Two players I will be watching very closely during Friday’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be Andy Studebaker and Justin Houston.
Houston and Studebaker figure to be battling for the starting OLB spot opposite pro bowler Tamba Hali. You have to figure the early edge goes to Studebaker but don’t rule out Houston making a run at the top job. The Chiefs are constantly reminding us that all the roster spots are up for grabs.
Studebaker has been mentoring under Mike Vrabel for two years. While he has had his moments, he really hasn’t seen the field enough on a consistent basis for me to form an opinion on how he might perform as a starter. This is Studebaker’s chance to emerge from Vrabe’s shadow and claim the starting gig.
For Houston, the road to being a starter might be a bit tougher. Projected to be drafted near the end of the first round, Houston slid all the way to the third because of a failed drug test at the scouting combine. Just because he was taken later, however, doesn’t mean the Chiefs have forgotten about his first round talent. Unfortunately for Houston, the NFL lockout did not do him or any of the other rookies, any favors. The missed rookie camps and OTA’s notwithstanding, Houston also was the last Chiefs’ rookie to sign and thus he arrived to camp even later. Initially, some media members at camp mentioned that Houston appeared to be struggling a little bit conditioning-wise. Later, however, we heard the rookie was getting some reps with the first-team defense.
Unless Houston has an unbelievable camp, I think the Chiefs will likely start the season with Studebaker as the starter. That doesn’t mean that Houston won’t eventually get there or that he won’t get his fair share of snaps, but if I were Todd Haley, I would feel more comfortable putting the veteran Stuebaker on the field early, rather than a rookie with only a couple of weeks of pro-level practice under his belt.
In the end, I think it will come down to which player excels the most at rushing the passer. Vrabel was absolutely dreadful at generating sacks in his last season, allowing teams to focus more on stopping Tamba Hali.
If Houston does show some pass rushing ability this preseason, I could envision a situation where Studebaker and Houston rotate, with Houston being brought in on third downs in passing situations.
What do you think Addicts? Who will end up with the starting job? Houston or Studebaker?