The NFL is back, and Sportsnet is breaking down everything you need to know about each of the 32 teams in the month leading up to kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 7. Today, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Head coach: Andy Reid
Last season’s record: 12-4
Playoff result: Lost to Steelers in divisional playoff matchup
Key Free Agent gains: Bennie Logan has some big shoes to fill as he comes over from the Eagles. He is tasked with playing nose tackle, a role Dontari Poe thrived in for five seasons. Logan is known for being a run stopper and has plenty of support around him to be even more effective than he was in Philadelphia.
Running back C.J. Spiller and tight end Gavin Escobar add some explosiveness and depth to the offence. Escobar won’t take many catches away from Travis Kelce, but Spiller might be required to play a significant role. When healthy, Spiller is always capable of breaking out for a long touchdown and with Spencer Ware’s health now in question Spiller could be a game-changer.
“CJ Spiller has been an unbelievable surprise,” Chiefs running backs coach Eric Bieniemy recently said. “He has been healthy. If you haven’t noticed, he is pretty fast. He is pretty fast, pretty explosive. He does a great job in the run game. He has been doing a great job picking up the offence and I cannot complain.”
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Key Free Agent losses: Longtime Chiefs staple Jamaal Charles is no longer around. In his nine years on the team Charles became the franchise leader in rushing yards with 7,260 on 1,332 attempts, an impressive average of 5.5 yards per carry. Injuries, however, caused him to miss 24 games over the past two seasons. It was time to move on. Backup Knile Davis is also gone.
The team cut Jeremy Maclin following a down season. Maclin was Alex Smith’s second most reliable option in the passing game behind Kelce.
Poe could potentially be a damaging loss for what will be a strong defence. He ate up space on the line of scrimmage and was a force stopping the run. Backup defensive linemen Jaye Howard and Kendall Reyes are gone too.
Key draft picks: The Chiefs traded up to select Patrick Mahomes with the 10th-overall pick in the spring draft. Mahomes won’t start immediately but he is the QB of the future. He’ll backup Smith for now and learn the playbook at a reasonable pace until he and the Chiefs are ready to begin a new chapter in the franchise’s history.
Taking Toledo running back Kareem Hunt in the third round could prove to be the most significant off-season move the team made–at least in terms of the impact this player could have in 2017. Ware suffered a knee injury Friday, which will result in Hunt getting more touches than initially would’ve been the plan early in the season. It’s an opportunity for the rookie to possibly steal the starting role from Ware.
Second-round selection Tanoh Kpassagnon has the physical tools to be a force on the defensive line and fourth rounder Jehu Chesson was added to a weak receiving corps.
X-factor: The Chiefs don’t have many playmakers at receiver but Tyreek Hill is one. In addition to being a dangerous return man, he’s a speedy target who can stretch the field at times (even though that’s not the strength of this offence) and open up some space for Kelce. Hill had six touchdown receptions and three rushing TDs in 2016.
2017 will be a success if: The defence hasn’t lost a step. Outside of Poe, the starting defence is more or less identical. On one hand that’s great because they were a top unit, but on the other hand they are an aging group. If they have lost a step or get bitten by the injury bug, they won’t defend their division title.
