Will the Justin Fields Move KEEP Kansas City Chiefs at the Top, or RUIN Their Dynasty?

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Trades are a big part of the offseason, the Chiefs made one, and it has a big effect on

where they're going next in the draft, and we're getting here all the day from Matt.

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I'm Ryan Tracy, founder of that site, as well as NFL33.com and I'm your football.com.

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Welcome in.

I'm excited.

And the Chiefsmen trade for maybe the least likely position that anyone thought going into

this weekend.

I have to say.

I think that I like the direction this is going with, I don't know how you feel about

the player.

That's what I'll ask you about first, Justin Fields coming on to this roster.

What do you think the pluses and minuses are?

Yeah.

You know, the pluses are the, hey, Justin Fields is a, as a younger upside quarterback,

a lot of athleticism.

There, I think there's things you can work with, you know, he hasn't been good, I guess,

is the best way to put it.

He's been bad, but he hasn't been awful.

He's even had stretches where he's looked like maybe there's, you know, something that

you can, you know, do something with.

I mean, he went four and two with the Steelers, which, I mean, yes, if the Steelers are

just perennially a 10 and 7, 9 and 8 team right now.

But he, you know what, there have been some other quarterbacks who didn't do that well

with the Steelers.

So that might be at least a little bit of a tip that there's something you can play

with there.

His touchdown to interception ratio hasn't been bad.

I mean, there's, there's things you look at as numbers and you're like, like, this

doesn't seem as bad as it could be.

I mean, I think there's something there to work with.

And the fact that he is young and maybe still impressionable, I think is upside.

When you're looking at the alternatives and that's the thing, you know, I mean, for a

trade, there's not a lot of guys available anyway, you know, hey, what I have tried to

maybe swing for the fences and do something like what the Jets and the Raiders did with

Geno Smith and his contract.

I would have tried that with Kyler Murray, but I don't think that anybody was really

interested in that.

And so maybe that was just swinging too much for the fences.

But the thing is, is that you look at, you know, who were the free agents available?

It was a sad, you know, sad setting of quarterbacks in the free agent market.

I mean, you had washed up older guys like, I don't need a 37 year old Tyrod Taylor or

37 year old Russell Wilson, you know, I don't need a 31 year old Eastern stick.

I don't even think I need a 29 year old Skyler Thompson, 33 year old Cooper rush.

I mean, it was a lot of retreads that were out there on the free agent market.

So I mean, given up a six round pick, I don't think it's that, you know, I mean,

especially the way the bread, each uses, you know, six and seventh round picks.

They're sweeteners, their opportunities like this to just get a player that, you know,

you couldn't get any other way.

I, I'm okay with it.

And, you know, if Andy Reed, we're going to find out if he can still fix quarterbacks.

And if he can develop young guys, this is his opportunity to show that he's still got

that club in his bag.

I don't know if he does, but we're going to find out.

Yeah, I think we, we will.

And we should, and I talked about this a couple of weeks ago.

I was referring to Anthony Richardson and maybe we'll talk about that coming up after

the break a little bit as well, but I want to get to the cornerbacks.

But this was a concept that I had as well as at this point, we'll call this midpoint

of Patrick's career is where I'm viewing it roughly.

It's probably not actually that might be a third.

We'll see what it turns out to be.

But earlier, you always wanted a veteran in the room, someone who could, could lead film

discussion, who understood how to break it down.

Obviously, Patrick had his habits, he had to learn from Alex, et cetera, et cetera.

But you wanted somebody else with more experience in the room to balance things off of for

Patrick.

Now that he's at this point in his career, I don't think that that crutch was necessarily

something you had to have, let alone the fact you didn't have many options out there.

There were really upgrades over what you'd had, and with the mince you're signing

elsewhere, I think that took that off the table.

So now for me, it's more about Patrick's the brain in the room.

If Patrick can't play, what do you do?

And that comes down to tying into the rest of the offseason for me and what they did

at running back to ensure they have a better running game, at least at that specific

position, hoping that the old line continues that way.

And now you have quarterback that broadens in my sense of the word, what you can do

with Patrick has to miss a game.

