Kansas City Chiefs Season Preview

(Courtesy of My Sportsbook) - It may have taken a year too long, but the decision-makers within the Kansas City Chiefs organization finally came to their senses. The prevailing opinion that the team's consistent defensive struggles had more to do with coaching than personnel was finally, mercifully, discarded. Noted defensive guru Gunther Cunningham was brought in prior to last season to help the Chiefs stop people, but fared no better than the deposed Greg Robinson before him. Kansas City still ranked last in the league against the pass, and only three NFL teams gave up more points than the residents of Arrowhead Stadium. In the offseason that followed a disappointing 7-9 campaign, the Chiefs finally took the proper measures to tear out the heart of the problem.

They plucked two starters from the quality-vintage secondary of the Miami Dolphins, bringing in strong safety Sammy Knight and shutdown corner Patrick Surtain to enhance the defensive backfield. They used the 15th pick of the 2005 draft on the best available linebacker - Derrick Johnson of Texas - and took a calculated gamble on an injury-prone two-time Pro Bowler in Kendrell Bell to further assist in that area. Up front, the Chiefs shipped out the declining Vonnie Holliday and brought in 26-year-old former Titans starter Carlos Hall to bolster last year's minimal pass rush. The myriad moves were designed to change the makeup of a club that knows its aging offensive superstars - Trent Green, Priest Holmes, and Tony Gonzales most prominent among them - can't stir the drink forever. At last, the Chiefs will be getting defensive. And if you're a fan of Dick Vemeil's team, that's a heck of a good thing. Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the Kansas City Chiefs, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

RB: Kansas City was already going nowhere fast when running back Priest Holmes (892 rushing yards, 19 receptions, 15 TD) went down in Week 8 of last season with a strained MCL in his right knee. His absence, which would extend through the remainder of the season, may have finally sealed the team's fate. Former first-round draft choice Larry Johnson (581 rushing yards, 22 receptions, 11 TD) did play well in Holmes' absence, however, and with former backup Derrick Blaylock (539 rushing yards, 25 receptions, 9 TD) now a Jet, Johnson should be a staple of the Kansas City offense in 2005. Former Panthers starter Dee Brown, who served as a kickoff return man with the Browns last season, has a chance to be the third running back. The team signed Robert Holcombe (62 rushing yards, 11 receptions) to compete for backup duties to both Holmes and fullback Tony Richardson (56 rushing yards, 19 receptions), but he could miss the start of the season with a left knee sprain. If the team decides to part with Holcombe, '04 practice squad participant Ronnie Cruz could get a promotion. Richardson was named to his second straight Pro Bowl in 2004, and is fully entrenched in that job.

WR/TE: Injuries to Eddie Kennison (62 receptions, 8 TD) and Johnnie Morton (55 receptions, 3 TD) were a major stumbling block for the Chiefs in 2004, though both players eventually made an impact and the 31-year-old Kennison posted the first 1,000-yard season of his career. Morton was released in the offseason, and the team knows it must develop some consistent pass-catchers to complement Kennison. Second-year man Samie Parker (9 receptions, 1 TD), who played in just four games last season, will have a chance to win the starting job opposite Kennison. Grand Philadelphia disappointment Freddie Mitchell (22 receptions, 2 TD) was brought in to try and win a job as a Chief, but almost immediately went down with a knee injury in training camp. Dante Hall (25 receptions) failed to catch a touchdown pass despite starting six games a year ago, and is clearly of more value as a return man. Marc Boerigter missed all of 2004 with a knee injury, and will have to prove that he can bounce back. Fellow holdovers Chris Horn (15 receptions, 1 TD) and Richard Smith could be battling for one spot. Rookie Craphonso Thorpe (4th Round, Florida State) will add depth if he can shed the injury problems that plagued him as a collegian. At tight end, Tony Gonzales (102 receptions, 7 TD) led the NFL in catches last season and shows no signs of slowing down at the age of 29. Jason Dunn (17 receptions, 3 TD) plays in two-tight end sets, and 2004 second-round draft pick Kris Wilson should begin making an impact this year.

OL: The Chiefs' offensive line remains one of its strongest features, and the team welcomes back all of its starters from a year ago. Left tackle Willie Roaf and right guard Will Shields are among the best in the business, and will re-assume their respective spots. Both were named to the Pro Bowl last season. Center Casey Wiegmann and left guard Brian Waters were both 16-game starters last year, and return as well. The one change could come at right tackle, where John Welbourn missed the final six games of 2004 with knee and hip injuries and the team is looking for a more reliable solution. Jordan Black started four games in Welbourn's place last year, but will have to beat out Kevin Sampson, a seventh-round draft choice a year ago, for the job. Both Welbourn and Black will stick as backups, and Chris Bober, who started two games last season, will earn the right to stay on as a reserve if he can beat out rookies Will Svitek (6th round, Stanford) and Jeremy Parquet (7th Round, Southern Miss).

