Taylor: 53-man roster projection: Ronald Jones returns, eight rookies earn spots

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Chiefs’ 53-man roster projection: Ronald Jones returns, eight rookies earn spots

By Nate Taylor

https://theathletic.com/3545850/2022...eight-rookies/

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One of the hardest days in the NFL every year will occur Tuesday, the league’s mandatory roster cutdown deadline, the annual day when many players on the roster bubble leave a team’s training facility for the final time.

The Chiefs, yet again this year, know they are one of the league’s top Super Bowl contenders. After a traditional away-from-home training camp and a successful tour through the preseason, the Chiefs’ quantity of quality players will make the decisions leading up to Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CT deadline difficult. One decision to keep a player on the initial 53-man roster means another player, perhaps at another position, could be cut then join another team — as soon as this week — and become a contributor this season.

“It’s such a physical sport — and it’s such a long season,” general manager Brett Veach said Thursday on the Chiefs’ local TV broadcast during the team’s preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers. “We talk about it as a (personnel) staff all the time. When you look at your eight, ninth (offensive) lineman and you look at your fifth linebacker or your sixth receiver, those guys are really going to end up starting (or) playing valuable minutes throughout the course of the season.”

Similar to this time last year, the Chiefs have about 60 players who have value. The team appeared to still have about six roster spots available to be won when Thursday’s exhibition started. Following the game, three different players from our previous projection earlier this month have elevated themselves to be in position to earn a place on the Chiefs’ roster.

Below is our final 53-man roster projection, which included the reasons why some players, particularly a few veterans, earned the last roster spots over their younger teammates.

Note: Per usual, starters are designated in italics.

Spoiler!

OFFENSE (26)
Quarterbacks (2): Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne

This projection is going to mildly anger Chiefs fans. The reality, though, is that Henne, a 15-year veteran, was going to be a lock for the roster as long as he stayed healthy. His one-year, $2 million deal is fully guaranteed. One of the small troubling issues from the preseason is that Henne didn’t lead the Chiefs to points when he was on the field.

Meanwhile, Shane Buechele, a second-year player, was impressive in the preseason, as he finished with 31 completions on 51 attempts for 335 passing yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. The Chiefs might make a small gamble that Buechele, if he is cut, can return to the training facility in a few days as a member of the practice squad. But another team might claim him on waivers. Based on the preseason action, Buechele should probably be Mahomes’ primary backup.

All of this matters, of course, if Mahomes sustains an injury at any point this season. As for Mahomes, he enters his sixth season as arguably the league’s most talented quarterback, although his peers voted him as the NFL’s eight-best player.

Running backs (4): Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco, Ronald Jones

When it comes to the running backs, what I reported before training camp has remained true: The Chiefs want to have four running backs.

You could argue that last Thursday’s game was most pivotal for Jones, a five-year veteran who struggled in the preseason opener. Jones ran hard between the tackles against the Packers and finished with 43 rushing yards on eight carries. He also looked competent when catching a four-yard reception in the flat.

“There’s certainly value to having different skill levels and different players that can do different things,” Veach said Thursday of the team’s running back position. “You have Clyde and Jerick, who are so good in both the run and the pass. They’re a little smaller, and then you complement that with an Isiah Pacheco and a Ronald Jones, bigger backs that, once they square their shoulders, can really move the pile.”

Fullback (1): Michael Burton

Reid featured Burton early in the preseason, and one could argue that he has won the role of being the team’s best runner in short-yardage situations. He will also be a willing contributor on special teams.

Wide receivers (6): JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, Daurice Fountain

No changes at this position. Watson and Fountain performed well in the preseason on offense and special teams, which made one of the most intriguing position battles at the start of camp become anticlimactic rather quickly.

“Everybody wants to make the team and you’re really just hoping and praying that you do, so it was a great feeling, especially with the receiver depth that we have,” Fountain said Thursday of earning the final receiving spot last year, which is likely to occur Tuesday. “It was a blessing. Hopefully the coaches think I did enough.”

