Mecole Hardman had an impressive touchdown reception last Friday that hinted at the sort of growth and potential that K.C. Chiefs fans would love to see. Byron Pringle put up a decent body of work in a single half to lead the team in the receiving categories. Daurice Fountain looks like a motivated man hoping to force the Chiefs to make a tough decision come roster cuts.
Yet none of the three—or anyone else for that matter—have given the Chiefs a reason to stop shopping at wide receiver.
Right now, there’s not an obvious target for Brett Veach, the Chiefs general manager, to add a wideout. The free agents aren’t all that exciting and the trade block isn’t loaded either. From the ghost of Larry Fitzgerald to the likes of Golden Tate, there are “names” out there but the likelihood of exciting production in 2021 isn’t there. There’s a reason Veach hasn’t made his move.
The KC Chiefs seem likely to keep shopping at wide receiver.
However, that doesn’t mean Veach won’t be making one going forward. In fact, he already showed his cards earlier this offseason when it looked as if the Chiefs were going to add another solid target to play alongside Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. The Chiefs offered JuJu Smith-Schuster more money than the Pittsburgh Steelers but were declined in the end in favor of the home team. Nate Taylor of the Athletic reported the Chiefs were also in on T.Y. Hilton and Josh Reynolds, but Hilton stayed in Indy and Reynolds took a chance on Nashville.
Since being spurned in March, the Chiefs have been quiet on the receiver front, lulling some fans to sleep in the process. The silence has led some to believe Veach is fine replacing the potential of Smith-Schuster or the loss of Sammy Watkins in free agency with a day three rookie like Noah Gray or Cornell Powell.
No offense to either player, because we certainly hope and believe that both will be solid contributors down the road, but neither one is ready to punish defenses in 2021 for keying in too heavily on the proven products like Kelce and Hill.
Remember this: The Chiefs were chasing free agent receivers even when they also knew that Pringle, Demarcus Robinson, and Mecole Hardman were already in house. It’s not as if those guys have emerged this preseason as forgotten targets. The Chiefs brought back Pringle and Robinson in particular at the very same time they were chasing bigger fish at the position. That’s telling, even now, for what the Chiefs really want.
As good as Hardman looked at times last Friday and as exciting as Fountain has been as an emerging surprise, no one can match Watkins’ dynamism on the present roster, especially as a fit as the X receiver in Reid’s offense. It makes sense, then, to expect Veach to still be on the lookout for his guy, even if that means remaining patient in the process.
It would be nice, of course, if the Chiefs didn’t need someone from the outside to fill this void. If Hardman can create better separation at times and develop better chemistry with Mahomes, he could be a significant help. If Pringle can make the leap with the opportunity he could chip in as well. Demarcus Robinson stated he was ready for a 1K-yard season when he re-signed in the spring.
That all sounds well and good, but let’s be honest: Chiefs Kingdom pretty much knows what each of those players bring to the table. If Veach and company know what they can do and they still go shopping, then there’s no reason to believe they’re done perusing the aisles. It might take up until the early November trade deadline, but Veach is likely to add someone at wideout before this season is over and done.