Locked on Chiefs: Sorting through the post-Maclin aftermath

The Kansas City Chiefs faced tough decisions in their struggle to get under the salary cap. Jeremy Maclin was the move they felt they had to make.

To say the release of Jeremy Maclin came as a shock to most in Chiefs Kingdom is an understatement. It caught analyst and local media off guard as well. It prompted comments from teammates that included “hard to digest” unquote and social media posts like this:

The departure of Maclin leaves 24-year-old Chris Conley as the experienced leader the Chiefs’ wide receiver room.

Tyreek Hill will likely be slated to start opposite Conley at the Z position. The sophomore speedster will have to show strides in both route-running and overall awareness to step into the role vacated by Maclin.

The Chiefs are fortunate to have two other 24-year-olds on the roster in Albert Wilson and De’Anthony Thomas. Both will lend their experience to the room and they may very well play a wider role than expected.

Second-year receiver Demarcus Robinson looks to see increased playing time as a result of Maclin’s release. Robinson has an advantage in that he played some at the Z in his college offense. Rookie Jehu Chesson will be the question mark going into training camp. His chances are earning playing time in his rookie season have greatly increased with the Maclin departure,

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Locked on Chiefs is a daily podcast show that drills down to the bottom line and will give you a 360-degree view of the Kansas City Chiefs. Take a few minutes to hear about your Chiefs each day. We’ll cover the offseason, the draft and all the way to the Super Bowl and want to cover the topics you want to hear about. So reach out to us on twitter @LockedOnChiefs with questions and for up to the minute analysis and episode information.

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