Chiefs: Flipping Rooms – The Kansas City Chiefs won the Room Flipping contest last year and that went a long way towards their winning the Super Bowl. If you recall, last offseason, General Manager Brett Veach was in the middle of house cleaning… and it’s hard to see the forest for the trees when you’re deep cleaning your house… but, it’s also much more difficult to tell what goals Chiefs GM was focusing on most, when so many players were being moved in and out of the building.
From a distance, it must have looked like a major rebuilding process. After all, the Chiefs not only installed a new Defensive Coordinator, and a new staff to go along with him, but they said goodbye to players such as: SS Eric Berry, DL Allen Bailey, OLB Dee Ford, CB Steven Nelson, OLB Frank Zombo, S Eric Murray, OLB Justin Houston, plus TE Demetrius Harris, RB Charcandrick West, and Center Mitch Morse. Add to that subtraction list, 2018 draft picks: Tremon Smith and Kahlil McKenzie.
While Brett Veach has been running mission control for the Chiefs #runitback space force program this offseason, the popular news story out of K.C. has been that the Chiefs were bringing back 20-of-22 starters. However the reality is, Brett Veach is never satisfied. Like last offseason, he and Head Coach Andy Reid came up with an offseason plan filled with a boatload some specific objectives for fixing the team where it was weakest, and you can be sure of that.
How do I know?
Because last year Veach set out to repair the Safety room and he did just that in grand fashion. Veach looks even smarter now that Earl Thomas has been jettisoned by his second organization in two years. In fact, those are two of the better organizations in the NFL: the Seahawks and the Ravens. By going with Mathieu instead last spring — whether it was his own doing or not — Mr. Veach now looks even more like the gridiron genius that we all already knew he was.
So, what room, or rooms, do I beleive that Veach set out to fix, or flip, this offseason? I’d guess: the Linebacker room and the Cornerback room.
First, consider that Veach had already zeroed in on the Linebacker position back in 2017. Matt Connor wrote a piece then called, “Chiefs GM Brett Veach is laser-focused on fixing linebacker” and showing how he brought in Reggie Ragland, let Josh Mauga go (who was then re-signed, but a non-factor), and the next offseason signed Anthony Hitchens to a long term deal (when Derrick Johnson left), believing Hitch would be “the” answer. He clearly turned out not to be that, but the point is, Veach was pinpointing a specific position: LB. While his actions revealed that he hadn’t been successful flipping the LB room, Veach then brought in Damien Wilson, last offseason, in a continued attempt to bolster the LB corp. However, nothing much has changed for the better since Derrick Johnson left town in 2017.
So… he drafted Willie Gay Jr. this year and we’re all filled with anticipation that the LB room will be flipped on its proverbial head. One position at a time… “It is the way“… to heist a line from The Mandalorian.
By bringing in Tyrann Mathieu and then drafting Juan Thornhill at Safety last year, Veach effectively shot the Apple off of the aphoristic head of the Safety position in 2019. In other words: he nailed it. With, Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill, Adrian Colbert, Daniel Sorensen, Armani Watts, Tedric Thompson: Safety = Safe, in 2020.
While the Safety room needed a complete overhaul in 2019, if we apply the same logic to the Linebacker room this year, it’s important to consider that there are basically two Safeties compared to three Linebackers on the field at any given time. Basically. So, if it’s Veach’s intention to fix the LB room this offseason, more than one player needs to be acquired — maybe even three — would be needed to make that happen. If the other room that Veach has wanted to flip has been the Cornerback room, two — players — appears to be that number because Charvarius Ward provides a top shelf #1 while the other two CB positions are up for grabs while Bashaud Breeland sits out the first four games.
It could be that Veach has already flipped both the Linebacker and the Cornerback rooms this year… we just haven’t seen it during the regular season yet. Also, depth is an issue for both of those rooms, so let’s take a look at each beginning with the Linebackers.
