FanPost

53 Man Roster Analysis: Meet Your New Kansas City Chiefs


Cut day. One of the worst days in all of sports. Where all 32 NFL teams are required to bring the number of players on their roster down from 75 to 53.
The harsh reality of the NFL, is that you can do every single thing you are asked to do for a whole month or more, and still, at the end of the day, be left without a job. Most players put forth 100% effort, run every sprint, do ever drill, and give everything they have, to be disappointed one week before the beginning of the regular season.
On Saturday, another one of these "cut days" passed, and the Chiefs made sure that their fans knew about it. After the Chiefs released 22 players and traded Edgar Jones and a 7th round pick to the Cowboys for a 6th round pick on Saturday, the next day followed with even more news.
Jalil Brown, Devon Wylie, Jerrelle Powe, Bradley McDougald, Kevin Brock, and Zac Diles were all released by Kansas City on Sunday. By doing this, John Dorsey and Andy Reid made one thing clear: They don't mess around. When they want to make a move, they'll go out and do it without hesitation. We also learned that Dorsey doesn't care too much about what happened in the previous regime led by Scott Pioli, which is definitely a positive. It is never, never, a good situation when a GM feels obligated to have a certain player take up a roster spot who he feels does not deserve it.
The Chiefs have first dibs on any players released by a team, since they were first in the draft order. So, as you could expect, the released players' replacements came in quickly. OLB Dezmon Moses (Packers), DT Jaye Howard (Seahawks), ILB James-Michael Johnson (Browns), WR Chad Hall (49ers), TE Sean McGrath (Seahawks), CB Ron Parker (Seahawks) and CB Marcus Cooper (49ers) were all claimed by the Chiefs, Sunday.
OLB, Dezmon Moses- GM John Dorsey must've liked what he saw from Moses when he worked in the same building as him in Green Bay. Moses will bring good depth to Kansas City's front seven, and will back up either Tamba Hali or Justin Houston. With 27 tackles and 4.0 sacks last season, I think this was a good pickup for the Chiefs. I can see Moses becoming a fan favorite in KC, something similar to what Wallace Gillberry was in KC. I think with him, Zombo, and Catapano all able to backup Tamba and Houston, KC is set.
WR, Chad Hall- Hall was cut from the 49ers, who have a mediocre receiving core, which doesn't exactly indicate that Hall can make an impact in KC. Hall also was an Eagle when Andy Reid was in town. He was in Philly for the 2010 and 2011 years, and had a combined 14 receptions for 135 yards and 3 touchdowns in his time in Philly. So, Reid must've liked Hall enough to bring him to KC to replace Devon Wylie. Hall is a short (5'8), quick receiver who has experience playing both outside and in the slot. I wouldn't expect too much from Hall in Kansas City, but Reid does know how to utilize his quick receivers. So don't count out Hall just yet.
DT, Jaye Howard- Howard, who was a 4th round pick in 2012, was released by Seattle after only one disappointing season. Howard will be brought in to replace Powe. The former Seahawks never played a down in a regular season NFL game, but the fact that he was drafted in the fourth round by a front office with a good track record makes me think that there's a chance he can make an impact in KC.
ILB, James-Michael Johnson- Johnson was likely brought to Kansas City, because rookie Nico Johnson has an ankle injury that can possibly linger. Cleveland writers have said that TE previous coaching staff looked at Johnson as a possible starter in their defense, but that he became lost in the system with the new staff. If Johnson becomes healthy, it wouldn't surprise me if Johnson is gone in KC. But, it seems one coaching staff was once impressed by Johnson, so I suppose he can do the same to the Chiefs staff.
TE, Sean McGrath- McGrath was active for only two games late in the season for Seattle last year, after managing to make the roster as an Undrafted Free Agent. McGrath will have competition in Kansas City as the 3rd TE with Demetrius Harris on the practice squad, but for now, it seems that the 3rd TE slot is his.
CB, Ron Parker- Parker is entering his 3rd season in the NFL at age 26, and is coming in to Kansas City to presumably replace Jalil Brown. Parker bounced around a lot in his first few years. He has been apart of the Raiders, Panthers, Seahawks, and now the Chiefs. It'll be interesting to see what Parker has to bring to the table, because with Sanders Commings injured, he may be the 4th CB.
CB, Marcus Cooper- Cooper was a 2013 7th round pick by the 49ers, and is in about the same boat as Ron Parker. Both CB's have the opportunity to get in on a few snaps with Commings injured and the #4 CB spot wide open.
When it comes to who was released by the Chiefs, I wasn't real surprised by any of the cuts. I did believe that Bradley McDougald, Jerrelle Powe and Marcus Dixon earned a spot on the roster, but I only got a minimal amount of time to see them play compared to the coaching staff. One thing that worries me, is how thin the Chiefs are outside, on both sides of the ball. On offense, if Dwayne Bowe was to go down with an injury, the passing game would be gone. Behind Bowe, all there is is question marks. I believe Donnie Avery can be a productive two but I do not by any means feel comfortable relying on him. On defense, behind Flowers, Smith, and Robinson, you've got Ron Parker and Marcus Cooper, two players who were just released by their respected teams. Sanders Commings should be back soon, but he is also a raw player who has zero experience of any form at the next level. For the Chiefs to be as good as the world thinks they can be, it is essential that they stay healthy.
A dark horse to make a big impact on the offensive side of the ball, is Junior Hemimgway. I firmly believe that if Hemingway is given a year to develop, he can be a good compliment next to Dwayne Bowe. Hemingway is the only big bodied, pure receiver on the roster other than Bowe, which indicates he will have a chance to get on the field.
All and all, I like what the John Dorsey and the new regime did over the weekend. They wanted their own players, not retreads from the old regime, so they went out and got them. It's rare you see as large of a roster turnover as this, so we will see how it all works out. I will say, that it is truly refreshing to have a new group of guys on the roster, and not the same old backups year in and year out. I'm ready for a fresh start in Kansas City. I'm sure the rest of Chiefs Nation is, as well.
Go Chiefs!
Follow me on twitter @ChiefsBeef

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.