Who are some potential cut candidates for the Kansas City Chiefs this training camp?
The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off their training camp on Tuesday, and you know what that means: time to trim the fat off the roster.
For the next two months, the Chiefs will attempt to cut their squad down to a 53-man roster. Veterans and rookies will battle it out and– yeah, you've heard this all before. Training camp competition is tough. Guys like Patrick Mahomes get the VIP treatment — Netflix docuseries and all — but most Chiefs players still have much to prove, and they've got a relatively short span of time to convince Andy Reid and the coaching staff that they deserve to be here, in Kansas City, on a Super-Bowl contending team.
Some will succeed. Some will fail. And some will remind those who fail that football is just a game, let's just have fun.
Here are three Chiefs player who may be packing their bags after training camp.
Chiefs' training camp cut candidate No. 3: Justyn Ross, WR
At the top of our list is a player touted to be the Chiefs' breakout wide receiver for 2023: undrafted free agent Justyn Ross.
One could just as easily close their eyes, pick a name out of a hat full of Chiefs wideouts, and declare that player to breakout this season. Over a year after Tyreek Hill's departure, no singular target has managed to fill Hill's large shoes, and this year's training camp will likely feature another "Battle of the Mids."
Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore top the depth chart; the rest of the order will be decided this summer. As much hype as Justyn Ross has received so far, he may be a step behind the likes of Justin Watson, Richie James, and Rashee Rice.
The Chiefs' sneaky outside target of 2022, Watson, signed a two-year deal in April and should retain his roster spot — his two crucial catches in the Super Bowl didn't go unnoticed. Richie James went for over 500 yards for the Giants last year and may vibe well with Toney. 2023 second-rounder Rashee Rice is just getting his feet wet.
In a crowded wideout room, Ross has the least going for him. He has unknown chemistry with Mahomes, less playing experience than James, and he went undrafted. He's young at 23 years old and has impressive footage from Clemson, but he's virtually an unknown X factor. Ross' anonymity makes him a tantalizing breakout candidate for pundits who want to come up with a new and original take. Living up to those expectations is a different story.
Chiefs' training camp cut candidate No. 2: Malik Herring, DE
After the Chiefs went out and added three new players to their defensive end unit this offseason, that positional group has been put on high alert. Someone is getting cut.
Last year, Kansas City kept six edge-rushers and four interior defensive linemen on the roster. Following that structure, two edge-rushers will lose their jobs in this year's training camp. George Karlaftis and veteran Charles Omenihu are locks, as is 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah. 2020 fifth-rounder Mike Danna may get one more campaign to prove his worth, and 2023 fifth-rounder B.J. Thompson will be given appropriate time to develop.
That leaves undrafted free agents Malik Herring and Truman Jones along with veteran Joshua Kaindoh fighting for the lone last spot.
At this point, it's a toss-up. Any of those three could perform even slightly better than the others to nab the spot, but our money's not on Herring.
We love a good undrafted free agent success story as much as anybody, and truth be told, Herring somewhat shockingly made the active roster in 2022; he was active for seven games. But our guess is that the ACL injury he suffered in 2021 is going to haunt him, and just because he's a familiar face in Kansas City doesn't mean history will repeat itself. Up against a three-year vet (Kaindoh) and a rising Ivy League gem (Jones), Herring might get sent down to practice squad limbo this time around.
Chiefs' training camp cut candidate No. 1: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB
We had to do it to you, CEH. We're sorry.
Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire's career in Kansas City is down to the last pin. He's one bowling ball's nudge away from getting cut from the roster in 2023.
With Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon taking the top two spots in the running back room, Edwards-Helaire will compete against La'Mical Perine and Deneric Prince for the backend depth roles.
While Edwards-Helaire boasts far more experience than those two guys combined, he's slid into a downward spiral since 2021, and we just don't see any way the former first-round pick can salvage his career with the Chiefs.
In 2022, Edwards-Helaire recorded career-lows across the board in rushing yards, touchdowns, and yards per game. His workload was nearly halved, and he basically flattened mid-season to serve as a doormat for Pacheco to take the reins.
Put simply, he has lost the trust of the Chiefs organization. Regardless of his past successes or numbers, that will be what gets him booted of the team. Lost trust.
By contrast, Perine and Prince have been enveloped in positive buzz heading into the preseason. Pundits rave about Perine's hard-nosed work ethic, and undrafted free agent Prince could follow former seventh-rounder Pacheco's footsteps all the way up the golden staircase. Dave Toub loves Prince. Other Chiefs coaches and players have also said glowing things about him.
The era of CEH is coming to a close this July. He was only 24 years of age, and to his O.G. fans, he will be sorely missed. Don't blame the Chiefs, blame the declining nature of the running back position.