Mock (10/29)

[Direckshun]

Assumptions:

1. The Chiefs do very well in the 2024 season. HC Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach are retained.

2. During the 2024 season, the Chiefs trade a conditional 2026 pick to the Rams for CB Tre'Davius White.

3. TE Travis Kelce retires.

4. The Chiefs re-work QB Patrick Mahomes contract, partially extending him and lowering his cap number from his currently-gargantuan $66.2m cap hit.

5. The Chiefs re-sign: WR Marquise Brown 1 year, $5m; DE Charles Omenihu 2 years, $20m; DE Josh Uche, 1 year, $5m; LB Nick Bolton 4 years, $72m.

6. The Chiefs re-sign to minimal deals: QB Carson Wentz, WR Justin Watson, WR Mecole Hardman, DT Mike Pennel, P Matt Araiza

7. The Chiefs tender the following RFAs: LB Jack Cochrane, OG/C Mike Caliendo, CB Nazeeh Johnson

8. The Chiefs let walk: RB Kareem Hunt, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB Samaje Perine, WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, TE Jody Fortson, OT Lucas Niang, OG Trey Smith, DT Tershawn Wharton, DT Derrick Nnadi, DT Marlon Tuipulotu, DE Malik Herring, CB Tre'Davius White, S Justin Reid, LS James Winchester

9. The Chiefs sign the following free agents: RB D'Onta Foreman (Browns), WR KJ Osborne (Patriots)

10. The WR DeAndre Hopkins pick qualifies as a 4th rounder.

11. The Draft:

1. OT Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
2. TE Luke Lachey, Iowa
3 (Sneed). RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
3. DT Shemar Turner, Texas A&M
5. S Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin
7 (either Smith-Marsette or Hardman pick swap -- the other was traded for Cam Thomas). DT Jay Toia, UCLA
7 (compensatory). QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse
7 (compensatory). LB Jack Kiser, Notre Dame


The roster:

QB: Mahomes, Wentz, McCord
RB: Pacheco, Hampton, Foreman, Steele

WR: Rice, Worthy, Brown, Osborne, Watson, Hardman, Remigio
TE: Gray, Lachey, Wylie, Hendershot

LT: Suamataia vs. Milum
LG: Thuney, Nourzad
C: Humphrey, Hansen
RG: Morris, Caliendo
RT: Taylor, Suamataia/Milum

DE: Omenihu, Uche, Thomas
DT: Jones, Turner
DT: Pennel, Lovett, Toia
DE: Karlaftis, Danna, Anudike-Uzomah

WLB: Tranquill, Jones, Kiser
MLB: Bolton, Tranquill
SLB: Chenal, Cochrane

CB: McDuffie, Watson, Williams, Johnson, Roland-Wallace
S: Cook, Conner, Hicks, Wohler

K: Butker
P: Araiza
LS: some guy

[Direckshun]

I'm sorry but if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl this year, we'll know why: the defense was fantastic again, and Mahomes and the offense did just enough to cross the finish line.

If that's the case, you don't spend 20+/year on a guard. You spend it on the QB of your defense, Nick Bolton.

With the departure of Kelce, the hope is that Gray/Lachey can make up for that, with Wylie hopefully coming on.

Some badly needed depth is needed at RB, and the Chiefs drop C-level coin on a decent RB for a year while drafting another RB in the 3rd. Hopefully they'll have more explosion out of the position.

The WR corps will be playing left handed yet again for a year, with Rice continuing to return from injury and then facing a suspension. But by December, a Rice/Worthy/Brown combo will get you across the finish line. Osborne, Watson, and Hardman can help keep the WR room afloat until Rice returns.

I do elect to bring Omenihu and Uche back, to give the Chiefs a ton of juice off the edges. This does mean demoting FAU, but he'll get snaps anyway as the season progresses.

Jones is the only real proven passrusher along the interior, but the Chiefs like to rotate Danna in at DT on passrushing downs.

[Couch-Potato]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I'm sorry but if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl this year, we'll know why: the defense was fantastic again, and Mahomes and the offense did just enough to cross the finish line.

If that's the case, you don't spend 20+/year on a guard. You spend it on the QB of your defense, Nick Bolton.

With the departure of Kelce, the hope is that Gray/Lachey can make up for that, with Wylie hopefully coming on.

Some badly needed depth is needed at RB, and the Chiefs drop C-level coin on a decent RB for a year while drafting another RB in the 3rd. Hopefully they'll have more explosion out of the position.

The WR corps will be playing left handed yet again for a year, with Rice continuing to return from injury and then facing a suspension. But by December, a Rice/Worthy/Brown combo will get you across the finish line. Osborne, Watson, and Hardman can help keep the WR room afloat until Rice returns.

I do elect to bring Omenihu and Uche back, to give the Chiefs a ton of juice off the edges. This does mean demoting FAU, but he'll get snaps anyway as the season progresses.

Jones is the only real proven passrusher along the interior, but the Chiefs like to rotate Danna in at DT on passrushing downs.

I agree with your assessment of our winning approach, defense is the key and offense will keep us ahead, no need to blow anyone out.

Absolutely, we should bring Bolton back...What do you think he’ll cost?

Ideally, Veach gets creative with those contacts and brings back Bolton, Smith, Hopkins, Brown, Uche, Hunt AND maybe even Perine. I’m pretty sure all will be quality contributors.

I like our current backfield depth with Pachecco, Hunt, Perine, Steele, & CEH, but I’ve always wanted a star RB to pair with Mahomes and there’s several in this upcoming draft. Damn you CEH for wasting our shot at a top tier RB!

Good takes!