The Linebacker’s Room: An Evolution
Here’s a look at the players who have come and gone through the Chiefs Linebacker room over the past four seasons:
Although the linebackers who were designated as OLBs from 2016-to-2018 were known then as LBs, much of their function in Bob Sutton’s system was as a pass rusher: a function served 99% of the time in Steve Spagnuolo’s system by the Defensive Ends. Consequently, as you peruse this chart you may want to focus your eyes on the players listed towards the top of each listing, those are more realistically the ones who performed the functions of a linebacker. Let’s also look at last year’s, and this year’s, crop of LBs:
[Note: not listed here is Terrell Suggs. Although he was technically a linebacker, he served more as a defensive line presence in the games he played for K.C. at the end of last year.]
Darius Harris, LB #3
Some may be wondering why I’ve listed Darius Harris here. He was actually on the team last year, but was on the NFI (Non-football Injury) list. That also means his familiarity with Spags defense gives him a leg up. Also, here’s what Spags said about Darius Harris last year:
“… he is a guy that you might want to watch and maybe it’s not this year [2019], but we think he has a lot of talent moving forward. He can be a guy that doesn’t just make the roster but starts one day. We are excited about him… If you go back to this Harris kid, this was a kid that if he didn’t have the shoulder issue, he gets drafted.”
Here’s a 1:06 compilation I created of 10 Darius Harris plays during Middle Tennessee’s contest with Kentucky from 2018 when RB Benny Snell — now of the Pittsburgh Steelers — was still on their team. The 9th play in this clip shows that Harris comes from the opposite side of the field to help on a tackle, after the running back has gained 7 or 8 yards, but that’s not his fault. Sill he makes a good play.
[Note: Darius Harris is #30]
You may notice, Harris is good at slipping blocks much the way DJ was. He may just be one of those rare guys who is able to elevate his play even though he came to the Chiefs as an Undrafted Free Agent last year (think: Ben Neimann). In a piece by primetimesportstalk.com:
Darius Harris is a linebacker from Middle Tennessee State, who was highly productive in college. At 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, he fits the prototype for linebackers that new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo craves. Spagnuolo loves linebackers who are smaller but can cover the whole field well. Harris fits that body type which is perfect for the Chiefs.
For my purposes here, I’m counting him as one player the Chiefs — Veach and Spags — will be depending on in 2020 to help flip the LB room.
Willie Gay Jr., LB#2
The second player is, of course, the Chiefs second round pick this year, Willie Gay Jr.. Gay has already shown his abilities on display in training camp, plus a willingness and capacity to learn. Here’s DC Steve Spagnuolo on Gay this past Monday:
Willie has done a nice job. Look, there’s a long way to go at that spot, but I like the way that Willie has worked with the veterans. He’s always talking to them. He’s asking [linebackers Anthony Hitchens], Damien Wilson and Ben Niemann questions, who are three smart football players,” Spagnuolo said. “He’s engaged and he loves the game of football – that’s what I love about him. For the rest of it, [Linebackers Coach] Matt House and [Linebackers/Outside Linebackers Coach] Britt Reid will get that part worked out, but he loves to play. He’s a big and physical guy, so we can work with that and, hopefully, we can develop him and he can help us this year.
Spags also has a permanent position in mind for Willie Gay:
Gay’s 4.46 speed has been noticed by his peers, enough to be tagged with the nickname: Turbo. Here’s the SPARQ score of the top ten Linebackers drafted in the 2020 NFL draft, provided by Rotoworld.com:
Notice that Gay’s SPARQ percentile (athleticism measurement) is equal to that of the score for Isaiah Simmons, who was drafted 8th overall this year. You’ll notice the only difference between Gay and Simmons is the Adjusted SPARQ score so, Adjusted SPARQ scores are explained as such:
“Most of the predictiveness in athleticism for off-ball linebackers can be explained by the weight-adjusted forty (Speed Score). It’s by far the most helpful athletic metric I’ve come across, one that has pinpointed the best linebackers of the 2000s. My model also incorporates agility (Shuttle) and burst (10 Yard Split), but sorting by speed score is nearly as effective…. I won’t be surprised if linebackers continue to become smaller and faster as passing games and sweeps become more popular in NFL offenses.”
