Bubble Watch

[onejayhawk]

I still miss March Madness, particularly with the Jayhawks positioned for a title shot. So, let's borrow a hoops term for training camp--the Bubble Watch. Who are the last three in and the first three out?

Here is an article to kick it off. Their first three out are Ricky Seals-Jones, Darryl Williams, Breeland Speaks. The last three in are Matt Moore, De'Andre Washington and Derrel Lovett. With Damien Williams gone, I would keep Jones, even though he is limited as anything but a receiver.
https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2020/7/29/21333117/chiefs-bubble-matt-moore-deandre-washington-lovett-darrel-williams-breeland-spaks-ricky-seals-jones

Who are your bubble players? Nick Keizer, Do'D, Armani Watts, Gehrig Deiter? Darryl Wiliams vs Nick Alligretti is a potential battle to watch. I think one will be in and one will be out. I don't think both Tedric Thompson and Watts make the team. Breeland Speaks vs Taco Charlton. And so on.

J

[RedGold]

(2)QB:  Pretty locked down.  Mahomes / Henne.  I’m guessing both Moore and Ta-amu get PS.

(5)RB:  Maybe a battle with Dar. Williams and McGuire for 4th spot.  McGuire can go back on the PS. Sherman back for FB.

(5)WR:  No real sleepers imo, top 5 are locked in.  Not sure we’ll keep anymore.  Lipscomb and Fortson are nice PS candidates.

(3)TE: Keizer might sneak in for Yelder, but I see him back on the PS.  Really like Kelce and Seals-Jones up top.

(10)OL: A lot of comp here.  I have us keeping 10 actually.   Fisher, Osemele, Reiter, Remmers, Schwartz, Niang, Wylie, Williams, Allegretti, Rankin.    Durant is a nice PS guy. 

(5)DE: Clark, Okafor, Kpassagnon are locks imo.  Important thing to remember is Speaks will start the season the Susp list.   T.Charlon/M.Danna/D. Harris/T.Ward gunning for 2 spots for at least 4 games.  I like Taco and Danna, with Ward sliding to the PS.

(4)DT:  Probably the easiest group to project, a the big 4 are back. 

(6)LB:  No shockers for me in this group.  Hitchens, Wilson, Niemann, O’Daniel, Gay, Harris.  Excited to see if Gay and Harris add some speed to this unit.

(6)CB: Little hard time predict with Breeland susp.  I still think we run with 6 early.  Ward, Fenton, Hamilton and Snead are locks imo.  Not sure of Keyes injury status.  I’m rolling with Alex Brown and Lavert Hill to make the roster early. 
 

(4)S: Don’t see a change here,  the same 4 are back.  I think Tedric Thompson is PS eligible under the new rules.. maybe just wanted a more seasoned player available in case of an injury. 
 

3(ST):  Easy to pick these 3

 

Last 3 in:  Wylie, L. Hill, D. Yelder

First 3 out: D. Harris, K. Lipscomb, Y. Durant

[onejayhawk]

It is near certain we will keep six WR, because the team has been clear they want a new PR. 

I give Darius Harris an edge over Do'D. In and not last three.

Wylie out if Rankin is back up to speed. 

At safety it seems T Thompson vs Watt. Winner stay and loser goes. The possible surprise here is Clemons

Similar situation with Allegretti vs Chris Williams. 

[RedGold]

Very possible we keep 6 WR,  Lipscomb is really the only one I see being able to take PR duties.  Should fairly easy to put him a PS until they Interior OL spots are ironed out.   With the shortened preseason I could see them keeping them all,  Lipscomb/any PR can be brought up once that’s settled.

Not opposed either way with DOD,  not much at LB and don’t see us keeping less then 5.  

Very okay with Wylie out, although he has performed better at RG.  Would be nice to keep Remmers as a backup at multiple spots.

 

[onejayhawk]

There have been some developments. Martinas Rankin and Juan Thornhill start camp as PUP,  possibly making two slots available into the season. BoPete Keyes is on the non-football injury list.

