The Kansas City Chiefs are entering their fourth and final preseason game with a visit to the Green Bay Packers. Although the starters won’t be playing tonight, there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on as the Chiefs make their final roster cuts. Here are five things to watch tonight against the Packers.
Kyle Shurmur trying to impress again
The Chiefs recently added quarterback Matt Moore to be the backup to Patrick Mahomes because of an injury to Chad Henne. The signing raises some questions about what the Chiefs plan to do with the rest of the quarterbacks on the roster, especially Shurmur, who has been a pleasant surprise during the preseason.
Shurmur has gone 19-of-36 for 173 yards, and coach Andy Reid said the young quarterback is a “smart kid.” Although it is unlikely that Shurmur makes the team with Moore in the mix, it’s still possible that he impresses with a good performance.
Shurmur will be getting plenty of playing time against the Packers as he gets his final chance to showcase his skills. The most likely spot for Shurmur heading into the regular season is on the Chiefs practice squad, but if he has another good game the team could be forced to keep him on the 53-man roster to prevent another team from signing him. A trade is also possible.
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Byron Pringle vs. Cody Thompson
The Chiefs have a big decision to make at the wide receiver position. Two young players in particular who will be fighting to make the 53-man roster are Thompson and Pringle.
Kansas City already has plenty of talent at the position with four or five players guaranteed a spot. But these two still have an opportunity to make the roster as a contributor on special teams and to add depth on offense.
I believe that only one of the two will make the roster, and this will be their final chance to try and earn that last spot. Each has strengths: Pringle is another speedy receiver who brings value to the return game, while Thompson has impressed with his hands and ability to create yards after the catch.
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Could Claiborne get more playing time before his suspension?
This will be the last chance Chiefs fans will get to see Morris Claiborne before he serves his four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It’s likely that Claiborne gets a fair amount of reps against the Packers because the suspension bans him from all team activities.
If the Chiefs want Claiborne to be a big contributor once he is back from his suspension, he will need as many reps as he can get. I’d expect him to be among the first players out there for the Chiefs unless they feel they’ve already seen enough from him.
I would like to see Claiborne show a greater grasp of the playbook. If he can help shut down the Packers offense, it would go a long way to reassuring fans about a defensive secondary that struggled last season. If the cornerback position is still a weakness going into Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, he could be a big-time reinforcement for the Chiefs.
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Carlos Hyde fighting for a roster spot
It doesn’t look like Hyde will make the Chiefs roster. After last week, he was almost certainly packing his bags and having his agent keep his ears to the ground for a new team. If there’s any hope of making the roster, he needs to have a big game against the Packers.
The Chiefs seem to be comfortable with Damien Williams as the starter and Darwin Thompson and Darrel Williams being his backups. That doesn’t mean that Chiefs don’t care if Hyde isn’t successful in this last game, though. If Hyde has a standout performance, it may give Brett Veach the opportunity to trade him.
I expect Hyde to get the most playing time in the running back group against the Packers so that he can showcase his skills. The Chiefs are not going to risk an injury to Damien Williams, and I expect that Thompson will also sit against the Packers. This will give Hyde an opportunity to make a roster, whether it be with the Chiefs or another team.
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Dorian O’Daniel trying to make an impact
O’Daniel hasn’t had as much playing time as I had expected when this preseason began. When he has played, it was in with the third and fourth team, except for filling in for an injured Darron Lee last week. This should be a concern for Chiefs fans because O’Daniel was expected to be a bigger contributor to the defense in his second season with the team.
There were a lot of people who thought O’Daniel could be the starter and as a former third-round pick there are expectations that come with that. The hope is that he’ll thrive in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, but it seems he’s taking just as long to learn it as he did Bob Sutton’s.
I expect the starting will linebacker will be Damien Wilson and Lee will be the No. 2 guy. If the Chiefs want to carry O’Daniel as a special teamer and a backup linebacker that is always an option, but I find that unlikely because it seems like a wasted roster spot. This will be the last chance for O’Daniel to make a big impact, and if he does not, the 2018 third-round pick might be a surprise cut.
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