DL: The one aspect of the Kansas City defense that has not been blown up entirely is the line, where end Carlos Hall is the only addition to the rotation and Vonnie Holliday (13 tackles) the only notable subtraction. On the interior, Ryan Sims (15 tackles, 2 sacks), Lional Dalton (21 tackles, 4 sack), and John Browning (39 tackles, 4.5 sacks) will again play in a rotation. Junior Siavii (9 tackles, 1 sack) could get a chance there as well, but an arrest during training camp may have put his future with the team in doubt. At end, Jared Allen (31 tackles, 9 sacks) led the Chiefs in sacks as a rookie, but a questionable work ethic led to a demotion during training camp. If Allen can't earn his spot back, either Hall (41 tackles, 2.5 sacks) or holdover Jimmy Wilkerson (11 tackles, 0.5 sacks) could take advantage. On the other side, the team is hopeful that Eric Hicks (32 tackles, 5 sacks) can come close to returning to his 14-sack form of 2000. Sixth-round draft choice Khari Long (Baylor) struggled with back problems during training camp and will have trouble making the roster.

LB: The Chiefs were in need of some changes here, and they made them. The team was fortunate to get rookie Derrick Johnson (Texas) with the No. 15 pick in the draft, as many experts had him going in the Top 10. Johnson, who won the Dick Butkus Award as the nation's best college linebacker in 2004, will settle in on the strong side. Kansas City is hopeful that the weak side position will be handled by Kendrell Bell (8 tackles with Pittsburgh), who missed most of 2004 with a knee injury but was a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first two years in the league. Bell was battling shoulder injuries in training camp, but is expected to be ready by the start of the regular season. If he has a setback, holdover Keyaron Fox (7 tackles) would likely get the starting nod. In the middle, the job belongs to Kawika Mitchell (72 tackles, 1 sack), who started the final 10 games there in 2004. Scott Fujita (90 tackles, 4.5 sacks) led Kansas City in tackles last season but is likely to serve as a backup to Johnson in 2005. Shawn Barber (33 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) missed the final eight games of '04 with a knee injury, and will probably start the season on the physically unable to perform list. Holdover Rich Scanlon (3 tackles) will likely have to beat out fifth-round draft choice Boomer Grigsby (Illinois State) for a job on special teams.

DB: Dick Vermeil and company were in desperate need of a shutdown cornerback, and found one in the form of two-time Pro Bowler Patrick Surtain (58 tackles, 4 INT, 1 sack with the Dolphins). Surtain's presence will mean easier assignments for Dexter McCleon (36 tackles, 2 INT), who should be able to beat out veteran Ashley Ambrose (26 tackles, 3 INT with New Orleans) for a starting slot. Ambrose missed the final seven games of 2004 with a knee injury. Eric Warfield (57 tackles, 4 INT) probably would have been the opening day starter opposite Surtain, but will miss the season's first four games after violating the NFL's alcohol abuse policy. Benny Sapp (9 tackles, 1 INT) should be the club's fourth cornerback in Warfield's absence. Fifth-round draft choice Alphonso Hodge (Miami (OH)) was hurt during training camp and is considered a long shot to make the team. At strong safety, the Chiefs will be much better with Sammy Knight (96 tackles, 4 INT with Miami) patrolling that area. Knight was a Pro Bowler while with the Saints in 2001. The free safety should be Greg Wesley (66 tackles, 4 INT) who made headlines in training camp after being arrested for interfering with police trying to arrest teammate Junior Siavii. Jerome Woods (41 tackles, 1 sack) missed the final six games of 2004 with a knee injury, and might be a victim of the final cut. William Bartee (46 tackles, 1.5 sacks), Shaunard Harts (52 tackles) and Willie Pile (36 tackles) were all part-time starters last season, and are potential backups to Knight and Wesley at safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Chiefs went through three punters last season, none of which satisfied them, and used a third-round draft pick on Dustin Colquitt (Tennessee) to rectify their problems there. At kicker, Lawrence Tynes (17-23 FG, 58-60 XP) beat out veteran Morten Andersen for a job in training camp last season, but his struggles in the 2005 preseason led to speculation that the team would seek out a veteran leg to take his place. Dante Hall (25.3 kickoff return avg., 2 TD, 10.1 punt return avg.) may be a bust as a receiver, but he has nine touchdowns off returns in the past three seasons and still represents one of the most dangerous game-breakers in the league.

PROGNOSIS: Kansas City was a handful of defensive stops from being a playoff team a year ago, but was beset by injuries and ineffectiveness on that side of the ball and ended up on the south side of .500. The addition of a number of playmakers on defense means that if the Chiefs average 30.2 points per game in 2005, as they did a year ago, they'll reach double digits in wins and find their way to the postseason again. One suspects, however, that the aging offense might not be quite as potent, especially since the pass-catching corps outside of Gonzales isn't going to scare many teams. But with depth at running back and on the offensive line, and a savvy signal-caller like Green at the controls, the Chiefs will not suffer many dry spells away from the end zone. Look for Vermeil and company to challenge for both the AFC West title and/or a Wild Card berth into the final two weeks.