It’s time to play…
Would You? Could You?
Laddie Morse
Like any other Chiefs fan, I dream dreams for the Chiefs of holding up trophies (at least the Lamar Hunt trophy), games where the Chiefs offense is scoring the most points in a game…instead of the defense — I think that’s a realistic dream — among other exciting dreams that I don’t want to get into here.
Yes, I have spent a lot of time in the land of “promising possibilities” and “what if?” Like, I used to think about… what if the Chiefs were so widely respected around the league… that you couldn’t turn on ESPN or the NFL Network without them talking about the organization and it’s most trivial details.
Now, my what –if-ing is all about the Chiefs future. So, let’s play…
Would You? Could You?
Would you trade the number 27 pick in the draft to New England for Rob Gronkowski?
After posting my trading up piece last Saturday called, “Should Chiefs Trade Up For ILB Zach Cunningham,” I’ve read and heard about some strange suggestions about what the Chiefs could or might do in the draft but this might have been the strangest.
First of all, I’m not blind to the fact that Travis Kelce is so good that people call him “Baby Gronk,” even though he’s now requested that people “Don’t ever do that again.” However, if Bill Belichick is interested in trading a player to your team for a draft pick — a player who happens to be the best at his position — wouldn’t you wonder why he’s willing to do that? I’d be thinking that something was wrong with Gronkowski… or some other reason you’ll never find out about until it’s too late in the middle of next season. I would never make this trade for that reason. In fact, I don’t know why any GM — on any team in the national football league — would even field a call from Belichick. Knowing that every move he makes seems to turn to gold… why take the risk of being the guy who ends up holding a bag of — well, something else — just not gold. Believe me, there is not going to come a time when Bill Belichick all of a sudden, gets dumb. I know about moments when that happens to other coaches… just not Billy boy.
Could you pull the trigger on a trade that sends Alex Smith to the Cowboys for Tony Romo?
Many of you are aware that I live in the Dallas area and with that dubious “privilege” comes the onslaught of radio sports talk shows and news shows touting the Godlike abilities of Tony Romo. Every single game of last season there was a rather loud contingency of fans who thought Tony should be given his job back because he was finally healthy.
Frankly, I’m totally uninterested in seeing the Kansas City Chiefs take some other teams castaway in to lead the team. Tony Romo is damaged good. No, make that, old damaged goods. I can see the QB starved Denver Broncos doing a deal that has him leading their team for a year or two, but not the Chiefs.
Whoever it is that’s out there wanting the Chiefs to do this deal… please… let it go.
Would you take a chance on a cornerback like Sam Shields who was just released from the Green Bay Packers but has played at a high level before… even though he’s had multiple concussions?
Yes, I would and here’s why I think the Chiefs might take that risk too. Number one, John Dorsey was in Green Bay when they signed Shields as an undrafted free agent in 2010, so the Chiefs are already familiar with him. Number two, Shields concussion was in September and he was out all year so by the time camp rolls around, he will have had ten months to recuperate. Number three — and likely the most important reason — Shields could probably be signed for a song.
Low risk… high reward… why not.
Could you cut punter Dustin Colquitt, offensive lineman Jah Reid and inside linebacker Josh Mauga to create 10.1 million in cap space?
The realities of reading this one, after I looked into it and did the math, was that the three of them would actually create 8.8 million in cap space. Wouldn’t it be easier to just cut Nick Foles and save 10.75M?
While I am of the opinion that you have to look into cutting the most expensive punter in the league at some point — the Broncos cut his brother last year — you don’t make those kinds of cuts without having another player ready to replace him.
Would you be willing to go all in on a trade up if the Chiefs were able to acquire their quarterback of the future?
In a piece called, “Five Suggestions to Break the Chiefs Out of Their Rut” Adam Teicher says that, “Whether it’s this year or sometime in the near future, trade up to draft the eventual long-term starter at quarterback.” Teicher equates finding a QB like Russell Wilson in the third round akin to Santa Claus actually sliding down your chimney… that it isn’t going to happen so the Chiefs need to trade up to get their guy.
I made a clear case for trading up last week when I suggested the Chiefs trade up for ILB Zach Cunningham so I’m not against that idea but trading up just to take a chance on a QB because a guy like Adam Teicher says “it’s time” to do it is lunacy. Last year, I thought Paxton Lynch was the best QB in that draft so I could understand it if the Chiefs wanted to take him. While I like QB Mitch Trubisky this year — a lot — I don’t think he’s the value Lynch was a year ago and he’ll very likely not be the savior of anyone’s franchise, even after a few years of seasoning. Now, if Deshaun Watson fell to the Chiefs at #27, I’d like to see them take him. I give Watson a slightly better chance of success than Paxton, mostly because he’s won a national championship. I like winners. I think winning — as in, “championship winners” — have a pedigree that can’t be taught. However, I’m not sure at the moment, if Watson is worth giving up other picks for — which the Chiefs appear to be needing right now — just to get a QBOTF who will have to sit a couple of years.
If you’re wondering if I like Deshaun Watson better than Mitch Trubisky, I think I basically said that in the last paragraph. Watson’s mobility makes him a dual threat and Andy Reid would have to re-write his playbook for Watson because he has wheels and Clemson called plays specifically so that Watson could run. Now, every successful QB in the NFL — with the exception of perhaps Michael Vick — has had to learn that your legs are not what’s going to make your team into a champion. On the other hand, I think Watson runs the ball better than Cam Newton but, I don’t think Mr. QB-Master-Jedi-Reid will have a problem teaching balance to this young padawan. Watson is extremely competitive, a good student of the game and he has a great arm (4,593 yards in his senior season and 4,109 yards as a junior). FYI, Alex Smith ran for 2 more yards his junior season (his last at Utah) than Watson did as a senior, in 3 fewer games. So hopefully, fans will see him as the passer that he really is.
Could you have the Chiefs… “Start getting their salary cap in order by letting Eric Berry and Dontari Poe leave in free agency.” ~ Adam Teicher
Once again, Adam Teicher goes too far in suggesting that the Chiefs need to allow both Berry and Poe go. However, if that does happen, watch as John Dorsey drafts a Safety in the first round.
I believe that the Chiefs will be fine without Dontari Poe and they will learn to live without his double-team drawing services. The reality of that is… the other team’s offensive linemen are always going to choose a player on the Chiefs DL to double. Yes, Chris Jones may be getting a lion share of those in 2017 but he has proven already that he’s a capable, if not super, penetrator. So, he could probably expect to be double-teamed anyway.
As for letting Eric Berry go… it just makes no sense whatsoever for the “team.” Berry’s presence offers so many intangibles not to mention, “He had an MVP-type season.”
What else would you or could you do this offseason?
