While it would be foolish to not have the Kansas City Chiefs penciled in as a playoff lock in the deep AFC, I wonder if they are getting back to the Super Bowl for the sixth time in seven seasons. I may like the Baltimore Ravens to come out of the AFC the most this year, but they are still largely unproven. I think for me it has more to do with roster attrition than anything when it comes to viewing the Chiefs.
One noteworthy point of discussion heading into their next preseason game on Friday happens to be who is playing for their opponent. That would be veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He may be entering his eighth NFL season out of South Florida, now a part of his fifth franchise with the Seattle Seahawks. While nothing will be guaranteed to him, I wonder if the Chiefs wish he was around.
Valdes-Scantling is in a tight positional battle with fifth-round rookie and former Colorado State star Tory Horton for the third starting wide receiver spot with Seattle behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and former Eastern Washington and Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp. So it should come as no surprise that Valdes-Scantling is expected to be playing in the Friday night affair tucked in Seattle.
Could he make Chiefs general manager Brett Veach regret moving on from him two offseasons ago?
Marquez Valdes-Scantling could make Chiefs regret moving on from him
Look, I am sure the Chiefs had their reasons for letting him go. They were at the top of the football world for the second consecutive season. While he may be better known for his four-year run out of USF with the Green Bay Packers to start his career, Valdes-Scantling was a reliable commodity in the Chiefs' receiving corps, at least from the start. He split last season between Buffalo and New Orleans.
Truth be told, Seattle is going to want to see what Horton is all about before giving any more of his meaningful reps to Valdes-Scantling. We all know what he is at this point. What I think is important to understand is the Chiefs could be vulnerable, not just in their receiving corps, but also out on the perimeter. With a roster spot up for grabs, I would hope Valdes-Scantling can take advantage of this.
Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I have the Chiefs winning upwards of 14 games this season. They still have a mental stranglehold on most teams in the AFC right now. That will propel them to a few more victories than their roster otherwise probably indicates they should be getting. That being said, there are more holes on this roster than just the state of its increasingly porous offensive line.
Whether or not Valdes-Scantling plays well on Friday night, he will be a point of discussion from it.