GM Dorsey discusses Chiefs' offseason so far

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chiefs general manager John Dorsey talked to the media for the first time since free agency opened last week:

Q: Where does that leave you at wide receiver now?

DORSEY: "This is just really the mid part of the second week of free agency; there are still players out there. What I like to do is, in this draft, this draft is very deep in terms of wide receivers with skills. We always talk about (how) we're going to turn over every rock possible as we move forward here and that's kind of part of the process right now. As this plan moves forward, we're going to continue to add competitive depth to our roster and that's what we do every day. We come in here and we try to find the best possible players we can."

Q: When did you have a sense that the guys who were picked up early in free agency weren't going to be Chiefs for very much longer?

DORSEY: "Nobody ever wants to lose good football players, and I wish all of those guys the best because not only did they help the Chiefs (by) contributing in 2013, but they're good guys too. That's free agency. I think every team loses players as we go in the free agency period, and good teams, respectably, lose players. Maybe it's a sign of what we're building here. As we move forward here, we'll begin to finish those components and go to the next stage."

Q: Where are you on the contract talks with Alex Smith and Justin Houston?

DORSEY: "That's an ongoing process as we speak and we've had communication with (Smith's) representatives. That's kind of where we are."

Q: Could you see Sanders Commings or Husain Abdullah playing at the open free safety spot?

DORSEY: "Yeah I could envision that. One of the reasons why we drafted Sanders Commings was because we thought he fit that positional skill. I can see Husain and those guys competing. Then there are some guys within this draft that can help you contribute as well."

Q: How much was Joe Mays used in nickel? Is that a guy who can cover tight ends at all?

DORSEY: "I think every defensive scheme puts players in unique football positions. The one thing that you guys will love about Joe Mays is that he is a real football player. He's mature. He's a very good communicator. He'll be able to play equally the run and the pass to a certain degree. I think when it's all said and done you guys will like Joe Mays."

Q: On film what did you see from Vance Walker as a pass rusher?

DORSEY: "There are some unique features that our defensive linemen use and I felt that some of his strengths actually helped us as a defensive line. He can play the run, he can hold up the point of attack, but what's nice about him is he gives you a little extra dimension in terms of the inside pass rush stuff that you need in the National Football League today. I'm very excited to have Vance (Walker) and again there's another person, when we talk about character, that's a man of high character."

Q: What will the starting left tackle situation be? Will Donald Stephenson or Eric Fisher be starting?

DORSEY: "Well I think both of those two guys are good football players, and whatever they can do to help contribute to this team, their role is to do that. I think at the end of the day the coaching staff will put the best five offensive linemen out there for what's good for the Kansas City Chiefs. That's kind of where I see those guys positioning. At the end of the day, the coach is going to align the players where he feels helps us get the winning edge."

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Q: Are there some other guys like Rishaw Johnson that you'll be looking to fill the offensive line with?

DORSEY: "Yeah I think that's fair. We're going to create a competitive atmosphere here, and I think when those guys had the chance to compete in the last game of the regular season they showed that they were willing to compete and they held their own against a playoff caliber team."

Q: How helpful was the week 17 game when you were able to see some of the players that didn't see as much play time?

DORSEY: "That's a good question. Anytime you can get another opportunity to evaluate the players that don't get to contribute on a week-in, week-out basis, that's very helpful. What it does is it helps the coaching staff get a degree of comfort that those guys in the personnel department as they build this thing. That's what the communication between the coaches and the personnel staff does. It's always an advantage to get those guys to play and those guys showed very well on week 17 of the NFL schedule."

Q: What do you see in (defensive lineman) Mike Catapano and (offensive lineman) Rishaw Johnson?

DORSEY: "He's been in the facility, with regards to (Mike) Catapano, he's been here day in and day out. He's been working his butt off. The guy is driven. He's one of those relentless warriors you want on your team. I'm excited to see him contribute as we go forward here in the second season for him. I've always said all along that those guys make the greatest strides in year one to year two, and I can see great strides coming from Catapano. With regards to Rishaw (Johnson), he's going to come in here and he's going to compete. He's showed that he can play the game of football, and I'm just excited to see how much stride he has made here this year."

Q: How aggressive will you be in picking up extra picks this year?

DORSEY: "Well, my phone is always open if you want to tell those guys if they want to trade up or down, just give me a call. You know what; you have to do everything within your power to see if you can do things. Rest assured that I will try to do everything I can to move up (or) move down if I feel like it's time to pull the trigger and go up and get a player, or pull the trigger to move down to get a player, I will use every resource available to me."