The Kansas City Chiefs made a number of roster cuts on Saturday but these three were the most surprising.
Today is one of the worst in the NFL for over 1,000 players every year. Every team in the league has to begin their roster cuts and trim down rosters from 90 players to 53.
This seems to be an easier process for some teams. The Atlanta Falcons were down to 52 players very quickly after the last preseason games ended. The Kansas City Chiefs, on the other hand, seemed to have a particularly hard time with their cuts. Unlike most teams that had a consistent flow of news on the latest players released, Brett Veach took his time with the roster cuts and even added an old friend back into the mix.
Looking at this year’s final list of roster cuts, here are the three most surprising of all.
Chase Litton
Chase Litton was an undrafted free agent out of Marshall and had become a fan favorite during the offseason process. He looked excellent in the preseason games that he played, to the point there was even discussion about Andy Reid trying to stash him on the practice squad after the second preseason game when Litton didn’t take a single snap. Instead, Reid and Veach decided to keep the journeyman Matt McGloin. This decision does not seem to make much sense for fans; If McGloin is starting in any game, it means something terrible has happened to Patrick Mahomes and Chad Henne.
If that were to happen the team would probably be doomed at that point, so why not use that third quarterback position to develop a young guy to be Mahomes permanent backup? The Chiefs have tried this trick in the past with former fifth-round pick Kevin Hogan. Hogan ended up going on to play for the Browns instead of sticking around with Kansas City. Hopefully, Litton clears waivers and decides to stick around a bit longer than Hogan did.
Jehu Chesson
Until this season the Chiefs have always felt a little thin when it comes to the wide receiver core. They have consistently added talent through the draft over the past few years to try and beef up the position. The most recent draft addition was Jehu Chesson, a fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft, which makes it surprising that one year later the Chiefs seem to have given up on the young player. While Chesson didn’t wholly wow anyone this preseason, he did do some impressive things last year when given a chance.
Chesson was being tried out as a punt returner during the preseason last year. While playing against the Tennessee Titans, he was even able to bring one all the way back to the house. With Marcus Kemp stepping up this offseason, it seems that Chesson might have just gotten caught up in a numbers game. Chesson should be a prime candidate for the practice squad as long as he is not picked up by another team. If so, he will get another shot next season to make the final 53.
Ukeme Eligwe
Kansas City seems to have had some good luck when it comes to acquiring linebackers over the past year. With the addition of Reggie Ragland and Anthony Hitchens, the Chiefs have a solid tandem for the next few years. Add in undrafted free agent Ben Niemann, who made the final 53 today, and you have a rock-solid inside linebacker core. It isn’t good news for everyone though; Ukeme Eligwe was released to make for the undrafted rookie.
Eligwe had a very strong preseason last year, coming away with a pick and some strong play from the then-rookie. This season though he seemed to consistently have issues figuring out where he was supposed to be. The preseason game against the Falcons was a prime example of this. Eligwe was a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, and while that isn’t a very high investment, it is interesting to see Veach moving on from a player that was a developmental guy, to begin with.
The Chiefs also released Leon McQuay, which was not a huge surprise. While it is a good thing Kansas City can move on from some guys that they drafted recently, it is interesting to see them completely give up on last season’s day three picks. This isn’t like your standard general manager change where a whole new staff was introduced. Veach had a hand in picking Chesson, Elgiwe, and McQuay last season.
Roster cuts tend to force general managers to make tough decisions. Hopefully, all of these players make it to our practice squad.