The Kansas City Chiefs will soon have a free spot on the 90-man offseason roster after news that they'll release DT Isaiah Buggs. Buggs has been arrested twice this offseason, once for allegations of animal cruelty and once for allegations of domestic abuse and burglary. 

With Buggs' departure, the team now has a decision to make on filling an open spot on the 90-man offseason roster. There are several different directions they could decide to go with that one roster spot. It all starts with whether the team feels comfortable enough with their interior defensive line depth after Buggs' release.

Should the Chiefs continue to strengthen the interior defensive line?

The Chiefs have already been working to shore up the interior defensive line before deciding to move on from Buggs. They invited four players to mandatory minicamp on a tryout basis, three of which were interior defensive linemen. They signed former Montana DT Alex Gubner, who immediately will step into the defensive tackle rotation in place of Buggs, but should the team potentially look to add another player to that position group? 

Derrick Nnadi was still held out of mandatory minicamp with an injury, so they still might be a bit shorthanded at that position group for the time being. They could go back to the group of tryout players they hosted and sign one of those players. They could also look at some veteran free agents who remain available at the position like former New England Patriots DL Lawrence Guy or former Denver Broncos DL Mike Purcell. 

Chiefs could use the free roster spot to re-sign RB Jerick McKinnon

If the Chiefs are planning to re-sign veteran RB Jerick McKinnon, now might be the time to do it. He's been a key part of the offense in each of the past three seasons for Kansas City, contributing in the passing game as a receiving back and pass blocker. However, he's a year older (32) and he's coming off a core muscle injury that saw him miss time to end the 2023 NFL season. 

Not that it really matters, but McKinnon's jersey number is also no longer available with Xavier Worthy taking the No. 1 jersey. Ultimately, whether or not they make an addition here ahead of training camp might tell us everything that we need to know about how they view the position group heading into the 2024 NFL season.

How does Chiefs DE BJ Thompson's status play into the decision?

One piece of information that could weigh into consideration for the open roster spot is the status of Chiefs DE BJ Thompson. The second-year player suffered a medical emergency at the end of OTAs, which saw him go into cardiac arrest during a team meeting. He's since been released from the hospital and was back with the team for their Super Bowl LVIII ring ceremony, but will he be cleared to return to the practice field for training camp? That remains to be seen. 

If the Chiefs haven't cleared him for training camp, he could wind up on the Active/NFI list. He'd still count against the 90-man roster in that case and they might seek to add another edge rusher to help eat some snaps until he's able to return to the team. They could bring back a player like Jordan Smith, who they released ahead of rookie minicamp. They could also add a player like Brevin Allen, who was a tryout with the team during mandatory minicamp. 

There is also the possibility of a veteran signing, given that Charles Omenihu is recovering from an ACL injury. A player like former Chiefs DL Emmanuel Ogbah, who remains a free agent after being released by the Miami Dolphins this offseason, could make sense for Kansas City at the right price.

One key position battle could also determine the best path forward for the Chiefs

During OTAs and mandatory minicamp, the Chiefs seemed quite content with the left tackle battle between second-year Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia. If the Chiefs were interested in adding a veteran to the competition, there is no better time than the present to do so.

Last year's starting left tackle, Donovan Smith, remains available as a free agent. That'd instantly raise the floor on that position group. The team also could seek to add a player like David Bakhtiari on a prove-it-style contract. He's a low-risk signing, who hasn't played in several seasons due to a knee injury. At his height, he was one of the best left tackles in the league, and if he could return to form in Kansas City, it might be a savvy move.

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