Kansas City Chiefs: Finding A Wide Receiver In Displacement

So, that was one hell of a draft. It didn’t disappoint one bit. It felt like Christmas all the way with the same post Christmas blahs that followed. However, I’m left with the echoes in my ears of fans chanting in unison… wide receiver… wide receiver… wide receiver… wide receiver…. While in the aftermath of feeling like the Chiefs had an “A” draft with the PLUS to be attached at a later date, I’m hoping I can quell some of the postpartum blues about the WR baby that didn’t arrive over the weekend.

No, our Kansas City Chiefs did not draft a wide receiver in this 2014 draft. However, I’m fairly convinced there will be a new wideout who is “new to the Chiefs” on the Kansas City roster before the season begins. Just not via traditional avenues.

You may have heard of the theory of displacement. No, not the psychological version. I’m referring to the theory of fluid mechanics, which in one such application allows that the volume of an object can be measured by immersing it into a vessel filled with water, allowing that vessel to overflow.

Displacement

Some of you may be wondering what the theory of displacement has to do with the Chiefs or their being able to attain wide receivers. Well, as it turns out, everything. Number one, you know GM John Dorsey has one heck of a talent evaluation system and staff. Number two, you know this draft was everything that everyone said it would be and more. Number three, whether this new tremendous 2014 talent sticks on each team roster or, the older players become expendable, there’s going to be massive cuts in less than 4 months (specifically, by September 1st).

Overflow

Now, it’s the overflow (cut, released, and waived players) that the Chiefs should be interested in. That could be players from this draft who didn’t make their respective teams… players like Marcus Cooper last year. Cooper was a 7th round pick of the San Francisco 49ers. Speaking of the 49ers, they had 12 draft picks this year. Do you think all of those new talents will be making the roster? Some will probably go to the IR (like redshirting a player in college) but, you have to assume that several players won’t make it and if they all do, the 49ers will be waiving some good lower-end-of-their-roster players. That’s the overflow, and since this was such a strong and deep draft, the overflow should be flowing like never before.

• The Denver Broncos are a good example. While I don’t see their recent draft pick of Cody Latimer helping them out much this season he could be good for years to come. In the mean time, he’s the 12th wide receiver on their roster. Along the way, the Broncos will have to be cutting some legitimately good WRs. The same goes for all passing attack centric offenses in the league.
• The Green Bay Packers drafted three wideouts and now have eleven on their roster. Someone, or several someones, are going to be the overflow… now and later.
• The Indianapolis Colts now have 13 receivers including TEs and WRs.
• The Jags have 13 WRs on their roster including the two they just drafted and they all have 4 years or less experience.
• The Dolphins have 11 WRs on their roster including the two they drafted this year.
• New England has 11 WRs on their roster now which includes the one they just drafted.
• We know the Saints won’t be keeping all 9 or their WRs but they will be keeping Brandon Cooks and that leaves some very talented options for other teams to pick up.
• The New York Giants now have a very talented group of wideouts by adding Odell Beckham Jr. to the crew but you know they aren’t keeping all 11 of their pass catchers.
• Philly added two to their wide receiving corp but that now gives them 12.
• The Steelers have 11.
• The Chargers now have 12.
• Seattle, 9.
• The Bucs have 10.

And… you get the idea.

One option to bring in another top wide receiver could be to trade for him. The trade timeline of Branden Albert’s last year could be a similar time frame scenario for Brandon Flowers. In other words, it could take a year. Since his name has come up as a possible player to be traded, he, and his contract, could be used to bring in another talented wide receiver. The problem with going this route is that in such cases the contracts of traded players usually offset each other. So, moving Flowers doesn’t accomplish the main desired goal for moving him which is to generate more cap space. Otherwise, I get the impression that Mr. Dorsey would prefer to keep Flowers even though he may not perfectly fit into defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme requirements for DBs, height and weight wise.

The best route to bringing in another good WR is likely via the displacement and overflow method.

So, when will this roster overflow begin taking place? The purging has actually already begun and not just for wide receivers. Don’t expect the Chiefs to sign any of these players below, which other teams are cutting now, but by the same token, don’t be surprised if the Chiefs sign several players later in the summer who have been displaced by this excellent draft class.

Here are some players who have already been cut.

Packers- waived lLB Chase Thomas (a first-year, Stanford).

Jags- waive RB Delone Carter, FB Shaun Chapas, WR Jeremy Ebert, DT Drake Nevis,

WR Stephen Williams and 6-3, 310 third round pick G Will Rackley (who started 11 games at LG in 2013 for the Jags).

Bills- waived RB Anthony Allen.

Cards- waived C John Estes, TE Brett Brackett, LB Kenny Rowe and RB Ryan Williams (who was the 38th pick in the 2011 draft).

Vikings- waived LB Simoni Lawrence, RB Bradley Randle, G Josh Samuda, LBTerrell Manning (5th round pick by the Packers, 2012).

Giants- waived LB Allen Bradford, CB Junior Mertile. and DB Chaz Powell.

Redskins- waived WR David Gettis (6-3, 4.36 in the 40).

Lions- waived WR Carlin Isles, C Sherman Carter, LB Jon Morgan, CB Nate Ness, S Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, TE Matt Veldman and WR Cody Wilson.

49ers- waived WR DeMarco Sampson (6-2, 204, 4.38- 40), CB Dax Swanson and LB Darius Fleming (a 2012 5th round draft pick who had knee problems).

While John Dorsey and Andy Reid are completely open to making deals and trades it’s not likely they’ll take an older experienced wideout like Steve Smith who moved from the Panthers to the Ravens this off season.

Stevie Johnson, on the other hand, who was traded from the Bills to the 49ers after the Bills drafted Sammy Watkins, for a conditional fourth round pick in next years draft, would have made a solid addition to the Chiefs WR corp. Yes, Johnson only had about 600 yards receiving in 12 games in 2013 but he had three 1,000 yard seasons prior to that. It’s too bad the Chiefs weren’t in on that deal because next year the Chiefs are fairly sure to have 3 compensatory picks coming at the end of the third round and so losing a fourth round pick wouldn’t have been a bad pick to give up.

The Chiefs currently have 84 (or 85) players on their roster and can carry up to 90 so you can likely expect them to be picking up more undrafted free agents in the coming days, weeks and months. The “no stone left unturned” method of constructing a roster is one GM Dorsey adheres to and I’m glad to see him follow. It doesn’t make sense to do business any other way.

So, what do you think Addict fans? Have you still given up hope that the Chiefs can find a WR to star opposite Dwayne Bowe this Fall or do you think they could still find a good one?