It's not just the same offense that is based on Patrick Mahomes, you can use the legs.

You can go outside of running the same RPO package or down field packages that you're looking

for.

I think that's the biggest caveat here.

I think it's well worth the sixth round pick.

Do you think that's how they entail it to or is it more about the process of developing

a quarterback to then maybe move again for higher draft gap?

Yeah, I I felt that it was in a case with which you just don't know what the situation's

going to be with Mahomes.

You can't be 100% certain that he's going to be able to start week one.

You might have to start a backup week one.

You're also not going to be 100% certain that Mahomes is going to be able to play all play

17 games.

I mean, that's a distinct possibility, whether he misses games at the beginning in the middle

at the end.

I mean, it could be anywhere that you have to assume that you're going to be playing some games

without Mahomes this season.

If you don't great, but you got to be prepared.

And you know, the chiefs, hey, they muddled by sometimes and maybe got lucky at times

because Chad Hennie Matt Moore didn't always have some great outings, but they were good

enough that they were able to still win some games with those guys.

Last year, the kind of hit rock bottom.

Last year was, you know, hey, they couldn't muddle by even when Mahomes got knocked out.

Nothing went right for men's shoe.

Nothing went right for oladoke.

And I mean, it was, it was just the absolute mess.

And they don't want to be in that situation again.

They want to try and be competitive if you're going to play some games without Mahomes.

With fields, yeah, I think there's elements of what they do all the time that you can still run.

You can still, you can put some pistol in for him.

There's still some remnants of option runs that they still throw out there from time to time,

which never made sense to run with the homes, but they worked periodically.

And with fields, you could probably have a little bit more of a field day, pardon the pun.

Well done with them, but that's the thing.

You know, I think that they, you know, the cheese and to me, I think what the best comparison I can say

with Justin Fields, like that would like to develop out of him is honestly to make him

probably closer to an Alex Smith, then trying to turn him into a Patrick Mahomes.

You got elements of the old Alex Smith playbook that's around that I think that Justin Fields

could run pretty effectively.

And especially things that are going to depend on him to use his legs.

Now, one thing that I think gives you the cheese that you need to get out of him that I've heard

from other stops around the league with fields as a criticism of him is that he's always

going to be just too quick to take off and run in passing situations.

And that's one of the things that Andy really is usually pretty good at about getting

quarterbacks out of an OTA's in training camp, because he doesn't want, he does not

like wasting downs in training camp and practices, OTA practices with quarterbacks scrambling.

So that's one thing that Justin Fields is going to get beat out of him pretty quickly is that

every rep is a passing rep in practice.

So it's going to be throw the ball every time.

And if he gets in that habit, then maybe he's not going to be taking off and running for

as many undesign, you know, not, not typically designed runs.

And if that can keep him in the pocket a little bit more, I think that could be a good thing.

I agree.

And I want to relate this to one more thing when we get back from this.

But we also have to take a look new cornerback and a new need in this division.

That's coming up next.

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Cornerback is the other end of the connection defending what Justin feels will do.

But just real quickly before we move to that.

I like the concept as well.

And this is what I had theorized about Richardson.

Obviously a different situation in a different figure to ring into locker room.

But both have been characterizes a bit of a malcontent that kind of thing.

I also feel like any recon can work on that and is good at sorting that out.

But here's the thing that you mentioned about the willingness to run.

It also allows them to put pressure on defenses when Patrick cannot play because they

prepared so much for my homes.

The stylistic differences is still functional, but that dual thread in particular

changes the way defenses have to play them.

And if they haven't prepared that way, I think that gives them like a week.

Advantage when they do have to start the backup.

Yeah, it could absolutely.

And, you know, and one of the things is it would give them an advantage, especially if there's

a period of time early in the season when they have to go with fields instead of

assuming fields makes the team and wins the backup job, which done a hundred percent.

But when you give them a draft pick, it's over 90% for sure.

But if he's the guy that early in the season, you're not going to really have any

film by and large to be able to go off of and know what this chief's offense, what fields

would look like.

I mean, like I said, if I'm defensive coordinators early in the season, I'm probably going

back to some Alex Smith film and looking at that as a way to defend this chief's offense

because it's not going to be the same thing that my homes does.

