Team Notes week 1 2022

The AFC West no longer looks like such a cakewalk for the Kansas City Chiefs now that Tyreek Hill is dashing past defenders in Miami.

Not only did the Chiefs shockingly send Patrick Mahomes' top receiver to the Dolphins for a fistful of draft picks, but their rivals all made major moves in hopes of ending Kansas City's divisional dominance.

The Chiefs can't replace Hill's explosive speed, but they did provide Mahomes with plenty of new playmakers to complement TE Travis Kelce. They signed JuJu Smith-Schuster away from Pittsburgh and Marquez Valdes-Scantling away from Green Bay and used a second-round pick on Skyy Moore of Western Michigan.

"We're going to be different," Mahomes said, "but I think we'll still be able to go out there and have a ton of success."

Maybe, but it's not going to be easy for the Chiefs to host a fifth consecutive AFC championship game. Aside from playing in the toughest division in football, where all four teams have legitimate playoff aspirations, the Chiefs also face the AFC South and NFC West along with the Bills, Buccaneers and Bengals.

In addition, the Chiefs wanted to get younger around Mahomes and the rest of their veteran core.

They couldn't have done it much better through the draft.

The Chiefs selected 10 players in April, their most in 14 years, and all but one made the final cutdown. Some of them, such as first-rounders Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis, were locks from the moment their names were read while others played their way onto a perennial Super Bowl contender.

That includes two seventh-round picks -- the time of the draft when teams are typically throwing darts at the board in the hopes of landing a hidden gem. Defensive back Jaylen Watson and running back Isiah Pacheco made the team.

McDuffie, who will start at cornerback, and Karlaftis, who could start at defensive end in the opener at Arizona, join Watson in a young defense. Second-round pick Bryan Cook made the team at safety, third-round pick Leo Chenal carved out a role at linebacker and fourth-rounder Joshua Williams survived the cut at cornerback.

Moore will be counted upon heavily to help overcome the loss of Hill in the passing game. And the one rookie that appeared to be on the fence after a rough training camp, fifth-round pick Darian Kinnard, was kept around as a developmental backup on the offensive line.

Suddenly, a team that had grown old during a streak of six straight AFC West titles is among the youngest in the league.

"I've never gotten caught up in how young or how old guys are. As long as they can play, I'm good," head coach Andy Reid said. "I like this group. I like the way they went about business up in St. Joseph (at training camp) and then down here, we didn't have a big letdown when we moved back, which can happen with the young guys.

"It's a tribute to the veteran guys and also the scouting department for bringing these guys in."

The Chiefs did keep a couple of intriguing veterans on the roster.

Ronald Jones II was largely an afterthought throughout much of training camp, often working with the third-string offense in team drills. But after Derrick Gore was placed on injured reserve, Jones proceeded to run for 53 yards on just eight carries in the Chiefs' preseason finale against Green Bay, and that was enough to earn a spot on the roster.

"I thought RoJo did a nice job down the stretch," Reid said. "We know what he's capable of. It's a matter of him being comfortable in the offense. It looked like he was starting to get it down the stretch. He's done a good job."

The news on cutdown day wasn't as good for Josh Gordon, the once-elite wide receiver that has spent most of the past year trying to rebuild his career in Kansas City. Gordon was let go along with 2016 first-round pick WR Corey Coleman and special teams standout Daurice Fountain, though there's a chance he could be signed back to the practice squad.

"I'm proud of Josh for all that he did," Reid said. "There's a chance he's potentially back here if it doesn't work out somewhere else, but just from a football standpoint but also a bigger picture, he's done a heck of a job."

Of course, as long as Kelce is on Kansas City's roster, he's going to be the lead dog at tight end.

But the Chiefs' second tight end is also an important role within the offense.

Veteran Blake Bell held down that role in 2019 and 2021, spending the 2020 season with Dallas. Last year, Bell was on the field for 27 percent of the offensive snaps, recording nine catches for 87 yards. He was primarily used as a blocker.

But Bell will be out for a while after undergoing hip surgery. Kansas City still has Noah Gray -- a 2021 fifth-round pick -- and Jody Fortson on the roster. On Monday, Reid said both players are capable of filling in for Bell.

"We'll mix and match people in," Reid said, via John Dixon of ArrowheadPride.com. "Noah probably did more of it than what Jody did in that particular spot. But they're all going to play; those are good players."

Gray, who was also on the field for 24 percent of offensive snaps and 65 percent of special teams snaps last year, caught seven passes for 36 yards with one touchdown as a rookie. Though Fortson has been with the Chiefs since 2019, he appeared in his first games last year, catching five passes for 47 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

Reid also noted that the Chiefs will likely place Bell on injured reserve by the end of the week. But the club hasn't made a decision on how to use Bell's roster spot going forward. ...

All that aside, in trying to divine the pecking order at wideout in Kansas City, The Athletic's Nate Taylor advised readers the Chiefs didn't really give any indication of an answer to the Cardinals, their Week 1 opponents, during the preseason.

Based on the experience of the receivers, Taylor believes the safest estimate is that Smith-Schuster will lead the group, at least early in the season. Although he didn't record a reception in the preseason, Smith-Schuster did have the strongest connection among the receivers with Mahomes during camp.

ESPN's Liz Loza believes Smith-Schuster could draw upwards of 120 looks in an offense with more than 250 vacated targets. He's a well-rounded pass-catcher, whose experience as a Z offers fantasy managers a steady share of regular opportunities. At 25 years old and with solid YAC ability (top 15 in 2020 prior to the shoulder strain that forced him to miss 12 games last season), Smith-Schuster could be a top 25/30 receiver.

Next should be Mecole Hardman because he's the fastest in the group and has been in the Chiefs' system the longest. Hardman spent his first three seasons with the Chiefs in Hill's shadow, which can at least partly explain his inconsistent production since being drafted in the second round in 2019.

That obstacle is removed, which means it's time for Hardman to prove he's more than just a fast, gadget-type of player. His next contract depends on it.

Following Hardman should be Valdes-Scantling and Moore. ...

As for the backfield, ESPN.com's Dan Graziano contends we shouldn't be surprised if this is the year Clyde Edwards-Helaire breaks out.

Graziano acknowledged we've heard this before. But this year might be his last chance. The Chiefs have to decide on Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option next May, and if he doesn't live up to his 2020 first-round pedigree, it'll be really easy for the Chiefs to cut ties after this year.

But Graziano went on to note the coaching staff remains high on Edwards-Helaire and what he can do in this offense. They believe his biggest issue so far in his career has been staying healthy, and that he has done a good job of that this offseason. He's set up for a post-hype breakout kind of year.

Pacheco's emergence this summer could lead the Chiefs to decline that option if Edwards-Helaire, who rushed 119 times for 517 yards, caught 19 passes for 129 yards and scored six total touchdowns in 10 games last season, doesn't produce at a higher rate this year.

DEPTH CHART
QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert, Carson Wentz
RBs: Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WRs: Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman
TEs: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Blake Bell, Jody Fortson