Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 9/6

Chiefs Roster down to NFL-Mandated 53 from The Mothership

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Saturday that the club has waived/released 19 players in addition to other roster moves in order to meet the NFL's mandated 53-player roster. Clubs can set their 10-man practice squad roster beginning tomorrow, Sept. 6, at approximately 1 p.m.

Six Stats That Stood Out About the Chiefs Preseason Performance from The Mothership

Chiefs Dominate Point Differential

The Chiefs finished the preseason with a plus-47 point differential (106 for, 59 against), which ranked first in the AFC. The plus-47 point differential also ranked second in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles (plus-56).

They scored among the best and gave up among the least—not a bad combination.

NFL.com Predicts Four Chiefs Could Win End-of-Season Awards from The Mothership

Each year, the analysts at NFL.com predict who will win the various end-of-season awards that the league hands out, and heading into the 2015, the names of four different Chiefs have been listed.

NFL Network reporter Steve Wyche has running back Jamaal Charles listed as the offensive player of the year.

"With a passing game in K.C. that will keep defenses honest, lanes will open for Charles, who is a breakaway threat and a much tougher inside runner than he gets credit for."

C Eric Kush, WR Fred Williams among Chiefs' cuts to 53-man roster from Chiefs Digest

Center Eric Kush, wide receiver Fred Williams and defensive end Mike Catapano headline 19 waivers, while the Chiefs placed tight end Richard Gordon (ankle) on injured reserve, traded safety Kelcie McCray to the Seattle Seahawks and moved cornerback Sean Smith to the reserve/suspended list.

Kansas City Chiefs cut 19 players, including WR Fred Williams from ESPN

Wide receiver Fred Williams was impressive in training camp and led the Chiefs in the preseason in catches (15), receiving yards (167) and touchdowns (3). That wasn't enough to earn Williams a roster spot. He was released as the Chiefs opted instead for another young receiver, Frankie Hammond Jr. The Chiefs prefer Hammond's ability on special teams, including as a return specialist. The Chiefs kept six wide receivers but a seventh looked like a possibility because Albert Wilson, De'Anthony Thomas and Jason Avant ended the preseason with injuries. The Chiefs obviously believe some or all of those players will be ready for the Sept. 13 regular season opener against the Houston Texans.

Chiefs trade S Kelcie McCray to Seahawks in exchange for fifth-round pick from Chiefs Digest

McCray, a fourth-year pro, appeared in 16 games with the Chiefs in 2014, recording three total tackles (two solo) on 56 defensive snaps.

While his production on defense may have been limited, McCray made his mark on special teams where he recorded eight tackles the past season. His 301 snaps on special teams ranked third behind linebackers Frank Zombo (367) and Josh Martin (321).

Chiefs trade McCray to Seahawks while trimming roster to 53 from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

"That's the worst part of your job, letting guys go that have been out here," Reid said. "It's different now, too, in that you have all of these days in the offseason so you get to know them even more than what it used to be. I think as we go, a lot of these guys are going to have opportunities with other teams, whether it's a practice squad position or making the team."

That was hardly the case when Reid took over the team. The Chiefs were coming off a 2-14 season that led to the ouster of general manager Scott Pioli and coach Romeo Crennel, and were so desperate for talent that they signed seven players off waivers.

Now, the Chiefs are one of the teams putting players on the market for other teams.

"We're at a level all across the roster where guys can compete," current GM John Dorsey said.

Overview of the Chiefs' initial 53-man roster from Chiefs Digest

The initial 53-man roster breaks down as 24 players on offense, 26 on defense and three specialists.

Barring changes in the coming days, here is how the full roster shapes out ahead of the season opener on the road against the Houston Texans on Sept. 13 (rookies are italicized):

Final Chiefs roster projection had 50 of 53 players correct from ESPN

Defensive linemen Dontari Poe and Rakeem Nunez-Roches and linebacker D.J. Alexander were the players I didn't expect to be on the roster. Poe had surgery in July to remove a herniated disk from his back. He hasn't practiced or played since. I expected he would need a little more time and start the season on an injured list. I was wrong.

Alexander and Nunez-Roches are rookies. I should have known the Chiefs wouldn't give up so quickly on their draft picks. They kept eight of the nine, releasing only seventh-round wide receiver Da'Ron Brown.

Former Aztec D.J. Alexander survives Chiefs' roster cuts from The Desert Sun

It appears there will still be a Coachella Valley product on an NFL roster for the 2015 season, but for now, it won't be James Dockery, who was cut Tuesday by the Oakland Raiders.

Rookie linebacker D.J. Alexander, a standout linebacker for Pat Blackburn's Palm Desert Aztecs before taking his football pursuits to Oregon State, survived the Kansas City Chiefs' final roster cuts on Saturday to make the official 53-man roster for this season.

The Read Option: Big season in works for Chiefs, lots of questions for Rams from The Springfield News-Leader

I love the win-loss-loss-win-win game.

It's where the NFL schedule comes out, and fans immediately go through their team's rundown, week by week, and decide which game is a win and which is a loss. And that happens in April, before the draft, OTAs, minicamp, training camp and the preseason.

So yeah, you can call it an inexact science.

But if you play that game on the eve of the regular season, when all of the buildup is over, it should be a much more scientific option ... right?

So let's do it.

Wildcat report from The Wichita Eagle

Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey had a designated seat in the press box for Saturday's game. A NFL representative was also on hand, but no scouts were present.

Texans to finally see if puzzle pieces fit from The Houston Chronicle

As O'Brien and his staff prepare for next Sunday's regular-season opener against Kansas City at NRG Stadium, the Texans are still a work in progress at several positions that should improve as the season progresses.

Against the Chiefs, the Texans want to pick up where they left off last season when they closed with back-to-back victories.

"We started some Kansas City prep work last week," O'Brien said. "We'll really get into our scouting report meetings and dive into the situational aspect of it on Monday. We've still got a lot of work to do."

For Texans fans, the best thing about the Kansas City game will be seeing defensive end J.J. Watt, nose tackle Vince Wilfork, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney on the field for the first time since last season.