KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs can still add a player or two of substance to their roster before the start of training camp in July. The chances are just as good that their roster as it stands now will the one they bring to training camp in July.
Did they get better? Did the Chiefs close the gap with the four-time defending AFC West champion Denver Broncos?
"I do think we’re better," general manager John Dorsey said. "As we go into (training camp) now, I think we have a team we can compete (with). We can compete in the AFC West.
"We’ve created depth and we’ve created competition at roster spots. Everybody is going to feel good in the National Football League, but you know what? I feel pretty good, too. I think these young guys that we brought in here from the draft as well as the unrestricted free agent guys, they’re going to add what we’ve already built off of. That’s what you get excited about."
Let’s take a look at the Chiefs’ depth chart, going two- or three-deep as appropriate, as it stands. We’ll start with the offense here and continue with the defense in a subsequent post.
Quarterback: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray. This is how the Chiefs went through last season, so there will be no changes unless Terrelle Pryor can force his way in. It’s tempting to say Smith will be better because of the addition of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. But it doesn’t always work out that way. Better or wose than 2014? Even.
Running back: Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, De'Anthony Thomas. The Chiefs kept their hand here as well. Charles went through the 2014 season with one nagging injury after another. They need him healthy, because Davis isn’t as complete of a player and Thomas is too small to be much more than a gimmick. Better or worse than 2014? Even.
Wide receiver 1: Maclin, Da'Rick Rogers. Maclin is a huge improvement at this point of their respective careers than Dwayne Bowe, their former No. 1 receiver. He had better be, because Maclin was the only major add to these positions. Better or worse than 2014? Better.
Wide receiver 2: Albert Wilson, Chris Conley. The Chiefs think a lot of Wilson, who came on toward the end of last season, when he was an undrafted rookie. He’s fast and is a better option than either of the two players he replaced last season -- Donnie Avery and A.J. Jenkins. Better or worse than 2014? Better.
Slot receiver: Jason Avant, De'Anthony Thomas, Junior Hemingway. Avant was a nice find for the Chiefs late last season, but he recently turned 32. The Chiefs need to figure out a way to make the speedy Thomas more effective. Better or worse than 2014? Even.
Tight end: Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris, James O'Shaughnessy. Now that he’s a starter and a full-time player, Kelce should be able to give the Chiefs even more than he did last season. The Chiefs might still miss the steady play of Anthony Fasano. Better or worse than 2014? Even.
Left tackle: Eric Fisher, Donald Stephenson. The Chiefs need Fisher to play more like the No. 1 overall pick that he was in 2013. Maybe an offseason free from injury concerns and rehab is helping. Better or worse than 2014? Even.
Left guard: Ben Grubbs, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Grubbs, acquired in a trade with New Orleans, is a former Pro Bowler and can make a big difference if he’s healthy. This spot was dismal for the Chiefs last season, mostly with Mike McGlynn. Better or worse than 2014? Better.
Center: Mitch Morse, Eric Kush. Whether it’s the rookie Morse or Kush winning the job, the Chiefs can’t expect to be as good here as they were last season with Rodney Hudson. Better or worse than 2014? Worse.
Right guard: Paul Fanaika, Zach Fulton. The Chiefs weren’t very good last season at this spot, where Fulton started as a rookie. But Fanaika might not be much of an improvement. Better or worse than 2014? Even.
Right tackle: Stephenson, Jeff Allen. This competition should be interesting, but that doesn’t mean either will play better than last year’s starter, Ryan Harris. Better or worse than 2014? Even.