Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) and linebackers Sage Harold (47) and Josh Martin (95) participate in a drill during an NFL football organized team activity Thursday, June 11, 2015, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs concluded the offseason workout program and now take the next month off before showing up for training camp in St. Joseph, Mo.
Rookies and select players report on July 28, veterans report on July 31, and then the Chiefs hold the first full practice on Aug. 1.
The Chiefs are at the maximum allowed of 90 players on the offseason roster, with 45 players on offense, 41 on defense and four specialists.
But the roster can change in the weeks before training camp.
The Chiefs currently have $538,565 in available cap room, per the NFLP Salary Cap Report. That figure represents the least amount in the league.
In the meantime, below is how the offense (rookies are italicized) shapes out by position ahead of training camp, barring future transactions.
The defense and specialists are covered here.
OFFENSE
| Quarterback (4) | Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray, Tyler Bray |
Smith is the clear starter, and Daniel looked better than Murray, who enters his second season, during organized team activities and minicamp.
Smith, in particular, experiences a career-first in 2015 with the same head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in three consecutive seasons.
Bray, who is still recovering from a January ACL surgery, was present for minicamp, but did not practice.
“We brought him back just to evaluate him and to give him a physical,” coach Andy Reid said of Bray on the final day of minicamp.
Bray, who attended team meetings during minicamp, is a potential candidate to start training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
| Running back (6) | Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, De’Anthony Thomas, Cyrus Gray, Charcandrick West, Keshawn Hill |
The Chiefs continued to list Thomas as a running back/wide receiver on the final minicamp roster.
But that designation could be subject to change in training camp when considering Thomas spent a majority of the offseason working with the wide receivers during individual position drills.
With Gray still recovering from last season’s ACL surgery, West took the role as No. 3 running back throughout OTAs and minicamp.
Gray is a potential candidate to start training camp on the PUP list.
| Fullback (2) | Anthony Sherman, Spencer Ware |
Sherman is the clear starter here.
Ware, who signed a reserve/future deal in January, looked good during OTAs and minicamp, albeit in shorts and helmet.
| Wide receiver (12) | Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Albert Wilson, Junior Hemingway, Frankie Hammond Jr., Armon Binns, Fred Williams, Chris Conley, Da’Ron Brown, Donatella Luckett, Kenny Cook, Jeret Smith |
Maclin, Avant, Wilson and Conley, who has received mentorship from Maclin and Avant, are virtual locks for the final roster, meaning an all-out competition for the remaining wide receiver spots.
And that doesn’t take consideration how the Chiefs ultimately list De’Anthony Thomas.
The lone personnel change to the position group occurred when the Chiefs waived Da’Rick Rogers during minicamp, and then signed Jeret Smith, who attended minicamp on a tryout basis.
The 5-10, 211-pound Smith also attended May’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
| Tight end (6) | Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris, Richard Gordon, Adam Schiltz, Ryan Taylor, James O’Shaughnessy |
Kelce is the clear No. 1, and O’Shaughnessy enjoyed a solid showing in OTAs and minicamp.
O’Shaughnessy took full advantage of Harris’ absence to work with the first-team offense alongside Kelce in two-tight end sets during team-related drills.
Harris, who underwent foot surgery in early May, was not present on the practice field during OTAs and minicamp. He is a potential candidate to start training camp on the PUP list.
| Offensive Tackle (4) | Eric Fisher, Donald Stephenson, Derek Sherrod, Tavon Rooks |
Fisher, who incorporated boxing into his offseason workouts, is a virtual lock at left tackle. The third-year pro also stayed healthy and had the benefit of a full offseason workout, unlike in 2014 when he was recovering from a shoulder surgery.
Stephenson, who started seven games in 2013 (four at left tackle, three at right tackle), should be viewed as the favorite at right tackle heading into training camp.
The Chiefs signed Rooks before the start of minicamp, and then cut tackle Kelvin Palmer the next day to make room on the roster.
The Chiefs need to identify a swing tackle in training camp and have plenty of versatile offensive linemen to choose from, including Stephenson, Jeff Allen, whose natural position is tackle, or Sherrod, who worked at right and left tackle during OTAs and minicamp.
| Guard (7) | Ben Grubbs, Jeff Allen, Paul Fanaika, Zach Fulton, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Jarrod Pughsley, Marcus Reed |
Grubbs, a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2011, 2013), projects as the starting left guard.
While the Chiefs rotated personnel on the offensive line throughout OTAs and minicamp, Allen opened OTAs at right guard with the first-team offense, and then lined up at that spot on the final day of minicamp.
The Chiefs are set for a battle at right guard, but Allen gives the team experience when considering he enters a third year in the scheme.
Fulton, who started all 16 games in 2014 as a rookie, offers versatility to play center if needed, while Duvernay-Tardif took first-team repetitions at right guard on Day Eight of OTAs.
The Chiefs claimed Reed, who measures 6-3, 345-pounds, off waivers from the Green Bay Packers on the first day of minicamp.
| Center (4) | Eric Kush, Mitch Morse, Garrett Frye, Daniel Munyer |
Kush, who enters his third season, appears to have the early lead after being a mainstay at center with the first-team unit throughout OTAs and minicamp despite the offensive line shuffle.
Morse offers versatility to play center and guard. The rookie out of Missouri received first-team repetitions at right guard on the first day of minicamp.
The Chiefs began minicamp with five centers, but waived Melvin Meggs, who also played guard, after the final practice.
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Herbie Teope is the lead beat writer and reporter for ChiefsDigest.com. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @HerbieTeope.
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