Chiefs 2015: Five most important players for success

In the National Football League, each team has a 53-man roster. All of those players are extremely important, whether they are starters or simply special teams players. It is critical that everyonedoes their job, because football is the ultimate team game.

With the Kansas City Chiefs, they are no exception. Going into the third year of the Andy Reid era, the Chiefs are expected to win and by some, win big. Kansas City has ample talent on both sides of the ball and a coaching staff that knows how to utilize that talent. It sounds simple, but it is anything but.

With a month until the beginning of training camp, now is a great time to take stock in where the team is at. Who needs to step up, who simply needs to maintain their performance level, and who is the secret key to a group that can win the AFC West for the first time since 2010?

With that in mind, I have identified five players who need to have big seasons for the Chiefs to make a Super Bowl run. In some cases, we aren’t talking about huge, Pro Bowl campaigns, but simply do their jobs and not be a liability. With others, there is an expectation of an All-Pro season and perhaps MVP consideration.

Let’s get to each one and break down what will be needed.

Next: Shutting down the receivers?