Chiefs On SI Mailbag: Could an Offseason Addition Be a Surprise Cut Candidate?

With one preseason game in the books and plenty of questions left for the Kansas City Chiefs to answer before the regular season arrives, it's time for another Chiefs On SI mailbag.

Every week, Jordan Foote and I (Joshua Brisco) take your questions from across social media and attempt to cut through the chaos of a busy week to discuss what really matters for the present and future Chiefs.

What is the probability we release a free agent signing (e.g. Emari Demercado, Kader Kohou, etc.)? -@SoCal1186

In our latest 53-man roster projection, we still have both running back Emari Demercado and cornerback Kader Kohou making the team, but as Jordan and I went through the exercise this week, I spent a lot of time thinking about Kohou's role.

Kohou projects as a pure nickel defender (a slot cornerback, not an outside corner) in the Chiefs' defense. I could still be convinced that he's actually the Chiefs' best bet for a short-term solution at that position, but as training camp has progressed, I wonder if his window is closing.

Defensive back Chris Roland-Wallace seems to be the favorite to be the Chiefs' nickel defender when Week 1 arrives, which would take a potential starting role from Kohou. Meanwhile, rookie fourth-round pick Jadon Canady is the best-case long-term answer at the position, while Kohou is on a one-year deal.

Then, in the numbers game of roster building, Kohou wouldn't provide as much special teams value as Kevin Knowles or Melvin Smith Jr., which is an important role for a backup defensive back.

Add in the potential roster spots for L'Jarius Sneed and Kristian Fulton, who also won't be forces on special teams, and Kohou's path continues to narrow.

If I were the general manager of a team that needed slot cornerback help, I'd consider giving KC a call about Kohou. I think he's still a capable NFL player, but he may have fallen to the wrong side of the numbers game as the Chiefs built redundancies at cornerback. Alternatively, if the Chiefs aren't sold on Roland-Wallace in the slot (or feel a need to give him more typical safety duties), I do think Kohou would start over Canady to begin the year. It's a really interesting needle to thread.

For Demercado, I think it was fair for him to be labeled as one of the team's "losers" from the preseason opener due to his surprise late-game appearances, but I still think his role on the team is relatively safe.

Young running backs Emmett Johnson and Brashard Smith both have plenty to prove and plenty to learn, so higher-value reps earlier in the game might be more valuable for them than they'd be for Demercado. And while I do think Johnson could take on a No. 2 running back role behind Kenneth Walker this season, Demercado is still the best pass blocker of the trio and still makes sense as KC's preferred third-down back for that reason alone. —Brisco

It’s supposed to be an elite edge/WR class next year. What is the highest you see the Chiefs trading up for their guy? Is it an edge or a WR, and will they trade Chris Jones to do it? -@KCfanboyICT

Assuming the Chiefs bounce back and at least make the playoffs, they'll be looking at a pick in the back half or final third of the first round. That takes them way out of trade-up range for Jeremiah Smith at wideout and could make it difficult to snag Cam Coleman. Might they be able to snag a Charlie Becker or Nick Marsh by getting lucky or packaging future selections? That seems plausible.

Continuing to rebuild the defensive line with someone like Kenyatta Jackson, Will Heldt or Matayo Uiagalelei would be hard to pass on; the same draft capital math applies. Some of these names may not even require a move up the board.

As far as Chris Jones is concerned, the Bengals' trade of 2026 pick No. 10 for Dexter Lawrence may have spoiled some expectations for value. 2027 will be Jones' age-33 season, and he carries a $38.1 million cap hit for that year before it balloons to $44.85M in 2028. KC could save $18.6M by trading him pre-June 1, albeit with $19.5M in dead money.

It's doable to help sweeten a deal, but it's far from a slam dunk, even if Jones isn't unquestionably elite anymore. —Foote

How bad is that O-line gonna be? -@DDDereKC | How much Chiefs nihilism is too much? -@oscarbobo.bsky.social

How much Chiefs nihilism is too much? Assuming the worst about the offensive line is my sign that we've gone too far!

Now, if Josh Simmons or Trey Smith miss significant time, all bets are off, but I do still really like Kansas City's starting five.

I'm all-in on Simmons, already ranking him among the Chiefs' best and most important players. Smith and Creed Humphrey are among the very best at their respective positions, and Kingsley Suamataia has earned legitimate trust at left guard. I still believe that Jaylon Moore would be a perfectly fine fifth lineman at right tackle; if undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson takes that job, the Chiefs would presumably believe that he's an improvement over "perfectly fine."

There are lots of trends and position groups that could keep you uncertain about the 2026 season, but I'm actually quite excited to see the front five protect Patrick Mahomes and make holes for Kenneth Walker. —Brisco

If (big if) Nuss can look good-to-great over the next two games, do you think Veach and Co. would consider attempting to trade Fields so we only need two QBs on the final roster? -@EricDuke58

Indeed, Garrett Nussmeier resembled a multi-year veteran in his preseason debut. If he put a tad more air under a red-zone pass to Cyrus Allen or if Jason Brownlee managed to catch a deep-ball heave, his 98 yards and no touchdowns could've easily been over 200 and two, respectively.

Given that Justin Fields was the first quarterback the Chiefs gave up draft picks for this offseason, though, a trade seems highly unlikely. Had he been signed to a two-year pact, 2027 would be a perfect time to entertain such a move. Add in Patrick Mahomes' ongoing knee recovery (yes, despite his amazing progress), and you get all signs pointing to three signal-callers being rostered.

There could eventually be tremendous value in Nussmeier accounting for less than half a percent of the cap per year in 2027 and beyond, yet we're an entire season away from that being a reality as the backup. Fields will make the 53 and fill that role for now.

In an ideal world, Fields doesn't play at all during the regular season and simply serves as an insurance policy before his '27 departure assists in cutting costs. —Foote

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