KC Chiefs establish 53-man roster after making final cuts
By Matt Conner
Tight end
Travis Kelce, Blake Bell, Noah Gray, Jody Fortson
Count ’em: four tight ends!
Travis Kelce has to like what he sees in terms of the rest of the depth chart below him. For the first time, the Chiefs might have the young guns to actually give him a decent amount of rest in 2021 to deal with the rigors of a 17-game regular season and allow him to think long-term about his career.
Gray’s development will be interesting to watch this season, and charting his snaps and targets over time will show how much he’s getting it in practice as the season goes on. The same can be said for watching Fortson take full advantage of the opportunity before him on the active roster as well. Bell will help mentor the young guys and serve as the primary blocker here. Together, this should be a fun subplot for the season.
Offensive line
Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Lucas Niang, Mike Remmers, Andrew Wylie, Nick Allegretti, Austin Blythe, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Kyle Long (PUP)
The Chiefs wanted this position to look radically different than it did at season’s end in 2020. Mission accomplished. Even the team’s best offensive linemen have been replaced by younger and potentially better options. Last year’s starters are now experienced backups. New starters are all young and ready to grow into a cohesive unit together. The overall effort to rebuild is impressive.
There are questions here at every position besides left guard with Thuney in place. That said, even the questions look minor in light of the potential attached. Three rookies are ready to start. Brown is ready to showcase his skills where he wanted all along at left tackle. Everyone involved is protecting the best overall player in the game and a Super Bowl is in view. That should keep a deep unit motivated and moving along toward potential greatness.