Chiefs Fans: Short Wait for the Combine This Year. How Can the Chiefs Retain Their Important Free Agents? – I keep referring back to the article written for ArrowheadOne as I think about the upcoming Combine and Pro Days so, I am anxious to know how Brett Veach manages the cap monies in order to accomplish the necessary goals to keep the team intact and improve it. Tough proposition, if you consider the carryover monies and available cap space – $13M+ that David Perkins uses as an example… just to sign DT Chris Jones to an extension uses it all up. Veach needs more.
My Proposed Departures: $27.5M
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- Sammy Watkins (WR)- $14M gain, $7M dead money
- LDT (ROG) – $4.9M gain, $4M dead money
- Daniel Sorensen (S/Hybrid) – $3.75M gain, $1M dead money
- Austin Reiter (OC) – $2.5M gain, $333K dead money
- Dustin Colquitt (P) – $2M gain, $650K dead money
No other player that the Chiefs will release to gain cap have a cap hit over $1M. This of course, does not take into account Free Agents. Most Free Agents that the Chiefs need to retain can be for less than $15M.
LDT removes an experienced and pretty good OG (save 2019’s down year) and requires another starter. I was very disappointed in his 2019 year and can see moving on though I think he was still playing his way out of his injury. It took him a full year to adjust from Canadian football to the NFL and 2019’s performances was well below his “par.”
Austin Reiter was another player who “flew” backwards instead of improving. I color him gone.
To cover the loss of of two starters is a big hit to the starting front of the Chiefs offensive line. This is why I pencil in the following:
Stefan Wisniewski – Veach should retain. The IOL improved considerably when he took on the LOG role and he can play all three positions. See David Perkins list in his article, “New and Improved Cap.”
My Caveats
Nick Allegretti – How close is Allegretti to taking on a starting role as OC? My impression is the Chiefs were high on his play after pre-season games but that is saying a lot for a very late round pick.
Martinas Rankin – is my appraisal of his ability correct and Rankin is capable of a starting role? Rankin had moved up to be a starting OG until his injury.
Stefan Wisniewski – can he handle a full year as a starter at OC if Allegretti is not ready?
Considering the Chiefs Free Agent outlook, those Chiefs that I believe Veach will retain are affordable, as Mr. Perkins points out.
Andrew Wylie, Mike Pennel, Emmanuel Ogbah, Mo Claiborne, Reggie Ragland, Stefan Wisniewski and Damien Wilson. David Perkins list has players that I do not believe are necessary to retain: Sherman, Kemp and Yelder. I also can envision cutting or trading Dustin Colquitt. I think Veach can find a punter who is at least effective to get started in camp/pre-season to be ready opening day.
Costly Signings in View of Available Cap Monies
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- Kendall Fuller (FA-CB)
- Bashaud Breeland (FA-CB)
- Chris Jones (Pro Bowl DT)
Anyone who observes what I wrote about Jones in 2016 as a draft pick and my enthusiasm over his joining the Chiefs, knows that I wanted to draft him and thought he would excel. I did know he would be as good as he was and he was an superb round 2 pick. Now? To F-Tag him will cost north of $15M, a tough pill to swallow. David Perkins worked out how to keep all three with new multi-year contracts within his $25.2M framework.
Retention of other free agents outside of his list would fall beyond the top 51 accounting, which occurs on September 5th to reduce the roster to the final 53. Veach can manage this.
The Combine (and Pro-Days)
In 2020 we did not have long to await the arrival of the underwear showoffs. This year it’s a different story since the team played and won a game in February. As important as the combine is, it is probable that full attention must be payed to the Pro Days and Brett Veach and the Scouting Staff must do top level work in appraisal of players not invited to the Combine. Finding contributors from Pro Days around the country will take on added significance in 2020.
What I am looking for is adding two major pieces to starting roles for the Chiefs. Because of moves I suggest on the offensive line in releasing both Reiter and LDT, the player who Veach brings in for the IOL becomes of utmost importance.
Also since there are only two players who are under contract in the secondary (Ward and Fenton), drafting a starting CB is going to be vastly important (even if Veach is able to retain either Breeland or Fuller or both). For me, this means that the Chiefs must use the first 2 picks to find two starters for the 2020 season: for the OL and CB positions.
I was favorably impressed with Ward when he arrived and in 2019’s season, we saw Fenton getting more and more opportunities on the field (15.1% of the Defensive snaps). The draft “needs list” is made considerably easier, should Fenton be able to take on a starting role. That would make trading out of round one far more plausible though as noted, the draft for Interior offensive linemen is a short list in 2020. For Cornerbacks… it is far deeper.
Trading out of the first round would allow the Chiefs to obtain 4 top-100 picks for the draft. I am looking at obtaining two OL and two CBs in the process. ILB is problematic.
There is plenty of talent in this draft according to Brett Veach — as many as 14 players impact players that are on Veach’s Big Board and that most likely extends into late round two.
Requirements List
I see the draft as an approach to finding talent for 3 positions: IOL, CB, LB. If you are a skilled player on offense, I think you are out of luck. There might though, possibly come a moment to draft an ILB early though I think this is very unlikely. If the right opportunity came along to obtain a difference making ILB I think the Chiefs must make that selection. The draft is not deep for high quality ILBs nor the players who fit the Interior OL, so temper your outlook with that observation.
The Tier One ILB’s will be selected in the top 20 picks of the draft most likely. For Veach to find a playmaking LB, it may mean that he uses the round 1 pick to make an ILB selection — who I think would be Kenneth Murray of OU. If the draft unfolds that way, Veach will have an excellent selection possible for a play-making ILB and we have lacked that talent since two years before DJ departed due to his injuries. Otherwise, Veach, in my opinion, should trade out of round one.