You know, you're going to, you're going to do some different things.

And sure, we'll, we'll see.

I mean, maybe the, the chiefs, maybe Andy Reed's going to be convinced that the RPOs

have, have run their use and that they're so overused now that they're not effective.

He's going to scale him back significantly, but you're right.

I mean, schematically, I think they're going to use Justin Fields in some different ways.

And that could surprise some teams early on if they had to play him for a few games.

Well, that surprise is exactly what I think is most important here across the division,

the division's competitive.

It always is.

And I do think those guys out in Denver continue to make decisions specifically

around the chiefs that they will face.

That is also coming true today that will tie in here a second,

but the chiefs have a new cornerback that I think is likely get targeted

by what the Broncos just did in go who coming on to the roster.

I got coming off a complete ACL missed all of last season,

but brings what I saw in film is kind of a spicy, nasty kind of streak

that fits in with the SPAG system, but it's all dependent on this recovery

that I haven't heard anything been able to find anything about.

It's, it reads is a bit of a risk.

I'd like to know what you think of that risk and where you see him fitting in on this roster.

Yeah, Ryan, you mentioned the injury, which for me with that ACL,

it's the biggest X factor with co-hoo that you've got.

Last when you saw him in 2024, he was a really effective slot corner.

And somebody that I think you can get a lot of production out of.

And if that's the way that the chiefs use him as a rotational piece in the slot

without putting a whole lot of stress on him and that knee, that's the best way.

I mean, now you're always going to be concerned about a guy coming back off an ACL,

especially a corner.

We've seen it with the chiefs and some of their corners in the past two that first

year back, you're never as good as you're going to be in the second year back.

But again, you know, if it's a rotational piece, if it's a part time player,

and they're not asking them to play full snaps and move inside and out.

And he made it up and probably even sharing that slot, which from Ari Conner

and maybe a little Chris Roll and Wallace, it'll probably still be some rotation

in there for the chiefs.

But at least now give him another piece for matchups that if they've got a

week where they feel like that co-hoo's going to be a better matchup and maybe a

Connor, they'll have that option.

And that's assuming that he hits again.

This was a signing that's to me is very low risk, high ceiling.

If it doesn't work out, you can walk away.

There's no real penalty.

If it hits, then you've got a really nice, you know, slot corner that you can use

and it doesn't make up for Trent McDuffey and Jaylen Watson.

No, but it's at least a beginning.

And you can see at least what Brett Vitch is trying to do in rebuilding that

cornerback room.

Hey, I think you hit on a very important aspect of this as well.

And it ties in with last week's signing of Gilman as well is the role for

Chamari Connor.

Steve Spadnell has been pretty stubborn about leaving him in the nickel and

leaving him in the nickel.

Do you see that this is a bit more of an admission that that hasn't really

worked out as well as they wanted, certainly not as well as we've observed?

But Gilman gives them and in Jaten Hicks, maybe a duo that could start Chamari

fills in where needed.

I love him in more of a robber role like we used to see Tyron Matthew play.

Could that be on the table here?

Yeah, it's an interesting question, Ryan, because I mean,

Steve Spadnell still feels like that Chamari Connor can do everything.

And the reality of it is is that I think he's okay in the slot.

He's not as good as I think that Spadnell was acknowledged or thinks that he is.

And I and it's just don't, I mean, as much as they like to think him as a

flexible defensive back that can play almost any position except outside corner,

he's really not much of a free safety either.

I mean, he's at his best in the box, maybe as a strong safety.

And that's the bigger part of the problem is that until the cheese brought in Gilman,

all they had were just a bunch of strong safeties.

So again, the addition of Gilman helps that a little bit, the addition of co who helps

that a little bit, but it's going to depend on spags, you know, and what he's got

and how comfortable he feels using it.

You know, co who it could go a lot of different ways.

