Five position battles to watch in Kansas City

By Mike Ash  |   Thursday, May 31, 2007  |  Comments( 13 )

Kansas City Chiefs
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With the Kansas City Chiefs set to begin their mini-camp on Friday, head coach Herm Edwards has made it abundantly clear that anyone who starts on his football team this year will have to earn it. And while that doesn't mean Pro Bowlers like Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez need to start looking over their shoulders, there are several positions on the team where the incumbent starters will have to compete for their jobs.

Here's a look at five position battles to watch as the Chiefs set their roster for 2007:

Quarterback

Perhaps the highest-profile QB battle in the league is in Kansas City, where the Trent Green saga continues to roll on with no end in sight. Prompted by Green's age (36) and his performance after returning from the concussion he suffered in Week 1 last season, Edwards decided shortly after the end of the Chiefs' 2006 campaign that Green would have to earn the job if he was to remain the team's starting quarterback.

For the time being, it's impossible to say whom the Chiefs will start at QB when the season begins. Green continues to share reps with Damon Huard and second-year signal caller Brodie Croyle, but a trade that would send Green to Miami has been expected for months now. If and when the trade finally happens, the battle between Huard and Croyle will be the most closely scrutinized competition the Chiefs have had in several years.

Receiver

The aging Eddie Kennison probably won't be ousted from his starting job this year, but Samie Parker's hold on the other WR spot appears to be tenuous at best. With the Chiefs using their first-round draft pick on LSU's Dwayne Bowe, it's hard to imagine the inconsistent Parker remaining a starter.

But Bowe isn't the only player who makes the WR battle one to watch. Considering the high praise that Edwards has given second-year receivers Jeff Webb and Chris Hannon, the two will likely have every opportunity to show that they deserve significant playing time. And with Dante Hall now in St. Louis, the competition for the third receiver slot may be among the fiercest battles in camp.

If Webb and Hannon can justify the faith that their head coach has in them, Parker may fall from a starting job in 2006 to the fourth or fifth spot on the depth chart in 2007. With three young, ascending receivers and a still-effective veteran in Kennison, the Chiefs may be able to entirely revamp their WR corps in the course of just one offseason.

Defensive Tackle

The Cover 2 defense that Edwards brought to Kansas City is only successful when the four linemen can get pressure on the quarterback, allowing the rest of the defense to drop into coverage. The Chiefs have two extremely talented pass rushers in Jared Allen and Tamba Hali, but their defensive tackle position has been a weakness since they picked Ryan Sims in the first round of the 2002 draft.

In their efforts to improve the middle of their line, the Chiefs re-signed starters James Reed and Ron Edwards, added free agent Alphonso Boone from the Bears, and selected Tank Tyler and Turk McBride in the 2007 draft. Although McBride is a two-position player who's initially expected to see more action at defensive end, the Chiefs now appear to have a solid rotation of tackles for the first time in several years.

The most intriguing aspect of the camp battles will be seeing how the rookies perform. Hopes are high that Tyler, whom many considered a steal in the draft's third round, will be the dominating tackle the Chiefs need to help bring their defense back amongst the elite. If he and Boone can force Edwards and Reed into backup roles, it should make for an instant upgrade along the D-line.

Safety

Kansas City's starting safeties in 2006 were Sammy Knight and Greg Wesley. The team released Knight in March, opening the door for second-year safety Jarrad Page to get a starting job. And according to several reports, the Chiefs made attempts to trade Wesley prior to the draft, showing their confidence in last year's second-round pick, Bernard Pollard.

Wesley remains with the Chiefs for the time being, but he'll likely have a fierce challenge on his hands from Pollard if he expects to remain the starter.

Right Tackle

With John Welbourne expected to slide over to right guard and replace the retiring Will Shields, his former position at right tackle will become available. Veteran Chris Terry is expected to get the nod, but the Chiefs have two promising tackles in Will Svitek and Kevin Sampson who have a chance at making their mark.

Sampson proved himself a capable starter last year before injuries derailed his season. Svitek, who played in NFL Europa in 2006, also missed most of last season because of injury. A strong showing in camp by either of the two young players could change the team's plans as it looks to rebuild its offensive line.
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CommentsComments: 13  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
arrowheadsoldier		12:13 AM
06/01/2007
I am so amped for this upcoming season, I can't wait, it's going to be a fun year I think with all of the new faces on the team, ...
No.2
ShadyRaider		09:18 AM
06/01/2007
The Chefs need a receiver!!...I mean come on a TE can't do it all. I cannot think of one above average receiver they have had in ...
No.3
Andy		09:44 AM
06/01/2007
We can talk about all these roster spots up for grabs, but the two areas that will dictate our season is QB and OL. Our season ...
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