ChiefsPlanet - Chiefs Rand: Matching wits and muscle

Matching wits and muscle
May 19, 2009, 9:03:34 AM by Jonathan Rand - FAQ

Chiefs defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey finds himself, literally and figuratively, in a new position this year.

The fifth overall pick of the 2008 draft, Dorsey played right tackle in a four-man front last season. He was expected to be a force against the run and to now and then pressure the passer.

Instead, his rookie season was fraught with growing pains. Then came an overhaul that made the Chiefs a far cry from the organization that drafted Dorsey.

He has a new head coach, Todd Haley, and a new defensive system. A theme of defensive change was sounded loud and clear when Haley and general manager Scott Pioli used their first two draft choices on linemen. Clearly, no jobs up front were reserved for returnees.

The Chiefs defense remains a work in progess and Dorsey isn’t yet sure where he’ll fit. He could be an end or nose tackle when the Chiefs play a 3-4, or play his old spot when they insert a fourth lineman.

What Dorsey learned from a 50-tackle, one-sack rookie season is that he still has plenty to learn. Veteran blockers often could wrestle him to a standstill. While his coaches vowed to give Dorsey chances to get up field in passing situations, that merely added an unrealistic expectation for a rookie who had his hands full just trying to stop the run.

“Inside, it’s so quick – it’s the snap of the ball and ‘Go!’ ” he said Monday after the Chiefs’ first voluntary off-season workout.

“On the outside (at end) you have little more time and a little more space, but more responsibility. It’s different. I’m embracing it. I feel I can do it.”

Dorsey’s size – 6 feet, one inch and 297 – would suggest he’d fit best as a 3-4 end. Classic nose tackles weigh well over 300 and are charged with occupying two blockers.

“”Wherever they tell me to play, I’ll go with it and do the best I can,” said Dorsey, who stayed out of Monday’s workout because of shin soreness. “It’s a new style of defense, but everybody’s starting from square one. We’re just trying to get this thing right.”

Defensively, the Chiefs could get little right in 2008 – they ranked 29th against the pass, 30th against the run and 31st overall. The “cover two” defense put tremendous weight on Dorsey and his line mates, who were required to perform so well up front that the other seven defenders could fill zones and generally not have to blitz. All the gory statistics, including a historic NFL low of 10 sacks, testify that the Chiefs’ line was assigned a heavier burden than it could handle. The 3-4, however, asks linemen primarily to tie up offensive linemen and allow the linebackers to knock down the running backs and rush the quarterback. Yet, no matter what defense he’s playing, Dorsey knows he’ll have to do a better job of matching wits as well as muscle.

twitter”The veterans, they know the little tricks of the trade,” he said. “It’s a matter of knowing what the guy is trying to do to you. You can’t expect everybody to block you the same way. It’s a lot more mental than people think.”

Dorsey appreciates that he needs to review game video of opponents until he becomes bleary- eyed. While winning four major national awards at LSU, he fulfilled his weekly film study obligations but knew that when push came to shove, he’d be doing most of the pushing and shoving.

During his first NFL season, however, Dorsey would too often come out no better than even and in his business, ties always go to the blocker. He knows it’s time to start breaking them.