Grade the Offseason

[onejayhawk]

With OTAs beginning, the Chiefs move into the third and final phase of the offseason. At this point, laying aside the possibility of signing DeAndre Hopkins or re-signing Frank Clark, most of the personnel moves that we associate with the offseason have been finished. Below is an article giving the grades of several writers vis the Chiefs' performance.
https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/lists/kansas-city-chiefs-2023-offseason-expert-grades-brett-veach-jawaan-taylor-felix-anudike-uzomah/

The question is, what do you think?

Update: ESPN's Bill Barnwell ranked the Chiefs #7
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/espn_ranks_chiefs_as_having_top_10_offseason_in_the_nfl/s1_16631_38866598

Edited May 30, 2023 by onejayhawk

[onejayhawk]

My take is an A-.

To a large extent, the Chiefs are engaging in creative inaction, ie doing as few moves as possible and waiting for developments, primarily developments in player ability. They lost players and they added players to fill the holes. However, the main thrust of the offseason is to trust our player development. The 2022 draft produced a wealth of talent, but it needs to mature and mesh.

Hopefully, what was a good defense can become an outstanding defense. To that end, the DL rotations need to be set and depth sorted. We suddenly have four quality LB for two real jobs. Oddly, the most settled part of the defense is the secondary, where four 2nd-year players live. The big issue is whether Cook or Edwards takes the bulk of Thornhill's snaps. They will both play a lot.

On offense, the OL is again in flux. We have three players in the mix for two OT jobs. The RB room is changing. We will not have a FB but CEH is fully healthy, finally, but Isiah Pacheco is recovering from surgery. The topic most pundits like to focus on is the WR room which is loaded with possibilities but nothing is yet proven. What is proven is Mahomes to Kelce and PM's ability to spread the ball.

Not to be overlooked is the Special Teams. IMO two of the draft picks, Chamarri Conner and BJ Thompson, are ST forward. Few know that BJ Thompson blocked four kicks in Big XII play. Many of the kinks of early 2022 had been ironed out by the playoffs. Now, there is good reason to believe that ST should return to their traditional place with the top units in the NFL.