The players
Allen Bailey, Mike Catapano, Vance Walker, Mike DeVito, Kyle Love, Jaye Howard, Dontari Poe, Dominique Hamilton, Jermelle Cudjo, Kona Schwenke
The locks are Walker, Catapano, Poe, DeVito and Bailey. Kansas City is helped here by having some versatility with Walker, allowing it to keep the best players instead of playing a numbers game. Of the rest, the Chiefs will likely keep 2-3 guys, with Love and Howard having previous time with the team.
More: Read last year's Chiefs DE preview
What's changed
General manager John Dorsey decided to let Tyson Jackson walk, a popular move around Kansas City once he was given a five-year, $25 million deal by the Atlanta Falcons. Dorsey also went out and added Walker, a pass-rusher who is likely to come in on sub-packages.
DeVito also talked about adding to his pass-rushing ability to help in the base set. Bailey gained 15 pounds in the offseason, looking to be more of a stout run defender instead of playing the role that Walker is now in.
The big question
Is there any pass rush in this group? Kansas City needs Bailey, Walker and others to be solid pass-rushers to help Poe, who was the only threat on the defensive line in 2013. Early returns suggest they could have a nice rotation of players.
Best case scenario
Walker turns into Wallace Gilberry of 2010, becoming a force on third down and notching 6-8 sacks. DeVito and Bailey prove tough against the run as expected, while Poe readies his Hall of Fame bust. Catapano develops into a nice role player, giving Kansas City all sorts of interesting options.
Worst case scenario
Walker is a waste of money. DeVito lost too much weight this offseason and begins to decline with age. Bailey is not ready for his first season as a starter and Poe is the only true difference-maker up front. (Even in the worst-case scenario Poe is still really good)
Random Facts
- Poe gave up barbecue to get into better shape ... a tough feat in Kansas City
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Catapano is the only player on the team who went to an Ivy League school (Princeton)... Edit: A reader points out that LB Josh Martin also went to an Ivy League School (Columbia).
- Walker has one of the most hilarious Twitter profiles in the NFL