Randy Murawski: Kick Returners
Are the Chiefs set in their return game? Knile Davis and DeAnthony Thomas seem to be a good pair. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Randy’s Take: I love watching kick returns and love both Knile Davis and the Black Mamba so I’ll be watching that.
My Take: I think the return unit of the Chiefs is pretty well set. Knile Davis has been up and down at running back, but has been amazing as a kick returner. I don’t see anyone taking that job away this year. At punt returner, it should be DeAnthony Thomas’s job to lose. The Black Mamba’s style of play is reminiscent of that of The X-Factor, Dante Hall.
The backup jobs at the return spots may still be in question, but the Chiefs have plenty of options. I would expect Albert Wilson to fill one of those roles.
- Reach: Wide Receiver Depth
Reach’s Take: I’ll have my eye on the middle part of the receiver depth chart.
The WR2 and WR3 spots will be hotly contested by four players. Between Albert Wilson (the early favorite to start opposite of Maclin), veteran Jason Avant, rookie Chris Conley, and the recently re-assigned De’Anthony Thomas, there should be a fierce competition for playing time. Thomas’ explosiveness and speed make him ideal for the role, but he’ll need to show a command of the route tree to steal snaps away from Avant.
Conley has the longest road to the gridiron as the lone, first-year wideout in the bunch. Last season it took Albert Wilson roughly half of the season to get acclimated to Andy Reid’s offense. Expect a shuffling of the pieces throughout training camp and the preseason.
My Take: I think Albert Wilson is going to really turn some heads this year. He showed a clear rapport with Alex Smith at the end of 2015, and I think they build on that. I’m putting Avant at the WR3 spot for now simply because he knows the system and how to work in it. Conley has phenomenal athletic talent, but there is still a big learning curve for him. DAT should be used sparingly at wide receiver in order to avoid the overexposure that ended up hurting Dante Hall.
Who will be backing up Alex Smith in 2015, and what does it mean for the future? Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
- Tarek Mavani and Nick Floyd: Backup Quarterback
Tarek’s Take: The thing I’ll have my eye on in training camp is probably the least sexy position, the backup QB. I think a number of chiefs fans, myself included, were expecting Chase Daniel to get cut this off season given his cap number and Aaron Murray sitting on the roster.
Seeing as how he wasn’t cut sends me the message that the coaching staff isn’t quite comfortable with the thought of Murray having to take the helm of a playoff contender should anything happen to Smith. So I’m intrigued to see if Murray has progressed enough to give the coaches a serious dilemma for QB2.
Also will be curious to see how Bray fares. If he’s healthy, is a depth chart of Smith, Murray, Bray on the table? We all know Daniel’s not the QBOTF, so this training camp will go a long way in telling me if Reid and Dorsey think one of the other 2 have that potential.
Nick’s Take: Chase Daniel, could be a successful starter for another team in the NFL. The fact that he has not been offered for a trade for maybe a conditional late draft pick is shocking, especially with carrying that amount of cap money. Right now I believe that behind Daniel would be Aaron Murray, with Tyler Bray, recovering from an ACL tear, nipping at his heals.
Murray has the experience of leading a pro-style offense and would seem to be a lock for the third spot. But Bray is an interesting prospect. Big with a cannon for an arm, it will be interesting to see who might have the upper edge.
Bottom line the Chiefs will only carry three quarterbacks into the 2015 season, whether it is Murray or Bray will be interesting to see the battle for third take place.
My Take: The fact that Chase Daniel is still on this roster concerns me a lot. If you are among those that believe either Aaron Murray or Tyler Bray is the quarterback of the future for this team, then you should really be watching this battle. Murray and Bray are both running out of time to supplant Daniel…and that’s the easier of the two tasks either player has ahead of them. This year needs to be make or break for both young quarterbacks. If they can’t do it now, it’s time to look elsewhere.
Next: The trenches take center stage