Tag: Defense

Chiefs DL Chris Jones earned fifth-best PFF grade among interior defenders in 2023

#Chiefs DL Chris Jones earned a PFF grade in the top-five of all interior defenders in the NFL for the 2023 season.

The Kansas City Chiefs are entering the 2024 offseason in an enviable position. As back-to-back champions, the team secured dynasty status with their win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII and will seek to keep as much talent on its payroll as possible heading into their next title defense campaign.

One key player that the Chiefs can’t afford to lose is veteran defensive lineman Chris Jones, who earned the fifth-best Pro Football Focus grade among all interior defenders for his efforts in 2023.

Jones has been a key cog in Kansas City’s defense since joining the Chiefs as a second-round draft pick in 2016. His ability to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines is unparalleled, and without his presence on Kansas City’s front-four, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will have his hands full trying to generate a pass rush next season.

The Chiefs used their franchise tag on Jones last year, and may have to resort to using it again if general manager Brett Veach can’t work out a long-term deal for the star lineman in the coming months.

Chiefs pick up option on DT Chris Jones’ contract. Will franchise tag be next?

Chiefs pick up a procedural option on DT Chris Jones’ contract. What comes next?

The Kansas City Chiefs offseason is underway with a flurry of moves already handled by general manager Brett Beach. The start of free agency looms with several players from the Super Bowl-winning roster in jeopardy of moving to a different team.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs have picked up an option on Chris Jones’ contract that gives them the right to use the franchise tag on him. The All-Pro can still enter free agency if he and the Chiefs don’t reach a deal.

“Sources: The Chiefs have picked up the option on All-Pro DT Chris Jones’ contract, retaining the right to franchise tag him and paying him $4.25M he earned in incentives.” posted Rapoport on his X account. “It was more timing than anything, as Jones was due the money, regardless. If not tagged, he’ll be free.”

Jones went through a battle last offseason regarding his contract, holding out through training camp and Week 1 of the regular season. When he returned, he was one of the best defensive linemen in football, earning first-team All-Pro honors. His 10.5 sacks were a catalyst for the Chiefs’ defense becoming one of the best units in the league.

Jones will demand a significant pay raise this offseason. He was vocal about staying in Kansas City during Wednesday’s parade, and negotiations with the front office over the next few weeks could make it a reality.

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo on Patrick Mahomes: ‘I’m trying to get him to play defense too’

#Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo revealed his scheme to get Patrick Mahomes to play for his defense in 2024.

Steve Spagnuolo signed a contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs this week after the team’s historic win in Super Bowl LVIII.

The veteran defensive coordinator has turned into a Chiefs legend since joining the team in 2019, and has earned his stripes as one of the NFL’s top assistant coaches.

After finding success with his unit in 2023, Spagnuolo told Pat McAfee this week that he wants to try something new: Get quarterback Patrick Mahomes to play on his defense.

“Patrick is a team guy,” Spagnuolo explained. “He’s all about winning, he’s all about team. When you’re on the other side of the ball that makes you feel tremendously good… You watch Patrick Mahomes operate day to day, he walks by my office every day on the way to the quarterback meeting room, or whether he’s on the field, it’s always about making all the other guys better.”

When McAfee asked if Mahomes’ experience growing up around professional locker rooms with his father might help him be a great teammate, Spagnuolo made his pitch.

“I’ll tell you, what I’ve been trying, I’ve been trying to see if he can be the first two-way player,” Spagnuolo said with a smirk. “We can get him out there to play safety, get him out there to play corner… I don’t think coach Reid is going to go for it, but how about that, right?”

It remains to be seen if Reid will take Spagnuolo seriously in this regard, but one thing is certain; the coordinator and quarterback are prepared to do everything necessary to secure Kansas City a three-peat, even if it means Mahomes takes on an ironman role.

Leo Chenal led Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII with 92.0 PFF grade

Second-year linebacker Leo Chenal was the #Chiefs’ top graded player in Super Bowl LVIII, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Kansas City Chiefs relied on their depth to win Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers, and one second-year linebacker stood out above the rest to Pro Football Focus when their analysts took a look at the film from the game.

Leo Chenal, who served the Chiefs well all season, played the best game of his life on the NFL’s biggest stage, earning a 92.0 grade from PFF for his efforts against the 49ers.

Chenal’s outstanding performance proved to be the difference for Kansas City in their effort to win a third Super Bowl ring. The budding young linebacker helped force a fumble on the game’s third drive and blocked an extra point late in the contest that helped the Chiefs push the game to overtime.

While he didn’t earn MVP honors for his amazing showing against San Francisco, Chenal’s incredible play won’t soon be forgotten by Kansas City’s fans, who will forever remember him as a difference-maker in a legendary Super Bowl.

Broncos expected to hire Jim Leonhard as DBs coach

After losing Christian Parker to the Eagles, the Broncos are expected to hire Jim Leonhard as their new defensive backs coach.

After losing defensive backs coach Christian Parker to the Philadelphia Eagles in a lateral move, the Denver Broncos are poised to replace him with a former NFL safety.

The Broncos are expected to hire Jim Leonhard as their new defensive backs coach, ESPN’s Dan Graziano first reported on Sunday. Leonhard, 41, played in the NFL from 2005-2014. He spent time with six teams, including one season with the Denver Broncos in 2012.

Leonhard hung up his cleats following the 2014 season with 428 career tackles, 14 interceptions and 4.5 sacks in 142 games (73 starts). He transitioned to coaching in 2016 when he returned to Wisconsin — his alma mater — as a defensive backs coach.

