Kansas City Chiefs: Speed is the new signature

Feb 19, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey speaks to the media at the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

A summary of what John Dorsey has done in recent drafts is telling.

• De’Anthony Thomas has track speed, which rivals Jamaal Charles.
• Mike Catapano brings tight end speed to the DE position.
• New inside linebackers, Ramik Wilson and D.J. Alexander, have good speed.
• Tight end Travis Kelce is nearly wide receiver fast.
• The two new corners, especially Nelson, has speed to burn.
• Corner Phillip Gaines has rare speed.
• Wide out Conley possesses other attributes as dazzling as his speed.
• Knile Davis is dangerously fast for a back who weighs 227 pounds.

There seems to be a pattern developing. However, don’t think that this is all about speed because each and every one of Dorsey’s additions are also skilled football players.

Following the recent rookie mini-camp Andy Reid said, “I liked what I saw. We looked a little bit bigger and faster….”

This week Jamaal Charles stated that he’s in such good shape this offseason that he feels like he’s 19 or 21 years old again. He also said he’s been working out with Derrick Johnson since March and that Derrick Johnson has looked so good that he has been dunking the basketball. He always has had that kind of explosive speed and it looks like he’s still “got it.”

“It.” The it word this year is speed and the Chiefs appear to have it in Aces.

The Chiefs were bound and determined to transform the makeup of their wide receiving corps during this off-season including making them faster. Ten days after their season ended they offered gifted problem-child Rogers a reserve-future contract on January 7. Rogers admits to his past challenges with marijuana dating back to his days at Tennessee. When he was not drafted in 2013 he was picked up in the offseason by Buffalo. He didn’t stick but, a Bill’s scout named Tom Roth compared Rogers to other notable wide receivers from Tennessee named Justin Hunter and  Cordarrelle Patterson,

"“He’s the most polished of those three Tennessee receivers in my opinion in terms of route running and all that. He reminds me physically of Eric Moulds*, that body type. That’s what I thought when I saw him. A big, physical, muscular guy. Explosive. He had a 39-inch vertical. He ran a 4.48 at the Combine. He’s got all the physical stuff.”"

*Eric Moulds was a wide receiver who played for 12 years, played in multiple Pro Bowls and ended up 5 yards short of the 10,000 yards receiving mark.

In a piece by Terez Paylor in the Kansas City Star about Rogers, Paylor wrote of the 2013 NFL Combine and said Rogers…

"“…was among the top performers at his position in the five of the seven drills — a rarity, for sure.“"

If Andy Reid can help Rogers be all he can be — on and off the field — then he will have another speedy demon to ply upon his opponents this coming season. One whose other skills exceed even his own speed.

Speed, speed, speed. Obviously the Chiefs have gotten faster in 2015 but nobody is talking about it. That’s called sneaky speed. In any event, the Kansas City Chiefs are going to be fun to watch this season… if you can actually see them as they blur on by.

What do you say, Addict fans? Do the Chiefs have enough team speed to surpass some of their AFC West neighbors? Or am I just beginning to sound like Al Davis?