Chiefs: Expect Magic At Linebacker – There’s been no doubt in my mind that since the 2016 offseason, the Chiefs needed to draft to the Linebacker position. I was calling for just that since then and finally in 2019 the Chiefs might have added the right kind of LB dark horse. Hold that thought.
Derrick Johnson was just 33 in 2016 and he needed a counterpart. Even if his replacement was acquired then, he might have 3 -4 more years to play. After that, I wanted him to return as a coach. It was, and has been, my abiding consideration for such a player acquisition. We needed someone whose Speed, Agility & Quickness (SAQ) could handle play inside the tackles, with ability to get outside, and who could drop into coverage. In other words, DJ’s replacement multiplied, times two.
A Hitch In Time
When Maverick GM, Brett Veach, took the helm, he made two significant additions by first acquiring Reggie Ragland, because Dallas wouldn’t move on Anthony Hitchens that year, and then Veach was able to get Hitch as well a year later. I thought both player acquisitions were very positive actions, but neither player panned out to any height of glory.
With the Hitchens signing, which was very costly, it appears that Veach went to school on his own mistake with Hitchens’ length of contract and amount of monies as well. The same could be said of Sammy Watkins as well with the reworking of Watkins’ deal this offseason. A significant action in itself.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61064411/usa_today_11127280.0.jpg)
I gave a bunch of credit to Brett, the Maverick, but remained highly concerned about the LB position into the offseason of 2019. Neither player acquisition of Ragland or Hitch, was a wrong move, but neither player complimented each other very well nor fit what the defense was missioned to do under new DC Steve Spagnuolo. Ragland’s snaps diminished and with the right mix, Hitchen’s play dovetailed more to the schematic of what Spagnuolo wanted the LB group to do.
With the addition of Willie Gay I expect far greater contribution by Anthony Hitchens in 2020. If this comes to fruition, the LB room will be a strength, not a weakness, but the group needs a season to prove it.
Perspective: Role Players Contributions
Darius Harris
Photo from Charles Goldman
Other Brett Veach Moves: firstly, Veach signed 6-2, 238 Middle Tennessee State LB Darius Harris. Harris was out for the season but the signing was a good one. When I look back at why Harris was targeted it is obvious to see the fit. This is one player that we must wait and see with the pads on in training camp, and in preseason games.
There is reason for the optimism about Harris, who had four years of contribution at Middle Tennessee State, the same college that produced CB Charvarius Ward. Harris was selected as C-USA all-freshman team member earning the MVP award in the 2018 Camellia Bowl. He was also first-team All-Conference in 2019. He’s is a very versatile linebacker who fits each of the positions used by Spag’s in his 4-3 defense. Harris was a standout during the NFLPA Senior Bowl with 10 tackles in the game. The factor that is most concerning his his play speed, coming from C-USA and ability to fend off blockers at the NFL Level. A review of his play at MidTenn for four seasons: He was a starter 2016-18 but appeared in 11 games as a freshman with 44 tackles a forced fumble, a pick-6 and a pass defense. He had 2 fumble recoveries. In 2016’s 13 games: 74 Tackles, 8 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 PD. 2017 – 13 games, 64 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 1 FF recovered and returned for a TD, 7 PD. In 2018-14 games, 97 tackles, 12 TFL, 5 sacks, 2 FF and 4 PD.
I have high hopes for Harris but it is just anticipation. He has to prove himself at the NFL level of play and needed a year of body and strength building for the next level. Charles Goldman wrote about this some time ago, observing that C-USA player strength building and skill honing trails other major conferences. He observed that the SEC is tops in the collegiate ranks for preparing players for the NFL.
Damien Wilson and Ben Niemann
Veteran Free Agent Damien Wilson turns out to have been important to 2019’s defense and he’s been added to the mix again in 2020. A good move to strengthen a player group which was a weakness.
What happened was Spagnuolo began to use Reggie Ragland’s run stopping and thumping style of play and he turned to Wilson and mixed in Ben Niemann. Most of the fan-base, pundits and analysts overlooked what Wilson and Niemann brought to the table as he provided key support with the new D scheme. During the season, Ragland’s role was diminished and this is where both newcomers stepped in and played well.
Niemann was a UDFA signing out of Iowa in 2018. His collegiate playing partner, Josey Jewell, who was drafted by the Broncos in the 4th round that same year, said that Niemann (Mr. Football for Iowa), was a player that had superb football intellect and who played all facets of the game: run defense, inside, outside and dropping into pass coverage in a zone format. Jewell on Niemann:
“I think Ben’s got a lot to offer a team. Maybe he hasn’t gotten the big hype and stuff like that — I think he’s fine without it — but I think he’ll do a great job on a team, whatever team he goes to and whatever he does. I think he’s a sneaky fast guy. He’s a football player, that’s for sure.”