Moore, the rookie who was taken in the second round, has progressed well throughout camp and the preseason. His 35-yard punt return against the Packers should secure his secondary role as the Chiefs’ primary punt returner.

Smith-Schuster didn’t record a reception in the preseason and he missed the final two games with a knee injury, so his role within the offense will likely be a mystery to the Arizona Cardinals leading up to the opener.

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

The biggest swing on offense in this projection is that Bell remains on the initial roster instead of Buechele. Bell, an eight-year veteran, had surgery Tuesday to repair the hip flexor injury he suffered in the preseason opener. With him expected to be out for a few weeks, Bell could be placed on the injured-reserve list.

Kelce, a future Hall of Famer, will look to record at least 1,000 receiving yards for a seventh consecutive season, a feat that has never occurred for a tight end in the league’s history.

Offensive linemen (9): Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Andrew Wylie, Nick Allegretti, Austin Reiter, Geron Christian, Prince Tega Wanogho

A surprise is that the depth at this position is not as strong as I anticipated at the start of camp. Roderick Johnson, a five-year veteran, was projected to be the backup left tackle. Instead, he struggled once the team started having padded practices and was released Saturday. This projection also doesn’t include rookie right tackle Darian Kinnard, who should return on the practice squad for a “redshirt year” so he can develop his technique at both tackle and guard. Wanogho, a second-year player, was solid in the final two preseason games to earn the final roster spot.

The Chiefs at least have reliable backups in Allegretti and Reiter, a center who played much of Thursday’s game at right guard. On the waiver wire, the Chiefs likely will look to claim another tackle. The good news for coach Andy Reid and Mahomes is that the Chiefs might have the league’s best starting offensive line.

DEFENSE (24)

Defensive linemen (9): Frank Clark, Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Carlos Dunlap, George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, Tershawn Wharton, Danny Shelton, Khalen Saunders

Thursday’s game provided an opportunity for young defensive ends such as Joshua Kaindoh, Malik Herring and Azur Kamara to prove they are worthy of the last roster spot in this group. But the trio of defenders were not impressive enough against the Packers.

Honestly, the Chiefs still have more talented defensive tackles than defensive ends. Shelton, an eight-year veteran, played only a few snaps in the preseason, but he should be an imposing defender in the middle of the line. Much of the season will come down to how valuable Karlaftis, a rookie, and Dunlap, a 13-year veteran, are as part of the Chiefs’ pass rush. A first-round pick, Karlaftis was stellar in the preseason in showcasing his strength and athleticism.

The leader of the group is Jones, the seventh-year veteran who is the most-tenured member of the defense. He was voted by his peers as the league’s 39th-best player.

Linebacker (5): Nick Bolton, Willie Gay, Elijah Lee, Darius Harris, Leo Chenal

As expected, Bolton and Gay were dominant in the preseason. The biggest winner from Thursday’s game was Harris, the third-year veteran who appears to be the backup middle linebacker. Harris finished the game with three tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage.

“It felt good and I just got off to a hot start,” Harris said following Thursday’s game. “After that first tackle, I just built confidence and it came to me after that. Obviously I feel like I’ve put enough (good production) on film and hopefully I make the 53-man roster. It would definitely be an honor to make the cut and be on the active roster throughout the entire season.”

As it relates to Jermaine Carter Jr., the fifth-year veteran who signed with the Chiefs this offseason, can I ask you a question: Do you remember him having an impressive snap in the preseason? The answer, I believe, is no, which is alarming considering he entered training camp as a potential rotational defender. The other issue is that Carter’s one-year, $1 million contract is fully guaranteed. The reason he doesn’t make it in this projection is that he was outplayed by Lee, Harris and Chenal, a rookie.

Cornerbacks (6): L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton, Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Chris Lammons, Jaylen Watson

The players are the same as our previous projection, but McDuffie, a rookie who was selected in the draft’s first round, entered the league’s concussion protocol during Thursday’s game. If McDuffie is not available against the Cardinals, his spot would likely go to Williams, a rookie who was selected in the fourth round. On special teams, Williams and Lammons are talented enough to be stars as four-phase contributors.

