Predicting 4 Problem Spots for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012

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After going 7-9 last season, it was clear that the Kansas City Chiefs had some problem spots on their team.

Since then, KC has done a nice job of eliminating some of those weaknesses by acquiring players that can help this team through free agency and the draft.

However, there are still issues with this team right now.

Here are four spots that the Chiefs could have problems with this season.

Quarterback

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The quarterback position has been a weakness of this franchise for far too long.

Incumbent starting QB Matt Cassel might be one of the only things that is holding this team back from being a Super Bowl contender right now.

Although he is an effective game manager at his spot on the field, KC could be in trouble if he suffers another serious injury like he did last season.

Behind Cassel, the Chiefs have unproven second-year signal-caller Ricky Stanzi and new Chief Brady Quinn, who hasn't played a snap since the '09 season.

It is possible that the Chiefs brass can hide this weakness by surrounding Cassel with a lot of talent, but it is still a concern for this franchise until they decide to upgrade that position permanently.

Safety Depth

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The area of the field where the Chiefs had arguably the least depth last year was at safety.

As we saw last season, there was a big drop-off in talent behind starters Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis at safety for this team.

Unfortunately, this year's squad doesn't seem to be much different.

With free agent Kyle McCarthy and rookie CB/S DeQuan Menzie likely penciled in as the only other players to make this roster, it could be another long season for this secondary if Berry or Lewis were to get hurt.

Offensive Line Depth

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With the addition of free agent right tackle Eric Winston and the promotion of center Rodney Hudson, the Chiefs could very well have one of the top five offensive lines in the league this season.

However, there isn't much behind them in case someone gets hurt.

At this point, unproven rookies Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson will be the main backups along the KC O-line, which is a bit of a concern for this offense.

Pass Rush

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Last season, the Chiefs pass rush was led by the OLB tandem of Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.

Hali posted 12.5 sacks to lead the team, while Houston was second on the squad with 5.5 in his rookie campaign.

After not going after any pass-rushers in free agency or the draft, this is definitely an area of concern for this defense in 2012.

If Kansas City isn't able to generate more pass rush from some of its younger defensive players along its front seven, it will have a hard time reaching its full potential as a unit.