Chiefs Offseason Report Card and Keys Ahead of Training Camp
Now less than one month away from the beginning of training camp, the NFL offseason has slowed down and the dust has settled. For the Kansas City Chiefs, it was the most dramatic offseason in years, losing superstars like Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu before adding JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Reid and a host of others. Did things go according to plan for Kansas City?
Key Chiefs losses and additions
Key losses: Tyreek Hill, WR (trade); Tyrann Mathieu, S (FA); Melvin Ingram, EDGE (FA); Charvarius Ward, CB (FA); Anthony Hitchens, LB (release); Demarcus Robinson, WR (FA); Byron Pringle, WR (FA); Mike Hughes, CB (FA); Jarran Reed, DT (FA).
Key additions: Justin Reid, S (FA); JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR (FA); Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR (FA); Ronald Jones, RB (FA); Trent McDuffie, CB (draft); George Karlaftis, EDGE (draft); Skyy Moore, WR (draft); Bryan Cook, S (draft).
Chiefs 2022 offseason grade
Offseason grade: B
It's extremely difficult to give the Chiefs a single letter grade for their offseason of massive overhauls, as their report card won't be fully complete for years to come. By moving on from Hill and Mathieu, the Chiefs disrupted their short-term stability. In return, they gained the assets needed to completely rebuild a younger, cheaper defense that should pay dividends down the line. Offensively, short-term free agents like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were signed to keep the KC offense humming as the team steps into a new era without Hill as the Chiefs' top wide receiver. A "B" grade reflects both sides of that coin; the Chiefs could have a bumpier 2022 season while building to new heights in 2023 and beyond.
KC's biggest question still to be answered
How much and how quickly can KC's young defense grow?
The Chiefs have some obvious questions with their pass-catchers, but most of those can be answered by simply having Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. Even without in-game experience with any of his top wide receivers other than Mecole Hardman, Mahomes can be trusted to grow into a groove with this no-less-than-solid group. The other side of the ball is much more uncertain. (Plus, the Chiefs still have Travis Kelce.)
Defensively, rookies like first-round picks Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis will be expected to start immediately at highly important positions where the Chiefs don't have much depth behind them. At the second level, the Chiefs moved on from veteran linebacker Anthony Hitchens and will now rely on linebackers Nick Bolton and Willie Gay Jr. in the middle of the defense, despite that duo entering their second and third seasons, respectively. With cornerback Charvarius Ward leaving in free agency, the Chiefs lost their most consistent corner. At EDGE, they're left relying on a last-chance year for Frank Clark and a rotation of role players across from Karlaftis. The Chiefs have built a young, cheap defensive foundation for years to come, but can they hold their own through the first half of the season, or will growing pains lose games?
