Dontari Poe Runs With The Chiefs’ First Team

Kansas City Chiefs first round draft pick Dontari Poe appears to have won the starting role at NT during the first week of OTAs.

Poe did not start out running with the first team. When the team began OTAs, Amon Gordon lined up with the starters.

This doesn’t necessarily mean Poe won’t be moved back and forth with the first and second team but it is an important step mainly because of something head coach Romeo Crenel said earlier this offseason. When asked about whether Poe would be a starter from day one, Crennel said that the rookie would have to show him something before he was moved into the starting lineup. Crennel said that he liked rookies to earn their spots rather than be handed them. It was then noted by a reporter that safety Eric Berry was moved into the starting lineup after only one day.

“That’s all it took,” Crennel replied.

Poe didn’t make the move quite as fast as Berry but doing it in his first week isn’t bad.

“We were working on subs, so I think that helped to elevate him in that respect,” head coach Romeo Crennel said told reporters.

Look, we all know Poe is going to start this season so this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. I actually find it quite refreshing coming off the Todd Haley era of depth chart mind games.

Crennel doesn’t appear to be the type to suffer fools and that is just fine with me. Get Poe in there and get him as much practice as possible against the best competition possible so that when the snaps count, he’ll be ready.