Defensive lineman Allen Bailey enters his seventh season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
In his career, he has played in 72 games with 35 starts. He's amassed 94 tackles and 11.5 sacks at a position that's often focused on helping the guys around him make plays.
Photos of Allen Bailey
In 2015, Bailey was the Chiefs' top defensive lineman in playing the run, according to Pro Football Focus’ run-stop percentage statistic.
The defensive lineman out of Miami is working his way back from a torn pectoral muscle that cost him most of last season.
Quotable:
"This whole year is a different mindset," Bailey noted. "That's the most time I've missed, ever, in my career. So, it's a whole different mindset this time."
"It's just focus," he added. "I know I'm the oldest in the room, so there's a lot of lead by example in there. But also, coaching from my perspective, not just letting (defensive line coach) Britt [Reid] have to do everything, but giving tips when I see things as well."
2016 Review:
Bailey played in just five games before being placed on injured reserved.
"Everything overall was tough," Bailey explained. "But watching the games and seeing this play happen, knowing you could have played it this way or that way—I mean, you aren't out there so you can't really coach them up on that or do anything about it, but it was tough."
Rookie Chris Jones and second-year player Rakeem Nunez-Roches stepped up to fill in for Bailey's absence.
Bailey said he'd routinely text with those guys after games and during the week to help in any way that he could, but his focus was on rehabbing and preparing to be ready for this season.
2017 Outlook:
Bailey's six-month rehab process from the pectoral injury concluded about a week before OTAs began. He said he's 100 percent right now and has his full strength and motion back.
With the offseason departures of veterans Jaye Howard and Dontari Poe—Bailey finds himself as the only seven-year veteran amongst a young and talented group.
"I don't think it's about being vocal," Bailey explained of his leadership style. "It's a silent thing in there. Everybody knows what we have to do. We shouldn't have to hoot and holler—especially at D-line. We already know our job and what we have to do to set the tone.
"If we aren't setting the tone, things aren't going to go very well."