It’s surprising that Rotoworld even came up with any difference between Simmons and Gay because Simmons 10-yard split was 1.53 and Gay’s was 1.55 seconds and while Gay had a Shuttle time of 4.3, Simmons has no recorded time. The Chiefs may very well have landed a top ten pick level talent, and it’s only because of some off field baggage — which K.C. vetted — that his draft stock landed him at the end of the 2nd round. To quote Paul Simon, “One man’s ceiling, is another man’s floor.” Or maybe that’s the other way around.
Ben Neimann, LB#1
I’ll also not be surprised to see Ben Neimann getting more snaps as he turned out to be the Chiefs best LB in 2019, according to PFF. Here’s a solid breakdown on the 4th quarter hit Neimann put on Jimmy Garoppolo in the Super Bowl:
Increased snaps for Neimann…the abilities of Gay, and the unknown contributions of Darius Harris… could be a winning hand for Brett Veach in this game of LB Poker. The challenge with the mathematics of flipping the Linebacker’s room is that Safeties are far more available on the open market, than are LBs. However, the odds also say, Veach has to be right sooner than later, and the moves he’s made this offseason could provide the needed flip. I’m not suggesting that Damien Wilson and Anthony Hitchens won’t still be starters. However, these three could play a huge role in turning this position around in 2020. Now, how about that Cornerback room?
The Cornerback’s Room: On a Shoestring
While the Linebacker’s room has the benefit of adding a 2nd round pick this year, the Cornerback room hasn’t had the investment of a high round CB pick since 2015 when they took Marcus Peters 18th overall. Here’s the genesis of each Chiefs CB:
A 4th, 6th, and 7th round pick, plus two Free Agents, and four UDFAs… should not be thought of as anything but, CBs on a shoestring. Some positions get more 1st, 2nd and 3rd round attention plus, the Chiefs apparently trust some of their coaches more than others, to turn lemons into lemonade.
While, Brett Veach and his team look like they’d have success panning for gold on the moon, it appears to me that at this point: the Cornerback room has not been flipped this year. Even with the addition of L’Jarius Sneed, who will likely be the main CB relied upon during Bashaud Breeland’s 4 games, or more, suspension, the Chiefs still have needs at CB.
I am high on Rashad Fenton, the Chiefs 6th round pick from last year’s draft. He’ll probably be given some snaps replacing Breeland while he’s gone as well. He had a bunch of positive plays in 2019, and here’s one of them.
Fenton would have been — if he had more snaps — tied for 23rd in the league among all CBs according to PFF. Here’s how they say he stands among all Chiefs CBs in 2019:
While I don’t agree with PFF (Pro Football Focus) on their ratings as they pertain to a player’s total worth, they do give us an overview of their play on the field, generally. So, generally speaking, I believe Rashad Fenton will end up giving the Chiefs a quality #2 CB, or slot CB, in 2020.
David Bell and I have hypothesized that Tyrann Mathieu will take a lot of Slot Corner snaps early in the year, with Breeland on ice, bumping the Slot CB outside for the time being, but also, that L’Jarius Sneed has the chops to deliver and just because he comes from a smaller school, doesn’t mean his draft position as a 4th rounder, was an accurate picture of his potential or abilities. IOW… Sneed can be very good, and he has more upside than Fenton.
Even though I like the Chiefs cornerback Room, and believe they can deliver in 2020, I’m not convinced this is where Brett Veach would like this group to land… as a final roster of corners is concerned. Consequently, I can see him either trading to get another corner (more about who they might trade in another piece), or snatching up a CB as all the dust settles and teams cut down their rosters to the final limit just before the season begins.
Remember, this is the time of year when Brett Veach has gone… Flipping Crazy before.
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
If you are viewing this in Apple News and would like to join the Discussion, [GO HERE.](http://arrowheadone.com/chiefs-flipping-rooms/#disqus_thread)