Reacting to the Kansas City Chiefs' 53-Man Roster
We're mere days away from the Kansas City Chiefs' first game of the 2020 NFL regular season. On top of that, we now know what the team's Week 1 roster will look like.
As it turns out, surprisingly, my projected 53-man roster wasn't too far off from what the Chiefs decided to end Saturday with. In today's episode of Roughing the Kicker, Arrowhead Report's Tucker Franklin and I reacted to it all.
Among the biggest surprises on cut day was defensive lineman Breeland Speaks. The 2018 second-round pick was Chiefs general manager Brett Veach's first draft selection, the result of an eight-spot trade up. After battling inconsistency and injuries in his first two years, he seemed poised for his best year yet in 2020. Instead, EDGE players Taco Charlton and Demone Harris made the team over him.
Just three players from the Chiefs' same 2018 draft class — defensive lineman Derrick Nnadi, safety Armani Watts and linebacker Dorian O'Daniel — remain on the roster. In addition to the team moving on from Speaks, cornerback Tremon Smith and offensive lineman Khalil McKenzie are no longer with the Chiefs. It was a rocky start for Veach, but it's safe to say he's proved his worth — and then some — since then.
With consecutive strong draft classes, terrific bargain-bin free agent signings and multiple superstar contracts under his belt, Veach has emerged as one of the best executives in all of football. For more on what to expect from this year's rookies, stay tuned.
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