The roster of the Kansas City Chiefs is at the NFL limit of 90 players. While they still could make a personnel move or two, the roster they have now is at least close to the one they will take to training camp this summer at Missouri Western State University.
Here, we’ll continue a series that looks at their roster by position. This time, it’s the linebackers.
With the Chiefs last year: Dee Ford, Tamba Hali, Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson, James-Michael Johnson, Josh Martin, Josh Mauga, Dezman Moses, Frank Zombo.
New to the Chiefs: D.J. Alexander (fifth-round draft pick), Sage Harold (undrafted rookie), Justin March (undrafted rookie), Ramik Wilson (fourth-round draft pick)..
Analysis: The Chiefs invested a couple of draft picks here but inside linebackers Wilson and Alexander are aimed at the future. The biggest immediate addition is Derrick Johnson, who ruptured his Achilles tendon in the season opener and was done for the year. The Chiefs missed his steady presence against the run. Johnson will be back in their lineup this season, but he turns 33 in November and missed most of last season, so the Chiefs can’t be certain he will be the same player he was before the injury. Also of intrigue is Houston’s situation. He is the franchise player and has not signed his one-year contract offer or agreed with the Chiefs on a long-term deal. He has been absent from offseason workouts, and a continued holdout would have a huge impact on the Chiefs’ defense. Hali had just six sacks last season, the lowest number since early in his career. He turns 32 in November. Ford was the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick last season and would replace Houston, but he played little as a rookie and had little impact when he did.
