The Kansas City Chiefs will have some very difficult decisions to make during roster cuts.
Depth players like Chad Henne, Breeland Speaks and Deon Yelder are dealing with injuries, putting the team in a roster crunch heading into the regular season. It’s not yet clear whether any of them will be able to return this season, especially Henne and Speaks. Injured players who are not on the 53-man roster for Week 1 are out for the season and cannot be designated to return. This is going to make for some very interesting decisions for the Chiefs when it comes to roster cuts.
There’s always a chance for a surprise roster cut this time of year. Last year it was cornerback David Amerson. The trade for Charvarius Ward made Amerson expendable. Here’s a look at five Chiefs players who could find themselves in Amerson’s shoes as roster cuts come in over the weekend:
LB Dorian O’Daniel
O’Daniel’s case is perhaps the most intriguing to follow on the Chiefs’ roster. He was a promising third-round draft pick in 2018 but he just hasn’t been able to see the field early and often with this new defense.
One thing of note is that he struggled to see the field last season too despite being clearly one of the fastest linebackers on the team. He said he wasn’t ready, but now we’ve learned that Bob Sutton’s defense was unusually difficult to master.
So what’s the holdup in the change to a seemingly easier defensive scheme under Steve Spagnuolo? O’Daniel has had some good practices lately and saw some action with the second-team when Darron Lee was injured. That could be a sign that the Chiefs plan to keep him. Special teams will also obviously factor into the decision, and he’s been one of the special teams snap leaders through three games.
I counted a season where the Spagnuolo kept as many as eight linebackers roster with the Giants, so it wouldn’t be too crazy to see the Chiefs carry six or more, with O’Daniel being one. However, if someone else becomes available, O’Daniel could easily find himself cut.
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S Jordan Lucas
I’d hate to see the Lucas Locomotive derailed, but an injury during training camp might have done him in. Lucas came over in a trade from the Dolphins ahead of the start of the season. He was one of the best safeties on the roster for the Chiefs last season in a position group that really struggled as a whole.
Lucas has consistently been the fifth safety up for the Chiefs since he returned from injury just ahead of the start of the preseason. He’s played over 40 defensive snaps through two games and has failed to stand out during those snaps. He has recorded just four tackles, and they all came against the Steelers.
One area where Lucas could earn a spot on the roster is special teams play. The problem is, he’s only recorded 15 special teams snaps through two games at Pittsburgh and against the 49ers. If the Chiefs don’t carry five safeties, Lucas could find himself out of a job in Kansas City after only a year.
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RB Carlos Hyde
This might not be a surprise to Chiefs fans, but a lot of people outside of the building expected Hyde to make the Chiefs roster. At the very worst they viewed him as what Damien Williams was to the Chiefs a season ago: a veteran who could come in late in the season and fill in because of injury or otherwise.
With only one preseason game left to go, it just doesn’t seem like Hyde is going to make it. He’s tumbled from running with the starters at the position to playing in the fourth quarter last week against the 49ers. You can look back to his fumble against the Steelers as a metaphor for what he’s done for his chances to make this team.
Even the rhetoric from the Chiefs staff members suggests that Hyde isn’t long for the Chiefs roster. He’s wanted for his veteran presence, but that is about all that he’s brought to the table. He doesn’t even play special teams, which is a big problem.
It won’t be an easy decision for the Chiefs, because Hyde will carry a big price tag if he’s released.
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WR Gehrig Dieter
This would be a big shock in Kansas City because fans are well aware of his friendship with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Many believe that friendship would save Dieter when it comes to making roster decisions, but they’ve got their blinders on.
The Chiefs have already cut Dieter twice since he’s been with the team. They subject him to waivers and could have lost him twice before, but they risked that in order to send him to the practice squad. This all happened over the course of Dieter and Mahomes’ friendship. So don’t get that personal relationship twisted with the harsh business of the NFL.
Dieter hasn’t practiced since the first week of training camp while dealing with a back injury. He did some individual work early this week, but that’s the most progress that he’s made. He won’t play against the Packers on Thursday.
It feels like there are only two options with Dieter: Send him to injured reserve and hope he can return either this season or next, or cut him and see if they can get him onto the practice squad. Before his injury, he was taking snaps with the second team. It was clear he’d made progress this offseason, but the injury really set everything back for him.
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DT Xavier Williams
It wouldn’t be fun to cut a Kansas City native like Williams. There would be plenty of unhappy locals with that type of decision.
Williams has been running with the first and second teams at defensive tackle this preseason, so it’d come as a surprise to see him cut. He’s in direct competition with players like Justin Hamilton and Joey Ivie to make the roster. It’s possible that either one of those players could beat out Williams.
Something else to consider is that Williams also dealt with a back injury during training camp. Back injuries can linger with the big guys, and though he’s seemed fine during the preseason, that could factor into the decision.
Another factor for Williams is that the Chiefs could save $1.8 million by cutting him or $2.8 million if they find a trade partner. They’re not exactly stressed for salary cap dollars, but if they make a splashy trade he’s a guy that could free up space.
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