KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs have frequently operated during offseason practice with a makeshift starting lineup on defense. Backups Jarvis Jenkins and Rakeem Nunez-Roches have received some snaps on the line. Roster long shots Earl Okine and Marcus Rush have played at outside linebacker. Daniel Sorensen and Phillip Gaines have been regulars in the secondary.
The Chiefs had to use so many backups in their lineup because seven defensive starters (linemen Chris Jones and Bennie Logan, linebackers Justin Houston and Dee Ford and defensive backs Marcus Peters, Eric Berry and Ron Parker) missed some or all of the 10 practice sessions.
An eighth starter, linebacker Derrick Johnson, hasn’t participated because he’s still rehabbing from last season’s torn Achilles tendon.
Participation in the 10 practices was voluntary, completely at the discretion of the players. But the Chiefs conclude their offseason work this week with a three-day minicamp where participation is mandatory.
The Chiefs are expecting all their players to attend. That includes Houston, Peters and Berry, who have been absent for all of the 10 practice sessions.
That would mean the Chiefs this week would have a defensive lineup closely resembling the one they will use for the Sept. 7 season opener against the Patriots in New England.
The Chiefs still won’t be able to practice in pads because of NFL rules, but this is still an important step. The Chiefs are eager to improve a pass rush that after spending several seasons among the most productive in the league dropped off dramatically last year.
The Chiefs believe that’s in part because they didn’t have all their top rush components on the field at the same time. Houston missed the first 11 games after having offseason knee surgery. Lineman Allen Bailey played in only the first five games before his season ended with a shoulder injury.
All of their top rushers should be on the field next week, including Jones and Ford. Jones showed promise as a pass-rusher during his rookie season last year, while Ford had the first double-digit sack season of his career.
Johnson and linebacker Tamba Hali are unlikely to participate. The Chiefs expect Johnson back for the start of training camp in late July.
Hali has balky knees that have prevented him from practicing this spring. The problem kept him from practicing last year in the offseason and most of training camp, but he managed to play in every game, including the playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
