Any thoughts on how the Chiefs defense will evolve? (1 Viewer)

[bcr8f]

Can they play the 3-4?

Can Dorsey be an effective NT?

How will the LB's be structured?

Any opinions? I'm not looking for forecasts just opinions.

 

[tjford]

To answer your questions from my point of view:

1) I don't think they have the DLs for it but they probably try a hybrid or situational 3-4.

2) No, if anything he plays 5-gap in 3-4.

3) In a 3-4, my guess is that Derrick Johnson and Demorrio Williams play ILB. Tamba Hali likely stands up and plays OLB with Vrabel.

All my points are opinion, nothing concrete to base it on. Just a best guess.

 

[Fighting Noles]

It will also depend on if they take CURRY @ 1.03 or not (How the LBs' shake out)....

 

[bcr8f]

To answer your questions from my point of view:

1) I don't think they have the DLs for it but they probably try a hybrid or situational 3-4.

2) No, if anything he plays 5-gap in 3-4.

3) In a 3-4, my guess is that Derrick Johnson and Demorrio Williams play ILB. Tamba Hali likely stands up and plays OLB with Vrabel.

All my points are opinion, nothing concrete to base it on. Just a best guess.

I know. That's all I was looking for. If Detroit doesn't take Curry KC probably will.

 

[Jene Bramel]

If Kansas City is serious about installing a 3-4 front immediately, it looks an awful lot like they'll be shoehorning personnel to scheme. The two most important roles in today's 3-4 fronts are the nose tackle and rush OLB. The Chiefs have neither. Clancy Pendergast used plenty of three man nickel fronts in Arizona, but didn't use a 3-4 on base defensive downs until Ken Whisenhunt came on board. It's possible that the same hybrid, multiple front playbook that Arizona used in the past two seasons will be the "3-4" that Schefter is reporting, but that wouldn't necessarily fit with what Scott Pioli has worked with in New England alongside Bill Belichick. Gary Gibbs has some experience with 3-4 fronts, briefly coaching linebackers in the classic 3-4 that Parcells favored while he was in Dallas.At nearly every position in a prospective 3-4 front seven, the current personnel would seem to be a little too big, too small or too slow to fit.Turk McBride and Tamba Hali aren't good fits for a 3-4 end, hybrid or not. Moving Hali back to linebacker is questionable; he's not as likely to succeed as Greg Ellis or even Matt Roth. Jay Ratliff ended up working out well as a NT in Dallas, but Glenn Dorsey isn't a great bet to do as well. Maybe he's another Darnell Dockett DE/DT in the making. Tank Tyler probably isn't stout enough to survive on the nose either.Assuming Hali gets slotted at one OLB slot, you have to think that the other spot is filled by a big name FA acquisition (if possible) or some kind of draft pick (though there may not be a clear rush OLB prospect at the third overall pick). Brian Johnston may be in the mix there, too. Derrick Johnson has some versatility, but you'd have to guess that he'd slot inside (as Pendergast did with Karlos Dansby). Aaron Curry with the third pick to play the SILB spot with Johnson the WILB might be an option. Otherwise, assuming a lesser draft pick or free agent acquisition, there's a bunch of replacement level talent fighting for the other inside spot and determining who plays where. There are a number of interesting FA linebackers around (Crowell, Boley, BScott, ADavis, Crowder, Barton, Spikes) that could be used as stopgaps.Still just the beginning of a pretty interesting offseason here.

Here's a post I made a few weeks ago when the news first broke. The big name FA acquisition or draft pick turned out to be Mike Vrabel, and the Chiefs may be able to get away with Tamba Hali and Vrabel as their OLBs for now. The defensive line still needs plenty of work and it remains unclear who'll play next to Derrick Johnson inside. Aaron Curry still looks like a nice option for Kansas City, and he could fit either inside or outside, depending on how the team feels Hali fits as an OLB. Maybe a reach for Brian Orakpo to play outside if Curry isn't there.I'm with tford on Dorsey's future role. Dorsey could line up at nose, but that would really cut down on his potential impact. Not that he'd have anywhere near the impact as a 3-4 end that he could have had as a three-technique tackle, but he's really not a guy that will be able to consistently clog the middle.