NSLU Chiefs Sunday: You Ask and ArrowheadOne Delivers

NSLU Chiefs Sunday: You Ask and

ArrowheadOne Delivers

 · by David Bell

DEFENSE! It is good that the Kansas City Chiefs offense has made a huge step forward with the tools to be a highly competitive threat. Reading comments from the various followers of ArrowheadOne as well as in chorus by authors and followers from other venues, fans and pundits alike: I see the continued concern. Let’s dig in and start taking a look.

A wide spectrum of comments by the players to reporters, tweets to each or about each other illuminates that the players themselves are on an edge to play well, feed off each other and to learn the nuances of each player’s game for on the field exploitation. GM Brett Veach has added players to the roster with focus on a particular persona: toughness. Yes, there is a lot to be accomplished but it doesn’t mean that the Chiefs cannot field a tough defense in 2018. It may mean a lot more work this and next year, but all NFL teams have such dilemmas.  Let us focus on what we have and how they fit.

Inside Linebacker Breakdown

To understand what Veach’s vision is, you must back up to the time that Reggie Ragland was added to the roster in 2017.  When paired with a top performing ILB, as Derrick Johnson has been for the Chiefs for so many seasons, the uptake on the inside dimension of the LB corp appeared to be improved. Josh Mauga, a standard run stopping ILB had been added but injured during the 2016 season. I don’t want to diminish what Mauga brought as added by Dorsey but, when Ragland was signed, Josh departed simultaneously.

DJ was coming off his own injury and although a lot was written and talked about, vis-à-vis Ragland’s lack of credentials for a high draft pick, but he performed very well on the inside for the Chiefs in 2017. Unfortunately, DJ’s recovery and rehab did not bring him back to his previous playing level. Stopping the run again was a huge problem for the Chiefs in 2017 and DJ, as witnessed by his “game,” was not the DJ of the past but… Reggie played well.

To field a pair of ILBs that compliment each other, & perform at a high level, has been Veach’s priority. When Ragland needed the DJ of the past to lead the way, his verbal leadership and teaching were present but DJ’s performance was lacking. Other pieces went haywire at the same time.

Before departing as GM, John Dorsey drafted Tanoh Kpassagnon for outside play in the future… as was Ukeme Eligwe for the inside. Neither player was coming in to take a starter’s role. When John Dorsey departed and Veach assumed the reigns of the team in 2017, after the draft, he began making moves to obtain players who could fulfill his vision of a tough, no holds barred group of players. Adding Reggie Ragland was step 1 (step 1 might have been the addition of Anthony Hitchens but when Veach called Dallas — his first move last summer — the Cows said “moo”). Veach also added Kevin Pierre-Louis (KPL) in a trade for DJ Alexander. That was a good move even if KPL’s tenure as a Chiefs was short-lived.

Opening the 2018 series of moves, Veach finally brought in F/A ILB Anthony Hitchens, a solid ILB who has a lot of upside and whose opportunities at the Cowboys was not going to lead to a starting role with players in front of him. This move has been questioned and bantered around and in one case, ruled one of the worst moves of any GM for the 2018 season. I absolutely do not agree with this point at all. Hitchens is a tough, run-stopping ILB and in cohesive play with his fellow ILB Reggie Ragland, you have two players who definitely will be giving opposing blockers and running backs their share of bruises. At the same time, Hitchens can drop into coverage smoothly and Ragland as well to a lesser talent level but for the short drops both can be effective. Don’t forget, Hitchens missed zero tackles last year.

Add to his pair, Ukeme Eligwe, who has had compliments for off-season and OTA work and for all outward appearances the Chiefs will have a very good corp of defenders for the inside role. This threesome will cover from the outside the tackles across the line of scrimmage and all are capable of getting to the sideline to fill when the outside has turned the play in for the fill. All three can pursue edge-to-edge and drop into short zone coverage and even taking on big TEs or RBs coming across the middle. I certainly see this threesome as being rated — solid — behind a front 3 standard 3-4 defense but also able to play well in the hybrid defense sets that are necessary in Sutton’s employ.

Since the Chiefs defense against the run was down at the bottom of NFL Team Stats defensively, we will see a definite improvement of team performance in closing that huge hole from the past two seasons. Ragland has taken on a leading role for the team as well communicate well with his playing partner Hitchens as well as other team-mates, especially younger players and rookies. Both Ragland and Hitchens have worked at the same time in building a relationship off the field as well. This explains a lot about how the players are mixing to change the mental mechanics that go along with the physical.

Beyond the ILB Threesome

Next up is to figure who will be ILB #4. You have to figure that ILB Dorian O’Daniel will make the roster just because he was a draft pick (don’t bring up KeiVarae Russel… I know, I know). Terrance Smith should see a big opportunity to prove himself after a season of being out with injury. Veach brought in Tyron Holmes, 2nd year, out of Montana. Holmes has positives, least of all, he has a season in the NFL. One invitee that I have positive vibes about was Veach adding UDFA Ben Niemann, ILB out of Iowa who possesses the coveted toughness and versatility important to Sutton’s new defense. Lastly, Raymond Davison UDFA, Cal, rounds out the players at the OTA’s for the ILB competition.

What I see happening next?

A good player mix of tough young men who should be smelling opportunity which is what Brett Veach was looking for. As they would say in Minnesota or Canada, “Must wait for the pads, eh?” And so we will.

David Bell — the NSLU (No Stone Left Unturned)

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