Chiefs camp: 5 things we have learned thus far
Aug 7, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Jaye Howard (96) pressures Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Matt Scott (8) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won the game 41-39. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
1. Jaye Howard looks very good
Before we start to dive into this, let’s get some reaction from the men watching Howard firsthand.
#Chiefs DL Jaye Howard blows the play up and LB Justin Houston celebrates. pic.twitter.com/NjBCRIUjtd
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) August 3, 2015
Jaye Howard continues to be disruptive. Penetration, TFL on run up the middle by West.
— RIP Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) August 4, 2015
Allen Bailey signed a 4 yr, $25M deal last Nov. in the middle of a contract yr. I wonder if Jaye Howard ends up earning something similar.
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) August 3, 2015
In other words, Howard is playing like a man on a mission. Howard played defensive end in the place of DeVito last season and showed up well against the run. With Poe on the shelf for what will likely be a month or so, Howard once again will see major snaps.
If Kansas City is going to have a great defense like many expect, nose tackle can’t be a position of weakness. Howard will need to command a double-team, and he apparently looks up to the task in camp. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 301 pounds, Howard has the size to play inside. If he can get the job done, the Chiefs are in excellent shape.
2. Offensive line is looking set in stone
On Tuesday, the Chiefs changed the starting group for the first time since camp opened. For the first three days, it was Eric Fisher, Ben Grubbs, Eric Kush, Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson from left to right. On Tuesday, Allen and Stephenson were moved to the second team, replaced by Zach Fulton and Derek Sherrod.
Still, it appears Reid knows who he wants to play on the line. The group looks much improved from 2014, with Grubbs replacing Mike McGlynn, Allen taking over for Fulton and Stephenson stepping in for the over-matched Ryan Harris. The only downgrade is at center, with Kush coming in for Rodney Hudson.
Next: We drafted the truth and chemistry takes work