Kansas City Chiefs: Veterans in danger of losing roster spot
By John McCarty
BREELAND SPEAKS
The second year defensive lineman has been a disappointment since arriving last year. Where and how does he fit with defense going forward?
There might not be a player more disappointing in on field performance than Breeland Speaks. And to be fair, it’s not all his fault. The Chiefs drafted him and asked him to do things he simply had no business trying to do. A defensive tackle in college, the Chiefs thought Speaks could be an outside linebacker. It was bizarre to say the least and didn’t work.
That being said, Speaks has not, at all most any point, appeared to look as if he belonged at this level.
The offseason after the Chiefs traded up to select the Ole Miss lineman, the Chiefs traded for Frank Clark and Emmanuel Ogbah and signed Alex Okafor in free agency. The organization itself does’t appear to truly value or think highly of Speaks.
Speaks, again, still appears to look out of position at defensive end. Fellow defensive lineman (and also) second round pick Tanoh Kpassagnon has, at least initially, appeared to taken to defensive end in the new scheme far better than Speaks.
Kpassagnon looked better than Speaks last preseason and it’s happening again. Are the Chiefs brave enough to admit a mistake this early on a draft pick?
Speaks’ presence, or lack thereof, on the 2019 roster may simply come down to the fact he was Brett Veach’s first pick as General Manager. Veach has shown a willingness to make bold and difficult decisions, and moving on from Breeland Speaks at this point would fit.