If I could look back and consider what I thought the Chiefs' top needs were entering the 2009 season, they would be a little something like this:

1. Quarterback
2. Linebacker
3. Right tackle
4. Wide receiver
5. Right guard

Probably earlier this year, pass rusher would've fallen fairly high on that list, too, but the change to the 3-4 defensive front sort of changes the definition of what a true pass rusher is and where sacks typically come from. In the 4-3, rush ends accumulate most of the sacks. In the 3-4, typically linebackers are freed up to chase the quarterback while linemen are occupying offensive linemen -- most of the time, anyway.

Speaking of offensive linemen, one of those spots is the most ignored position this offseason, a time when most of the above needs were upgraded. Even if they weren't upgraded to the level they need to be yet, such as wide receiver, at least the signing of Bobby Engram improves the unit by a few notches over last year's group.

In fact, here's the list with some of the additions more likely to contribute in significant ways:

1. Quarterback: Matt Cassel
2. Linebacker(s): Zach Thomas, Mike Vrabel
3. Right tackle:
4. Wide receiver: Engram
5. Right guard: Mike Goff

You'll notice that the right tackle position was not addressed, other than the fifth-round draft pick of former Missouri lineman Colin Brown. He's expected to add depth to a shallow line, but he isn't expected to become a starter any time soon.

The Chiefs bypassed most free agent tackles for some reason, most notably passing on former Pro Bowler Orlando Pace. Now, it's possible that Pace simply had a better offer in Chicago, where he eventually signed, or liked the Bears' chances of competing more than that of the Chiefs. But Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli should have poured massive resources into attracting Pace to Kansas City, enough of an offer that that whole competition thing would have seemed trivial.

The fact is that the Chiefs are entering a preposterously important season in which learning about themselves is the top priority. They're not likely to make the playoffs this year, so Kansas City wants to learn about its personnel, where it needs upgrades, and in which order those upgrades need to come. The Chiefs upgraded at quarterback, trading for Cassel in March, but one of the most important things the team needs to find out about is whether Cassel can be its long-term answer at quarterback. As we've written before, it will be difficult to answer some significant questions if Cassel is continually having to compensate for poor pass protection, most notably from the right side.

To me, the entire offensive line becomes an enormous priority as a result of Cassel's future in Kansas City and the steps that need to be taken to figure out what that future holds. But that right tackle spot was largely ignored, and the Chiefs are a few weeks away from beginning training camp and risking the consequences of an imperfect line. At 32, Damion McIntosh might have another two or three effective seasons. Or maybe he doesn't. Offensive linemen lose their skills quickly when they reach a certain age, and there was some evidence last year that McIntosh was beginning to develop some rust. That might have been because he was playing right tackle for the first time in a long career -- and, yes, that's a remarkable adjustment -- or it could have been the first glimmer of proof that McIntosh needs help. Maybe not yet a replacement, but at least help.

The Chiefs approached the draft with many needs, not the least of which was at tackle. Branden Albert could be a future Pro Bowler, and he is capable of holding down the left tackle spot for the next decade. Right tackle, though, needed to be addressed this offseason. Kansas City passed on Eugene Monroe in favor of defensive end Tyson Jackson, and with the team's problems on defense and coach Todd Haley's desire to move to the 3-4, the Jackson selection might have been sound. But it also left the Chiefs naked on offense, with that need at right tackle still glaring. Surely, we thought, Kansas City would draft a tackle in the third round. Instead, another defensive linemen came off the board. The Chiefs finally addressed that need, sort of, when they took Brown in the fifth.

Then the weeks passed, and the free-agent pool dried up. The good tackles were gone. So were the above-average ones. The team might still bring in another top-caliber tackle when teams trim rosters, but for now, it appears the Chiefs are testing their luck with McIntosh.

And maybe it'll work. It's a short-term option, and the Chiefs likely will enter the 2010 offseason with their top need being to upgrade the right tackle spot. Then again, Kansas City thought in 2007 that another season could be squeezed out of an aging group of linemen. That didn't work. The Chiefs are wagering this year that their luck will be better.

For Matt Cassel's sake, and for all the reasons that protecting the quarterback this season is a high priority, the Chiefs had better be right.