There are two distinct sides to the Kansas City Chiefs’ roster. One strong and one needing to get stronger. You know which is which.
I’m going to dig into the the specifics on the offensive side of that coin and the job that lies head for John Dorsey and his staff. Major issues have to be addressed in this offseason. Right now, there are two of them and they are related to each other.
Alex Smith was pressured on over 37 percent of his drop backs in the 2015 regular season. He was sacked 46 times during the regular season. Unfortunately, that tied two other teams for the sixth-most sacks allowed by an offensive line. Ouch. Now, four of the five teams that were worse at protecting the quarterback have one of the first seven selections of the 2016 NFL Draft. John Dorsey has to find a solution by adding some talent. I’ll get to the “how” below.
The Chiefs were 26th in receiving touchdowns in the 2015, scoring only 20 touchdowns through the air. Of those 20, only seven were scored by a pass-catcher not named Jeremy Maclin or Travis Kelce. The team is in desperate need of outside receivers that can jump into the Andy Reid offense and make a difference in 2016. That’s a tall order, but one that has get filled.
These and the backup quarterback race were big topics on the CWM podcast this week. We had a great talk with Ollie Connolly on to talk about the Chiefs growing UK fanbase and the NFL Draft. We also finished our talk with Matt Stagner from Arrowhead Pride. Here’s the podcast:
Upgrades and Fixes
The offensive side of the roster will have some changes as free agency hits. The marquee free agent to watch is guard Jeff Allen. His re-signing would strengthen the offensive line unit that is well-stocked on the interior.
The upgrade must come out at the offensive tackle position. Donald Stephenson is set to depart from Kansas City, leaving Eric Fisher and Jah Reid as the only tackles who saw significant snaps at tackle in 2015.
There are a number of mid-twenties tackles set to hit free agency. Other than a slight chance at a second-tier player, the bulk of that group are likely to cost more than the team is willing to spend. In that light, the NFL Draft looks to be the better option to bolster the offensive tackle position.
This draft class looks to be deep at the position. Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley and Taylor Decker could be a significantly better top trio than Fisher, Joeckel and Johnson. Though they may be the only prospects that pan out to be solid first-round options, the class is deep.
By numerous accounts, there are likely 12-15 prospects that warrant a selection in the first three rounds of this draft. They should be upgrades over Jah Reid and John Dorsey has to go get one. Decker would be a steal at No. 28, but Jason Spriggs would be an option as well.
Give Smith an Option
Things are different in the wide receiver pool. This year’s draft class has a few prospects that grade as 1st and 2nd round selections. However, the drop-off beyond them is steep and likely means taking a chance a rookie coming in and learning as Chris Conley did.
The better bet to fix the WR2 spot is the free agent class. No, Alshon Jeffrey will not be wearing a Chiefs uniform next season, but there are options that could be a good fit in Kansas City. An experienced receiver who has time in a professional offense, and any variant of the West Coast Offense, would be more likely than a rookie to come in a make an impact in 2016.
The team could look at players like Mohamed Sanu, Jermaine Kearse, Anquan Boldin, Marvin Jones, Travis Benjamin or even Leonard Hankerson. These players have the experience to step into the second receiver role and give the Chiefs offense a shot in the arm. It will give the team’s young receivers more time to develop. Dorsey may have competition for receivers services, but it will be worth the effort and cost to secure an experienced receiver in free agency.
As free agency gets closer to opening, things will get interesting.
Who would you like to see in a Chiefs uniform?