Dante Hall loves KC Chiefs offseason moves

If you ask Dante Hall, he’s got the K.C. Chiefs heading to a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance. That’s because the team’s former star returner and wide receiver loves how general manager Brett Veach approached this offseason.

The Chiefs entered the offseason with significant questions along the entire offensive line, and even the team’s most dependable performers faced a clouded future. Eric Fisher was recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in the AFC Championship, while Mitchell Schwartz gave no timetable for his return from a back injury that kept him out of the lineup from October through the postseason.

Beyond that the team’s interior was already in need of help with an upgrade at guard and center both in sight. In addition, the defense needed bolstering at a few key positions. Take it all together, and Dante Hall believes the Chiefs did just fine.

“I look for us to be right back in the big dance,” said Hall in an interview with KAKE at the Greater Wichita Sports Banquet.

“I love the fact that they addressed not only the offensive line by gong out and paying top dollar for the top talent in the league, but I feel like we also addressed some defensive issues. I like the cornerback that they brought in, Hughes. I feel like we upgraded our linebacker position. So I look for us to be knocking on that door again in L.A. at the Super Bowl.”

Hall is, of course, referring to the trade for Orlando Brown, Jr. from the Baltimore Ravens, who is taking over for Fisher at left tackle, and the investment in left guard Joe Thuney, who left the New England Patriots for a five-year, $80 million deal. The draft selections of Creed Humphrey at center and Trey Smith at guard further serve to bolster the competition that features several veteran faces, old and new.

As for the defense, Hall likes the move to trade for Mike Hughes from the Minnesota Vikings in a classic change-of-scenery deal. Nick Bolton is likely the addition at linebacker that Hall was thinking about, but he also failed to mentioned the arrival of Jarran Reed from the Seattle Seahawks along the defensive interior, which should also help up front.

Hall is a fan favorite for many Chiefs fans who grew up watching “the Human Joystick” make defenders miss on so many memorable returns. Hall scored an incredible 12 touchdowns on kick and punt returns during his career with the Chiefs and St. Louis Rams and, at his peak, led the NFL with an incredible 16.3 yards/return on punts in 2003.

Hall was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2002 and ’03 and also served as a dependable receiving option for the Chiefs for several years. In total, he added 145 catches for 1,615 receiving yards and 9 more touchdowns. He played his last season with the Rams in 2008.