Ding, ding, ding, get ready for round two. The Kansas City Chiefs, entering the second year of the Patrick Mahomes era, are prepared to go into what appears to be their second Super Bowl chase led by the MVP. However, before all that can happen, the Chiefs must go through the ringer of training camp.
With that, unfortunately, comes a few roster cuts. Here are three that may occur.
3. Xavier Williams – DT
In 2018, the Chiefs signed Xavier Williams to an offer sheet, and the Arizona Cardinals declined it, to the happiness of Chiefs Nation. The big 6-2, 309-pound defensive tackle was expected to be featured in the rotation as a run-stuffing two-gapper; while he did so, he wasn't too productive.
Behind star Chris Jones — who expects to get paid handsomely soon — Williams saw his expected snap count decrease. He finished the season starting four games and tallied just 47 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Furthermore, the Chiefs didn't give any indications that he'll be the baseline for their interior defense.
Rather than rest on their laurels, coming off an awful defensive season, the Chiefs brought aboard 4-3 coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to coach the defense. With this change comes a defensive line overhaul — and it's indicated in their recent transactions. Kansas City added Emmanuel Ogbah via trade and Khalen Saunders via a third-round pick to fit his scheme.
2. Kyle Shurmur – QB
If Kyle Shurmur's last name sounds familiar, you aren't crazy. The son of New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur, Kyle went undrafted after a three-year run as a starter at Vanderbilt. He broke school records including touchdown passes (64), passing yards (8,865), pass completions (722), and pass attempts (1,254).
Despite an impressive resume, Shurmur is far from a guarantee or likely candidate to make the roster. The problem is, Mahomes exists, and his backup (Chad Henne) does a fine job filling in when necessary. He doesn't boast a particularly great arm, but he's a smart player that knows how offenses run.
Considering the Chiefs didn't enter 2018 with a second quarterback, though, it's unlikely they'll change in 2019. They have the position figured out and could use a valuable roster spot elsewhere. This means fellow backup Chase Litton may get the boot too.
1. Daniel Sorensen – S
The Chiefs have done a lot of work to rebuild their safety position in the past two years. Eric Berry is gone and replaced by free agency get and 2018 Pro-Bowl alternate Tyrann Mathieu. Juan Thornhill (second-round – 2019) and Armani Watts (fourth-round) are recent, intriguing, draft selections. Jordan Lucas is a free agent addition with experience starting with the Miami Dolphins last season.
The culmination of the four recent moves makes it tough to see how Daniel Sorensen fits on the roster. Though a starter in each of the past two seasons (primarily 2017), the safety hasn't been a bright spot of their backend position group. He's a liability in coverage and is prone to missed tackles. In 2018, he missed ten games due to a leg injury.
Sorensen once appeared to be a part of the future for the Chiefs at safety, but his limitations have meant a ceding of snaps and move to sub-package linebacker. With that position revamped too, painting a clear picture of where his fit is getting tough.
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