Kansas City Chiefs: No big changes to the defense

The Kansas City Chiefs went into their BYE week with some serious questions on defense. However, the team chose to not make any big changes to the roster.

If there is one major criticism of the Kansas City Chiefs that fans agree on, it’s that the defense has not been good this year. It has been enough that even the team leadership has acknowledged the struggles at times. However, despite everyone seeming to be in agreement on the matter, the KC front office did not make any significant personnel changes over the BYE week.

Many teams utilize the BYE week to make roster moves, having the extra week to work the new players into the mix. It’s a fairly common tactic for addressing weaknesses or struggles. However, the Chiefs chose to stick with the roster that has gotten them this far.

The Chiefs decision to stand pat shouldn’t be too much of a surprise though. The team leadership also decided against making any additions through a very active trade market this year. That was a clear sign that Kansas City was comfortable with the roster as it stood.

Forget yardage for #Chiefs defense. Real problems are 3rd down (22nd) and red zone (26th). Those are the killers.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) November 6, 2017

New Players Unlikely To Make Impact

The Kansas City Chiefs did make three additions to the roster over the past couple of weeks. The most significant of those will be defensive lineman Cam Thomas, signed after Roy Miller was cut after his domestic violence arrest. Thomas is the only new addition currently on the active roster.

There is a chance that KC’s new cornerback Will Redmond will be the player with the biggest impact. The former third-round pick, was signed to the practice squad last week. It’s unlikely that Redmond will get called up to the active roster before this week’s game. However, if he picks up the playbook quickly, he could get called up soon.

As far as making a significant splash, that is the move Chiefs fans need to hope for. Will Redmond was a quality prospect coming out of Mississippi State. He has a lot of natural talent and ability. If he can turn that potential into productivity, it would be huge for KC.

However, that is not something anyone should be banking on at this point.

Scheme Will Match Personnel

Without a major change in personnel, it’s unlikely that the Kansas City Chiefs will make major schematic changes. Bob Sutton designed his defense to work with the personnel that the Chiefs started the season with. There may be some small tweaks to the game plan, but don’t expect big sweeping conceptual changes.