Final Chiefs roster prediction: Who earned a spot Thursday night?
The Chiefs entered Thursday night’s preseason finale in Green Bay with 90 men on the roster. By Saturday at 3 p.m., that number will be reduced to 53.
Kansas City brass likely had their 53 entering the fourth preseason game, but a few players like LB/DE Jeremiah Attaochu and WR Jody Fortson put together standout performances that could make them reconsider a couple things.
Though the Chiefs had injuries at the wide receiver position in the preseason, that’s still a deep spot on the roster. K-State product Byron Pringle and Cody Thompson both seem to have secured roster spots, along with old friend De’Anthony Thomas, giving that group seven players entering the season.
Expect the most post-deadline movement in the cornerback group. While general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid will fill out the cornerbacks by roster cutdown time, expect them to work the waiver wire and free agent pool throughout the weekend to find one more NFL-ready corner. The Chiefs have a couple legitimate players at that position, but they could use at least one more with Morris Claiborne’s suspension keeping him away from the team for the first four weeks.
Andy Reid spoke to reporters on a conference call Friday afternoon, and though he didn’t have any updates on injuries or cuts, he gave a few position-specific clues about how the roster decisions may fall.
- Reid hinted that the roster will continue to evolve after the cut deadline: “Brett’s always going to keep his eyes open and continue to bring in players and create that competition. What you perceive it today might not be what it is down the road.”
- Carlos Hyde’s increased work load on Thursday night was to even out his reps with the other running backs, Reid said. Hyde ended up with 16 attempts for 55 yards. Starter Damien Williams finished with just two carries, but he also had three receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. Darrel Williams had 11 carries for 44 yards, and Darwin Thompson had 12 carries for 60 yards. “I tried to rotate all the backs to give them a shot early in games. Carlos, for whatever reason, whether it was the RPO game and we threw the ball, he didn’t get the carries,” Reid said. “He got shortchanged on this whole plan that we had as far as carries, so I threw him in and gave him a shot. And I explained it all to him. I kept those guys abreast of what we were doing.”
- Tremon Smith’s best value to the team is as a returner. The cornerback-turned-running back-slash-wide receiver moved around a lot during the preseason, but Reid said it was to give him a chance to showcase his versatility. “The initial value of him is as a returner and then you look at the flexibility that he can give you at the other spots,” Reid said. “That was the idea going in, and I thought we got enough look at it.” Smith was a rooke All-Pro returner a season ago, but using a roster spot on him could be tough with other specialists like De’Anthony Thomas, Mecole Hardman and Tyreek Hill on the roster.
- Reid feels good about the tight end depth, something that was a concern going into training camp. Though the team doesn’t have much clarity on Deon Yelder’s injury — Reid said IR is a possibility, and there’s also a chance he comes back — he feels good about the position. “I liked what Yelder did in Pittsburgh, before he got hurt. I like what Bell’s done also. And then Keizer went out and had a nice night last night. That’s a pretty good situation right there.”
- The young cornerbacks like D’Montre Wade, Herb Miller and Mark Fields will be evaluated on potential and not necessarily current ability. “They all kind of have their strengths, and they’re all a little different,” Reid said. “We’ll have to sit down and go through all of that here later today. You’ve got to be really smart when you evaluate those guys because they are young and you’ve got to project a little bit in there.”
Here’s a look at the final roster projection, including the most realistic practice squad candidates.
QUARTERBACKS (2)
Patrick Mahomes, Matt Moore
OUT: Chad Henne
IN: Matt Moore
Practice squad: Kyle Shurmur
Henne hasn’t been officially put on IR, and we don’t know the timetable for his return. But the fractured ankle and the resulting surgery will likely sideline him for a significant amount of time this season. That caused the Chiefs to sign another former Miami quarterback in Matt Moore. The biggest battle in the quarterback room reached a conclusion Thursday night as Shurmur and Chase Litton each got a half to make their case for a practice squad spot. Shurmur played the first half and completed 14 of 20 attempts for 143 yards, a touchdown and and an interception. In the second half, Litton completed 11 of 19 attempts for 62 yards and a touchdown. Though Litton has the experience of being in the quarterbacks room last year, Shurmur has been favored throughout the preseason, and it appears he’ll get the nod.
RUNNING BACKS (4)
Damien Williams, Darrel Williams, Darwin Thompson, Anthony Sherman
OUT: None
IN: None
Practice squad: Marcus Marshall
None of the Chiefs’ top four running backs — including fullback Anthony Sherman — saw action in the final preseason game, solidifying their spots on the roster. Carlos Hyde did play, starting the game and carrying the ball on three of the first four plays. In Hyde’s case, playing that much in the final preseason game doesn’t appear to be a good sign. His place on the depth chart has been in a steady slide since the emergence of Thompson, and he’ll likely be on the outs when the final cuts are made this weekend. Marshall, a rookie from James Madison, finished as the team’s leading rusher with 59 yards on 14 carries. He’ll get a practice squad look.
