Can the Chiefs rely on young cornerbacks to fill in for Bashaud Breeland?

What can we expect from the cornerbacks without Breeland on the field?

There are several ways Kansas City could go about the loss of Breeland for the first four weeks of the season. Given what we have seen from general manager Brett Veach over the last two seasons, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he signed a veteran cornerback following the roster cutdown. He did this in 2018 with Orlando Scandrick, and last year it was Morris Claiborne.

It’s hard to jump on board with this method in 2020. Signing a veteran that is average at best to fill a role while Breeland is out seems like a wasted opportunity. However, if the Chiefs elect to go that route again in 2020, a player that fits Breeland’s style of play is veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara.

Amukamara was a CAP casualty this offseason for the Chicago Bears. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders to start opposite of Trayvon Mullen but was cut on Monday due to the development of rookie cornerback Damon Arnette. Amukamara, 31, was set only to make $1.18 million in 2020 with the Raiders, so it’s surprising that he wouldn’t remain on the roster as a depth piece with Mullen being the only cornerback that has at least one NFL start on the outside.

When looking at the teams that Kansas City will face during the first four games, it’s hard to justify spending money on a veteran free agent instead of giving quality reps to the developmental players like Fenton and Sneed. The only team that could trouble the young group with more than one high-end receiver is Houston.

While the Texans traded away DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, they brought in Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb to pair with Will Fuller and Kenny Stills. Outside of Houston, the Ravens, Chargers, and Patriots all have limited playmakers at the receiver position. It seems like a good time to allow Fenton and Sneed to get quality playing time to help them develop into future starters for the Chiefs against those receiving cores.

On the other side of the coin, the NFL added a playoff team to each conference starting in 2020, which means only the number one seed will earn a bye week during Wild Card weekend. With Baltimore looking to be in tough competition once again for the number one spot in the AFC, the Chiefs have very little wiggle room.