Fact or Fiction for Kansas City Chiefs' Biggest Offseason Question Marks
In a little over a month, Kansas City will open up training camp and begin preparing after general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid managed to work around the salary cap and bring in a few talented players. After a 9-7 finish, a two-game step back from 2013 and falling just short of the playoffs, Chiefs fans have a reason to believe that their team is going to compete in January.
But even the most competitive teams enter a season with some uncertainty, some teams more than others.
While the Chiefs had plenty of flashes in 2014 and made some notable moves in the offseason, Kansas City has a few holes, and they must be addressed and improved upon in order for the team to extend its season beyond 16 games.
What is fact and fiction? Find out ahead in this slideshow.
The Chiefs Don't Have a Set No. 2 Receiver
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Chiefs fans were ecstatic when Jeremy Maclin signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and reunited with Reid. It goes without saying that Maclin owns the No. 1 wideout position, but who is going to start opposite Maclin?
Barring injury, Jason Avant or Albert Wilson are likely candidates.
Avant's single-season career highs include 53 catches, 679 receiving yards and three touchdown grabs, all three happening in different years. He's never been an eye-grabbing playmaker, but given Kansas City's lack of depth at wide receiver, Avant holds a lot more value than we think and could be the team's starting wide receiver with Maclin.
His familiarity with Reid in Philadelphia is also a plus.
Wilson picked up the pace of play late in the season as a rookie, coming through with 12 catches for 209 yards during a three-game stretch late in the season. For an undrafted rookie playing in a system where the receivers played poorly, Wilson raised some eyebrows in Kansas City when he showed off his speed.
De'Anthony Thomas, who holds multiple duties with the Chiefs, while serving on offense and special teams, could even be thrown into the mix as he is capable of making defenders miss with his feet.
While Avant, Wilson and Thomas all have shown flashes, none of them are regarded as a true No. 2 receiver, and the spot is completely up for grabs. For now, there is no reason to believe any of these players are viable No. 2 wideouts. It would not be a surprise if all three started at one point in 2015.
Verdict: Fact
The Chiefs Are Going After Evan Mathis
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By now, you have heard that the Eagles released Evan Mathis. Because of his background with Reid, there was immediate speculation that Mathis would join the Chiefs.
The two-time Pro Bowl guard would be nice to have at right guard in Kansas City, but a couple of factors prevent this from happening.
For starters, the Chiefs have Jeff Allen, Paul Fanaika and Zach Fulton competing as all of them have started at guard at one point in their careers. There is already a surplus of right guards, and adding Mathis will take away plenty of reps for players seeking a starting role.
Another factor that plays in is the salary cap. According to the NFLPA's salary-cap report, the Chiefs have $538,565, the lowest in the NFL and way below the league's average of $11.3 million.
To help put an end to all the speculation, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reported that Reid publicly addressed it after being asked and said the Chiefs are not interested in Mathis.
Verdict: Fiction
The Chiefs Have Depth on Defense
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Since 2010, the Kansas City Chiefs have quietly become one of the most dangerous defensive teams in the NFL. During Kansas City's 9-0 start in 2013, the defense was highlighted, especially the team's pass rush.
Coming off a 2014 season where the defense finished second against the pass, the Chiefs are entering 2015 with a stacked defense.
Defensive line
Dontari Poe had a quiet rookie season, but he transformed into a dominant nose tackle in his second season and is now a two-time Pro Bowler. Mike DeVito returns after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 1 of last season as he has the ability to play well against the rush and pass. Jaye Howard and Allen Bailey both got a lot of playing time last year, but both have a good grasp of the defense and will contribute this year.
Linebacker
Along with DeVito, Derrick Johnson's injury occurred early last year. While the defense did well in 2014, there was a glaring hole with the team's interior linebackers.
But it was the complete opposite with the outside linebackers as Justin Houston led the league in sacks with a franchise record 22 sacks, as Tamba Hali continued his dominance as a pass-rusher. Josh Mauga got a lot of playing time due to multiple injuries and struggled at times. With a year of experience under his belt and Johnson returning, Mauga is bound to have a better season.
