a surprise cut of one of the veterans in that top group, it could open the door for someone not currently on the roster. With all teams’ roster cuts due to the league on Saturday, intriguing options could surface on the free-agent market this weekend.
This story was originally published August 29, 2018 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Which positions are still up for grabs entering the Chiefs final preseason game?."