After a back-and-forth of bad to good games, will Darwin Thompson make the final roster?
Hello again everyone and welcome to another week of the ArrowChop! This is the column where we look at the positives/negatives of a certain Chiefs/NFL issue and look at both sides of the aisle. Then you, the readers, will come to your conclusions after I lay out the case. So sit back, relax, and enjoy as we break down this week’s hot topic.
Cuts and players being placed on the practice squad are looming closer and closer as time moves along. The roster has to be cut down from 80 to 53 after Week Three of the Preseason, which will leave 27 talented individuals in their own right with a roster spot. Some will be moved to the practice squad, others won’t. The question on making the roster is looked upon by one running back that has been on the roster for the past two years; that is none other than Darwin Thompson.
With the deep depth the Chiefs have at RB, not all of them are going to make the roster. Thompson had a lackluster game against the 49ers but picked it up against the Cardinals after an eight carry, 49 yards rushing game, with two catches for seven yards.
With how Thompson’s performances have been going, will he make the final 53-man roster once cuts come to a close? Let’s break down both sides of the aisle to find out:
Thompson Will Make The Final Roster
This side believes so as such:
Firstly, while Thompson had a shaky first preseason game, he bounced back in a big way. As said before, he had eight carries for 49 yards along with two solid grabs for seven yards. He had a great showing, which bumped him up to third on the Chiefs for all-purpose yards with 109 yards:
He has the skills necessary to make the roster; he has a solid burst to the second level, he has good elusiveness, and he can run the ball hard. If he continues to consistently climb, he could make the roster yet again as the fourth RB.
Finally, Reid usually runs four RBs on the final roster, and if he continues momentum, he could retain his spot on the roster. Gore did well last week but also had a down game as well against the 49ers with one carry for four yards. If Thompson continues to improve his skills in the passing game, then he could keep the spot over Gore as he hasn’t truly shown anything except for one catch for two yards against the 49ers.
Thompson Won’t Make The Final Roster
This side believes so as such:
Firstly, two Chiefs RBs are trending up to secure Thompson’s RB4 spot. This first comes with Derrick Gore, who led the Chiefs in rushing last week on eight carries for 54 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per run. He wasn’t used at all in the passing game last week, garnering no targets, but he showed a good change of direction along with doing a solid job recognizing the blocks. He also showed a solid burst to the second level, which is always good to see in an RB. He’s at the fifth RB spot now, so if he has another game like this, he may overtake Thompson once final roster cuts come around.
The second one is Elijah McGuire, who didn’t play last week due to an apparent ankle injury. While he is more of a long shot to make the roster, he showed strides in the receiving game during the preseason. McGuire had two catches versus the 49ers on two targets for 27 yards, with a 22-yard catch. In a pass-heavy offense, you always want a solid role-playing receiving back. Thompson has not shown this only catching three passes for a meager 13 yards; you’d expect more from someone in that offense, especially one fighting for a spot on the roster. McGuire is a long shot to make it, however, it could obviously happen.
Finally, he has been trending down in the passing game. In the last game of the 2020 regular season (when he started), he caught all seven passes thrown his way for 65 yards with a TD tacked onto it. Throughout the preseason, he has lacked in the passing game, only catching three passes for 13 yards. Pass-heavy offenses need solid receiving backs, as said earlier, but Thompson has digressed from that, and it has shown in-game. If he doesn’t improve, his chances to make the roster will slim down as cuts come around.
Do you think Darwin Thompson will make the final roster? Leave a comment down below to join the discussion, and be sure to follow me on Twitter @HunterStanton8 and @ArrowheadLive. Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic day.
