Jaye Howard’s release leaves the Chiefs a bit thin on the defensive line

The release of defensive tackle Jaye Howard leaves the Kansas City Chiefs a bit thin on dependable talent along the defensive line.

The Kansas City Chiefs delivered a Saturday afternoon surprise to the NFL with the release of veteran defensive tackle Jaye Howard. The move is a cost-cutting venture for a team who has spent the entire offseason against the salary cap, but even so, cutting Howard was an unforeseen move on the part of general manager John Dorsey.

Howard was coming back from a hip flexor, an injury that forced the Chiefs to put him on injured reserve after missing three consecutive games. Earlier this offseason, Howard spoke highly about the Chiefs and his excitement to rejoin them for the new season and even beyond if he could earn that contract from Kansas City. Instead, he’s been let go before he’s even had a chance to play that contract year.

The move leaves the Chiefs a bit thin along the defensive line, even though fans will point to the presence of dominant second-year pro Chris Jones. Jones is certainly the cornerstone for the defensive front at this point, but there are a lot of question marks concerning the future for the Chiefs front seven. Now with Howard out of the picture, the Chiefs also have some about the present.

Dontari Poe was the player who’s played the most snaps along the defensive line for the last five seasons. Poe left for the Atlanta Falcons and will be replaced by Bennie Logan, a former Philadelphia Eagle who comes with a strong reputation as a run stuffer. That helps, but Logan is only here on a one-year prove-it sort of deal and will re-enter free agency again next year.

Allen Bailey is also on the roster, but he joined Howard on injured reserve last year after suffering a torn pectoral muscle. Bailey was given an early extension by Dorsey two years ago, but is now getting into the more expensive portion of the contract. Coming off of an injury, it could be argued that Bailey was just as ripe to be released as Howard, if money was a factor.

Rakeem Nunez-Roches is another big body used in rotation, but for a contending team, he’s hardly showcased the sort of talent that eases everyone’s mind about losing Howard. The truth is if Howard and Bailey both returned as healthy options for Bob Sutton, Nunez-Roches would be sitting on the bench once again.

After this season, only Jones, Bailey and RNR are even on the roster, and the bottom two come with serious question marks. Fringe roster guys like Jarvis Jenkins, Montori Hughes or David King shouldn’t be enough for Chiefs fans to feel okay about the positive. If games are won and lost in the trenches, the dumping of a reliable veteran like Howard only hurts the Chiefs ability to compete and win. It’s likely in the attrition of a very long season that they will feel it most. Howard deserved better and so do the Chiefs.