Blake Bell
Some may be surprised by this suggestion, but Blake Bell would be welcomed back to the team by Andy Reid and company who are very fond of Bell and his efforts the first time around with Kansas City. Bell helped the Chiefs to their 2019 Super Bowl LIV victory and has championship pedigree as well as familiarity with the team.
Bell signed with the Dallas Cowboys following the 2019 season and had minimal impact even despite the absence of starting tight end Blake Jarwin. In 2020, Bell recorded 11 receptions for 110 yards. While Bell doesn’t provide a lot in the receiving game, he is a great blocking tight end and if you’re going to have a backup tight end, you’re better off getting one that is great at one thing and mediocre at the other than just mediocre. Bell would be a good pickup for the minimum.
Deon Yelder
Once again, this might be a confusing pick for Chiefs fans. Why would the Chiefs consider bringing back a guy who only has 86 career receiving yards in three years with the team? Well, there’s an argument to be made that Yelder is ready for an expanded role with the team.
Yelder was originally brought to the team before the 2018 season as an undrafted free agent from Western Kentucky. At 6’4″, 255 lbs, Yelder is a big dude with a lot of size and some decent athleticism. Now, the reason I think he’s ready for an expanded role is that every time he’s gotten the ball, I’ve been impressed.
Unfortunately, the way Andy Reid has utilized Yelder has been a bit frustrating. For example, in 2019, Yelder was targeted a whopping 4 times and caught 3 passes. Two of his receptions came against the Detroit Lions in week 4 and they were both on the first drive of the game. Those two catches went for 43 yards. Despite this, Yelder never saw the ball again.
To me, Yelder has show decent hands and an ability to get open yet he’s constantly having other players over him on the depth chart, which hasn’t helped his progression. Truthfully, there’s no reason to not bring Yelder back. He’s familiar, he’s cheap, and the team has been committed to him as a developmental tight end. Now, it’s time for the team to trust him with a bigger role.