Nov 1, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Glenn Dorsey (72) gestures during the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs were reportedly close to re-sgning DE Glenn Dorsey but now it is looking as if they were not able to get a deal done.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Dorsey will be visiting the San Francisco 49ers.

From Schefter:

Chiefs DT Glenn Dorsey will be visiting the 49ers.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2013

The Chiefs are expected to sign New York Jets DE Mike DeVito, which could mean that Dorsey is a goner. DeVito is a similar player to Dorsey in that he is a two-down, 3-4 run stuffer who isn’t particularly good at getting to the QB.

I have to say, I am bummed. I really thought the Chiefs would be able to get Dorsey back. I guess you can’t win them all.

My guess is that the Chiefs have an offer on the table but it may be that Dorsey wants to test the market. Can’t say I blame him.

If Dorsey is able to get a better offer than what he Chiefs are willing to pay, it very well may mean we’ve seen the last of him in KC.

What do you think Addicts? Are you sad Dorsey could sign with another team?

Well, these new guys sure know how to keep us guessing.

When you think they’re going to zig, they zag. For weeks, reports were coming out about unproductive contract negotiations with the Chiefs’ unsigned stars and our new GM’s affinity for the “draft-and-develop” and “best-player-available” approaches. When the new regime traded our 2^nd rounder (and more) for QB Alex Smith, it seemed cemented that LT Brandon Albert would be allowed to walk, Bowe would be tagged and denied a long-term deal for another year and the Chiefs would draft the best tackle available.

Then, the team locked up all three of the team’s most important free agents – including Albert – in a day. Chiefs nation rejoiced. This made the offensive linemen a secondary need moving forward and freed our hands to do whatever we pleased in the draft. Then, just as suddenly, the team cut our second-best lineman at the opposite tackle spot.

RT Eric Winston’s $4.5-million salary was more than reasonable given his skill and the value of the position.  Did they need the cap space? Well, by restructuring DE Tyson Jackson’s contract, they doubled their cap space for 2013 and they still have Matt Cassel on the roster due $7.5 million next year. More head-scratching ensues.

Maybe they want to go young? Perhaps they’ll move Albert to RT, or start the 1^st-overall tackle selection there. But, they just traded a high pick for a veteran quarterback. Not exactly a rebuilding move. If there were any doubts that the new regime believes it can win now, those were certainly dashed by the signing of CB Dunta Robinson, who is 31 and will make an average of $5 million a year for the next three.

Josh D. Weiss-USA TODAY Sports

Immediately, speculation was rife that the Chiefs intend to move him to free safety. This of course did not stop CB Javier Arenas from mouthing off to a local blogger who had the temerity to suggest that the team that gave up 29 passing touchdowns last year (only four teams allowed more) could use some cornerback help.

After spending a few days trying to reconcile the seeming contradictory nature of these moves over the past week, I finally realized the simple truth that we can only see a portion of the plan right now. Free agency hasn’t really started and the Draft is still more than a month away. Trying to figure out what the new regime is doing is like trying to put together a puzzle with only about 10% of the pieces.

To me, this is what we are seeing:

Reid wants an O-line that can pass block

Overall, Pro Football Focus rated the Chiefs offensive line as the 12^th best in the league in 2012, but that ranking was pushed up for them being the 8^th best run-blocking unit. They were far less effective when you look at their pass blocking (14^th) and amount of penalties accrued (15^th). Winston was pretty much the embodiment of that. Winston is a gnarly run-blocker, but committed 10 penalties and isn’t at his best blocking for passers.

This is actually both a deep Draft and free agency year for tackles, so if HC Andy Reid and company think they can find better and cheaper pass-blocking tackles out there, then this move makes perfect sense. In the NFL, it is considered a gentlemanly move to cut players as soon as you are confident you will be moving on from them. Releasing Winston now gives him a jump on free agency and the best chance to get value for his services. Had they waited until after the Draft, most teams looking for right tackles would have likely already filled their roster holes and the money out there would be spent as well.

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The names I would keep my eye on are Gosder Cherilus of the Lions and Winston Justice, who previously played for Reid in Philly and will come cheap. The team is also reportedly arranging workouts with top tackle prospects Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher.

The new regime respects this defense

I honestly expected a lot more turnover on the defensive side of the ball by this point. However, the fact that the Chiefs kept Jackson and reportedly want to hold on to DE Glenn Dorsey shows that they think that this defense doesn’t need to be fiddled with much. They picked up Robinson quickly after he was cut by Atlanta for a surprisingly reasonable price. Generally, players will get a bit more money before free agency opens up, because they are essentially allowing the team to fill a hole and narrow their focus before the floodgates open. Once it’s open season on free agents, everyone’s personal value goes down.

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

That’s why, to me, the Robinson signing smacks of opportunism. The team knew they wanted to bring in a starting quality CB or two, they sent Robinson an offer not looking at him as a priority target and it worked. The contract isn’t huge, but having Dunta gives them some flexibility. I would be surprised if we don’t sign at least one more free agent D-back (the Rams’ Quintin Mikell is my best guess).

This is what GM John Dorsey means by “best player available”

BPA is the new zeitgeist phrase of the Chiefs blogverse. It’s what Dorsey lives by, and I think it’s been largely misunderstood. In order to pick whatever you believe is the best value out there, you need to have a solid team in the first place. If your fridge breaks, you don’t go out and buy a second washing machine just because it’s on sale. Very few people will be excited if the Chiefs use their 1^st-overall pick on an offensive tackle, but if Dorsey thinks that the guy is a future Hall-of-Famer and there’s no longer any gaping holes on the roster, I can live with it.

We still need to get ourselves a backup QB (ideally through the Draft) and fill in a bit of depth here and there, but I think we starting to see the new guys make their mark on this team. The O-line is going to be reworked (although we’re not quite sure how), but otherwise we will be a team that rewards their own and fights to compete every year.

My qualms with specific moves aside thus far, I’m increasingly optimisitic for where this franchise is headed.

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

A new post from Pro Football Talk indicates that the Kansas City Chiefs are interested in trying to retain DE Glenn Dorsey.

Five years ago, the Chiefs picked defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey with the fifth overall selection in the draft.

The next year, the 4-3 interior lineman saw the Chiefs install a 3-4 defense.

And while the Chiefs are sticking with a 3-4 defense under new coach Andy Reid, they hope to keep Dorsey on the roster.

But here’s the problem: from the Chiefs’ perspective. The removal of Dolphins defensive tackle Randy Starks from the open market via the franchise tag is expected to result in more interest in Dorsey.

There have been many narratives being spun by the media about the Chiefs this offseason, and the new regime keeps proving those narratives to be inaccurate.

Look at just some of the things that have turned out differently than everyone was saying they were going to:

1. The Chiefs will franchise Dwayne Bowe.

2. The Chiefs will let Branden Albert walk in free agency.

3. The Chiefs will cut Tyson Jackson.

4. The Chiefs will have to draft a QB.

5. The Chiefs are set at RT because of Eric Winston.

You could add to that list:

6. The Chiefs will let Glenn Dorsey depart in free agency.

While #6 could still happen, the Chiefs do have a few days to lock Dorsey up. The Pro Football Talk article makes a lot of sense. The more defensive tackles that are taken off the market in the coming days, the more value Dorsey will have in free agency. If Dorsey gets too expensive, the Chiefs just might not be able to afford him.

