KC Chiefs vs. Browns: Underrated storylines heading into Week 1
By Matt Conner
Four TE usage
It sounds great that the Chiefs were able to save all four tight ends, and each of the players who made the Chiefs roster at the position certainly deserved it.
Even aside from the presence of star tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs made room for the notable blocking skills of Blake Bell, the promise of fifth round draft pick Noah Gray, and the emergence of developmental tight end Jody Fortson.
What’s lost in the congratulations, however, is the reality that each player on the roster has to have a clear value for the season going forward. The Chiefs have the very best player in the NFL at the position, and while it’s a great luxury to have all these players, the Chiefs also have to prove to have a need for each of them.
To that end, will fans will begin to see TE sets that feature the talents of each of them during the game? How much rest are the Chiefs going to give Kelce during an average contest on the schedule in a 17-game season? Are we going to see some dynamic formations in which all three pass catchers (or even all four TEs) take the field? And is this a season-long endeavor in which we see the Chiefs carry four tight ends?
It’s a storyline to watch while also realizing that carrying four players here means other positions could look a bit more thin than they need to be.