Chiefs Failing to Utilize Reggie Ragland After Promising 2018 Season is a Mystery

The Kansas City Chiefs lost a number of free agents this offseason, with the latest being linebacker Reggie Ragland, who reportedly joined the Detroit Lions on Friday.

Ragland did help the Chiefs win the Super Bowl a few weeks back, but his role took a significant hit after Steve Spagnuolo took over as defensive coordinator. Why? We have no idea, especially since it came one year after an incredibly productive 2018 campaign.

The former Alabama linebacker appeared in all 16 games and made 15 starts in 2018, racking up 86 tackles and an interception. That was just his second NFL season, but he saw much less of the field in 2019, appearing in 14 games and making only seven starts. The big reason was likely the Chiefs switching back to a 4-3 defense, but Spagnuolo really couldn't find him more playing time, especially with the lackluster linebacking corps the Chiefs currently deploy? It's not like Anthony Hitchens, Damien Wilson and Ben Niemann are worlds ahead of him.

Given Ragland played in a hybrid defense at Alabama under Nick Saban, who switches between 3-4 and 4-3, among other looks, it's head-scratching that the Chiefs, who started Ragland in the Super Bowl, opted to not bring him back.

Perhaps they didn't like his abilities in the passing game? That sheds some light as to why he may have started the Super Bowl, considering the 49ers are a run-heavy team. Maybe they didn't have the cap space, given what little general manager Brett Veach has had to work with all offseason.

Whatever the case, it's downright bizarre Spagnuolo and the Chiefs couldn't carve out more of a definitive role for the second-round pick, who seemed to finally be gaining his footing after tearing his ACL his rookie season in 2016.