We're getting down to the wire in the Kansas City Chiefs preseason and only a handful of starting job remain open (or at least we think only a handful remain open). One of those jobs that has been boring and intriguing at the same time is center.
You've got the veteran, Casey Wiegmann, going against the younger incumbent, Rudy Niswanger.
This has been a strange position battle through training camp. Niswanger has taken the vast majority of first team snaps and has been listed as the first team center in every depth chart released by the team so far. An outside would assume that he's got the job locked up.
But then I think back to Chiefs GM Scott Pioli reminding us to remember why certain players are playing in certain situations.
"Sometimes when you look at people in certain situations," he said, "have an understanding of why it appears certain guys are at certain levels in the depth chart. Don't let yourself get fooled all the time."
The Chiefs have over a decade of tape on Wiegmann so they know what they have in him. Niswanger on the other hand is younger and has less experience and probably needs the experience of taking first team snaps.
Because of that dynamic, it's hard to get a gauge on which way the Chiefs are leaning in this particular battle.
This is seemingly one of the tightest battles though it's possible the Chiefs keep both on the roster. That's definitely an option but, keeping in mind how often the Chiefs tout versatility, I'm not sure that would be the most likely option.