The fact of the matter is, we don’t know how the Chiefs are executing their plan. It could be that Winston was cut so the Chiefs could free up space to sign Dorsey.

Or not.

If the past week has taught us anything, it is to expect anything and everything.

Hang on to your hats.

Last Friday, a shot rang out through Chiefs nation – one that meant hope, credibility and a lot of change.

By firing GM Scott Pioli and bringing in head coach Andy Reid, Clark Hunt has set the franchise on an entirely new path.

Firstly, he has done away with the team’s traditional hierarchical structure that seats a powerful general manager above the coaching staff. Make no mistake, going forward, for better or worse, Reid is going to be calling the shots during the offseason, the draft, et cetera.

Four years ago, the Chiefs hired a highly reputed front office wiz from the New England Patriots. Although everyone knows that Bill Belichick is the mastermind behind New England’s success, this guy was a vital cog in his machine and it was believed that the numbers guy could be brought in to reproduce it. That failed, and Hunt learned his lesson. This time around, by hiring Andy Reid, he didn’t get Pioli, he got Belichick.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Having secured a lucrative contract that gives him wide-sweeping authority, make no mistake, Reid is going to make a lot of changes. He comes with a distinct philosophy, working style and mold for a successful team.

Reid is definitely going to make his imprint on this team during this offseason, which means several players are going to get their walking papers while others are going to see their role increase. We still don’t know exactly who Reid will take on with his staff or whether or not he will be keeping the Chiefs’ 3-4 defense, but judging by the way he built the Eagles, I think we can say which players should be happy and which should be nervous.

Offense

Extremely Happy:

WR’s Steve Breaston, Dexter McCluster and Devon Wylie

Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Andy Reid loves small receivers that are great route-runners. McCluster has come on has an effective slot guy and I have a feeling that Reid will find something to do with Breaston who was criminally underused this season. Meanwhile, Wylie showed up late as another developing tool in the Chiefs passing game.

Happy:

RB Jamaal Charles, LT Brandon Albert

It’s been widely said that Reid doesn’t like to run the ball, but that’s not really true. The Eagles were 19^th in rushing attempts per game this year, 12^th last year and 15^th in 2010. In other words, they’re pretty much in the middle of the pack. Charles will still be getting fewer touches on runs out of the backfield (largely because the Chiefs have been one of the most run-happy teams in the league), but he will make up for that with more screens and quick passes thrown his way per game. Charles is a good route runner and could easily become a faster version of Brian Westbrook.

Reid also highly values the offensive line and doesn’t mind spending big to keep it shored up. This is good news for Albert, whose contract is up.

Extremely Worried:

RB Peyton Hillis and WR’s Jonathan Baldwin and Dwayne Bowe

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Hillis is gone. His fantastic game against the Colts notwithstanding, Hillis was a disappointment, only rushing for 309 yards this season for a 3.6-yard average. Like Hillis, Baldwin and Bowe also don’t really fit Reid’s scheme. Bowe is a great outside, move-the-chains threat, but Reid doesn’t typically utilize such receivers. He prefers getting the ball into the hands of smaller, more dynamic players in the middle that have the chance to make big plays. Baldwin has done next to nothing in the league and doesn’t fit this new mold. Bowe will probably be allowed to walk this offseason in favor of a free agent like Mike Wallace. Baldwin will probably get his last chance to prove his worth in the 2013 preseason.

Defense

Extremely Happy:

S Eric Berry

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Reid made great use of safety Brian Dawkins early in his time in Philadelphia as a jack-of-all-trades blitzer, run stuffer and cover guy. Berry has the physical tools to do the same, and I can’t wait to see the creative ways Reid decides to use him.

Happy:

OLB’s Tamba Hali and Justin Houston

Although nothing is certain at this point, it is likely that Reid will want to move back to a 4-3 defense and use both Hali and Houston as edge rushers on the line. Hali is originally a defensive end and will likely be happy to return. Although Houston has done admirably in picking up coverage skills, I personally think it is a waste to make him drop back on passing downs when he truly excels at getting after the quarterback. In a Reid defense, he likely to be able focus on doing just that.

Worried:

The rest of the front seven

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Especially if the team abandons the 3-4, DE’s Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson are likely toast. Both are overpaid and underwhelming and I don’t see Reid wanting to keep reinvesting in those projects. Poe will likely stay a bit longer because he is still developing and would likely be effective in a 4-3 as well.

Unfortunately for the guys behind them, Reid has never heavily prized the linebacker position. In his years in Philly, he always invested high picks and free agent signings in defensive linemen and DBs while allowing the linebacking corps to be filled by a revolving door of journeymen.

Although we know Derrick Johnson can excel in the role of a 4-3 middle linebacker, it is still unclear whether Reid will want to pay him big money to continue to do so when his contract is up.

This list will change as we find out more about what Reid plans to do with this team, and I’ll try to keep you all updated as we all find out more.

Nov 1, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Glenn Dorsey (72) gestures during the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is reporting that the Chiefs have placed DE Glenn Dorsey on IR. This move not only puts an end to Dorsey’s season, but likely his time with the Chiefs. A quote from La Canfora:

Dorsey has likely played his last game for the team with his season now over ………The sides are not working on an extension.

Frankly, it’s not a big loss for the Chiefs. Not only has his replacement, Ropati Pitoitua, been outperforming him, but the Chiefs also just signed Shaun Smith, who was a solid 3-4 DE for KC in Crennel’s system a couple years ago. I like Dorsey as a run stopper, but he has shown zero pass rush for KC and most seem to think he should go to a team running a 4-3 where he can play DT. Dorsey was the #5 overall pick for the Chiefs in 2008.

So what do you think, Addicts? Is Glenn Dorsey done in KC? Will you miss him?

UPDATE: Word is that DB Neiko Thorpe will be promoted from the practice squad to take Dorsey’s place. This move, while uninspiring, makes sense given that KC cut a DB in Stanford Routt when they signed Shaun Smith who essentially replaces Dorsey in the DL ranks.

Welcome back, Addicts, to week 2 of my NFL dead zone series “If You Ran The Chiefs.” If you missed last week when you let me know what you would do with Dwayne Bowe if you were in charge, check it out here.

This week it’s time for you to take a stand on what you would do long term with Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson if you ran the Chiefs. In case you didn’t read last week’s piece, let me give you the basics. Unlike other posts that I’ve done in the past, these posts aren’t about me trying to sell you on my way of thinking. It’s also not about predicting what the Chiefs will actually do. This is your chance to tell your fellow Chiefs fans what you would do if you had the chance.

Before we get to the different options that you can choose from for Dorsey and Jackson, let’s get an idea of just who they are as players. Once again we turn to the football gurus at Pro Football Focus. These are the guys that grade every player of every team on every single snap and then let us know how they did. I’ve actually got four different articles/studies that Pro Football Focus did that I’ll reference here. I highly recommend clicking on all four links and reading them all. They are:

Three Years of Pass Rushing Productivity: Interior D-Line

In this three-year study (2009-2011), PFF looks at the total number of passing snaps the players were in for and then the number of hits, hurries and sacks that they created on those snaps. They use that information to come up with their pass rush productivity number. So it’s not about who had the biggest totals but who did the most with the snaps that they had.

The Results:
Tyson Jackson was rated the second least productive pass rushing interior defensive lineman in the NFL.
Glenn Dorsey was rated the sixth least productive pass rushing interior defensive lineman in the NFL.
These guys are just flat out horrible at getting to the QB. Period.

