Five players that can change the Chiefs offseason
By Ben Almquist
Coming into the 2016 NFL offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs are in an interesting place in terms of how they can continue to shape their roster. Of course the big focus of most fans and media is on the big names that are looking at becoming free agents. That subject alone sparks the debate on how the Chiefs will approach this offseason. And it begs the question of which holes the Chiefs will need to fill on the roster.
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The positions that seem to be coming up most often include wide receiver, the offensive line, cornerback, and inside linebacker. The reasoning for these positions is different. The wide receiver group took a huge step forward in 2015, but still clearly needs some work. The offensive line gets thrown in there because it has been a notable weakness for the past couple of years, despite showing progress towards the end of 2015.
For the cornerback spot, it’s because Sean Smith seems to be a lock to leave in Free Agency. And at inside linebacker Derrick Johnson is a free agent, but is also at a point where many people are contemplating his retirement. All in all, it can make it seem like the Chiefs have a lot of work ahead of them.
However, it is very possible that much of the work in fixing these spots is already done. One thing that often sets professional NFL personnel people apart from fans and media is that they look ahead when it comes to addressing the needs of a team. In fact, that is one of the more popular narratives in describing John Dorsey’s approach to the draft. Many claim that he is drafting eventual replacements, though Dorsey will tell you that he’s simply taking the best football players on his list.
Regardless of that however, addressing the future of the roster is commonplace in the NFL. Almost every NFL General Manager hopes to be able to fill a position before it becomes a problem. And in Kansas City, there are some very viable options for addressing some of those positions.
Next: Who are the options?