Would Josh Reynolds be a good fit for KC Chiefs?

On Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans released wide receiver Josh Reynolds from the active roster after both parties reached a mutual agreement.

Reynolds, who signed with the Titans this past offseason, thought he’d get more opportunities with them. However, due to Julio Jones‘s existence and Chester Rogers having a solid year so far, that didn’t happen. NFL teams can now claim him off waivers on Wednesday, where teams would have to pay him $500k the rest of the season.

The Chiefs expressed interest in Reynolds before, so with the Chiefs having a lackluster receiving core, would Reynolds be a good fit for the Chiefs? Let’s break it down and find out.

Is Josh Reynolds Affordable?

Before we break down if he’s a fit, the Chiefs would have to afford his talents before anything can happen. Luckily, the Chiefs can with $3.283 million left in cap space, according to OverTheCap. So, affordability isn’t an issue at all.

How Was Reynolds This Season?

Reynolds hasn’t been great this year. He has ten catches on 13 targets, with only 90 yards and zero touchdowns. He averages nine yards per catch. He is also averaging a measly 18 yards per game, and his longest reception this year was 12 yards. To say that it’s underwhelming would be a complete understatement.

That’s not all, though. Injuries have also derailed his time with the Titans, missing four games this year due to a foot injury. Availability is the best ability, and that hasn’t been the case for him this season. This also tumbled him down the depth chart, to the point wherein Week Eight against the Colts, he only played in five snaps. Reynolds hasn’t lived up to the hype Titans fans were expecting.

Would Josh Reynolds Fit With The Chiefs’ Offensive System?

While 2021 hasn’t panned out for Reynolds as he had thought, would he be a good fit within the Chiefs’ pass-heavy offensive system? Well, to put it into perspective, let’s see how he did in the year prior, 2020, with the L.A. Rams, to see how he fared with a more balanced but pass-leaning offensive system.

In 2020, Reynolds had 52 catches on 81 targets for 618 yards and two touchdowns. He also averaged 11.9 yards per reception and 38.6 yards per game. He had the third-most receiving yards on the Rams that year and started in 13 games.

So, Reynolds was average that year, primarily because he didn’t put up a good amount of receiving numbers, especially with that amount of targets and games started. Would he play at a higher level with Mahomes throwing the ball instead of Goff or Tannehill? In my opinion, he’d still be average. If we talked about 2018-2020 Patrick Mahomes, then maybe I’d say he’d improve with the team. But with how Mahomes and this offense have performed in the past two games and this season, I may have to say otherwise.

With Reynolds, what you see is what you get. He’s a 6’3″ receiver who can make some plays here and there. Could he fit in the Chiefs’ offense? Yes. Would it change anything? Not really, no. The offense would pretty much run the same whether or not Reynolds is on the Chiefs’ roster.

Is There Room For Josh Reynolds In the Chiefs’ Receiving Room?

Now, is there room for Reynolds to earn a fair share of reps with the Chiefs? For him to be a good fit, he needs to be able to get some snaps in. The Chiefs’ WR depth consists of (in order) Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle, Josh Gordon, and Marcus Kemp. Reynolds would have to come in and learn a whole new offense, so there’s no way he’ll be taking a starting role anytime soon with the Chiefs.

He’d mainly be fighting for WR reps among Pringle, Gordon, and Kemp when he is signed. The Chiefs recently signed Gordon earlier this season and are still trying to fit him into the offense; moreover, Marcus Kemp has been their primary special teams player, playing 81% of special teams snaps in 2021. And Pringle has been a solid backup WR this year, making a fair share of big plays for this Chiefs’ offense.

Reynolds wouldn’t take Kemp’s spot on the roster, and I don’t see him beating out Pringle at all. He could beat out Gordon, but Gordon could have the edge due to him being here longer and vying to earn more snaps. I also don’t see the Chiefs booting someone down to the practice squad to make room for Reynolds.

Verdict

For $500k, I don’t see the Reynolds as a good fit with the Chiefs due to the WR room, injury concerns, and how he’d fit with the Chiefs’ offense. He’d be an average fit, and I don’t see the Chiefs swooping him up, especially with a decent need at receiver. Yes, the Chiefs wanted to sign him before, but having Josh Gordon on the roster and now with OBJ in free agency changes the importance of signing Reynolds. If the Chiefs want a receiver, they’d have a much better time chasing OBJ than him.

Do you think Josh Reynolds would be a good fit for the Chiefs? Leave a comment down below to join the discussion. Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic day!