The Chiefs are still working on Mecole Hardman’s initial role as he returns to the team.
Kansas City recognizes Hardman’s talent and is considering how to bring him in now and in the future.
The Kansas City Chiefs have wide receiver Mecole Hardman back on the roster after the club traded him earlier this week.
The New York Jets and Hardman want a fresh start for the 25-year-old wideout, and Kansas City is hitting the open market for another weapon for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The result was a reunion with the franchise’s 2019 second-round pick, a player who brings playmaking potential to the offense.
One of the Chiefs’ responses to making room for Hardman on the 53-man roster was to waive wideout/return man Montrell Washington.
Washington filled in for Richie James while he was on injured reserve and returned eight punts for 61 yards and one kickoff for 20 yards in four games with the team.
The addition of Hardman has made him somewhat of a expendable figure, especially considering the former has plenty of return experience himself.
On Thursday, special teams coordinator Dave Taub said Hardman could play a role in his return if he performs well in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
When asked what Hardman could offer in this area, Taub simply replied, “Speed.
” “He’s a dynamic player.
He’s going to be the fastest player in the team from now on, of course, once he gets here,” Toub said.
“We saw that breaking speed ability.
The last one to score a touchdown (on a return game) was Mecole.
We welcome him back.
He’s right now.
He has a mindset and is ready for a fresh start.
” When Hardman entered the 2019 draft, he was a wideout with the same blistering speed and ability to take over the top of the defense.
It was thought that he lived up to his reputation by running the 40-yard dash in 4.
33 seconds and had great splits between the 20 and 10 yards, averaging a career-best 20.
7 yards per reception as a rookie.
He played in 57 regular-season games as a Chief, recording 2,088 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns.
October 24, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (17) before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.
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cover.
Outside of tight end Travis Kelce, occasional fake Kadarius touches and Justin Watson’s circus catches, the Chiefs didn’t have much standing or ceiling.
With Watson out with a bruised elbow, Herdman may have a chance to help.
From 2019 to 2022, his yards per route (Y/RR) averaged 1.
49 to 1.
84, according to Pro Football Focus.
Last season, his Y/RR to man coverage ratio (1.
86) led all Chiefs wideouts.
He’s now tasked with picking up where he left off, but offensive coordinator Matt Nagy addressed Hardman’s immediate role Thursday.
“We’re working through all of this right now, trying to go through everything and figure out where we are and where he is,” Nagy said.
“I have to remember a lot of that, too.
” He repeats quote after quote, then returns to the story, but at the same time, he has just spent several months learning about new crimes and new terminology.
So it’s not necessarily going to be easy right away, but for someone like him who’s been here before, it’s certainly easy to get in and get out.
So making a plan, we look at where he is physically and mentally, and then we look at where we are compared to other players and see where he is.
We’re going to involve him because he has the potential to do some good things for us.
” In his first stint with the Chiefs, Hardman was consistently inconsistent offensively.
He thrived in typical Andy Reid “gadget” situations and occasionally made vertical plays that stretched the field, but he never looked on par with Mahomes and wasn’t the most experienced route runner.
.
With that in mind, Tyreek Hill’s departure in 2022 opens the door for a new version of Hardman, who was just getting better before the injury.
From Weeks 5 to 9 of last season, he caught 17 passes for 226 yards and five all-purpose touchdowns.
If this version of Hardman were to return to the Chiefs, the team’s late-round draft pick swap with the Jets would be viewed as robbery within a few months.
If Hardman returns, a version of himself who couldn’t rotate wideouts through 33-year-old Randall Cobb, the team could be in trouble.
But they believe it’s worth the risk, and Hardman is ready to play whatever role is asked of him in his second appearance in Kansas City.
“Hopefully I can take on a role where I can help the team in any way possible,” Hardman said.
“When they need me, whether it’s in return or as a receiver, if they need me on kickoffs, let me know.
There’s not much I won’t do.
.I’m here to help in any way I can.
”
