Welcome into another edition of our Kansas City Chiefs Monday Mailbag as we answer your fan questions for the week. Tyreek Hill lost custody of his son, but from what we understand this is normal in this situation until it is resolved. Today we have 4 questions as the offseason is in full swing and there hasn’t been much news lately, but we will attack each one of them as we would even if we had 10 questions! So without further ado, let’s get right to them!
Sammy Watkins
Sammy needs to stay healthy for this offense to reach or exceed where it was last year. Now, Sammy staying healthy is about as likely as Colin Kaepernick getting another shot in the NFL. If the impossible happens and Sammy stays healthy, I think he easily hits 1,000 yards in this offense. I love Sammy’s game, but he has to play a full 16 games for this to have been a good deal for the Chiefs. The popular take is that this is Sammy’s last season with the Chiefs even though he has another year remaining on his contract. The Chiefs can get out of the contract rather easily after this season, but I think this season will be have a lot to do with Sammy’s future here, one way or another.
Greedy Williams or DK Metcalf
I would love for LSU cornerback Greedy Williams to fall to 29, but I don’t see any way that happens. DK Metcalf seems more like a luxury pick that we don’t need, unless Tyreek is going to be in serious trouble. I do want the Chiefs to draft a wide receiver, but my eyes are set on Andy Isabella out of UMASS as a slot receiver. I think the Chiefs need a true slot receiver who can get in and out of breaks quick, find the gaps in a zone and be a safety net for Patrick much like Julian Edelman is for Tom Brady. Greedy has all the tools and instincts you could want and the Chiefs desperately need talent on the defensive side of the ball. I do think the Chiefs need a backup tight end and slot wide receiver in the first 3 rounds however.
Dethroning the Chiefs
Dethroning the Chiefs may not come down to what another team does this offseason to overtake them, but what the Chiefs do to themselves. If the Tyreek Hill situation doesn’t go well then we are looking a team that was once loaded with weapons, now down to often injured Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce who is coming off ankle surgery. The Kansas City Chiefs have to be at full strength and can’t sustain injuries to star players if they want to repeat as AFC West champions. Assuming they do stay healthy and at full strength then here are some things the other teams can do to try to overtake them.
Chargers – The Los Angeles Chargers were close to winning the AFC West last year so there isn’t a lot they will need to do to overtake Kansas City. The Chargers first and foremost have to stay healthy as that is normally their biggest issue. The Chargers had Joey Bosa and Hunter Henry down with injuries to start last season, but that’s nothing compared to prior years where half their team would be down. If the Chargers can stay healthy they will be right there with the Chiefs and it could come down to that week 17 matchup in Arrowhead.
Broncos – Simple, Joe Flacco has to return to his Super Bowl winning form. Unfortunately, he has been underwhelming to put it nicely since that playoff run and was shown the door for a quarterback who has trouble completing a forward pass.
Raiders – The Raiders will need to hit home runs at every pick in this draft to just simply be able to hold the title of the AFC West’s irritant. After the most recent news of Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock being paranoid and sending the entire scouting department home because they aren’t sure who to trust, it seems like the Raiders will just continue being the Raiders.
Move Up for High Level Talent
I’m not sure this is the year to trade up to acquire one of the top tier corners or linebackers. If someone were to fall into the early 20’s then I’d be fine giving up an additional 3rd to move to get them, but I’m not thrilled with the idea of moving to far up the board. The Chiefs actually have a lot of holes to fill and not just on the defensive side of the ball. I believe the Chiefs need to seriously figure out their backup tight end position as well as a true slot receiver that can easily get open for Patrick in times of crisis. I’d also like another body in the running back group to put some pressure on Damien Williams and Carlos Hyde, so I wouldn’t be opposed to moving back and gaining more picks. I definitely hear you about the low grades at corner and linebacker, but I also think Bob Sutton had a lot to do with why those numbers were so low. I think just the mere presence of Steve Spagnuolo and the new scheme will increase the players’ productivity. I think we are more stout up front against the run and Tyrann Mathieu will be a chess piece used all over the field. I expect Anthony Hitchens and Breeland Speaks to be much better in a 4-3 than they were in a 3-4 where, let’s be honest, they simply looked out of place. Now, we lost a lot in our edge rush, but that’s been put on Steve Spagnuolo’s shoulders to scheme up blitzes and pressures so time will tell on that one. Overall, I just think we need more bodies and more competition across the board, even on offense, and I think we can all agree that this is the most important draft we have had in a long time!
Thank You
That’s it for another edition of our Chiefs Monday Mailbag! Thank you to Clint Switzer, Shane Williams, Rick Campbell and Owen Long for the great questions! Also, a big thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to read this! If you want to submit a question just comment below and I’ll answer it for next week’s mailbag! Until next time, take care of yourself and each other!
Let Your Voice Be Heard in the Comments Section Below
- What are your thoughts on Sammy Watkins?
- Should the Chiefs take Greedy Williams or DK Metcalf if they’re on the board at pick #29?
- What would need to happen for the other AFC West teams to dethrone the Chiefs?
- Should the Chiefs be aggressive and move up for a top tier player in the draft?
- Have a question for next week’s mailbag? Comment below!
