Chiefs training camp primer: Three burning questions
2. Can Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson secure their futures in KC?
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The right side of the Chiefs’ offensive line is currently unsettled. Veterans Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson are both in the final season of their rookie contracts. Each of them will have an opportunity to earn starting jobs, at right guard and right tackle respectively, but whether or not they can play well enough to make new deals in Kansas City possible is unknown. Stephenson would appear more capable having only lost his starting job to a suspension levied on him by the NFL and Reid’s subsequent doghouse. Allen, on the other hand, has real athletic limitations to contend with. The good news for Allen is that he’s logged 28 career starts. His NFL experience gives him a slight advantage over recent draftees at the position, but a lack of comparable, raw talent might ultimately neutralize his upper hand.
My prediction: Only one of them makes a case (Stephenson).
Veteran Derek Sherrod is the lone obstacle to Stephenson winning the starting job at right tackle. Fortunately for Stephenson, the former Green Bay Packer has had real trouble staying healthy.
3. Might Aaron Murray make Chase Daniel expendable?
Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
As a personnel matter, Chase Daniel’s been in arguably the most comfortable position of any player at One Arrowhead Drive. There’s been virtually no challenge to his position as the team’s backup quarterback. The Chiefs claimed undrafted free agent Tyler Bray in 2013. They invested a fifth-round pick the following year into Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray. Despite two young players with superior tools, he hasn’t had to be concerned about his place on this football team.
Given Bray’s ACL tear in January, it’s unlikely that he’ll stick even as the team’s third quarterback. In the event of injury, Daniel or Murray would stand in for incumbent starter Alex Smith. The question is, which of them will back him up when camp breaks and the smoke clears? Daniel appears to have the advantage with a $4.8 million cap hit in 2015, but if Murray demonstrates a firmer grasp of head coach Andy Reid’s playbook, cutting Daniel would free up $3.8 million of cap space.
My prediction: Murray bumps Daniel and becomes the team’s new backup.
Between Murray’s talent, Daniel’s current cap number, Reid’s ability to coach up young quarterbacks, and a relatively small gap in command of the offense for Murray to overcome, I think he’ll be one of the biggest surprises in St. Joe.
Which secondary storylines most interest you? Can Murray close the gap and move Chase Daniel off of the roster? Do you have high expectations of Donald Stephenson and Jeff Allen in contract years? Is Sanders Commings on his way out of Kansas City? Use the comment section below to weigh in on these questions. As always, we appreciate your readership and support.
Until next time, Addicts!