While Jewell had 4.6 speed in his metrics, Niemann supposedly did not (turns out Niemann ran a 4.6 40 at his pro day). One huge attribute for Niemann though, is his ability to read defenses before the snap and close to the ball quickly. Football intelligence goes a long way in the NFL.
Jewell, Niemann and Hitchens all were Iowa products. The Chiefs keep a sharp eye out for players coming out of Iowa — Kirk Ferentz’ system — but so do the Broncos who drafted Jewell in 2018 followed by TE Noah Fant in 2019. When the 77th pick in the 2020 draft came up, Denver picked Michael Ojemudia, CB from Iowa. All these players were on my draft list. Add to this DE AJ Epenesa, who was drafted in the 2nd round by Buffalo and you can see the talent flowing forth.
If you check the snaps for the LB’s in 2019 you will see that Niemann played half of the defense snaps at LB. These two players, Wilson and Niemann, fit the role playing needed in Spag’s system. Ragland’s thumper style play was apparently not the right fit for him and he departed in Free Agency this off-season. For several games, Ragland’s snaps were minimal but later in the season, Spagnuolo missioned him to attack the gaps and he played well. If you recall, I thought Ragland could handle dropping into coverage with dependability but this turned out not to be the case, or something the Chiefs were not willing to utilize.
Willie Gay Jr.
The Chiefs had him targeted Gay all along even though he had two red-flags and not one iota of information about the Chiefs interest in him was made public. The more I see the import of this is to discover that the red flags was the factor that kept other teams from picking him. Consequently, Veach was able to obtain a LB with round 1 talent at the back-end of round 2.
Willie Gay brings speed, tenacity, and hard-hitting play to the position.
If Brett Veach, his scouts, and the coaching staff of Andy Reid are all “spot on”… then the Chiefs have acquired a player with Pro Bowl level of potential and his size, length, and skill set is exactly what has been needed since I worried about DJ’s age and and potential for injury, which turned out to be an appropriate worry with him.
The LB Outlook For 2020
With two more UDFA Linebackers in the mix — Omari Cobb and Bryan Wright — a good competition is going to be in the offing once helmets and pads are on and I am very curious about how well both players find a fit. Here’s a highlight reel on Bryan Wright (#11) who was a High School QB, then a DE at Cincinnati, who converted to MLB during his last two years there (Mute Audio):
I have been known to err… but in all outward appearance… the linebacker crew was strengthened with the round 2 selection of Willie Gay. Adding two more potential contributors in Cobb and Wright adds dimension to the mix. Darius Harris is the outlier since we don’t know about his fit any more than Wright or Cobb.
I envision Gay as a starter on the outside for 2020. His speed and aggressiveness fit an outside LB role in the 4-3. I am not yet assured of how Spagnuolo will fit Hitchens, Niemann and Wilson. This basic group, plus Dorian O’Daniel, gives a basic strength as a grouping. I am not even sure that D’OD sticks to the roster given the potential of Harris, Cobb and Wright. It’s going to be a wait and see who proves it in 2020.
Consider how Steve Spagnuolo mixes, matches and pulls wool over eyes of the opposing QB and players on the offensive side of the ball. With any given defensive set, who is assigned to any given task is disguised. It could be that a safety in the nickel role who slides forward to a LB job… while a LB, such as O’Daniel, slides backwards. The Chiefs do have that type of talent in it’s safety crew to really confuse the QB making reads. The same versatility exists with the CB’s as well.
I have a greater amount of respect for Steve Spagnuolo than I did when he was brought aboard. His year away from coaching appears to have been of optimum use for Reid and his staff. Spagnuolo is also an excellent advisor to Reid and other coaches. His being a head coach helped him accomplish implementing a new defense with new understanding and doing so with several new players was a feat to behold. We saw how much was achieved in one short year.
With Willie Gay coming aboard, he’ll be a big benefit to the play of Anthony Hitchens. If they feed off of each other’s strength, it could be that Hitch hitches up his big boy pants and the Chiefs have the right player mix for all three roles at linebacker. The Chiefs can then squeeze in the role playing LB’s and come up with a solid threesome for any given snap. NFL… Watch Out! The Linebackers are going to be a factor for the Chiefs defense in 2020.
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
If you are viewing this in Apple News and would like to join the Discussion, [GO HERE.](http://arrowheadone.com/chiefs-expect-magic-at-linebacker/#disqus_thread)