Getty Former Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Antonio Callaway (left) is getting another NFL opportunity.
The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver position has undergone a makeover in 2022, from top-heavy and star-reliant to diverse and deep.
That all began with the blockbuster trade that sent Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins — a scary thought at the time — but maybe this shift in mentality needed to happen sooner. The secondary weapons haven’t been good enough the past couple of seasons and flyers like wide receiver Antonio Callaway represent a failed trend.
General manager Brett Veach has been very successful in Kansas City but his reclamation projects have not been. Callaway was a former hyped-up fourth-rounder out of Cleveland that never lived up to expectations.
After the Browns and Dolphins cut him, the Chiefs gave him a shot in 2021, although he never took the field. Now, it appears he’ll receive at least one last NFL opportunity.
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Callaway Gets Tryout
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported: “Former #Browns WR Antonio Callaway will be at #Colts minicamp, source said, on a tryout basis. The 2018 fourth-round pick recently spent time with the #Dolphins and #Chiefs.”
Indianapolis is searching for some sort of help at wideout — like KC in years past — so this isn’t a huge surprise. How often do these third or fourth opportunities in the league work out though?
Think about this for a moment, Callaway would probably be the Chiefs’ 11th or 12 option at the position if they signed him right now — if even. The roster is loaded up with talent and that competition should be good for everyone.
Below is the updated list:
- JuJu Smith-Schuster.
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
- Mecole Hardman.
- Skyy Moore.
- Justin Watson.
- Justyn Ross.
- Mathew Sexton.
- Daurice Fountain.
- Josh Gordon.
- Corey Coleman.
- Gary Jennings Jr.
- Cornell Powell.
- Omar Bayless.
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Exciting Camp Battle at WR
The Chiefs cracked the NFL code in 2019 but were kept out of the big game in 2021. Yes, they still made it to the AFC championship, but defenses were starting to have more and more success at stifling the three-headed dragon that was Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Hill.
That plus the financial obligations are the two reasons you saw this massive shift from Veach. This roster still has some flyers that don’t have many chances left, sure. I’m looking at you, Coleman and Gordon — but players like this are no longer guaranteed a roster spot.
In fact, it’s looking pretty unlikely they earn one. Barring a trade, four wide receivers should be locked into a role in this 2022 offense — Smith-Schuster, Valdes-Scantling, Hardman and Moore. From there, it’s an open competition for two or three spots.
The slight edge might go to Watson and Ross as of now but one player to watch has been Sexton. The speedster turned some heads at rookie minicamp and was much more impressive than Ross, who had to knock some rust off according to head coach Andy Reid.
Andy Reid mentioned a rust factor for #Chiefs Justyn Ross and maybe this is a glimpse into what he means.
Nothing major; just a reminder that there’s room to grow before the fall.
Special teams will also be a contributing factor, as always. Fountain carved out a role in this department in 2021 and Sexton and Jennings add some ability as potential returners.
What will become of a recent fifth-round draft pick like Powell? Or a big-name veteran like Gordon? All that is unclear, but don’t expect any more free rides at wide receiver this summer.