Kansas City Chiefs: The Chris Jones Era Begins

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a big loss with defensive end Allen Bailey going down.  However, this opens the door for rookie Chris Jones to make his presence truly felt.

It is being reported that the Kansas City Chiefs are concerned that defensive end Allen Bailey will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.  This is a big blow as Bailey is one of the better players on the defense.  However, this is also a huge opportunity for the Chiefs to get more use out of rookie lineman Chris Jones.

The Chiefs have shown the importance of having solid depth available this year.  The Chiefs have had to contend with several starters not being available.  Justin Houston, Jamaal Charles, Phillip Gaines, and Josh Mauga have all had to be replaced at times.  Now the Chiefs are adding Allen Bailey to that group.  However, the Chiefs appear to be ideally suited to handle this loss with rookie second round pick Chris Jones in the mix.

The stat sheets won’t tell you very much about Chris Jones this year.  However, if you have been watching, you know that this kid is a monster.  On a number of plays, Jones has completely demolished the lineman opposite of him.  This has resulted in a number of poor throws by opposing quarterbacks.  It has also had fans clamoring for him to get more playing time.

A Top Prospect

It was a surprise when the Kansas City Chiefs were able to get Chris Jones in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.  Jones was regarded by many scouts as one of the better pass rushing defensive linemen.  However, the draft class had a number of promising players in that mold, so he slipped to the Chiefs in the second round.

This had many Chiefs fans excited early on.  Kansas City was already stacked along the defensive front with Allen Bailey, Jaye Howard, and Dontari Poe.  So it was a given that Jones would have to work to get his opportunities.  At the very least, he gave the Chiefs options for allowing their front three to get some rest.

When Jones did get on the field, he didn’t disappoint.  Showing off almost freakish strength, Chris Jones has practically thrown linemen around on a number of occasions.  Jones has also demonstrated excellent speed and athleticism for the position.  He gets off the ball and past his blocker quickly, which will often destroy a play before it can take shape.

Time To Dominate

There may be some real upside for the Kansas City Chiefs in the loss of Allen Bailey.  While Bailey is a strong defender and very stout against the run, he isn’t much of a pass rusher.  That is something the Chiefs sorely need, and also happens to be Chris Jones’s forte.  It is altogether possible that KC gets strong from this.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Jones isn’t without flaws.  As with any rookie, he has his share of struggles.  Some opponents have gotten the best of him, including last week.  One of the big questions on Jones coming out of college was an inconsistent motor.  Now that he’s in line to start for the Chiefs, that will be an early focal point.

However, from a sheer talent point of view, Chris Jones should be able to step in and play well.  The Chiefs certainly expect big things from him in the future.  This should only be a matter of upping the timeline.  From what we have seen early on, Jones has the ability to play in the NFL and be a real force.  Now it is time to earn that paycheck and be the beast that Chiefs Kingdom hopes he is.

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An injury is never a “good” thing for an NFL team.  However, sometimes it opens the door for another player to get his chance.  The Chiefs are very well prepared to handle an injury to their defensive line.  Chris Jones will get his chance in place of Allen Bailey, and there is plenty of reason to think that this is going to work out well for Kansas City.