Three Years of Tackling Efficiency: Interior Rushers

This is another 3 year study (2009-2011) where PFF looks at how many tackles to missed tackles defensive linemen have to come up with their tackling efficiency rating. Again, it’s not about totals, but efficiency with the chances they had.

The Results:
Tyson Jackson was rated the 10th most efficient tackling interior defensive lineman in the NFL.
Glenn Dorsey was rated the 15th most efficient tackling interior defensive lineman in the NFL.
With 32 teams in the NFL, one team having two DL rated in the top 15 is pretty impressive. Washington was the only other team to do so. So basically, when Dorsey and Jackson have a chance to make a tackle, they almost always do.

2011 Run Stop Percentage: 3-4 Defensive Ends

In this study over just the 2011 season PFF looked only at 3-4 DEs and the number of run snaps that they were in for and how many stops they made on those snaps. Then they simply ranked the players based on the highest percentage of stops per snaps.

The Results:
Tyson Jackson was the #1 3-4 DE in the NFL in both total run stops and run stop percentage.
Glenn Dorsey was ranked #2 in total run stops and #6 in run stop percentage.
So not only did Jackson and Dorsey make more stops than any other 3-4 DEs, but their percentage of stops per run snaps were also at the top of the list.

When you combine these last two studies what it tells you is that Dorsey and Jackson are two of the most effective run stoppers in all the NFL.

Secret Superstar: Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey, DEs, Kansas City Chiefs

Finally, this article is from a series at PFF where they identified a player (or players) from each team that were “secret superstars” in that they were great at what they do, but not many people notice. Here is a direct quote from the article.

It’s not often you’ll get somebody trying to tell you that a pair of Top 5 draft picks are a secret, but that’s exactly what I’m going to do in this article. Most people, and even some Chiefs fans, will tell you that both Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey have been colossal failures. They have been, at best, mediocre players when nothing less than studs would have been acceptable for such a huge outlay in the draft, but the truth is a little more complex than that.

When most teams look to the defensive line at the top of the draft, they’re searching for impact pass rushers; guys that can rack-up sacks and bring the heat on opposing quarterbacks. The Chiefs’ defensive scheme isn’t quite like that, and what they want from their linemen is stout play against the run. They’ve found exactly that from these two players, but people are so fixated on their failures in terms of pass rushing that nobody seems to have noticed.

I think that quote sums up Dorsey and Jackson perfectly. They are horrible at rushing the passer. They are great at stopping the run. The debate comes when the discussion shifts to which of the two is more important. Some argue that it’s a passing league, so pass rushing is the most important. Others argue that in the KC scheme, it’s all about stopping the run. So what should KC do with these two? Dorsey is set to become a free agent at the end of this coming season and even though Jackson has one more year left on his contract after this season, his salary for 2013 is so huge that something will have to be done before that. So basically the Chiefs must decide the fate of both of their starting 3-4 DEs in the next calendar year.

Now it’s time for you to tell everyone what you would do with these two if you ran the Chiefs.

Here are the options as I see them.

1. Pay whatever it takes to re-sign both Dorsey and Jackson long term. They are worth every penny even if they never get to the QB.

2. Re-sign both of these players but only if they will sign contracts that are team friendly. Pass rushers get the big dollars, run stoppers don’t.

3. Re-sign Jackson, but not Dorsey. Jackson is younger and had the better season last year. Dorsey is a better fit as a 4-3 DT.

4. Re-sign Dorsey, but not Jackson. Dorsey has been more consistent than Jackson. Plus, I have never gotten over the frustration of the Chiefs taking Jackson at #3 overall and would like to move on.

5. Get rid of both Dorsey and Jackson and get a couple of 3-4 DEs that can get some pressure on the QB. It’s a passing league now and run stopping is over-rated.

Okay, Addicts, now it’s up to you. What would you do with these two if you ran the Chiefs? Post your answer in the comments below. Don’t feel like you have to go with one of these five choices either. If you have an original idea, that’s even better. I look forward to seeing what Chiefs Nation thinks we should do with these two former top 5 picks.

Come back next week for the third and final piece of the series where you’ll tell everyone exactly what you would do at the QB position if you ran the Chiefs.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

According to Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star, Kansas City Chiefs WR Jonathan Baldwin returned to practice today after missing Friday’s practice.

According to Teicher, Baldwin was dealing with migraine headaches, something he has not dealt with before.

Teicher also reported that DE Glenn Dorsey was missing from practice. There is no news yet on where Dorsey may have been. There were no reports of him dealing with an injury last week so it may not be anything to worry about. Remember these workouts are voluntary so if a player, especially an experience veteran like Dorsey, has something to take care of, the team tends to give them the OK.

You can check out Teicher’s brief thoughts on today’s practice here.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Kansas City Chiefs DE Glenn Dorsey has the very best performance of the 2011 NFL season when it comes to run-stopping defensive ends in a 3-4 defense.

Pro Football Focus is going through each positional group to show which ten players had the best game at their position.

Neither of the Chiefs’ defensive ends made the list of overall performances; however, when PFF broke down the list of performances against the run, Dorsey came out on top.

Dorsey’s big game came in Week 17 vs. the Denver Broncos. He graded out at +5.8 in run defense, good for the highest single game mark of any 3-4 DE in one game all season long.

On the overall list, San Fransisco’s Justin Smith absolutely dominated. He had the 1st, 2nd, 5th best performances of the year. Oh yeah, and he also tied HIMSELF for the 7th best performance. That means that according to PFF, on five Sunday’s last season, not a single DE in the league had a better game than Smith. That’s impressive.

Congratulations to Glenn Dorsey on this recognition. Here’s hoping he improves his pass rushing skills in 2012 to become a more overall threat.

I’ve been living in Europe for several years now, and while I haven’t brought myself to becoming a full-fledged soccer fan, I do appreciate that fans of the sport get to watch the game all year. With so many overlapping leagues and looser management rules, there is literally always something to talk about in global soccer, and on any given day when you want to watch a game, all you just have to flip on the tube.

That said, I have a secret love for the NFL offseason – at least this stage of it. By summer, the cold sweats of football withdrawal set in, but the period from the end of the regular season until the weeks following the draft is a few months of cool. There are endless hypothetical conversations to be had, revisionist retrospection on the year past and every team’s fan base is somehow imbued in the optimism that “next year we’ll be better.” Statistically speaking, only about half are right.

To kick off this process I want to start the conversation by looking simply at what we were bad at last year, and the options on the table for fixing them. It’ll be a long time before we have more actual football to breakdown so I’ll be looking at each of these particular issues individually and in detail in the weeks to come. For now, these are my general thoughts, after the jump. (more…)

I see that the age old Dorsey/Jackson debate has arisen on Arrowhead Addict once again. It amazes me that this keeps coming up because I thought I did a pretty good job of explaining the situation a few weeks ago when I broke down the play of the defensive line using numbers from Pro Football Focus.

I shall do it one more time.

I am going to try to make this very simple and easy to follow (not my strong suit). To do so, I’m going to make a series of statements about these players based solely on their numbers. I am going to leave my own feelings out of it. I’m just going to show you what the numbers say and let you make up your own minds.

