Kansas City Chiefs camp outlook

Editor's note: With offseason work across the league coming to an end, the focus shifts to the steamy summer workouts ahead. The countdown to training camp has begun. To get you fully primed for the preseason and beyond, Sporting News provides in-depth looks at all 32 teams leading into camps. Today: Kansas City Chiefs. Tuesday: San Diego Chargers.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Look for the defense to be well ahead of the offense when the Chiefs open training camp this week in St. Joseph, Mo. They went for continuity in the coaching staff as well as the roster on defense during the offseason, so the Chiefs don't have many issues that need to be resolved on that side of the ball.

Things are different on offense, where new coordinator Brian Daboll brings a system that will provide a steep learning curve for quarterback Matt Cassel and the rest of the players. The Chiefs will have to get running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki back into the mix as well. Moeaki missed all of last season and Charles most of it because of knee injuries.
"I want the offense to be in place and the guys on the offensive side of the ball to know the terminology, to understand the philosophy and be able to execute the offense," coach Romeo Crennel said of his goals for training camp. "Defensively, I want to get to the point where our guys operate more efficiently as a unit."
What's new: Offense
The Chiefs could look different from week to week in Daboll's system, depending on their opponents' strengths and weaknesses. One thing that won't change is their reliance on the running game. The Chiefs led the league in rushing in 2010 and Daboll would like to get back to that level.
In addition to Charles and Moeaki, the Chiefs are integrating several new pieces into their offense. Among them: running back Peyton Hillis, tight end Kevin Boss, right tackle Eric Winston and center Rodney Hudson. This process could take time.
Hillis had his best pro season in 2010 when Daboll was his Cleveland Browns coordinator, so expect Hillis to bounce back from a disappointing season if he can stay healthy.
What's new: Defense
The Chiefs quietly finished last season with one of the league's best defenses. That improvement fueled many of their offseason decisions, the biggest being the one to promote coordinator Crennel to coach.
Crennel remains as the coordinator and the rest of the defensive staff returns intact, so there's reason to believe the Chiefs can have an elite defense again.
Nine starters return and the Chiefs moved quickly to replace those who didn't. Free-agent addition Stanford Routt will replace Brandon Carr at cornerback while Dontari Poe, the first-round pick, is the new nose tackle. Strong safety Eric Berry will return after missing almost all of last season with a knee injury.
Otherwise, the Chiefs will have a familiar look on defense.