Training Camp Battles: KC Chiefs Style

GM Scott Pioli hand picked the future of this position for the Chiefs with his first two draft picks—Tyson Jackson and Alex Magee.  For the time being though, only Jackson has the skills to immediately start, and he probably will do just that.

It's the other defensive end spot where all the action will occur. Several candidates will be in the running, including last year's No. 5 overall pick Glenn Dorsey, Magee, and Alphonso Boone.

Glenn Dorsey is a very athletic, disruptive defensive lineman that loves to get into the backfield and bother the quarterback. This is a little bit of a problem since the gap responsibilities in the 3-4 dictate the defensive end eat up blocks and be a run stuffer. The good news is Dorsey is athletic and smart enough to pick up any scheme.

Magee played both defensive tackle and defensive end in college and should pick up the defensive end responsibilities quickly, but probably not in time for the start of this season. Look for him to start across from Jackson in a year or two.

Alphonso Boone is a natural defensive tackle who played some defensive end last year for Herm Edwards. Having played both positions, he has experience both playing in space and taking up blockers. This makes him a prime candidate for the defensive end position in the 3-4 defense.

While Alphonso Boone is probably better suited for this position with his skill set and experience, my bet is on Glenn Dorsey to win this position. He's younger and a quick learner, but more importantly, management doesn't pay a player $51 million to ride the pine.

Outside Linebacker

This will be one of the most important position battles going on in camp this year. This is the position most responsible for providing pressure on the quarterback. One of these spots will be taken by Mike Vrabel who was brought in from New England, but the other, like defensive end, is wide open.

Tamba Hali and Turk McBride are being converted into linebackers in order to compete for this position, as well as current linebackers Demarrio Williams and Monty Beisel. 

Turk McBride was an athletic defensive end, but wasn't terribly quick. This might be his downfall when transitioning to linebacker, as his ability to change direction is not what it needs to be. More than likely, he will be a solid backup that can come in and make sound tackles.

Tamba Hali has been a do-it-all defensive end for the Chiefs since he was drafted, but  is more of a jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none player. He is not especially quick, and switching to outside linebacker where he would have to drop back into coverage, could be a little difficult. He definitely will be an asset rushing the passer, but being an all-around linebacker might be a little dicey.

Demarrio Williams is a quick linebacker that can tackle well. He has the change of direction skills necessary to play in space, but tipping the scales at only 235 pounds, he's about 20 or 30 pounds lighter than the traditional outside linebacker in the 3-4. However, James Harrison of the Steelers weighs only slightly more than Williams, and he was the Super Bowl MVP, so not everything can be predicted by measurables.

Monty Beisel being in consideration for the starting position just shows the complete lack of depth the Chiefs have. Frankly he is too slow, and tackles too poorly to start for most teams.

Tamba Hali will at the very least come in during passing situations to solely rush the passer, but I have faith in his ability to transition to standing up fairly smoothly. He has great work ethic, and will benefit from not having to worry about offensive lineman as much. Demarrio Williams also has an outside chance to win this starting spot if he shines in camp.

The only certainty going in to camp is that competition will be prevalent.  The new regime has made it extremely clear that they want players who want to be a Chief, and they want players who are going to work very hard. Scott Pioli has said several times that it's not necessarily about the best 53 players, but about the right 53 players.

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