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Is it time to stop the jokes about our 3-4 DEs? It has become a popular thing to do since the Chiefs switched to the 3-4 and drafted Tyson Jackson with the 3rd overall pick. Talking about the wasted top five picks, talking about Dorsey being out of position, talking about trading Dorsey, talking about Jackson being a huge bust as a #3 pick, and most of all talking about how the alleged role as a “block eater” in the 3-4 defense is just a cover so that these two guys don’t look so bad.

Most agree that the KC defense is on the verge of becoming an elite unit. However, when we talk about the Chiefs defense it is always the linebackers (Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, and the emerging Justin Houston) and the secondary (Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Eric Berry, and even Kendrick Lewis) that get all the love. The general view is that our defense is excelling despite our defensive line, not because of it.

But now comes this interesting tweet from the insightful people at ProFootballFocus:

Interesting number – KC duo of Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey are 1-2 in the NFL for 3-4 DE stops.

Hmmmmm……

Well, that may be all well and good, but they still aren’t sacking the QB. This “that’s not their job” nonsense is just something fans and maybe the GM say to make excuses for them. When have you actually heard the man who runs the defense say that’s what their job is?

Oh, wait a minute, how about this from Romeo Crennel’s season ending press conference?

The thing about our defense is that I know everybody wants the third pick or whatever to be the sack master, the run stopper and all that, but in our defense, our lineman, they make it happen for Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali and Justin Houston so I tell them just make the plays you are supposed to make and many of those plays occur in the running game and everybody, they’re not all excited about a guy making a tackle at the line of scrimmage.

So not only are they making more stops then any other 3-4 DEs in the NFL, but they are doing a good enough job of occupying blockers that 50% of the Chiefs’ starting LBs are going to the Pro Bowl and a third was named the Chiefs rookie of the year.

Not too shabby for a “draft bust” and a guy “playing out of position.”

The following is a press release that details some of Glenn Dorsey’s charitable endeavors. -PA

Kansas City, Mo. — With winter quickly setting in across Missouri, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Glenn Dorsey is teaming up with PETA for a TV campaign that urges dog guardians to keep their canine family members indoors, especially during the winter months. “Imagine being left out in the freezing cold without shelter and bedding for warmth or a friend to ease your loneliness,” says Dorsey in the TV spot, available here. “Be your dogs’ biggest defender—keep them indoors with you and give them the love and companionship they deserve.”
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When the Kansas City Chiefs begin preparing for the 2012 NFL Draft (likely the day after they lose to the Green Bay Packers), there is sure to be plenty of debate among fans about the team’s needs along the defensive line.

This is an especially critical debate because defensive line is one of the few areas on the Chiefs’ defense where there are still lingering questions. The emergence of OLB Justin Houston has the KC linebackers looking like one of the strongest groups in the league. Johnson and Hali play at a Pro Bowl level, Houston looks to have the tools to develop into a potential Pro Bowler, and Jovan Belcher continues to improve and is a lights-out run defender. The secondary is loaded with young and talented players in Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Javier Arenas, Kendrick Lewis and Eric Berry. The team needs depth of course, but it looks as though the starting group is pretty well set.

That leaves the defensive line, particularly the oft-debated DE spots. With a little help from our friends at Pro Football Focus, let’s take a look at the KC defensive lineman to find out who has done what this season.

(more…)

Albert Breer of NFL Network just tweeted that Kansas City Chiefs DE Glenn Dorsey will be out tonight vs. the Patriots with a knee injury.

According to the Chiefs’ depth chart, Wallace Gilberry is next in line to back up Dorsey. Brandon Bair is the third string DE on that side.

Rookie Allen Bailey splits time with Tyson Jackson on the other side of the line.

For those hoping to get a look at Gilberry in a role more significant than just a pass rusher in sub-packages, you may get your wish tonight.

See how he's not blitzing!

Okay, forgive me for beating a dead horse here, but I’m not quite done with this pass rush discussion. This post started as a response to Paddy’s great piece on who’s rushing the passer for KC, but I quickly realized that I had a little more to say then would fit in a comment box. So here goes.

First off, if you haven’t read Paddy’s post yet, go do it. Otherwise this post loses some of its context. I actually almost named this post “Who Isn’t Rushing The Passer For The Kansas City Chiefs” as an actual counter post but thought this title was a little bit more of an attention grabber.

Here’s the deal, the numbers in Paddy’s post have most who saw them convinced that the case is closed on the Chiefs pass rush problem. Dorsey and Jackson are terrible at rushing the passer and the Chiefs have them rushing the passer way too much. The solution to this problem is to play guys like Gilberry more in their place.

No one can dispute this, right?

Wrong.

The problem has more to do with Stevie Johnson then it does with Glenn Dorsey.

I’ll explain after the break.

(more…)

The Chiefs can’t get to the quarterback. 

That was the difference yesterday.  Matt Cassel isn’t that bad, and Matt Moore isn’t that good.  There were plenty of things that went wrong for the Chiefs, and plenty that went right for Miami.  But when one QB is running for his life and the other has a constant, perfect pocket, the outcome is obvious.

I’m not going to talk about our offensive line today, because I don’t think thats a dire situation.  Barry Richardson is awful, but the line as a group is good enough to provide decent protection most of the time.  What we saw from them isn’t the norm.  And in any case, even if it were, there really isn’t much we could do about it at this point. 

The defensive line is another matter entirely.  What we saw from them was very much the norm.  And I think a possible solution is sitting right in front of our faces.  Find out what it is after the jump:

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The NFL draft is over and the NFL lockout is still in full effect so that means it is time to get back to evaluating the Kansas City Chiefs roster.

You may remember back in January and February, we started a series going through the roster and using advanced Pro Football Focus statistics and grades to get a more accurate view of how each player performed in 2010. In this series we hope to shed more light on which players are actually getting the job done, while also dispelling some myths.

Pro Football Focus grades every snap of every play for every player. They go beyond the box score and help us to see where a player excels and where, if anywhere, he falls short.

With that, let’s continue our series by taking a look at former first round selection Glenn Dorsey.

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Dorsey: big man, with a ton of heart. (Pic: chiefscrowd.com)

It was yet another flawless, sunny afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium on November 9th, 2008, as two division rivals slugged it out underneathe a brilliant California sky.  The game was actually very competitive, which was surprising given the sharp contrast between the two directions these teams were taking.

The San Diego Chargers were amidst one of Norv Turner’s infamous mid-season “wake-ups”–starting to gear up after a slothful start to the season.  The wake-up would lead them to the 2009 playoffs, culminating in a defeat of Peyton Manning’s Colts.

The Kansas City Chiefs were tanking, and tanking hard.  The Herm Edwards tenure was coming to a close.  The team was subsisting on Tyler Thigpen, its third string pistol QB.  The defense was among the league’s worst. And the team was careening into a 2-14 record that would put anybody in the organization not named Clark Hunt on the proverbial Green Mile.

The only reason I remember this disappointing loss, which this game surely was, was a moment in the second half.  Rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, getting his ass handed to him all day by Chargers left guard Kris Dielman, grabbed Dielman by the forearms after a quick snap by Philip Rivers, yanking him to the side where he rumbled through the Dielman-shaped hole in the line and thundered into Rivers. His first career sack.

His emotional celebration, short but passionate, illustrated that even during the most dire of circumstances, with disinterested fans and a hostile locker room, with an ax over everybody’s head prepared to fall by season’s end, there was still no chance you could simmer this man’s fire.

