An early depth chart
(3) QB: Alex Smith, Aaron Murray, Tyler Bray OR Kevin Hogan
Smith is the unquestioned starter but the backup competition could be wide open among the other three guys, including the newly drafted Kevin Hogan, who reminds me of Chase Daniel in almost every way. He fits the mold of what the Chiefs like in a backup QB.
(3) RB: Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West
With the matching contracts to West and Ware, these three are locked in. Clear strength of the team.
(1) FB: Anthony Sherman
No challenger in sight for Sherman UNLESS they give Ware some fullback snaps. But there isn't any indication from the team that they would.
(1) OW/KR/PR: DAT or Tyreek Hill
This one will be interesting to watch. DAT has been in the building all offseason, and the team seemed to confirm he's staying but the draft pick of Hill would seem to be a strong signal that Thomas is on the bubble.
(5) WR: Jeremy Maclin, Chris Conley, Albert Wilson, Rod Streater, Demarcus Robinson
Adding Robinson, along with Streater and Williams, represents a pretty good infusion of talent to the receiver group, which was improved last year with the addition of Maclin and the development of Conley and Wilson. The Chiefs are set up for more production from their receivers than we've seen in recent years.
(3) TE: Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris, James O'Shaughnessy
Kelce and Harris got new contracts. Shags should be healthy after missing the majority of his rookie season. It would seem the top three tight ends are locked in with waiver wire pickup Bryan Parker as a possibility if they keep four.
(7) OL: Eric Fisher, Parker Ehringer, Mitch Morse, Jah Reid, Mitch Schwartz, Zach Fulton, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
I'll go ahead and pencil in these first five as my pick as starters with Fulton and LDT as depth. The Chiefs front line looks huuuuge. Depth at guard is OK, but if a tackle gets hurt, they'd be shuffling to fill in barring an addition at swing tackle.
Fisher: 6'7, 315 pounds
Ehinger: 6'6 , 310 pounds
Morse: 6'6, 305 pounds
Reid: 6'7, 325 pounds
Schwartz: 6'5, 320 pounds
(5) DL: Dontari Poe, Allen Bailey, Jaye Howard, Chris Jones, Rakeem Nunez-Roches or Nick Williams
The addition of Jones brings another future stud to this loaded group. Nunez-Roches and Nick Williams round out the depth, depending on how many they keep.
(8) LB: Justin Houston, Dee Ford, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Josh Mauga, DJ Alexander, Ramik Wilson, Justin March
Dadi Nicolas was the only linebacker the Chiefs drafted and that was in the sixth so it would appear that the team is rather content with this group.
(4) S: Ron Parker, Eric Berry, Daniel Sorensen, Stevie Brown, Jimmy Wilson or Jamell Fleming
The depth after Parker and Berry is very much up in the air. Sorensen and Fleming get the edge based on special teams but Brown has some serious potential as a veteran free agent. Certainly a position to watch in St. Joe.
(6) CB: Marcus Peters, KeiVarae Russell, Phillip Gaines, Steven Nelson, Eric Murray, D.J. White
We all assumed the Chiefs would add a corner or two given the departure of Sean Smith to Oakland. Few people would have guessed they'd draft THREE. Russell will pencil in as a starter across from Peters but Gaines has proven he can play as well. Murray is the only one of the group the Chiefs indicated could play some safety, so we'll see if he takes a hybrid role. This group is likely set so the only question is where each guy lines up.
(3) Specialists: Cairo Santos, James Winchester, Dustin Colquitt
Santos and Colquitt are locked in. Winchester could face a little competition with UDFAs in camp.
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That's somewhere around 46-50 spots that are pretty close to being locked up depending on how you view some of the positions. So who is competing for the other jobs plus the 10 practice squad spots?
The early roster bubble
WR/PR De'Anthony Thomas: An exciting playmaker that missed significant time this season with a concussion. He never returned and there seems to be some disagreement about his concussion. Because we don't know what this situation is, we'll file him under we don't know. With the draft pick of Tyreek Hill, who projects to a very similar role, you have to think that DAT is more on the bubble than ever.
RB/KR Knile Davis: Davis handled most of the kick return duties this year but was inactive for a couple of games so it's reasonable to speculate he could be the odd man out in 2016. Persistent trade rumors point to his eventual exit, and the drafting of Tyreek Hill could confirm it as it seems Hill has a chance to take over the return duties.
TE Brian Parker: An athletic guy who can block. He has a chance chance to stick around.. However, if fifth round pick James O'Shaughnessy comes back healthy, the Chiefs already have three young, athletic tight ends.
S Daniel Sorensen (ERFA): A reserve safety and core four special teamer. Seems to have carved out a role for himself.
CB Marcus Cooper: Had a strong rookie campaign but has been relegated to the bench / special teams ever since. Chiefs GM John Dorsey has made significant investments in the cornerback position, including three in this year's draft. So it's possible Cooper's time in KC will come to an end.
OLB Frank Zombo: Has been a valuable reserve and special tams player, and I get the impression he's a Dorsey / Reid favorite.
OLB Jonathan Massaquoi: The Chiefs need depth, with Justin Houston's injury, and Massaquoi was signed early in free agency with that in mind. They added Dadi Nicholas with their final pick in the draft and still have Frank Zombo but going into camp Massaquoi would appear to have a good opportunity to make the team.
LB Dadi Nicolas: Pass rusher with some upside. Might be a good practice squad candidate if he doesn't beat out Massaquoi and / or Zombo.
S Jamell Fleming: Had some rough outings on defense but was a steady special teams performer. The team announced that he was switching to safety, which might help his status given the influx of corners.
S Stevie Brown: Brown could easily be this year's veteran reclamation project at safety following in the footsteps of guys like Kurt Coleman, Tyvon Branch, Husain Abdullah and Quintin Demps.
DB Jimmy Wilson: Wilson can play safety or corner. With the crowded position at corner now, you'd have to assume he's competing for a job at safety. Update- Wilson was cut
WR Mike Williams: It'd be a safe assumption that Williams OR Streater would make the roster, but probably not both. Drafting Demarcus Robinson helped seal the fate of one of the veterans, and Williams might have the tougher path to the roster.
WR Frankie Hammond, Jr.: The Chiefs have invested at receiver in free agency and the draft, and also added another returner. If I had to guess today, I would assume Hammond is the odd man out.
WR Da'Ron Brown: We haven't seen or heard much about the 2015 draft pick, who spent his first season on the practice squad.
DE Nick Williams (ERFA): Saw snaps in the d-line rotation but didn't make a huge impact. With the addition of Chris Jones with the Chiefs first pick, Williams could be pushed further down the list.
DL David King: Many believe that King has significant upside, but the defensive line is a fairly stacked group. King will have to earn a job in camp.
OL Jarrod Pughsley: A guy it seems the Chiefs have some hope for but there are a LOT of bodies on the line. And it's a safe bet they'll bring in more.
The full roster is here, and there are plenty of other names of guys on UDFA and reserve / futures deals that could have a chance at making the team. It seems that one or two do each season.
Remaining team needs?
At first glance, it would appear that the Chiefs and GM John Dorsey have addressed MOST of their needs.
Spots I could see them looking for an upgrade:
Swing tackle: There isn't a dedicated reserve at the tackle spot, though they have a few guys that can play multiple positions in a pinch
Long snapper: I'm reaching here, but some have speculated that they could look to upgrade from Winchester.