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Let's remove Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles from this conversation. Quarterbacks are almost always the most important part of a team and Jamaal Charles is just too damn good to include here.
With that said, which player can the KC Chiefs NOT afford to lose?
I asked this question both on Twitter and Facebook. (Also, please follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so I can get more Twitter followers and Facebook friends than my fellow bloggers and do some trash talking. Yes, I'm a huge nerd.) Once you take out Smith and Charles, the top responses were:
Power ranking the Chiefs
Where were the Chiefs on the most recent power rankings?
1. Dwayne Bowe
Some might even argue he should be listed ahead of Smith and/or Charles. He IS the Chiefs passing offense right now. Everyone else is a "seeing how they fit in" or "hoping to break out". Bowe is the only one on the Chiefs roster who has repeatedly done it with the Chiefs. He's vital to their success.
2. Derrick Johnson
DJ was number two among the responses to this question. You all know I love DJ, right? One of my favorite Chiefs. With that said ... I would put a cornerback (Brandon Flowers) or a pass rusher (Tamba Hali or Justin Houston) ahead of him on this list. Yes, there's something to be said to having someone who is near the top of the list at their position and someone who is a leader on the team. But as far as players that would make the Chiefs suffer the most if they were lost, DJ would not be No. 2 for me. Let me hear it in the comments.
3. Brandon Flowers
The Chiefs now have the depth to withstand an injury in the secondary. But life without Flowers would not be pretty. I give you this piece as my evidence.
I was surprised by how few Tamba Hali mentions we had. There were a couple of Justin Houston votes as well as Eric Berry.
What does your list look like?
More from AP:
Caption this photo of Andy Reid and Jamaal Charles