More, after the jump. (more…)

The Kansas City Chiefs do not have a great nose tackle.  We all know this.  Sweet Ron is a good guy (I think?) and we all like him, but he’s clearly not a world-beater.  It might even be a stretch to call him average at this point.  He’s definitely below average for a starter. 

As most of you are no doubt aware, Phil Taylor, the top nose tackle in the draft, has worked out for the Chiefs.  Like many of you, I’m excited about the possibility of drafting him.  It just seems to make so much sense.  We have a young, resurgent defense with only one glaring weakness.  And it just so happens that one weakness is at the purported most important position in a 3-4.  We obviously aren’t going to sign or trade for a big name, so the draft is likely our only chance at an upgrade.   Nose tackle is the final puzzle piece for this D.  If the Chiefs think Taylor is likely to be even a pretty good player, this pick is a no-brainer, right?

I’m not so sure.  And it has nothing to do with Taylor himself.  I just don’t think I’m buying the “nose tackle is the key!” narrative anymore.  Of course the position is important.  To me, every position is important.  They’re all interdependent.  Obviously its best not to have holes anywhere, but there are going to be some positions where you don’t have great players.  If nose tackle happens to be one of those positions, I don’t see that as a deal-breaker for our defense.

If Pioli thinks Taylor can be his Vince Wilfork, then absolutely he should pick him.  It would be an easy pick to get excited about.  But I don’t think its absolutely necessary.  And if he isn’t 100% on Taylor, I’d say move on down the line.  I could get just as excited about another linebacker, and I think our defense would probably benefit just as much from it.  Thats to say nothing of offensive players.  Even at 21, we have a lot of options here.  No one position is paramount, not even the mythical Ultimate Block Eater.  And anyway, more often than not, Sasquatch isn’t real.

More on the timeless art of block eating after the jump: 

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We continue our Chiefs Roster Evaluation series by taking a look at the play of former first round pick Tyson Jackson.

2010 was a strange season for Jackson. He started off the year as the starter after a disastrous rookie season. I was at the Monday Night Football game vs. the Chargers and I was paying particular attention to Jackson before he left the game with an injury. Truthfully, I liked what I saw. Jackson was playing the run much better, coming off his man and making tackles at the line. According to Pro Football Foucs, he also had 3 stops (tackles that constitute an offensive failure) in Week One. It looked like Jackson was going to show improvement in his second season, however, his injury turned out to be serious and he did not return until Week 7.

By the time Jackson returned from injury, the Chiefs had realized that Shaun Smith and Wallace Gilberrry were getting the job done in the run stop/pass rush department. Todd Haley did the right thing and limited Jackson’s snaps upon his return. Effectively, Jackson became a part time player. He usually got somewhere around 25-35 snaps a game, usually on running downs. This was a smart move by the Chiefs because they were able to give Jackson, whom they have have a lot of money invested in, experience without compromising the team’s chances.

So how did Jackson do with his limited snaps? We’ll break it down, after the jump.

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As a natural follow up to last week’s DVOA breakdown of the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line, this week we take a look at how our defensive line fared using the same analysis. The prevailing consensus seems to be that Glen Dorsey is making good progress, Tyson Jackson still has a lot of question marks, and we need to upgrade at Nose Tackle. Are these all fair assessments?

Well, we’ll find out if Football Outsider’s DVOA analytical assessment of our defensive line justifies those popular opinions, or, maybe, just maybe, throws us any surprises – right after the jump.
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Don't let the playoff loss get you down. Source: Rich Sugg/kansascity.com

For the second straight week the Kansas City Chiefs were destroyed on their home field. Last week the Chiefs could use the excuse that they already had the AFC West (and the playoffs) locked up. This week there are no excuses. Baltimore walked into Arrowhead and proved beyond any doubt that they were the better team.

As Kansas City Chiefs fans, many of us had held out hope that the Chiefs would prove the pundits wrong and bounce the more experienced Ravens from the playoffs. After the 30-7 blowout many of us felt like the guy in the picture above. As the dust settles we are beginning to start the process of appreciating the Chiefs’ turnaround season.

Popular “pick me ups” include:

“We won as many games this season as we had the previous three years combined.”

“Not even most die hard Chiefs fans thought we’d break .500 this year, yet alone win the division.”

I could go on, but you get the picture.

I’m here to tell you that the reason for optimism goes beyond that. After the jump I’ll explain to you why the Chiefs have the 10 most important pieces of a Super Bowl winning team already in place.

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I gotta think at least part of him knows how funny this pic is (source: sportsgrindent.com)

I rose from my post-game coma, and the Chiefs were in the playoffs.  Unless I’m ever woken up by a nude Katy Perry bringing me a Long John Silvers breakfast in bed, that will probably go down as the coolest wake up of my life. 

It feels like we all had a hand in this.  Like its something we’ve all been working towards for years.  And in a way, I guess we have.  We toil during the week so we can spend our Sundays as we will (watching football and worshipping vengeful deities).  And we’ve endured countless losses and endless ridicule on those Sundays in the hopes that one day wins would come.  Now they have, and its time to bask in it.   If anyone has earned that right, we have.

For me, said basking will take the form of having ink etched into my skin.  I made that promise, and I intend to keep it.  I wanted to go to Freaks on 39th, where my LOTR tat (Elvish writing is the ultimate aphrodisiac) was masterfully applied.  But they were closed, as was their Broadway counterpart.  My flight was at 5am this morning, so it appears my homage to the 2010 season will have to be done by a Brooklyn artist.  I’m not thrilled about that, particularly since my current city of residence will likely become enemy territory in about a week.  I’ll have to make sure whoever does it isn’t a Jets fan.  And if they are, I go to the restroom and pee on their toilet paper.  Guerrilla warfare baby!

Further ruminations from your boy Big Matt after the jump:

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STUFFED! (Source: arrowheadpride.com)

Looking for that perfect last-minute gift for the Kansas City Chiefs fan—or, say, fifth-year outside linebacker—in your life? Well, with only a few shopping days left until the Big Day (December 26 at Arrowhead, of course), you might want to consider one of these stocking-stuffers, guaranteed to please even the season-ticket-holder or journeyman wide receiver who has everything!

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I'm doing my best to look at D-Bowe's performance in a vacuum (source: nflsoup.com)

Its been a lot of fun pretending we were a good team these last two months.  I’ve enjoyed that.  As it turns out, we’re not that good.  Not yet.  We’re not as bad as we played yesterday, but you can’t look at these last three games and say we’re a legit contender.

The Chiefs didn’t show up yesterday.  It was eerily similar to our matchup with  Denver last year, with the shoe unfortunately being on the other foot.  The team seemingly with everything to play for came out flat.  I didn’t expect that.  I’d allowed myself to be convinced the turnaround really had happened overnight.  That was naive of me.  Kind of like when I thought the movie Underworld was going to be good.  Are the Chiefs the Underworld of the NFL?

Honestly, I doubt we make the playoffs.  Losing divisional games is no way to lock things up.  But our schedule is soft, we’re still tied for the lead and we might get lucky.  We actually do play pretty well at home.  Even after back-to-back losses to bitter rivals this season is more compelling than the last three combined.

Ironically, Cassel’s line may have saved his season from a statistical standpoint.  I’ve heard a wide variety of reactions to his performance.  Trying to act like his prevent defense-inflated numbers are a sign of progress seems a little forced to me.  I’ve also heard some disgruntled fans calling for a benching.  I feel their pain, obviously.  But I can’t say that I’d bench Cassel at this point.  Do we really want to watch Croyle?  We’ve done that.  It was painful.  He ain’t the one.  But I’d say the case for drafting a quarterback has gotten quite a bit stronger.

