Kansas City Chiefs: Building the worst team from the last decade

Wide Receiver

Oh man. Like quarterback, the wide receiver position has seen a lot of turnover in 10 years. It seems like yesterday that the Chiefs managed to have a season where they had no touchdowns by a wideout. That was almost as embarrassing as giving a long-term contract to Matt Cassel.

Anyway, the Chiefs have had a lot of WRs come and go through the years, and it is strange to think how far the franchise has come in producing and acquiring playmakers after seeing some of the players they chose to place at the top of the depth chart in the past.

The Worst: Jonathan Baldwin

This was another one of those major disappointments. The Kansas City fan base had convinced themselves that Baldwin was the next great possession wide receiver after the Chiefs drafted him in the first round. With Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston on the depth chart, the addition of Jon Baldwin prompted fans to develop the nickname “The Killer B’s.”

Jonathan Baldwin’s career got off to a rough start after a fight in the locker room with Thomas Jones. I mean, I don’t know why you would fight the guy with the biggest biceps on the team, but that is exactly what he did. The result was Baldwin breaking his hand and missing several games.

It became obvious that Baldwin was not good at creating separation, and had some problems with his attitude. This combination led to a quick exit from Kansas City after a two-year stint. In those two years, Baldwin had 41 receptions for 579 yards, tallying up 2 career touchdowns. After his time with the Chiefs, the 49ers gave Baldwin a one year deal, in which he, again, under-performed.

The Worst: Terrance Copper

I remember Terrance Copper being one of Todd Haley’s favorite players and admittedly, he was a solid special teams player. However, this was another guy that should never have been in a position to be placed in the starting lineup. I vividly and painfully remember Copper and Lance Long getting a ton of praise from the front office and getting a lot of reps. The difference is, Lance Long only technically started one game. Copper started two. In Copper’s four years in Kansas City, he tallied up 38 receptions for 418 yards and a whopping 0 touchdowns. He should not have gotten the opportunity to start.

The Worst: Verran Tucker

This is a guy that people won’t even remember. The Kansas City Chiefs decided that Verran Tucker was good enough to start two games in 2010. I remember him being a guy that seemingly did not contribute the entire year despite getting half a season of reps. Tucker finished the 2010 season with 6 receptions for 114 yards and 1 touchdown. He appeared in 11 games and had 2 starts and only produced 19 targets.

Honorable Mention: Devard Darling, Junior Hemingway, Frankie Hammond Jr., and Chris Chambers