Kansas City Chiefs: Four dark horse roster candidates for 2019

There are a lot of under the radar players on the Kansas City Chiefs roster. Who are some dark horses to make the 53-man roster?

Roster construction in the NFL is one of the most intriguing things about the league. It has a strict salary cap that needs to be distributed over 53 players for the final roster. Often times, it isn’t about having the most top notch players. It is about finding a balance between top talent and solid contributors on the cheap.

For example, if an undrafted free agent starts playing near the level of a fourth round pick, he starts to catch the coaches’ eye. That undrafted player costs less than the fourth rounder, so even if the fourth rounder is performing slightly better, he is in danger of losing his job. That is the harsh reality of the NFL, and why often good players are cut for relative unknowns.

This is only one aspect of roster construction, but this gives the opportunity for late round and undrafted players to carve a spot out for themselves on final rosters. NFL greats like Kurt Warner and Antonio Gates didn’t hear their names called on draft night.

The Kansas City Chiefs themselves have had success with undrafted players on their roster, with notable former players Priest Holmes, Emmitt Thomas and Brian Waters being undrafted players.

Dark horse candidates don’t have to be undrafted players, but this list features all but one player who went undrafted and is currently on the Chiefs roster. This wasn’t done on purpose, but after looking at the roster in its current state and the players the Chiefs have, three undrafted players stood out as true darkhorse candidates.

These players aren’t just players who could make the team, but players that could carve out important rolls for themselves as Kansas City chases its second Lombardi Trophy.