Chiefs: What Sammy’s Re-signing Means

Chiefs: What Sammy’s Re-signing Means – I’m sure you’ve heard by now that late on Thursday evening the Kansas City Chiefs renegotiated a contract with their #1B WR Sammy Watkins. Prior to that, we’d learned that the Chiefs had a mere $177 dollars to their cap names but the new one-year deal will pay the Sam Man a base salary of $9M in 2020 with the possibility of reaching up to $16M… if he achieves the incentives that come with that deal. However, the new deal means much more than that to the team as a whole… so much more that the future’s so bright I gotta wear shades.

Before the Chiefs General Manager, Brett Veach, was able to broker this new deal with Watkins, he was scheduled to make $21M in 2020, if Kansas City kept him on the roster. Because of that hefty hunk of steamin’ junk of a price tag, even if he had great regular season stats to support that contract the past two years, Veach would likely have had to release Sammy this offseason, to bring balance to the force… and the Chiefs cap situation.

The incentives of this newly created contract look like this, as revealed by Mike Garafolo:

Incentive particulars aside, tying Sammy up for another season while creating $5M in additional cap room was like unto a “No-Look Pass.” Yes, it was a magic moment for Brett Veach and more proof of his prowess as the youngest GM of a team to ever win a Super Bowl. While it cements his place among the league’s best general managers, the move may open the door for more moves that allow the team to improve in 2020.

Improve? Yep, you heard me right. With Sammy in the building and an extra $5M cap to work with, Veach can now get to work, maybe to re-sign Bashaud Breeland if he wishes or maybe he’s able to get a long term deal done with DT Chris Jones. Maybe he even gets a new couch for his office. Maybe not.

In his piece yesterday for the Athletic, Nate Taylor said this about Frank Clark and Sammy Watkins helping to get CJ re-signed:

“Through his [Clark’s] new deal, Watkins followed Clark’s actions in attempting to help the Chiefs complete a multi-year contract extension with Jones, one that could make him one of the league’s highest-paid defensive players.”

A long term deal for DT Chris Jones would change this offseason even more dramatically than the new deal with Sammy. Anthony Holzman-Escareno wrote a piece for NFL.com in which he projected a possible contract for Chris Jones. Here’s a look at his structure:

John Dixon at ArrowheadPride wrote this about that possible Chris Jones deal:

“The first three years of this contract would be guaranteed. After that, the team would have an out, leaving $10.8 million in dead money over the last two years. It would give the Chiefs $9.7 million in additional cap space for the coming season, paying Jones $1 million in salary and a $27 million bonus at signing.”

So, let’s say Veach could swing a deal with Chris Jones but only came away with about $7.0M in additional cap savings — just for the sake of being hyper, or reasonable, or both — that means the Chiefs would have more than $12M in available cap space to work with this offseason.

At least $177 dollars more than $12 million. Now, that seems like a workable number. Veach could sign a FA Linebacker, or Corner, and that would change the way he approached the coming draft altogether.

If, on the other hand, Veach is able to secure a signature from CJ on a contract that is like the Anthony Holzman-Escareno deal suggested above, the Chiefs would then have $14.7M+ in additional cap to play with… to strengthen an emerging dynasty. Now, if that happens, I’ll be applying the name of Brett Veach to the The Norwegian Committee for a Nobel Peace Prize. Because really now, is there a fan in the Kingdom who’d disagree that Veach has brought more peace in the valley than a one gallon bottle of Purell and a dozen facemasks?

Both HC Andy Reid and Brett Veach have made it clear since the beginning of the offseason that their goal was to keep their Super Bowl roster together as much as possible. While Watkins could be seen as a hired gun at WR since signing with K.C. two years ago, he’s become an indispensable part of the most potent offense in the NFL and proven his worth in the playoffs, time and time again. It’s hard to place a price tag on his 60-yard TD reception making the score 35-to-17 in the AFC Championship game and essentially sealing the deal for an organization that hadn’t scratch-n-sniffed a SuperBowl for 50 years.

Goosebumps! Personally, that play meant as much to me as any play since watching Otis Taylor high-step it down the sidelines in SB IV. It also brought a tear to my eye. Admittedly, more than one.

