Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have released the final 53-man roster, let’s take a look and compare it to last year’s roster.
After what seems like the longest offseason in NFL history, the Kansas City Chiefs have announced the final 53-man roster. From the draft to free agency to trades, this year’s team looks very different than it did a year ago—especially defensively.
The Chiefs started free agency with a splash, signing safety Tyrann Mathieu—known as the “Honey Badger”—to a 3-year contract worth $42 million. They also released franchise safety Eric Berry, a move that was hard to take as a fan but a necessary one. Berry wasn’t the only longtime veteran that the Chiefs parted ways with, as they also released linebacker Justin Houston.
Another major move was franchise tagging linebacker Dee Ford, who they later traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2020 second-round draft pick. After the release of two of their best pass rushers, the Chiefs’ corresponding move was to trade draft picks to the Seattle Seahawks for defensive end Frank Clark. They also traded a 2019 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets for linebacker Darron Lee.
The Chiefs have made some more recent moves too, trading away previously undrafted cornerback Mark Fields to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a conditional seventh-round 2021 draft pick. They also traded running back Carlos Hyde—who they signed to a one-year deal earlier in the year—to the Houston Texans for offensive lineman Martinas Rankin.
This year’s Kansas City Chiefs team looks much different than last year. While the team’s offense is still mostly the same with quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the centerpiece, the Chiefs have an almost entirely revamped defense. But when it comes down to it, were the Chiefs’ moves for better or for worse?
Starting with the offensive line, let’s compare this year’s roster to last year’s.