5 surprising takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs final roster cuts

The dust has settled—at least for a minute. While waiver claims can be made and free agents can be signed and trades can be negotiated, Kansas City Chiefs fans at least have an initial understanding of what the 53-man roster could resemble now that the NFL's roster cuts deadline has passed.

The Chiefs have sorted and sifted through not only dozens of their own players at this point, but Chiefs general manager Brett Veach also stated this summer that their own scouts have been assigned a specific division to comb through potential roster additions from other teams as well. If that sounds like a demanding workload, it is.

But here's what Chiefs Kingdom has learned quite well in recent years: the work done to find the guys at the bottom of each depth chart is the difference between winning and losing. The Chiefs' ability to reload after losing key players each year is what keeps the team afloat for such long stretches. The present dynasty is key evidence of the front office excellence at work at Arrowhead.

Each new year brings some surprises as to which players the Chiefs decide to keep or cut. So what about this year's roster cuts deadline? Let's look at the biggest surprises of all.

Chiefs import some new faces

It was already turning into a memorable deadline in the 48 hours leading up to the Tuesday afternoon cutoff established by the league's office. Instead of just releasing some of their own players already in-house, they also looked outside for some imports at positions of need.

The Chiefs brought back a familiar face on offense by signing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after the veteran was released early in August by the New England Patriots just one year into a three-year agreement. While Smith-Schuster is known as damaged goods by the casual NFL fan, he's a trustworthy wideout with proven chemistry with Patrick Mahomes. That will certainly raise the floor in a questionable WR room.

From there, Veach went to work by adding a new pass rusher in Cam Thomas from the Arizona Cardinals and a tight end in Peyton Hendershot from the Dallas Cowboys. The former was added for a seventh-round pick and gives the team another rotational part to help fill the gaps while Charles Omenihu is out. The latter brings strong blocking to the TE position.

All together, it was quite clear that the Chiefs were dissatisfied with the depth and overall talent at several positions on the roster even with 90 players to choose from. That's the biggest surprise for a team lauded for its loaded roster.

Two key risks Veach didn't want to take

There were two quiet yet impressive performers for the Chiefs this preseason—one on each side of the ball—who showcased the ability to compete from Week 1 and soak up whatever the coaches asked of them. In the end, the Chiefs weren't willing to take a chance on either player being claimed.

Defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace was good enough on special teams and in slot coverage to stand out even among a crowded secondary and he looked more confident with each passing preseason exhibition. He's versatile and physical and he might just be the next great find at defensive back.

Offensive tackle Ethan Driskell was a roster longshot as a rookie free agent, but the Marshall product had a lot going for him, including a massive 6'8" frame, an aggressive demeanor, and surprising athleticism. The Chiefs loved what they saw of him this preseason and decided to go younger with Lucas Niang coming into his final contractual season.

Bigger names were pushed aside to make room for them, but the Chiefs weren't going to take the chance.

The biggest UDFAs didn't make it

It's quite possible that both linebacker Curtis Jacobs and defensive tackle Fabien Lovett will join the Chiefs via the practice squad and blossom over time. However, it's notable that both players—together lauded as the best bets among this year's undrafted free agents—were released from the roster when the final round of cuts were due.

Jacobs looked like he belonged in preseason duty in Spags' defense, but the Chiefs went with 5 at the position and kept Cam Jones instead as the final candidate—a special teams ace that was likely Dave Toub's call.

As for Lovett, he had a clearer path to playing time as a defensive tackle out of Florida State who also looked the part for the Chiefs as a young run-stuffer who could supplant the likes of Mike Pennel or Matt Dickerson. Instead, the Chiefs let Lovett and Neil Farrell go in order to keep their veterans around instead.

Dave Toub didn't get his man (and WR decisions)

Let's call this a minor surprise but it's surprising all the same. Just days after he said he was "pounding the table" for wide receiver Nikko Remigio to make the active roster, the Chiefs cut Remigio along with some others projected to make the team after trading for JuJu Smith-Schuster and/or emphasizing other positions.

It's not shocking that Remigio was left out since he was on the roster bubble already. It's also true that Toub is not going to be able to keep everyone he likely wants to keep. But it's interesting that Remigio had a good angle to make the team by providing real proven value on special teams with some potential and that he didn't make it.

More than anything, this almost feels like Brett Veach and company were ready to clean out the WR room as much as possible from last year's frustrations as their primary filter for decision-making.

Carson Steele earns his keep

In a way, it's not surprising if you've been watching the Chiefs for the last few weeks. Carson Steele definitely earned his place on the Chiefs' active roster by proving himself to be one of the best options at running back overall. That's what the preseason is for and Steele rose to the occasion.

However, we'd be remiss if we left Steele off of this list of surprises overall, because when the summer of 2023 is remembered, the rookie free agent with the nickname of War Horse is one of the biggest surprises of all.

Coming into Chiefs training camp, the door was wide open for someone at running back to step up and earn a spot behind Isiah Pacheco and alongside Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Speaking of CEH, in fact, his own physical health concerns cleared even more room for others to compete at wideout. Yet it was Deneric Prince and Emani Bailey who earned the most buzz coming into St. Joseph at the position.

Fast forward three preseason games and a score of camp practices and Steele is now the man of the hour, a rising prospect built like a battering ram who seems to actually enjoy the contact part of the sport. He's not only incredibly fun to watch but he's effective at moving the chains. He's also proven to be a quick study of whatever Chiefs coaches ask of him.

There's not a single person in Chiefs Kingdom who isn't rooting for this guy to have a good rookie season.