My “Short List” of the Draft: Film Reviewed in Bold
ILB’s
Tier 1 ILB’s is a short list of two players. I presume that Kenneth Murray is going in the top 15. Should Kenneth Murray(ILB,OU) fall to 32 Veach must take him in my opinion. Beyond those two are the Tier 2 ILBs that must be considered are: Patrick Queen (LSU), Zack Baun (UWis), Akeem Davis-Gaither(Appal. St), Troy Dye(Oregon), Malik Harrison(OSU). That’s it. A short list. If only Murray would drop to 32, eh?
PFF’s Top 10 LBs
1. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
2. Zack Baun, Wisconsin
3. Troy Dye, Oregon
4. Patrick Queen, LSU
5. Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma (I have Murray as my ILB of Choice)
6. Akeem Davis-Gaither, App State (late rounder: can be big positive)
7. Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State
8. Davion Taylor, Colorado
9. Cam Brown, Penn State
10. Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
Interior OL
Tyler Biadasz (OC/OG, Wisconsin), Lloyd Cushenberry (OG/OC, LSU), Jake Hanson (OG/OC, Oregon), Netane Muti (OG/OC, Fresno St), Cesar Ruiz * (OG/OC, Michigan), Nick Harris (OG/OC, Washington), Robert Hunt (OG, Louisiana), Solomon Kindley * (OG, GA), Shane Lemieux(OG, Oregon), Kevin Dotson(OG, Louisiana), Ben Bredeson (OG, Michigan), Matt Hennessy(OG/OC, Temple), Darryl Williams (OC/OG Miss. St), Ben Bartch* (OG, St Johns-MN)
PFF List of Interior Linemen
1. Netane Muti, Fresno State (my number 3)
2. Jonah Jackson, Ohio State
3. Cesar Ruiz, Michigan (a top choice)
4. Damien Lewis, LSU
5. Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin (my second choice)
6. Robert Hunt, Louisiana
7. Nick Harris, Washington
8. Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon
9. Logan Stenberg, Kentucky
10. Lloyd Cushenberry III, LSU
- Bartch had extremely rising talent analysis from Sr. Bowl and I would make him a late draft pick (round 4 or 5) and from what I learned from the Senior Bowl, he would work quickly to a meaningful if not starting role. Bartch is a highly intelligent, intuitive play who is a very quick learner and that bodes well for a Solid NFL Career as shown at the Senior Bowl.
- Cesar Ruiz will be a round 3 pick and I think he would be a great addition to the front five — violent hands with good lateral movement and gets to the 2nd level quickly. Good pass blocker as well.
- Wirfs would be a heck of a pick. He will move to OG in the pros (not listed above)
- Kindley is the kind of violent OG that will make a difference.
Cornerbacks
Jeff Okudah (CB, OSU), Zack Baun (CB, Wisconsin), Kristian Fulton (CB, LSU), Trevon Diggs (CB, Alabama), CJ Henderson (CB, FL), AJ Terrell, (CB, Cleveland), Bryce Hall (CB, Virginia), Cameron Dantzler (Miss. St), Jaylon Johnson * (CB, UT), Jeff Gladney (CB, TCU)
PFF’s Top 10 CBs
1. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
2. Zack Baun, Wisconsin
3. Troy Dye, Oregon
4. Patrick Queen, LSU
5. Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
6. Akeem Davis-Gaither, App State
7. Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State
8. Davion Taylor, Colorado
9. Cam Brown, Penn State
10. Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
* Jaylon Johnson will have surgery right after Combine (pectoral) and would drop in the draft due to this and may be available to selection by Veach that could be very worthy. He is not on the PFF list but projects to round 2, except for the surgery.
Awaiting Signings, Combine and Free Agency:
Now it’s really pins and needles time
Usually, the Chiefs faithful have waited on pins and needles as the clock slowly ticked toward the Combine and watching hopefully for Free Agent Signings. This year? Brett Veach must figure on getting the Chief’s own Free Agents on board. The club will not figure in the Free Agent Sweepstakes except for bargain hunting. I cannot know his 14 players if there are that many, whom the Chiefs would select in rounds 1 or 2 but I can see players that would fit, and who I think would be starters from the list of those taken in late round 1 or round 2 and even later rounds. I would like to see Veach trade out of round 1 if he can make it work and get a 4th top 100 pick for 2020’s draft. See “our own” below for my impression of Chiefs Free Agents.
I do believe though, that Veach will come up with two starters and an important addition in the first three picks. I have note of an occasional Kenneth Murray sightings in round 2 of Mocks. I won’t bet on that and this makes getting a starting linebacker a dangerous proposition.
Beyond that? Get a starting Cornerback and Center for example would be a top achievement in this draft. I would be ecstatic if this could happen. If I then look at David Perkins article again and hope that he can sign both Breeland and Fuller back to multi-year, back-loaded contracts AND if we are able to retain Chris Jones the Chiefs will be have a roster capable of a repeat.
Keeping Their Own: a LB conundrum for Veach
There is not much chance to get a 3 down starter as late in round 1 as we pick, or any later round. In 2019 late season and the playoffs, our LB room stepped it up and played well. Barring a round one type signing, I look positively on the proposition that we have LB’s that can “Do Their Jobs.”
I see this as a year where an addition to the CB room with Fenton stepping up and retention of at least Fuller or Breeland, that the CB play behind the LB crew will work well. Of course that is if our LB crew that is retained, that it does play solid football behind the front four. We don’t have a DJ and are not likely to find one this year. I am good with that if the Chiefs field Hitch, Rags, Wilson, and Niemann.
Again, I fully appreciate the work that David Perkins did on the Salary Cap and take that into full account as I deliberate about signing our own F/A’s, examining prospects from the Combine and Pro Days while we await the draft.
David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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