Dontari Poe is a game changer with big play ability. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Pros:
Quality of Player: Dontari Poe is one of the most dominant big men in the NFL. He has a level of athleticism that you simply aren’t supposed to be able to find in a person that big. And he has shown a quick adaptability to the NFL style of football, being able to both attack the backfield and eat up blockers. He is really the kind of player that can be at home in any defensive front.
Strength of Team
: The Chiefs are loaded on defense, but that is especially true in their front three. Poe, Jaye Howard, and Allen Bailey could each start on just about any defensive line in the league. That talent up front allows the linebackers to become playmakers who can put themselves in position to make something happen on every down. It also takes a lot of pressure off of the secondary which is able to be more confident in their man coverage due to how quickly the quarterback has to make a decision. It’s a strong group, and preserving that is important.
The Chiefs defensive front has become its strength with Poe in the mix.
Cons:
Importance of Position: When people think of a 3-4 defense, the common perception is that it is built around a giant space-eating nose tackle. Well, that’s true…in the 2-gap concept run by the previous Chiefs regime under Romeo Crennel. What the Chiefs run now is a 1-gap concept in which the job of the defensive line is to do more attacking. Poe is still very good at that, but his importance on the field is diminished. The Chiefs don’t need him to take up blockers, they need him to get into the backfield, but that is also what they ask of the defensive ends playing next to him, making the individual position less relevant.
Chiefs Cap Space
: Just like with Eric Berry, except that Poe’s contract would likely be much larger than the one Berry is likely to get. That makes it even more of a strain on the team, and even more difficult to add or retain other players in the future. It may even be to the point where the Chiefs simply can’t afford Dontari Poe regardless of what they decide to do with Eric Berry.
Have the Chiefs already addressed replacing Dontari Poe? Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Health: Dontari Poe’s back is a big concern. Every position group has it’s “red flag” injury. For skill players, it’s anything with the knee. For quarterbacks it’s the shoulder or elbow on the throwing arm. For offensive and defensive linemen, it’s anything involving the back or neck. Carrying around 300lbs is neither natural nor healthy for the human body. So when one of these huge men suffers any kind of injury to their spine or the muscles surround it, it’s a big deal. These injuries can easily become recurring for players, and Poe probably didn’t do himself any favors there by getting back on the field as quickly as he did.
Replacement: Chris Jones probably won’t replace Dontari Poe. However, he may replace Jaye Howard at defensive end, which would allow Howard to slide over to defensive tackle. Howard already has some experience filling in for Poe, which really makes this a strong point for the Chiefs. If they believe Howard can handle the role, then they may have already made their decision on Poe. That would certainly be in line with how John Dorsey has drafted in the past.
