Incoming Chiefs defensive guru Spagnuolo still evaluating Dee Ford’s fit in new scheme
Though the Chiefs are expected to place the franchise tag on Dee Ford, incoming defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo isn’t quite sure just yet how he’d use him.
“I’ll be perfectly honest, I really haven’t figured that out yet,” Spagnuolo said in a teleconference with reporters Wednesday. “I think myself, linebacker coaches, D-line coaches, would still like to figure that out. I don’t think we’re ready to put a tag on it yet.”
The tag that Spagnuolo referenced, by the way, wasn’t the franchise tag, but instead a synonym for label — so take off those tinfoil hats.
The organization has until March 5 to tag Ford, and they aren’t in a rush to use it, a league source told the Star. After that, Ford will hit free agency on March 13. The tag would put Ford’s salary at $15.78 million as an outside linebacker in 2019 and at $18.65 million as a defensive end.
Ford, 27, has exclusively played outside linebacker since he was taken with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. But he gained experience as a 4-3 defensive end while at Auburn.
Spagnuolo, known for using a 4-3 defense, didn’t committ to the scheme in Wednesday’s teleconference, his first public comments since being announced as Bob Sutton’s successor in January.
“We’re not going to get hung up on scheme right now,” he said. “What we first should do is find out what we have and how they fit and then decide exactly what that scheme is.”
To evaluate exactly what he has, Spagnuolo spent parts of the last month reviewing game film of the players, including Ford.
“The one thing he can do, we all know this, he’s an explosive football player who makes a lot of plays,” Spagnuolo said of Ford. “He’s had a lot of production, and if he’s here with us I’ll be excited to have him.”
Spagnuolo was also asked specifically about the future of safety Eric Berry, who played in only three games last season as he dealt with an undefined but persistent heel ailment.
“(Chiefs head athletic trainer) Rick Burkholder will handle that with Andy (Reid),” he said. “I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Eric since he was drafted. I haven’t had a chance to speak with him, but he’s a talented football player, and we all know you have to be healthy, so I’m sure he’s working on that right now.”
Berry’s status has remained vague since the end of the season, with team CEO and chairman Clark Hunt telling The Star that Berry was scheduled for some doctor’s visits. He wouldn’t confirm speculation that Berry would have offseason heel surgery.