Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp: 6 Position Battles to Watch

As the temperatures at training camp continue to rise, so do the position battles for the Kansas City Chiefs.

With just five weeks until the first regular season game, the Chiefs have a lot of questions to answer with their football team.

Many of these questions lie within the position battles that are currently taking place at Chiefs camp up in St. Joseph, Missouri.

While the topic of who is going to replace Mike Vrabel remains a hot issue, there are still many other battles that will not go unnoticed.

Here are the top position battles to watch for at Chiefs training camp this year.

Starting ILB: Jovan Belcher vs. Brandon Siler

This one could really go either way.

On one side, you have an undrafted player in Jovan Belcher who has gotten better every year, but still has some clear flaws in his game, including pass coverage.

On the other side, Brandon Siler is more experienced, is better at stopping the run, and also has many of the same weaknesses that Belcher possesses.

I believe that in this case, experience will win out in the end.

Predicted Winner: Brandon Siler

Starting OLB: Justin Houston vs. Andy Studebaker vs. Cameron Sheffield

After two-year starter Mike Vrabel retired earlier this offseason, the Chiefs suddenly had a void at OLB, opposite Pro-Bowler Tamba Hali.

Fourth-year player Andy Studebaker seems like the logical choice to start the season at this spot, considering that he saw some time there during the '10 season.

However, the recently drafted Justin Houston is a very explosive pass-rusher and has more overall talent than Studebaker possesses.

Also, second-year linebacker Cameron Sheffield is fully healthy now, and has had flashes of greatness during the preseason in his rookie year.

This three-man competition might be one of the most entertaining position battles from this training camp.

Predicted Winner: Andy Studebaker

Starting RT: Barry Richardson vs. Ryan O'Callaghan

The right tackle position has been one of the major weaknesses of the Chiefs' offensive line for quite some time.

Last season, former 2008 fifth-round draft pick Barry Richardson started all 16 games as the team's right tackle, while teammate Ryan O'Callaghan started 12 contests the previous season.

Both have played sub-par in each of their respective seasons as the starter, and KC has yet to add another player to increase the competition at this spot.

Right now, Richardson has the clear advantage after starting every game last year, and O'Callaghan will have his work cut out for him if he wants to be the man for the job this season.

Predicted Winner: Barry Richardson

No. 2 WR: Jonathan Baldwin vs. Steve Breaston

Heading into the 2011 offseason, it was clear that the Chiefs had no other receiving threats to complement Pro-Bowl wideout Dwayne Bowe.

Fortunately for KC, that has changed in the last few months.

The Chiefs selected the talented Jonathan Baldwin with their first pick in the '11 NFL Draft, and they added speedy receiver Steve Breaston through free agency last week.

Many have already speculated that they will go with Baldwin to pair with Bowe as the other starting wide receiver, but it will depend largely on how well the rookie progresses in the next couple weeks.

Predicted Winner: Jonathan Baldwin

Backup QB: Tyler Palko vs. Ricky Stanzi

Now that QB Brodie Croyle is finally out of the picture, the Chiefs will have a new backup signal caller for the first time in three years.

Ricky Stanzi appears to be the clear favorite to back up Pro-Bowl QB Matt Cassel in 2011.

The former University of Iowa star was considered a steal by many NFL draft experts when KC was able to take him in the fifth-round of the draft back in April.

Journeyman Tyler Palko will likely get a long look from the Chiefs, but he has his work cut out for him if he wants to beat out Stanzi for this spot.

Predicted Winner: Ricky Stanzi

Starting DE: Tyson Jackson vs. Wallace Gilberry vs. Allen Bailey

Other than wide receiver, the defensive line might have been the next biggest weakness for the Chiefs a season ago.

Former '09 first-round pick Tyson Jackson has yet to excel at his DE position, and this year, he will have both pass-rushing specialist Wallace Gilberry and rookie defensive end Allen Bailey pushing him for his starting spot.

I could see the Chiefs going with Jackson to start the season, considering that he is still learning the game in just his third year in the league.

However, Gilberry is a dark-horse to take over T-Jack's starting spot in the near future.

Predicted Winner: Tyson Jackson