Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp 2017 Preview: Inside Linebackers

Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp Preview

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Inside linebacker is one of those positions where you can never really be too sure just how many players the team will keep. It will be more than four…but how many more is up in the air. A lot of that has to do with who excels at Special Teams. However, some of it will also have to do with a talented group of players to choose from.

Josh Mauga – 8th Year

After cutting him at the beginning of the offseason, the Chiefs have brought back Josh Mauga. I wouldn’t read too much into this though. My outlook on this is that Mauga is here to compete, but the Chiefs are hoping he gets beat out. He’s also a good player to have on the radar in case there is an injury, since he already knows the defense so well.

Terrance Smith – 2nd Year

It will be interesting to see how many linebackers the Chiefs keep this year. Terrance Smith got some playing time in 2016, including some starting appearances due to injuries. However, he clearly looked to slight in his build for the “thumper” role he was playing. Has he been able to add some bulk this offseason? If so, he could be a camp surprise.

Ukeme Eligwe – Rookie

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Over the past couple of years, the Chiefs have shown that just being drafted doesn’t mean you have a spot on the roster. Ukeme Eligwe has a lot of potential, but his spot is far from guaranteed. He will have to really show up in order to make his presence known in this group. However, I don’t know that anyone else would take him off waivers, so a Practice Squad spot may be in the mix.

Richard Cliett – 2nd Year

With seven players having a very good shot at making the Chiefs roster this year, it’s hard to put Richard Cliett in the mix. I really just can’t see a role in which he would excel more than any of the other players in this group. Of course, you never know what will happen, so don’t write him off completely.

The Kansas City Chiefs really are sitting on quite a bit of talent at the inside linebacker position. This is a good problem to have, and you can expect that other teams will be watching to see who doesn’t make the roster.

2017 is looking promising for the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a team that has built a very strong roster, and expects to be contenders down the stretch. A lot of that has to do with their depth, and there are few positions deeper than what the Chiefs have at inside linebacker.