Ron Parker

A journeyman early in his career, Parker has found a home with the Chiefs over the past four seasons. Although 2016 didn't produce his best statistical results (61 tackles, one interception), the 29-year-old remains a valuable contributor in the team's secondary. It also wouldn't be surprising to see a slight improvement to his stats in 2017.

Parker is a difficult player to project, both due to his positional ambiguity and his strange box score. A versatile cornerback/safety tweener, Parker posted a stat line in 2015 resembling that of a 3-4 outside linebacker, somehow recording five sacks while finishing with just 78 tackles. You would expect a higher tackle total from someone playing so close to the line of scrimmage, especially given Parker posted 94 tackles the year prior. Without knowing the specific way Kansas City plans to deploy Parker, it's best to presume a wide range of possibilities.

Parker’s 2014 role with the Chiefs was one of versatility. While many of his games were spent at cornerback, the loss of Eric Berry led to a move back to safety. Regardless, the 27-year-old defensive back racked up 94 tackles (84 solo), one sack, one forced fumble and one interception over the course of the season. With Berry’s status still highly in doubt and the Chiefs’ selection of Marcus Peters in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Parker will likely shift to safety on a permanent basis for the 2015 season. The team also added Tyvon Branch in the offseason, who could potentially threaten Parker for snaps, but will also provide depth for Parker to move back to cornerback if necessary. Either way, Parker stands a good chance to repeat his 2014 results.

Parker appeared in 16 games, starting one, for the Chiefs in 2013, recording 17 tackles and two picks in the process. He's in line to jostle for a an expanded role in the Chiefs' secondary this season in the wake of the release of Brandon Flowers.