The Chiefs Caped Crusaders Face Tests Early, Often – This article is about the Chiefs Caped Crusaders, my favorite position players… the Linebackers,… you know, the hero’s who swoop in and make plays behind the big men and in front of the secondary? This game is about the tests this position group will face!
Caped Crusaders: the question for this year is do we have the horses to bet on?
History first, 2015: Yeah, DJ and Remember Mauga?
This year I had a bit of encouragement because John Dorsey signed on Josh Mauga who played on the right side opposite Derrick Johnson (DJ). 2016 was 
the last season of play for Josh who had a five year NFL Career three with the Jets and the last two with the Chiefs. He was perhaps a bit more than a journeyman who had a five year NFL Career with the Jets and Chiefs. Mauga was a hire by GM John Dorsey who was trying to find a starting LB to play opposite DJ and yes, Mauga could start. He could stop the run and even drop into short zone coverage. His weakness would always be that he was slow of foot. Recall his INT that he tried take it 60 or 70 yards to the house? He was tackled at the one!
2015 was also a season where DJ was hurt with an Achilles tear missing 10 games. The Chiefs LBs were a mess afterwards and the Chiefs finished 11-5, 2nd in the AFC West.
You may not recall but I wrote as well about Achilles tendon tears and their effect on returning to play and the effectiveness thereafter. While DJ was out, Joe Mays and James Michael-Johnson were his substitutes, but they were not the quality of player that DJ is, stop gap players in other words. This is somewhat similar to replacing Eric Berry in 2017 and 2018 — stop gap.
An NFL study based on an effort by Lower Extremity Review which took place in 2010 showed 64 percent of NFL players who suffered an Achilles injury successfully returned to the field BUT the unfortunate fact is that comparing the 11+ games prior to injury and the 6.2 after being hurt showed the quality of play suffered greatly. Players with this injury also suffered a 50% drop in power for the next 3 seasons.
Heading into the 2015 offseason, I began taking a hard look at where the Chiefs Inside Linebackers really were. I called for DJ’s replacement to be drafted.
I also called for getting a player on board to play opposite DJ. That’s two players right there but we also needed to improve the quality of depth behind the starting ILBs, the depth players behind the starters.
My last observation was that it was time to find DJ’s replacement and keep in mind that was 2016. We still don’t have such a player in house. DJ had suffered the dreaded Achilles injury and he was over 32. He was a championship type player, a quality leader but if he suffered ability to play it was going to arrive at a time quickly for him to hang up the cleats — Retirement Age was arriving for DJ.
Where did we end up? Ramik Wilson and DJ. Wilson did not live up to the need and DJ failed the test with a second season ending Achilles Tendon injury. The Chiefs were 12-4 but at the end of the season DJ tore the other Achilles in a freaky injury where he was out of the play, hopped in the air and went down with it. Post season? The Chiefs lost to the Steelers 16-18 in the divisional round of the playoffs and out went hope too soon, again.
2017: DJ’s Injury return but would he be effective?
In 2017 there was hope because Brett Veach signed on Reggie Ragland from the Bills. This was a good move as Rags showed promise, was a high pick and my own research indicated that he could handle the Weak side ILB role in he 3-4 with a good degree of success. Much was made of his weakness in dropping into coverage but viewed about 5 games and saw that he could do the short drop zone effectively and had sideline speed to the weak side. In fact his play was fairly good for the season which gave rise to hope.
At the same time this was going on, the Chiefs were playing a 2nd year player on the interior of the DL — Chris Jones, Stone Cold Jones — who struggled at first and took some games to fully come correct with consistency. He finished well. [note: I personally think we need a better nickname and suggested Big Bopper.] Having Jones become a major factor helped and the linebackers and should have helped DJ but he was not himself. In fact, watching him was painful for me. He could not stop, handle cutbacks, accelerate as he had done all his career. In short? At age 34 it was past time for DJ to hang up the cleats. His SAQ was gone.