Further ruminations from your boy Big Matt after the jump:

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Merlin's Magic

As we are halfway through the season, it’s time to take stock of the Chiefs and look at needs for the 2011 draft.

Right now, the Chiefs are a mediocre team. Our record may be a bit inflated, but this is a mediocre team. This is an achievement. We have risen from terrible to mediocre. How do we take the next step and become a solid playoff team? Player development is critical. The 2010 draft class looks excellent, so we should expect continued development there. As your local draft guru, I am always keeping an eye on the next draft.

Let’s go through the defense in this article. Later, I will cover the offense. For this review, I will divide needs into four categories. A high need reflects the needs for a starting caliber talent. Secondary needs are for positions we need backup talent. Tertiary needs are for positions where we could use some talent, but it’s not as high of a need as the first two tiers. No need reflects just that. We don’t have a need at that position.

Nose Tackle:

No doubt about it. Ron Edwards had played well this year. However, nose tackle is a position that gets beat down a lot. Therefore, good teams need a stud NT or two good starting caliber nose tackles. This is a high need.

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Source: Yardbarker.com

The Kansas City Chiefs may have lost on Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts but there were still players who did a good job.

And they are earning their Arrowheads.

Let’s take a look at five Chiefs who earned their Arrowheads in the 19-9 loss.

1. Tamba Hali

Tamba, Tamba, Tamba. The heart of the Chiefs defense once again showed he is one of the best in the business. Hali was constantly putting pressure on Manning, eventually taking the QB down for a strip sack. Hali as usual, showed a lot of heart, playing with a busted chin and covered in his own blood, the Chiefs OLB never let up. He earned 2 arrowheads Sunday.

More after the jump.

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Source: Yardbarker.com

The Kansas City Chiefs released an injury report yesterday area in the most trouble appears to be the defensive front.

Tyson Jackson and Wallace Gilberry did not practice and OLB and pass rushing specialist Tamba Hali was limited.

There are reports, although nothing confirmed by the team, that Tyson Jackson has a minor sprain in his knee that could keep him out 1-2 weeks. 

Jackson missing time would be a blow as he turned him arguably the best performance of his career against the Chargers.

Gilberry is listed as Glenn Dorsey’s backup but he was replacing Jackson in certain pass rushing situations in the Chiefs season opener. He is listed as having a back injury.

Lastly, Hali was limited in practice as he has been dealing with a nagging foot injury since before Week 1. Hopefully the extra rest will help Hali heal up because the Chiefs need him as close to 100% as possible if they hope to generate a respectable pass rush.

Also limited in practice was RT Ryan O’Callaghan with a groin injury.

I am sure some of our regular readers are taking a couple of weeks off. They, like the players and coaches, need a break before the season gets into full swing and they eat, sleep, breathe and crap Kansas City Chiefs Football. They are the lucky ones. Their time off is allowing them to keep their optimism firmly in place. They will return in a couple weeks refreshed and ready to declare a 16-0 season.

Those of us who remain are the real sick ones. It is the middle of July and we are still here debating, worrying and projecting about the best damn football team in the world. It could not be a slower time for NFL news yet we are here every day. Hell, just yesterday, Merlin sent me a  “Merlin’s Mock” for the NFL Supplemental Draft on Thursday. A mock draft for the SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT! The sad thing is, all he wrote in the email  was “run stopper,” 750 times. That is it! He didn’t even sign it!

It is like we are all sitting alone a dark room. We know the room is empty and that there is no reason to be afraid of the dark but the simple fact that we have nothing but time inside our own heads to ponder the possibilities is causing us to create demons out of thin air. The primary worry of the skittish Chiefs fan seems to be the front 7.

Sure, there are things to be worried about. I see the logic. The front 7 is essentially the same as it was in 2009. The run defense was terrible last year. Our nose tackle situation is so bad people are starting to suggest we sign Jason Whitlock to plug up the middle. However, in all the panic about the front 7, we are forgetting there is a factor we may not be considering enough.

Time.

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Source: Yardbarker.com

The defensive line has been a sore subject around Kansas City these past few years.  Hardly surprising, after trading away the league’s best pass rusher and then promptly breaking the record for least sacks in a season.  In 2008, the Chiefs fielded what may very well go down as the worst line in league history.  Not only did they set futility records in the pass rush, but they also couldn’t stop the run.  That unit, the “flab four” as Whitlock called them, left a lot of hurt feelings in its wake.  2008 was my lowest season as a Chiefs fan, and the D-line was largely to blame.

Since then, things haven’t gotten much better.  Our line was bad last year, and will most likely be a weakness again in 2010.  Many of us are tired of it.  Tired of seeing top draft picks used on block eaters.  Tired of hearing about how long defensive linemen take to develop.  Tired of being lectured about the 3-4.  And most of all, tired of the inevitable failure that has accompanied all of our top defensive line picks for the past ten years.

Not everyone feels this way.  Many are excited about our defensive line.  They feel the unit could finally be close to turning a corner.  That it could become a force to be reckoned with.  This optimism, of course, is centered around Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey.  But is it realistic?  What can we really expect this year from our two most important defenders?  This post will attempt to answer that question.

Let’s start here: Dorsey and Jackson were not good players in 2009.  It’s OK, we can admit that without being bad fans.  Excuses abound, and some are valid.  We’ll get to those later.  For now, we should focus on recognizing the obvious: our line was awful last year, and it wasn’t just the nose tackle.  Our ends were bad too.  I’m not saying they can’t get better, and I’m not saying there weren’t extenuating circumstances.  What I’m saying is, defensive end was a weakness for the Chiefs in 2009.  Dorsey and Jackson need to get better.  Will that happen?

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We all remember the hope with which we went in to the 2009 season. The Chiefs had a new coaching staff, GM and philosophy. We learned fast that while it is sometimes possible, big changes don’t happen over night.

One area of the team that seems to be giving Chiefs fans the most trouble is the run defense. It was terrible last year and since Scott Pioli made almost no changes to the team’s front 7, it stands to reason it will stink this year.

Though the Chiefs did not do a lot this offseason to bolster the front 7, they have invested top 5 draft picks in Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson. Pioli and Haley are putting their money on these two young players. If both Jackson and Dorsey can take their game to the next level, the Chiefs run defense will be greatly improved. If they can’t, the team will have to make some changes moving forward.

And now it is time for our Saturday poll.

This was a very difficult ranking and not because of all the top-notch talent. Actually, this group is not very deep and it includes several unknown commodities. It may become a strong group, but right now, this unit as a whole is a big question mark in the AFC West.

1. Richard Seymour, Oakland: Seymour is, by far, the best defensive lineman in this division. It’s not even close. Still, Seymour, who is entering his second season in Oakland, has plenty to prove. Seymour, 30, has to show he is still in his prime and he can bounce back from an inconsistent first season in Oakland.

2. Luis Castillo, San Diego: Castillo is a nice player. But he probably should be the second-best defensive lineman in a division. He’s solid, not great.

3. Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City: This was tough. I guess I still believe in Dorsey. But he has to show more in this third NFL season. He was expected to be much better than he has shown so far.

