KC Chiefs Bring Back Three Key Role Players

The KC Chiefs re-signed reserve wide receiver Jason Avant, special-team safety Kelcie McCray, and tight-end Richard Gordon to contracts on Friday. The moves were reported by the team’s official website at KCChiefs.com.

After addressing starting holes earlier in the week, general mamager John Dorsey retains a good part of his bench. While none of these players are big-name stars, or even starters, all three fill useful roles.

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The soon-to-be 32-year-old Jason Avant joined the Kansas City Chiefs after the eight-year veteran questioned play calls with the Carolina Panthers last season. The Panthers cut Avant in mid-November and he signed with, and suited up for, the KC Chiefs in week 12 of the 2014 season.

Avant turned out to be a solid pick-up for the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing the season with 13 catches for 152 yards in 5 games on the roster. Jason Avant was a ready-made fit after spending eight-years in Philadelphia (seven playing in the same West Coast system Reid imported to Kansas City).

Avant was brought back to the roster due to his influence on Kansas City’s young receivers. Last fall, KC Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Peterson told KCChiefs.com about Avant:

"“He knows it. He gets it. He understands his role and that’s key. I think the other thing is the young players on our team see [Avant] and how he works and his work habits and they’re asking questions of him.“He’s going to make those younger guys better as well.”"

Avant is an experienced veteran who brings a lot of intangibles to the KC Chiefs wide receiver position. He could even win the no. 2 role as a guy who does all of the little things.

Avant, along with recent signee Jeremy Maclin, will give Alex Smith two receivers who know exactly where they should be on every play in Reid’s offense.

JASON AVANT’S CAREER STATISTICS

	Games	Receiving
Year	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Fmb
2006	23	PHI	wr	8	3	7	68	9.7	1	18	0.9	8.5	1
2007	24	PHI	wr	15	5	23	267	11.6	2	31	1.5	17.8	0
2008	25	PHI	wr	15	6	32	377	11.8	2	31	2.1	25.1	0
2009	26	PHI	WR	16	9	41	587	14.3	3	58	2.6	36.7	1
2010	27	PHI	wr	16	3	51	573	11.2	1	34	3.2	35.8	0
2011	28	PHI	wr	16	7	52	679	13.1	1	35	3.3	42.4	2
2012	29	PHI	wr	14	6	53	648	12.2	0	39	3.8	46.3	1
2013	30	PHI	WR	16	13	38	447	11.8	2	31	2.4	27.9	1
2014	31	2TM		16	0	34	353	10.4	1	41	2.1	22.1	0
		CAR		11	0	21	201	9.6	1	22	1.9	18.3	0
		KAN		5	0	13	152	11.7	0	41	2.6	30.4	0
Career				132	52	331	3999	12.1	13	58	2.5	30.3	6
8 yrs		PHI		116	52	297	3646	12.3	12	58	2.6	31.4	6
1 yr		CAR		11	0	21	201	9.6	1	22	1.9	18.3	0
1 yr		KAN		5	0	13	152	11.7	0	41	2.6	30.4	0

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/13/2015.

The KC Chiefs also brought back safety Kelcie McCray and tight-end Richard Gordon.

Four-year NFL veteran Richard Gordon has played for the Kansas City Chiefs for parts of the last two seasons. The 27-year-old, 6’3″ 262 lb. tight end is mostly a special teams guy, who has made one start on offense in his Kansas City Chiefs career.

Gordon typically takes the field on offense when Reid goes to his jumbo package with three tight-ends in run formation.

Gordon was a 6th round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders out of Miami in 2011, and has also played for Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Tennessee besides the KC Chiefs.

Meanwhile, the 6’1″ 202 lb. Kelcie McCray is a special teams ace. McCray made Pro Football Focus’ All-Pro special team squad as the best “vice” in the NFL: one of the players whose job it is to slow down gunners on punt returns.

Kelcie McCray joined the KC Chiefs last season after making the Miami Dolphins’ roster as a rookie free-agent from Arkansas State in 2012. McCray has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before settling in with Kansas City last season.

While many casual fans are not familiar with any of these three players. All of them are playmakers in their own right.

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