Four Thoughts Chiefs Training Camp: August 12

Aug 7, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) intercepts a pass and runs in for a touchdown during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

3.  Cornerback Shuffle  

Sean Smith played too well Thursday night to not get some snaps with the first team, but the Chiefs really need Ron Parker to at least be a reliable corner. There is a lot of youth and inexperience in the Chiefs secondary and far more questions about the upside of each player than there are answers. At the very least the Chiefs need Cooper, Smith, and Parker to be stable on the outside so Eric Berry and Husain Abdullah can do some damage as ball hawks.

But if Parker can’t get some things figured out then the Chiefs are in all kinds of trouble. Smith has already been demoted to the second string once and Cooper is only in his second year. Phillip Gaines is a rookie and Chris Owens (5-9) is too small to play on the outside regularly where big receivers would destroy him. After that the Chiefs literally have nothing.

Peter King mentioned Thursday night the Chiefs could be in the market for another corner the way they were at the end of last preseason, and I’m certain King learned that news before Parker’s struggles against Cincinnati. So if the Chiefs were in the market for a corner before Thursday then they definitely have to be in the market now.

This is the ‘con’ in the pros and cons of releasing Brandon Flowers. Yes, the Chiefs saved some cap space to get some contracts done (maybe) but they are playing with fire when it comes to cornerback depth. Flowers may have been a square peg in the round hole of Bob Sutton’s defense but he was still and excellent football player who had a better season in 2013 than some would give him credit for. KC could really use him right now.