The Chiefs have made it pretty obvious to the NFL that both Justin Houston and Dee Ford are on the trade block. My original thought was that they'd get rid of one or the other, but reports from trustworthy sources suggest they're willing to move on from both. Houston makes sense. He costs too much, and they will inevitably release him, so why not try to get some return? Ford is a little more head scratching. The franchise tag was placed, allowing him one more year to try and prove he's worth a long term deal. He was one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL in 2018, and sounds satisfied with the franchise tag. The defensive scheme is changing, but the Wide 9 DE on the weak side of a Spagnuolo defense is a good spot for Ford. All that being said, the Chiefs have entered a new era , and a complete overhaul of the defense shouldn't be too surprising.
Without Houston or Ford, the next two EDGE defenders in line would be the past two draft classes' 2nd round picks: Breeland Speaks and Tanoh Kpassgnon. Neither has been much of a contributor in their careers so far. Speaks played over KPass in 2018 when Houston was hurt, and registered 1.5 sacks in the 4 games he started. Kpassgnon went from minimal playing time to the inactive list by the end of 2018, only having 1 TFL and 1 QB hit in his season box score. This information is discouraging when considering the Chiefs as Super Bowl contenders in 2019. Their pass rush was the one bright spot defensively last year, and now it'll be headed by two players that have combined for 3.5 sacks in their career? Yikes.
While pessimism is justified, I believe there is reason to be optimistic about both Speaks and KPass taking steps forward in 2019. First of all, the scheme change. The Chiefs have been a base 3-4 for the entire Andy Reid era, but new Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo runs a base 4-3 over, the over indicating that the Sam LB will be closer to the line of scrimmage on the strong side. Yes, I understand it won't entirely change the defense because most defenses are only in their base formation 30% of the time. That doesn't mean their positional philosophy won't change. Speaks and Kpassgnon were misfit at 3-4 OLB, and practiced at that spot with all the coverage responsibilities and the 2 point stance and everything that comes with being a linebacker. That's different than the 4-3 DE position they both played in college, where they were never asked to stand up or cover or worry about some of the duties an OLB would have. Practicing as a legitimate 4-3 DE and focusing solely on being a down lineman should make it easier on both guys.
Also, they both fit the mold for what Spagnuolo has looked for in the past at his defensive end position. Huge humans. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Robert Ayers to name a few. Yes, these guys are more accomplished than Speaks and KPass, but they are physically similar, and it's possible that Spags was a big reason why we know their names. Hopefully he can have that kind of positive impact on our edge rushers.
Finally, and probably the most obvious point, is that they're still young. Kpassagnon will be 25 when the season starts, and Speaks will be 23. They were both drafted as developmental projects, and haven't truly proven anything positive or negative yet; we haven't seen them prepare and play as a starter. They're at a good malleable age where they can still be molded into what the Chiefs need, and the hire of former Patriots Defensive Line Coach Brendan Daly should give fans and the organization confidence that the best can be brought out of Tanoh and Breeland. The Patriots have been notorious for getting production out of lesser names, and Daly is a big reason why former Patriot and free agent Trey Flowers will end up getting a big contract this offseason.
I didn't write this piece because I am a big fan of either player. They have shown flashes, but nothing that warrants confidence in them being our starting DEs for a Super Bowl run in 2019. I am just choosing to be optimistic, and these points show the path to how these two could end up being good players in Kansas City.
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