It’s been a few weeks since the Chiefs sent Hill to the Dolphins for an abundance of draft picks. How will the Chiefs adjust to losing their best deep threat and what adjustments can they make?
The Chiefs lost their No. 1 wideout weeks ago in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs were already moving on wide receivers before the trade, signing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a deal a week before the Hill trade and then going and getting Marquez Valdez-Scantling after the trade. Valdez-Scantling will be a deep threat that should flourish with Mahomes this upcoming season, it really helps to not be in the shadow of Davonte Adams. JuJu will now be able to play with a younger QB and someone who is entering their prime, JuJu has always shown toughness and he has great hands, two things the Chiefs need. Although his best season was at the leisure of having Antonio Brown, with Kelce still demanding a lot of attention from opposing DBs and having a deep threat in Valdes-Scantling, JuJu should be able to put up the numbers he did in his second season in Pittsburgh.
Lastly, you can’t forget Mecole Hardman, even though he may be looked like more of a gimmick guy, Hardman should be able to break out this season. He was not a primary target since his first year due to the presence of Hill and Kelce, but now he will have a chance to show what he brings to the table in his contract year. Hardman is motivated and you can tell with some of his tweets, that he is tired of living in the shadow and ready to show the league he’s more than just the Tyreek Hill replacement.
Will the Chiefs be able to adjust quickly this off-season? I think they will be based on the weapons we added and of course, having the best QB in the league. Will there be chemistry issues to start off the season? There will be some timing issues for sure, but that is why these guys are starting their workouts now and have been working with each other in Tyler, TX to get ahead of schedule before OTA’s and mandatory mini camps get started post-draft. I think this will be one of the most explosive offenses this season and they will exceed expectations that many thought they would not without the Cheetah.
