He watched Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp get selected to the Los Angeles Rams in the third round, but Gehrig Dieter finds himself in the best possible situation at Kansas City. The former Alabama wide receiver maybe a potential starter next season, despite not being drafted.
A couple of major transactions occurred for the Chiefs on Friday, including the release of eight-year veteran at wide receiver – Jeremy Maclin. With a lot of young talent on its roster, Maclin was the lone veteran target on the outside for head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith. He’s turned in two 1,000-yard seasons since being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009, including 1,088 yards receiving with eight touchdowns on 87 catches in 2016 with the Chiefs. Cutting both Maclin and Jamari Staples leaves the team with little productivity. Regardless of having Chris Conley, Demarcus Robinson, De’Anthony Thomas, Tyreek Hill, Tony Stevens and Jehu Chesson, the best pass-catching option on the squad is fifth-year tight end, Travis Kelce.
Kelce, who was drafted in 2013, brought in a team-high in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,125) while scoring four touchdowns a season ago. Before transferring to Alabama in the summer of 2016, Gehrig Dieter was a primetime wide out at Bowling Green State University. He and quarterback Matt Johnson clicked, as Dieter would record 129 catches for 1,493 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2014 and 2015 campaigns. To prove his worth as a “do it all” player and a team guy, Dieter served as a pass catcher, blocker and return man for the Crimson Tide. Although his receiving numbers were not eye-popping, he made the most of his attempts with 15 catches for 214 yards and four touchdowns. The South Bend, Ind., native blocked for four 500-yard running backs, including a 1,000-yard season for rising junior Damien Harris.
Seeing how a lot of things similar between Andy Reid and Nick Saban, the transition to the NFL game at Kansas City will not be hard for Dieter. Reports are swirling about the possibility of the Chiefs signing 36-year-old Anquan Boldin, but with this franchise going young at receiver, it would not make sense to sign the 14-year veteran to a max contract. At this point, Tyreek Hill has been the lone consistent threat on the perimeter.
He finished second on the team in receiving in 2016 with 61 catches for 593 yards and six scores.
While Chris Conley is slowly making progress, Demarcus Robinson and De’Anthony Thomas have had little success in the league. All in all, Dieter’s ability to play multiple roles gives him the best chance at starting.
Reid tends to place more value on guys that are engaged, whether they have the ball or not. We are still three months away from the NFL season, but with the Chiefs releasing Maclin – the only real competition to Dieter – do not be surprised if the former graduate transfer starts.
Stephen M. Smith is a managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
