Chiefs roster deadline moves are all about fixing their depth issues
The Kansas City Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in the past five seasons in large part because of their superstars like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, and even head coach Andy Reid. However, while those four may have been the foundation of those three Super Bowl wins, a large part of their success can also be attributed to the quality depth and role players that general manager Brett Veach was able to find to fill out the roster and he's been busy this week trying to do the same thing for this season.
In the Chiefs preseason games, there were plenty of positive signs when it came to the starting units, but as the games played out there was also some serious questions about the depth of their roster. No team makes it through a full season without dealing with injuries, so there was reason for Chiefs fans to worry that the team may have been short on the depth necessary to win another Super Bowl. Apparently, Brett Veach felt the same way.
With roster cuts looming and their final 53-man roster just hours away, the Chiefs made three moves to add some quality depth to their team. They brought back veteran wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster after the New England Patriots parted ways with him. They traded a 7th round pick to the Cardinals for defensive end Cameron Thomas and then right before the deadline they traded another conditional future pick to the Dallas Cowboys for tight end Peyton Hendershot.
Those three players were definitely not brought in to be primary pieces of a potential third straight Super Bowl win. They are, however, all three proven NFL-caliber players that give the Chiefs some depth at positions where they still need it. Don't be surprised if at some point during the season, or possibly even the playoffs, one or more of these additions steps up and makes a big play that helps this team win.
Juju Smith Schuster is here because nobody won the final wide receiver spot
Entering training camp and the preseason many speculated the battle for KC's final wide receiver spots was wide open. Players like Kadarius Toney, Justyn Ross, and Nikko Remigio all had a chance to prove they deserved a spot on the opening day roster. Ultimately, none of them did enough to lock that job up. So when a proven player who knows KC's playbook (and won't consistently line up in the wrong spot) became available, Veach jumped at the chance to bring him back.
Will Juju Smith-Schuster play as big of a role as last time he was in KC? Of course not. With Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Hollywood Brown in the mix he won't have to, but if one of them is hurt or needs to catch their breath the Chiefs now have a guy that can come in, run the correct route, and consistently catch the football. Those last two things were way too uncommon last season.
The Cam Thomas signing filled one of the Chiefs biggest roster needs
With Charles Omenihu still rehabbing a serious injury, the Chiefs needed some young players to step up and earn more reps at defensive end this preseason. Malik Herring continued to look like "just a guy" who can handle a few reps here and there. Meanwhile, Felix Anudike-Uzomah didn't do enough to prove he deserves to be a guy that K.C. can count on to play a lot of highly productive snaps (despite his draft pick investment).
In the end, Brett Veach went out and acquired a defensive end that had to be on KC's radar when he was in the draft because he checks so many of the boxes for what Steve Spagnuolo looks for at the position.
Cameron Thomas has the length, motor, and inside/outside versatility to thrive in KC's system in a very similar way that Mike Danna has. Chiefs fans shouldn't count on him to be a one-for-one replacement for Charles Omenihu, but he can be deployed in very similar ways and at least gives them an NFL-caliber player to eat some snaps when Karlaftis or Danna need a breather.
Peyton Hendershot was brought in to do the dirty work
The Chiefs have arguably the best tight end in the history of the NFL in Travis Kelce and Peyton Hendershot certainly wasn't brought in to take any of his snaps away. The Chiefs do have one tight end in Noah Gray who plays special teams and will do the dirty work blocking on plays while Travis Kelce focuses on running routes. However, rookie Jared Wiley and veteran Irv Smith jr. were both much more route-running/pass-catching tight ends and the Chiefs wanted a fourth guy that could do more of the dirty work.
Hendershot can certainly catch some passes if called upon, but my guess is that he'll likely only see the field on special teams and plays where the Chiefs want multiple blocking tight ends in their heavy personnel. It's silly to put more wear and tear on Kelce's body in those situations and Wiley and Smith just aren't at their best in the trenches. That's not to say that Hendershot is a mauler, but he's a high-effort guy who plays a ton of special teams and isn't afraid to take on defensive linemen or linebackers (similar to Gray).
These three players that Brett Veach brought in before the roster cut deadline won't be focal points of the Chiefs' attempt to three-peat, but they all may provide the essential depth that a team needs for a 17-game season and the playoffs. Don't be surprised if by the time you read this, there has been another move or two.
The Chiefs could still potentially use some more proven depth at positions like running back, offensive line, and cornerback. Thankfully, the Chiefs have a general manager and personnel staff that will look at every option available to upgrade the roster. While that might not get the headlines that a star like Patrick Mahomes does, it's still an essential part of building a Super Bowl-winning team.