Defensive Line
The Chiefs were horrible against the run last year, especially late in the season, but Cunningham is hoping his aggressive style will help plug the holes. Kansas City played more of a read-and-react style last season, but this year he has his guys playing a one-gap style of defense designed to penetrate and disrupt opposing offenses, which is a better fit for the personnel on the roster.
Neither John Browning nor Ryan Sims is what you would call a run-stuffing tackle and they both struggle to occupy blockers ideally in a two-gap system, so they were not good fits for the system they ran last year. This year they will be asked to shoot the gaps more, which is a strength of both players. Veteran Lional Dalton and rookie second rounder Junior Siavii will likely see time as wave-type players.
Veterans Eric Hicks and Vonnie Holliday give the Chiefs solid starters on the ends. Hicks, who recorded 14 sacks in Cunningham’s last year as head coach, could really benefit in the change in defensive philosophy. Holliday is a good every-down end who holds up well against the run, but he has looked a bit out of shape in the preseason. Depth is a concern at the end position with very little talent behind the starters.
Linebackers
Cunningham is likely to turn his linebackers loose more often this year, so look for this group to be more productive as far a making big plays and creating turnovers. Starting middle linebacker Mike Maslowski , who is the classic overachiever, was lost for the season with a knee injury, so either Monty Beisel or last year’s second-round draft pick Kawika Mitchell will have to step in. Mitchell is a good athlete with good size, but he is still a bit raw and is a liability in coverage.
Veterans Scott Fujita and Shawn Barber give the Chiefs a solid pair of starters at the outside positions. Fujita doesn’t possess great top-end speed, but he does have good athletic ability and range, and he is a good open-field tackler. Barber is a great athlete with big-play ability and is by far the best linebacker of this group. He is an effective blitzer, he can turn and run with backs or tight ends, and he has a great closing burst. Depth is a concern on the outside where the team is hoping rookie Keyaron Fox can develop quick enough to be productive this season.
Secondary
Concerns in the secondary begin with the lack of a true No. 1 cornerback. Eric Warfield and Dexter McCleon will start on the outside, but they are both prone to giving up big plays and will struggle in heavy man coverage. Warfield is a physical corner with good size and speed, but he is terribly inconsistent. McCleon has bounced back the last couple years, but he is probably better suited in a nickel role. For now, William Bartee and last year’s third-round pick Julian Battle will fill the nickel and dime spots, but coaches are hoping one of the two can step up to claim a starting spot.
The Chiefs are fortunate to have a very strong duo starting at the safety positions. Greg Wesley, who will start at strong safety, is a very physical player who steps up well against the run and could probably be an effective blitzer if Cunningham chooses to use him that way. He has also improved his coverage skills tremendously the last couple years. Starting free safety Jerome Woods is a big hitter as well, but he lacks ideal speed and athleticism. He is very effective in the Chiefs‘ system however.
Overview
Despite the problems at wide receiver, I doubt the Chiefs offense will miss a beat. Green should continue to do a good job distributing the ball and, barring injury, Holmes will carry the load on the ground again as his offensive line continues to open big holes. This offense will continue to go through the running back and tight end, as it has during Dick Vermeil’s tenure in Kansas City, and there is no reason to think those areas of the team are suddenly going to be weak.
As they did last year, the Chiefs will probably outscore a lot of teams on their way to the playoffs, but how far they go from there depends on how well Cunningham shapes the defensive unit. They have got to show the ability to slow down the run from time to time and they have got to create turnovers. Otherwise, Kansas City’s championship hopes might end in disappointing fashion again this season.