Although it was a difficult decision, the Kansas City Chiefs have settled on their first incarnation of a 53-man roster. Of course, it will change over the next few days once you begin factoring in injured players and those claimed off waivers, or maybe a trade or two. Most of the cuts made were not a surprise to many fans; however, a few cuts have raised some eyebrows, but not because the Chiefs necessarily made the wrong decision.
Their decision to keep players like Shane Buechele and Ronald Jones on the roster possibly took away spots that might have gone to other players. Fans can cry and ruminate about the why and the how, but ultimately the decision comes down to talent. Both in keeping it away from other teams and ensuring the Chiefs have the tools needed for a shot at the playoffs.
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You Might Be Wondering Why
If the questions have crossed your mind about why the Chiefs kept players like Buechele and Jones but not Josh Gordon, Danny Shelton, Daurice Fountain, and others, you are not alone. However, Brett Veach has his reasons, and it is easy to see that players like Buechele and Jones might be claimed off waivers if they were to be cut. Whether they make the final roster or end up on the practice squad, there is no doubt the Chiefs wanted them. Players like Gordon and Fountain have the talent. Still, unfortunately, they have either been buried behind more talented players, other players Veach wanted on the roster, or a combination of both.
What Might Happen After the Waiver Deadline
There is no doubt TE Blake Bell will be placed on IR due to his hip injury and surgery. This will open a spot to bring someone like LB Elijah Lee back to the roster. At least, that is what the rumor is. Veach would be able to do this because Lee is considered a vested veteran, and with that designation, he does not have to clear waivers. More than likely, Buechele will be sent to the practice squad, freeing up another space on the roster.
Will the Chiefs claim any players off of waivers or trade with another team? It is possible. They might pick up a veteran defenseman, as quite a few of the players are young. The defense for the Chiefs has the talent, but along with that comes youth and inexperience. There will be growing pains, and anything Veach can do to boost knowledge and confidence should be considered. While there is a youth movement on the offensive side, there are still enough players with experience; when you have the quarterback you do, anything can happen on any given game day.
Can Fans Have Confidence in the Chiefs
Yes. However, there might be a little worry in the back of their minds. As mentioned previously, the defense is young, and despite having players like Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and Juan Thornhill, there are guaranteed to be some growing pains. The offense is also getting accustomed to not having players like Tyreek Hill to look to for experience and talent. Honestly, this should make the offense even more of a threat because Patrick Mahomes will have more targets to utilize throughout the season.
The Chiefs are in a spot to continue their dominance in the AFC. They were one win away from the Superbowl last season, so anything is possible if you want it badly enough.
53-Man Roster After the Cuts
Offense
QB: Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne, Shane Buechele
FB: Michael Burton
OL: Orlando Brown, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Andrew Wylie, Geron Christian, Nick Allegretti, Prince Tega Wanogho, Darian Kinnard
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco, Ronald Jones
TE: Travis Kelce, Jody Fortson, Noah Gray, Blake Bell
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson
Defense
CB: L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton, Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Chris Lammons
DE: Frank Clark, George Karlaftis, Carlos Dunlap, Michael Danna, Malik Herring, Joshua Kaindoh
DT: Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Tershawn Wharton, Khalen Saunders
LB: Nick Bolton, Willie Gay, Darius Harris, Leo Chenal
S: Juan Thornhill, Justin Reid, Bryan Cook, Deon Bush
Kicking Team
K: Harrison Butker
P: Tommy Townsend
LS: James Winchester
We will begin seeing the practice squad come to fruition later today. The deadline for teams to claim players off of waivers is 3 p.m. Chiefs time. So expect to see a few of the players cut to be brought back into the fold.
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