Babb: Chiefs wait to measure Jackson’s progress

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs wait to measure Jackson’s progress
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

Tyson Jackson has passed Chiefs coach Todd Haley’s first test, and that’s a big one. Jackson will have to wait a few weeks before Kansas City moves forward, the pads come on, and the team’s first-round pick has his chance to look the part.

Jackson, the rookie defensive end, has done all the right things mentally, Haley said Monday, but the coach added that it would be unfair to measure any defensive lineman’s physical progress before the team begins full-contact drills when training camp opens in late July.

Thursday will be the Chiefs’ final offseason practice, and those workouts feature little or no contact, and players don’t wear shoulder pads. Because of this, Haley admitted that one of the Chiefs’ most unreliable positions during last year’s 2-14 season, the defensive line, remains a question as the team approaches its first season under him.

“Once we get those pads on,” Haley said, “we will get a true evaluation. … So much can change when the pads are on.

“The guys are starting to get it because this is a whole new ballgame for them.”

He was talking about the Chiefs’ shift to a 3-4 defensive front, a move Haley fancied from his days as Arizona’s offensive coordinator. The change required several significant personnel adjustments, including the move of several veteran linemen to linebackers and the selection of Jackson with the No. 3 overall pick.

The choice was unexpected, as Jackson was projected to be a mid- to late-first rounder, but the Chiefs saw the former Louisiana State standout as an essential piece to running the 3-4. Now that Kansas City has one player it sees as part of its long-term defensive foundation, the drama begins on whether Jackson will be signed and with the team when it begins training camp July 31 in River Falls, Wis.

He said Monday that he hopes to be there on time but that he has “no idea” whether a contract will be finalized by then.

“I’m still confident,” Jackson said. “My agent is going to do a real good job. I really don’t know too much about it, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to do a good job and put me in camp when I’m supposed to be there.”

Jackson’s agent, Eugene Parker, also represents New England defensive lineman Richard Seymour, meaning he’s likely familiar with Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, the Patriots’ former longtime personnel executive.

Kansas City had one of its two first- round draft picks last year in camp on time. Left tackle Branden Albert agreed to contract terms the day before camp began, and top pick Glenn Dorsey missed the first day of practice before his deal was finalized.

Jackson said Monday that he has enough on his mind to concern himself with contract talks. He said he didn’t know where negotiations stand, saying he has devoted his attention to learning the Chiefs’ complicated new defense.

“I don’t even think about it,” he said of contract discussions. “There’s too much in the playbook for me to worry about that right now.”

Jackson and Kansas City’s other rookies will remain with the team for conditioning work after the Chiefs’ final practice Thursday. Jackson admitted that he needs work before he’s ready to assume what is expected to be a starting role in the fall. Jackson said that, upon joining the Chiefs for practice after the draft, he would have given his comfort level a failing grade; now, he said, it is up to a C.

“I’m starting to get the rhythm to it,” he said, “but I still have a long way to go. There are some things that you can use to your advantage in college that you can’t use to your advantage in the pros. Guys are way smarter.”

He said he has leaned on veteran lineman Alfonso Boone to answer questions, and other veterans have noticed the rookie paying attention to details. Tank Tyler, who has his own adjustment to make as he moves to nose tackle from defensive tackle, said Jackson has the right attitude in this early — and chaotic — stage of his career.

“He pays attention; he knows his plays,” Tyler said. “That’s the first step to going out there and executing. I see a lot of will and a lot of drive out of him. He’s a good kid in my eyes.”

Haley said Jackson and the other linemen appear to have made most of the mental adjustments the new coaching staff has required, and with all of the changes, that hasn’t been easy. The Chiefs are reinforcing the basics of defense and rebuilding from there.

“They’re learning where to line up,” Haley said.

As the team nears the conclusion of the offseason, plenty more work remains. Jackson said he was relieved that there is time between these practices and training camp. His teammates aren’t complaining, either.

“It’s a challenge, but we have to do it,” Tyler said. “We have to know the playbook; we have to know what to do first. It’s coming together.”

•ROOKIE WASHINGTON ARRIVES: Rookie cornerback Donald Washington attended his first Chiefs practice Monday morning, two days after commencement ceremonies at Ohio State University.

Washington, the team’s fourth-round pick, was an underclassman and couldn’t attend NFL workouts before his school’s graduation date, according to NCAA rules. Washington performed only individual work Monday, and Haley said coaches will keep a close eye on the cornerback to help him learn what he’s missed.

“We will have somebody hanging with him to work and get him up to speed,” Haley said. “We are going to catch him up in all areas.”