Game On! Competition for Starting D-Line Spots Underway in Kansas City

Nothing in professional sports brings out the best in a competitor more than a fight for a job.

Ask any head football coach in the National Football League, and he'd admit internal competition—or lack thereof—is the driving force behind a team's success or failure.

The worst that could happen within an organization is complacency setting in among the top 22 spots of an NFL roster.

As the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs go through the arduous rigors of volunteer workouts, the battle to man those coveted starting spots are taking root as Clark Hunt's boys prepare for a new era of professional football on the west side of the Show-Me state.

Already on record as saying he is looking for players who love to compete, first-year head coach Todd Haley heads into his inaugural season as head honcho on any level with a plan to extract the most out of the 53 men who will don the red and gold in '09.

When training camp opens in July in River Falls, WI, several battle-tested veterans, newly-minted rookies, and second and third-year players looking to make the leap to All-Pro contenders, will claw for the right to man the three starting spots along the defensive line in the Chief's recently installed 3-4 alignment.

Perhaps the most intriguing scram for playing time will pit second-year pro Glenn Dorsey against highly motivated Alfonso Boone and rookie Alex Magee, all vying for the starting right defensive end position.

Much has been made of Dorsey's move from defensive tackle in former head coach Herm Edwards' favored 4-3 scheme to defensive end in the 3-4 implemented by new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.

Dorsey, an offensive coordinator's nightmare at Louisiana State University before being selected fifth overall by the Chiefs in last year's draft, had a so-so rookie year. As history has shown, most defensive linemen are merely average in their rookie season. A change to end may hamper Dorsey's immense talent of shooting gaps and creating havoc in opposing backfields.

As for Magee, he was hand-picked by Kansas City's top brass to provide the type of end presence known throughout new general manager Scott Pioli's tenure in New England as vice-president of player personnel.

The 6'3", 298 lb. Magee should push Dorsey to the limits. Don't be surprised if Magee and Dorsey are sharing equal snaps throughout the 2009 season.

The wild card at the position is Boone. A former defensive tackle, Boone's experiment at defensive end in last season's 4-3 didn't quite pan out. By contrast, Boone's 6'3", 305 lb. frame is ideal for end in a 3-4.

Look for Boone to compete for playing time, adding depth to the position in the process.

At nose tackle, it seems as if the job will belong to Ron Edwards. Edwards played in all 16 games for the Chiefs last season but should face adequate challenges from nose tackle candidates, including underdog Tank Tyler, who started all 16 games last season at defensive tackle.

Tyson Jackson, a first round pick (third overall) in April's draft has the inside track on the left defensive end position. Jackson's path to the top spot will be severely tested by third-year lineman Turk McBride. McBride started games at both left and right end last season and probably will go down swinging for playing time.

All in all, what was statistically the worst defensive line in NFL history—Chiefs' defensive linemen registered the fewest sacks in league history last season—has an opportunity to amend itself through decent drafting, improving young players, and a scheme that has created a distinct advantage in the league over the last decade.

Watch for the group to hedge the most intense battle of all positions this summer in River Falls.