Chiefs roster: 5 guys the Chiefs can’t live without

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SAN DIEGO, CA - NOVEMBER 22: Alex Smith #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs drops back to pass during a game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 22, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – NOVEMBER 22: Alex Smith #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs drops back to pass during a game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 22, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Alex Smith

We’ll start with one of those “well duh” guys here. Everyone knows that this offense has been designed to fit Smith and his strengths and weaknesses. In his third year with the team Smith set career highs in passing yards and rushing yards along with complete season QBR at 95.4. (a shortened 2012 had him at 104.1 when he was injured and replaced)

Those numbers aren’t hall of fame level numbers by any means but the real value of Smith is his consistency. Every Chiefs fan has heard this statement up and down since 2013 but to give you an idea of just how consistent he has been with the Chiefs look at the last three years together.

Year         Team                                             GP   QBR     ATT     COM   PCT       Yards      TD   Int RA  RY   Rtd

2013 Kansas City Chiefs 15 89.1 508 308 60.6 3,313 23 7 76 431 1
2014 15 93.4 464 303 65.3 3,265 18 7 49 254 1
2015 16 95.4 470 307 65.3 3,486 20 7 84 498 2

Completions, percentage and interceptions all stand out as remarkably similar despite various strength of schedule in those years. The way his QBR is trending means that the more time he spends under Andy Reid the better he is getting, especially at pushing the ball down the field. He also currently sits as the second-winningest quarterback in Chiefs history with at least 30 starts.

Behind Smith is a myriad of inexperience. Not a single player has ever taken a regular season snap and the two with the most experience have only one preseason slate between them. Camp will tell who distinguishes himself enough to be the primary backup but should Smith go down the playbook becomes a pamphlet and the Chiefs’ already limited offense gets roadblocked.

Next: Jeremy Maclin