Dorsey fills a need indeed

May 27, 2008, 8:32:07 AM by Jonathan Rand - FAQ

When the Chiefs drafted defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, it seemed as if they were grabbing an athlete too good to pass up rather than filling a primary need. Actually, they were doing both.

Because Herm Edwards has been building his team with a defensive foundation, he needs his defense to become one of the NFL’s best. An elite defense requires an elite defensive line, especially in the Chiefs’ cover-two system.

For Chiefs linebackers and defensive backs, who often are assigned to drop into zones, the speed to cover lots of ground is a prerequisite. That makes it extra important to have plenty of muscle up front, and the Chiefs’ front four does not routinely get the benefit of a blitz.

The Chiefs’ No. 13 ranking on total defense last season was respectable, but needs to take another step upward for the team to become a playoff contender. The Chiefs ranked 19th against the pass but 28th against the run, which was a big red flag. Once opponents jumped ahead late in the game, they could pound the ball and preserve a victory.

The Chiefs needed more muscle up front, and Dorsey, a 6-foot-1, 297-pounder comes with a reputation of being hard to move. He’ll be needed to stuff the run and collapse the pocket. More of an inside pass rush is required now after the trade of sacks champion Jared Allen, the former right end.

The defensive line was one of the Chiefs’ more stable areas entering the offseason, but now has an altered look. Left end Tamba Hali moves to right end, the weak side, and right tackle Alfonso Boone moves to left end. Returning starter Ron Edwards and Dorsey will play inside.

A high-energy front four needs a rotation with fresh bodies, and the line would get important help if tackle Tank Tyler and end Turk McBride are ready to step in more than they did as rookies last year. Defensive linemen often need a year to get their feet wet in the NFL, but Dorsey is such a key addition that the Chiefs need him to hit the ground running.

“Everything’s (happening) one hundred miles per hour,” he said during off-season workouts. “I’ll get used to it. The time is now. I like that. I like to have the opportunity to play right away. That’s why you come to the NFL.”

Dorsey and Hali give the Chiefs two first-round picks up front. Though Hali’s 7.5 sacks paled in comparison to Allen’s 15.5 a year ago, he led the Chiefs in sacks with eight as a rookie in 2006.

Hali has become accustomed to the difficulty of rushing the passer in a cover-two defense, and the job becomes tougher when the wide receivers get a free release. If they can’t easily get off the line of scrimmage, the quarterback’s rhythm gets disrupted. But if he gets enough time to throw, the quarterback and receivers will almost always find an open spot.

“We know if we work hard, that ball has to come out quicker and we may get a bad throw or an interception,” Hali said. “But if it’s soft coverage, we have to work even harder so (the other seven defenders) can sit in their zones. If we’re not getting there, the quarterback is buying time.

“At the end of the day, you want to get sacks and turnovers. You can cause a lot of havoc by making him scramble, but as long as the quarterback has that ball in his hands, he’s capable of getting the ball out to the proper receiver.”

Hali says he sees no problem with the line’s rearrangement. “Any of the guys are able to play any position,” he said. “I get to prove — not only to myself, but to people who don’t believe — that I can rush the passer.

“It’s going to be a challenge for our team and for our line to do better than we did last year. It’s not going to be a piece of cake, but at the end of the day, everything will fall into place.”

The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.

---

A former sportswriter and columnist in Kansas City and Miami, Rand has covered the NFL for three decades and seen 23 Super Bowl games. His column appears twice weekly in-season.