The Kansas City Chiefs will soon head to St. Joseph, Missouri for training camp. They’ve compiled a full 90-man roster after tinkering for the past few months during the offseason workout program.
As the roster goes from 90 players down to 53 later this offseason, several players will find themselves in the hot seat. They will need to enter camp practicing and participating in team meetings with a sense of focus and urgency if they’re to remain a member of the team come September.
Whether it’s a veteran player battling to keep his spot or a newcomer trying to earn his keep, here’s a look at one player on the roster bubble at each position group for the Chiefs:
QB: Shane Buechele
I’d be surprised at the Chiefs moving on from Buechele after investing so much time and a 53-man roster spot in his development over the past two seasons. That said, signing a veteran (Blaine Gabbert) to a contract that basically guarantees he’s on the roster doesn’t exactly bode well for Buechele’s future. At best, he has a great training camp and preseason, leading to him climbing the depth chart in a three-man quarterback room. At worst, the team wasted a roster spot for the past two seasons on a player they end up dumping in 2023 roster cuts.
RB: La'Mical Perine
A lot of fans probably expected to see Clyde Edwards-Helaire here, but I think he’s probably safer than they’ll give him credit for. Perine, a former fourth-round pick in 2020, is on his fourth club in the last four seasons. He’s spent time in New York, Philly and most recently Miami. With Deneric Prince turning heads and getting first-team repetitions early on in the offseason program, Perine appears to have an uphill climb in terms of making the team.
TE: Blake Bell
Bell is a bit of a cult favorite among the Chiefs Kingdom, but looking at the recent body of work, It’s hard to ignore that he hasn’t played much. He spent the majority of last season on injured reserve with a hip injury that was suffered during the preseason. When he came back he appeared in four games and played just over 50 total offensive and special teams snaps. He was replaced in the final two postseason games by Jody Fortson. This year, he hasn’t participated in the offseason workout program due to an appendectomy. Even if the team does carry four tight ends, I’m not certain they don’t go in a different direction.
WR: Justyn Ross
It’s going to be extremely tough to make the 53-man roster as a wide receiver in Kansas City this year. Even a player like Ross, who has an inexplicable amount of offseason hype, it’s going to be an uphill climb to make it. Four players at the positions are locks to make the 53-man roster right now (MVS, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney and Rashee Rice). Realistically speaking, Justin Watson is also likely to make it given his contract. Unless the Chiefs carry seven receivers, that leaves 8-9 players fighting for one roster spot. That final roster spot is also typically reserved for players who can contribute on special teams, which is probably not something in the wheelhouse for Ross in the NFL.
OL: Darian Kinnard
Kinnard was on the roster bubble a season ago, but Brett Veach admitted that he played his way onto the 53-man roster in the final weeks of training camp and the preseason. He had basically an entire redshirt year in 2022, dressing for just one game all season and playing no minutes. The coaching staff in Kansas City will want to see progress from this former fifth-round draft pick. He’s playing on the offensive interior, mostly taking snaps at right guard after a year of splitting time at guard and tackle.
DL: Joshua Kaindoh
It’s time for Kaindoh to show something or the Chiefs may have no choice, but to move on. He has appeared in just three games since his selection in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft, recording no official statistics in those three games. In 2022, he was a healthy scratch for all 20 regular season and postseason games. Right now, it feels like the only thing that could save Kaindoh is a dominant training camp and preseason campaign.
LB: Jack Cochrane
After being signed to the 53-man roster in September, Cochrane went on to appear in 18 games for the Chiefs in 2022. He didn’t play a single snap on defense, but was a key contributor on special teams, playing over 50% of the special teams snaps in all 18 games. He even recorded 10 total tackles on the year, all on special teams. There is a ton of competition for that last spot in the linebacker room this year and while special teams play is a start, providing some value on the defensive side of the ball will also be key. Has Cochrane made any sort of progress there in his season with the team? We’ll soon find out.
CB: Nic Jones
This position group is so stacked that it might simply come down to numbers for Kansas City. Outside of something unforeseen like a trade or injury, five players at this position are locks to make the 53-man roster (L’Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Wayson and Nazeeh Johnson). Jones has been a standout to this point in the offseason program, but he’ll have to prove his worth at training camp and during the preseason when the pads come on. While it hasn’t been the case recently in Kansas City, seventh-round draft picks don’t always make the 53-man roster. Jones could find himself the odd man out if the team doesn’t choose to keep six cornerbacks.
S: Deon Bush
Numbers also might not favor the safety room with the addition of Mike Edwards in free agency and the decision to draft Chamarri Conner. The contract that Bush signed carries just $350K in guarantees, which won’t stop the Chiefs from releasing him if they choose to hang onto just four safeties next season. Bush did become a key contributor on special teams for Kansas City last season, but he played sparingly on defense. With a roster crunch likely, he could wind up seeking new employment during roster cutdowns.
