McBride's Line of work to be decided

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former University of Tennessee lineman Claude “Turk” McBride apparently has a future with the Kansas City Chiefs — the question is where?

In McBride’s rookie season with the Chiefs as a second-round draft choice (the 54th overall pick), he has been listed on their depth chart as a back-up to Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen on the right side. But McBride also has been getting his share of snaps at the tackle spot he’s most accustomed to playing as a Vol.

“He can play both,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “He’s that kind of guy, but I think probably inside. He’s probably more of an inside player than he is an outside player because you can get him on some guards. He has a good future. I think it’s going to get better as he plays. He learned a lot this year, I think, just playing football in there.”

After drafting “Turk”, the Chiefs (4-11) in the third round chose a “Tank,” defensive tackle DeMarcus “Tank” Tyler out of North Carolina State. When starting right tackle Alfonso Boone was inactive two games ago against the Tennessee Titans (Dec. 16), it was Tank who got the starting nod. Not Turk.

“I think he (McBride) hit a wall at a certain period of time,” Edwards said. “Now he’s kind of gotten off that and becoming a better player. There are a lot of different little things you have to learn inside those trenches.”

McBride wouldn’t acknowledge hitting a wall, but admits his first season has been an adjustment.

“It’s definitely tedious to some rookies. It’s definitely a long season — four pre-season and 16 regular season games — something that rookies or first-year players in the league really have to get accustomed to,” said McBride after a recent practice.

More than physically pushing himself, McBride finds the mental push a greater battle.

“There’s the preparation for the game and how people go about it,” he said. “There have been players in this league for about 10 years who know the ins and outs. They know what to do and what not to do.”

McBride figures he has benefited from playing behind Allen on the right and Tamba Hali, the Chiefs’ top draft choice in 2006 out of Penn State. On the interior, McBride backs up veterans Boone and Ron Edwards, both in their seventh NFL season.

“I’m in a win-win situation, I believe,” said McBride, who played in 43 games with the Vols (17 starts). “I have a chance to play behind Jared Allen. I pick his brain every day, just seeing what I need to do better.”

With the Chiefs missing the playoffs, McBride is looking forward to returning to Knoxville shortly after their final game against the New York Jets.

“I kinda miss being there,” he said.

Though McBride says Kansas City is growing on him, he says he’s leaning to settling somewhere in Tennessee once his NFL career is over.

As of Wednesday, McBride’s plans to see the Vols in the Outback Bowl on Tuesday remain up in the air.