Will former Packers find jobs here in Kansas City?

The Kansas City Chiefs appear set to venture into training camp with two names that draftniks will recognize, along with Green Bay Packers fans. Offensive tackle Derek Sherrod, 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds out of Mississippi State and defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, 6-foot-2 and 308 pounds out of Michigan State,  are trying to revive their careers after falling short with their original organization, the Packers.

Both are recent and high draft picks. Sherrod was taken with the last pick in the 2011 first round, and Worthy coming off the board to the Packers in the second round of the 2012 draft. Both are looking at sticking on the Chiefs roster. Both could play vital and important roles for the Chiefs in the 2015 season. Lets take a look at their chances.

We’ll start with Sherrod.  For the fans that remember, Sherrod already has a somewhat dubious history with Arrowhead and the Chiefs organization. During his rookie season, Sherrod suffered a broken leg when he was rolled up on by Tamba Hali on December  That was the first of the Kyle Orton quarterbacked games for the Chiefs in that bizarre Chiefs 2011 season.

Sherrod would obviously miss the remainder of the 2011 season as well as the entire 2012 season. Sherrod would even begin the 2013 season on the PUP after complications led to a second surgery before being activated to the active roster in November of that season.

For his career, Sherrod has only appeared in 20 games, starting one, which came during the 2014 season, a Week 2 matchup against the Jets before being released in November of that season during a roster shakeup along the offensive line.

Jul 30, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packer tackle Derek Sherrod during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

For Sherrod to make the roster, he’ll have to prove he has the ability to be the swing tackle. Donald Stephenson, who is penciled ever so lightly as the starter at right tackle this year, has had a tenuous relationship with the Chiefs brass to say the least, with his suspension last year and what appeared to be a year-long residence in the coaching staff’s dog house, could lose his starting spot quickly should he find himself some more trouble.

Beyond Stephenson,  there appears to be a true lack of a quality swing tackle, opening a window for Sherrod to find himself a roster spot.  This columnist believes Sherrod will make the roster coming out of training camp as the swing tackle assuming he can prove he’s healthy.

Next in line, we look at Worthy.

Coming out of Michigan State as an early entry draft candidate, opinions and thoughts on the future of Worthy were all over the map. An elite athlete, Worthy had issues with overall production, and would disappear at times. Worthy would rely to often on his athleticism and quickness to beat interior lineman off the snap to make plays, which lead to issues with consistency and off sides penalties.

The biggest question for Worthy will be his ability to compete against what appears a deep and diverse defensive line depth. The top four, at least at this time, appear to be set with Poe, Bailey, DeVito and Jaye Howard. Mike Catapano is returning from illness that caused him to miss last season, Nicholas Williams may not be a name anyone has heard of, as he was the guy who took Berry’s spot on the roster when he went out with his illness, Vaughn Martin has experience in the NFL mainly with the San Diego Chargers but has also spent time with the Miami Dolphins. Add rookie Rakeem Nunez-Roches and rookie free-agent pick up David Irving, and there is a a lot of competition.

To win a roster spot, Worthy will have to outplay the young guys, mainly Nunez-Roches. (We’ll refer to him as RNR from now on). With the starters apparently set, Worthy’s best hope of making the team will come from him showing he could either be a legitimate backup to Dontari Poe, a position the Chiefs don’t really have. Worthy will have to prove he’s a better option then RNR now, and the Chiefs can hope they can keep RNR on the practice squad. Worthy also will need to show he can slide outside to end if necessary, as a backups really need to cover multiple positions to keep a roster spot.

In the end, I think Worthy finds himself on the outside of the roster. Likely RNR and possibly Nicholas Williams will find earn roster spots in part because they are younger and cheaper. Injuries however can impact the projection as we all know however. Worthy is in the situation that a strong camp could earn himself a pickup by another team before the start of the season.

As training camp continues to come more in view, we will continue to look at players who could find themselves on a roster, and who could be left out in the cold.