Improving the ILB spot
 

So after watching that cowboys saints game, holy shit the cowboys ILBs are just freak shows. I’m pretty sure that’s the best tandem in the league, jaylon is back healthy which is awesome cause he’s a legit top 3 talent

But I think it also shows that’s where you’ve gotta be strong in today’s nfl.

How can the chiefs get to that point? I think hitchens is a good player if you put someone that doesn’t suck beside and in front of him.

Who’s draftable this year at ILB that can run?

I'm going to agree -- I've said that I don't think the ILB position needs to be upgraded this summer, but I'm going to change that opinion a bit.

If there is a great, athletic ILB on the board, I think you think really hard about taking him.

Hitchens is cuttable after the 2019 season. It's still painful (8.4m dead cap), but he's cuttable. Which means you can take a gamble on a pure athlete at ILB and give them a year to groom behind O'Daniel.

I think the O'Daniel pick is looking better and better at this point, though he does have room to grow.

The age of the thumper is just about over.

The thumper alone is dead. Look at these guys now though, they’re not just athletes, they can play the run too.

Maybe reactionary, but I don’t think you can have a good defense now without having 2 guys in the middle that can play all 3 downs really well.

I think Hitchens and O'Daniel can be a top 10 ILB group in the NFL. O'Daniel just needs more experience....which he's getting.

He’s a little light

Bigger importance for those 2 is putting more dudes in front of them

I think is kind of a chicken or egg thing too we’re running in to. Jones is super disruptive playing the way he does up front, but that leaves the linebackers susceptible sometimes

I don’t know what the best thing to do is

Which you have to keep in mind when looking at the Cowboy's LBs. Yeah they're fast and can tackle....but they're also being helped out immensely by that defensive line.

This is why we need to move to a 4-3 base defense like everyone has been screaming for a while now.

I don’t disagree but I’m not sure that’s the ideal way

Direckshuns I think your spot on, at least I hope you are.those that are hammering on hitchens are going to be proven wrong.i don't watch a lot of cowboys games , but the ones I did he was impresssive. It was reported that he didn't miss a tackle last year, I know the nasayers will be 7-10 yards down yada yada , but I don't think that's been the story on him before he got here. He looked to me like a stud every time I got to watch him play.Was really pumped when I heard we got him. Like you I really think next year is going to be a treat.Also I think DOD is going to come on next year after spending a offseason in the program.

The Chiefs have to get better play on the DL is how you'd start. Bailey and Williams are ****ing jags.

Just think how insane Dee Ford would be if they had any more capability to flush a QB out of the pocket. Dee Ford has to play out of his ****ing mind for every single sack.

I think you have to have a dude that’s big on your roster. If not, smart teams like the Cheatriots will just up and run power on you all game. They did that to some fools a few years ago. Got some slapstick at RB 5 TDs and cut him a couple weeks later.

Ultimately, you’d like to have a couple prime DJs back there. But that talent doesn’t come around every draft.

I want LBs that run forward, fill gaps, and hit people. I'm sorry, but this group needs a major overhaul.

They spent a but ton of money for Hitchens to be a JAG, good luck.

Spending the money wasn't necessarily the problem. Putting him in a different system and expecting him to just take off was.

Seriously, why would you sign a free agent to a big deal then have him do things he's not really done?

I dunno, the way Sutton asks his LB's to play seems completely different than any other team I watch so, explain that?

Desperation.

I don’t think Hitchens sucks. I think he had it much easier in Dallas. He was in a 4-3 with Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith. That’s less of the field to cover, more help from DL taking on blocks and less to diagnose. That’s probably why Vander Esch is awesome right now. The guy can just make plays because Jaylon Smith is there to help.

Chiefs need to find an athlete at LB. O’Daniel could be that guy if he can get bigger and keep his speed.

****ing Dorsey got one in Cleveland. Genard Avery was such a steal. ****

Yeah, last thursday, on like a second and 10, the RB caught like a 2 yard swing pass and headed down the sidelines. One of the ILBs, I think it was Hitchens, stood ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIRST DOWN MARKER and waited for the RB to run to him.

What the ****ing ****?

What do we need to upgrade for?

Hitchens is a Pro Bowler!!!

If I have to watch Reggie Ragland feel his way around the field anymore I'm going to puke.

Then some writer releases a defensive article and interviews Sutton who talks about how defense is so reading and reacting.

My god.

I really like this Jordan Kunaszyk kid for Cal.

130 tackles this season and seems to always be in the right spot.