5 Chiefs on the Bubble After OTAs and Minicamp

5. Irv Smith Jr., TE

The Chiefs didn't waste time giving Mahomes another weapon once free agency opened, signing veteran tight end Irv Smith Jr. to a one-year contract. The 25-year-old pass-catcher spent the last four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals, hauling in 109 catches for 973 receiving yards with 10 TDs.

The expectation at the time of the signing was that Smith would occupy the TE3 role behind Travis Kelce and Noah Grey. Well, that plan didn't even last two months as the Chiefs decided to use the 131st pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on TCU's Jared Wiley. The rookie TE was one of the top prospects at his position in this year's class and oozed potential before his name was even called.

Unfortunately for Smith, Wiley appears to be exactly as advertised. The ex-Horned Frog's stock has been on the rise following strong OTA and minicamp showings, resulting in his receiving praise across the board. It ranges from Kelce saying that Wiley is better than he was as a rookie to head coach Andy Reid praising the rookie for having "a nice feel to the game."

After Wiley's impressive showing, it's hard to find where Smith fits into this equation. Kelce isn't going anywhere and Grey isn't getting waived after his solid 2023 campaign. With Wiley being too good to be stuck on the practice squad, Smith is the most likely cut candidate of the quartet.

The good news for the Chiefs is that they can free up $768,500 by cutting Smith or rid themselves entirely of his $1.1 million salary if they trade him. Either way, they have options to dump the veteran TE who clearly isn't needed at this point other than to be a warm training camp body.

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