If you’ve ever been to Disneyland — or DisneyWorld — and ridden the ride called Space Mountain (which is now called, “Hyperspace Mountain: Tomorrowland’s Season of the Force”), you’ll understand completely when I say, we are about to enter that part of the NFL year when everything you see and hear will look and sound like a Space Mountain ride. That’s because Space Mountain is a fast metal roller-coaster ridden entirely IN THE DARK. So, that’s essentially where we are right now with the Chiefs season… in the dark.
In fact, the only thing you can count on… is that you can’t count on anything. When John Dorsey says, “There are no QBs in this draft who are ready to start” you can bet he means, “I’m going to take a QB in this draft”… or not. Who knows for sure.
See. In the dark.
So, the 2017 Chiefs Fan Guide To The Fix is here to shine a light on the situation and clear everything up. I will tell you — early before they even happen — all the moves the Chiefs will make…. and thus, everything you need to know to fix your Kansas City Chiefs. In all seriousness, here are five moves the Chiefs could make this offseason that will put them on track to a championship and help set them up for the future.
Fan Guide Fix #1
Allow Dontari Poe to go in free agency and sign a run stopper to replace him.
It looks like Dontari Poe will be wanting approximately $10M to sign with the team… or any other team. While miracle worker, John Dorsey, could probably heal the salary cap with his golden axe (actually, it’s a Husqvarna chainsaw, the chainsaw more healers use than any other brand) but he would be unwise to do so. Now that the dust has settled over a disastrous end to the season in Arrowhead, the number one need the team has is to fix is — drum roll please — their run defense. I think Poe is a terrific player but his back concerns and “perhaps” lateral movement issues keep him from being the $10M answer the Chiefs should choose.
So, if not Poe, then who? How about 29-year-old Chris Baker. Baker is 6-foot-2, 320 pound DE who has played for the Washington Redskins recording 9.5 sack and 100 tackles in the past two seasons playing in a 3-4 offense. Pro Football Focus ranked Chris Baker as the 18th best defensive lineman and since there’s 3 or 4 DL starters per team that means he’s a top five or six DL. Now, he’s been making just under $1M per but might be had for about half of what Poe will likely sign for. With Allen Bailey, Chris Jones and Chris Baker rotating at the DE positions and Jaye Howard splitting time with the 6-foot-7, 360-pound T.J. Barnes — who is already on the Chiefs roster — the DL part of the front seven equation could be much better. No, Baker would not replace Poe but offer more viable rotation options for DC Bob Sutton. Jaye Howard can flip inside and out and Baker has the girth to do the same.
ArrowheaPride points out that NT Bennie Logan could be another option and has this to say about him, “He’s no Dontari Poe, but he’s a very good nose tackle that can stop the run and put at least a little bit of pressure on the QB. He might be in the $7-8 million per year range.” I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop… meaning, that Nick Foles should be released to help sign one of these options.
Defensive line fixed!
Fan Guide Fix #2
Draft a top cornerback in the first round.
Yesterday in my piece called, “Four Post Combine Thoughts” I ranked and revealed my top possible CB picks when the Chiefs select at #27. Those CB include: Marlon Humphrey, Sidney Jones, Quincy Wilson, and Adoree Jackson. Any one of those CBs could provide the Chiefs with another shut-down level corner who can play opposite of Marcus Peters. I’m of the opinion that CB Terrance Mitchell can be that guy but having a player like, say, Adoree Jackson — who can also return kicks sharing that responsibility with Tyreek Hill freeing him up for more OL snaps — can help DC Bob Sutton play the type of defensive he prefers and as long as the Chiefs front seven can provide enough pressure and sacks on the QB, while the DBs lock down the back side, his scheme should work beautifully in 2017.
Fan Guide Fix #3
Kansas City could draft an ILB in the second round.
With Derrick Johnson coming back for one last hurrah — maybe two — the Chiefs need their new ILB of the future and someone who can begin to step in and learn on the job. There’s no one better to teach a newbie ILB than DJ so the Chiefs need to make that move this year. Since the Chiefs will likely not be able to find a lockdown corner in the second round they take a CB in the first and go for either Jarred Davis or Raekwon McMillan in the second. While the Chiefs pick at #59 in the second round, Davis is ranked 48th by CBS Sports and 61 by DraftTek. McMillan is ranked 44th by CBS and 69 by DraftTek. So, one of these ILBs should be available when the Chiefs announce their pick in round two.
Fan Guide Fix #4
The Chiefs use their first third-round pick to draft a running back.
DraftTek ranks RB Samaje Perine (pronounced: sam-AH-jay, p-rine) as the 57th best overall prospect. CBS Sports has him at 122. If for some reason Perine falls to the Chiefs #91 then they can shore up their running back position with one of my favorites in this draft. Perine has a compact running style and tight hips and ran a horrible 4.65 in the 40-yard dash in Indy but if you watch his tape you can see that he doesn’t need speed to win on the football field… he just overpowers tacklers, especially those who try to arm tackle him. Samaje bench pressed 225 lbs. 30 times. You read that right. Thirty, times! His running style is to lower his head and shoulder pads and meet the tackler straight-on and see who comes out on top. He’ll never be confused with Bo Jackson but he’s the only other back who I recall playing the running back position with that kind of physical force. Consequently, most of Samaje Perine’s runs are between the tackles. He’s the perfect setup man for someone like Tyreek Hill. One minute Samaje is bowling you over and the next, Hill is blurring by you. Samaje Perine is the Yin to the Sooners other RBs Yang. Perine is the positive cosmic force. This is a good kid who’d fit in perfectly with the other Chiefs in the clubhouse. One AFC scout compared Samaje Perine to Michael Turner.
Side note: Out of all the TEs in this year’s draft, Pharaoh Brown and Adam Shaheen each did 24 repetitions at 225 lbs. Linemen traditionally have the most bench reps of 225 pounds but there were only three of them with more than Samaje Perine in this year’s combine:
Top DL bench reps #NFLCombine
C.Lawson 35
M.Garrett 33
E.Qualls 33
Derek Rivers 30
Solomon Thomas 30
S.Tu’ikolovatu 28
E.Vanderdoes 28— CollegeFootball 24/7 (@NFL_CFB) March 4, 2017
Fan Guide Fix #5
With the 104th pick in the draft, the Chiefs could take a TE.
There will still be a number of tight ends who could help the Chiefs out, and be much better targets for Alex Smith over the middle — and be better blockers too — than the tight ends that Andy Reid has been running out on the field since Anthony Fasano left town, that is, except for Mr. Wonderful, Travis Kelce. In fact, you could say, all the rest of the tight ends the Chiefs have on their roster right now are– the uglies. Here’s a list of tight ends who will probably still be available in this year’s draft.
Bucky Hodges would be a steal if he falls to the 104th pick. However, if he’s not there, the Chiefs would greatly benefit from any of the other TEs found listed in bold: Jake Butt (check out my piece called, “I Like Jake Butt, and I Can Not Lie) and Jordan Leggett (who I would probably pick over Jake Butt if he were there.
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I know that there are positions that I did not address with this FIX… but remember John Dorsey has made a move the past two offseasons to fortify the offensive line by bringing in Ben Grubbs two years ago and then Mitchell Schwartz last year. So, don’t be surprised if he’s at it again this year (shhh… I think we could really use some experience at Left Guard…. but keep it on the down low, I don’t want to jinx Dorsey making a move).