For the $21M he was due prior to this new deal, it was a battle between his postseason production and his regular season stats, which, to be honest, have not been very good and certainly not worth the contract he had been given. A contract that was a point of contention for many a Chiefs fan.

Now that Veach can move on from worrying about, or having to juggle, Sammy’s contract, and, he has some cap space to deal with, he should be able to get other needs taken care of… as he skips merrily along the Yellow Brick Road, on his way to the Emerald City (another Super Bowl).

Right now, the defensive backfield looks like it needs two CBs, as Ransom Hawthorne suggested yesterday. David Bell has been calling for the Chiefs to draft a Linebacker first in the coming draft, or at least within their first two picks. However, if Veach was able to sign a Free Agent LB prior to April 23rd, it changes everything. More importantly, the team would strengthen a weakness… for at least one of those position groups, LB or CB.

Apparently, Veach has begun to focus on other positions already, it just wasn’t a LB or a CB:

After Brett Veach signed Ricky Seals-Jones, I was searching something fun that Lucille Ball said while yelling “Ricky!” like she frequently used to do on “I Love Lucy,” back in the day.

Then I came across this quote in which Lucille Ball once stated, ‘I’m not funny. What I am is brave.’ Then it occurred to me that this is what Brett Veach is, brave. Yes, brave enough to fail with some of his moves, like maybe the Anthony Hitchens signing. However, also brave: like being willing to ask Sammy Watkins to step away from $21M in 2020 and re-sign for less than $10M (with incentives). Now, that’s a ballsy move. Sure, no one is asking Veach to be funny but in the end, Lucille Ball was just a performer, and a great one at that. That’s exactly what the Chiefs are getting from Veach, a great performer.

Drafting a TE in the coming draft would have been a lesser need, but is perhaps not a need now at all. Which means, Veach is attempting to move towards not having a great need at any position before the draft begins. That’s because he prefers to go BPA (Best Player Available) all the way, if possible. It may not occur to some but, the TE signing was a step in the right direction.

The Watkins contract restructure wasn’t just a whimsical opportunity for OC Eric Bieniemy to gaze into Sammy Watkins’ eyes and whisper, “You Complete Me.” Although that may be true (and it could help Bieniemy get a Head Coaching job next season), what it really does is open doors to another universe of possibilities. One was, signing TE Ricky Seal-Jones.

Last season, the Chiefs faced their unfair share of injuries. Especially on offense. If they can stay on the healthier side this year, this offense should out-duel the one they put on the field in 2018 when Patrick Mahomes threw for 50 TDs and over 5,000 yards.

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This is my daughter’s only source income now. Please visit her bookstore. 

Thank you, Laddie

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David Bell often talks about the “Three C’s” and with Sammy coming back, those “C’s” will get a rocket boost in the seat of the pants. Then… Continuity, Consistency and Cohesion could make the Kingdom come, again. 

We’ve all heard about the amazing record Andy Reid has when he gets two weeks to prepare for a game. Much the same is true here. He virtually — and literally (if they draft mostly defense) — will have no one new to break-in at one of his offensive skill positions this coming year, who he’d otherwise have to patiently wait to grasp his heady playbook (like Hardman and DTrain did last year). That’s got to equal a second week of preparation for a game… right?

While I lived in the Dallas area for 20 years I became a Maverick NBA fan. I was there when they won the NBA title in 2011. Dirk Nowitzki is one of my favorite players to date. What stands out to me, as well as most fans of that 2011 Championship team was… owner Mark Cuban made the choice in the following offseason to NOT keep that team together. Now, I’m sure he would admit that was a mistake. Teams that repeat — in any sport — are teams that keep the core group intact which nurtures: continuity, consistency and cohesion. This “O” will have that in spades.

Re-signing Sammy, wasn’t just an isolated event. Keeping him in K.C. for another season, not only gives Brett Veach more firepower to get things done, it dramatically improves the chances for our Chiefs to repeat: iow to, “Run It Back.” That, is the rest of the story… or at least it will lead to the rest of the story… and don’t even get me started on a new contract for Patty.

Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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