Dee Ford talked about offseason progress

Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Dee Ford talked about his maturation.

Everybody connected with the Chiefs understands that Dee Ford is a huge part of where the team wants to go this season. After being drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Ford has not been highly productive.

The Auburn product has amassed only 5.5 sacks, although four of them came in 2015. The question surrounding Ford has been once he gets playing time, what can he do with it? Unfortunately, with the ACL injury to Justin Houston, we are about to find out.

In Tuesday’s media session, Ford revealed that he gained 10 pounds this offseason, going from 245 to 255 without letting his eight percent body fat percentage rise. He also spoke about having to be more consistent but feeling good about learning from both Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.

Frankly, this is the year Ford needs to become a playmaker. With Houston out for what will likely be at least a month, this is his moment to shine. Nobody is realistically expecting Ford to have 15 sacks, but maybe eight sacks and 20 pressures would make most Chiefs fans smile.

At this juncture, Ford has shown ability in small sample sizes. We saw him dominate against the San Diego Chargers last year, notching three sacks and the game-winning pass breakup.

Now the question is simple: what can Ford do with the starting role?

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