Reactions and observations to KC Chiefs 53-man roster

Here is the first look at the offensive players Kansas City Chiefs who have survived final cuts and have made the team:

Quarterbacks (3): Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne, Shane Buechele

Running Backs (5): Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Ronald Jones, Michael Burton

Wide Receivers (5): JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson,

Tight Ends (4): Travis Kelce, Jody Fortson, Noah Gray, Blake Bell

Offensive Tackles (4): Orlando Brown Jr., Geron Christian, Andrew Wylie, Prince Tega Wanogho

Interior Offensive Linemen (5): Joe Thuney, Nick Allegretti, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Darian Kinnard

Players cut/waived:

• Mike Caliendo (Guard)
• Jerrion Ealy (Running Back)
• Jordan Franks (Tight End)
• Vitaliy Gurman (Tackle)
• Cornell Powell (Wide Receiver)
• Corey Coleman (Wide Receiver)
• Daurice Fountain (Wide Receiver)
• Josh Gordon (Wide Receiver)
• Austin Reiter (Center)
• Matt Bushman (Tight End, Waived with injury designation)

When I made my final roster predictions yesterday, I pretty much nailed the offense, with the exception of the wide receiver room. I wasn’t completely wrong in projecting which players would make the team, just how many of the players would make it, especially in the wide receiver room. I did not anticipate KC only carrying 5 receivers when most teams carry six, or sometimes seven, on the roster at any given point. This is also a surprise because Andy Reid is generally a very pass-heavy play-caller so shorting himself a pass-catcher is a very strange move, in my opinion.

One thing to look out for is Blake Bell being placed on injured reserve due to a hip injury suffered in the preseason opener against Chicago. The reason that the Chiefs did not place him on IR earlier is that his season would have automatically ended if they had done so, and is eligible to return this year because he will (likely) be placed on the list after final cuts. That move will clear up a roster spot. It is possible that the Chiefs will bring back a sixth wide receiver, such as Daurice Fountain after they clear up a roster space when they (potentially) place Bell on IR.

Another interesting move is keeping both Shane Buechele and Chad Henne to back up Patrick Mahomes. Buechele vs. Henne was one of the most underrated storylines of Chiefs training camp. It was theorized that Kansas City could keep both players but the Chiefs have mostly carried only two passers on the active roster at any given point, barring an injury, so this move signals how much they believe in Buechele. It also shows that they value Henne’s experience and don’t totally trust Buechele to enter an important game ice-cold as much as the fifteenth-year veteran.

After his chances of making the roster seemed gloomy, Ronald Jones ended up surviving the final cuts and made the active roster. The Chiefs will carry four running backs (plus fullback Michael Burton) on the roster. This is likely because they want to have depth in case of an injury as well as valuing Jones’ power running ability, when that trait is not a strength among Edwards-Helaire, Pacheco, and McKinnon.

Another interesting nugget is both Darian Kinnard and Prince Tega Wanogho making the 53-man roster. I theorize that this is because the Chiefs want a fourth capable tackle on the team in case of bad injury luck. Kinnard, after his disappointing preseason, definitely will not be ready to play either left or right tackle this year, which explains why Kansas City retained Tega Wanogho. The Chiefs have shown some belief in PTW when they dressed him in multiple games last season. Austin Reiter is also expected to be signed to the practice squad in the next couple of days.

In the end, with the exception of cutting the wide receiver room down to five guys, there were not a ton of surprises on offense when the Chiefs announced their final cuts. They still have questions, like what will they do to replace Blake Bell’s blocking and how they will manage seemingly down a receiver, but those questions will likely be answered by the time the Chiefs kick off their season in Arizona in under two weeks.