Did the Kansas City Chiefs improve? OG edition

2012: Jon Asamoah, Ryan Lilja, Jeff Allen, Donald Stephenson, Bryan Mattison, Russ Hochstein

2013: Jon Asamoah, Jeff Allen, Geoff Schwartz, Donald Stephenson, A.J. Hawkins, Ryan Durand

Advantage: 2013

Jon Asamoah is the rock here. We know who he is and what he can do. He's proven it and all we're waiting on him for is to see if he takes another leap in the NFL. There are few concerns here.

Chiefs position battles

With a new regime comes many changes. The KC Chiefs have seen change at big spots, like quarterback, but there are also other positions up for grabs. We take a look at the upcoming position battles to keep an eye on this summer.

Ryan Lilja is no longer a Chief. He played center last season when Rodney Hudson went down. He "retired" this offseason although there were a few rumors that he could possibly return. All is quiet on that front so I'll assume he's staying retired until we hear otherwise.

Jeff Allen filled Lilja's spot at guard when Lilja went to cover center for Hudson. He was a rookie who had his growing pains as they all do. The hope with him is that he continues to develop. A second round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Allen will be competing with Geoff Schwartz for the other guard position. Schwartz is a veteran, coming in this offseason with 19 career starts under his belt. That battle for the guard spot opposite Asamoah will be one of the better ones this summer. I'm looking forward to it.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It's that competition that makes me think the 2013 Chiefs will be better off at guard than they were last year. Allen was not supposed to start last year. He was a reserve who was thrust into action when Hudson went down and Lilja became the center. That he is competing with someone who has multiple years of experience makes this position better.

What really elevates this position is that the Chiefs will have a nice reserve lineman when it's all said and done. Whether it's Schwartz or Allen, one of those two will be a back-up.

And speaking of reserve linemen, don't forget about Donald Stephenson here. We think of him as a tackle but he can fill in at guard if need be.

So, did the Chiefs get better at the guard position in the past year?

Previously: Did the Chiefs improve?

Offensive tackle
Tight end
Quarterback
Running back
Fullback
Wide receiver