u/originalusername4567

Pretty cool that we got an article from a major news outlet about this town!

I know Lawrence isn't having a block party for this one, which is unfortunate because this is one of the few days I would be free to go to a block party. I've heard from other posts that Red Lyon is a good place to go for sports viewing. Any other recommendations?

TLDR, won one of these mail scratchers but I hear they only send these out to get people into the showroom. Don't really want to drive half an hour unless it's anything real. Has anyone else gotten these?

Now that it's the off-season and we don't have anything better to talk about, I wanted to express my thoughts on the roster and sort of compile thoughts that I've expressed in comments and other threads together here. And I think the best way to do that is an analysis on the roster. Some of these thoughts are subject to change after training camp, when we get a better idea of how the rookies will look and which ones are on the inside track to make the roster.

1: Quarterback. Brett Veach said the Chiefs have the best QB room in the league, and as long as #15 is in Red and Gold I agree. Obviously Mahomes' ability to perform this season is more in doubt after the ACL and LCL tears, but everything we've seen so far regarding the recovery process, and his previous quick injury recoveries, has me optimistic. Justin Fields is not a perfect player, but he did have a 4-2 record as a starter with his only competent head coach in Mike Tomlin. Not only will Andy Reid get the most out of him as a backup but I think Fields will be a great asset for QB sneaks and goal line packages as well. Garrett Nussmeier is unlikely to see much action this season but could be our backup for the next 3 seasons at a fraction of the cost of a veteran.

2: Secondary. The strength of Spags' defense in previous seasons is likely to be a strength once again, even with a lot of turnover. Part of this is because I have so much faith in Spags and Merritt to coach the room up, but the talent is there too. The Safety room has three proven starters with Alohi Gilman, who has proven production on both the Chargers and Ravens; Chamarri Connor, a solid box Safety who needs to stay OUT OF THE SLOT; and Jaden Hicks, who was a game wrecker in limited action his Freshman season and got an unfair rap in a Sophomore season where the whole team struggled. On the Cornerback side, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are gone but #6 Overall Pick Mansour Delane was one of the best prospects of the 2026 draft and possibly the frontrunner for Defensive Rookie of the Years, and Noel Williams flashed a ton of talent when allowed onto the field. They could be an even better boundary CB couple, since McDuffie struggled on the outside. Slot Corner is the biggest question mark, but one of Jadon Canady, Kader Kohou or Chris Roland-Wallace should be able to fill that role.

3: Running Back. A position group that has been awful since 2019 has been massively overhauled to provide sup[ort for an injury recovering QB1. Kenneth Walker looked like the best RB in the damn league at the end of the season, and I'm ecstatic that he's a Chief. He may struggle if Andy Reid doesn't call more under center runs, but he also faced the most stacked boxes in the NFL last season. Just existing in the backfield will take a ton of pressure off the pass game. Emmett Johnson is possibly my favorite draft pick, he had even more yards from scrimmage than #3 Overall pick Jeremiyah Love and will be able to take the load off Walker and contribute as a pass catcher back. Emari Demarcado can do the dirty work on 3rd downs as a proven pass blocker, and Brashard Smith can still carve out a role as a pass catcher and in the return game. My only criticism is that Kareem Hunt hasn't been brought back as an elite short yardage ace.

4: Offensive Line. Despite a ton of criticism from clueless talking heads and so called "draft experts," the Chiefs are entering 2026 with an elite pass blocking Offensive Line ,according to advanced metrics from the 2025 season. And the run blocking should grade out a lot better with competent personnel in that room. The only real question mark after excellent seasons from Josh Simmons and Kingsley Suamataia on the left side is the Right Tackle spot. Jaylon Moore is being paid a lot to be good enough this season, but needs to show significant improvement to earn a second contract. Esa Pole has the potential to win a competition with him during training camp, and that would be preferred as he comes at a much cheaper cost. Enough resources have been poured into this position that if the line struggles again in 2026 Andy Heck should be the one under pressure, especially since ex Eagles OL ace Jeff Stoutland may be looking for a new job in 2027.

5: Defensive Tackle. While this position group as a whole is relatively unproven, I'm optimistic enough about this group to call it one of my favorite positions. Chris Jones is of course a Top 3 DT in the league, and can return to his game wrecker glory with some help. Which he should have now: no more playing 95% of snaps a game. Peter Woods went from a Top 5 prospect to #29 after a rough Junior season, but I believe the majority of his struggles were Clemson's fault and he will feast next to Chris Jones. Woods could even be the next franchise DT for life after Jones. Khyiris Tonga will do an excellent job filling his designed role as a run stuffer on early downs, and it was a great use of resources to get a starting Nose tackle for just $7M a year. He and Woods can both be used in goal line packages as Fullbacks as well. Omarr Norman Lott flashed a ton at the start of the 2025 season before suffering an ACL tear, but thanks to the depth in this room he doesn't have to do much in 2026 and can focus on recovery. The best part: all four of these players are locked in through the 2028 season.

