FanHouse DefensiveTackle

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.

Carl Peterson recently stated that Lional Dalton was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs. According to a transcript on the Chiefs' website:

Q: Carl, are you releasing Lional Dalton?

PETERSON: "Yes, we are. We're activating Michael Bragg to the 53-man roster because we need corner help because of Benny Sapp being down. To make room, we had to release someone on the 53 and said goodbye to Lional Dalton who hasn't been active the last two weeks. We thank him for his participation but we're also trying to get young."

Q: Do some guys just not fit the coach's system?

PETERSON: "Every time you change coaching staffs there are players on your roster before that don't fit what the incoming head coach and assistant coaches are looking for. It was probably the situation with Lional."

Wow.

Some may not be surprised by this move. I am not one of them. I have always liked Dalton. I have always felt that his skills would have best been served playing as a run tackle only; a plug for the defensive line. While Dalton never got a whole lot of tackles as a Chief, he did a lot of the things you want out of an effective defensive tackle. Namely, he engaged blockers--not sexy in the stat book, but always important on the field. I thought he would do well in his new role as a situational tackle. Apparently, Herm Edwards had other plans.