The Kansas City Chiefs start OTAs today through Thursday. Let’s talk about a few of the top things we’ll be looking for from OTAs.
Where does Patrick Mahomes fall in line at quarterback? I’ll guess that the Chiefs line him up last, behind Alex Smith, Tyler Bray and Joel Stave. He’ll work his way up as the offseason goes. The other option is Mahomes gets extra attention. Browns coach Hue Jackson said don’t be surprised if he spends a lot of time extra time with their rookie quarterback, DeShone Kizer, which makes sense too.
Is Kareem Hunt the first back up after Spencer Ware? Andy Reid usually sticks with his vets in these early practices so I would expect Ware to be first among the backs. We talk a lot about Ware and Hunt but Charcandrick West is still around. He’ll factor in someplace.
Who is your new No. 1 tight end? No, Travis Kelce isn’t going anywhere but he won’t be at full strength during OTAs after offseason shoulder surgery. Gavin Escobar was signed this offseason, James O’Shaughnessy was traded, Demetrius Harris was arrested, Ross Travis, Tony Gonzalez and Sly Stallone (wait what) ... a lot going on behind Kelce who is now a big enough celebrity that TMZ reports on his new relationship.
Who is the cornerback opposite Marcus Peters? One of the big questions all season long, I’m just finding a new way to write about it. It will be Steven Nelson or ... Terrance Mitchell. Or Phillip Gaines. Or someone. The truth is, this position will probably see plenty of rotation.
Who is out there when Derrick Johnson isn’t? In the (hopefully unlikely) scenario DJ misses time this season because of injury, I want to see what the Chiefs linebacker rotation will look like. There are some bodies there but they all have question marks. Ramik Wilson is looking like a good (re-)signing now.
What does the Chiefs new defensive line look like? I say new defensive line because it is pretty new compared to last year. Allen Bailey is back, Chris Jones is now more established and Bennie Logan has been brought over from Philadelphia. It will look different without Dontari Poe in there. Not to mention the rookie, Tanoh Kpassagnon.