The Kansas City Chiefs have several decisions to make at safety

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 16: Free safety Ron Parker
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 16: Free safety Ron Parker /
facebooktwitterreddit

Star safety Eric Berry was out for most of 2017 and it showed in the Kansas City Chiefs safety group. Could they be seeing changes in the offseason?

The 2018 offseason will be the first full offseason under new general manager Brett Veach for the Kansas City Chiefs. There will be plenty of player shuffling, including at the safety positions. With star safety Eric Berry being out for all but one game in 2017, we got a good look at what the secondary or defense as a whole looks like without him.

There’s no surprise when a player of that level gets hurt, there’s a dropoff in overall effectiveness. No one expected safety Daniel Sorensen to come in and fill Berry’s shoes. The problem that we saw is that Sorensen was exposed when getting extra snaps in Berry’s absence. Free safety Ron Parker also had a down year compared to last and there’s been talk amongst fans whether he should stay.

One year after arguing whether the Kansas City Chiefs had the best group of safeties, we’re now arguing whether they should be cut. With limited stats for this position group, you have to really watch them play more than just the live broadcast to really have this argument. It’s not like quarterbacks where you can point your whole argument to the boxscores.

Here’s a closer look at the players that Veach will make some decisions about:

Daniel Sorensen

Sorensen was an undrafted free agent in 2014 and signed a deal with the Chiefs. The former BYU safety was projected to either be a late seventh-round draft pick or free agent due to struggles with speed, size and play on the ball. In 2016 it had seemed that the Chiefs coaches had found ways to work with the young safety’s struggles and turn him into a playmaker. Sorensen had 3 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, and 54 tackles—all of which were career highs.

Like many of former general manager John Dorsey’s “guys”, he got a contract extension last offseason. Unfortunately, the increased snaps for Sorensen in 2017 did not bring more big plays. Instead, we saw multiple flaws when asked to do more. Many will argue that with him leading the team in tackles (89) would show that he was highly productive.

The problem with that argument is that it says more about the team’s defensive issues than it does abilities of Sorensen. When members of your secondary lead the team in tackles it means that the front seven isn’t able to get the job done. The offensive players are getting to the last line of defense in that case.

Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton made an attempt to play Sorensen in a similar role as Berry in the defense. He tried to play him inside the box to help with the run game but the safety managed to get pushed out of the play more often than make one of his own. The inability to cover the middle of the field and get to the sideline on passes showed many times as well. Probably the most frustrating was while he made the most tackles amongst the team, he had plenty of misses as well.

With Berry coming back in 2018, Sorensen will more than likely be back in his limited role. While he is better in that more limited role with less responsibility, the Chiefs are paying a player $4.8 million against the cap to play half of the defensive snaps. Limited snaps plus limited abilities make many feel like Sorensen got way overpaid.

Ron Parker

Safety Ron Parker had a bit of a down year in many eyes as he was down on tackles, defended passes, and turnovers from his last few years. He’s starting to show some age as he isn’t as fast as he once was. While he’s not the best cover safety, he makes for a good last line of defense over the top. Parker made some very good tackles that could have been taken to the house once again this season, many in key moments of games.

Parker would be the most cap rewarding to cut this offseason. Cutting him would also mean giving more responsibility to Sorensen for another year. With the secondary already struggling, the Chiefs can’t afford to keep Sorensen in a big role.

Eric Murray and Leon McQuay III

Sixth-round pick Leon McQuay III spent most of the season on the practice squad. He was brought up after the win over the Oakland Raiders in week 14. Safety Steven Terrell was injured and moved to injured reserve. McQuay still didn’t see much field time until Week 17 against the Denver Broncos. Dorsey was high on his athleticism and intelligence.

Eric Murray filled in as the third safety this year after Berry went down. Murray struggled after the first few games blowing coverages and not being able to take on tight ends. The second year can still improve but was not the answer in 2017.

Eric Berry is coming back next year and will no doubt improve the defense on all levels, pass and run. It’s possible that we could be back to arguing if we have the best safety group in the league by this time next year. The questions that remain are if both Parker and Sorensen will be back next season or cut to save money and is Sorensen worth his new extension?