FanHouse DefensiveEnd

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.

Chiefshuddle.com reported that Jared Allen was busted for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), his second such offense in less than three months. According to Chiefshuddle.com:

Chiefshuddle.com has confirmed through the Leawood, Kansas Police Department that Chiefs Defensive End Jared S. Allen born 04/03/82 was arrested early Tuesday morning (9/26/06) and released with a "notice to appear" on alleged charges of Driving Under the Influence.

As of now, this is a projected breaking story, but we cannot confirm that is true. No other publication is currently reporting this story, including the local publication, the Kansas City Star. We will keep you posted as we learn of future developments.

Keep in mind, also, that the arrest allegedly occurred on early Tuesday, as per the Chiefshuddle.com's report; however, it makes you wonder how the story escaped the press for this long. There is certainly some reason to be skeptical of this report. We have heard nothing from any alternate source to confirm or deny these charges so, for now, we'll label this story as merely a rumor.

If true, this report has major implications for the Chiefs. Jared Allen may very well be the most important player on the Chiefs' defense. If you'll recall, Eric Warfield was tagged with a four-game suspension just a year ago for his third DUI offense. Given their recent struggles on offense, the Chiefs need strong defensive performances to win games and they certainly cannot afford to lose a player of Allen's magnitude. The Chiefs' defense has struggled to sack the quarterback this season and it does not help to lose your best sack artist for an extended period of time. The Chiefs can only sit and hope that this report is untrue.

I will reserve any judgment on Allen until I hear of confirmation from other sources. But for now, this Chiefs' writer sure hopes that Allen was smart enough not to make this kind of a boneheaded decision.