Chiefs position analysis: linebacker

By Mike Ash  |   Friday, February 29, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Kansas City Chiefs
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We continue the Chiefs' position analysis with a look at the team's linebackers.

Derrick Johnson

The Chiefs' first-round pick in 2005 turned in another solid campaign, as he literally lined up all over the field at various points in the season. Early in 2007, Kansas City appeared to be using Johnson more often as a pass rusher, both as a blitzing linebacker and even at the defensive end position. The experiment proved successful -- for the first month of the season, he was leading the team in sacks and there was increasing chatter about his first Pro Bowl berth.

But for reasons unexplained, the Chiefs seemed to move away from that plan and resumed using Johnson in coverage in their Cover 2 defense. Although he only posted one sack in the final 12 weeks of the season, Johnson continued to make plays, registering the first interceptions of his career and making an impressive 14 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Though he improves with each season, Johnson can still get better as he works to become a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker. One can't help wonder if locking him down into one specific role, rather than moving him around so much, might help him truly hit his stride.

Donnie Edwards

After spending the previous five seasons in San Diego, 2007 marked Edwards' return to the city where he began his NFL career. A wildly underrated player, he proved to be the same steady force fans in Kansas City remembered, though perhaps a step or two slower at 34 years of age.

Though his play may have dropped a little from his days roaming the field alongside Derrick Thomas, Edwards' reliability should make him one of the few players over 30 to remain on the Chiefs' roster in 2008.

Napoleon Harris

In his first season as the Chiefs' middle linebacker, Harris posted a career-high 116 tackles and, for a time, looked like a strong fit in the team's Cover 2 defense. But like several of Kansas City's defenders, Harris' play began to slip in the second half of the season, and he was criticized for often being out of position and not filling his gaps correctly.

It's been reported that Chiefs coaches thought Harris redeemed himself in the final game of the season. But there have been rumblings that the team may go a different way with its middle linebacker spot in 2008, perhaps swapping Harris and Edwards, or maybe replacing Harris if they can find a better fit.

It would be surprising if the team bailed out on Harris after just one year. But coming off a four-win season, anything is possible.

Kendrell Bell

Another failed free-agent acquisition of the previous regime, Bell -- a starter in 2005 and 2006 -- saw action mostly on special teams in '07. His time in Kansas City ended Wednesday when the team informed him he was being released.

Keyaron Fox

The Chiefs' third-round pick in 2004, Fox has been a backup and special teams player during his four-year career in Kansas City. He's set to become a free agent on Friday, and according to the Kansas City Star earlier this week, the team has little to no interest in re-signing him.

Nate Harris

An undrafted rookie out of Louisville, Harris was a strong special teams player in his first NFL season and was listed on the depth chart as the backup MLB. Barring an impressive offseason showing that boosts him into the starting mix, he'll likely keep those same roles in 2008.

Offseason analysis:

The linebacker position is something of an odd one with the Chiefs. One on hand, their LB corps was one of the strengths of their defense in 2007. But on the other hand, Edwards isn't a long-term solution, and Napoleon Harris' play late in the season raised some question marks.

The team could easily stand pat with the same starters and return a strong trio in 2008. Then again, the Chiefs could be proactive in looking to find Edwards' eventual replacement, and they could be aggressive in trying to find a better MLB if they have concerns about Harris.

Whether or not they address their starters, though, the Chiefs have to look to beef up their reserves, be it in free agency or in the draft. Any injury to Johnson, Edwards, or Harris could deal a serious blow to the defense without capable backups to step in.

But with more pressing needs on the offensive line and at wide receiver and cornerback, it may not be until 2009 that the Chiefs address the LB position.

Up next: cornerback
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