Kansas City Chiefs season-in-review 2017: Linebackers analysis

We’re breaking down the Kansas City Chiefs season with a positional review. Today we start our look at the defense by focusing on the line.

If there’s a single position at which John Dorsey and Brett Veach held very, very different views, the latter let it be known the moment he got the job as Kansas City Chiefs general manager. Immediately upon his hiring, he went to work on a single position more than anything else and it remade the heart of a defense in a matter of days.

Linebacker was Veach’s key focus once he settled into his new office. He called Josh Mauga and signed him back to the team’s preseason roster (although he failed to make the final active roster cut). He traded two more seasons of D.J. Alexander to the Seattle Seahawks for one more from Kevin Pierre-Louis. He flipped a future fourth round choice to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for thumper Reggie Ragland.

Just like that, the Chiefs had youth, depth and lots of unknown potential.

The Expectations

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On the inside, Chiefs fans didn’t really know what to expect from their linebackers. Derrick Johnson was returning once again from injury and venturing further into his thirties. Ragland was coming off of an ACL tear himself, and if he was really a game-changing linebacker, why was Buffalo content to flip him for a 4th round pick in 2019? The trade for Pierre-Louis made everyone in Chiefs Kingdom use those search terms for the first time ever. New draft choice Ukeme Eligwe checked all the boxes yet needed to make a leap so large that it might be 2019 before he mattered as well.

If the inside was all about question marks, the outside was all about concerns. Could Justin Houston stay healthy? Could Dee Ford stay consistent? Could the Chiefs get anything out of anyone else? Did the Chiefs blow a chance for an impact player on the edge by taking so many future projects in a single draft?

Beyond all of that, there was also the mystery of what in the world was going on with Tamba Hali? He talked the talk about wanting to get more playing time to make a greater impact and then he is shelved for most of the year? None of it made sense, from a typically quiet leader raising his voice to a team deciding to place him on IR.

The Reality

Besides quarterback, there’s no single issue (or player) more important to the Kansas City Chiefs than Justin Houston, so the fact that he answered any questions about him with a healthy season in which he played all 15 games (remember everyone rested on the seventh day, er, 16th game) is incredible. It’s easy to look at a stat sheet, see 9.5 sacks and wonder if he’s slipping, but the metrics show he’s as dangerous as anyone in the NFL. It’s just that the Chiefs have done such a poor job of freeing him up.

In fact, the reality of the Chiefs pass rush is just that: every other concern was well-founded. Tanoh Kpassagnon offered zero in his first season besides a couple sacks in a season finale that didn’t matter. Frank Zombo deserves credit for being such a stable plug-and-play option for the Chiefs, but he made 9 starts opposite Houston. That alone will eliminate any ability for Houston to do what he does best.

Dee Ford is an inconsistent product with serious back problems. That’s a horrible combination for which the Chiefs might still be on the hook to the tune of over $8 million. Given the inconsistent front line as well as the incredibly thin roster at edge rusher and outside linebacker, it’s no wonder the Chiefs could barely get after the quarterback in 2017.

As for Hali, nothing happened. It was December before we ever saw him and the impact was minimal with a single tackle in five games and a complete inability to play on artificial turf even when the team needed him down the stretch.

On the inside, the reality was a lot brighter. Veach hit a double and a home run, so to speak, with his two linebacker trades. Pierre-Louis was an athletic wonder who earned more snaps for himself in the team’s base defense every passing week. Once Ragland returned to form enough to play significant reps, it was easy to see why Veach made the call for him. He was a wonder in the middle for the Chiefs and his presence (and continued growth) will soon provide serious impact in the middle.

That’s good because Derrick Johnson, on the other hand, has clearly lost a significant step. His instincts remain strong and he’s often able to work the angles and use his expertise to make a play here and there. His leadership is also irreplaceable in the middle. That said, there were too many poor angles and/or clear signs of being a step behind his old self throughout the year, and it led to declining reps in the heart of the defense.

Lessons Learned

Moving forward, Veach has to figure out the best way for the Chiefs to free Justin Houston. That can be done in a number of ways through acquiring better edge rushers or even bolstering the d-line or secondary to create other mismatches on defense. The how doesn’t matter just as long as it’s top priority for the front office.

If the Chiefs fail to sign Pierre-Louis to a new deal then they have to find another answer inside. Bringing back Johnson beyond anything more than a back-up/on-field coach sort of role would allow defenses to take advantage next season, even with Ragland present and healthy for a full year. KPL clearly thrived with the Chiefs and it’d be nice to see him back on an affordable deal.

At some point, the youngsters have to grow up and contribute. We’ve heard so much about the develpomental projects: Ukeme Eligwe, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Dadi Nicolas. At some point, one or more of them need to become real NFL contributors or make room for others. It’s nice to have one such player, but having multiples take up necessary roster slots keeps the position way too thin for the rigors of the regular season.

The bottom line: the Chiefs have a game-changer at one outside linebacker slot and a potential new heart of the defense in Ragland. Half of the work is done. KPL re-signing could make quick work of interior needs, but the team has to accelerate Kpassagnon’s timeline, sign a veteran edge rusher on the open market and still add another Day 2 rookie to the mix in order to be where they need for 2018.

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