The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Cardinals in Arizona this Saturday. Some new faces to the team can improve their stock heading into the season.
The Chiefs still have some questions as to who is going to fill vital roles on their roster. This game could make or break players chances to become a rotational piece or be pure backup for the 2023 NFL season.
Chiefs rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice should get a significant amount of playing time in the second preseason game. His work last week against the Saints showed his explosiveness, vision and overall talent on an NFL field.
His most memorable play last week was a bubble screen that he caught. He then maneuvered through traffic nearly getting a first down when there was not a lot of yards to be gained. If he sows off the same level of explosiveness in Arizona he will prove himself to the Chiefs as well as the fans that he deserves a role in the offense despite the fact he is a rookie.
One of the most underrated parts of the Chiefs defensive moves coming out of the offseason was the signing of linebacker Frue Tranquill or that may be the case if Tranquill performs up to the level he showed against the Saints.
While the entire linebacker core played tremendously last Sunday Tranquill was the best among them. He flew around the field cleaning up any open field runners. Before the preseason Tranwuill was slated to be the fourth linebacker on the roster coming in after Nick Bolton, Willie Gay and Leo Chenal. If Tranquill plays at this level moving forward he will jump Chenal and become a starter on the roster.
Danny Shelton is the last player to watch. The Chiefs currently lack depth on the defensive line. Tershawn Waton is still battling injury and Chris Jones still has not reported to the team. Shelton has been on the team for a year now but last season he was stashed away on the practice squad. He is going to be an important part of the defensive line and the Chiefs need to get production from different players this year. If he is able to become a dependable player on the team that will take the stress off the young and unproven players along the line.
All three of these players showed they have talent last week. If they continue to show fans will find themselves wanting to buy a new jersey.
