Should The Chiefs Bench Jackson?

Todd Haley’s comments yesterday that Wallace Gilberry is in an open competition to land a starting defensive line spot is going to stir up a lot of speculation.

That is good news for AA because we love to speculate.

There are a couple of things to consider when mulling over this option.

1. Is giving up on Jackson this early wise? Lineman sometimes take 3 years to develop and Jackson is only beginning his second year.

2. If the Chiefs are seriously considering benching Jackson, what does that say about their opinion of his potential? The move would leave egg on Pioli’s face, sure, but not as much egg as if the Chiefs suffer another 4-12 season. If the Chiefs win more games this year and this last rookie class lives up to the hype, folks won’t be as harsh on Pioli for missing the mark on Jackson. No one expects Pioli to be perfect. They just expect wins.

3. Will Gilberry really be an upgrade? Sure he has done will in the pass rush but Wallace is about 30 pounds lighter than Jackson. Starting him at DE opposite Dorsey could mean the Chiefs line will get pushed around in run defense.

That being said, could Gilberry be any worse than Jackson has been?

Time for a quick poll: