(04-01-2022, 01:09 AM)Bullseye Wrote:

(03-30-2022, 08:31 PM)Upper Wrote: I have looked at 4 or 5 big boards today, I haven't seen a single TE in anyone's top 60. McBride or any other TE at 33 would be disastrous.

Taking that at face value for the moment, if TE is to be a target area in this draft, not taking a TE at 33 does not necessarily mean waiting until 65 or 70 to take a TE.  Assuming there is a consensus top two TEs among NFL teams, and assuming the Jaguars are targeting one of those two, it may be advisable to trade up into the bottom of the 2nd round to land one of them.

This is my own baseless speculation here, but I think the Chiefs are employing a deliberate strategy in reducing costs in the future and replenishing the offense and, as counterintuitive as it sounds, helping to continue Patrick Mahomes' growth.

Mahomes has been a wildly successful QB in his relatively short career.  Naturally his stellar play earned him a brand new and hefty contract (IIRC, it's a $500 million over 10 years when signeed).  As you might expect, it will have a major impact on the roster as time goes on, and the trade of Tyreek Hill is a symptom of that.  Additionally, TE Travis Kelce will be 32 this year.  The Chiefs will need to start looking for his replacement really soon, not only to cut costs, but to get younger at the position.

But I also think there is a tertiary component to this strategy.  Finding a WR with Tyreek Hill's skillset isn't very easy at all.  Whenever Mahomes needed a big play offensively, he would use his amazing arm to hit the amazing Hill on a deep pass. But if you look at the bulk of KC's losses the past, whether it was early in the year when teams started playing deeper and forcing things downfield, or late in the year in the losses to Tampa in the Super bowl and to Cincinnati in the AFC Championship game, Mahomes had problems playing hero ball.  Instead of hitting more high percentage passes, Mahomes would go for the big play, and against Cincy, the offense bogged down in the 2nd half of that game because of it.  As great as Mahomes has been, this penchant for pursuing the big play has gotten him in trouble, and as the team continues in the post Tyreek era, he will have to adjust his way pf thinking.  I think KC will add a TE to help facilitate this change in his game and reduce some of the pressure on him.

Kansas City taking a guy like McBride would go a long way into meeting all of the objectives listed above.  Assuming they keep Kelce in the next year or two, a guy like McBride would enable the team to groom Kelce's replacement and get younger at the position, and will enable the Chiefs to reduce salary and get younger down the road.  Adding McBride would make KC's offense more versatile and controlled.  Without the cheetah's blinding speed to bail him out, Mahomes will have to function more in the short to intermediate areas.  Additionally at least in the shorter term, Adding McBride to Kelce in 2 TE sets will give the Chiefs more offensive balance.  There were times where the Chiefs couldn't pound the ball when needed (rare though those instances may have been).  McBride and Kelce in 12 personnel would enable them to do that.  Now that the Chiefs have two first round picks and two second round picks, I could easily see the Chiefs address WR and CB in the first round and TE and another need in the 2nd round.

Based on these factors, it may be advisable to move up ahead of KC's pick at 62 if McBride is a target of ours.  Doing so if the price to move up (or back from 33) is right and would not be a disaster.