Justin Houston contract: What it means for Dee Ford

Jun 17, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Aaron Murray (7) and linebacker Dee Ford (55) pose for photos after the Kansas City Chiefs minicamp at University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret the Hali is winding down his great career with the organization. However, he is still a feared player in the NFL. The use of Ford on the first team in the absence of Houston will help him as he prepares to potentially take over for Hali when he retires.

Even with both Hali and Houston back in the mix look for Ford to see an increased playing time in 2015.

If Hali is truly on the decline then it will be time for Ford to show what he is truly capable of doing with another year under his belt and working with the coaches. It will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Bob Sutton uses Ford in 2015. Last year with arguably the best pass-rush duo in the NFL, Ford did not see much playing time. In fact, Ford only played 122 total snaps compared to 1032 snaps for Houston according to footballoustsiders.com. That comes out to only 11.5% of the total snaps the Chiefs defense had in 2014.

For 2015, look for Ford to have an increased work load and to be a situational rotation player. He will not get snap numbers like his counterparts in Houston and Hali, but he should have an increase.

This is going to be an important for the young star. While the deal for Houston just made him more money than most of us will see in our lifetime, Ford needs to be more than an afterthought. Heaven forbid something happen to Hali or Houston, knowing we have a possible adequate replacement should give the Chiefs some breathing room going forward.

There you have it, Addicts. Do you think Ford will see more playing time in 2015? What are your predictions for the second-year player? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

Go Chiefs!