Dalton sees chance with Chiefs
Veteran defensive lineman hopes he can stick with fourth NFL team
By IVAN CARTER The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs' defensive linemen were going through a rather unorthodox-looking drill this week, one that appeared to have very little to do with football. The big boys lined up single file, crouched down and then ran as fast as they could through a figure-eight shaped course.
The drill is meant to improve balance, quickness and agility but also could be used to find out which players are hustling and which ones are merely going through the motions.
Put veteran defensive tackle Lional Dalton in the first group.
Dalton, who is entering his seventh NFL season out of Eastern Michigan, has been running around the practice field like an undrafted rookie all week — even in basic drills like the one described above.
“I'm trying to come here and get my career started again,” Dalton said. “I'm going into my seventh year, so I'm looking to come in here and compete to be a starter. I have to do it now if I don't want to end up being looked at as a backup or a journeyman for the rest of my career. Nobody wants to be thought of like that.”
The Chiefs were hoping Dalton would come to Kansas City with just that attitude when they signed him as a free agent back in March.
Dalton was given a two-year contract and the promise only that he'd be allowed to compete for playing time with a defensive-tackle group that includes John Browning, Ryan Sims, Eric Downing, Eddie Freeman and rookie second-round pick Junior Siavii.
Dalton began his career with Baltimore as an undrafted rookie free agent in 1998 and spent four seasons with the Ravens,helping them win the Super Bowl at the end of the 2000 season.
He signed as a free agent with Denver in 2002 but quickly found himself in Mike Shanahan's doghouse, a place that might have more seating than Arrowhead Stadium these days.
Dalton was traded to Washington last August, starting the last nine games. At his best, Dalton has been a block-swallowing, run-stuffing beast. At his worst, he's been a malcontent with a reputation for not living up to his potential.
“I've been very impressed with what I've seen out of him so far,” Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. “I think he knows that he's at a stage in his career where he can't afford to mess around anymore. This is his fourth team. Maybe he needs to look in the mirror and say, ‘It's on me now. I have to make something out of this opportunity.' I think he's taking that approach so far.”
Such blunt talk is what appealed to Dalton when he spoke with Vermeil about coming to Kansas City.
“What I like about this situation is, coach Vermeil and the other coaches are going to let you know where you stand,” Dalton said. “There is no bull, no secret messages. If you're not getting it done or you're not doing things the way he wants them done, he's going to let you know. There's no guessing about where you stand with that man. I think that's all any player wants out of a coach.”
What Vermeil and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham want out of the defense is a drastically improved run defense. The Chiefs ranked 30th in rush defense last season and allowed a whopping 5.2 yards per carry, a trend of poor rush defense that began with Cunningham's departure as head coach following the 2000 season.
To understand the importance of the defensive tackles to a team's rush defense, consider the words of Lakers head coach/philosopher Phil Jackson who was actually referring to the renewed dominance of center Shaquille O'Neal in the NBA playoffs when he made these comments:
“That's one of the concepts that always makes sense, that your defense is centered and positioned by what you have in the middle, regardless if it's baseball or football or basketball,” Jackson said. “If you've got strength in the middle of the field, the middle of the court, you can really do something.”
In terms of strategy, Cunningham's defense will feature far less stunting and shifting than did Greg Robinson's. The change should benefit a player like Dalton, who has always been known as a run stuffer.
But there's more to successful rush defense than X's and O's, according to Dalton, who grew up in Detroit and was a fan of the NBA's Pistons of the late '80's and early '90's, a team whose physical, sometimes dirty playing style earned them the nickname “The Bad Boys.”
“Stopping the run is an attitude,” said Dalton, who was chosen the Ravens' lineman of the year after their Super Bowl season. “I think I can help bring that attitude to what we're doing here.”
According to Vermeil, Dalton's mere presence has already made the Chiefs better. Along with offensive right tackle, where Marcus Spears, Chris Bober and Brett Williams each took snaps with the first team this week, defensive tackle is shaping up to be the team's most competitive position.
Browning is a proud but quiet veteran who couldn't have appreciated the way the Chiefs' defense was shoved around last season. Sims has shown flashes of brilliance and will have a chance to become a star in Cunningham's defense. Downing and Freeman are big-bodied young players who have yet to show that they can be playmakers in the NFL, and Siavii is a raw talent who will be given the chance to develop over time.
Just where Dalton fits into this mix remains to be seen.
One thing is for certain however: Vermeil and his coaches won't mind throwing all of those big bodies into the fire because they know a few of them will emerge and help the Chiefs win games this season.
“The competition on this year's defensive line is going to be greater than it's ever been,” Vermeil said.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 898.htm?1c
