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Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford says he's ‘not satisfied' with his 2015 performance from The Kansas City Star
"No," Ford said, flatly. "Man, look â I know what I can do. I know what I can bring to the table. I know my expectations. And until I get that done, I'm not going to be satisfied."
Ford, who turned 25 this month, finished the season with 23 tackles and four sacks in 14 games (including five starts) in 565 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Those numbers easily surpassed his 2014 output, when he recorded eight tackles and 1 1/2 sacks playing roughly 9 percent of the Chiefs' defensive snaps.
"I played," Ford said. "I made the 53-man roster. I played another year with two of the best linebackers in the world. I have one of the best position coaches in the world, one of the best staffs in the world, best organizations in the world. I'm blessed. But I'm not satisfied."
Chiefs' expensive acquisition of Mitchell Schwartz makes sense in AFC West from The Kansas City Star
The left tackle position has long been considered the most important one on the offensive line. The protector of the quarterback's blindside, he's the one who often blocks the league's best edge rushers.
But in the Chiefs' division, the AFC West, the right tackle spot might be just as important. Four of the league's best edge rushers â Denver's Von Miller, Oakland's Khalil Mack, Kansas City's Justin Houston and San Diego's Melvin Ingram â each rush off that side, meaning there's no place for lumbering, predominant-run blocking right tackles in this division.
That is, to be sure, one of the reasons the Chiefs felt comfortable giving former Cleveland Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz a lucrative five-year deal worth $33 million during free agency.
Both Chiefs and Eric Berry would like to get a long-term deal done from The Kansas City Chiefs
Berry served as the emotional leader of the 2015 Chiefs, fast-tracking his way back from a December 2014 diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma to return in time for the start of training camp.
He looked quicker and faster than in previous seasons â he was back to playing at his college weight of 210 pounds â as he racked up 61 tackles, 10 pass deflections and two interceptions as he made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time.
Berry, a first-round pick of the Chiefs in 2010, is considered a core part of the franchise. When asked at the annual meeting about the importance of re-signing team icons like Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali, Hunt lumped Berry with them.
"As a fan I'm always excited when we can keep players who have been as important for the Kansas City Chiefs as all three of those players have been," Hunt said. "Not only on the field, but off the field."
Coaches explain why they signed former Chiefs during free-agency from The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs lost a handful of key free agents this March, and I caught up with their new coaches this week at the NFL's annual meeting to find out why they signed each player. Here's what some of them had to say:
BYU football: Kaufusi, Blackmon and Mathews shine at Pro Day (with video) from The Salt Lake Tribune
"I just wanted to let my combine numbers stand," Kaufusi said, having shown well at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month. "I think I did well [on the agility drills], though. I wanted to showcase that I am tall and heavier, but can still move well."
Several NFL scouts seemed OK with Kaufusi not doing much, because representatives from the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins went out of their way to thank him for working with them during the scouting process, and a person wearing Kansas City Chiefs gear also paid special interest in him afterward.