Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks quietly had a solid season

The cornerback position had a lot of moving parts this season. The Kansas City Chiefs responded by not allowing a 300 yard passer or 30 points in a single game this season. The secondary limited explosive passing plays from 63 in 2013 to 41 last season.

Here's what we learned about the Chiefs cornerbacks:

Sean Smith

Smith had one of his best seasons in the NFL. He looked comfortable in the scheme and did a great job of communicating with the safeties so they were all on the same page. Smith is a good press coverage corner and had consistency this season.

Phillip Gaines

The third round pick had a solid rookie performance when he got on the field. Gaines looked timid at times during spring practices but grew as the season continued. He showed good recovery speed and a solid press off the line of scrimmage. His concussion issue that came up will be something to keep an eye on.

Jamell Fleming

Fleming was a solid addition to the Chiefs roster coming in after the season started. He did a good job replacing Marcus Cooper and looked comfortable in zone coverage. He had solid speed and wasn't out of position very often.

Chris Owens

Owens immediately brought an attitude to the secondary in spring practices. He showed fire after making a good play and laid hits when the pads came on in training camp. Owens had very good speed in the slot during the first four games. When he was hurt running into Gaines on the special teams play in San Francisco, things changed. The six year veteran didn't have the same recovery speed when he returned. During spring practices he was able to make up ground but after the strain in his knee things weren't the same the rest of the season.

Marcus Cooper

Expectations were high for Cooper entering the season. He had 645 defensive snaps in 2013. His defensive snaps dropped to 287 in 2014 after he was benched midway through the season.  Cooper struggled to gain defensive snaps after the game in San Diego. His future in Kansas City looks hazy.

Overview

The Chiefs will likely need to add depth at this position.