FanPost

CC's Offseason Breakdown: The Linebackers

It's time to get ready for the Second Season of the NFL year. There are those of us that seem to almost get more excited for this time of the year than we do for the actual season...of course, for a team with our recent history, that might be expected. So over the next couple of months, I'll be taking a look at our roster looking for where we can make changes, while also looking at potential Free Agent and draft pick options to fill the holes that will inevitably come up after the season is over.

The LB group for Kansas City was a mixture of amazing and disappointing in 2014, and unfortunately that followed a strict line of OLB vs ILB. While Justin Houston set a team record than many Chiefs fans had once thought unbreakable, opposing teams were able to completely destroy us in the run game. Tamba Hali had a season that was statistically down, but his play on the field remained at a high level, just with more people getting in on the havoc he used to create by himself. Fortunately for the Chiefs, the biggest question at LB comes in an area where we will see two players (hopefully) returning for a full season in 2015.


2014 Outside Linebackers:

Justin Houston - The only down side to Justin Houston's 2014 campaign is the fact that it was in a contract year. Houston terrorized QBs all year long, but also showed up well against the run and in pass coverage. It's hard to argue that there is a better LB in all the NFL right now, and Houston can also make a case for being the best defensive player in the NFL period. Fortunately, John Dorsey has essentially guaranteed that Houston will be a Chief in 2015, the question is whether or not he'll be on the roster beyond that.

Tamba Hali - Though Tamba's numbers were down, his play on the field really wasn't. The biggest thing regarding Hali's statistical decline was the emergence of Justin Houston. The game tape shows that Hali still has a great motor and causes a number of problems for the left side of the opposing OL. He's never been great against the run or in pass coverage. Hali has been saying all the right things to make Cheifs fans believe that he will stay in KC until his retirement. He seems willing to work out a new deal for less money, which is the biggest issue right now.

Dee Ford - When Ford was drafted, the rumors ran rampant about what that meant for the future at OLB for the Chiefs. However, he was quickly forgotten about by many once the games actually got under way and Chiefs fans were reminded that there are two All-Pro caliber players already at the position. What does Ford's future hold? Well, don't expect him to make a huge impact right away. The Chiefs will certainly try and find more ways to get him involved, but with Houston and Hali still on the roster, it's unlikely that Ford gets a lot of exposure. This will be a real test for Bob Sutton's creativity.

Frank Zombo - Teams need a reliable veteran LB on their depth charts, and Zombo is that guy. He can be brought in to take snaps whenever needed and is a willing contributor on Special Teams. Zombo has a strong case to be on the 2015 roster, but a 5th OLB is an expendable position and the Chiefs do have some young talent to consider.

Josh Martin - Some would call Martin a JAG, but I think that's off base. Martin has done well for himself in his limited role in two seasons with the Chiefs. He strikes me as the kind of guy who can provide the same role as Zombo, except he's younger. He's the kind of guy that can be continuously signed at a low cost while providing a solid role on the team.

Dezman Moses - A true sign of depth is when you can get to the sixth man on the list and still be satisfied with what's there. Moses is another role playing guy who makes his living primarily on STs. I give Martin the edge over him, but Moses is definitely a guy to have on the roladex when you start dealing with injuries as the year goes on. It's guys like Martin and Moses that make me think there's almost 0 chance of the Chiefs looking for more OLB help.


2014 Inside Linebackers:

Derrick Johnson - The only thing that could have held DJ back happened this year. The captain of our defense missed the 2014 campaign with an achilles injury. Reports say that he is rehabbing well and should be back for 2015. The optimists say he'll be back to his All-Pro self and all is well. The pessimists say he'll be a shell of himself that needs to be replaced now. The realists say that while he won't be as good as he was, he'll be an improvement over what we had last year, and the Chiefs should think about their long-term options.

Joe Mays - Losing one starting ILB is bad...losing both is crippling, as we saw this past year. Mays was brought in as an insurance policy at ILB, but an early injury prevented him from helping much. The good news is that once Mays did get into the starting lineup, the run defense took some clear steps forward. Mays carries a cap number that is far above what we got from him in 2014, but if the Chiefs have faith he will get back to his previous self then he's a very reasonably priced improvement over what we had at ILB.

Josh Mauga - A perfect example of why I hate people that judge success by stat sheets. Mauga was terrible in 2014. Not "ok for a backup" or "decent for what we needed him to do"...no, he was BAD. Opposing offenses were running through the middle of our defense at will. No part of that translates to Mauga being "ok" or "decent". The Chiefs need a clear upgrade in our ILB depth.

James Michael-Johnson - The other half of our ILB group wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire either. JMJ was another liability in the middle of the field for us. Jovan Belcher and Akeem Jordan were not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination, but JMJ had many of pining for those two players. If he's on the roster in 2015, you can count me as surprised.


2015 Questions:

Who will be our starting OLBs? The early money should be on Houston and Hali to continue on. However, I would expect Dee Ford to get more involved in 2015. Dorsey has assured us that Houston will be on the roster, and Hali has assured us that he will do what it takes to also be here.

Is Dee Ford a bust? No...or at least, not yet. This is the frustrating part of taking BPA in the draft, there's no guarantee he will get on the field. That's the situation with Ford right now, and it may even continue into 2015. The Chiefs will be looking at all their options, but there is no reason to panic over Ford yet.

