If 2018 was any indication of what is to come for the Chiefs, then Chiefs fans have all the reason in the world to be excited. They are set up to be a dynasty and be one of the best teams in the league for years to come, with reigning MVP Pat Mahomes under center. In the first full season of the Mahomes experience, the Chiefs made it all the way to AFC championship and were an offsides away from making the Superbowl. Did the Chiefs do enough to close the gap with the Patriots dynasty, or will they fall short in the playoffs again?
Losses:
- Dee Ford
- Ron Parker
- Justin Houston
- Eric Berry
The Chiefs had a completely dominant offense in 2018 and have maintained continuity on that side of the ball with their entire core returning. The same cannot be said for the defensive side of the ball.
To begin the offseason, the front office faced the difficult decision of what to do with Dee Ford, which they decided to franchise tag him which ultimately turned into a trade to the 49ers with no long term deal being figured out. Ford had a career year with 13 sacks and wreaked havoc all year for opposing offenses.
Longtime Chiefs Berry and Houston will be missed without a doubt. Houston, the reliable veteran, will certainly be missed but Berry not so much. Houston had another good year, racking up 9 sacks, but Berry only appeared in 2 games. The Chiefs are hoping that Ogbah and Clark can fill the void left by Houston and Ford.
Additions:
- Tyrann Mathieu
- Frank Clark
- Mecole Hardman
- Juan Thornhill
- Morris Claiborne
- Carlos Hyde
- Alex Okafor
- Emmanuel Ogbah
- Darron Lee
Most of the losses which the Chiefs had to deal were on the defensive side of the ball which was what the Chiefs already had to address. To do so, they went out and get disgruntled star Frank Clark who is coming off of a similar year as Dee Ford in which he had 13 sacks. To tack on to the pass rush, they went out and an additional move for Emmanuel Ogbah. The tandem will have to replace the productive duo of Justin Houston and Dee Ford.
In the secondary, they went out landed Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne to help out a group that struggled most of the 2018 campaign. Mathieu should be a really nice addition to the group as he is sure to disrupt a ton of plays with his versatility while Claiborne will add nice depth after his four-game suspension.
Through the draft, the team went out and helped the strength which is their passing attack and snagged Tyreek Hill clone, Mecole Hardman, as they were under the impression that Hill would be disciplined in some form. Hardman has already flashed what he can do in the preseason. Juan Thornhill continued their emphasis on the defense and will be paired with the Honey Badger to make a formidable safety group.
Overview:
Kansas City seems absolutely ready to repeat the success they had in 2018. To the already fast-paced offense, they added speedster Mecole Hardman while Damien Williams should be ready to fill in for Kareem Hunt who is now a Brown.
The defense had a complete turnover with Frank Clark and Tyrann Mathieu replacing the veterans Eric Berry, Justin Houston, and Dee Ford. To add to the defense they added fast linebacker Darron Lee and pass rush option Ogbah. This group had a ton of turnover but should be on the way up and can be the missing piece to this team. As long as they can hold the other to under 30 points they should always have a chance to win.
With an exciting defense, the team should expect another big year and go on to win 13 games and at the very least make the AFC championship game again.