Dave Toub Reveals KC Chiefs’ Potential Special Teams Options for 2023
Over the course of his career as the Kansas City Chiefs' assistant head coach and even dating back to the days in which he worked strictly with special teams, Dave Toub has built a reputation as one of the better coaches in his field. With that said, the 2022 season challenged him and the team.
General manager Brett Veach allowed multiple key veterans to walk out the door via free agency last offseason, utilizing the 2022 NFL Draft to insulate the roster with depth and upside. That youth and inexperience showed early in the season, though, as the team's special teams unit was a glaring weakness that reared its ugly head several times in the early and middle portions of the 2022-23 campaign. Kansas City rebounded well enough to finish 19th in Football Outsiders' Special Teams DVOA, but that was quite the fall from a No. 7 ranking the year before.
Nevertheless, Toub and company eventually adjusted to having so many young players in the fold. By the end of the season and into the playoffs, the Chiefs' had a plethora of standouts in that area of the game. That, combined with the NFL's changes to kickoff return rules for 2023, could lead to even greater overall success moving forward despite another rookie class of largely unexpected contributors coming in. That applies to undrafted free agents as well, and Toub said on Thursday that former Tulsa running back Deneric Prince is emerging as a potential return option.
"Some guys that are doing really well right now you probably want to know (are Deneric) Prince is looking good as a running back," Toub said. "He reminds me so much of – you guys remember Knile Davis? He reminds me of Knile, he even has the same number. (He) didn’t do it in college, but he’s showing traits right now that he reminds me so much of Knile that it’s kind of scary. And you know, Knile was pretty good for us. As he went on, obviously the touchdowns. And so, I see him in that role.”
Prince indeed had very limited return experience in college, as his four-year career between Texas A&M and Tulsa saw him bring back just four kickoffs for a combined 68 yards. Kansas City is no stranger to giving a rookie running back a chance to return kicks, however, as Isiah Pacheco had that role just a season ago as a seventh-round selection. The Chiefs also have plenty of other potential suitors for the role, including a mix of recent free agent signings and draft picks. Former New York Giants standout Richie James headlines the list for Toub, but he also mentioned a few other names.
"Richie James is a guy that – he’s got experience, (he) did it in NFL games, which that’s huge as we know," Toub said. "And he’s definitely in the mix. (John) Ross – the other one, No. 85 – he’s another guy that’s got speed. (He) had injury problems at Cincinnati, but if he could stay healthy, he’s definitely in the mix. He’s probably one of our fastest players back there. And then you still got Skyy (Moore) and Ihmir (Smith-Marsette). We have a bunch of guys that are possible guys that can do that for us.”
While Kansas City doesn't have an extremely clear picture of who will end up being the team's primary special-teamers this coming season, they have a good idea of who can serve as exactly that. Organized team activities (OTAs) are a perfect time to experiment and allow clubs to learn more about the players on their 90-man rosters. Someone who manages to stand out now doesn't necessarily have a locked-in role on the team by the time August or September roll around, but the Chiefs are intentional with the reps they divvy up. Players like Prince wouldn't be tried out in a special teams role if he didn't flash a redeeming quality or two to Toub.
The overarching theme of Toub's special teams unit, much like Steve Spagnuolo's defense, is youth. The franchise's recent investment in young, athletic and high-upside talents naturally leads to special teams as a path for carving out an early role and potentially earning more playing time down the road. The late-round draft picks and undrafted players are more geared toward that side of the ball, and that's who Toub singled out when asked about who could help the Chiefs out early. As the offseason rolls on, he thinks the unheralded prospects are the ones to keep an eye on.
"I’m excited about the young linebackers, (Isaiah) Moore and (Cam) Jones, the two free agent kids that we have," Toub said. "I like the kids that we drafted, (Chamarri) Conner and (Nic) Jones. Both of those guys are going to help us right off the bat. The d-lineman, the defensive ends, possibly some role players but not so much as a four-phase guy but I’m excited about the young players but really it’s those last year’s young players that are getting better that are going to – guys like (Jack) Cochrane and Nazeeh (Johnson). You know towards the end of the year Nazeeh Johnson, as a gunner, he was playing better than anybody in the league. So, I’m excited about him. He’ll probably be our number one gunner coming into next year.”