Cornerback
The Chiefs have a strong pass rush, which can cause ill-advised throws, translating into plenty of takeaways for the defense. Sean Smith went under the radar and may be one of the league's most underrated defensive players.
Pro Football Focus rated him the fifth best cornerback in 2014, and he looks to continue playing strong coverage, but also improving on collecting more interceptions. Phillip Gaines is coming off a solid rookie season and is set to do better in his second year. With the addition of Marcus Peters, the cornerbacks will challenge opposing offenses.
Safety
Now that the Chiefs have depth at cornerback, Ron Parker can focus more on safety, where he did better. Husain Abdullah joined the Chiefs in 2013 and has played better each season and now finds himself starting. Tyvon Branch brings some starting experience as a former Oakland Raiders safety.
Defensive backs overall
With Houston (yes, there is a slide on him coming up soon), Hali and the rest of the rest of the front seven, this group of defensive backs is bound to come up with plenty of interceptions. If Eric Berry is cleared to play, this unit has a chance to lead the league in interceptions and possibly total takeaways.
The key to this defense is Johnson and DeVito as they return from Achilles injuries. Though Kansas City finished seventh in total defense, it was 28th against the run. Johnson and DeVito will help the Chiefs improve in stopping the rush.
The Chiefs tied last in the league with six picks in 2014, but tied for third in 2013 with 21. If the defense can play in its 2013 form when it comes to takeaways, 2015 will be a dominant year for Kansas City's defense. The Chiefs have more talented defensive backs this time, so the dominance could be a reality.
One key thing to keep in mind, the Chiefs' worst loss was 16 points, coming in Week 1, and the defense was the only unit to never surrender more than 29 points in a game in 2014.
Verdict: Fact
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Jamaal Charles Is the Lone Superstar on Offense
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As you saw in the last slide, Kansas City has a very good defense and carried the team in 2013 and 2014.
But the lack of offense has created an imbalance. Running back Jamaal Charles was the only playmaker and possibly the only noteworthy player on offense in 2013, when he led the league in total rushing and receiving touchdowns with 19. He led the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, which is extremely rare for a running back.
While Charles is elite, it also showed the lack of help the Chiefs had from the rest of the offense.
Tight end Travis Kelce missed his rookie campaign due to a knee injury, but he made the most of his second year, which felt like a rookie season for him. Kelce led the league in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches, helping lift some weight away from Charles.
Now that Charles and Kelce are joined by Maclin, Charles won't have to be highly relied on after leading the team with 14 touchdowns last year. Backup running back Knile Davis had the second-most with seven.
Fans can expect a balanced offense, and the defense will be rewarded for its efforts of limiting opposing offenses.
Verdict: Fiction
Justin Houston Will Miss Training Camp and Possibly Games in 2015
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Justin Houston's contract dispute took an interesting turn during the 2014 season.
He missed all of OTAs last year while seeking a new deal, but never got it. Perhaps not receiving a new deal was the best thing to happen to him as he led the league with 22 sacks. Now, Houston and agent Joel Segal have a reason to demand not only a new deal, but far more money.
Currently under the franchise tag, Houston did not attend offseason practices, and it is uncertain if he attends training camp or plays in 2015.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that Houston, Segal and the Chiefs have been in contact, but no progress is being made, which has been the case all offseason.
According to Over The Cap, Houston is set to make $13.195 million if he signs and plays under the franchise tag for 2015. If you split up Houston's $13.195 million through 17 weeks, he can earn a paycheck of more than $776,000 per week.
Would he be willing to miss games and miss out on a big paycheck? According to a report from Pro Football Talk back in March, it is possible. In the report, Florio wrote he was told that Houston is "seriously considering" staying away from the Chiefs until the deadline for signing the franchise tender in Week 10.
It would be shocking if Houston does that and misses out on all the money.
All offseason, reports from the media have been that no progress has been made and that Houston is considering missing more than half the season.
We'd like to sit here and think that this is all speculation and media hype, but Houston's contract dispute goes back to last year. If no progress has been made since the season ended in late December, fans have a reason to be concerned whether Houston shows up to training camp.
Verdict: Unknown
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