Kansas City Chiefs: Biggest Training Camp Battles to Watch This Preseason

The Kansas City Chiefs enter training camp and the preseason with a lot of talent to sort out.

They have significantly expanded their offense in the offseason, bringing in players such as Steve Breaston and Le'Ron McClain and drafting quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

The Chiefs defense has a lot of talent up front and added a solid player in Brandon Siler.

There will be good competition in KC's training camp, and as it progresses, be sure to keep these position battles in mind. 

Brandon Siler vs. Jovan Belcher

Jovan Belcher was a second-year inside linebacker playing side-by-side with the dominant Derrick Johnson.

An undrafted free agent out of Maine, Belcher may not have great upside, but he makes up for it with consistent week-to-week play and was a good find for an undrafted free agent.

Brandon Siler spent the last four years playing inside linebacker in a strong rotation for the San Diego Chargers. As an inside linebacker, Siler played in 12 games and started five in 2010, and it was a bit of a down year for him.

He had a great 2009 season and could rebound quite well under Romeo Crennel's tutelage. Crennel seems to get the best out of his defensive players. 

The second inside linebacker spot will be open all throughout training camp and the preseason. Both Belcher and Siler have upside and are solid starters, and if the Chiefs can improve upon the play they got from the position last year, they should be very pleased.

Ricky Stanzi vs. Tyler Palko

The backup quarterback position has been sorely lacking over the last couple of years.

Brodie Croyle, who was "the future" of the franchise at one point, flamed out in one start at San Diego, which he got only because Matt Cassel had an appendectomy that week.

A backup quarterback needs to be able to utilize his unique skill set for a couple of games until teams can figure him out, and then the team should get their starter back in.

Croyle was wisely let go, and now Palko and new fifth-round pick Ricky Stanzi will battle it out.

Neither is probably a good option to be a backup for the Chiefs, though Stanzi does have some long-term promise.

Tyler Palko was solid in the very last drive for KC during the end of the San Diego game. Both looked very shaky in the first preseason game versus the Bucs, though it's really hard to tell when the entire second or third string were in and Tampa Bay's first and second were still on the field.

Todd Haley still likes both young men, and, really, it can't get worse than Croyle.

It would be very encouraging to see Ricky Stanzi beat out the incumbent, Palko, and we might see some play in small amounts from him this year.

The backup job is wide open, though, and this will be one to monitor carefully.  

Tyson Jackson vs. Allen Bailey vs. Wallace Gilberry

Last year the Chiefs defensive line played much better, in large part due to a breakout season from former first-round pick Glenn Dorsey. 

However, the left defensive-end spot was a game of musical chairs.

Former first-round pick Tyson Jackson showed marked improvement in the home opener versus San Diego last year, until he went down with an injury that would not see him return until the last half of the year. 

The rotation revolved around Shaun Smith and Wallace Gilberry most often, with Smith being in for running downs and Gilberry being in on passing downs.

Shaun Smith has since left, and the Chiefs drafted Allen Bailey in the third round. Bailey is a talented player; Mel Kiper had ranked him as the 25th-best prospect in the 2011 draft at one point.

The competition for playing time will be hard fought by all this year. Jackson improved down the stretch last year and could still fulfill his potential. Gilberry showed up to camp this year having lost a good percentage of his body fat, replacing it with solid muscle, and he says he aims to be a total defender this year.

Glenn Dorsey will come off the field only to rest this year. Seeing the division of snaps for the Chiefs defensive ends will be interesting, and undoubtedly the Chiefs will take advantage of its line's depth to rotate in fresh players.

Having a lot of defensive linemen competing for snaps is a good problem to have.   

Andy Studdebaker vs. Justin Houston

Mike Vrabel retired this offseason after a fantastic career. 

Vrabel will be missed. He may have lost his edge, but he still performed well last year, and his leadership on and off the field helped the Chiefs excel. Every NFL fan will miss seeing Vrabel line up as a goal-line tight end and catching touchdown passes. 

The Chiefs now have a void at OLB opposite of superstar Tamba Hali. 

Andy Studebaker is a fan favorite and indeed the favorite to inherent the job. Studebaker does not have elite talent, but he makes up for it with unstoppable energy and a nose for the ball.

Every time he takes the field, he seems to end up where the action is. In 2009 he played only seven games, starting two, and had two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and three passes defended. 

Justin Houston will try and give Studebaker a run for his money, however. Houston was projected as a first-round pick this year but fell all the way to the Chiefs in the third round due to character concerns.

Houston's effort and ethics may be questioned, but his ability to get to the passer is not. Word in training camp is that Houston has been obliterating right tackle Barry Richardson, which may not be the most impressive thing but certainly says a lot for a player in camp for only a week and a half. 

Studebaker will most likely start at OLB this year, with Houston seeing some playing time, particularly as a pass rusher. Houston's chances of starting are hampered largely by his holdout, which kept him out of the first week of camp, and the fact that he showed up out of shape. 

Dexter McCluster vs. Everyone

The diversely talented Dexter McCluster made his impact known to the NFL in his rookie season. If he had not been hampered by a high ankle sprain, the majority of the season we might have seen a lot more. 

McCluster has been taking first-team reps, practicing with the running backs the majority of the time.

The Chiefs added a lot of offensive talent this offseason, starting with Jonathan Baldwin in the draft and continuing with Steve Breaston and Le'Ron McClain in free agency. 

The big question for a lot of Chiefs fans is where McCluster will end up playing. He will most likely take all the returns this year, although Javier Arenas and Steve Breaston are also exceptional return men.

Outside of returning, it just seems the Chiefs offense has become too crowded for him to start consistently at any one position. 

It is likely McCluster will make his mark everywhere. He will get carries, he will line up in the slot and outside, and he will do all the returns. He is lightning in a bottle, and the Chiefs will most likely see how he fares against the depth at every position in camp to see where his impact can be the greatest. 

It would not be surprising to me to see McCluster get the same number of carries as Thomas Jones this year.

It would be good not only for the Chiefs but for Jones and Charles. The ability to keep both of them fresh is why the Chiefs rushing attack is so deadly. 

Jared Gaither vs. Branden Albert vs. Barry Richardson

The Chiefs surprised many this last week when they went out and signed Jared Gaither. 

Gaither played left tackle for the Ravens from '07 to '09 before suffering an injury that wiped out his 2010 season. Gaither failed the Raider's physical, which raises some questions as to whether Gaither can play or not. 

Gaither will be one of the most interesting stories of training camp: If he is able to take the practice field and his back is ready, he is a Pro Bowl left tackle.

The signing of Gaither raises serious questions about the Chiefs intentions of starting left tackle Branden Albert. Albert has struggled in the starting role since the Chiefs took him 15th overall in the 2008 draft. 

Albert could become an All-Pro right tackle. If Jared Gaither were able to start, the Chiefs offensive line would go from mediocre to excellent in all facets of the game. 

Barry Richardson is no doubt the weak link on the line. He gives up a tremendous amount of pressure, which forces Cassel to make hasty decisions or throw the ball away. Richardson is adequate in the run game but is more suited to a backup role. 

Keep an eye on Gaither at training camp. If he's ready, the Chiefs will have some big decisions to make.