Derrick Johnson had become a great player for the Chiefs and given another year or two of top level play and he would have been a candidate for the NFL HoF [but is the Chiefs all-time leader in tackles, with 1,151].
Misfortune struck twice at the end of DJ’s career. It had become totally apparent over the lost time that not having his leadership hurt the defense as did a similar loss on the field of play when Eric Berry could not suit up in 2016 and 2017 at the same time. Two Field commanders at the front and back end not able to do the deal. At age 34, with retirement looming, DJ was not tendered by the Chiefs. He later did a signing but did not play much for the Raiders who took a shot at him. Eric Berry’s retirement (?) and situation occurred in 2018 after the season ended.
2018’s Failure and the Sutton Damnation!
Brett Veach had signed Reggie Ragland to the team in 2017 as he could not obtain the services of his target ILB acquisition of 2017, Anthony Hitchens. Ragland played pretty well and that was very encouraging the previous year and bringing Hitchens aboard was to solidify the ILB play.
Misfortune again struck in my opinion and that wasn’t something that was due to player injuries or losses — it was due to DC Bob Sutton having gone wretchedly south for a complete season and it was especially apparent with the LB play, across the board, as well as that of the secondary. When I think of it, I am still astounded but also this critique goes to Reid as well for allowing Sutton to do what he did for 17 weeks.
If all had been perfect, Rags would do what he was capable of and Hitch would play the SILB and cover sideline-to-sideline. Both guys should have been able to drop into short coverage at least effectively. They may not be all-pro level Linebackers but they were anticipated to provide well above average Linebacker support for the guys in the middle.
What actually happened are the reasons why this topic opened with the word “Damnation” which arrived in the form of DC Bob Sutton and his defensive scheme. I know there were successes on defense but the mistakes were awful.
Truly, I was nonplussed by what I was witnessing from the defense, all season long and this was especially true of the linebackers.
2019: Caped Crusaders or not?
Swap into the 2018 offseason. Immediately the Chiefs divest themselves of this Mr. Sutton. At the same time, several things occurred. The Chiefs signed Damien Wilson and Darron Lee, while retaining Hitchens, Ragland, Niemann and O’Daniel. This is the strongest group of linebackers the Chiefs have had available Reid took over in 2013.
The LB crew has speed in Lee and O’Daniel and all players are able to hit the hole and stop the run. The basics of short drop pass coverage are present across the board so the Caped Crusaders should be able to help solve the woes of run defense just fine, thank you very much.
Group Rating? Red, lightly tinged to pinkish
Do I want to give this group an “A” rating? Of course not. There is no “Blue rated* player” among them. There are 3 or 4 “Red” rated, or “2nd tier” level players but on the flip side, none of them should end up as a “less than average” contributor. At least as yet.
We have above average players with enough guys to run in and out due to different sets, requirements and tasks and also keeping fresh legs is not going to be a problem. Just as the same is true of the front four DL. Steve Spagnuolo knows what he is going to do with the our players — controlled chaos (rotating players to keep fresh legs giving different looks for his fire drill of schemes but all of them being aggressive).
In the near future the Chiefs need to draft a top player to the linebacker room, bIg time! Meanwhile, I like the player mix we have but what’s needed is a DJ type, top notch “blue level” player to lead the front end crusaders.
My draft crush in 2018 was Leighton Vander Esch and he proves my point. That draft also had Iowa’s 3 Linebackers, Josey Jewell 4th round pick by the Bronco’s who also signed UDFA Bo Bower from the Hawkeyes. The Chiefs signed UDFA Ben Neiman (Jewell told KC staff that Niemann was a tough football player and underrated).
Should we see the Chiefs “Caped Crusaders” rise this year? We’ll see. My rating for the LB group is… red tinged pinkish but with a lot of promise. When you play good players behind a defensive front four that the Chiefs can keep fresh and mean? I’d say this bodes well for the defense’s front 7. Week one is the first good test, to see where we stand!
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
*(The NFL GM’s generally use a 3 color player rating system, Blue being the top, All-Pro, Game Changers).
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