Mitchell Schwartz said some nice things about Rankin, which makes me think he has a real shot at starting when he gets healthy. Schwartz also made a point of the cross training multiple positions. He says there is a nice deep group and that he isn't worried about finding five good players.

Going out on a limb, this is my starting OL: Fischer-Osemele-Reiter-Rankin-Schwartz. Remmer may start the season at RG, but I think his value is as versatile backup. 

On the PR and KR depth chart, put the names Justice Shelton-Mosley and Maurice Ffrench. Just sayin'. These two, Lipscomb and 4.2 burner Baccellia are the only UDFA WR left. 

 

[onejayhawk]

With Niang out  for the year, the likelihood that Wylie makes the team increases, though I still like Rankin to start. 

J

[onejayhawk]

PR is not a position as such, but it's a way for a player, usually a WR, to make the roster. Pride is doing a series of articles on various roster groups. This is one on specialists, including PR which the team has clearly stated is open. https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2020/8/12/21363928/could-there-be-a-kick-returner-battle-brewing-in-kansas-city-mecole-hardman-byron-pringle-more

The idea is to not have Micole Hardman holding the job. Byron Pringle had some experience last season and was the main return man when he was at KSU. When the team signed Kalija Lipscomb as UDFA, the initial assumption was that he would be in this mix. However, he increasingly looks like a PS guy. Ditto speed WR Andre Baccellia. He may be able to run with Hill and Hardman, but he has a long way to go with everything else.

The rookie name that comes up is Justice Shelton-Mosley from Harvard. JSM is smallish and not extremely fast, but he is very experienced with both KR and PR. It is possible that he makes the roster as a pure ST player.

J

Edited August 12, 2020 by onejayhawk

[RedGold]

Bored on a Saturday.   Random attempt at a 53 Man Roster.

(2)QB-  Patrick Mahomes / Chad Henne / Matt Moore / Jordan Ta'amu

*   Don't see an importance of carrying 3.   Moore/ Ta'amu don't make the cut,  both signed back to PS.

(5)RB - Clyde Edwards-Helaire / Darrel Williams / Darwin Thompson / DeAndre Washington / Anthony Sherman / Elijah McGuire

* Washington makes the cut, barely.   Only guy I see being cut is Elijah McGuire.  He makes it back to the PS unless we like a dropped RB more.

(6)WR - Tyreek Hill / Sammy Watkins / Mecole Hardman / Demarcus Robinson / Byron Pringle / Jody Fortson / Justice Shelton-Mosley / Marcus Kemp / Gehrig Dieter / Kalija Lipscomb / Maurice Ffrench

* I think the first 5 are locks,    I've been a fan of Jody since last preseason and he's been having a great camp.    6 WR's make it.    I think 3 WR's slide onto the PS this year,  I'm rolling with Shelton-Mosley , Lipscomb , and Kemp.    

(3)TE -  Travis Kelce / Ricky Seals-Jones / Nick Keizer / Deon Yelder / Daniel Helm

* Rolling with 3 TE's to start the year.   I like Yelder, he looks good enough for a backup when he's available,  but I don't think we can rely on him.    Keizer makes it with a great camp.     Helm slides onto the PS.

(9)OL -  Eric Fisher / Kelechi Osemele / Austin Reiter / Andrew Wylie / Mitchell Schwartz / Mike Remmers / Nick Allegretti / Dan Kilgore / Jackson Barton / Martinas Rankin / Greg Senat / Darryl Williams / Ryan Hunter / Yasir Durant

* I actually like this group,  for what it is.    Remmers slides in as the swing OT,  Allegretti provides young depth on the inside.  Kilgore is a capable veteran on the inside.    Barton is there for develop,  He holds down the 9th spot until Rankins gets back.  Williams, Durant, Senat are back to the PS.

