DEAD BALL FOUL: Flipping My Thinking While Getting Through the Dearth of Chiefs News, Until the Scouting Combine

David Bell

Deflated Football – APS image credit

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Questions Running Through My Mind

Here is One Question: will Brett Veach secure Chris Jones before the Combine? I think it is an important task for GM Brett Veach to check off the box on his Off-Season Blue Print. Will he, or won’t he?

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Chris Jones – Chiefs photo credit

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On the one hand: can the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIX without keeping CJ on board? On the other hand: what can be accomplished if the Chiefs let him slide into Free Agency? How will our “Super-Hero” feel playing for another team, especially if it is a non-contender?

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Another Huge question:

Will the Chiefs be able to retain L’Jarius Sneed?

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Sneed is as close to a shutdown CB as any player in the NFL – Instagram image

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Sneed is only 27 and can provide the lock-down CB duty for KC. Will the Chiefs be able to retain both Jones and Sneed? (0:56)

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Can Veach make it happen? Here is an article on the growth in cap space by PJ Green for the KCStar: “Chiefs get $30 million increase in salary cap for 2024“

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – DECEMBER 05: President and CEO Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on

with general manager Brett Veach before a game against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium on

December 05, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

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Signing both Jones and Sneed may be too much money required of the Chiefs to make happen. Still, it would form the basis of another season of great defense for DC Steve Spagnuolo and it would ensure that two Super Star players are fielded on the defensive side of the ball.

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Note: meanwhile, Chiefs CEO, Clark Hunt, is negotiating with Andy Reid on a new contract too which would make Reid the highest-paid coach in the NFL… and rightfully so.

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Retain Both Jones & Sneed?

Will Retaining Jones and Sneed make a “threepeat” possible? Sure. However, other players are needed as well such as Gay or Tranquill, and maybe a F/A WR. Hardman might prove valuable as an option. Signing both Jones and Sneed will cause the depth of experienced veterans in the mix to be depleted at key positions — a long list of the cast of players that made the victory in Super Bowl LVIII possible. Sure, the increase in Team Cap Space to $255.4M helps a bunch. However, the combined salaries of Sneed and Jones will likely be north of $48M. I suppose that were I to favor one player, it would be easier to stomach retaining Sneed — at least it would be a more economical investment juxtaposed with Jones.

If the Chiefs reduce it to an either/or decision, who would you retain? You make the call!

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2023

I was not pleased with CJ’s holdout in 2023. He hired a couple of agents (Jason and Michael Katz), who did him no service as a result.

Will the Chiefs retain the services of L’Jarius Sneed?

Can they somehow ensure that either Willie Gay or Drue Tranquill returns to the fold in 2024?

A couple of days ago, I wrote an article with a negative view and saw Jones and Sneed both finding work elsewhere. It’s true, if both players depart, a lot of other signings are likely. Other cuts could be made at the same time and contracts reworked.

Here, I’d very much like to keep our outstanding LB corps intact.

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Drue Tranquill – GettyImages.com

Willie Gay Jr. 8×10 NFL Licensed Photograph – Blogs Hobby Shop

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I am no cap expert so I defer to those with the Salary Cap expertise as to who might do a contract restructure, but I previously speculated that it could be that Patrick Mahomes and Joe Thuney could aid the 2024 effort by such contract revisions. Such Ideas are purely speculative. After all, as Phillip Maxwell observes in his article, “Chiefs: The Roaring 20s” KC must do something about the WR corps. Also, view my speculative article here called: “In the Best Interest of the Chiefs, Brett Veach Will…“

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A Foul Smelling Dead Zone Mess

In the NFL, there are definite periods of dead time… I call it a foul-smelling dead zone mess. Emerging from the dead time takes place with the Scouting Combine a few days away. I truly dislike the fact that there isn’t much news coming out about the Chiefs or the NFL. OTOH, a different foul smelling mess confronts us daily in the news… poli-sci stuff… but I will refrain from commenting about that in this venue. Thank goodness for the NFL.

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Turning My Thinking On its Head

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The Brain flips the images -Vector Stock image credit

Let me turn back the page to a recent time when I felt it was a foregone conclusion that Chris Jones would indeed get at least a 3-year contract. With the new money in the Cap, the Chiefs could also retain Sneed. Here is how it might happen: Tag Sneed and get a multi-year contract done with Jones. This might though, preclude retaining either Gay or Tranquill and other big contributors on defense.

The question is: can GM Brett Veach and the brain trust figure out a way to have enough capital to give the Chiefs a good shot at a third sequential Super Bowl? I believe that they will. What are the top three draft needs? Lyle Graversen at Arrowhead Addict has a good article including thoughts about the upcoming NFL Draft –> see that article, here: “The 3 positions that will define the Kansas City Chiefs offseason“

I’d ordering them this way, presuming both Jones and Sneed are retained the team needs are: WR, OT, DL. To add a 4th, and 5th? TE & RB. The order varies depending on the blueprint and who is retained or not. OT is a crucial position. Do the Chiefs resign Donovan Smith? Can Lucas Niang or Wanya Morris move up to starter status? I think the Chiefs draft to the OT role regardless.

I am sure the Chiefs will go well-armed in attending the Scouting Combine. Could Brett Veach trade up in the draft? Sure. Will they double up in drafting a particular position? I’d say that is highly likely. WR and players in the trenches on both sides of the ball seem very possible.

There is a lot of work to be done and the upcoming Combine will give us insight into where the Chiefs are headed by the time those numbers are in. Pay attention to player signings as that gathering comes to be. I wrote about paying attention to combine drills a bit ago in “Focus on the Scouting Combine.” I think the Chief’s interviews are an important factor in the evaluation process. I am anxious to see the results after the scouting event while paying close attention to any Chiefs transactions in the meantime.

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INVT is the bottom line – Getty Images photo credit

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In the meantime… Go CHIEFS!

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David Bell — ArrowheadOne

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