There's no denying that this next week is going to be an agonizing one for the front office of the Kansas City Chiefs. Difficult calls will need to be made at several competitive posiitons at which there's no clear leader—or at positions at which injuries have clouded the picture.
For teams lacking top-to-bottom talent, the decisions aren't so tough, but general manager Brett Veach knows that other teams are waiting to poach a few of the guys he's going to have to cast aside, which makes things all the more painful.
Some roster cuts are more obvious than others at this time of year, however. It's just the nature of things when every NFL team has to cut three dozen players at the same time. For Veach & Co., we thought we'd sift out those calls that will be among the easiest ot
Ian Book, QB
Ian Book came to the NFL with a nice resume as the quarterback with the most wins in Notre Dame's storied history (30). A team captain and born leader, his intangibles were a major selling point for the New Orleans Saints, who decided to invest a fourth-round pick on him in the 2021 NFL Draft.
How many fourth QBs are cast aside after a single season? Not many. But the Saints only needed a full calendar year to know it wasn't going to work, and it took even less time for the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots to come to the same conclusion.
The Chiefs gave Book a chance back in January to hang out for the offseason, but their game plan to give him the back end of the preseason finale says everything you need to know about the way they view him as a long-term asset.
Randen Plattner, LS
The Chiefs watched Noah Gray handle long-snapping duties for the first and only time in the second preseason game against the visiting Detroit Lions and decided that was it. They went ahead and used another roster spot on a backup despite the reported short-term nature of a shoulder injury to veteran James Winchester.
Randen Plattner was the next man up for the Chiefs, a short-term signing to alleviate a minor concern in training camp. It was a nice story at the time, given that he's a native of Parkville, Mo. and that he was a long-term specialist at Kansas State. However, with Winchester due back by Week 1, Plattner is a very easy call for this front office.
Note: The Chiefs, like every team, have a list of players to call in case of emergencies and the fact that they've tested Plattner could be a good thing for his future. Plattner was already one of the country's best at his position—he was a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Long Snapper of the Year award—and his 62 games played for the Wildcats is certainly an asset. Given he's earned preseason opps with the Baltimore Ravens and Chiefs already, he should earn a permanent spot in due time.
Emani Bailey, RB
At the start of the summer, it was Emani Bailey and not Carson Steele drawing the attention as a potential undrafted running with a strong opportunity to make his presence felt on a Super Bowl team that needed some assistance at the position.
Fast forward to the end of the preseason and it feels like Bailey's RAS score told us what to expect all along.
Emani Bailey is a RB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 1.56 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1474 out of 1745 RB from 1987 to 2024.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 2, 2024
Splits projectedhttps://t.co/RrZPQEzJVU pic.twitter.com/IOcZr002GV
To Bailey's credit, the game tape is better than his tragic measurables. Howver, it's hard for a prospect to disappear at a position of need yet Bailey did exactly that this entire summer. By the time the final preseason game had rolled around, most fans likely forget he was even on the roster. That's just not a good sign.
Phillip Brooks, WR
Speaking of fun, local stories, it was so heartening to see Phillip Brooks earn some playing time for the Chiefs this preseason knowing how much he was a fan of the team growing up in Lee's Summit and seeing him stay close at K-State.
Brooks came to the Chiefs an an honorable mention All-Big 12 wideout and returner who signed as a rookie free agent after the draft. However, the Chiefs had a crowded field of hopefuls who always commanded a greater share of the spotlight and the reps on both special teams and the offense.
Brooks might be someone who sticks around on the practice squad, but even then, the Chiefs are layers deep at the position with names like Nikko Remigio, Mecole Hardman, Montrell Washington, and Cornell Powell likely vying for those spots as well.