AP Mailbag: What to expect from Jalen Royals and Brashard Smith

Welcome back to the Arrowhead Pride Mailbag! Each week, watch for your opportunity to submit your Kansas City Chiefs questions in The Feed, which is found on AP’s home page.

Ahead of Sunday’s matchup between the Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens — with both teams unexpectedly at 1-2 — let’s see what is on our readers’ minds.

jherman13 asks:

The rookie running back Brashard Smith looked like the only weapon out of the backfield. Why aren’t we seeing more touches for him?

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MKE_Bake asks:

What is the floor / ceiling on Jalen Royals Week 4 performance? I know he wasn’t on the radar in Week 3, but we would expect to at least see him targeted against the Ravens… right?

We’ll consider these two players together, since they are more likely to have an immediate impact on the offense than any hypothetical trade addition.

I actually like how the Chiefs have sprinkled Smith in over the first three weeks. We should also remember that he is a seventh-round selection who did not play running back until his final college season (and then after transferring). Concerns about the room should not dictate expectations for an individual rookie.

Presumably, Smith’s role will gradually grow. On Sunday, Kansas City did give him an opportunity on an aggressive pass that he didn’t reel in. Smith, however, did well on his two carries, so the Chiefs will likely build on that. Still, I don’t expect him to carve out a full-time role on offense this season, simply because of his contributions in the return game. Smith is Kansas City’s best candidate to score on the league’s new kickoff formation.

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In this game, Royals may actually have a lower floor than the zero snaps he played in last Sunday’s win over the New York Giants. With Xavier Worthy presumably returning, the Chiefs could have seven wide receivers available for the first time this season. So a wideout will likely be made inactive against Baltimore — and Royals or Jason Brownlee would be the obvious candidates.

Given Kansas City’s obvious need for yards after the catch, I suspect Royals will play and have some designed plays against the Ravens — though I’d caution against high expectations for a rookie coming off a month-long injury. Barring a fluke busted coverage or missed tackle, I think his ceiling would be something similar to Rashee Rice’s debut in 2023: 20 offensive snaps, with three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Otis Taylor asks:

Is there a running back out there who could raise the ceiling? How about a trade?

If you look at the current list of available free agent running backs, it’s not inspiring. I rarely overreact, but after the mental lapses we saw in New York, I am very concerned about Isiah Pacheco. But I’d bet on him rebounding before I’d put money on Kansas City signing one of the available free agents.

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The Chiefs should be tied to available running backs via trade, though recent injuries around the league may adversely affect the supply and demand at the position. It’s also early to speculate on individual players, since the trade deadline is not until November 4. Every team is still hoping for a postseason berth.

I do expect Kansas City to continue evaluating Smith before considering external additions. I would also like to see what Elijah Mitchell can do — but after being a healthy scratch in each game, there’s no sign he is in the team’s current plans.

@Jake_for_now asks (via X):

A growing number of Chiefs fans are calling for Jawaan Taylor to be replaced at right tackle by Jaylon Moore. Does Reid’s reluctance to make the change signal that the Chiefs are prioritizing Moore’s availability to be a backup at left tackle and left guard?

What do you do when a player is so penalized that NBC made sure to have a graphic on hand illustrating his misalignment?

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Amidst several questions about Taylor and Moore, I think Jake has nailed it. Right now, Kansas City is prioritizing Moore’s value as a versatile substitute more than the possibility of fewer penalties at right tackle.

Two weeks ago, I theorized that the team didn’t want to commit prematurely to Kingsley Suamataia at left guard because his 2024 tenure at left tackle ended before two full games had been played. But now, I wonder if the reasoning is that Moore is the main backup to rookie left tackle Josh Simmons.

Although Simmons has been everything the Chiefs could have wanted from a rookie coming off a major injury, the team appears to be concerned about his ability to withstand the typical 100% snap count figure for offensive linemen. Head coach Andy Reid said Simmons missed a series against the Philadelphia Eagles because he was dehydrated — and last week, he was limited with an illness as the practice week began. Finally, Moore took the last six snaps at left tackle on Sunday — which included not only the three kneel-downs to end the game, but also the penultimate series where Kansas City failed to ice the game with a first down.

But I do predict that by the Week 10 bye, Moore will have a chance to replace Taylor. Right now, though, the Chiefs seem to think he’ll be needed elsewhere. Once Simmons is stacking full workloads in practice (and on game days), that could change.

MattPlace asks:

Could Tyquan Thornton be the best WR3 the Chiefs have had since… forever? Should he be signed to an extension?

Thornton has certainly been a high point of Kansas City’s offense. His postgame comments on Sunday further revealed how he’s worked to the most of his second NFL chance after the New England Patriots waived him last season.

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But three games isn’t a large enough sample for making future plans; Thornton won’t be getting a serious contract extension in September. And next spring, the Chiefs’ wide receiver contract priority will probably be a new deal for Rashee Rice — assuming he comes back from suspension looking like the player we saw in training camp and the preseason.

Besides… no agent would advise Thornton to seek an extension at this point. He is currently on pace for 969 receiving yards over 17 games. Given the connection he and Patrick Mahomes are developing on deep passes — and even assuming his pace slows when Worthy and Rice return — Thornton is likely to gain at least 600 yards. Wide receiver is, after all, usually the position where teams reward potential over production during the spring’s free agency cycle. Whether in Kansas City or elsewhere, Thornton stands to make significant money by continuing to do what he is doing.

Thank you for reading this week’s Arrowhead Pride Mailbag! Keep watching The Feed for a chance to ask your questions.