6: Wide Receiver. I've mentioned before that I'm more optimistic about this position group than most. Rashee Rice's biggest issue has been availability, and that's certainly an issue in his future with this organization. But while on the field he's averaged 60 yards per game in 2023 (with 1200 total yards), 96 yards per game in 2024 and 71 yards per game in 2025. So the stats don't lie, he is an elite WR1 and will have a fantastic season if he can play 17 games. Worthy had over 900 yards in his rookie season and still earned 531 yards in 2024 while playing the whole season with a torn shoulder. That fact should be celebrated and not used to demeane him as a weapon. Tyquan Thornton's stats would look better if he wasn't inexplicably phased out of the offense after Rice's return, but before that he averaged 52 yards a game and looked like Mahomes' best downfield weapon. He's being paid enough now to prevent that mistake from happening again. It is true that the depth in this room is shallow, and that's why it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring in a veteran for cheap. Hopefully Jalen Royals can show something and our rookies from Cincinnati flash big in training camp.

7: Special Teams. Matt Arazia showed immense growth as a punter, developing into one of the best in the league. The fact that I have nothing to say about James Winchester proves he is doing his job. This would be a Top 3 position group if not for the drastic fall off of Harrison Butker, who did show improvement at the end of the 2025 season. But his current production is abysmal for how big his contract is, and he has one season left to avoid becoming a cap casualty.

8: Tight End. Travis Kelce remains one of the best in the league even at an advanced age, and can get the job done in 2026. But considering Andy Reid relies on Tight Ends so much, it's concerning that the future of this group is such a black hole. Noah Gray showed some potential in 2024 but absolutely nothing in 2025; like Butker, this season is probably his last chance to avoid becoming a cap casualty. Jared Wiley has shown nothing and is unlikely to even make the roster. Jake Briningstool and John Michael Gyllenborg, but Veach can't bank the future on two UDFA's. It will be interesting to see how this position group is addressed next offseason when TJ Hockenson, Kyle Pitts, David Njoku, Dallas Goedert, Colby Parkinson and Hunter Henry are all currently set to hit Free Agency.

9: Linebacker. Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill are proven starters who can anchor the room for 2026, even if some people here wish they were as good in coverage as a Cornerback. But LB3, a pivotal position in a 4-3 formation, is a massive question mark now that Leo Chenal is gone. Will it be Cooper Macdonald, Chenal's biggest comp on the roster who has been highlighted by Bolton? Will it be R Mason Thomas, who measures out at ideal OLB size and had an OLB number when he first joined the roster? Will it be 2025 5th round pick Jeffrey Bassa? Will it be a yet-to-come veteran addition? There's also a question mark when it comes to LB2 in 2027 and beyond, as Tranquill will be 31 and without a contract. Next season's FA features Patrick Queen, Jordyn Brooks, Blake Cashman, Divine Deablo, and Christian Elliss.

10: Edge Rusher. Even with an exciting addition in R Mason Thomas, this room is not nearly good enough. Karlaftis is a solid starter but needs help, and unlike Jones is not likely to get any. He's going to be playing 95% of snaps with this roster. Gillotte still has room to develop as a pass rusher, but early signs show little promise. FAU has been one of the most disastrous picks in Brett Veach's tenure, tied with CEH, and can't be relied on for any meaningful production. UDFA VJ Anthony is the only viable player to fill the 5th spot in this position group. A vet addition is sorely needed, and it's shocking that Cam Jordan, Jadeveon Clowney and AJ Epenesa are all still free agents. Because as things currently stand, the pass rush which was a glaring weakness in 2025 is unlikely to take any meaningful steps forward, barring a titantic effort from our defensive tackles.

Just thought about this thought exercise today while watching a video about the 2021 draft. Chiefs have had three years without a 1st in the Mahomes era: their 2018 1st was traded for Mahomes, their 2019 1st was traded for Frank Clark and their 2021 1st was traded for Orlando Brown Jr. Let's say hypothetically that the Chiefs still got Mahomes and had the same level of success without trading those picks. Who would they have selected?

2018: 22nd overall. Notable selections in that range: DJ Moore, Calvin Ridley, Nick Chubb, Shaq Leonard, Courtland Sutton, Harold Landry.

2019: 29th overall. Notable selections in that range: Byron Murphy, Jawaan Taylor, Deebo Samuel, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jahlani Tavai.

2021: 31th overall. Notable selections in that range: Odafe Oweh, Joe Tryon, Tyson Campbell, Javonte Williams, Jevon Holland, Christian Barmore.