There probably isn't a player on the Chiefs' roster who received more flak during training camp and the preseason than DE Glenn Dorsey.

Reporting well over the weight the team expected him at, Dorsey immediately got off on the wrong foot with new head coach Todd Haley and wasn't allowed to participate in practice for days until he finally passed his conditioning test. For a player who needed every bit of practice time as he attempted to learn a different position, it looked like this could be a lost season for the 2008 first-round pick.

Fast-forward to the middle of the '09 campaign, and one would never know that Dorsey was the same guy who got off to such a rocky start. Instead, he's become one of the few bright spots on a Kansas City defense that's had its share of struggles this season. Although it doesn't appear on the stat sheet — he usually chips in with just a few tackles a game and doesn't have any sacks — Dorsey has developed into a solid contributor who does what's asked of him within the scheme.

The way we hear it, Haley and his staff have done nearly a complete turnaround on Dorsey and now view him as part of their future along the defensive line. Formerly a D-tackle, Dorsey might not have the speed or body type to be a prototypical 3-4 end, but he's gotten his weight down below 300 pounds and has proven to have a better grasp of the position than many thought he would, creating a good push up front and holding the edge against the run.

On the other side of the line, DE Tyson Jackson, the No. 3 overall pick this year, hasn't exactly made the instant impact the club was hoping for, but he showed signs of a breakout in Week Nine, racking up seven solo tackles against the Jaguars. If he can build on that performance, Kansas City will be feeling even better about the rookie's future prospects.

We're told that of all the Chiefs' position groups, defensive end is one of the few they are confident about heading into 2010. Between Dorsey, Jackson, rookie Alex Magee and second-year man Wallace Gilberry, who has surprised with three sacks this season, the team has a corps of young talent that could develop into a difference-making bunch.

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