Chiefs podcast: Tackle flip, roster updates and an undefeated preseason
On this episode of Roughing the Kicker, Joshua Brisco breaks down Andy Reid’s surprise offensive line shakeup, the Chiefs’ roster cuts and interesting signings, the team’s undefeated preseason culminating in a victory over the Rams, and several other stories from this week in Chiefs Kingdom.
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I was all ready to start this episode of the podcast and then Andy Reid had to go and announce some big news to throw a wrench in the whole thing. Week one, the offensive line is going to be massively shaken up. Donald Stephenson at left tackle, Eric Fisher to the right, Ben Grubbs and (much to my surprise) Laurent Duvernay-Tardif at the guard spots, and rookie Mitch Morse at center. Fisher is the only player among this starting five who started week one for the Chiefs last year, and he’s at a new position. However, with Eric Fisher now set to match up across from J.J. Watt in week one, I think the tackle-flip is more about Stephenson than the former #1 overall pick. Tune in to hear why and what this offensive line shift means for 2015.
Now back to your regularly-scheduled program:
As the preseason concluded, the Kansas City Chiefs (and all 31 other NFL teams) made major roster moves. Trimming all the way down to a 53-man roster is a difficult task, but this year, Chiefs should be glad that some cuts were painful.
In years past, especially the early years of the John Dorsey era, the Chiefs were extremely active (if not desperate) in the way they scoured the waiver wire as top-tier teams released players that could become upgrades for the emaciated Chiefs roster. This year, the Chiefs released one player (James-Michael Johnson) who started nine games for the team last season, and another player (Eric Kush) who was slotted to be a 16-game starter for the team before the draft. The Chiefs improving at the top end of the roster, bringing in star power where it’s needed, but true NFL success stories have depth on their roster, and the Chiefs can finally say they have it.
Among so much other news, the Chiefs also believe they are deep at the most important position in sports: quarterback. Signing Tyler Bray to a two-year extension was a totally surprising move, and on this episode, we try to decode what that means for Andy Reid’s plans at quarterback.
Speaking of quarterbacks, Washington QB Robert Griffin III has outlived his welcome, and many national voices say that even if the Chiefs don’t want Griffin, RG3 should want Andy Reid. How would you make this happen logistically, and would it be worth the drama?
Plus, a victory over the St. Louis Rams brings more news and notes, including the fact that the Chiefs went undefeated in the preseason for the third time in franchise history. (The other two times, the Chiefs had a nice postseason run.)
All of that and much more on this episode of Roughing the Kicker!
Have ideas or questions for next week’s episode? Tweet @jbbrisco or comment here on AA and tell me what you want to talk about. Subscribe to RTK on iTunes and never miss an episode.
Roughing the Kicker is a Kansas City Chiefs podcast on Arrowhead Addict Radio. RTK is about the Chiefs and the NFL through the eyes of Chiefs fans.