Chiefs: What Cutting Roches Reveals About Veach

General Manager Brett Veach has made a number of moves that surprised Kansas City Chiefs fans, but the decision to cut defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (RNR), while a relatively minor decision, was probably the most, unexpected. Perhaps even more surprising was the reported reason: salary cap concerns. Now RNR has always been more of a quality back-up than a viable starter, but he was also being paid like one. $1.9M is not a lot of money, in the NFL. In the end, what we’ve learned from it, is yet another way in which Veach differs from Dorsey: the long term view.

Budgeting: When teams need to clear money in their budget, for a want or need, there are a variety of approaches they take. Some look for one big expense to cut, others make a lot of small cuts to save up, and some buy on credit. In John Dorsey’s dealings, he seemed to favor big cuts and credit (contract restructures are essentially credit, pushing cap hits down the road). Brett Veach… thus far… seems to be focused on small cuts. If you were to boil down his spending formula to one statement, it would be: “Pay starters like starters and pay backups as little as possible.” Where Dorsey sought optimal depth, regardless of cost, Veach seems reluctant to pay for quality depth, and would rather back-fill the roster with rookies (who cost very little) and cheap veterans.

The Replacements: If K.C. is going to cut players like RNR, they’re going to need cheap options to fill their spots. Normally, that would mean draft picks, but Veach’s approach is different there as well. I like his quality over quantity approach to the draft, and his aggressive trading, but it tends to mean less available draft picks. With this being the case, the best way to save money is to sign UDFAs.

UDFAs: There are two depth-level veterans, besides RNR, who are likely candidates for cuts: Charcandrick West, and Frank Zombo. Not surprisingly, the Chiefs have signed three UDFAs who could fill these spots.

Dee Liner: A former 4-star recruit to Alabama, UDFA Liner might not have had a stellar college career, but he’s physically gifted enough to be a quality depth option.

Darrel Williams: Williams played 2^nd fiddle at LSU, but he did a fine job of it. Any RB who can average over 5 YPC in the SEC has my attention. If Williams can take over the 3-spot, he can replace West, but don’t be surprised if he pushes Damien Williams for reps at the #2 spot.

Robert McCray: McCray fits Chiefs new mold of big OLBs who can reduce inside on passing downs. Like any UDFA pass rusher, he’ll have an uphill battle to make the roster, but the light seemed to turn on for him last year in college. While he was listed at 266, at his pro day, Chiefs.com currently lists him at 280. He’ll be one to watch closely in training camp, and can, hopefully, push Zombo off the roster.

New Expectations: Expect the Chiefs to place a heavier emphasis on guys like this going forward. They’re the cheapest and easiest players to acquire in the league. As callous as it sounds, they’re also easy to dispense with. Justin March-Lillard and Dee Ford have both shown promise and an inability to stay healthy, but the Chiefs only got stuck with one of them. If K.C. continues you to concentrate on the top of the roster, we’re likely to see a steady stream of these guys fighting it out at the bottom. While this strategy is good for the cap, it remains to be seen how it will fair in a league where “next man up” is a common motto. Go Chiefs.

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