For a moment, let’s imagine that the teams in the Super Bowl each get to choose one player off the opposing squads to add to their teams for the game. One player to shore up a weakness — or to make a strength even stronger. (For the sake of allowing us to stretch our brains, both quarterbacks are off limits here.)
If I was running the Buccaneers, superstar tight end Travis Kelce would be making his way into the starting lineup. Sure, the Buccaneers could pair Tyrann Mathieu with Antoine Winfield Jr. to give them an elite, versatile pair of safeties or they could add Chris Jones to their rugged defensive line, but putting Kelce in that offense would make life unbelievably easy for Tom Brady in his quest for his seventh ring.
Kelce is arguably the best receiving tight end in the history of the NFL, with five straight 1000 yard seasons. Kelce is fresh off the best season of his career, catching 105 passes for 1416 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is as complete as they come when it comes to pure receiving ability. The Buccaneers saw how damn good he is up close when he caught all eight of his targets for 82 yards against them in their Week 12 matchup.
Need a tight end to fight soft spots in the zone and pick up yards after the catch? Kelce can do that with ease.
Kelce can also get open with ease against man coverage, especially when linebackers are trying to get ahold of him.
And he can pick up yards after the catch on screens and break tackles like a running back.
The Bucs were able to get solid production out of Rob Gronkowski, who caught 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns in his return to the NFL, but he’s not the player that Kelce is right now. Pairing Kelce with slot receiver like Chris Godwin would make the middle of the field impossible to guard for defenses.
How do you account for formations where Godwin is in the slot and Kelce is attached to the offensive line with Mike Evans split out wide? Do you go dime to get more defensive backs on the field, leaving yourself to get railroaded by the Bucs offensive line? It’s an impossible equation to try and figure out.
According to Sports Info Solutions, Kelce finished first by a mile in expected points added(59.4) among all tight ends for the 2020 season with at least 25 targets. That’s almost 10 points higher than Raiders tight end Darren Waller who finished in second place (49.5). For what it’s worth, Gronkowski finished 15th with 14.4 expected points added.
If Kelce were to face off against his Chiefs teammates in this magical scenario, he would likely shred them. As solid as the Chiefs defense has been this season, they struggled a bit against tight ends during the year. The Chiefs finished the season ranked 18th in expected points added against tight end targets (19.7).
That number might be hurt a bit by their struggles against Waller this season, who caught 12 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in two games against the Chiefs, but Kelce is a better player than Waller is. This matchup wouldn’t be all that difficult for Kelce.
Kelce and this version of Gronkowski would also create an unbeatable 12 personnel package, which Brady thrived out of this year. With one running back and two tight ends on the field, Brady threw 12 touchdowns, three interceptions, and averaged 8.7 yards per attempt.
Long story short, adding Kelce to the Buccaneers would create a passing offense that basically runs itself while playing to Brady’s strengths as a passer.
As for the Chiefs? If they had the ability to pilfer a player from Tampa Bay’s roster, it’d be hard for them to ignore a disruptive defensive lineman.