4. Jacques Cesaire, San Diego: A solid journeyman. He should be lower on this list next year if other players develop as expected.

5. Tyson Jackson, Kansas City: Like Dorsey, Jackson has to show up better than his rookie season. He was nowhere near as productive as the No. 3 overall pick is expected to be. But he’s a hard worker and he should make strides in his second season.

ESPN.com

Source: Yardbarker.com

Earlier in the week I brought you my thoughts on the 5 areas that I think the Chiefs upgraded this offseason. Now, as promise, I’m going to go all pessimistic on you and review the 5 areas that still need to be addressed.

Without further ado…

1. Defensive Line

It is hard to believe that after investing so much time in effort into the defensive line over the last couple of draft that the Chiefs still need help there but it is the truth.

A lot of Chiefs fans have a lot of problems with the defensive line. Let’s do a quick review of some of the favorites:

1. Tyson Jackson did not play very well last year. Panic is setting in. Pioli reached for T.J. and he is “Bust City.”

2. Dorsey is too small to play DE in a 3-4 scheme. His arms are to short and he isn’t explosive enough to penetrate into the backfield and disrupt plays. Yes, the 3-4 DE is not as important as a 4-3 DE as far as sacks go but they should get some and Dorsey has exactly 2 sacks in 2 years.

3. We don’t have a freaking nose tackle, which, incidentally, is the most important freaking position in the defense that we run. Ron Edwards is old and average at best. Shawn Smith has experience in the NT position but most reports are that he is a backup, not a starter. What the hell are we going to do? Why did we pass on Terrence Cody and Cam Thomas? Ahhhhhh!

More after the jump:

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Source: Yardbarker.com

When Scott Pioli drafted Alex Magee in the 3rd round of the 2009 NFL Draft, I was pretty sure it meant the end of Glenn Dorsey in Kansas City. The Chiefs were switching to a 3-4 defense and at the time, most thought Dorsey would not be the best fit to play DE in that scheme. Rumors swirled all through training camp that Dorsey was on the trading block. This may very well have been true. From what I understand, the Chiefs were not initially sure of how well Dorsey would handle the transition from tackle to end.

The start of the season came and Dorsey was still a Chief. As the season went on, his play seemed to improve and coach Todd Haley mentioned on a couple of occasions how happy the Chiefs were with his progress. When Dorsey was injured and missed the Cleveland game, KC got torched on the ground, leading many Chiefs fans to the conclusion that Dorsey was more important to the Chiefs ability to stop the run than he may have seemed.

Now the Chiefs are about to embark on a new season and yet, the Dorsey rumors remain. Some think he will be staying at end. Others think he should still be traded.Then there are a few, including former Chiefs coach Herm Edwards who think he play nose tackle.

“He can do that,” said Edwards taking with Steven St. John of 810 Sports back on April 27th. “There’s no question. Yeah, he can do that. He can hold up on the double team. There’s no doubt.”

At a press conference in March, Nick Wright of 610 Sports asked Pioli point blank if Dorsey might move to the nose tackle position.

Pioli’s response and more, after the jump.

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In his interview with Jack Harry, Chiefs GM Scott Pioli seemed to indicate that the Chiefs are planning on keeping both Glenn Dorsey and Derrick Johnson.

Jack asked Scott directly about both players. When he asked about Dorsey Scott seemed to indicate that the team was no question that the team was going to keep the 3rd year pro, jokingly asking Harry “Are you going to trade him?”

Immediately after this exchange, Harry asked if the Chiefs planned on keeping Derrick Johnson.

“Absolutely,” was Pioli’s response.

This is not to say that if someone came along with the right offer that the Chiefs wouldn’t part with Dorsey or Johnson. I am sure just about anyone on the roster could be had for the right price.

While many folks out there have suggested that the Chiefs trade Dorsey or Johnson or both, as it stands now, it looks like they will be around next season.

Strap in, Addicts. I am going to give you my blue print for fixing the Chiefs defense in one season. I believe if the Chiefs follow my blue print for success, along with Romeo Crennel’s coaching, the Chiefs can have a top 10 defense as
early as next season. Let’s get started.

Fist let’s take a look at KC’s ascending players. These are players who are still young and who should improve with Crennel’s coaching and their furthered experience playing in the NFL. These are players who should hold on to their starting position and who do not need replacing.

DE Glenn Dorsey

DE Tyson Jackson

Dorsey and Jackson are going to be just fine. Mark my words. Dorsey is already fine, racking up over 50 tackles in his 2^nd season in the league and his 1^st season playing a new position. Before the dissenters start throwing out his sack totals, know that Glenn Dorsey was never a big sack guy, not even in college. Even when the Chiefs drafted him for the 4-3 they never expected him to put up big sack numbers. They wanted him to stuff the run and cause some pressure in the backfield. Dorsey did a good job of both last season. Does he need to improve his pass rush? Yes. The same goes for Jackson. However, it is important to remember that defensive lineman almost always take about 3 or 4 years to fully develop. Neither Dorsey, nor Jackson will ever be expected to put up huge sack totals playing in a 3-4. If they can work their way up to 4 or 5 a season and continue to improve vs. the run, they could be Pro Bowlers. The tools are there. Folks clamoring for the Chiefs to trade Dorsey are delusional.

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Why sign a DE when the Chiefs have two young, top 5 draft picks playing end already? Why indeed. I don’t want Peppers to play DE for the Chiefs. PEPPERS doesn’t want to play DE for the Chiefs, nor any other team for that matter.

He wants to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

See ya, Mike Vrabel.

Look, Mike Vrabel is great and everything but he is 34 and probably just had his last productive season. Even if he can manage to stay fairly productive, he is likely to get bitten by the injury bug ala Donnie Edwards.

Andy Studebaker or “Mike Vrabel Jr.” as I like to call him, is great. He has been a surprise and I would love to see what he could do, but he is still very young and may not be ready to bare the starting load just yet. Vrabel’s contract is up. I say let him go. He will be fairly expensive to resign and won’t be half as valuable as Peppers.

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By the end of the 2008 season, Carl Peterson had resigned and Herm Edwards was on his way out of town. Some of the players from the 08’ class had had decent seasons, including Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr and Brandon Albert. However, with the old regime on it’s way out, the rookies futures were up in the air.

While many of Herm Edwards’ picks were purged by the new regime, many of the top dogs from the 08’ draft class have survived. Looking over the names, these remaining players have an excellent chance to either lift the team up or cause it to sink, as they enter their 3^rd year as pros.

Let’s take a look at who is left and discuss their future roles, after the jump.

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The Chiefs Front 7 could look like this...only, you know, fatter and without the hats.

The Chiefs Defense is terrible. It has been terrible for so long that the Chiefs Offense has gone from terrible to great and back to terrible again in the same span. They were bad when Jarred Allen was here. They were bad for Greg Robinson. Bad for Gunther Cunningham.

This year was no different, right? The Chiefs gave up big days on the ground some weeks and other weeks, big games through the air. Sometimes, they combined them for a truly horrific day.  It seemed there was no end in site to the defensive ineptness.

I’m here today to say that I think, as long as a couple calculated moves are made this offseason, that the Chiefs defensive troubles may soon be over.

