Chiefs roster cut analysis through snap counts in the Rams game

Kansas City Chiefs TE Demetrius Harris returned to action on Thursday against the St. Louis Rams with 11 snaps on offense. The return of Harris is important because the Chiefs have been successful in two and three tight end sets. With Travis Kelce and James O'Shaughnessy as the only locks on the Chiefs roster, Harris' availability becomes more important. Harris looked fine in his 11 snaps, which included shoving a Rams defensive lineman that took a late shot on Chase Daniel. At least he hasn't forgotten how to protect his guys.

The Chiefs starters did not play in this game so there's not as much to report with the snap counts this week as others. What's interesting is which players on the roster bubble that did not play. That would include S Sanders Commings who didn't see any action on defense. G Laurent Duvenray-Tardif was among the linemen that did not play but G Zach Fulton did play -- at center. LB Josh Martin only saw special teams snaps while someone he is competing with, LB Dezman Moses, played 48 snaps.

Here's who didn't play, according to the NFL's snap counts: QB Alex Smith, WR Albert Wilson, WR De'Anthony Thomas, WR Jeremy Maclin, CB Sean Smith, CB Marcus Peters, CB Phillip Gaines, RB Jamaal Charles, S Sanders Commings, S Eric Berry, CB Jamell Fleming, RB Charcandrick West, DB Ron Parker, S Husain Abdullah, FB Anthony Sherman, LB Justin Houston, LB Derrick Johnson, C Mitch Morse, G Ben Grubbs, DE Mike DeVito, OT Jeff Allen, OT Eric Fisher, G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OT Donald Stephenson, WR Jason Avant, TE Travis Kelce, LB Josh Mauga, LB Tamba Hali, NT Dontari Poe, DE Jaye Howard, DE Allen Bailey

What to make of who did and didn't play? It's complicated. On the one hand, you can say the Chiefs don't want to expose them to injury in the final preseason game because they will need him. On the other hand, you can say the player wasn't going to make the team anyway and the Chiefs don't want them getting hurt and landing on IR when they weren't going to keep him anyway. The good news is that the Chiefs roster cuts are coming on Saturday afternoon so we will find out the answer soon.

Here are your Chiefs-Rams snap counts.

OFFENSE

• 36 center snaps for Zach Fulton, 31 for Eric Kush. Is one of them on the roster bubble?
• WRs Fred Williams and Frankie Hammond could be competing for one spot. Williams got nine more snaps than Hammond.
• OTs Jarrod Pughsley and Derek Sherrod played quite a bit; I think that's due to the Chiefs not having enough OTs on the field that they would play.
• RB / FB Spencer Ware looked solid in his 45 snaps. It's probably a numbers game for him but I enjoyed watching him.
• RB Knile Davis didn't play any offensive snaps but did play two special teams snaps.

DEFENSE

• Nice to seeing CB Steven Nelson and Mike Catapano get so much work. Catapano, especially, can help this year.
• S Kelcie McCray is on the roster bubble but played a ton. So did S Daniel Sorensen, who had a pick in the game. What does it mean?!?!
• S Tyvon Branch had a really good game. Loved seeing him read that WR screen and busting it up for a loss.
• The two rookies at the bottom -- LB DJ Alexander and DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches -- seem like practice squad candidates. Nunez-Roches left early with an ankle injury.
• DL David Irving was someone I thought had a shot at making the roster. I'm not sure now.