Sneed will begin the season as the nickel cornerback with Fenton as the leading man on the perimeter. Watson, a seventh-round pick, was the most positive surprise for the defense this preseason.

Safeties (4): Justin Reid, Juan Thornhill, Bryan Cook, Deon Bush

As expected, Reid and Thornhill are the starters with Cook, a rookie, in the third safety role. In the preseason, the play from these four defenders demonstrated the difference in athleticism and physicality compared to the safety position a year ago. Cook ended the preseason with an interception.

Special teams (3*)
Kicker (1): Harrison Butker
Punter (1): Tommy Townsend
Long snapper (1): James Winchester
Emergency kicker (1*): Justin Reid

The entire kicking battery appears to be in good form ahead of the season opener. Butker, a six-year veteran, wants to earn his first Pro Bowl selection. In pregame repetitions during the preseason, Butker made successful field-goal kicks of 71 and 70 yards. Butker’s career long is a 58-yard field goal, but a quality kick from 60 yards or more from him could be the difference in a victory this season.

[TwistedChief]

Originally Posted by jjchieffan

Hmm. Maybe. If the Chiefs hadn't traded for Clark, they very well could have traded up to get him that year. He went 3 spots before our pick

He wasn't on the Chiefs draft board that year for medical reasons.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by oldman

Let's face it, if PMII goes down for more than a week or 2, we're screwed. NO SB, no AFC Championship, no AFC West title. So why did we elevate and keep Buechele on the 53 last year? To keep him from being poached. Are we going to allow Henne to challenge George Blanda for being the oldest NFL player ever? Dump him now.

The only thing else I'd rather see is Bushman protected than Bell. Bell's injury is a lot more serious and will take longer to return. Plus he's 32 vs. Bushman's 26.

PMII went down for 2 1/2 games in 2019 and we ended up winning the Super Bowl that year. Only thing that matters is the playoffs. As long as he’s healthy then, we ALWAYS have a chance.

Bell will make the initial 53 and then will be placed on IR to return later in the season. At that point, they can add Bushman back if they really want him. No team is gonna poach him with a broken clavicle.

[oldman]

I'd point out it wasn't Henne that was the backup in those 2 1/2 games. The old "we can get another rookie castoff" doesn't play to me. Why do that when you already have a guy that knows the playbook? How long would it take for a new guy to absorb even half of it? Do you know who saved our 1969 season? It wasn't Jacky Lee, it was QB3.

To the Bell/Bushman controversy, yes, one of them will be on the "official 53" then placed on IR/designated. My argument for Bushman is he would be available a lot sooner than Bell. Put him on IR now and see how it goes with his surgery. He's an UFA in 2023.

[Chiefsfan1]

Most likely, to accommodate Blake Bell being on the initial 53, they'll probably cut a vested veteran like Reiter, then move Bell to IR and sign that vested veteran back the following day. That's more likely than risking someone on waivers that they want to keep going forward.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

I think the 49ers are aware of the suckage that is Trey Lance.

Man, if Lance sucks with all the shit they gave up to get him, that will be an epic fail of all fails.

[Rain Man]

Our defensive line is so deep that the line of scrimmage on defense will be the Marianas Trench.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Mecca

The issue there is though, you'd hope at worst Kinnard can become a starting guard allowing us to move on from Thuney's contract, Buechele never moves to a starter role here.

Wanogho and Christian as backup OT's great, but no need to keep both Allegretti and Reiter, they're the same damn guy.

Can't get behind the Reiter/Allegretti comparison

Nicky Boy is far tougher customer IMO

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Because he's not the same player he was?

Because he wants to be a starter?

I mean, there's dozens of reasons really.

I didn't follow him in Indy, has he fallen off that bad?

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by O.city

I don't think Kinnard is a guy you keep at this point if it comes down to it. He's a redshirt guy and a player you can probably get in about every draft.