How much does Derrick Johnson have left? Probably a little more than a lot of folks think. DJ's contributions to our defense aren't just physical, he's the captain. He's the guy who makes the reads for us. He's the guy who points things out and helps direct the defense. That's the biggest thing the Chiefs were missing in 2014...leadership. There wasn't anybody else to fill that role. I expect DJ to have another 3-5 years left in the tank. He may not ever be the guy he was a couple years ago, at least physically. But he does still offer quite a bit to this defense.

Will the Chiefs be better against the run with DJ and Mays in 2015? The short answer is yes. The long answer is also yes...ok, I'll make it a little longer. Even a 75% DJ is better than what we got from Josh Mauga. The reason for that is because DJ understands what is going on in almost every situation. Mauga was clearly lost a lot of the time last year. You don't find that with a guy like DJ. As for the other side, JMJ clearly showed that he was not capable of taking on blockers and forcing the play. Joe Mays can do that. He can stack and shed. He can redirect. He can anticipate. Those are all huge parts of the ILB game.

Will the Chiefs draft a LB early? If the draft board works out correctly, I think the Chiefs will absolutely take an ILB in the 1st - 3rd rounds. They won't try to force the issue by taking a guy early, and they won't limit themselves to looking solely for a LB in any of those rounds. But if the right guy is there at the right time, Dorsey will definitely make the move.


2015 Draft Options:

Erik Kendricks - ILB - UCLA - 2nd Rd: A strong candidate to one day take over for Derrick Johnson, Kendricks is a playmaker who thrives on his athleticism, ability to diagnose the play, and aggressiveness. He's got a great motor and a nose for the ball that coaches will love. Doesn't have the ideal size teams are looking for, but works hard to overcome that.

Denzel Perryman - ILB - Miami - 2nd Rd: A compact and powerful interior LB, Perryman is ideally suited for the SILB role of taking on blockers and allowing his counterpart to make the plays. However, Perryman brings the added benefit of being a sound tackler. The 2nd rd may be a little high for taking a guy who fills the role that Perryman is likely to in a 3-4. As a 4-3 MLB, I think he has more value.

Benardrick McKinney - OLB/ILB - Mississippi St - 2nd Rd: An athletic monster, McKinney is the kind of prospect that translates well to multiple positions. McKinney's versatility could work against him however. He's a converted QB that played OLB in college. He's struggled at times with play recognition and assignment awareness, which could be concerning for a team looking to move him to a new position at the pro level. The Chiefs could be an ideal location as they wouldn't need him to start right away.

Ramik Wilson - OLB/ILB - Georgia - 3rd/4th Rds: A strong player in space, Wilson shows a lot of potential at the NFL level as a role-playing LB. He can be lined up at almost any LB spot to provide quality coverage in passing situations. Doesn't look to be an every-down LB though, and is probably a reach in the 3rd.

Taiwan Jones - ILB - Michigan St - 5th Rd: An ideal prospect for the SILB position, Jones has great ability to stack and shed blockers, as well as the downhill attack mentality to be the one to engage contact rather than receive it. He's not going to make a ton of plays on the stat sheets, but he will allow the players around him to clean up plays that he's disrupted.

Mike Hull - ILB - Penn St - 5th/6th Rds: If Mike Hull had the measurables that teams look for in a LB, he'd be a borderline 1st Rd pick. However, he's undersized, lacks the ideal strength, is neither fast nor quick, and doesn't possess great athleticism. He makes up for these things with his understanding of the game and a relentless motor. An ideal candidate for ST duty and could be a decent backup at SILB.


2015 Free Agent Options:

Brandon Spikes - ILB: Probably the best available man for the job, Spikes would quickly supplant Mays as the starter. After a down year, Spikes won't be commanding anywhere near what he got in 2014, which was pretty reasonable in itself. He's a thumper who will certainly be looking for a 3 year offer from someone.

Rolando McClain - ILB: Honestly, who among us wouldn't love to rub this one in the face of raiders fans? McClain was a complete draft bust who suddenly found himself in the Cowboys defense. The Cowboys will likely try to re-sign him, but the Chiefs should definitely be kicking the tires here. McClain has the talent to be a superstar, and it appears that he has finally started to apply himself.

David Harris - ILB: Harris would be an immediate upgrade to almost any defense. This would be a replacement for Joe Mays on day one without even a whimper from most people. Harris and DJ playing next to each other should be a dream scenario for Bob Sutton. However, it's likely to be a costly one if the Chiefs do decide to go that route.

Brad Jones - ILB: A great chance to find a high-quality backup candidate, Jones has flashed talent over his career, enough so that the Packers made him the starter. However, he had a less than stellar 2014 season that was largely highlighted by another injury.

Akeem Jordon - ILB: Jordan certainly wasn't a world beater, but he was definitely serviceable in the Chiefs defense. Having him on board at a low price could make Mays expendable following what should be a decent competition in Training Camp.


Bottom Line:

While the OLB position is about as sound as can be, and there is reason to have faith in the starting ILBs for 2015, there is a clear need for depth in the interior of our defense. The draft is the ideal way to find depth, and there are some excellent prospects available who could translate into starters in the long run. Don't expect the Chiefs to "target" anyone, but don't be surprised if they do take an ILB early on.


Up Next: Cornerbacks

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.