The Last two seasons have not been the most enjoyable if you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan, but this year may prove to be the opposite. As the Chiefs look ahead to their July 30th training camp date, JOCKlife.com will to.

Position Battles:

It’s a solid bet that Tamba Hali will be one of the starting defensive ends but who will be the other? Will rookie Tyson Jackson be able to work his way into the starting role with veterans Turk McBride and Alfonso Boone trying to get more time on the field? This is one battle to pay attention to. Hali is one of the best pass-rushers in the league but since no one else is doing any rushing he was ineffective last year.

The Chiefs only had 10 sacks last season and will need to get more pressure if they want to succeed. Jackson will give them the opportunity to do so along side Alex Magee, a 6-foot-3 defensive tackle out of the third round. With Hali, Jackson, Magee and that monster Glen Dorsey, the Chief’s front line could become very dangerous by the end of their camp.

The second best fight on the field should be held between Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles. They are two incredibly talented running backs but they both have things that could hold them back. Johnson has had some minor disagreements with the team to say the least but he was once the greatest back in all the land. Charles had a good average, 5.3 yards, but was only able to get 80 carries.

Both of these gentlemen have proven that they may not be able to shoulder the entire load. Johnson has been declining the past two years and his time in K.C. may be near its end but the battle between the young fast back and the older powerful back that was once best in the league should be fun to watch.

The Chiefs have one of the best up and coming wide receivers in the game: Dwayne Bowe. They had, but traded, the best pass catching tight end in the league. When looking at the receiving leaders from last year, after Bowe and Tony Gonzales’ 1,000 yard seasons you have to drop almost 700 yards in production to get to the next guy on the list, Mark Bradley with 380.

So, with a new quarterback in town that the team just signed a $60 million contract and the best offensive tight end weapon chilling in Atlanta-- the chiefs will need to find someone to pass the ball to. But who?

Bradley is okay if you need a couple passes to go his way, but he is no NFL starter, at least not for a good team. So the chiefs went out and got some guys they think can be solid starters for them. Head Coach Tom Haley came from Arizona, where receivers run wild like armadillos. And though the uniforms might still be red and white, the receiving corps is much different.

The Chiefs brought in two guys this off-season that should be able to help out Matt Cassel and Haley when they signed Terrance Cooper and Bobby Ingram on the same day. While neither of these guys did anything noteworthy the past two years they have been part of some very good teams in their careers.

Now in his 14th season, Ingram has just under 7,800 yards and 35 touchdowns. Not bad for a guy you just need to get open when Bowe is doubled and maybe help the young cat out with tips. After camp he could be the bonafide starter. Cooper on the other hand has never really gotten the chance to stand out on his own.

He has been overshadowed by the receivers in New Orleans and last season in Baltimore; however, with a shot at a starting job and fairly skilled QB behind center, he should be able to make some moves.

Position to Watch:

The most intriguing positions to look for are in the defense. The Chiefs decided to go a little old school and sign a linebacker that has faded in significance but may still have enough in the tank to make a strong impact on the younger players and on the opponents’ ability to run the ball.

Zach Thomas, who piled up 94 tackles last season while playing in Dallas, in addition to the trade that landed Mike Vrabel in town, will surely help the leagues second to worst rushing defense. These guys may not be in their prime, they may not even be in the time after their prime, they could be in the time after the time after their prime--but for the Chiefs, even that is an improvement.

The other guy to watch out for is Mike Brown at the safety spot. After two lousy years in Chicago, Brown went back to being a pretty good fit for most teams at safety last season. The Chiefs have their starting rotation in the defensive back field pretty much handled but bringing in a solid tackler who will punish the deep routes of the Raiders and Chargers will be fun to watch out for.

Of course, we have to mention the Cassel trade. This improved the team incredibly. But will he still be the best back-up quarterback of all time? With a good offensive system like he has, he could be. But let’s wait and see. The Chiefs really did give up a lot to get him but they signed him long term so they’re stuck with him. He will be an upgrade from anyone they had last season but expect the same kind of production.

Biggest Factor of Training Camp:

The biggest factor on the team is going to be whether the new head coach can establish a winning mentality that the team will buy into. The chiefs have gone through a couple of seasons where NFL fans write off KC match-ups as wins for their team.

Haley needs to stomp out the losing ways and he needs do so this summer. They say you can’t fully judge a coach until the team plays a game but if the team can’t move along cohesively, they will back to the top ten in draft picks next season.

This will be the most critical time in the Chiefs franchise for the next two or three years. They have to establish that they can win and win with who they have and there’s no better time than the present.