He was extremely disappointing to watch in person at camp.

Hes the definition of a guy that won in college on strictly talent and no work, but got destroyed on every rep I watched from no more than 20 feet away. Everyone on the DL had their way with him with any move they made. Constantly lost his balance and lunges and held on damn near every rep. It was impressive in a bad was….like if they let Mecca suit up.

It sucks because we all hoped he would be this years late round gem of a player that wins a starting job early on and is a stud right away.

He’s not.

He looked like he didn’t belong out there at all and matchups in PS reinforced what my eyes saw and reported on at camp.

I’d cut him unless they feel they can keep him as an insurance policy at guard.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

To be fair, this is Taylor projecting the final roster. It's not the actual final roster.

True. Just going with the idea that he's mostly correct. I'm sure there will be at least one or two surprise cuts/keepers tomorrow.

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Stand tall, Chin up!!

— Elijah Lee (@elee_doubleace) August 29, 2022

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by TwistedChief

That was a good call, dude. No one else here thought Skyy had the intangibles or pedigree to make Nate Taylor’s final projected roster. Kudos to the kid for showing out for a second round pick and to you for seeing through all the Corey Coleman/Cornell Powell/Josh Gordon/Justyn Ross noise.

Can't tell if you're giving me shit or not.

Anyway, I don't know about all that. Honestly didn't get a chance to even really take a look at either Coleman or Powell at all. I did think that Ross had a shot after seeing a few TC clips.

Just really liked the way Skyy ran routes and how reliable his hands were.

He's potentially the Chiefs version of Deebo. Do everything kind of guy that can run every route no matter if he's the X/Y/Z/H whatever. He'll probably even run/catch the ball as a RB now and again.

Then when I watched that interview with him and he talked about how invested he was as far as studying the playbook, that's when I thought he had a pretty good shot at making it so long as he didn't just shit the bed in any of the preseason games.

That's actually why I thought McDuffie was going to make it even before PSG1; that episode of the Franchise where he's in his film room in his new home and how he already had it set up with the dry-erase board and all told me a lot about what kind of player he was going to be.

Ditto Karlofogus. He's another 'hit the books as hard as possible' kind of guy.

Those guys are all cut from the same cloth insofar as they are all students of the game even as rooks. Not one of those guys is relying just on their God-given physical talent.

Barring anything catastrophic, these three guys are going to be among the best players on the team for years to come. Mark that down.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Can't tell if you're giving me shit or not.

Anyway, I don't know about all that. Honestly didn't get a chance to even really take a look at either Coleman or Powell at all. I did think that Ross had a shot after seeing a few TC clips.

Just really liked the way Skyy ran routes and how reliable his hands were.

He's potentially the Chiefs version of Deebo. Do everything kind of guy that can run every route no matter if he's the X/Y/Z/H whatever. He'll probably even run/catch the ball as a RB now and again.

Then when I watched that interview with him and he talked about how invested he was as far as studying the playbook, that's when I thought he had a pretty good shot at making it so long as he didn't just shit the bed in any of the preseason games.

That's actually why I thought McDuffie was going to make it even before PSG1; that episode of the Franchise where he's in his film room in his new home and how he already had it set up with the dry-erase board and all told me a lot about what kind of player he was going to be.

Ditto Karlofogus. He's another 'hit the books as hard as possible' kind of guy.

Those guys are all cut from the same cloth insofar as they are all students of the game even as rooks. Not one of those guys is relying just on their God-given physical talent.

Barring anything catastrophic, these three guys are going to be among the best players on the team for years to come. Mark that down.

What do you mean by "making it"?

You do know why you're being made fun of, right?

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

What do you mean by "making it"?

You do know why you're being made fun of, right?

Already addressed that a couple posts ago. But I'd bet money all three of those guys do make it.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Already addressed that a couple posts ago. But I'd bet money all three of those guys do make it.

That's not the reason.

How often do NFL teams cut their 2nd round picks before Week 1 of their first NFL game?