Chiefs at Packers, Preseason Game 4: OPEN THREAD – if you’re only looking one way while crossing the street but not the other… well, you know what might happen. While I can admit that Preseason Game 4 is important to the players who are battling for the last few positions on the roster… it’s the other league events that are going on that are probably more critical to the future of the organization. What’s going on? Teams are all making their last minute decisions about who will actually comprise their final 53 man roster and for many teams, that means cutting a player they have already committed big time dollars too. Consequently, those players are, or were, very good at what they do and worth a second look by all the other GMs in the league including our Mr. Brett Veach.
For example, on the Chiefs roster: DT Chris Jones and WR Tyreek Hill are still in position to be offered sizable extensions but here’s what ArrowheadLive had to say about three players who may be available in the net 23 hours (cut down is at 3:00 P.M. CDT on Saturday), which could have an effect on re-signing Hill or Jones.
“Chiefs are closely monitoring the CB market, they want to maintain cap flexibility in the event that one of their big targets are made available via FA. Once they know the remaining cap available to be used as bonuses, the belief is that Hill and/or Jones will be extended.
A couple players I’ve been told could become free agents after cut downs that may interest the Chiefs; AJ Bouye, Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins.
Cap troubles force teams to part with players [like Bouye, Norman or Jenkins] before they’d like to. Either that or they’re play no longer warrants what they are being paid. That doesn’t mean they are bad players or are not worth signing at a lower price.”
Their Cap Hits in 2019
$15.4M = Bouye (Jaguars)
$14.3M = Norman (Redskins)
$14.7M = Jenkins (Giants)
The Challenges for the Chiefs:
1) To trade for one of these players prior to the cut down deadline means acquiring a contract that is prohibitive. So, that makes a trade for one of them doubtful, unless a player is willing to renegotiate, and that’s even trickier.
2) Waiting for one of these fine (?) DBs to fall all the way through waivers passing every other team, is also a long shot.
However, that only applies to players who have less than 4 years experience. Players with more than 4 years experience are considered vested veterans, so they are not subject to the waiver process.
That means each of these characters immediately becomes a Free Agent who can sign with any team they like for as much money as their agent can get them. Therein lies the last challenge: getting one of these high dollar FAs to take less to play for the chance to earn a SB ring this year.
I expect, if Brett Veach does execute a trade over the next 23 hours, it will be for a younger player that a team has lost faith in, but who Veach, and his merry men, are still high on, since the year he was drafted.
AP is reporting the Chiefs have $21.0M in Cap Space going into cut down weekend. However, if they cut RB Carlos Hyde, which I think is highly likely, then the Chiefs will have $22.5M Cap Space to work with.
— Ladner Morse (@Laddiemorse) August 28, 2019
For some reason, many fans want to look at the teams with the most cap space. I suppose they’re hoping to find their team there. However, over the next month we should be taking a look at the teams with the smallest amount of Cap Dollars to spend because those are the teams most likely to make a salary dump, in the form of a player with an expensive contract. Here are the bottom 12 in cap space.
As you can see, in yellow, the bottom five are in the need of a fix and this weekend may provide that opportunity… which… could be a golden opportunity for another team to snag a very good player, especially if one of those players is: AJ Bouye, Jalen Ramsey (there’s been talk) or Josh Norman (Washington is 9th worst in cap space so that’s also a possibility).
On Wednesday, Damond Talbot wrote a piece called, “5 NFL trades we’d love to see happen before the start of the season” for NFL Draft Diamonds. He listed the Chiefs as a possible trade partner with Miami and this is a perfect example of the kind of trade Veach might make, even though Alonso is 29 years old.
“#5 – Kiko Alonso, LB, Miami Dolphins traded to the Kansas City Chiefs – The Chiefs are smart and adding Kiko Alonso makes way too much sense for them. The Chiefs have Reggie Ragland at Mike but the Cuban Missile is a player I could see that would dominate with the Chiefs defense. The Dolphins are looking to give him away as well, so I could see them getting only a sixth back in return for him. The Chiefs would be nuts not to make this move.”
Alonso has had the following tackling totals in the past three seasons: 115, 115, 125 (2018) so he’s been very consistent. He came into the league the same year as Eric Fisher (2013) and is still a quality Linebacker. Here, you can see he’s very good against the passing game (OBJ has nothing on him, right?).
One handed.
Diving backwards.
In the end zone.Kiko Alonso, you gotta be kidding with this INT. #PHIvsATL http://t.co/U9ei4PenNl
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2015
Alonso may be a one-year mercenary who only plays to win the big one but if that’s what Veach has to do to improve the team in 2019, so be it.
So, while Preseason Game 4 is going to mean a lot to guys like Khalen Saunders, Cody Thompson, Justin Hamilton and even Dorian O’Daniel… the real action may be happening in the front office where over the past two seasons, in August and September, Veach has brought in the likes of: Charvarius Ward, Harrison Butker, Austin Reiter, Reggie Ragland, Jordan Lucas, Cam Erving, and Deon Yelder who came in on Oct. 4, 2018.
The first three or four on that list could be starters in 2019 so whoever Brett Veach can rangle into a Chiefs jersey in the next month or so, beginning now, will go a long ways to determining the future of players at other positions as well as the success of the team in 2019.
Now, we wait and see.
Here’s a look at the weather forecast for Lambeau Field this evening. Looks like another perfect evening for football!
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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