The Kansas City Chiefs have three good players back from injury after a long offseason. Here’s what it means in the bigger picture.
All throughout the offseason, there were three primary names for the Kansas City Chiefs to watch in terms of injuries and rehabilitation. On Sunday, head coach Andy Reid was asked about injuries and insinuated that all three players were “good” and “ready to go.”
This offseason has been a long one of grueling progress for running back Spencer Ware, center Mitch Morse and outside linebacker Dee Ford. All three players have the potential to play important roles for the Chiefs, yet all three were unable to participate in offseason team activities completely or were limited to individual workouts or drills.
On Sunday, Reid spoke to the media as the quarterbacks and rookies arrived for the first day of Chiefs training camp. He mentioned two other names specifically: cornerback Ashton Lampkin and wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas. When pressed about others, he simply said the following:
"“Everybody else is good. I want to see them on the field and we’ll kind of monitor as it goes, but they all should be ready to go.”"
The downside to this is that he did not say, “Mitch Morse, Dee Ford and Spencer Ware are healthy.” It wasn’t a completely direct statement. That said, “everybody else” means just that and he’s been discussing those guys all throughout the offseason. If Thomas and Lampkin are the only names he’s mentioning, then we have to take him at his word.
If that’s true, that’s great news for several positions.
Dee Ford
If Ford is back and ready to make progress as a pass rusher and all around linebacker, it means the Chiefs have a fully healthy stable of pass rushers from which someone can emerge as an answer opposite Justin Houston. Ford has led the Chiefs in sacks before with 10 two seasons ago, but last year a back injury that lingered kept him from suiting up for several weeks before the Chiefs finally placed him on injured reserve.
Ford has had issues in the pass in coverage, which means that this year, even if he starts the year as the primary outside linebacker opposite Houston, he’s going to have to show better in all phases of the game. If not, he might be better suited as a situational pass rusher. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, given that the Chiefs could use a few of them.
What is important is the Chiefs being able to sort out who goes where among Ford, Houston, Tanoh Kpassagnon and rookie Breeland Speaks. Ford’s health will go a long way toward helping them position players for the long-term throughout training camp.
Mitch Morse
Mitch Morse came into the league as a productive performer from the University of Missouri and has only entrenched himself as an above average starter at center for the Chiefs ever since. Last year, he looked better than ever in early season duty and then came the foot sprain that would never go away.
Throughout the offseason, the Chiefs looked like things could be pretty bad along the offensive interior if center was going to be a problem next to left guard. The LG position is already a carousel to be worked out at training camp between Bryan Witzmann, Parker Ehinger, Alex Hunter or someone else. If center was also going to need some tryouts, the heart of the Chiefs offense could be in big trouble. Cam Erving stood ready to go, but no one knows if that’s a good thing or not, especially after losing Zach Fulton in the offseason to the Houston Texans.
If Morse is back and truly ready to go, then Patrick Mahomes will have an anchor under center with whom he can lean on and develop chemistry. That’s vital for a first-year starter in the NFL.
Spencer Ware
Spencer Ware has to be either be fearful or motivated for his job. Last year his role as a lead back was usurped by third-round rookie Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,327. Now after suffering a season-ending injury, the Chiefs have stocked up on plenty of competition.
Ware and Charcandrick West are the incumbents facing competition from Damien Williams, Kerwynn Williams and Darrel Williams. Damien is a free agent addition from the Miami Dolphins, while Kerwynn came over from the Arizona Cardinals. Darrel Williams is an undrafted free agent out of LSU who has quite a few people referring to him as a sleeper option.
Yet no one should forget that Ware had enjoyed a very nice breakout season before Kareem Hunt arrived in K.C. and he’s shown himself to be a two-way threat out of the backfield. If he’s healthy, he should settle nicely into a complementary role that will keep defenses on their heels and Hunt healthy for the stretch run.