Most Perplexing Kansas City Chiefs Offseason Questions

Sep 7, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs inside linebacker Derrick Johnson (56) leaves the field on a cart against the Tennessee Titans in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

6. Front Seven Help Against The Run

After injuries to Mike DeVito, Eric Berry, and Derrick Johnson, the Chiefs lost virtually all of their top run-stopping defenders. The result was a bunch of teams that chose just to run up the middle play after play with the Chiefs having little to no answer on how to stop it.

The problem Kansas City faces is how much can they rely on DeVito, Berry, and DJ given the nature of their injuries? This isn’t a broken bone or ligament tear, this is cancer and two achilles tears. Those are very serious situations, especially in Berry’s case (as we’ve already discussed). Dorsey has to be looking to the future here as there is no way he can know that the players he may be returning – DeVito, Berry, and DJ – will be the same players that they were before they were injured.

A run-stopping defensive lineman and some inside linebacker help is a must for Kansas City. Even if DJ was coming back in full health, he’s entering the final year of his contract and is over 30-years old. Dorsey was in a position where he was going to need to find DJ’s replacement this season anyway. The trouble now is he needs to find a guy who can come in and play immediately as opposed to taking a Dee Ford route.

Good news for the Chiefs is defensive line is suppose to be pretty strong in this year’s draft so they may be able to find solid guy with a mid-round pick. Inside linebacker may be another story, however.

It may be a situation where the Chiefs are going to have to spend on a free agent or spend a first round pick on one of the top inside linebackers if they are going to fix the run-stopping problem they have on defense.