OTA Quotes: Kansas City Chiefs Assistant Coaches Take Center Stage

Sep 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton watches against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won the game 17-16. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BOB SUTTON

Q: What have you seen from Husain Abdullah so far?

SUTTON: “Well, he’s done a good job. He did a really good job for us last year, played a lot of different roles for us. He’s a guy that has very good instincts, has really good knowledge of the whole defense so he gives us some great flexibility. He can play back, he can play up and I just think he’s going to get better and better. We’ve got several guys that are working in there, Sanders Commings is working in there as well. Right now a lot of it is about competition. We’re trying to develop competition. Compete against yourself, compete against the other guys and nobody should be satisfied with whatever level of position you’re perceived to be at right now.”

Q: What do you look for out of the free safety spot and what does that guy have to be able to do for you?

SUTTON: “Well I think we have a couple things, one, we try to play both safeties equally – we don’t really have a strong and a free, so both guys have to know both jobs. But you’re really looking for guys that have a lot of range. Free safeties can do a lot of things, a lot of it goes unnoticed but you can cap off a play. A play that maybe was run or caught for 20 yards but that guy is there to stop it at 20 yards. That’s a big part of being successful, anytime you can limit the explosive players and keep them down the better off you are. You’re asking a lot, you’ve got to be a centerfielder, you’ve got to have good knowledge of the defense, like every team is asking out of their safeties. Those would be the main things that we’d be looking for.”

Q: Kendrick Lewis was a guy that talked a lot and was kind of the quarterback of the secondary. How do you go about replacing that, is that something that Eric Berry has taken more of a role in?

SUTTON: “Well I think everybody does. Kendrick was a real sharp guy back there, very verbal guy. He’s obviously not here and someone else has to step up and we’re really encouraging everybody out there to step up and instead of putting it on one person’s plate, hey let’s get into this thing and go and understand what we’re looking for. But I think all the guys are starting to do a good job.”

Q: We haven’t seen a ton of Vance Walker working in with the first team. Where is he at right now with you guys?

SUTTON: “He’s done a good job. He’s been working in there. We’ve got him playing a couple different positions in there, he’s learning our techniques. I think Vance is going to be fine.”