If the injury is not fully recovered from that or if he's a little bit like Christian

Fulton, and if if he doesn't get involved a lot, if because of the ACL is limits him

in any ways and OTAs and puts him behind schedule, maybe he's going to be

somebody that takes a while before he rotates in a lot of things could happen

there. But again, you know, you see at least that Brett Vitch is trying to give

them some options about what that they can do and co who if healthy can do that

for them. But I still don't know how much it's going to affect Connor because

Dee Spagnolo is in love with Chamari Connor.

I mean, that is evident from the day they drafted him in the reaction and the

phone call that was put out. So we could see it. I think that was pretty evident.

So you're spot on there. And I think the other important thing to remember

and we should mark this down in history. I'm going to say history again so that

I can pull this out later. Matt mentioned it. If we don't see co who for quite a

while, we are on that injury path and that setback path that is much like

Christian Fulton who we right now is slated to be a starter a year after

joining the team. So keep that in mind, folks. And I'll tell you what else to

keep in mind. This doesn't mean jack for what they have to draft. We're going

to give you the lowdown of any changes in what still has to happen coming up

next.

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Indeed, I have a few things that I still need to get off my chest because I like

these moves that we've made right that we've been talking about whether it's

coming with co is certainly as an option but in particular who does not take away

the need for a slot corner in this graph. If one is available at a pick that

they like and they have the right grade on I see no reason to change that

for for me in particular. I think an early day three selection of

the answer will answer me Indiana makes sense. He's a smaller guy but he can play

outside. I am convinced of that and much like Trent McDuffie in the old

undersized category that doesn't scare me off and particularly at the nickel. I

think this is a position they need to look at. There's a number of them in this

draft and as you said co who be an option have another option that's a young

rookie that isn't Kevin Ols to like Kevin Ols outside and maybe you

disagreed with me but I think it's stacking options right now for Brett

Beach so that you don't get to the point where you have to go out for a

free agent during the season or anything like that. Yeah I think you're right

and yeah I'm with you I mean I think the cheesers are also with you too and

you know talking about Kevin Ols is more of an outside option and I mean and

that's assuming that they're okay with Kevin Ols being maybe the the third or

fourth corner I mean they may want an upgrade there which is why I'm not I'm

not completely ruling out I mean I don't think it's going to be this case

because the chiefs aren't quite where they were in 2022 when they drafted five

defensive backs so I don't think they're gonna do a fab five part duh but they

could still draft two or three you know defensive backs and it wouldn't

surprise me because you know I think they could still use somebody who could

who could move inside if needed because co who is a bit of a lottery ticket if

he pays off great but you don't know that he's going to pay off they need

depth outside and honestly they need some big depth outside they could use

somebody who's six one six two can play physical the way that Dave Merritt and

Steve Spagnolo like their corners to play so they could use upgrades it almost

every spot and honestly they they could use a pack up at free safety too because

they've been playing without one of those for a while as well so you know there's

a lot of needs that they still have in that secondary and I think they could

address any any one of them I mean they do have eight picks now still not

convinced that they're gonna have eight picks they could have nine again they

could go back to seven I mean Brad Beach as we've seen I mean he's he's a

trader for a reason and he's gonna continue moving around that board I think

he'll do it during draft weekend too I think that's super important and I

embrace that philosophy Brett just in case you needed affirmation or something

and it also becomes clear to me that you can't have enough because I do feel

like particularly the Denver Broncos but a lot of what goes on in this division

does seem to be about countering the chiefs and what they have and what they

have available nothing goes farther than that than the need for for nickel

corner in particular but corner in general after the trade that the Broncos

pulled off the sending multiple picks to Miami for Jalen Waddle who is now

going to be in this division is going to play a number of games here to

against the chiefs I think this particular spotlight on the corner is about

that matchup if much of anything else I won't say that the chiefs have to go

adjust their offseason plan for it but I think it just highlights the fact that

if a team in this division spotlights an upgrade in particular that's at a

give it against a given position that tells me that they've identified that the

chiefs are a little bit lacking in that area do you agree or do you think I'm

reading this wrong I don't I don't disagree I mean I do think that hey you know

let's face it Sean Payton's an offense he first coach and right now he's got a

defensive first team I mean he's still trying to rebuild that offense and my

question is that I don't know if Jalen Waddle is going to be the answer to

their problems on offense and their concerns because I still think that the

problem is that I think you may have already tapped out the best of what

Bonyx has and I maybe have still a very low you know high floor with Bonyx but

I think it's going to be a very very low ceiling I still don't think that's the

guy that's going to take you to the promised land and so if you've got a guy

who's a game manager quarterback and you got a bunch of weapons if he's not

Patrick Moms I mean what are the weapons going to do if the quarterback can't

consistently get you the ball where you need it to be and on time on schedule and