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Dorsey has been a nice surprise this season for the Chiefs. The word out of Arrowhead earlier this year was that the Chiefs were at a loss on what to do with Dorsey because they weren’t sure if he could make the transition from guard to defensive end. At one point it was rumored the Chiefs were open to trading Dorsey.
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If we are indeed shifting to a 3-4 defense, and we haven’t officially hired a defensive coordinator…then Scott Pioli bringing in his old buddy Romeo Crennel to be the Chiefs’ new D.C. is still a possibility, right? When thinking about the 3-4 and Romeo, several questions come to mind:

• What will we do with Glenn Dorsey? Can he bulk up and play the nose position? Is he even tall enough to be an effective 3-4 defensive lineman at any position?
• Would we be interested in Albert Haynesworth, as it looks like he will be available?
• Julius Peppers. Would he be interested in us and vice versa? It doesn’t look like we are currently one of his four preferred destinations.
• Would Crennel even want the job?
• If Crennel doesn’t end up being our D.C., can Clancy Pendergast and Gary Gibbs, two D-coordinators who never ran the 3-4, install it successfully?

There’s certainly a lot to ponder when it comes to both the rumored 3-4 switch and the TBD D.C. situation, so…

Addicts, sound off on the 3-4 and Romeo Rumors…

NFL Films presents…

(music: doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, duh, duh, duuuhhhh)

“America’s Game: The 2010 Kansas City Chiefs”

Starring…

DT Glenn Dorsey

TE Tony Gonzalez

Head Coach Herm Edwards

Narrated by…

Paul Rudd (life-long Chiefs fan who narrated Hard Knocks)

…

Rudd: “Back during a woeful 2007 season, the only way most people ever thought future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez would go to a Super Bowl was if he bought himself a ticket. Not Tony. He always believed in the Kansas City Chiefs. Even during that 4-12 season.”

Gonzalez: “You know, a lot of other guys would have demanded a trade. Brett Favre, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas…a lot of franchise guys changed colors, and wanted to. Not me. I’m Red and Gold for life. I knew that we were going to be there in 2-3 years, and I also knew I still had a lot of football in me. I believed in our young guys and I believed in myself. Still, we had to go to work.”

Rudd: “Go to work the Chiefs did. One of those young guys who went to work with Gonzalez was defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.”

Dorsey: “When I got to Kansas City, we were a 4-12 football team. I wasn’t OK with that. In college I was the best and we were champions. I thought if I could do that again in the pros, I could help the Chiefs be champions, too. It wasn’t always pretty, but that’s how it worked out. 11-5, four blood-and-guts playoff wins on the way to the Lombardi Trophy. We did it.”

Things got pretty heated over the past couple days around here. That’s why I wanted to do this post. Two nights ago, I couldn’t sleep. I turned on the tube to the NFL Network and saw America’s Game: The 2007 New York Giants. At that point, it really hit home that we all want the same thing. We want our guys to hoist up the trophy, have the parade and end up on that show. If the 2007 Giants can do it, so can the 2010 Chiefs. The show might not mean anything to many of you, but it has special meaning to me.

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Double D Says:

Rookies to watch on the other side of the ball:

RDE – Chris Long
RT – John Greco
RG – Roy Scheuning (will likely play 2nd half)
WR – Donnie Avery; to the surprise of many, this 4.43 speedster out of Houston was the first WR selected in 2008 draft. He’s making his NFL debut tonight.

Footnote: Avery’s 4.43 time at the combine was slowed a tad by a pulled hammy. He ran 4.34 on his Pro day.

The main reason I highlighted this comment was to reemphasize how much everyone will be watching not only Chris Long, but Glenn Dorsey as well. The Rams damn near picked Swamp Thing, so I’m guessing that Rams fans will constantly compare the two to each other, and Chiefs fans might, too. You know, Magic-Bird-type thing. Personally, I’m glad we got Dorsey and not Long. I think Long is overhyped because of his daddy.

I’ll also be watching Avery, because like Double D pointed out, he was surprisingly taken over receivers who were much more heralded coming out of college than he was. The Rams may have reached big time, or they may have found a diamond in the rough. Hard to say.

“The few fans who were in Ramer Field at UW-River Falls on Monday watching the Chiefs go through their practice in pads got to see the future of the Chiefs defensive line.

For several plays during the workout the No. 1 defensive line looked like this, from left to right: Turk McBride, Tank Tyler, Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali.  That foursome had probably a half-dozen snaps, as the Chiefs were easing Dorsey back into full practice work coming off his knee injury.

But it’s a good bet that in coming practices and weeks that group will spend more and more time together.  It would be a fairly safe bet to pencil them in as the front four for the season opener in New England.”

I would suspect that this is a welcome development across AA-land. Now, Gun seems to really like Brian Johnston a lot as a pass rusher. How would you feel about pulling Tank Tyler out on some passing downs, sliding Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali over, and going with a pass rush line of Turk McBride, Dorsey, Tamba and Johnston?

- Merlin

Glenn Dorsey’s knee injury isn’t as bad as the Chiefs initially feared.

Their top draft pick has a sprained knee and won’t play in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Bears in Chicago. But they are hopeful he could play in the following game on Aug. 16 against Arizona at Arrowhead Stadium.

Phew! You can breathe, Chiefs fans. It looks like like Glenn Dorsey is going to be OK. Former DB over at Chiefs Coalition has a great report that’s right out of the training room. Thanks to Jason for the find. From Chiefs Coalition:

Dorsey laid on the table and the trainer grabbed his left knee and took it through a series of bends to test the ligaments.  The head trainer pulled Dorsey’s bottom leg forward and pushed it back, then looked at his assistant and said “it’s tight, it feels strong.”  Then he moved the leg from side-to-side, testing the other ligaments.  He sensed the normal give in the knee but asked Dorsey if it hurt. Dorsey said “naw”. Then Dorsey pointed to the spot where it hurt (right side of the knee which is inside). The trainer put his thumb on that spot, applied pressure and Dorsey said “right there.” The trainer’s eyes got big (as if to say that’s all there is?), he then told Dorsey he tweaked his knee.

After looking at that and what Bob Gretz and others had to say, it looks like Swamp Thing will probably miss the Bears game, and that’s about it. I don’t think this will have any real effect on the season the rookie has. In fact, I think an increased role for Tank Tyler over the course of the next few weeks could be a blessing in disguise.

Branden Albert, however, is a different story. The recent news is bleak. While there isn’t much of an adjustment for Dorsey, Albert adjusting from guard in college to left tackle in the pros will be a huge transition. It’s great that Herb Taylor is getting some burn, but it’s clear that Herb is more of a right tackle. He simply does not have Albert’s God-given talent. From Bob Gretz’s blog:

Chiefs officials here for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies say the best case scenario is Albert will miss three to four weeks because of a foot injury.

That makes his presence for the New England regular season opener very much in doubt.

The rookie left tackle suffered the injury this past Thursday night during a practice session with the Minnesota Vikings.  It occurred when someone stepped on his foot during a play.  Albert left the field and then returned and took two more snaps before coming off the field.

The more likely scenario is that Albert will miss four or five weeks.  If the injury heals slowly, then it could be six weeks.

After reading that, it’s hard to see any future but a doom-and-gloom one for our Chiefs. Let’s just hope he can be at full strength for the game against the Pats opening week. Brodie Croyle, Larry Johnson and Co. will need Phat Albert to have success.

(hat tip: UW-RF…apparently, the defense looked great today)

Update: Apparently, he did get an actual gift from fans. From WPI:

Chiefs fans greeted him with a cake after practice. Don’t eat the whole thing, Glenn.