Dissecting the Defense

With free agency having peaked and the draft quickly approaching, it's time to look at both sides of the Chiefs roster and examine the areas in which the team will look or should look for improvement. Today, we start with the defense.

Romeo Crennel, as defensive-minded a head coach as there is in the league, is in his first offseason as Chiefs head coach, and yet there haven't been a lot of moves of any significance made on defense. The only one really worth noting is the addition of CB Stanford Routt in preparing for the loss of Brandon Carr. And that addition came before the free agency period began. Since then, it's been a RB, TE, RT and QB. 

One has to believe that when Scott Pioli said the Chiefs "aren't done" at acquiring free agents, that it was about time to start turning the team's attention to the defensive side of the ball. And if not in free agency, then the draft will be the time to work on the defense. But where?

IMMEDIATE NEEDS

I wrote last week that the nose tackle position is one of importance, with Amon Gordon, recently resigned this offseason, and Jerrell Powe are the only two players on the depth chart that were on the team's 53 man roster last season. I even suggested Aubrayo Franklin, a free agent who spent last season with the Saints, as an option. It turns out that the Chiefs, according to ESPN AFC West blogger Bill Williamson, that the Chiefs are, in fact, interested in Franklin. And although it was pointed out to me last week in the comments section that Franklin has never played in the Chiefs defensive style, I still think the Chiefs should consider it. And if not during free agency, then drafting a nose tackle (a lot of Chiefs fans are high on Dontari Poe. I'm not one of them but I'm also not a draft expert so take it with a grain of salt). 

UPGRADES

Looking at the Chiefs defensive roster, it's hard to look at any position (besides the immediate need of nose tackle) and see an issue. But inside linebacker is a position where an upgrade is possible. I know many Chiefs fans are Jovan Belcher fans, and I understand. Undrafted free agent out of Maine, gets his shot at the starting roster and does so the last two seasons; it's hard not to root for him. And I do believe he's better than Brandon Siler, who was competition before tearing his Achilles tendon during training camp. But an upgrade is possible, probably not through free agency (unless Jonathan Vilma becomes available and inexplicably doesn't suffer a suspension), but via the draft. Many people are linking Boston College LB Luke Kuechly to the Chiefs because of that reason. Kuechly has more upside, but like I said, it's hard not to like Belcher.

DEPTH

As the Chiefs learned last season, depth is essential at every position on the field. When Eric Berry was lost for the season, the Chiefs had to alternate between mediocre safeties for the rest of the season and the result was not good for the team. The Chiefs are even thinner now at safety than they were last year, so that position is in obvious need of depth. Inside linebacker is also in need of depth behind Derrick Johnson, where Cory Greenwood is the immediate backup; Greenwood has never started a game or played more than special teams or special subpackages. With Wallace Gillbery a free agent, defensive end is a position in need of depth behind Glenn Dorsey. Scott Pioli has drafted a cornerback in every season he's been in KC, so look for him to continue that streak this year, especially with Crennel's tendency to play a lot of five DB sets (which the Chiefs will see even more of with Peyton Manning now in the division). 

That's how the Chiefs defense looks like at this point in the offseason, and by dissecting the defense, we can get a better idea of where the Chiefs will go in next month's draft. 

Dissecting the Offense will be out soon.