all those things and those are the things that I still see Bonyx struggling

with and I thought he took a little bit of a step backwards in year two from

year one so I don't think you definitely saw the growth in him I mean he looked

pretty much like the same quarterback and and he's getting to be kind of up

there too I mean he's an old or quarterback coming out so I look at that I

also see what they came up for Waddle and I got a lot of questions about that

because I mean I also saw a Waddle who's been kind of dinged up the last

couple of years hasn't been the same and I get they've had a lot of issues with

two and injuries and all of that but you know until the injury it didn't really

affect Tyrick that much but it affected Waddle a lot more so I don't know what

Jalen Waddle is I thought that was a lot to give up for Waddle I mean I was

somebody who covers a chief so it was like okay that's that's great that you're

willing to do that's because that means the chiefs aren't doing it that I think

that's good for chiefs fans but we're gonna see because you're right I mean

they at least the Broncos in an effort to try and stay ahead of the

chiefs like you guys you have to say that they moved ahead of them last year in

order to stay atop the FC West they want to be able to score points and yeah I

think they do see a little bit of an opening there with the chiefs now having

a questionable secondary and they're maybe they feel like there's an

opportunity that they can challenge them a little bit more there I think it's

interesting that I think the chiefs this year and we'll see when it comes to

the draft I think the chiefs are focusing this year on getting after the

quarterback as a as a key to improving their secondary because I still think

that they're gonna focus heavily on the defensive line in the draft and they're

gonna try and get the quarterback on the ground I completely agree to you and

and that is the last knee that is completely unchanged for me no matter what

the signing I still think you need a pastress D.T. at the very least if not a

couple I still think you another need another comparable edge as much as I

like Ash and Jaladi in this game I'd hoped for more as a rookie season and they

need to see significant growth if he's gonna be a true book and to a guy in

George Carloftus that has to have a leader on the other side George Carloftus

is a secondary pastresser I think we we evolved into that so for me number one

thing is still primary pastress on the outside from the edge do you see a

difference I really don't at this point you know and I thought that the

chiefs were gonna go into next this season like you know I've told you before

with probably four or five new defensive linemen and you know they've added a

couple already so I don't think they're done I mean I still think that they're

gonna add two or three more defensive linemen to this group that once again

that could be predominantly through the draft could still be a free agent they're

gonna still some put some faces and that's an addition to Omar Norman Lot and

Ashton Jaladi and again you know you don't really know what you're gonna get

from Omar Norman Lot coming off the ACL in the first year back I mean that's

gonna be a question mark so yeah I I'm with you I mean they're definitely gonna

be you know still some additions I still I still think that they're their

number one dream it's not their plan it's their dream is for Rupin Bayne to fall

down to the midnight and if that's the case then I don't think that Brett

Vich is gonna be able to get that card in fast enough but we know a lot can

happen between now and the draft yes absolutely I'm gonna have some of my

defensive edge Russia rankings for you guys in the coming days I'm also gonna

run down what those scenarios are because it is shifting a little bit Matt I think

you'll be happy about that we'll visit with you next week about what that

looks like on the flip side but thanks for today and all of your insights as

always I appreciate you Ryan take care of my friend folks you have a great

one go check out Chiefs Digest and Chiefs Digest on YouTube as well as 41 is

the my go to NFL 33.com right now for some of my free agent grades my GM grades

and then you can get the athletic matrix right now at rogue a PC.com the draft

guy is coming I'm not gonna say it out loud but I'm not behind schedule like I

usually am so we're we're feeling pretty good over at a PC so thank you guys for

your time make sure that you get over to locked on she's dot supercars dot

com to join the everydayer club have a great one and I'll talk to you

tomorrow