Kansas City’s defensive backfield is a total puzzle Steve Spagnuolo is still trying to solve, and the season opener against the Broncos is less than three weeks away. It’s not just the fans scratching their heads, either. Spags himself just got his first real look at rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, the sixth-overall pick, during the Week 2 preseason game against the Buccaneers, and while there was a moment, the overall picture is still murky.
Delane Flashes While Defensive Backfield Juggles Its Pieces
Spagnuolo actually singled out a play from Delane, noting “the one quick trigger on the rocket screen, which was nice.” That’s high praise for a rookie getting his feet wet, even if he was starting seven yards off the line of scrimmage. But Man, one play isn’t a whole secondary, is it? While Spags acknowledged Nohl Williams and Mansoor have “done a good job out there, along with the other guys,” the real story is who isn’t out there. They have one more preseason game to evaluate, and Spags admitted they’re “kind of moving some pieces around” to figure out what they have.
The LJ Sneed Problem Is Still Haunting Kansas City
The biggest piece of the puzzle, or the biggest missing piece, might be veteran cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. His knee issue has kept him with “in-and-out availability” all preseason, and Spagnuolo flat out said, “We still haven’t had LJ out there very much.” That’s not the only problem. Both starting safeties are sidelined, with Alohi Gilman battling low-back spasms and Chamarri Conner simply “not out there right now.” That’s a huge void for a defensive coordinator to fill, especially with the regular season looming. On the bright side, Christian Roland-Wallace, a third-year defensive back, has stepped up, playing the starting “slot” position and showing serious versatility. Spags called him a “real, reliable player” who can play “a lot of spots,” which is super valuable. But versatility only goes so far when you’re missing your key veterans. Spagnuolo made it clear, “We have to get LJ back; we have to get everyone back to figure out where everyone is going to slot in.” It sounds like a desperate plea, doesn’t it?
The Chiefs have one more game to sort out this mess. Spagnuolo is counting on getting his full squad back next week to get some continuity. Sneed, by the way, spent the last two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he had a “unique practice schedule” to manage a knee issue. Speaking of the Titans, our Seattle Seahawks just played them, losing 19-16. Let’s hope the Chiefs figure out their secondary before they’re staring down the barrel of a real season, unlike that outcome.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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