Chiefs' Offseason Guide: Defensive Line

The next position that I'll evaluate is the defensive line.

Defensive End:
The Chiefs were pleasantly surprised by the production of their defensive ends. Jared Allen was terrific as usual and Tamba Hali, in my estimation, had every right to be Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The issue is what the Chiefs will do in Jared Allen's 4-game absence, as he finally serves time for his DUI. Right now, the Chiefs have Jimmy Wilkerson and Eric Hicks as his backup, but both of those options are a pretty big step down.

The Chiefs might...
Use a higher pick than expected on a defensive end. The Chiefs will almost certainly re-sign Jared Allen. You almost wonder if Carl Peterson will use his first round pick as leverage for contract negotiations with Allen (just as, in many peoples' minds, Peterson did when he drafted Larry Johnson with Priest Holmes in contract negotiations.) More than likely, the Chiefs will bite the bullet, sign Allen to a long-term deal, and settle for Wilkerson to start, unless some new blood comes in. I would venture to guess that Hicks will be cut (regardless of cap consequence) and the Chiefs will either bring in some new blood, or use an early second day pick to compete for the starting role in Allen's absence. Nothing earth-shattering.


Defensive Tackle:
I know a lot of people were disappointed with the play of our defensive tackles, but I thought Ron Edwards played extremely well. And might I once again bring up that the defense as a whole played particularly well in the second half of the season? The defensive tackles were better than they are given credit for. They could use some help, but I don't believe that this situation is so dire that the Chiefs need to invest a first round pick or top dollar to improve upon it.

Still, the Chiefs could still use a lot of help in the interior and it just might be the last step before the Chiefs unleash a pretty dominant defense. The Chiefs have a really good pass rush; now, they just need consistency in their interior push.

The Chiefs might....
Look pretty heavily into replacing James Reed out of the starting lineup. If Warren Sapp is let go from the Raiders, it would not surprise me (or upset me) at all if he became a Kansas City Chief. The Chiefs might also hope for a quality defensive tackle like Amobi Okoye to drop to them in the draft. I do think the Chiefs have this position earmarked as a priority and will likely make a pretty notable move either through free agency or the draft to solve this problem. Given that the Herm Edwards Chiefs are much more defensive-minded, it wouldn't surprise me if acquiring a defensive tackle becomes Herm's biggest offseason priority.