Matt Nagy talks Chiefs’ wide receiver depth

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy retakes the helm at offense after former OC Eric Bieniemy moved on to the Washington Commanders this offseason. With a deep (and fast) wide receiver corps, Nagy doesn’t rule out using all wideouts in a single game but says the call ultimately is head coach Andy Reid’s call.

“They’re all talented in different ways,” Nagy said of his extensive receiver group. “Coach Reid and (general manager) Brett [Veach] will get together and talk through every week, whether it’s five, six, seven guys, and whatever it is, that’s what we roll with.”

With a depth chart that many NFL teams would envy, Nagy says that it is a “very competitive room” with a wide range of talents. With that in mind, proclaiming who the fastest wide receiver is a very subjective matter, depending on who you ask.

“I can tell you who’s gonna say he’s the fastest, MVS (Marquez Valdez-Scantling),” Nagy said in jest when asked for his take. “He’s gonna say that, I know that for sure but there’s probably about two or three other guys in there that are going to be right there with him.”

Without saying whom he would dub the fastest, Nagy reiterated that the depth and speed at the wide receiver position will keep opposing defenses on their toes.

“I think we have some good speed out there that can take the top off,” Nagy stated. “It can affect defensive coverages with the different types of Cover 2 and Cover 4 shell they want to play.”

The Chiefs will have many tough decisions to make as roster cuts loom ahead of the season, and Nagy said that the coaches are paying close attention to the potential within each receiver as well as their ability to learn from past mistakes.

“I think it’s been a really good camp for those guys,” Nagy reflected. “There are some guys that have come in and shown that they’ve been able to take the playbook on right away, [and] not make the same mistakes twice, and that’s one of the things that I mentioned before is we look for that.”

Keeping everybody is not an option, and Nagy says that while the door with the Chiefs may close for some, it could lead to a door opening to a spot on another team’s roster.

“In the end, I wish everybody can make this team,” empathized Nagy. “That’s your goal as a coach is to develop them so that if they don’t make this team, it’s a small fraternity and they’re able to go somewhere and help somebody else out and be thankful for their opportunity here.”