(6)DE -  Frank Clark / Tanoh Kpassagnon / Alex Okafor / Breeland Speaks / Taco Charlton / Mike Danna / Demone Harris / Tim Ward

* I'm rolling with 6 DE's to start the year,   versatility with this group allows us to stick with 3 DT's until Pennel comes back.     Harris just barely misses the cut.   Tim Ward slides to the PS.

(3)DT - Chris Jones / Derrick Nnadi / Khalen Saunders / Mike Pennel / Braxton Hoyett / Devaroe Lawrence / Tershawn Wharton

* Very solid 4 man group once Pennel comes back,   almost rolled with Hoyett as he has some good skills.  He might make it if we drop a DE/LB.    Wharton slides onto the PS.

(6)LB - Anthony Hitchens / Damien Wilson / Ben Niemann / Willie Gay / Dorian O'Daniel / Darius Harris / Omari Cobb

* Keeping all the main guys, for now.   Probably the most underwhelming position group on the roster.  Interested to see how Gay and Harris skills fit into this group.    Cobb also has some promise,  he slides onto the PS.

(5)CB - Bashaud Breeland / Charvarius Ward / Rashad Fenton / Antonio Hamilton / Bopete Keyes / L'Jarius Sneed / Rodney Clemons / Chris Lammons / Lavert Hill

* Very underwhelming 5 man group until Breeland comes back,  but Spags seems to know what he's looking for in CB's.    Clemons and Hill slide to the PS.

(5)S - Tyrann Mathieu / Juan Thornhill / Daniel Sorensen / Armani Watts / Tedric Thompson / Adrian Colbert

* I like our depth better here,  I'm keeping Thompson over another CB.  He skills are better suited to ease Thornhill back.   Watts makes it over Colbert as core ST'er.   Colbert is kept as veteran on PS.

(3)ST - Harrison Butker / Tommy Townsend / James Winchester

* Nothing to be said.

Suspension List

Bashaud Breeland (4 Games) -   Bopete Keyes/Armani Watts/Tedric Thompson   dropped when activated.

Mike Pennel (2 Games) -    Taco Charlton/Darius Harris/Dorian O'Daniel  dropped when activated.

PUP

Martinas Rankin -    Replaces Jackson Barton once available.

IR

Alex Brown -   

PS - 16 Players

QB Matt Moore - Veteran

QB Jordan Ta'Amu

RB Elijah McGuire

WR Marcus Kemp - Veteran

WR Justice Shelton-Mosley

TE Daniel Helm

OT Greg Senat

OL Yasir Durant

OL Darryl Williams

DE Tim Ward 

DL Tershawn Wharton

DT Braxton Hoyett 

LB Omari Cobb

DB Rodney Clemons

DB Lavert Hill

S Adrian Colbert

 

 

[onejayhawk]

General comments, drop Watts and keep Clemens at DB. Treat Clemons as a S going forward. I hate our depth at S. Sorensen played every down on PT and all but two on defense in the SB. Thornhill will be a big edition, but we desperately need a reliable 4th and Watts isn't the guy.

2 TE and keep one of the UDFA as PR, dropping Seals-Jones. Jody Fortson will play second short receiver.

Several of the DE can slide inside. I would not be surprised if Speaks to the majority of his snaps there. 

CEH and Washington are pretty redundant.

J

[onejayhawk]

The current thought is that UDFA Tershawn Wharton is grabbing a roster spot at DT. Several others may be on the way out. Some are young players destined for the PS. Others will be picked up by other teams. Conceivably, it may be the end of the road for one or more. There i9s an article on players who had a real shot at making the roster, but appear to be close to missing the final 53.
https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/gallery/kansas-city-chiefs-13-players-on-roster-bubble/

Here is their list. The article gives depth on each of them.

RB DeAndre Washington
WR Gehrig Dieter
TE Deon Yelder
OG Ryan Hunter
OT Yasir Durant
OT Greg Senat
LB Dorian O'Daniel
DE Demone Harris
DE Breeland Speaks
DE Taco Charlton
DB Tedric Thompson
DB Armani Watts
DB Adrian Colbert

J