WIDE RECEIVER (7)
Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, Demarcus Robinson, Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle, Cody Thompson, De’Anthony Thomas
OUT: None
IN: None
IR: Marcus Kemp
Practice squad: Jody Fortson, Gehrig Dieter
The Chiefs’ wide receiver group was essentially decided before the fourth preseason game. Both Pringle and Thompson played early, and while neither had a particular standout moment, neither hurt his standing to make the roster, either. The guy who helped himself the most was Jody Forston. The 6-6, 230-pound rookie tight end-turned-wide receiver had two catches for 38 yards — including one 36-yarder — against the Packers. Fortson, a Valdosta State product, was flagged for taunting after the long reception, but after catching the high ball thrown slightly behind him, he was due for a little celebrating. Later in the game, he caught a two-yard touchdown pass. And he performed well on special teams, forcing a fumble with his long reach. Fortson had a couple good catches during training camp, too; his performance in the final preseason game should be enough to earn him a spot on the practice squad.
TIGHT END (3)
Travis Kelce, Blake Bell, Deon Yelder
IN: Deon Yelder
OUT: Nick Keizer
IR: John Lovett
Practice Squad: Nick Keizer
Yelder’s ankle injury seems to be progressively getting better, and even if he’s not healthy for the first couple weeks, his experience makes him a little more valuable than rookie Keizer. But, Keizer has shown potential in the preseason. Against Green Bay, he had five catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. Should Yelder be unable to go for a couple weeks, the Chiefs could find room to elevate the rookie from Grand Valley State to the active roster.
OFFENSIVE LINE (8)
Mitchell Schwartz, Eric Fisher, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Austin Reiter, Andrew Wylie, Cam Erving, Nick Allegretti, Jeff Allen
IN: None
OUT: None
Practice squad: Kahlil McKenzie
The backup offensive line struggled to protect Kyle Shurmur and Chase Litton in the final preseason game, though some of that was on the quarterbacks for holding the ball too long. Though Allegretti is still a work-in-progress as a rookie, his versatility makes him valuable. Allen is also a good depth player, and he’ll be important for his veteran presence in the group. McKenzie is still a work in progress, and the best he could do is a practice squad spot after an unremarkable preseason.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9)
Frank Clark, Chris Jones, Alex Okafor, Emmanuel Ogbah, Derrick Nnadi, Khalen Saunders, Xavier Williams, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Justin Hamilton, Breeland Speaks*
IN: None
OUT: None
Practice squad: Cavon Walker
Speaks is on this roster projection because he hasn’t been officially designated to the Injured Reserve list. But the second-year edge rusher had surgery recently on an MCL sprain and meniscus injury that will likely sideline him for a while. No timetable was given for his return, but it seems like he wouldn’t be available until December at the earliest. With that, the Chiefs could be looking for another defensive lineman. They could opt to keep Justin Hamilton for depth. Everyone else appears to be locked into their positions. Walker boosted his profile in the preseason finale with a sack in Green Bay. A rookie, he’ll be considered for a practice squad spot.
LINEBACKER (6)
Anthony Hitchens, Reggie Ragland, Damien Wilson, Darron Lee, Ben Niemann, Jeremiah Attaochu
IN: Jeremiah Attaochu
OUT: Dorian O’Daniel
Practice Squad: Rob McCray
Jeremiah Attaochu received the biggest boost from the fourth preseason game. Usually the backup SAM linebacker, Attaochu had an opportunity to play multiple positions in Green Bay, including defensive end. He led the team with eight tackles and two sacks. With O’Daniel sliding down the depth chart, Attaochu is elevating at just the right time to nab his roster spot. McCray appears to be a good option for the practice squad. He nearly had a safety against Green Bay, and he finished with three tackles. McCray played 43 snaps — 78.2 percent — Thursday night, and right behind him was Attaochu with 42.
CORNERBACK (6)
Kendall Fuller, Bashaud Breeland, Charvarius Ward, Rashad Fenton, Herb Miller, D’Montre Wade, Mo Claiborne*
IN: none
OUT: none
Practice squad: Mark Fields
With Claiborne suspended the first four weeks of the season, the Chiefs will have an open spot for another cornerback. That could go to Wade, although the Chiefs also figure to be active on the waiver wire during cut-down weekend to scoop up another corner. The group is still the weakest position on the roster, and it’s the area the team most needs to shore up before the opener against Jacksonville. Miller and Wade played late in the fourth preseason game, but based on their earlier performances, it still appears both will make the initial roster. One, though, could be demoted to practice squad once Claiborne returns. There’s seemingly no way that Fields makes the 53-man roster after his series of miscues Thursday night that drew the ire of Andy Reid. But he showed enough potential to stick around on the practice squad. He’s just got to cut down on the penalties.
SAFETY (5)
Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill, Daniel Sorensen, Jordan Lucas, Armani Watts
IN: none
OUT: none
The final preseason game didn’t result in any changes for this group. It was interesting to see how much Watts and Lucas played — 35 and 19 snaps, respectively. Lucas made the most of his time out there, collecting an interception off DeShone Kizer. If he was on the bubble before Thursday night, he solidified his roster spot with that play.
SPECIALISTS (3)
K Harrison Butker, P Dustin Colquitt, LS James Winchester
IN: none
OUT: none
IR: none
Practice Squad: P Jack Fox
Fox, the former Rice punter, played well enough during the preseason to merit a practice squad spot as he develops into an NFL talent.
This story was originally published August 30, 2019 at 10:46 AM.