The 5 most important second half players for the Kansas City Chiefs
By Matt Conner
Kevin Pierre-Louis
Brett Veach had a vision this summer as he took the reins of the general manager position for the Kansas City Chiefs. Specifically he wanted to remake the team’s linebacking corps, and he completed two successive trades to do so: acquiring Kevin Pierre-Louis from the Seattle Seahawks from D.J. Alexander and Reggie Ragland from the Buffalo Bills for a future pick (see next entry).
The trade for Kevin Pierre-Louis was specifically about ceilings. On the surface, the move didn’t make much sense. Alexander was a proven special teams performer who even went to the Pro Bowl for his S/T excellence just the previous season. He was also younger and signed for one year longer than Pierre-Louis. It was a straight swap of linebackers and the Seahawks got the cheaper Pro Bowler for longer. Even that statement reads lopsided.
Pierre-Louis, however, never really got his chance to shine in Seattle, something he’s slowly earning the right to do in Kansas City. The coaches are starting to see what Veach saw, and Bob Sutton is giving him the snaps to show the fans what they’re seeing internally. On Sunday, KPL led the Chiefs in total tackles with 5, including one for a loss. He also received a season-high 39 snaps. He’s a perfect nickel linebacker if he can develop his instincts and knowledge.