Leonhard was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017 and he later served as the Badgers’ interim head coach in 2022. After leaving Wisconsin in 2023, Leonhard served as a senior football analyst at Illinois last fall. He’s now returning to the NFL as a coach as a member of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s staff.

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Trent McDuffie named Chiefs’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus

DB Trent McDuffie was named the #Chiefs’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus this week ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ success in 2023 was defined by the progression of their young defense, led by young talent acquired through the NFL draft in recent years.

Among the unit’s most productive members were 2022 first-round picks George Karlaftis and Trent McDuffie, who bolstered Kansas City’s pass rush and secondary respectively.

While Karlaftis’ efforts were enough to secure him a top spot on the Chiefs’ regular season sack leaderboard, McDuffie’s performance in 2023 turned the heads of the experts at Pro Football Focus who named the second-year defensive back Kansas City’s most improved player.

McDuffie has been worth every bit of the 21st overall selection the Chiefs spent on him. Without his stellar play against opposing receivers, Kansas City’s defense wouldn’t have been able to put together such a dominant campaign in 2023.

Expect the 23-year-old to continue growing in Steve Spagnuolo’s system as he endeavors to help the Chiefs earn their second-straight Lombardi Trophy against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

Chiefs DE George Karlaftis calls Steve Spagnuolo a father figure for the defense

Chiefs DE George Karlaftis calls Steve Spagnuolo a father figure for the defense

The defense has been the story of the Kansas City Chiefs’ success during the 2023 season. The unit wasn’t receiving the respect they felt they deserved before last year’s Super Bowl, carrying that chip on their shoulder into this year’s squad ahead of Sunday.

Chiefs second-year defensive end George Karlaftis spoke with reporters on Tuesday during his Super Bowl media scrum, discussing his admiration for the work defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his staff have done this year.

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“I think with Spags (Steve Spagnuolo), it all starts with how much he cares about the guys, but you could see that he truly cares about us. He loves us. He’s like a father figure, if you will.” said Karlaftis, “He’s a man that instills faith in our defense, just trusting in one another, and everything goes from there. But you know, we love Spags, we love playing for Spags, because the game plan, and then the stuff he’s able to dial out speaks for itself, but he’s just a great human being, I’d have to say that before anything else.”

Spagnuolo continues to receive much-deserved praise for his job with the Chiefs’ defense, elevating them to becoming one of the best units in the league. He conducts business as a teacher during the week leading into game days, according to Karlaftis.

“Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) always keeps you on your toes because he likes presenting a topic or something like that. And he might just call on a random person to explain something, so he challenges Everybody.” said Karlaftis, “Everybody knows he’s a great teacher because he explains everything really well. Everybody takes notes, and there’s a specific way we conduct our business in the defensive unit room, so he’s great.”

Karlaftis secured ten sacks in his second NFL season, garnering a reputation as a feared pass rusher. He appreciates Spagnuolo’s teachings as he enters his second consecutive Super Bowl.

How did former Alabama defensive players perform statistically during the 2023 season?

Alabama is well-represented in the NFL. Roll Tide Wire takes a look at how former Alabama defensive players performed statistically during the 2023 NFL season.

It is difficult for a program to say that they have developed talent at the level that Alabama has in recent memory. Over the years, the Crimson Tide have produced some of the more elite talent in the NFL.

With that being the case, the general expectation is that Alabama will help send multiple players to the league year in and year out.

Defensively, Alabama is known for placing some of the top players into the league.

Several former Alabama players on the offensive side of the ball put their talents on display during the 2023 season.

Roll Tide Wire takes a look at how former Alabama players performed on the offensive side of the ball during the 2023 season.

Wisconsin football 2024 depth chart projection 1.0: Defense

Wisconsin football 2024 depth chart projection 1.0: Defense

Wisconsin football enters the 2024 season with an identity that needs to be rebuilt.

I wondered aloud throughout last season what the team’s identity was. It wasn’t exceptional at throwing the ball. It was inconsistent on the ground, and the defense was good but not great. The same was the case in 2022 under Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard — even the great defensive identity was slipping away.

Related: Way-too-early record predictions for every Big Ten football team in 2024

The good news is Luke Fickell is a defensive head coach with a strong history on that side of the ball. If I bet on any part of the team reaching dominance, it would be the defense.

Fickell and his staff attacked the transfer portal this winter to help reshape a roster that didn’t quite fit his and Mike Tressel’s schemes.

We will see if those moves pay off when spring practice gets underway. But first, here is our first depth chart projection for the Badgers’ 2024 defense:

Chiefs LB Nick Bolton on Chiefs’ boundless defensive potential

#Chiefs LB Nick Bolton told reporters about the boundless potential of Kansas City’s defense during comments to reporters.

The Kansas City Chiefs would not be set to compete in a second-consecutive Super Bowl without the stellar performance of their defense throughout the season.

Star linebacker Nick Bolton is one of the key players on Kansas City’s defense, and he has always felt that the unit had great potential, even back in the 2023 offseason.

While speaking with the media on Thursday, Bolton told reporters about the high expectations he had for the Chiefs defense, and when he noticed that it could be one of the NFL’s top units.

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“In training camp, I mentioned that we had the opportunity to be a top defense,” Bolton explained. “I meant that. I could tell from the guys and how we were able to recall from last year, adding new guys to the system, and how fast they were able to pick up stuff.

“We have the core guys that played last year. I think the experience and building where we left off from last year, everyone is a year older and a little more comfortable playing around each other. I feel like that helped us get to where we are now.”

Kansas City’s defense has overperformed all season and is widely regarded as one of the league’s best units despite being one of the youngest in the NFL.